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X-Plane Operation Manual

About This Copy of the Manual This is revision 9.70 of the manual to the desktop and professional versions of X-Plane, last updated on June 19, 2011. Using This Manual Throughout the manual, there ill !e "ross-referen"es to other parts of the manual. These ill generall# !e in the form of a dark gra# page num!er$for instan"e, %hapter & is on page 53 '"li"king the num!er there ill go dire"tl# to page ()*. The Ta!le of %ontents is also "ross-referen"ed+ "li"k on the se"tion #ou,re looking for to travel there instantl#. -lternativel#, the P./0s !ookmarks "an !e used to navigate 1ui"kl# through the manual.

Table of Contents
%li"k a "hapter or se"tion heading to go dire"tl# to that page.

1. About X-Plane...................................................................... 10 2. 3vervie 22. 4hat X-Plane 2n"ludes 222. 5istor# -. -ustin,s 6io, 7ast 8pdated 9id-200: 6. X-Plane Toda# 2. 3vervie a. The 7evel 1 X-Plane ;imulator !. The 7evel 2 X-Plane ;imulator ". The 7evel ) X-Plane ;imulator d. The 7evel & X-Plane ;imulator e. ;ummar# . !nstalling an" Configuring X-Plane....................................1# 2. ;#stem <e1uirements 22. /light %ontrol ;ele"tion -. Jo#sti"ks 6. =okes %. <udder Pedals .. 3ther %onsiderations 222. .ispla# <e1uirements and ;#stem -r"hite"ture 2>. ?raphi"s .rivers and X-Plane -. 8pdating ?raphi"s .rivers in 4indo s >. 2nstalling X-Plane -. 2nstallation on a 4indo s P% i. ;pe"ial %onsiderations for 4indo s XP 8sers ii. ;pe"ial %onsiderations for 4indo s >ista and 7 8sers 6. 2nstallation on a 9a"intosh i. ;pe"ial %onsiderations for 9a" 8sers %. 2nstallation in 7inu@ >2. 7aun"hing X-Plane

>22. 8pdating to a Ae er >ersion of X-Plane -. 8sing X-Plane 6etas >222. %ompati!ilit# ith Barlier >ersions of ;"ener#, 9odels, and Plug-2ns 2X. 8ninstalling X-Plane X. ?etting 5elp and ;upport 3. !nitial $light %etup................................................................3 2. ?eneral -""ess 22. Jo#sti"k %onfiguration and %ali!ration -. -@is -ssignment 6. %ontrol %ali!ration %. 6utton -ssignment .. %ontrolling Jo#sti"k ;ensitivit# and -ir"raft ;ta!ilit# i. ;ensitivit# ii. ;ta!ilit# B. ;etting Aull Cones /. %entering the %ontrols ?. -dding ;pe"ial B1uipment 5. Trou!leshooting /light %ontrols 222. <endering 3ptions ;etup -. /rame <ate and the Dualit# of /light ;imulation 6. ;etting 8p the 9onitor i. Te@ture <esolution ii. ;et %olor .epth and 9onitor <esolution on X-Plane ;tartup iii. -nti--lias 7evel iv. ;"reen <es '<esolution* a. 9aking X-Plane /ull ;"reen v. .ra 23; on ;e"ond 9onitor on ;ame >ideo %ard %. ;etting 8p the X-Plane 4orld i. /orest .ensit# ii. 4orld .etail .istan"e iii. Aum!er of 3!Ee"ts

iv. Aum!er of <oads v. -irport .etail vi. Traffi" .ensit# vii. -nisotropi" /ilter Te@tures viii. .ra 6irds in Ai"e 4eather i@. .ra 5i-<es Planet Te@tures from 3r!it @. .ra /orest /ires and 6alloons in 4arm 4eather @i. .ra >ie 2ndi"ator @ii. .im 8nder 5igh ? 7oad or 5#po@ia @iii. 8se Pi@el ;haders for -maFing /og and 4ater Bffe"ts a. .ra >olumetri" /og !. 4ater <efle"tion 7evel B. B@pert <endering 3ptions i. %ompress Te@tures to ;ave ><-9 ii. .o -n# ;"ener# 7oads in the 6a"kground iii. <un a#s /ollo Terrain %ontours /. ;pe"ial >ie ing %ontrols i. 7ateral /ield of >ie ii. 9inimum /rame <ate iii. 9ulti-%omputer ;imulators a. 7ateral, >erti"al, and <oll 3ffsets iv. 7o"k >ie to /or ard %o"kpit ?. ;etting up X-Plane to -"hieve the 6est <esults i. .ispla#ing the /rame <ate ii. 9odif#ing >isi!ilit# and %loud <endering iii. %hanging Te@ture <esolution for 6est Performan"e iv. ;etting ;"reen <esolution for 6est Performan"e v. 3ptimiFing 3ther <endering 3ptions vi. %hanging the Aum!er of 3ther -ir"raft &. $light..................................................................................... 53 2. 3pening an -ir"raft

22. %hoosing an -irport -. -irport 2.s B@plained 222. ;etting 4eather -. 6asi" %loud %onfiguration 6. Dui"k-;et 6uttons %. 4eather ;liders .. Temperature and Pressure B. 4ind 7a#ers /. Thermals ?. <un a# %onditions 5. 8sing <eal 4eather 2>. 8sing the Ge#!oardHGe#!oard ;hort"uts >. 8sing the 9ouse 2nstead of a Jo#sti"k >2. %ontrolling 2nstruments and -vioni"s ith the 9ouse -. Aote on <adio Tuning >22. -rtifi"ial 2ntelligen"e '-2* .emo /light >222. /l#ing =ourself 5. X-Plane Menus..................................................................... '( 2. The -!out 9enu -. -!out X-Plane 6. 2nstru"tions %. -.2. ;ele"ts =our -ir"raft .. -.2. /lies =our -ir"raft B. -.2. %ontrols =our >ie s 22. The /ile 9enu -. ;aveH7oad ;ituation 6. ;aveH7oad <epla# %. Dui"ktime 9ovie ;pe"s .. Toggle 9ovie B. 7oad /light .ata <e"order /ile /. Take ;"reenshot 222. The -ir"raft 9enu -. 3pen -ir"raft 6. 3pen 7iver# %. 4eight and /uel

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i. The /uelHPa#load Ta! ii. The 3rdnan"e Ta! .. B1uipment /ailures B. -ir"raft I ;ituations /. ;ho 9ouse-%li"k <egions ?. ;ho 2nstrument .es"riptions 5. Toggle Puff ;moke 2. %#"le )-. /light Path J. <eset )-. /light Path G. 7og!ook 2>. The 7o"ation 9enu -. ;ele"t ?lo!al -irport i. The Take 3ff 6uttons ii. The /inal -pproa"h 6uttons iii. The <amp ;tart 6uttons 6. 7o"al 9ap i. The 5i-;peed Ta! ii. The 7o Bnroute Ta! iii. The 5igh Bnroute Ta! iv. The ;e"tional Ta! v. The Te@tured Ta! vi. %he"k 6o@es a. The 2nstru"tor 3perator ;tation '23;* 6o@ !. The Bdit 6o@ ". The <epla# 6o@ d. The ;lope 6o@ e. The 2nst 6o@ f. The )-. 6o@ vii. -ir"raft %ontrols viii. >ie ing %ontrols %. Planet 9ap .. ;et Planet to Barth or 9ars B. ?et 9e 7ost >. The Bnvironment 9enu -. 4eather

6. .ate I Time >2. The ;ettings 9enu -. .ata 2nput I 3utput i. The .ata ;et Ta! a. The /our %he"k!o@es in .epth aa. 2nternet via 8.P '/irst %he"k!o@* !!. .isk /ile ,.ata.t@t, ';e"ond %he"k!o@* "". ?raphi"al .ispla# in ,.ata-;ee, Ta! 'Third %he"k!o@* dd. %o"kpit .uring /light '/ourth %he"k!o@* ii. The .ata ;ee Ta! 6. Aet %onne"tions i. 2net 1 ii. 2net 2 iii. 2net ) %. Jo#sti"k I B1uipment .. <endering 3ptions B. ;ound /. Dui"k-/light ;etup ?. 3perations I 4arnings i. /light 9odel ii. ;tartup iii. 4arnings iv. .amage v. .ata >22. The >ie 9enu >222. The ;pe"ial 9enu -. ;ho /light 9odel i. /un ith the /light 9odel 6. 3utput /light 9odel %. 3penHToggle Te@t /ile for >ie ing .. 3penHToggle %he"klist for 8se

B. /ind Pit"hH=a ;ta!ilit# .erivative /. ;et Bnvironment Properties ?. ;et -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit#, -utopilot, and /-.B% "onstants 5. ;ho %ontrol .efle"tions 2. ;ho 4eapon ?uidan"e J. ;ho ;k# %olors G. ;ho ProEe"tor Test 2X. The Plugins 9enu -. Plug-in -dmin '. )a*igation+ Autopilots+ an" $lying on !nstru,ents---.3 2. Aavigation -. 5istor# i. .ead <e"koning ii. -ural Aavigation 6. 9odern Aavigation i. A.6 Aavigation ii. >3< Aavigation iii. 27; Aavigation iv. ?P; Aavigation 22. -utopilots -. .es"riptions of -utopilot /un"tions i. 47> ii. 5.? iii. 73% iv. 537. v. >H; vi. ;P. vii. /7%5 viii. PT%5 i@. ?H; @. >A-> @i. 6% 6. 8sing the -utopilot i. Turning 2t 3n

ii. 8sing the %ontrols a. 4ing 7eveler and Pit"h ;#n" !. 5eading, -ltitude, >erti"al ;peed, ;peed 5old, /light 7evel %hange, -uto-Throttle ". Pit"h ;#n" ith the Pit"h ;#n" Jo#sti"k 6utton d. 73% and ?H; aa. 73% !!. ?H; "". /l#ing an 27; 8sing 73% and ?H; iii. /l#ing an /9; Plan iv. Turning the -utopilot 3ff 222. /l#ing on 2nstruments -. 5istor# 6. The 2nner Bar and =our ;ense of 6alan"e %. ?#ros"opes and Their -ppli"ation to /light .. The ;i@ Primar# /light 2nstruments i. The -irspeed 2ndi"ator '-;2* ii. The -ttitude 2ndi"ator '-2* iii. The -ltimeter '-7T* iv. The Turn %oordinator 'T%* v. The .ire"tional ?#ro '.?* vi. The >erti"al ;peed 2ndi"ator '>;2* #. /0pan"ing X-Plane.............................................................. 11 2. -dding Third-Part# -ir"raft 22. -dding Third-Part# ;"ener# 222. 2nstalling Plug-2ns (. /0pert /ssays......................................................................11& 2. Tuning the 5andling in X-Plane 22. /a"tors -ffe"ting X-Plane,s Performan"e 222. Tuning the -utopilot -. Tuning -utopilot <oll

i. <oll Brror for /ull -ileron ii. <oll Predi"tion iii. <oll Tune Time iv. 7o"aliFer %.2 ?ain v. 7o"aliFer %.2 Predi"tion 6. ;ummar# of <oll ;ettings %. Tuning -utopilot Pit"h i. Pit"h Brror for /ull Blevator ii. Pit"h Predi"tion iii. Pit"h Tune Time iv. ?lideslope %.2 ?ain v. ?lideslope %.2 Predi"tion vi. Pit"h .egrees per Gnot .. ;ummar# of 6oth Pit"h and <oll %ontrols B. ;etting -utopilot %onstants Dui"kl# 2>. .esigning an -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# ;#stem -. .esigning a =a .amper 6. ;ta!iliFing Pit"h >. ;etting 8p -dvan"ed Aet orks -. ;etting 8p a Aet orked %opilot0s ;tation >2. ;etting 8p 9ultiple 9onitors -. 9ultiple %omputers, 9ultiple 9onitors 6. 3ne %omputer, 9ultiple 9onitors %. ;etting 8p a %opilot,s ;tation 8sing T o 9onitors ith 3ne %omputer >22. /l#ing 5eli"opters >222. /l#ing the ;pa"e ;huttle -. 4alkthrough 2X. /l#ing on 9ars -. 2ntrodu"tor# 7etter 6. Tips .. %upple,ent1 Airfoil-Ma2er.................................................. 1&5 2. 9enus -. -!out 6. /ile 9enu

i. Ae ii. 3pen iii. ;ave iv. ;ave -s v. B@it 22. .esigning an -irfoil -. The %oeffi"ient ?raph 6. <e#nolds Aum!er %. %oeffi"ients i. %oeffi"ient of 7ift ii. %oeffi"ient of .rag iii. %oeffi"ient of 9oment .. ?eneral 2nfo i. /inding %oeffi"ients ii. <e"ommended 6a"kground <eading iii. T#pes of -irfoils B. ?enerating -irfoils i. %oeffi"ient of 7ift 2nter"ept ii. %oeffi"ient of 7ift ;lope iii. %oeffi"ient of 7ift %urvature Aear the ;tall iv. %oeffi"ient of 7ift 9a@imum v. %oeffi"ient of 7ift 2mmediate .rop at ;tall vi. %oeffi"ient of 7ift %urvature -fter the ;tall vii. %oeffi"ient of 7ift .rop from ;tall to 20 .egrees viii. %oeffi"ient of .rag 9inimum i@. %oeffi"ient of 7ift at 4hi"h 9inimum .rag 3""urs @. %oeffi"ient of .rag at -ngle of -tta"k of 10 .egrees @i. %oeffi"ient of .rag %urvature @ii. 7aminar .rag 6u"ket 7o"ation @iii. 7aminar .rag 6u"ket 4idth @iv. 7aminar .rag 6u"ket .epth @v. 7aminar .rag 6u"ket %urvature

@vi. %oeffi"ient of 9oment 7o --lpha %hange Point @vii. %oeffi"ient of 9oment 5igh--lpha %hange Point @viii. %oeffi"ient of 9oment at 20 .egrees @i@. %oeffi"ient of 9oment at 7o --lpha %hange Point @@. %oeffi"ient of 9oment at 5igh--lpha %hange Point @@i. %oeffi"ient of 9oment at 20 .egrees /. /inishing 8p 10. %upple,ent1 Plane-Ma2er................................................15( 2. Plane-9aker .es"ription 22. 7i"ensing of Planes %reated in Plane-9aker 222. 8sing Plane-9aker to 9ake a Plane 2>. -dding -irfoils to a Plane in Plane-9aker >. /inishing the Plane ith %ustom %o"kpits, Paint, and ;ounds -. %ustom Paint 6. %ustom Panels and 2nstruments %. %ustom ;ounds .. %ustom 4eapons and ;lung 7oads B. %ustom )-. %o"kpits and 6odies >2. %reating 3!Ee"ts for X-Plane >22. .istri!ution >222. ;ummar# 11. %upple,ent1 X-Plane %3enery 4esour3es.......................1'& 2. .o nloading Pre-9ade ;"ener# 22. 6uilding %ustom -irports 222. %onverting ?oogle Barth ;"ener# for 8se in X-Plane Appen"i3es Appen"i0 A1 5o6 X-Plane 7or2s...............................1'' 2. X-Plane0s 6lade Blement ;imulation B@plained

-. Blement 6reakdo n 6. >elo"it# .etermination %. %oeffi"ient .etermination .. /or"e 6uild-8p B. 6a"k to 4ork 22. -dvantages of 6lade Blement ;imulation Appen"i0 81 %en"ing a 8ug 4eport...........................1'. Appen"i0 C1 9lossary of Ter,s.................................1# 2. 4orking ith the Program 2tself 22. Parts of an -ir"raft 222. 9ovement of an -ir"raft 2>. 3ther -viation Terms Appen"i0 :1 $A; an" Troubleshooting.....................1#( 2. 5o do 2 update or install X-PlaneJ 22. 4h# does X-Plane not ork on m# 4indo s ma"hine or "rash upon e@iting the simJ 222. 5o do 2 "hange the resolutionJ 2>. 5o do 2 set up a Eo#sti"k, #oke, or rudder pedalsJ >. 5o do 2 install ne s"ener#, air"raft, or pluginsJ >2. 5o do 2 use the autopilotJ >22. 4h# does m# P% freeFe after running X-Plane a hileJ >222. 4h# do 2 get an error a!out a missing .77J 2X. 4h# does air traffi" "ontrol spee"h not ork on m# 4indo s ma"hineJ X. 4h# is there no sound on m# 9a"J X2. 5o do 2 make m# sim run fasterJ X22. 4hat hard are should 2 !u#J X222. 4h# does m# airplane flutter and "rashJ X2>. .oes X-Plane use :&-!it pro"essingJ X>. 4hat are the differen"es !et een the standard

X>2. 4h# does ;72H%rossfire not speed up the simJ Appen"i0 /1 Ma2ing Ob<e3ts for X-Plane...................1(( Appen"i0 $1 Custo, Air3raft $iles for 5ire...............1.0 Appen"i0 91 The =og $ile /0plaine".........................1.1 Appen"i0 51 X-Plane an" =inu0.................................1.' 2. 2nstallation -. 2n 8!untu ')2-!it* i. Aote on 7oss of -udio in 8!untu 9.10 6. 2n 3pen;8;B ':&-!it* %. 2n /edora ':&-!it* .. Trou!leshooting Appen"i0 !1 Up"ating the Co,puter>s 9raphi3s :ri*ers in 7in"o6s............................................................. 11 I. Determining the Graphics Card Maker and Model Using DirectX Diagnostic II. Installing Drivers for Video Cards Made by ATI III. Installing Drivers for Video Cards Made by NVIDIA Appen"i0 ?1 :efault @ey Assign,ents...................... Appen"i0 @1 Using Ol"er Aersions of X-Plane.......... Appen"i0 =1 7ater /*ery6hereB................................. & 1

1. About X-Plane
!. O*er*ie6 X-Plane is the orld,s most "omprehensive and po erful flight simulator for personal "omputers. X-Plane offers the most realisti" flight model availa!le for home use. X-Plane is not a game, !ut an engineering tool that "an !e used to predi"t the fl#ing 1ualities of fi@ed- and rotar#- ing air"raft ith in"redi!le a""ura"#. 6e"ause X-Plane predi"ts the performan"e and handling of almost an# air"raft, it is a great tool for pilots to keep up their "urren"# in a simulator that flies like the real plane, for engineers to predi"t ho a ne airplane ill fl#, and for aviation enthusiasts to e@plore the orld of air"raft flight d#nami"s. 4el"ome to the orld of props, Eets, single- and multi-engine airplanes, as ell as gliders, heli"opters and >T37s. X-Plane "ontains su!soni" and supersoni" flight d#nami"s, allo ing users to predi"t the flight "hara"teristi"s of the slo est air"raft to the fastest. X-Plane also in"ludes )( air"raft on its master disk, spanning the aviation industr# 'and its histor#*, sporting air"raft from the 6ell 20: Jet<anger and %essna 172 to the ;pa"e ;huttle and the 6-2 6om!er. -dditionall#, more than 1,&00 additional air"raft models "an !e do nloaded from the 2nternet 'XPlane.org1, the X-Plane."om 7inks page2, and ?oogle) are good pla"es to start*, nearl# all of hi"h are free. 2f those aren0t enough, users "an design their o n airplanes and test fl# themL
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The full X-Plane s"ener# pa"kage "overs the Barth in stunning resolution from 7&O north to :0O south latitude. ;"ener# is also availa!le for 9ars thanks to the 9ars 3r!iting 7aser -ltimeter, hi"h mapped that planet,s elevation. 3n Barth, users "an land at an# of over )),000 airports or test their mettle on air"raft "arriers, oil rigs, frigates ' hi"h pit"h and roll ith the aves*, or helipads atop !uildings. The# "an also realisti"all# model the flight of remote "ontrolled model air"raft, air-laun"h in an X-1( or ;pa"e ;hip 3ne from the mother ship, fl# re-entries into Barth,s atmosphere in the ;pa"e ;huttle, fl# ith friends over the 2nternet or a 7-A, drop ater on forest fires, or shoot approa"hes to air"raft "arriers at night in storm# eather and rough ater "onditions in a damaged /-&. The situations that "an !e simulated are in"redi!leL 4eather is varia!le in X-Plane from "lear skies and high visi!ilit# to thunderstorms ith "ontrolla!le ind, ind shear, tur!ulen"e, and mi"ro !ursts. <ain, sno , and "louds are availa!le for an instrument fl#ing "hallenge, and thermals are availa!le for the gliders. -"tual eather "onditions "an !e do nloaded from the 2nternet, allo ing users to fl# in the eather that "urrentl# e@ists at the lo"ation of the flightL X-Plane also has detailed failure modeling, ith multitudes of s#stems that "an either !e failed manuall# at an instru"tor0s "ommand, or randoml# hen users least e@pe"t itL 8sers "an fail instruments, engines, flight "ontrols, "ontrol "a!les, antennae, landing gear, or an# of doFens of other s#stems at an# moment. The# "an also have a friend or flight instru"tor 'lo"all# or via the 2nternet, orking from an 2nstru"tor,s 3perating ;tation* fail "omponents on the air"raft ithout the pilot0s kno ledge. The instru"tor "an alter the time of da#, eather "onditions, and failure status of hundreds of air"raft s#stems and "omponents. -dditionall#, the instru"tor "an relo"ate the air"raft to a lo"ation of his or her "hoi"e at an# time.

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-ir"raft models are also e@tremel# fle@i!le, allo ing users to easil# "reate paint Eo!s, sounds, and instrument panels to modif# an# airplane #ou "hoose. %ustom airplane or heli"opter designs "an even !e "reated and flo n using X-Plane and the in"luded Plane9aker soft are. X-Plane is used !# orld-leading defense "ontra"tors, air for"es, air"raft manufa"turers, and even spa"e agen"ies for appli"ations ranging from flight training to "on"ept design and flight testing. /or e@ample, X-Plane has !een used in "rash investigations to depi"t the vie pilots e@perien"ed moments !efore a mid-air "ollision, or to graphi"all# present to Euries and Eudges the for"es that impa"t an air"raft in flight. ;"aled %omposites used X-Plane to visualiFe ;pa"e ;hip 3ne0s flights to the edge of the atmosphere in their pilot training simulator. Galitta has used XPlane to train their pilots to fl# freight 7&7s in the middle of the night. Aorth est and Japan -irlines use X-Plane for flight revie and training. %essna uses X-Plane to train ne "ustomers in the intri"a"ies of the ?armin ?1000. .ave <ose has used X-Plane to optimiFe airplanes for his man# ins at <eno. A-;- has used XPlane to test the re-entr# of gliders into the 9artian atmosphere, and the list goes on. These "ustomers serve as perhaps the most signifi"ant endorsement of the in"redi!le "apa!ilities of this simulator. /urthermore, X-Plane has re"eived "ertifi"ation from the /-- for use in logging hours to ards flight e@perien"e and ratings. This e@perien"e "an provide "redit to ards a private pilot,s li"ense, re"urren"e training, hours to ards instrument training, and even hours to ards an -irline Transport %ertifi"ate$it0s that good. )oteM This "ertifi"ation re1uires not onl# that the user has the "ertified X-Plane soft are, !ut also the "ertified hard are '"o"kpit and flight "ontrols* availa!le through "ompanies like Pre"ision

/light %ontrols& and /idelit#(. This is !e"ause flight-training s#stems "an onl# !e "ertified as a "omplete pa"kage 'a soft are and hard are "om!ination*. The "ertified soft are is availa!le for P(00 to P1,000 per "op# from P/% and /idelit# and the hard are runs from P(,000 to P(00,000. The retail version of X-Plane pur"hased at X-Plane."om: is not "ertified for flight training right out of the !o@, sin"e "ertifi"ation re1uires a soft are and hard are "om!ination. 5o ever, the soft are availa!le for a!out P(0 at X-Plane."om is almost identi"al hat is found in the P(00,000 full-motion /---"ertified platforms. The !iggest differen"e is that the /---"ertified versions have "ustom air"raft files ith larger instrument panels, hi"h are set up to ork ith hard are radios like those found in the ph#si"al "o"kpits. The /---"ertified version also has some of the purel# fun stuff 'like 9ars and spa"e flight* removed$even though those situations are simulated a""uratel# in X-Plane, Eust like the /---"ertified su!soni" terrestrial flight. 4hen the /-- "ertifies the first 9artian !usiness Eet, e0ll !e there. !!. 7hat X-Plane !n3lu"es 4indo s, 9a", and 7inu@ installers are in"luded on the dis"s pur"hased from X-Plane."om7. There are appro@imatel# 7& ?6 orth of s"ener# '"overing essentiall# the entire orld* and thirt#five air"raft, ith thousands of planes availa!le on the e!. The .>.s "ontain ever#thing needed to run X-Plane$there is nothing more that users need to !u#. =ou0ll re"eive free updates to version 9 until version 10 is released, as ell some of the !est "ustomer servi"e and te"h support availa!le. 4hile on its o n X-Plane represents the orld,s most
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"omprehensive flight simulator, the installation .>. also "omes ith Plane-9aker 'allo ing users to "reate "ustom air"raft or modif# e@isting designs*, -irfoil-9aker 'allo ing users to "reate airfoil performan"e profiles*, and 4eather-6riefer 'to give users a eather !riefing !efore the flight hen using real eather "onditions do nloaded from the 2nternet*. The sto"k installation in"ludes the follo ing thirt#-five air"raftM

.ouglas --&6 ;k#ha k /iat %<.&2 /al"o 6ell &07 6ee"h"raft ;tagger ing /ord Tri-motor 5a ker ;ea 5arrier /<;1 !!!. 5istory

2l#ushin 27-7: Paris Jet 222 Peregrine /222 /irenFe %urtis P-: 5a k %essna 120

%irrus >ision ;/(0 %essna 172;P Piaggo P-1K0 -vanti ;tinson 7-( ;entinel -;G-21 glider 6ell &7 6ee"h"raft Ging -ir 6200 /-22 <aptor 7o"kheed ;<-71 6la"k!ird 6om!ardier %anadair %7-&1( 6oeing 6777-200 Piper P--&: 9ali!u Aorthrop 6-2 ;pirit <o!inson <22 6eta ?reat Planes PT-:0 <% plane

X-1( and X-)0 X-Planes G%-10 B@tender 6oeing 67&7-&00 6ell-6oeing >-22 3spre# 6oeing 6-(2? ;tratofortress >an0s <>-)H&H:H7HKH9H10 <o"k ell 6-16 7an"er >iggen J-)7 /-& Phantom 9ars Jet, 9ars <o"ket 6ell 20: 6oeing ->-K6 5arrier 22 ;ikorsk# ;-:1 ;pa"e ;huttle 3r!iter Thunder Tiger <aptor )0 v2 <% heli"opter

9an# people ask us a!out the histor# of X-Plane, ho e got started and here e,re going. 5ere,s some !a"kground information a!out -ustin 9e#er 'the author* and the histor# of XPlaneM -s users are pro!a!l# a are, the most popular flight simulator on the market is 9i"rosoft /light ;imulator. This ma# !e predominatel# due to their earl# start ith their flight simulator, hi"h dates !a"k to a!out 19K2 or so. 3ver the #ears, there have !een man# other upstart "ompanies that have attempted to "ompete against 9i"rosoft '/light-8nlimited, /l# and /l#-2k are a fe e@amples*. -ll have failed... e@"ept X-Plane, hi"h has traditionall# enEo#ed a relativel# small market of fanati" users. /rom the ver# !eginning, the largest advantage of using X-Plane as in the a# the flight model is generated and the high framerate at hi"h X-Plane "an run. This has long given us an advantage in !eing a!le to a""uratel# "al"ulate and depi"t the flight response and feel of an air"raft in flight. 2n the past, 9i"rosoft had s"ener# that as superior to X-Plane,s, as ell as man# more add-ons. 9i"rosoft0s advantage here largel# died ith the release of the first set of high-definition, orld- ide s"ener# disks on .e"em!er 1, 200&, a!out mid a# through the X-Plane >ersion K run. 3ver the #ears, e,ve "onsistentl# seen in"reasing sales, ith a total of a!out 7(0,000 "opies of X-Plane shipped through either 2nternet orders or retailers as of -pril 2009 'not "ounting the 12

3f "ourse, the thousands of air"raft availa!le on the 2nternet provide even greater variet#. The follo ing is a 'small* sample of hat0s out thereM 6ee"h"raft 6onanFa 9oone# 920J 201 de 5avilland .5-10: %omet ;ikorsk# ;7: P-(1. 9ustang 6ee"h"raft Ging -ir )(0 %essna %1(0 6oeing 727H7)7H7&7Het" Piper P--1: %lipper Pitts Q9ountain .e R ;2% ;trato%loud <am--ir Piper T in %oman"he P-)0 %essna 19( 6ell 222

(00,000 "opies of the ne iPhone appsL*. /urthermore, X-Plane is the onl# single "ommer"ial flight simulator availa!le for the 9a"intosh, 4indo s, and 7inu@ platforms. The set of dis"s sold at X-Plane."om in"ludes "opies for all three, so there is no possi!ilit# that a user ill pi"k up the rong version for his or her "omputer. 'Aote that some retailers have !een kno n to sto"k 4indo s-onl# or 9a"intosh-onl# "opies of X-Plane or sell X-Plane ithout glo!al s"ener# to keep "osts do n. <ead the !o@ "arefull# if !u#ing from a store shelf.* -side from the improved a""ura"# and fluidit# found in X-Plane, another !ig differen"e !et een 9i"rosoft,s simulator and our o n is that, hereas 9i"rosoft releases updates a!out ever# three #ears or so, e release updates for X-Plane a!out ever# ten eeksL Thus, instead of !u#ing a dis" and having the soft are remain stagnant for the ne@t thirt#-si@ months, X-Plane en"ourages users to go to our e!site ever# three months or so and do nload "ool ne 'and free* updates to their soft areL 2n short, e are a fe ver# driven and talented people that have made the improvement and a""ura"# of X-Plane prett# mu"h our life,s mission. A. AustinCs 8io+ =ast Up"ate" Mi"- 00' 5iL 2 am a private pilot ith a!out 1,(00 hours in a handful of light and medium-siFe %essna and Piper singles 'the airplanes 2 gre up fl#ing* and a %irrus ;<-22 %entennial Bdition K1&1D, hi"h 2 pur"hased in 200). 2n a month or so, 2 ill !e s it"hing to a 7an"air %olum!ia &00 for ma@imum speed to hop around the "ountr# serving "ustomers. '9# "ustomer support gu#, <and# 4itt, flies a 6ee"h 6aron. 2,m telling #ou this to make the point that the gu#s that rite and support X-Plane are pilots, air"raft o ners, and engineers. -viation is a huge part of our lives, and e love hat e,re doing.*

-n# a#, !a"k in 19KK or so, after 2 had gotten m# instrument rating in the "alm and friendl# skies of %olum!ia, ;outh %arolina, 2 found m#self in ;an .iego, %alifornia, orking for .uPont -erospa"e, a small aerospa"e te"h firm orking, on some e@"ellent !ut unusual designs that 2 "annot dis"uss in detail. 2 must digress here for a moment !e"ause this is interesting and also appli"a!le to one of the air"raft in X-Plane. 3ne of the proEe"ts that .uPont as orking on !a"k then as the ellkno n A-;P, or Aational -erospa"e Plane, a single-stage-to-or!it air"raft that "an, in theor#, take off from a run a# and fl# "lear to or!it. Ton# .uPont, the president of the "ompan#, as the founder of this ingenious A-;P "on"ept. 4hile the ;pa"e ;huttle and other "onventional ro"kets use ro"ket engines to !last up to their or!ital speed '1K,000 mph*, the A-;P !reathes air to run its engines, so it must do most of its a""eleration in the atmosphere. This use of the o@#gen in the atmosphere, rather than "arr#ing li1uid o@#gen on !oard, makes the vehi"le mu"h more light and effi"ient, !ut it also means that the air"raft must fl# at man#, man# thousands of miles per hour in the air, hi"h "reates tremendous heat and drag. %ir"ulating "ool fuel through the skin of an air"raft is not a ne idea... in fa"t the !ell-shaped noFFles on most ro"ket engines emplo# this te"hnolog# to keep them from meltingL /or the A-;P, this is one of the fe options that ill keep the skin temperatures do n and allo h#personi" flight 'that is, flight at five times the speed of sound or greater*. =ou might think that using an insulated tile s#stem like the one the ;pa"e ;huttle has ould !e a good option, !ut maintaining and repla"ing thousands of small tiles ould !e pro!lemati", !ulk#, and e@pensive. 3f "ourse, "ir"ulating fuel to keep the skin "ool has its dra !a"ks tooL The ;<-71 6la"k!ird uses its "ool fuel to keep its surfa"e temperatures do n, and in fa"t is limited to mu"h lo er speeds than 9a"h ) hen lo on fuel !e"ause there is nothing left to a!sor! the heatL 3pen the ;<-71 in X-Plane and rather than seeing a red line on the airspeed indi"ator 'like Eust a!out ever# other air"raft* to indi"ate ma@imum allo a!le speed, there is a

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hole red arcL That !ig red region is the speed range that #ou "an onl# operate in if #ou have enough fuel in the tanks to soak up the heat from atmospheri" fri"tionL 5o far into the red Fone #ou are allo ed to fl# depends on #our remaining fuel load$Ao #ou kno . -n# a#, enough a!out the fas"inating A-;P "on"ept. That summer in 19KK, hile living in ;an .iego, 2 took an instrument "urren"# flight to keep m# 2/< skills sharp, and had a ver# diffi"ult time getting up to speed in the "ro ded, fast-pa"ed, he"ti" -T% s#stem of ;an .iego after the relative slo and laid-!a"k -T% operations !a"k home in ;outh %arolina. -fter finally getting m# 2/< skills up to a "omforta!le level 're1uiring a!out three or four flights*, 2 de"ided that 2 anted an instrument trainer to keep m# 2/< skills up to snuff. 9i"rosoft /light ;imulator as prett# mu"h the onl# game in to n !a"k then, and 2 as prett# disappointed in hat 2 found. 9i"rosoft as running on the little !a!# 9a"intoshes !a"k then, hi"h as great, !ut there ere a fe other little things 2 anted done differentl# as ell, and 2 kne 9i"rosoft ould not "hange their sim Eust to suit me. Thus, XPlane as !orn, at the time "alled S-r"her-22 2/<.R 2 used this program for several #ears to keep up m# instrument "urren"#. - !a"helor0s degree in -erospa"e Bngineering at 2o a ;tate 8niversit# soon follo ed, and during m# engineering studies there 2 e@panded S-r"her-22 2/<S to !e a!le to simulate almost an# airplane imagina!le !# simpl# plugging in the !lueprints for that airplane, and letting the sim then figure out how the plane should fly !ased on those !lueprints. This is "ompletel# opposite ho most an# other simulator orks and is !# far the largest and most important differentiator !et een X-Plane and its "ompetitors. 2 started to use the simulator to test out various air"raft designs 2 had "on"eived, and 1ui"kl# learned that %essna, Piper, 7an"air, and 9oone# !uild the a# the# do for a ver# good reason$m# designs ere effi"ient, !ut too diffi"ult to fl# safel#. 7ater, 2 renamed the program SX-PlaneR in honor of the series of air"raft

tested at Bd ards -ir /or"e 6ase in the T:0s and "ontinuing through toda#. 9ore a!out -ustin "an !e read on the -ustin0s -dventuresK page. 8. X-Plane To"ay Toda#, X-Plane is still ritten and developed on the 9a"intosh 'as it has !een sin"e da# one* and ported to 4indo s and 7inu@ ma"hines to allo "ross-platform sales and distri!ution. Thus, the single set of dis"s availa!le from X-Plane."om0s 3rdering page9 ill run on nearl# an# personal "omputer availa!le in the orld. Bngineers at >elo"it#, A-;-, ;"aled %omposites, and %arter -viation have all used X-Plane to do design, evaluation, and simulated flight testing. The Aational Test pilot s"hool uses XPlane to train pilots in non-"onventional air"raft and flight-"ontrol s#stems. 2 kno an eight-#ear-old 2talian girl likes to ta@i the planes around to see the %orvettes parked around the airport fen"e in >ersion 7. 3ther kids tr# their o n designs in X-Plane, and "ountless #oungsters gleefull# "rash their simulated /-22s into the ground at 9a"h 2 as ell. 9ost X-Plane "ustomers are pilots, or people ho ant a sim that has a level of realism that is appropriate for pilots. 9an# airline pilots take X-Plane ith them on their 'real* overseas flights on their laptop "omputers and simulate the ne@t da#,s flight and possi!le approa"hes hile on la#over. 9an# airline and freight pilots keep their "urren"# up on X-Plane to !reeFe through their !i-annual revie s and flight "urren"# "he"ks. %ountless private pilots use X-Plane to help maintain "urren"# hen time and mone# "onstraints keep them from making it out to the airport as
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often as the# ould like. 4hile e have re"eived a handful of orders from the .3., the %2-, and 9i"rosoft, the maEorit# of XPlane "ustomers are simpl# people ho ant to e@perien"e the Eo# of flight. - "op# of X-Plane provides a fun, eas# 'and safeL* a# to do Eust that. 9an# pilots have regular a""ess to old %essnas, !ut hat ould it !e like to get dropped from the ing of a 6-(2 in an X-1( and head to the fringes of spa"e at &,000 mphJ 3r to fl# a full re-entr# in the ;pa"e ;huttleJ 3r take the ;<-71 to 70,000 feet at 9a"h )J 3r fl# a ro"ket plane on 9arsJ X-Plane ill sho #ou, !ut even !etter, it for #ourself. i. Aersions of X-Plane X-Plane "an !e used in a ide arra# of situations, ranging from home use to "ommer"ial flight training. .ifferent situations re1uire a different soft are Qlevel.R ;ituations that go !e#ond the standard retail use re1uire the pur"hase of a 8;6 Qke#R 'simpl# a flash drive* that is used to unlo"k a spe"ifi" level0s features. a. The =e*el 1 X-Plane %i,ulator This is the standard retail "op# of X-Plane. 2t re1uires one XPlane .>. for ea"h "op# of X-Plane on the net ork. - 7evel 1 simulator is hat users get hen the# pur"hase XPlane10 from the X-Plane."om site and use it for hatever the# desire. This re1uires no 8;6 ke# to !e plugged in. 9an# "opies of X-Plane on man# "omputers "an !e net orked to a"t as e@ternal visuals, e@ternal "o"kpits, instru"tor stations, and the like.
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3ne X-Plane .is" 1 .>. is re1uired for ea"h "omputer net orked together running the simulator. This s#stem cannot !e "ertified !# the /-- or an# other authorit# for logging flight training, due to the fa"t that it does not self-test for the presen"e of flight "ontrols or a usea!le frame rate. 5o ever, sin"e onl# one X-Plane .is" 1 .>. is needed for ea"h "omputer, this setup is amaFingl# afforda!le and eas# to assem!le at almost no "ost, even though a user "ould never certify the s#stem. b. The =e*el X-Plane %i,ulator

ill let #ou e@perien"e it

This version of X-Plane is for "ommer"ial use, /---approved simulators, and the B/2;--pp. 2t re1uires one 7evel 2 8;6 ke# for ea"h "op# of X-Plane or B/2;--pp on the net ork. This is similar to the 7evel 1 simulator, !ut it adds B/2;--pp, a standalone program that runs on its o n "omputer that gives a ver# realisti" -vid#ne primar# flight displa# 'P/.* and modular flight de"k '9/.*. -ll that is re1uired to run this is a "op# of XPlane or B/2;--pp from X-Plane."om and a 7evel 2 ke# for ea"h "omputer that ill !e net orked into the simulator. 3f "ourse, two monitors "an !e hooked up to one "omputer running B/2;--pp so that one onl# has to !u# one "omputer to run !oth the -vid#ne P/. and 9/., hi"h ill save some mone#. -dditionall#, this is the ke# that needs to !e used for "ommer"ial purposes and /---approved simulators for flight training. This gives a Q%ommer"ial 8seR startup message. 2t "he"ks for flight "ontrols and it self-tests the frame rate for /-- "ertifi"ation. This is the option designed to repla"e 9i"rosoft B;P. Aote that the 7evel 2 ke#, along ith the simulator itself, "an !e pur"hased from X-Plane."om0s 3rdering11 page. B/2;--pp "an !e
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do nloaded here12. 3. The =e*el 3 X-Plane %i,ulator This version of X-Plane re1uires one 7evel ) 8;6 ke# for ea"h "op# of X-Plane or B/2;--pp on the net ork. The 7evel ) ke# for X-Plane ill do ever#thing that the 7evel 2 ill do, in addition to driving real ?armin ?&)0 and ?1000 ?P; units. 2t "an do "#lindri"al and spheri"al proEe"tion as ell. )oteM 2n order to interfa"e ith a real ?&)0 or ?1000, users must get a ;imulator ?&)0 or ?1000 from ?armin, then make the iring harnesses to plug them in to the serial or Bthernet "a!les to the "omputer. 8sers unsure on ho to do this are !etter off !u#ing a simulator !o@ed and read# to go from Pre"ision /light %ontrols1). P/% does provide read#-made units ith real ?&)0s and ?1000s installed and running. 3n"e again, the 7evel ) ke#, along ith the simulator itself, "an !e pur"hased from X-Plane."om0s 3rdering1& page, and B/2;--pp "an !e do nloaded here1(. ". The =e*el & X-Plane %i,ulator This version of X-Plane re1uires one 7evel & 8;6 ke# for ea"h "op# of X-Plane or B/2;--pp on the net ork. - 7evel & simulator does ever#thing that the 7evel ) sim does. 2t adds the a!ilit#, though for B/2;--pp to simulate the ->23 s#stem
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in the B"lipse Jet. This option is "urrentl# onl# availa!le from B@"el -viation. Bmail infoU@-plane."om for more information on this. e. %u,,ary ;in"e X-Plane has !een approved for flight training in man# "ountries to man# levels, users should !e a!le to use it to !uild their o n flight simulators !# simpl# pur"hasing a "op# 'or "opies* of X-Plane, pur"hasing the appropriate 8;6 ke#, and possi!l# do nloading B/2;--pp. /rom there, all that0s left is to !uild the hard are. 8;6 ke# drivers for !oth 9a" 3; and 4indo s "an !e do nloaded here1:. <un those installers to make X-Plane re"ogniFe the 8;6 ke#s.

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. !nstalling an" Configuring X-Plane

!. %yste, 4eDuire,ents ?iven X-Plane0s in"redi!le "apa!ilities and a""ura"#, it is not possi!le to run a "urrent release of X-Plane on a reall# old "omputer. - good rule of thum! is that an# ma"hine !uilt in the last 1K to 2& months ill pro!a!l# !e a!le to run the simulator a""epta!l#. %omputers up to a!out ): months old ma# !e fine if the# ere top-of-the-line ma"hines hen manufa"tured. Bven if the# eren0t, X-Plane ma# still !e a!le to run, al!eit ith its rendering options turned do n. X-Plane 9 re1uires a "omputer spe"ifi"ationsM ith at least the follo ing

1. ?o to the ;tart menu and sele"t %ontrol Panel. 2. 2n the indo that opens, "li"k on ;#stem 'Performan"e and 9aintenan"e ma# need to !e "li"ked first*. ). Aear the !ottom of the indo that opens #ou ill see #our %P8 speed 'for e@ample, 2.0 ?5F* and the amount of memor# in the s#stem 'for e@ample, 1.0 ?6 of <-9*. -dditionall#, >ersion 9 has !een optimiFed for dual- and 1uad-"ore pro"essors, as ell as multipro"essor s#stems$one %P8 "ore is used to output video, hile the other "ore's* handle the !a"kground pro"esses of loading s"ener#, taking input, et". This eliminates the tenth of a se"ond stutter usuall# asso"iated ith transitioning from one s"ener# file to another ' hi"h is still e@perien"ed hen using a single-"ore pro"essor*. Please note that X-Plane will run on 4indo s >ista and 4indo s 7, !oth :&- and )2-!it. 5o ever, it ill re1uire more <-9 to do so '2 ?6 is re"ommended*. !!. $light Control %ele3tion 4hile it is ph#si"all# possi!le to fl# X-Plane ith onl# the mouse and ke#!oard, this is !oth "um!ersome and unrealisti" 'for o!vious reasons*. 4hile instru"tions for fl#ing like this are in"luded in the 8sing the 9ouse 2nstead of a Jo#sti"k se"tion 'found in %hapter &, ;e"tion > on page '3*, it is strongl# re"ommended that users fl# ith 'at least* a Eo#sti"k for a realisti" e@perien"e. ;o hi"h Eo#sti"k should a user pur"haseJ Bver# 8;6 Eo#sti"k and #oke on the market that e have seen re"entl# ill ork ith X-Plane, !ut, like most things in life, #ou get hat #ou pa# for. 6e leer# of Eo#sti"ks advertised for P29.9( at a lo"al retailer. 2n our e@perien"e the "heaper hard are t#pi"all# does not last as long or 17

- 2 ?5F pro"essor 1.0 ?6 <-9 'ph#si"al memor#* :& 96 ><-9 'video memor# on #our video "ard* 10 ?6 of hard drive spa"e To find out the spe"ifi"ations of the "omputer !eing used, 9a" users "an simpl# open the -pple 9enu and "hoose -!out This 9a". /or 4indo s users, it is a !it more diffi"ult, !ut still isn0t too !ad. The easiest a# to get all the ne"essar# information is to do nload the free P% 4iFard appli"ation17 ')96* from %P82.. The installer is ver# user friendl#, and the program, on"e installed, ill sho nearl# ever#thing a!out the s#stem on one page. -lternativel#, for 4indo s users that don0t ant to do nload the appli"ation, the s#stem0s pro"essor speed and amount of memor# "an !e found !# doing the follo ingM

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ork as ell as more moderatel# pri"ed e1uipment. )ote1 X-Plane "an only interfa"e ith 8;6 devi"es. This "overs nearl# all the "ontrollers manufa"tured in the last five or si@ #ears, !ut if a user has a non-8;6 devi"e, an adapter ill !e needed to "hange it to a 8;6 input. A. ?oysti32s Jo#sti"ks t#pi"all# provide pit"h, roll, and sometimes even throttle "ontrol as ell as a fe !uttons that "an !e programmed to do different things. /or e@ample, #ou ma# program one !utton to raise and lo er the landing gear, and t o additional !uttons to raise the flaps and lo er them. -lso, some Eo#sti"ks "an have their handle t isted left and right to "ontrol #a movement. 2f the Eo#sti"k !eing used does not offer #a "ontrol, users ill pro!a!l# ant a set of rudder pedals to provide realisti" #a "ontrol in the airplane. - Eo#sti"k ill !e !est for fl#ing fighter or sport airplanes, or planes like the -ir!us, %irrus, or 7an"air, for the simple reason that those planes, in realit#, are "ontrolled ith Eo#sti"ksL 8. Eo2es - #oke "onsists of a steering heel-like "ontrol that rotates left and right and also slides !a"k and forth. These are the !est option for users primaril# interested in fl#ing older-st#le general aviation planes, !usiness Eets, and non--ir!us airliners, sin"e these planes are flo n ith #okes in realit#. =okes are t#pi"all# "lamped to the user0s desk for sta!ilit#. The# ma# have a !uilt-in throttle 1uadrant, hi"h ill allo s for independent "ontrol of the propeller, throttle, and mi@ture for a single propeller engine. -lso, note that #okes do not "ontrol #a movement 'the# do not t ist left and right for #a "ontrol like some Eo#sti"ks*, so rudder pedals are re1uired for realisti" #a

"ontrol. C. 4u""er Pe"als <udder pedals allo users to realisti"all# "ontrol the airplane,s #a !# pushing the left or right pedal to turn. 4hile in flight, the pedals "ontrol the rudder, hereas on the ground the#0re used to steer. The pedals also "ontrol the !rakes to help the airplane stop or turn sharpl# hile on the ground. 'Push the tops of the left or right pedal to a"tivate the !rakes on that side of the plane.* -"tivel# "ontrolling the rudder is needed to realisti"all# steer the airplane on the ground, tra"k the run a# "enterline hen taking off and landing, slip the airplane, take off or land in a "ross ind, or re"over from stalls and spins. 2f neither a set of rudder pedals and the Eo#sti"k is set to "ontrol #a 'see %hapter ), ;e"tion 22, Part -, -@is -ssignment on page 3 *, then X-Plane ill automati"all# sle the rudder to tr# and keep the airplane fl#ing true. This auto-rudder fun"tion, ho ever, is not smart enough to take off or land properl# in a "ross ind, slip, or do various other things that rudders might !e used for. /or this reason, rudder pedals 'or at least a t isting Eo#sti"k* are highl# re"ommended. Please note that, hen fl#ing a heli"opter, pedals must !e used for the anti-tor1ue "ontrols$this "an not !e assigned to ke#!oard "ommands, simpl# !e"ause it is not pra"ti"al to tr# to use this to fl#. :. Other Consi"erations /or added realism in "ertain situations, users ma# ant an independent throttle 1uadrant. %5 Produ"ts0 9ulti-Bngine Throttle

1K

Duadrant1K is perhaps the most popular and offers independent and varia!le "ontrol of si@ different fun"tions. Aormall#, this ould !e set up to "ontrol the throttle, propeller, and mi@ture "ontrols for ea"h engine on a t in-engine airplane. This "ontroller "an also !e used to "ontrol throttle and "ondition 'fuel "utoff* for Eet engines, allo ing independent "ontrol of Eet air"raft ith up to three engines. - multi-engine throttle 1uadrant is re"ommended for users interested in realisti"all# fl#ing airplanes ith more than one engine. To pur"hase Eo#sti"ks or other e1uipment, "he"k out the %5 Produ"ts19, 7ogite"h20, and ;aitek21 e!sites. Ba"h of the sites allo s users to !ro se the availa!le produ"ts and find here to !u# them. -lso, feel free to "all or e-mail X-Plane "ustomer support ith an# additional 1uestions. %onta"t information "an !e found on the %onta"t page22 of X-Plane."om. 2nstru"tions on "onfiguring "ontrol hard are are found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 22, Jo#sti"k %onfiguration and %ali!ration on page 3 . !!!. :isplay 4eDuire,ents an" %yste, Ar3hite3ture X-Plane "an displa# on an# s"reen ranging from 1,02& @ 7:K pi@els to 9,999 @ 9,999 pi@els. /ifteen #ears ago, nearl# ever# monitor sold had a &M) 'or Qfull s"reenR* aspe"t ratio. 9an# of the monitors and s"reens availa!le toda#, though, have ides"reen aspe"t ratios, su"h as 1:M9 or 1:M10. 4hile X-Plane "an easil# fill a s"reen ith a ide aspe"t ratio, most air"raft have onl# !een set up ith "o"kpits that "an !e stret"hed in a &M) ratio.
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1K 19

To find #our s"reen0s "urrent aspe"t ratio, divide its idth in pi@els !# its height. /or e@ample, 102& divided !# 7:K 'a "ommon Qfull s"reenR resolution* e1uals 1.)))), or four-thirds 'the &M) Qfull s"reenR aspe"t ratio*. 3n the other hand, 1&&0 divided !# 900 'a "ommon ides"reen resolution* e1uals 1.:, or si@teen-tenths 'a 1:M10 Q ides"reenR aspe"t ratio*. 4hen using a ide aspe"t ratio in X-Plane, man# air"raft0s "o"kpit image ill !e flanked on ea"h side of the s"reen !# s"ener#, ith a sharp line dividing it from the "o"kpit image. To avoid this, set the siFe of the X-Plane indo to a &M) ratio !# moving the mouse to the top of the s"reen, "li"king ;ettings, and sele"ting the <endering 3ptions indo . 2n this indo , "hange the s3reen res field. Aote that the "hange ill o""ur on X-Plane0s ne@t laun"h. '9ore information on "hanging the resolution "an !e found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part 6, ;u!se"tion iv on page &0.* 4ith one "omputer it is possi!le to dra an# vie desira!le and, assuming that the "omputer0s video "ard has t o video outputs, an 2nstru"tor,s 3perating ;tation '23;*. The 23; 'also availa!le on a different "omputer if via a 7-A or 2nternet "onne"tion* provides the a!ilit# to alter the eather, relo"ate the air"raft, and fail multitudes of different s#stems and "omponents. 5ere an instru"tor "an do nearl# an#thing imagina!le to the air"raft, in"luding nearl# ever# failure simulated at /light ;afet# and the other simulator-!ased flight training "ompanies. X-Plane allo s the use of an# num!er of s"reens to depi"t an#thing #ou like. 9ultiple "omputers "an !e used to drive multiple monitors, there!# net orking up to a!out 20 s"reens to sho an# "om!ination of vie s imagina!le. 2f the "omputer0s graphi"s "ard is espe"iall# po erful, a video splitter 'like the 9atro@ Triple5ead2?o2)* "an !e used to drive three for ard visuals ith one ma"hine. 2n that "ase, a se"ond ma"hine "ould !e used to drive the "o"kpit displa# andHor 23;.
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used for !oth manufa"turersM !A. 9raphi3s :ri*ers an" X-Plane 3n most s#stems the re1uired graphi"s drivers ill alread# !e installed. 5o ever, it ma# !e ne"essar# to periodi"all# update the "omputer0s video drivers, either to fi@ a pro!lem or to get the ver# !est performan"e the s#stem "an deliver. 8sers of -T2 video "ards "an do nload drivers here2&, and A>2.2- users "an do nload drivers here2(. 6efore updating the graphi"s driver, e re"ommend installing and laun"hing X-Plane 'as per ;e"tion > of this "hapter on page 1* and seeing ho it runs. 2f an# of the follo ing is e@perien"ed, the s#stem0s graphi"s drivers pro!a!l# need to !e updatedM a s"reen "onsisting onl# of splashes of "olor a s"reen ith horiFontal or verti"al !ars running through it random images of various pie"es of the airplane or instrument panel -dditionall#, if an error appears referring to a "orrupt or missing Q.dllR, the drivers most likel# need to !e repla"ed. A. Up"ating 9raphi3s :ri*ers in 7in"o6s - high per"entage of 4indo s-!ased "omputers are operating ith drivers that are out of date or that do not "urrentl# support 3pen?7 '"aused !# using the default 4indo s drivers rather than those of the manufa"turer*. 2f it is determined that the drivers need to !e updated, please see -ppendi@ 2M 8pdating the %omputer0s ?raphi"s .rivers in 4indo s of this manual for a step-!#-step guide ' ith s"reenshots* for !oth -T2 and A>2.2graphi"s "ards. -lternativel#, the follo ing general steps ma# !e
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1. ?o to #our video "ard manufa"turer0s driver do nload page 'linked to a!ove* and do nload the latest drivers, !eing sure to save it to a pla"e that #ou0ll !e a!le to find it 'for e@ample, the .esktop*. 2. %li"k on the ;tart menu and open the %ontrol Panel. ). %li"k -dd or <emove Programs. &. ;"roll do n to either the %atal#st .ispla# .river 'for -T2 video "ards* or the A>2.2- .rivers 'for A>2.2- "ards*. (. %li"k the %hangeH<emove !utton. 'This ma# !e repla"ed !# a <emove !utton onl#+ it does not affe"t the pro"ess.* :. /ollo the instru"tions provided !# the uninstaller and re!oot if ne"essar#. 7. -fter re!ooting, find the driver file that as do nloaded in ;tep 1 and dou!le "li"k on it. The steps var# from here depending on the t#pe of graphi"s "ard and the "ompan# it,s manufa"tured !#, !ut e ill "ontinue ith a general outline for all "ompanies. K. %hoose a destination folder to e@tra"t the files to. -gain, make it something eas# to find like %MWvideo driversW and "ontinue "li"king Ae@t or 2nstall. 9. 2f the installer ' hi"h #ou Eust e@tra"ted in ;tep K* does not run automati"all#, navigate to %MWvideo drivers and dou!le "li"k on setup.e@e. 10. -gree to the li"ense agreement, "hoose the B@press installation, and "li"k Ae@t until it finishes.

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11. <e!oot #our P% and #ou,re read# to fl#L A. !nstalling X-Plane 2n order to avoid "onfusion, !e sure to delete an# installations of the X-Plane demo !efore installing the full version from the .>.s. )oteM The instru"tions that follo are for the X-Plane 9 gra# "olored si@-.>. set, availa!le from X-Plane."om. /or installation instru"tions using the eight-dis" Q6etaR set of dis"s, please see -ppendi@ G. /or instru"tions on using the #ello "olored si@-dis" set, please email am#Ugraphsim."om or "all '21&* KK&-((71. A. !nstallation on a 7in"o6s PC To install X-Plane on a 4indo s-!ased "omputer, do the follo ingM 1. 2nsert the first X-Plane .>. into the .>.-<39 drive and ait for it to spin up. 2. 2f the X-;#stem indo doesn0t open automati"all#, open 9# %omputer and navigate to the drive no la!eled XP7-AB9 'usuall# the . drive$see the s"reenshot !elo *. 2f the X;#stem indo does appear automati"all#, skip to step &. ). .ou!le-"li"k on 2nstallerV4indo s.e@e to laun"h the XPlane installation.

&. 4hen the installer

indo appears, "li"k Continue, as 21

sho n in the follo ing image.

)ote1 2f the !uttons at the !ottom of the X-;#stem s"reen la!eled ;uit, 9o 8a32, and Continue are not visi!le, then the s#stem is pro!a!l# running at a minimal resolution like K00 @ :00. 8sing this resolution ill not allo the "omputer to displa# the !ottom of the X-Plane s"reen and #ou ill need to for"e the installer to e@it 'via %trlX-ltX.el* and in"rease the s"reen0s resolution in 4indo s to at least 1,02& @ 7:K. (. 6# default, X-Plane ill install to the .esktop. Though it "an !e installed else here '!# "li"king the Change :estination !utton*, it is strongl# re"ommended that it !e pla"ed on the .esktop so that the folder "an !e found in the future. 4hen an a""epta!le lo"ation has !een sele"ted, "li"k Continue.

:. -""ept the user agreement 'as sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot* and "li"k Continue on"e again.

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7. ;ele"t the s"ener# that should !e installed. .epending on the installer on the dis", either all of the orld or none of it ill !e sele"ted !# default. -n unsele"ted tile ill appear !lea"hed in "olor, hile a sele"ted tile ill have its full "olor. /or instan"e, in the follo ing image, onl# the 8nited ;tates and 9e@i"o are sele"ted. 2f #ou are unsure hat areas are "urrentl# sele"ted, Eust "li"k %ele3t )one to turn ever#thing off. /rom there, sele"t the individual tiles to install !# "li"king on them. -dditionall#, users ma# "li"k and drag to sele"t large areas 1ui"kl#. Aote that for regions here no s"ener# is installed, onl# o"eans and airports ill !e visi!le. 4hen #ou0re finished sele"ting s"ener#, "li"k Continue to !egin installing.

K. The installer ill !egin displa#ing its progress. 4hen the installer prompts #ou to do so, remove the "urrent dis" and insert the ne@t. Aote that installation ma# take an# here from thirt# to si@t# minutes per dis", and that onl# one X-Plane dis" "an !e in the s#stem at on"e 'the installer on0t re"ogniFe a dis" pla"ed in a se"ond .>.-<39*. 2nstalling the "omplete s"ener# pa"kage ill "onsume a!out 7( ?6 of hard drive spa"e and ill take !et een five and si@ and a half hours to install. 9. 4hen the installation "ompletes, reinsert .is" 1 and go fl#L -dditionall#, s"ener# "an !e added or removed at an# point in the future !# inserting .is" 1 and re-running the installer. 4hen the

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X-;#stem installer "omes up sa#ing S=ou alread# have X-Plane 9 installed on this "omputer,R "li"k the A"" or 4e,o*e %3enery !utton and pro"eed Eust like in step 7 a!ove. i. %pe3ial Consi"erations for 7in"o6s XP Users <unning X-Plane on 4indo s re1uires 9i"rosoft .ire"tX 9.0" 'or later* to !e installed. 4ithout this, X-Plane "annot interfa"e ith audio and Eo#sti"k hard are. This free soft are "an !e do nloaded from 9i"rosoft here2:. 9ost ne er installations of 4indo s XP have this installed alread#, and all "opies of 4indo s >ista and 4indo s 7 have .ire"tX 10 ' hi"h is more than suffi"ient* installed !# default. To find out follo ingM hi"h version of .ire"tX is "urrentl# installed, do the

default -ero themes in 4indo s 7 and 4indo s >ista. /or this reason, it is re"ommended that users s it"h to the 6asi" theme hen running X-Plane. To make 4indo s automati"all# s it"h to the 6asi" theme hen #ou laun"h X-PlaneM 1. 7o"ate either the X-Plane.e@e 'found in the X-Plane 9 installation folder* or the short"ut #ou use to laun"h X-Plane and right "li"k on it. 2. %li"k Properties from the menu that appears, as in the follo ing image.

1. 3pen the ;tart menu and "li"k <un. 2. T#pe Sd@diagS and "li"k 3G. ). 2f a !o@ appears asking if #ou ant to "he"k for signed drivers, "li"k Ao. &. The lo er half of the indo that appears is la!eled ;#stem 2nformation. -t the !ottom of that list of stats is the s#stem0s .ire"tX >ersion. ii. %pe3ial Consi"erations for 7in"o6s Aista an" # Users ;ome of X-Plane,s menus ma# render strangel# hen using the
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). ?o to the %ompati!ilit# ta! and "he"k the :isable "es2top 3o,position !o@, as in the follo ing image.

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displa# the !ottom of the X-Plane s"reen and #ou ill need to for"e the installer to e@it 'via the 3ption X %ommand X Bs"ape ke#s* and in"rease the s"reen0s resolution in 4indo s to at least 1,02& @ 7:K. ). 6# default, X-Plane ill install to the .esktop. Though it "an !e installed else here '!# "li"king the Change :estination !utton*, it is strongl# re"ommended that it !e pla"ed on the .esktop so that the folder "an !e found in the future. &. -""ept the user agreement and "li"k Continue on"e again. (. ;ele"t the s"ener# that should !e installed. .epending on the installer on the dis", either all of the orld or none of it ill !e sele"ted !# default. -n unsele"ted tile ill appear !lea"hed in "olor, hile a sele"ted tile ill have its full "olor. 2f #ou are unsure hat areas are "urrentl# sele"ted, Eust "li"k %ele3t )one to turn ever#thing off. /rom there, sele"t the individual tiles to install !# "li"king on them. -dditionall#, users ma# "li"k and drag to sele"t large areas 1ui"kl#. 4ith that done, X-Plane ill laun"h ith the 6asi" theme and all menus ill render "orre"tl#. 8. !nstallation on a Ma3intosh 1. 2nsert the X-Plane .>. into the .>.-<39 drive and ait for it to spin up. 2. .ou!le "li"k on the X-Plane .>. i"on on the .esktop, then dou!le "li"k the 2nstallerV9a" app to laun"h the installer. )ote1 2f the !uttons at the !ottom of the X-;#stem s"reen la!eled ;uit, 9o 8a32, Continue are not visi!le, then the s#stem is pro!a!l# running at a minimal resolution like K00 @ :00. 8sing this resolution ill not allo the "omputer to Aote that for regions here no s"ener# is installed, onl# o"eans and airports ill !e visi!le. 4hen #ou0re finished sele"ting s"ener#, "li"k Continue to !egin installing. :. The installer ill !egin displa#ing its progress. 4hen the installer prompts #ou to do so, remove the "urrent dis" and insert the ne@t. Aote that installation ma# take an# here from thirt# to si@t# minutes per dis", and that onl# one X-Plane dis" "an !e in the s#stem at on"e 'the installer on0t re"ogniFe a dis" pla"ed in a se"ond .>.-<39*. 2nstalling the "omplete s"ener# pa"kage ill "onsume a!out 7( ?6 of hard drive spa"e and ill take !et een five and si@ and a half hours to install. 7. 4hen the installation "ompletes, reinsert .is" 1 and go fl#L

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-dditionall#, s"ener# "an !e added or removed at an# point in the future !# inserting .is" 1 and re-running the installer. 4hen the X-;#stem installer "omes up sa#ing S=ou alread# have X-Plane 9 installed on this "omputer,R "li"k the A"" or 4e,o*e %3enery !utton and pro"eed Eust like in step ( a!ove. i. %pe3ial Consi"erations for Ma3 Users 6# default, 9a" 3; X 10.( 7eopard is set to automati"all# !a"k up the entire hard drive using Time 9a"hine. This in"ludes a user0s X-Plane dire"tor#. 9ost users ould prefer not to have this !a"ked up, due to the fa"t that it demands a signifi"ant amount of spa"ed 'for something alread# !a"ked up to .>.s, no less* and generall# also "omes ith a performan"e hit. /or this reason, it is re"ommended that users disa!le Time 9a"hine hile installing X-Plane, then re-ena!le it after telling it to e@"lude the X-Plane dire"tor# from its !a"kup. This "an !e done using the follo ing instru"tionsM 1. 6efore installing X-Plane, "hoose ;#stem Preferen"es from the -pple 9enu. 2. %li"k the Time 9a"hine i"on. ). 2n the indo that appears, turn Time 9a"hine off. &. 2nstall X-Plane a""ording to the previous instru"tions, noting here it as installed to. (. 4ith X-Plane installed, open the Time 9a"hine preferen"es as !efore and "li"k the Options !utton.

7. %li"k the :one !utton and turn Time 9a"hine !a"k on. -dditionall#, some users have had issues ith Time 9a"hine "reating a Qlo"kedR "op# of their X-Plane dis"s. This "an "ause the X-Plane .is" 1 to appear in the /inder as .is" 2, thus for"ing X-Plane to run in demo mode. To "orre"t this, do the follo ingM 1. .o nload and install 3n#X27 from -pple. 2. <un 3n#X and sele"t the Parameters ta!. ). ;ele"t /inder from the 3n#X menu !ar and then sele"t %ho6 hi""en files an" fol"ers from the 9is" 3ptions se"tion. &. 3pen /inder and "li"k on S9a"intosh 5..S The >olumes dire"tor#, hi"h as hidden !efore, is no visi!le at the !ottom. (. ?o into the >olumes dire"tor# and delete the un anted XPlane volumes !# moving them to Trash. :. BEe"t the X-Plane .>., empt# the Trash, and re!oot. 7. -fter re!ooting, the s#stem should !e read# to fl# as normal using X-Plane0s .is" 1. K. -t this point, 3n#@ ma# !e reopened to turn off the %ho6 hi""en files an" fol"ers option.

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:. %li"k the F !utton to add a folder to the Q.o not !a"k upR list and sele"t the X-Plane installation dire"tor#.

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C. !nstallation in =inu0 Please see -ppendi@ 5M X-Plane and 7inu@ for information on installing X-Plane in 7inu@. There, step-!#-step instru"tions ' ith s"reenshots* are given for three maEor distri!utions 'open;8;B, /edora, and 8!untu*. -dditionall#, there is a general pro"edure for distri!utions not listed a!ove. A!. =aun3hing X-Plane 4hen the installation of X-Plane is "omplete, the user ill need to lo"ate the X-Plane appli"ation and laun"h it 'for e@ample, !# opening the X-Plane 9 folder and dou!le "li"king on X-Plane.e@e*. Aote that X-Plane does not infest the hard drive !# "reating short"uts, su!dire"tories, or registr# entries. 4e don,t do this !e"ause e find it anno#ing hen other appli"ations do it to us. 4e see "ountless people ith their desktop littered ith short"uts, most of hi"h the# have no use for. 5undreds of hours of time are asted in frustration hen people 1* install soft are and use onl# the short"ut to it, 2* get an updated version of the soft are in a ne lo"ation, and )* keep using the short"ut to the old soft are hile thinking the# are using the ne soft are. Aeedless to sa#, these people are una!le to figure out h# things aren0t orking as e@pe"ted. X-Plane does not install a short"ut that might one da# lead to nothing 'or orse, an outdated "op# of the soft are*. The XPlane installer "reates a folder "alled X-Plane 9 on the hard drive 'at hatever path as sele"ted in the installer$the .esktop is t#pi"al*, and e re"ommend running X-Plane !# going into that folder and dou!le-"li"king on X-Plane.e@e. 4ith that said, if the user a"kno ledges the potential pitfalls of

using a short"ut !ut de"ides to use one an# a#, do the follo ing in 4indo sM 1. 3pen the installation dire"tor# 'usuall# !# "li"king on the XPlane 9 folder found on the .esktop*. 2. <ight "li"k on X-Plane.e@e and sele"t %reate ;hort"ut. ). .rag the short"ut to herever it is desired. A!!. Up"ating to a )e6er Aersion of X-Plane The X-Plane simulator is designed for !oth realism and longevit#. 9a@imiFing !oth of these re1uires that X-Plane !e updated often. Bver# fe months, the X-Plane."om site ill post a ne update to the simulator, at hi"h point it "an !e do nloaded and installed as per the follo ing instru"tions. 2n !et een these offi"ial 'or Qsta!leR* releases, users "an do nload !eta versions of the up"oming update. These are treated as a kind of Qupdate in progressR$ne features and !ug fi@es are in"luded, !ut in the !eta stage, the updates have not !een full# tested in a range of situations. This means that the# ma# "reate in"ompati!ilities or "reate other pro!lems that ould not !e e@perien"ed in the sta!le releases. /or more information, see Part -, 8sing X-Plane 6etas, !elo . Ae er versions of X-Plane often "ontain feature enhan"ements, !ug fi@es, sta!ilit# improvements, air"raft and resour"e updates, flight model improvements, and even ne feature additions. - pur"hase of X-Plane entitles the user to free updates through that full X-Plane version run. This means that if the >ersion 9 dis"s ere pur"hased, the user ill get the >ersion 9.10 update, the >ersion 9.20 update, et"., all the a# through >ersion 9.99 if it e@ists$all free of "harge. 3f "ourse, users do not have to take advantage of these updates, !ut it is re"ommended that the# do 27

so. -s ith the X-Plane version supplied on the pur"hased .>., .is" 1 'the master dis"* must !e inserted into the s#stem to use these updated versions$X-Plane uses this as a Qke#R to unlo"k the soft are. 6e sure to have the dis" spinning in the .>. drive prior to starting up the program so that X-Plane "an find itL -dditionall#, hile previous versions of X-Plane re1uired users to have all the desired s"ener# installed !efore updating to a ne er version, this is no longer the case. Ae s"ener# ma# !e installed regardless of updates. There are t o a#s to update X-Plane. The first is done ithin XPlane itself, hile the se"ond is done !# going to the X-Plane e!site. 6oth end up do nloading the same updater appli"ation. To update ithin X-PlaneM 1. 7aun"h the "op# of X-Plane that #ou have !een using. 2. 3n"e it opens, move #our mouse to the top of the s"reen and "li"k -!out 'as seen !elo *, then -!out X-Plane.

&. %ontinue ith the instru"tions !elo la!eled 4ithin the X;#stem 8pdater. To update via the 2nternetM 1. ?o to the 8pdate page2K on X-Plane."om. 2. ;ele"t the appropriate updater '9a", 4indo s, or 7inu@* from the list and "li"k on it to !egin do nloading. 6e sure not to do nload the demo installerL ). <un the updater. &. %ontinue ith the instru"tions !elo la!eled 4ithin the X;#stem 8pdater. 4ithin the X-;#stem 8pdaterM

). %li"k the Up"ate X-Plane !utton 'highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot*. X-Plane ill automati"all# do nload the latest version of the updater program and laun"h it.

1. Please do not sele"t the Che32 for ne6 betas !o@ unless #ou are prepared to ork out the some kinks 'see the follo ing
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su!se"tion, 8sing X-Plane 6etas, found on page .*. %li"k Continue 'as sho n in the follo ing image* to !egin the program0s s"anning of #our X-Plane dire"tor#. This allo s it to determine hi"h files need to !e updated.

&. The installation files ill !e do nloaded and installed. (. 4hen the installation finishes, open the X-Plane 9 installation dire"tor#. ?o to the 3utput folder, then open the Preferen"es folder. .elete the files ithin this folder 'not the folder itself* to reset X-Plane0s preferen"es. This is re"ommended in order to avoid an# !ugs arising from "hanges to the a# X-Plane handles the preferen"es. A. Using X-Plane 8etas The X-Plane !eta updates are for users ho ant to help test the ne est refinements to the X-Plane soft are. The advantage to doing so is that these users get a""ess to the latest 29

2. 9ake sure the program sele"ts the "orre"t "op# of X-Plane to update. 2f #our X-Plane installation isn0t in the list, "li"k $in" !t to lo"ate it manuall#. Aote that this onl# applies to running the updater that as manuall# do nloaded from the e!+ laun"hing the updater from ithin X-Plane ill skip this step. 4ith the "orre"t "op# sele"ted, "li"k Continue. ). -ssuming there is enough disk spa"e to do nload the re1uired updates, "li"k Continue 'as in the follo ing image* to !egin the installation.

enhan"ements to the soft are 'flight model refinements, ne features, et".*. The do nside is that there is a greater risk of en"ountering pro!lems ith third-part# models or other general !ugs. 4e re"ommend that most users sti"k to the sta!le version releases, as these are the ones kno n to QEust ork.R ;ee the X-Plane 6eta page29 for information on the "urrent !eta !uilds. A!!!. Co,patibility 6ith /arlier Aersions of %3enery+ Mo"els+ an" Plug-!ns X-Plane is designed to !e !a"k ards "ompati!le ith previous versions. This is onl# possi!le, though, to a "ertain e@tent. Ba"h version of X-Plane ill al a#s have the a!ilit# to use airplanes ritten for the previous version. That is, X-Plane 9 ill !e a!le to use air"raft files "reated for either >ersion K or >ersion 9, !ut it might not !e a!le to use a plane "reated for >ersion 7. 7ike ise, s"ener# add-on pa"kages ill !e !a"k ards "ompati!le for at least one version, !ut possi!l# more. Plug-ins are small programs that have !een ritten !# third parties to modif# X-Plane in some a#. 4ith plugins, users "an !uild multipla#er gaming modifi"ations, re-program the !uilt-in -T%, e@tend the "o"kpit, add s"ener#, and more. /or e@ample, X;1ua k6o@ is a plug-in that allo s pla#ers to "onne"t X-Plane to the >-T;29 or 2>-3 glo!al air traffi" "ontrol net ork. 4ith X;1ua k6o@ , users "an fl# online ith hundreds of other pilots ' ho ma# !e running X-Plane or 9i"rosoft /light ;imulator*, re"eive -T% instru"tions from real people a"ting as airtraffi" "ontrollers over the 2nternet via voi"e-over-2P, see other air"raft ahead on the approa"h and hear -T% se1uen"ing the "raft in. This is reall# approa"hing hat real pilots e@perien"e ever#
29

da#. Plug-ins should not !e affe"ted !# the update pro"ess, !ut it is impossi!le for the X-Plane development team to keep tra"k of all the different plug-ins that have !een ritten for X-Plane. Thus, if users suspe"t that an update has "reated a pro!lem for a plug-in !eing used, the# should "onta"t the plug-in administrator or author for assistan"e. %he"k out the X-4orldM 7inks and 7ists)0 page for a listing of third part# add-ons availa!le for X-Plane. The list there links to more than 1,(00 additional air"raft files that "an !e do nloaded$ almost all of hi"h are free$as ell as "ustom s"ener# add-on pa"kages. Aote that all of these files ere ritten !# X-Plane "ustomers and some are !etter than others. -dditionall#, !e"ause X-Plane a"tuall# "omputes the for"es a"ting on an air"raft in flight, the simulator ill fl# the air"raft the a# it as !uilt !# the author, not ne"essaril# the a# the manufa"turer !uilt it. 2f a do nloaded air"raft as "onstru"ted ith the rong airfoil, "am!er, in"iden"e, s eep, dihedral, "hord, dY"ollage 'and the list "ontinuesL*, then XPlane ill predi"t ho that air"raft ould fl# if it ere actually built this way. Thus, the old adage applies$gar!age in, gar!age out. Geep this in mind hen sear"hing the 2nternet for free air"raft do nloads. /inall#, note that further information a!out installing plug-ins and "ustom air"raft ma# !e found in %hapter 7, B@panding X-Plane on page 11 . !X. Uninstalling X-Plane The X-Plane installer does not infest a hard drive or "reate multiple su!dire"tories or short"uts on #our ma"hine. Therefore, it is remarka!l# simple to uninstall the program$simpl# delete the
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primar# X-Plane folder, su"h as QX-Plane 9,R here the 9 indi"ates the version that as in use. -s the soft are "reates no short"uts or registr# entries, this is all that is re1uired to remove the soft are from a "omputer "ompletel#. X. 9etting 5elp an" %upport X-Plane is su!Ee"t to "ontinuous development and improvement+ therefore, the version supplied on a pur"hased .>. ma# alread# have !een superseded !# a later version. %he"k for updates after X-Plane is installed !# follo ing the steps des"ri!ed in ;e"tion >22, 8pdating to a Ae er >ersion of X-Plane, found a!ove on page #. The !ug fi@es "ontained in these updates often make further te"h support unne"essar#. Appen"i0 :1 $A; an" Troubleshooting of this manual "an help ith man# "ommon pro!lems. -dditionall#, help is availa!le through X-Plane "ustomer support. %urrent "onta"t information for versions of X-Plane purchased from the website "an !e found on the %onta"t 2nfo)1 page of the X-Plane."om site. /or "opies of X-Plane that ere pur"hased on a store shelf some here, or through an on-line store like -maFon, users should "onta"t ?raphsim Bntertainment 'X-Plane0s retail distri!utor* dire"tl# at their e!site)2.

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3. !nitial $light %etup

!. 9eneral A33ess X-Plane has !een ritten to operate on 4indo s, 9a"intosh, and 7inu@ s#stems. /or "onsisten"#0s sake, the la#out and appearan"e of X-Plane is the same a"ross all three. This ma# !e slightl# different than the interfa"e that users are a""ustomed to, !ut on"e the# pass the learning "urve, the# generall# find it eas# to use. 5ere are a fe pointers to help the learning pro"essM X-Plane,s menu is hidden hen the simulator is first laun"hed. To a""ess the menu !ar, Eust move the mouse pointer to the top of the s"reen. 4hen the mouse is ithin a "entimeter or so of the top edge of the s"reen, the menu !ar ill appear. There is no ke#!oard "ommand to a""ess the menu !ar. -n# indo ithin X-Plane "an !e "losed !# "li"king either of the Xs found in the upper left and upper right "orners. -lternativel#, those indo s ma# !e "losed !# hitting the BnterH<eturn ke#. Ge# "ommands "an !e found !# opening the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment s"reen and going to the Ge#s ta!. Ge# "ommand assignments "an also !e "hanged using this s"reen 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion 2> on page ' * to an#thing desired. -lso, note that man# of the ke#!oard short"uts are sho n in the X-Plane menus. /or e@ample, opening the >ie menu ill displa# the list of availa!le vie s on the left side of the drop do n menu, ith the list of "orresponding ke#!oard short"uts on the right. 7ike most programs, the simplest a# to navigate around X-Plane is using the mouse, though there are man# short"ut ke# "ommands to help a user navigate 1ui"kl# through the options

after he or she !e"omes more familiar ith the program. These short"uts are parti"ularl# important hen using the mouse to fl#. 2n that "ase, it is mu"h easier to use the ,2, ke# to drop a not"h of flaps than it is to let go of the "ontrols, rea"h do n ith the mouse to adEust the flaps, and then rea"h !a"k up and gra! the "ontrols again. -lso note that most instruments and "ontrols inside the "o"kpit are intera"tive, meaning that the mouse "an !e used to alter s it"hes, set fre1uen"ies, manipulate the throttle's*, "hange the trim, et". 6efore using X-Plane, the user ma# need to "onfigure and "ali!rate the Eo#sti"k 'if appli"a!le* and set the displa# options to optimiFe the soft are for use ith the s#stem. !!. ?oysti32 Configuration an" Calibration )oteM 4hen using a Eo#sti"k or other hard are, it ill need to !e plugged in before starting X-Plane. 2f it is not, X-Plane ill not see the input devi"es. The first thing that must !e done to use a Eo#sti"k 'or other input devi"e* ith X-Plane is to properl# "onfigure it ithin the program. Throughout this se"tion e ill refer to an# input devi"e as a Eo#sti"k+ the instru"tions appl# to #okes, throttle 1uadrants, and rudders also. A. A0is Assign,ent 3n"e X-Plane is running, move the mouse to the top of the s"reen and "li"k ;ettings, then sele"t Jo#sti"k I B1uipment, as in the follo ing s"reenshot.

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the# are red hen the# are not assigned a fun"tion. /or instan"e, !efore the throttle a@is has !een "onfigured, moving the throttle might move a red !ar. -fter assigning that !ar to throttle, it ill turn green. The normal "onfiguration is as follo sM This ill !ring up the indo allo ing the user to "onfigure and "ali!rate the flight "ontrols. 2f it isn0t alread# sele"ted, "li"k on the -@is ta! at the top of the s"reen. To !egin, move the Eo#sti"k0s "ontrols around to see ho the a@es are mapped in X-Plane. -s this is done, one of the green or red !ars ill move for ea"h input that is a"tuated. Thus, hen the sti"k is rolled left and right onl# one green or red !ar ill move+ hen it is pushed !a"k and forth another !ar ill move. Ba"h "ontrol0s desired fun"tion is sele"ted from the drop do n !o@ to the left of its !ar. 1. 9ove #our Eo#sti"k or #oke for ard and !a"k. - green or red !ar should move as #ou do so. %li"k the drop-do n menu ne@t to it and set it to pit3h. .o not "he"k the re*erse !o@ ne@t to this "ontrol unless, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s pit"h "ontrol is orking !a"k ard. 2. 9ove #our Eo#sti"kH#oke left and right. The green or red !ar that moves should !e set to roll. .o not "he"k the re*erse !o@ ne@t to this "ontrol unless, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s roll "ontrol is orking !a"k ard. ). T ist #our Eo#sti"k 'if appli"a!le*. The !ar that moves should !e set to ya6. 2f #ou do not assign a #a a@is, X-Plane ill attempt to sta!iliFe it for #ou. 3n"e again, do not "he"k the re*erse !o@ unless, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s #a "ontrol is orking !a"k ard. 2f using rudder pedals, slide them for ard and !a"k ard and set the greenHred !ar that moves then to ya6. -dditionall#, onl# hen using rudder pedals, press the left pedal do n ith #our toes. The green or red !ar that moves should !e set to left toe bra2e. .o the same for the right pedal, and set that green !ar to right toe bra2e. &. 9ove #our throttle for ard and !a"k 'on a #oke, this is t#pi"all# the leftmost lever*. ;et this !ar to throttle. The a@is !ars are green hen the# are assigned a fun"tion, and )oteM -n# green !ar hi"h is not a"tivel# "ontrolled !# #our

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hard are needs to !e set to none. 4hen this is set, the !ar turn red, indi"ating that X-Plane is not using the a@is. 8. Control Calibration

ill

ho ever, to s it"hes too, though a s it"h "an have a fun"tion assigned to !oth its QupR and Qdo n.R To "hange a !utton assignment, simpl# operate that !utton on #our Eo#sti"k and then sele"t the fun"tion that should !e assigned to it !# "li"king on the "ir"ular toggle ne@t to it. <epeat this operation for as man# !uttons as need fun"tions assigned. %lose the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo and the settings ill !e saved. /or instan"e, in the follo ing s"reenshot, a !utton as pressed on the Eo#sti"k$it happened to !e !utton 000. The round !utton ne@t to Toggle bra2es regular effort as "li"ked, thus setting !utton 000 to toggle the !rakes.

%ontrol "ali!ration is a step of vital importan"e that often gets left out. 2t is, ho ever, ne"essar# due to the vast arra# of hard are that X-Plane "an interfa"e ith. ;ome devi"es ma# send a signal from 0 to 1,000 hen a user moves a given "ontrol from one limit to the opposite, hile another devi"e ma# send a signal 'given the same movement of a user0s hand or foot* from, sa#, -:,000 to ),992. The onl# a# for X-Plane to kno the range of the Eo#sti"k0s input is for the user to Qtea"hR it. -ll it takes to "ali!rate the Eo#sti"k hard are is to move all the axes of the joystick through their full range of motion hile on the -@is ta! of the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo . 6e sure to move ea"h of the Eo#sti"k0s varia!le "ontrols 'that is, all sliders, Eo#sti"ks, rudders, et".* through their full range of motion$take them all the a# for ard, all the a# !a"k, left, and right. -ll of this "an !e done 1uite rapidl#, as X-Plane "an monitor all the different inputs at on"e. C. 8utton Assign,ent Ba"h of the !uttons and s it"hes on the Eo#sti"k "an !e assigned a fun"tion ithin X-Plane 'for e@ample, toggling the !rakes or landing gear*. To do this, open the 6uttonsM 6asi" ta! of the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo 'outdated versions of X-Plane have onl# a 6uttons ta!*. -s #ou operate #our Eo#sti"k0s !uttons and s it"hes #ou ill see the !o@ in the upper left "orner "hange the num!er it displa#s. This indi"ates that X-Plane has re"eived the input and is read# to assign that !uttonHs it"h a fun"tion. The instru"tions !elo referen"e onl# !uttons. The# appl#,

)oteM 8sers must sele"t the desired !utton !# pressing and releasing it prior to assigning it a fun"tion. 2f this is not done, the assignment of the last !utton pressed ill !e over ritten. :. Controlling ?oysti32 %ensiti*ity an" Air3raft %tability i. %ensiti*ity To modif# the Eo#sti"k0s sensitivit# or the sta!ilit# of the air"raft, open the %enter ta! at the top of the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment s"reen. The top-left sliders 'seen !elo * "ontrol the response

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"urves for the pit"h, roll, and #a a@es of the Eo#sti"k.

ii. %tability 2n the upper right portion of the %enter ta!0s s"reen is another set of sliders, seen in the follo ing image.

2f these sliders are set all the a# to the left, the air"raft0s response to that a@is0 input ill !e "ompletel# linear. This means that a (0Z defle"tion of the Eo#sti"k ill defle"t the airplane0s flight "ontrols (0Z of their travel. -s these sliders are moved to the right the response !e"omes "urved. 2n this "ase, a defle"tion of the Eo#sti"k from "enter to its half a# point ma# onl# defle"t the air"raft,s "ontrols !# 10Z. This ill dampen an# air"raft movements and desensitiFe the user0s "ontrols. Geep in mind, ho ever, that in this "ase, the remaining 90Z of the "ontrol surfa"e defle"tion must take pla"e in the last (0Z of Eo#sti"k movement. Thus, the "ontrols ill !e dampened for the first half or so of their travel and then !e"ome h#per-sensitive for the remainder of their thro . This gives the user plent# of fine-tune "ontrol near the "enter of the flight "ontrol envelope to hold altitude and roll pre"isel#, !ut still allo s for full "ontrol authorit# at the e@tremes. Tr# fl#ing ith the sliders in various different positions to see hat setting orks !est.

These "ontrol X-Plane0s sta!ilit# augmentation mode !# dampening the predi"ted for"es a"ting on the air"raft flight "ontrol surfa"es. 2f these sliders are all the a# to the left, then there is no sta!ilit# augmentation of the air"raft. -s the sliders are moved to the right, X-Plane ill automati"all# add some sta!ilit# augmentation to the air"raft, adding some elevator input to level the nose, some aileron input to minimiFe the roll rate, and some rudder input to "ounter an# air"raft #a rates. 2n other ords, the simulator ill tr# to make the plane easier to fl# !# adding "ontrol inputs for the user. The do nside, of "ourse, is that as X-Plane adds sta!ilit#, the air"raft !e"omes less responsive 'and less realisti"*. /. %etting )ull Gones Aull Fones determine ho mu"h the Eo#sti"k must !e moved

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!efore X-Plane a"tuall# starts to take a"tion. - null Fone ma# !e set for ea"h Eo#sti"k a@is to fine-tune ho responsive the "ontrol surfa"e inputs are, !ut this fun"tion is t#pi"all# used to prevent hard are from Q"reepingR in flight or to ignore the "onstant QEitteringR that man# older "ontrollers ill send to X-Plane. To set a null Fone, first open the %enter ta! of the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo . Ao drag the nullHone slider 'on the lo er half of the indo , seen in the follo ing image* to the desired position+ the greater the per"entage, the higher the Qdead rangeR that ill not affe"t the airplane0s "ontrols.

The final ta! in the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo , B1uipment, is used to setup spe"ial e1uipment for use in X-Plane. This ta! is generall# used on multi-"omputer X-Plane "onfigurations in professional, /---"ertified simulators or to tie in various ?P; navigators 'su"h as a real ?armin 9:H29:H)9: or a &)0 ?P; radio*. -fter !eing "onne"ted to the "omputer, this e1uipment should !e set up per the manufa"turer0s re"ommendations, then "he"ked off on the B1uipment s"reen to tell X-Plane that it is "onne"ted. 5. Troubleshooting $light Controls 2f the Eo#sti"k and other flight "ontrols appear to !e "onfigured "orre"tl# a""ording to the a!ove se"tions !ut are not giving the desired response in the simulator, it0s time to trou!leshoot. Thankfull#, X-Plane makes it eas# to find out ho the soft are is per"eiving the flight "ontrols0 input. 2n the follo ing e@ample e0ll assume that the plane0s pit"h, #a , and roll are not mat"hing the a# the Eo#sti"k is !eing moved. similar pro"edure ma# !e used for other malfun"tioning "ontrols. 1. 9ove #our mouse to the top of the s"reen and open the ;ettings menu. 2. %li"k .ata 2nput I 3utput, as seen !elo .

%lose the dialog and these a@is positions ill !e saved. $. Centering the Controls .ire"tl# !eneath the nullHone slider 'seen in the image a!ove* is the C/)T/4 EO@/ A): P/:A=% !utton. 8sing this !utton ill allo the user to "orre"t for flight "ontrols that don0t return to the "enter of their range$for instan"e, a Eo#sti"k that moves left to right in a range of 0 to 100, !ut returns to (( hen the user lets go of it. 4ithout "entering su"h a Eo#sti"k, the "raft ould "onstantl# roll to the right. 9. A""ing %pe3ial /Duip,ent

). ;ele"t the rightmost !o@ ne@t to <oysti32 1 ailIel*Iru" 'found in the fourth group from the top in the far left "olumn, as

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seen in the follo ing s"reenshot*. This !o@ ill "ause X-Plane to displa# the input it is re"eiving hile running the simulation.

:. Ao , "enter the sti"k and pedals. Ba"h a@is should indi"ate 0.0000, or "lose to it. 7. 9ove the sti"k full left. The ailrn should indi"ate -1.0000 or near -1.0000. K. 9ove the sti"k full right. The ailrn should indi"ate 1.0000 or near 1.0000. 9. 9ove the sti"k full aft. The ele* should indi"ate 1.0000 or near 1.0000. 10. 9ove the sti"k full for ard. The ele* should indi"ate -1.0000 or near -1.0000. 11. 9ove the rudder full left. The ru""r should indi"ate -1.0000 or near -1.0000. 12. 9ove the rudder full right. The ru""r should indi"ate 1.0000 or near 1.0000. 6# moving the sti"k and pedals and seeing hat values the# are sending X-Plane, the user "an see if X-Plane is getting proper sti"k input. 2f the "orre"t values 'a""ording to the tests a!ove* are not !eing re"eived in X-Plane, then the issue is ith the hard are0s "ali!ration in 4indo s 'not X-Plane*. 2f it is indeed "ali!rated "orre"tl# in 4indo s, the hard are itself is malfun"tioning. 3n the other hand, if the "orre"t values from the a!ove tests are

&. %lose the .ata 2nput I 3utput

indo .

(. - !o@ in the upper right should !e displa#ing the ele*, ailrn, and ru""r "ommands 'elevator, aileron, rudder* !eing re"eived from the Eo#sti"k. /or instan"e, in the follo ing s"reenshot, the sti"k is !eing pulled !a"k and to the left ith a neutral #a a@is 'thus defle"ting !oth the ele* and ailrn inputs from Fero, !ut leaving the ru""r at a!out Fero*.

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!eing re"eived, then the hard are is orking fine. !!!. 4en"ering Options %etup X-Plane is a ver# advan"ed simulator that has !een designed for use a"ross a !road range of "omputers ith var#ing spe"ifi"ations. -s su"h, X-Plane provides the user ith the option to make "hanges to numerous settings to optimiFe performan"e ith a parti"ular s#stem set up. /or this reason, this is one of the most "riti"al portions of this manual. The <endering 3ptions indo allo s users to mat"h X-Plane,s settings 'and thus the demands the simulator puts on the "omputer* to their "omputers0 "apa!ilities. The <endering 3ptions s"reen is here all the settings affe"ting the displa# 1ualit# and X-Plane,s performan"e are set. The settings in this indo ill likel# need to !e e@perimented ith to get the !est results from X-Plane on a spe"ifi" "omputer. ?enerall# speaking, the higher the rendering options are set, the lo er the performan"e and frame rate a"hieved. The rendering options that are set ill have a greater effe"t on X-Plane0s performan"e than an# other "hanges that users "an make. The <endering 3ptions s"reen "an !e found !# moving the mouse to the top of the s"reen, opening the ;ettings menu, and "li"king <endering 3ptions, as in the follo ing s"reenshot.

A. $ra,e 4ate an" the ;uality of $light %i,ulation 5ere is h# frame rate is so important to the realism of X-Plane0s simulation. The simulator,s performan"e is measured in frames per se"ond '/P;*. This num!er is referred to as frame rate. This is ho man# times per se"ond the "omplete set of programming '"urrentl# more than 700,000 lines of "odeL* "an !e run. Ba"h time the "omputer runs through the program it advan"es the air"raft and re"al"ulates the images that are seen '"loud formations, s"ener#, air"raft instruments, other air"raft, et".*. 3!viousl#, X-Plane has to !e tremendousl# fle@i!le to !e a!le to run on a three #ear old "omputer and also take full advantage of the latest and greatest hard are availa!le. There are t o things that affe"t X-Plane0s frame rate$first, the "omputer,s "apa!ilities and se"ond, ho mu"h it is !eing asked to simulate 'e.g., ho mu"h visi!ilit# is set, ho man# !uildings, "louds, and other air"raft are !eing dra n, et".*. 2t ill !e mu"h harder for the "omputer to "ompute images hen fl#ing an airplane in thirt# mile visi!ilit# ith K,000 three-dimensional !uildings and "loud puffs than it ould !e if X-Plane ere set up ith onl# t o or three miles of visi!ilit# and no "louds. The faster a "omputer "an run X-Plane the more realisti" and re arding the simulation ill !e. Testing has sho n that the human !rain "an separate individual frames at frame rates of less than a!out 20 /P;, "ausing the simulation to appear Q"hopp#.R %oin"identall#, this is also a!out the same pla"e that the engineering !ehind the simulation !egins to fall apart. /or this reason, X-Plane has set the minimum operating speed at this level. 2f a "omputer is not "apa!le of delivering a frame rate of 20 /P; hile rendering the level of detail set up in the <endering 3ptions page, X-Plane ill automati"all# introdu"e fog to help the simulation to run more smoothl#. The fog keeps X-Plane from

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having to dra the orld to as great a distan"e, allo ing the simulation to run faster. 8. %etting Up the Monitor The follo ing options 'Te@ture <esolution, ;"reen <es, -nti--lias 7evel, et".* are all found on the <endering 3ptions ;"reen, a""essed !# moving the mouse to the top of the s"reen 'thus making the menu appear*, "li"king ;ettings, then <endering 3ptions, as seen !elo .

4hile this ill not look ver# good, it ill use ver# little video memor# '><-9*, so a high frame rate ill !e more easil# a"hieva!le. The more po erful a "omputer0s video "ard is, though, the higher the te@ture resolution "an !e set in X-Plane ithout hurting the frame rate. The frame rate ill !e ver# !adl# redu"ed, though, if a te@ture resolution is sele"ted that re1uires more ><-9 than the "omputer0s video "ard has. 8sers "an easil# determine ho mu"h ><-9 is re1uired to render the given level of detail$the ver# !ottom of the <endering 3ptions s"reen reads QTotal siFe of all loaded te@tures at "urrent settingsM @@.@@ meg.R /or instan"e, in the image !elo , X-Plane has loaded 7(.&& 96 of te@tures into ><-9.

i. Te0ture 4esolution The Te@ture <esolution drop-do n !o@ 'highlighted in the image !elo * determines the "larit# and detail of the te@tures displa#ed in X-Plane. 2n most "ases, this num!er ill onl# !e updated after X-Plane is restarted$that is, users "annot "hange the te@ture resolution, "lose the <endering 3ptions indo , and reopen it to "he"k the amount of ><-9 used. 2f the s#stem has a 12K 96 video "ard and the ><-9 "urrentl# used is onl# )2 96, then a higher te@ture resolution "an !e set ithout pro!lems. This ill "ause the s"ener#, run a#, and airplane to all look sharper and "risper. -s long as X-Plane is not re1uiring more ><-9 than the s#stem0s video "ard has, the simulation0s frame rate ill not !e impa"ted. Aote that if a te@ture resolution is set hi"h re1uires su!stantiall# more ><-9 than the video "ard has, the sim0s frame rate ill !e massively impa"ted as the "omputer !egins to use s#stem <-9 to store te@tures$a ver# slo pro"ess.

Te@tures are the image-maps that are draped over the terrain and air"raft to make them look realisti". 2f the te@ture resolution is set to lo , the run a# and terrain ill look rather !lurr# and !lo"k#.

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2n a perfe"t orld, the ><-9 used ill !e a!out e1ual to or a !it more than the ><-9 of the s#stem0s video "ard. This ill give ma@imum te@ture detail ithout overflo ing the video "ard0s memor# and redu"ing the frame rate. ii. %et Color :epth an" Monitor 4esolution on X-Plane %tartup 2f the set 3olor "epth an" ,onitor resolution on X-Plane startup !o@ 'highlighted in the s"reenshot !elo * is "he"ked, XPlane ill automati"all# reset the "omputer0s monitor to the resolution that X-Plane is set to ever# time the program loads.

aspe"t ratios, please see %hapter 2, ;e"tion 222, .ispla# <e1uirements and ;#stem -r"hite"ture on page 1.. iii. Anti-Alias =e*el The anti-alias option 'highlighted in the follo ing image* is prett# interesting.

This for"es the sim to al a#s run full-s"reen. Aote that this does not set X-Plane to the "urrent resolution in 4indo s+ to do that, read do n to Part iv, ;"reen <es '<esolution*. 2f this !o@ is "he"ked, the user ill also get to "hoose a "olor depth of 1:-!it or )2-!it. )2-!it looks a little !etter. 2f this !o@ is not "he"ked, then X-Plane ill run in hatever the "olor depth is set to in the operating s#stem, hi"h is pro!a!l# )2-!it 'or Smillions of "olorsS as des"ri!ed on 9a"s*. )oteM 2f the s#stem0s monitor does not have a &M) aspe"t ratio, ever#thing on the s"reen ill !e distorted if X-Plane is for"ed to run in full s"reen '!# "he"king the set 3olor "epth an" ,onitor resolution on X-Plane startup !utton* ith a s"reen resolution of 102&@7:K. This is "aused !# X-Plane tr#ing to stret"h a &M) image into a 1:M9 or 1:M10 spa"e. /or a detailed dis"ussion on these

There are onl# a!out a million pi@els on a "omputer0s monitor. This ma# seem like a lot, !ut in realit#, it,s not for hat X-Plane is doing. 4hen a "omputer tries to dra diagonal lines a"ross the re"tangular pi@els of a monitor, SEaggiesS result$pi@elated-looking Sstair-steppedS lines. These Eaggies ma# !e 'some hat* eliminated !# sele"ting anti-aliasing. This ill "ause X-Plane to a"tuall# dra the simulated orld several times per frame and !lend those frames together, resulting in a !etter looking image. This ill "ompletel# kill the sim0s frame rate if the s#stem doesn0t have a strong video "ard, !ut if the video "ard "an take it, "rank this option up. i*. %3reen 4es J4esolutionK This "ontrol 'highlighted in the image !elo * sets the s"reen resolution of the X-Plane indo .

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). .rag the ;"reen <esolution slider to the desired resolution. 2n >istaM 1. <ight "li"k on the .esktop and "hoose PersonaliFe. 2. %li"k .ispla# ;ettings. To "hange the resolution, "li"k the up or do n arro ne@t to ea"h digit of the setting. /or e@ample, to "hange the resolution from 102& @ 7:K in the image a!ove to, sa#, 12K0 @ 7:K, one ould "li"k t i"e on the arro above the Fero in 102&, si@ times on the arro above the t o in 102&, and four times on the arro below the four in 102&. The default and re"ommended resolution setting is 102& @ 7:K pi@els. 3ther s"reen resolutions "an !e used, !ut the simulation0s frame rate ill deteriorate a little as the s"reen area in"reases. a. Ma2ing X-Plane $ull %3reen The s3reen res "ontrol "an also !e used to "ause X-Plane to fill the entire s"reen. 2f the X-Plane indo does not fill the s"reen, determine hat s"reen resolution the "omputer is running at and enter that resolution here. This "an also !e done the other a# around, !# setting the resolution of the "omputer to mat"h the resolution in X-Plane. %hanges to this setting ill take effe"t after X-Plane is restarted. 4indo s XP users "an determine their "urrent resolution 'and "hange it* !# doing the follo ingM 1. <ight "li"k on the .esktop and "li"k Properties. 2. 2n the indo that opens, "li"k the ;ettings ta!. ). .rag the resolution slider to the desired resolution. 2n 4indo s 7M 1. <ight "li"k on the .esktop and "li"k ;"reen <esolution. 2. %li"k on the <esolution drop-do n !o@ and drag the slider to the desired resolution. 9a" users "an do the same !# doing the follo ingM 1. 3pen the ;#stem Preferen"es from either the do"k or the -pple menu. 2. 3pen the .ispla#s menu and "li"k on the .ispla# ta!. ). ;ele"t the desired resolution under Q<esolutions.R %hanging X-Plane,s resolution to mat"h the resolution of a widescreen monitor ill "ause most 2-. "o"kpits to have !lank !ars on their left and right, through hi"h s"ener# outside the plane ill !e visi!le. %ommon ides"reen resolutions are 1920 @ 10K0, 1&&0 @ 900, 1):0 @ 7:K, 12K0 @ 720, et". /or more information on this pro!lem, see %hapter 2, ;e"tion 222, .ispla# <e1uirements and ;#stem -r"hite"ture on page 1.. *. :ra6 !O% on %e3on" Monitor on %a,e Ai"eo Car"

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-n 2nstru"tor0s 3perating ;tation '23;* ma# !e run from the same "omputer as the sim hen using a dual output video "ard. To ena!le this, "he"k the !o@ ne@t to "ra6 !O% on se3on" ,onitor, highlighted !elo .

C. %etting Up the X-Plane 7orl" Ba"h of the "ontrols in this part of the "hapter ';etting 8p the XPlane 4orld* is found in the PB</3<9-A%B <BA.B<2A? 3PT23A; se"tion of the <endering 3ptions indo , highlighted in the follo ing image.

The video "ard must first !e "onfigured to output to !oth s"reens in the operating s#stem. %he"king this !o@ ill "ause a se"ond XPlane indo to open on the se"ond s"reen. 2n this indo , move the mouse to the top of the s"reen and "li"k 7o"ation, then 7o"al 9ap. There, "he"k the 23; !o@, as sho n in the follo ing image. i. $orest :ensity This "ontrol determines ho dense the forest and shru!!er# are in X-Plane. Geep in mind that dra ing more and more dense forestr# ill have a moderate effe"t on the simulator,s a!ilit# to maintain frame rate. 3n the left ill appear the options to load different air"raft, relo"ate the air"raft, fail s#stems, and alter the eather for the QstudentR pilot. Aote that this 23; fun"tionalit# is availa!le not onl# on a se"ond s"reen on the same "omputer, !ut also from a se"ond "omputer net orked to the student "omputer via a 7-A or the 2nternet. This option has no effe"t on frame rate. /or more information on running an 23;, see %hapter (, ;e"tion 2>, Part 6, ;u!se"tion vi on page #.. ii. 7orl" :etail :istan3e This ill set the level of detail for o!Ee"ts in the orld s"ener#, and from ho far a a# this detail ill !e visi!le. %hanges to this setting ill take effe"t after X-Plane is restarted and have a large effe"t on frame rate. 6e "areful ith this one. iii. )u,ber of Ob<e3ts

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This ill determine ho man# three-dimensional o!Ee"ts 'e.g., !uildings* are dra n in the orld s"ener#. This ill have a very strong effe"t on the simulator,s performan"e$fl#ing over Ae =ork %it# ith K,000 little ). !uildings is mu"h more diffi"ult for XPlane to dra than fl#ing over rural 2o a ith onl# 20. %hanges to this setting ill take effe"t after X-Plane is restarted. i*. )u,ber of 4oa"s This ill set the num!er and "omple@it# of roads and rivers !eing displa#ed in X-Plane. %hanges to this setting ill take effe"t after X-Plane is restarted and have a moderate to large effe"t on frame rate. *. Airport :etail This drop-do n menu modifies the level of detail rendered at airports, adding indso"ks, !ea"on lights, and te@ture and markers to run a#s. 2t has a minimal effe"t on frame rate. *i. Traffi3 :ensity This "ontrol modifies the amount of air traffi", as ell as the amount of the asso"iated -T% "ommuni"ations heard over the radio. 2t has a minimal effe"t on frame rate. *ii. Anisotropi3 $ilter Te0tures -nisotropi" filtering is a some hat "ompli"ated "on"ept. 2magine taking a photograph and looking at it from a!out t o feet a a#, ith #our e#es dire"tl# a!ove the image and perpendi"ular to it. Things are "lear and sharp, rightJ Ao imagine taking the

same pi"ture and rotating it 90 degrees a a# from #ou so #ou,re looking at the edge. 3!viousl#, the image is no longer visi!le. Ao rotate it !a"k to ards #ou ( or 10 degrees. =ou "an Eust start to make out the image, !ut sin"e #ou,re looking at it from su"h a lo angle, the pi"ture is fuFF# and poorl# defined. This is analogous to looking at the X-Plane s"ener# from a lo altitude on a "lear da#. The images dire"tl# in front of the air"raft ill !e relativel# "lear, !ut the "loser the s"ener# gets to the horiFon, the fuFFier the image !e"omes. The anisotropi" filter helps to "lear this fuFFiness a a#, making the image "learer. This option has a minimal effe"t on most ma"hines and a moderate impa"t on some ma"hines. Tr# it out and see if #ou like it and if #ou "an live ith the performan"e penalt#. *iii. :ra6 8ir"s in )i3e 7eather This is a relativel# ne feature in X-Plane that arose from a nearmiss !et een -ustin 'the author of X-Plane* and a small flo"k of !irds. 5e as departing from %olum!ia, ;outh %arolina one da# in his %irrus. -s he as "lim!ing out, a flo"k of !irds fle in front of his air"raft and -ustin thought he as a!out to in"ur multiple "ollisions. -s it turned out, the !irds did not "ollide ith him, !ut it as enough to open his e#es to realiFe that this potential haFard needed to !e modeled in X-Plane. Ba"h !ird in X-Plane is modeled independentl# and has its o n Qmission.R /or this reason, the flo"ks of !irds look ver# realisti". %olliding ith the !irds ill "ause damage to the air"raft as ell as engine failures and other things, Eust like in realit#. This "ontrol has a marginal effe"t on frame rate. i0. :ra6 5i-4es Planet Te0tures fro, Orbit X-Plane "an simulate or!ital and su!-or!ital flight using the ;pa"e &)

;huttle and other spa"e"raft. 2f sele"ted, this option ill displa# high-resolution images of the Barth hen simulating spa"e flights. These high-resolution images ill t#pi"all# !e displa#ed at altitudes of 100,000 feet or higher. This has no effe"t on frame rate e@"ept hen fl#ing a!ove that altitude. 0. :ra6 $orest $ires an" 8alloons in 7ar, 7eather 4hen "he"ked, this option ill dra randoml# generated forest fires for pra"ti"ing ater !om!ing. X-Plane "an realisti"all# simulate su"h operations, re1uiring the user to fl# a ater !om!er su"h as the %7-&1( 'found in the ;eaplanes folder* and s"oop up ater from the o"ean or a near!# lake. This option has a negligi!le effe"t on frame rate. 0i. :ra6 Aie6 !n"i3ator This is a hand# feature that ill dra a little orange triangle in the top "enter of the s"reen hen looking an# dire"tion other than for ards. 2t rotates a!out a depi"tion of the air"raft and points in the dire"tion that the s"reen is vie ing. This is helpful in maintaining situational a areness. This option has a negligi!le effe"t on frame rate. 0ii. :i, Un"er 5igh 9 =oa" or 5ypo0ia 4hen this !o@ is "he"ked, X-Plane ill simulate the effe"ts of gravit#, "reating ?-for"e !la"kouts under tight maneuvers or h#po@ia from high altitude fl#ing. These effe"ts are true to life, "ausing the s"reen to either Q!la"k outR or Qred out,R Eust as a pilot ould e@perien"e a loss of vision under e@treme high or lo ? situations. -dditionall#, a !la"k out ill o""ur hen fl#ing at too high an altitude ithout first setting the pressuriFation or o@#gen s#stem, Eust like in real life. This option has a negligi!le effe"t on

frame rate. 0iii. Use Pi0el %ha"ers for A,aHing $og an" 7ater /ffe3ts 8sing pi@el shaders allo s X-Plane to add ). lighting on a perpi@el !asis. <ather than having the simulator tell the graphi"s "ard ho to light an area, the graphi"s "ard determines it in real time, "reating a ver# realisti" image. .epending on the graphi"s "ard, this "an have a large effe"t on frame rate. a. :ra6 Aolu,etri3 $og This option onl# appears hen using pi@el shaders. Aormall#, fog is applied to the entire s"ene ith the same densit#. 8sing volumetri" fog "reates a num!er of small, lo"aliFed fog effe"ts, "ausing the densit# to var#. This "an have a signifi"ant effe"t on frame rate. b. 7ater 4efle3tion =e*el This option also appears onl# hen using pi@el shaders. %hanging the refle"tion level of the ater also "hanges ho man# "al"ulations the "omputer must do on ea"h pi@el in the ater. 2ts effe"t on frame rate varies !ased on the amount of ater in the s"ene. /. /0pert 4en"ering Options The follo ing three "ontrols are found in the BXPB<T <BA.B<2A? 3PT23A; se"tion 'highlighted in the follo ing image* of the <endering options s"reen.

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run a#s to alleviate potential pro!lems. This option has no effe"t on frame rate. $. %pe3ial Aie6ing Controls The follo ing "ontrols are found in the ;PB%2-7 >2B42A? %3AT<37; se"tion 'sho n in the s"reenshot !elo * of the <endering 3ptions indo .

i. Co,press Te0tures to %a*e A4AM %he"king this !o@ and restarting X-Plane ma# ena!le the simulator to use a!out t i"e the ><-9 as !efore ithout overflo ing the video "ard. 5o ever, doing so ma# "ause some of the "rispness and pre"ision to !e lost from te@tures. Tr# it out and see hat happens. i. =ateral $iel" of Aie6 ii. :o Any %3enery =oa"s in the 8a32groun" This "auses X-Plane to tr# to load as mu"h s"ener# as possi!le ithout pausing. This is here a dual- or 1uad-"ore pro"essor reall# shines. iii. 4un6ays $ollo6 Terrain Contours X-Plane in"ludes a feature here!# run a#s and ta@i a#s "an follo the elevations of the terrain upon hi"h the# are dra n. 2n some "ases, the "hanges in elevation of the terrain ma# !e ver# a!rupt, hi"h "an make airport run a#s overl# !ump#. 8n"he"king this !o@ ill "ause X-Plane to flatten the terrain under ii. Mini,u, $ra,e 4ate -s dis"ussed at the !eginning of Part - of this se"tion 'found on page 3(*, the frame rate is the num!er of uni1ue pi"tures 'QframesR* that the simulator displa#s per se"ond. The term "omes from the motion pi"ture industr#, here ea"h frame as a &( The field of vie setting ill "hange the a# X-Plane displa#s the vie of the outside orld. 5igher settings ill allo more of the terrain to !e vie ed at an# one time, !ut ill redu"e performan"e. 5igher settings ill also in"rease the Qfish e#eR effe"t of the simulator. The default value is &( degrees, hi"h generall# gives good performan"e and a natural vie .

separate pi"ture taken !# a movie "amera. 2n X-Plane, as frame rate in"reases, so does the a""ura"# of the flight model and its visual appeal. This "ontrol ill set a minimum frame rate that XPlane ill attempt to maintain. 2f the s#stem has too man# rendering options set too high, X-Plane ill automati"all# redu"e the visi!ilit# in an attempt to maintain the frame rate spe"ified here. The frame rate should not go !elo 20 frames per se"ond 'fps* !e"ause the flight model needs at least 20 fps to do a de"ent Eo! simulating most airplanes. 3n smaller, lighter planes, though, hi"h have less inertia and more speed and maneuvera!ilit#, XPlane ill need more than 20 fps to fl# a""uratel#. This is due to these planes0 a!ilit# to fli"ker around the sk# so 1ui"kl#. - high frame rate is needed to a""uratel# tra"k the plane,s rapid a""elerations. 2f the frame rate gets too lo for the flight model to handle, then the plane is likel# to start os"illating 1ui"kl# !a"k and forth 'referred to as Qsimulator flutter,R often o""urring ith autopilot on* as the flight model tries unsu""essfull# to predi"t hat the plane ill do ne@t. -t this point, the "omputer is running too slo l# to take small enough steps in the flight model to see hat the plane ill reall# do at ea"h moment. ;maller and more maneuvera!le planes ill a""elerate more 1ui"kl#, and greater a""elerations re1uire a higher frame rate to simulate. iii. Multi-Co,puter %i,ulators The follo ing options in the ;pe"ial >ie ing %ontrols are used for multi-monitor or multi-"omputer simulators. - setup like this allo s X-Plane to run different vie s on different monitors 'for e@ample, a left, "enter, and right vie on three different monitors, or an instrument panel on one s"reen and the for ard vie on a se"ond s"reen*. Aote that in a multi-"omputer setup, ea"h "omputer re1uires its o n "op# of X-Plane.

To set up a multi-"omputer simulator, the various "omputers must first !e linked together over a net ork. X-Plane should then !e laun"hed on ea"h "omputer. 3n ea"h "omputer, open the ;ettings menu and "li"k .ata 2nput I 3utput. 3n this s"reen go to the 2net 1 or 2net 2 ta! and enter the various 2P addresses of the different ma"hines in the appropriate lo"ation. ;ee %hapter K, ;e"tions > and >2 '!eginning on page 130* for more information on multi-"omputer setups, and "all "ustomer servi"e if #ou have diffi"ult# and ould like some assistan"e. 8nder normal, single "omputer "onfigurations, these options "an all !e left at their default values a. =ateral+ Aerti3al+ an" 4oll Offsets 7et,s sa# that #ou have three net orked "omputers for additional visuals to form a rap-around "o"kpit. Ba"h "omputer might have a &0 degree /3>. =ou should enter a lateral offset of -&0 degrees for the left visual, 0 for the front visual, and X&0 degrees for the right visual. 2f ea"h visual has a field of vie of &0 degrees, these images ill !lend together seamlessl# if #ou don,t "onsider the idth of the frame around the monitor. 2f #ou "annot set up the monitors to run their effe"tive image all the a# to the edge 'as #ou "an ith some, even though #ou on0t !e a!le to see the part theoreti"all# under the !order* then #ou might tr# a field of vie of ma#!e )K degrees, !ased on hatever fra"tion of the monitor is visi!le. >erti"al and roll offsets are the upHdo n and tilt e1uivalents of the lateral offset. Please note that lateral, verti"al, and roll offsets are only availa!le in degrees+ ratio values are no longer supported.

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)oteM 4hile the vie offsets do indi"ate ho mu"h to the left or right or up or do n ea"h vie is looking, people still make the same mistake over and overM the# run a "enter vie ith a "o"kpit in the "enter s"reen, and e@ternal visuals on the left and right ' hi"h is fine* !ut the# noti"e that the horiFon in the "enter '"o"kpit* s"reen does not line up ith the horiFons on either side. The reason for this is that the "enter-point of the s"reen here the horiFon rests in a level flight attitude is up near the top of the s"reen in the "o"kpit vie 'to make room for the instrument panel* and the center of the s"reen for the e@ternal visuals ' hi"h do not need room at the !ottom for the instrument panel*. 3ften, people ill in"orre"tl# lo er the verti"al offset of the "enter panel ' ith the "o"kpit*. This results in "ountless pro!lems ith the vie s not lining up. 2t is like taking the heels off the left side of one0s "ar and then thinking the pro!lem is solved !# holding the steering heel to the right to drive straight. 2t is not the "orre"t response to the pro!lem. 2n this "ase, users should go to the vie point s"reen in Plane-9aker and set the "o"kpit vie point "enter to )K& pi@els 'that is, half of the 7:K pi@el height of the s"reen* so that the vie point "enter in the "o"kpit indo is the same as the vie point "enter in the side-vie s"reens. 3nl# then ill the horiFon al a#s line up a"ross all the visualsL 2n other ords, the onl# time a verti"al offset should !e used is if there is one monitor on top of another. 2f a user has to enter a verti"al offset for one of t o monitors that sit !eside ea"h other, sHhe is doing something rongL The pro!lem should !e solved !# making sure that the vie point center is at the same pi@el height on all the "omputer monitors that are side-!#-side, and that height is al a#s )K& pi@els 'half a# up a 7:K pi@el s"reen* for the e@ternal visuals. i*. =o32 Aie6 to $or6ar" Co32pit 4hen vie s are "hanged ithin X-Plane, that "hanged vie propagates to all the e@ternal visuals. %he"king this !o@ "auses a

vie to always !e for ard- ith-"o"kpit. 9. %etting up X-Plane to A3hie*e the 8est 4esults The follo ing pro"edure ill allo the user to optimiFe X-Plane0s performan"e for his or her "omputer, regardless of the po er of that "omputer or an# limitations it ma# have. i. :isplaying the $ra,e 4ate 6efore e !egin, e ill need to !e a!le to tell ho fast X-Plane is running on the "omputer. To do this, laun"h X-Plane andM 1. 9ove #our mouse to the top of the s"reen '"ausing the menu to appear* and "li"k ;ettings, then .ata 2nput I 3utput, as in the follo ing image.

2. %he"k the far right !o@ ne@t to fra,e rate 'as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot*. This ill "ause X-Plane to displa# the "urrent frame rate in the upper left of the s"reen during flight.

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frames per se"ond, users0 su!"ons"ious minds forget that the# are looking at a simulator and !egin thinking the# are a"tuall# fl#ing. 100 fps is e@"essivel# high and indi"ates that the s#stem has plent# of "apa"it# to dra more !uildings, "louds, and other o!Ee"ts. ii. Mo"ifying Aisibility an" Clou" 4en"ering ). %lose the .ata 2nput I 3utput indo 'either ith one of the Xs in the "orners of the indo or ith the Bnter ke# on the ke#!oard*. =ou should no see ho fast the simulation is running, in the freD I se3 output in the !o@ in the upper left of the s"reen 'as seen !elo *. This is the "urrent frame rate, given in frames per se"ond 'fps*. 2f the simulator0s frame rate isn0t as high #ou ould like, #ou "an raise it !# doing the follo ingM 1. 6ring do n the menu as a!ove and "li"k Bnvironment, then 4eather, as seen !elo .

Aote that the frame rate ill "hange depending on hat is happening in the simulation. 2t is not un"ommon for a "omputer to output (0 fps hile sitting on an empt# run a#, !ut drop do n to, sa#, )( fps hen rendering lots of !uildings, other air"raft, et". <efer to the follo ing to determine the signifi"an"e of this num!er. 1( fps is terri!le and !arel# ade1uate to run the simulator. )0 to (0 fps is the ideal range. 5igher frame rates indi"ate the "omputer isn0t rendering ith as mu"h detail as it "ould. ;tudies have sho n that starting at a!out (0

2. 8sing the upper, ,i", and lo6er drop-do n menus 'found in the upper left of the s"reen, highlighted in the follo ing image*, set the "loud t#pes to 3lear or 3u o*er3ast for ma@ frame rate. /or a good frame rate, set them to hi 3irrus or lo stratus. Cu s3attere" or 3u bro2en take a ton of "omputing po er to displa#.

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4ith that done, "lose that s"reen and "he"k the frame rate again. To improve it even more, "ontinue on to modif#ing the te@ture resolution. iii. Changing Te0ture 4esolution for 8est Perfor,an3e 1. 9ake the menu !ar appear as in the a!ove pro"esses and "li"k ;ettings, then "li"k <endering 3ptions, as seen !elo .

). ;et the visi!ilit# 'found on the left side, near the middle of the s"reen* to a!out five miles or so, as seen in the follo ing image. 5igher visi!ilit# takes more "omputing po er !e"ause the "omputer has to "al"ulate hat the orld looks like for a mu"h larger area.

2. The te0ture resolution drop-do n menu 'highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot* determines ho mu"h video <-9 '><-9* the "omputer ill use. 2f #our graphi"s "ard has plent# of ><-9, #ou "an set it as high as #ou ant ith no loss in frame rate, !ut as soon as the te@ture resolution re1uires more ><-9 than the graphi"s "ard has, the simulator0s frame rate ill plummet.

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as noted and restart X-Plane one more time. i*. %etting %3reen 4esolution for 8est Perfor,an3e Ae@t, look at the s3reen res 'resolution* setting on the <endering 3ptions s"reen, sho n in the follo ing image. ). To determine ho mu"h ><-9 is !eing used at the "urrent settings, look at the ver# !ottom of this indo . The last line reads QTotal siFe of all loaded te@tures at "urrent settingsM @@.@@ meg.R /or instan"e, in the follo ing image, the te@tures loaded are using 7(.&& 96 of ><-9.

4hile it is possi!le in some "ases to load more te@tures than "an !e stored in ><-9 ithout a performan"e hit 'as not all te@tures ill !e used all the time*, the siFe of the loaded te@tures should not !e signifi"antl# greater than the ><-9 on the s#stem0s video "ard. &. 7o er the te0ture resolution if the "urrent settings re1uire mu"h more ><-9 than #our video "ard has. )oteM -fter "hanging the te@ture resolution, X-Plane must be restarted for the "hange to take effe"t. 4e re"ommend putting the te@ture resolution on its lo est setting, e@iting the sim, restarting it, and noting the frame rate. /rom there, raise the te@ture detail up one level and repeat until the frame rate de"reases. This is the point at hi"h all of the video "ard0s <-9 is !eing used. 6a"k the te@ture resolution off to one level lo er than here the de"rease

5igher resolutions use up some e@tra ><-9, !ut not mu"h. The s"reen resolution is the siFe of the image that X-Plane is dra ing, in pi@el idth !# pi@el height. - user might have a large, ide monitor, !ut that does not mean that dra ing a large, ide s"reen must !e more diffi"ult for X-Plane. - relativel# lo num!er of pi@els "an !e dra n on that s"reen !# setting the resolution in the operating s#stem a""ordingl#. /or instan"e, on a monitor that tops out at a resolution of 1920 @ 10K0, one might set its resolution in the operating s#stem to 1):0 @ 7:K. This a#, X-Plane ill !e less demanding of the graphi"s "ard hile still filling the entire s"reen. 4indo s XP users "an "hange their resolution !# doing the follo ingM 1. <ight "li"k on the .esktop and "li"k Properties. 2. 2n the indo that opens, "li"k the ;ettings ta!. ). .rag the ;"reen <esolution slider to the desired resolution. (0

2n >istaM 1. <ight "li"k on the .esktop and "hoose PersonaliFe.

that X-Plane ill have to !e shut do n and restarted for the "hanges to take effe"t. *. Opti,iHing Other 4en"ering Options

2. %li"k .ispla# ;ettings. ). .rag the resolution slider to the desired resolution. 2n 4indo s 7M 1. <ight "li"k on the .esktop and "li"k ;"reen <esolution. 2. %li"k on the <esolution drop-do n !o@ and drag the slider to the desired resolution. 9a" users "an do the same !# doing the follo ingM 1. 3pen the ;#stem Preferen"es from either the do"k or the -pple menu. 2. 3pen .ispla#s menu and "li"k on the .ispla# ta!. ). ;ele"t the desired resolution under Q<esolutions.R Aote that dra ing a large s"reen ith fe pi@els ill look ,grainier, than dra ing a smaller s"reen ith more pi@els$assuming that the monitor is vie ed from the same distan"e in ea"h "ase. .ra ing more detail ' ith a higher s"reen resolution* uses up some of the video "ard0s pro"essing po er, !ut not too mu"h. 2n most "ases the !iggest !ottlene"k hen using a higher resolution is the pro"essor, as it must "al"ulate the vie for a larger, more detailed area. Pla# ith the s"reen resolution a !it and set the resolution as #ou see fit. 9an# "omputers ill run !est at 102& @ 7:K. <emem!er These have a huge impa"t on frame-rate. ;et them to none for the most speed, then restart X-Plane for the "hanges to take effe"t. %he"k the frame rate, !ring !oth settings up one level, and repeat, restarting the sim ea"h time to see ho performan"e is affe"ted. ;etting these options to higher levels ill look mu"h ni"er !ut ill negativel# impa"t the X-Plane0s frame rate. The man# different !o@es in the PB</3<9-A%B <BA.B<2A? 3PT23A; se"tion of this indo ere revie ed in detail in Part 222, ;e"tion %, ;etting 8p the X-Plane 4orld '!eginning on page & *. 9ost of these do not impa"t the frame rate mu"h, ith the (1 These are the reall# "riti"al options$the all-important nu,ber of ob<e3ts and nu,ber of roa"s settings, highlighted in the image !elo .

e@"eption of use Pi0el %ha"ers for a,aHing fog an" 6ater effe3ts 'highlighted in the follo ing image*. Therefore, set these up as desired, !ut make sure use Pi0el %ha"ers is unchecked for greatest speed.

*i. Changing the )u,ber of Other Air3raft The final setting that reall# impa"ts the simulators frame rate is the num!er of other airplanes. -""ess this !# moving the mouse to the top of the s"reen, "li"king -ir"raft, then sele"ting -ir"raft and ;ituations, as seen !elo .

2n the )-. %738. %3AT<37; se"tion of the indo , the nu,ber of 3lou" puffs "ontrol 'highlighted in the follo ing image* has a huge impa"t on frame rate hen there are s"attered, !roken, or over"ast "louds, !ut those settings should alread# have !een avoided hen tr#ing to optimiFe frame rate.

The nu,ber of air3raft setting 'found on the left of the s"reen, a!out half a# do n, highlighted in the follo ing image* should !e set to one '#ours* for ma@imum speed.

;etting this num!er higher ill "ause X-Plane to use artifi"ial intelligen"e '-2* to fl# an# spe"ified num!er of other air"raft in the sk#. Aote that there is no logi" to determine hat t#pe of air"raft to pla"e or here 'for e@ample, a hot air !alloon ma# !e seen fl#ing around Ae =ork %it#*. 4ith the s#stem0s frame rate optimiFed, it0s time to fl#L

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!. Opening an Air3raft 4hen laun"hing X-Plane for the first time, the default airplane ill !e loaded$in >ersion 9 this is the %irrus Jet. -fter that, X-Plane ill load the air"raft that as !eing used hen the program last "losed. 2t0s a good idea to take #our first flights in something simple, like the %essna 172 ;P. To open this air"raftM 1. 9ove #our mouse to the top of the X-Plane indo to "ause the menu to appear. 2. %li"k -ir"raft, then 3pen -ir"raft, as in the s"reenshot !elo .

&. Ao a list of the folder hierar"h# 'the organiFation of the folders* opens from the drop-do n menu. 2t starts ith the main X-Plane folder and goes do n to the folder that the "urrent air"raft is in. /or e@ample, if the %irrus Jet is open at the moment, the hierar"h# sho sM X-;#stem folder -ir"raft ?eneral -viation %irrus TheEet %li"k on the line that sa#s -ir"raft, as in the follo ing image.

). -t the top of the indo no open is a drop-do n menu. 2t is "urrentl# displa#ing the name of the folder that the "urrent air"raft is lo"ated in. %li"k the upHdo n s#m!ol on the right side of the folder name, as seen in the follo ing image.

(. The -ir"raft folder opens. The folders here divide X-Plane0s air"raft into "lasses$for e@ample, there are fighters, general aviation "raft, gliders, heli"opters, seaplanes, et". .ou!le "li"k on ?eneral -viation 'sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot*.

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:. Ao the navigation !o@ in the lo er left of the indo sho s the different air"raft "lassified as general aviation planes. .ou!le "li"k on the %essna 172;P folder, as per the follo ing image.

7. X-Plane air"raft files$ hi"h are hat e need to "li"k on to open an airplane$are denoted !# an Q.a"fR e@tension. .ou!le "li"k on the %essnaV172.a"f file 'as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot* to load the air"raft.

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To open the ;ele"t ?lo!al -irport s"reenM 1. 9ove the mouse to the top of the s"reen, "ausing the menu to appear. 2. %li"k 7o"ation, then "li"k ;ele"t ?lo!al -irport, as in the s"reenshot !elo .

This s"reen is divided into three parts. 2n the top left 'sho n in the follo ing image* is a listing of ever# airport name, arranged !# "it#. 6oth this format and these names are the offi"ial standard for that lo"al area ' hi"h, for 8; airports, is the /--*. 2n a fe moments the s"reen ill go !la"k. ;hortl# thereafter the "o"kpit of a ne %essna 172 ;k#ha k ill appear. !!. Choosing an Airport X-Plane0s air"raft "an !e relo"ated to an# here on Barth using the ;ele"t ?lo!al -irport indo . This provides a listing of all the airports in the X-Plane data!ase '"urrentl# more than )2,000*, representing nearl# ever# airport on the planet. )oteM 2f the air"raft is relo"ated to an area that does not have an# s"ener# installed, it ill end up on a run a# hi"h is hovering a!ove the o"ean do n !elo . This is referred to as S ater orldS and it is "overed in detail in -ppendi@ 7M 4ater Bver# hereL.

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To the right of the list pane 'sho n in the s"reenshot !elo * is an overhead vie of the "urrentl# sele"ted airport0s la#out.

air"raft to the spe"ified distan"e a a# from the run a# to the right of it. /inall#, the <-9P ;T-<T !utton ill transport the air"raft to the spe"ified ramp for takeoff. To sear"h the availa!le airports, t#pe either the "it# name or the airport 2. into the hite !o@ !elo the list pane 'la!eled Q-ptMR*. /or instan"e, in the image !elo , the user t#ped in QG7-XR to find 7os -ngeles 2nternational -irport. The same results "ould !e o!tained !# t#ping Q7os -ngeles 2ntl,R or !# simpl# t#ping Q7os -ngelesR and s"rolling through the results.

The !ottom half of the indo 'sho n in the follo ing image* displa#s ro s of Q1ui"k startR !uttons.

The !uttons in the T-GB3// "olumn 'on the far left* ill transport the air"raft to the spe"ified run a#. To the right of these !uttons are the /2A-7 -PP<3-%5 !uttons, hi"h ill transport the

-lternativel#, use the up and do n arro s on the ke#!oard to move through the full list. To travel to an airport, "li"k on it on"e in the list pane to highlight it '"ausing a gre# !o@ to appear around it*, then "li"k the 9o To This Airport !utton, as seen in the previous image. (:

to appear !# moving the mouse to the top of the s"reen. %li"k Bnvironment, then "li"k 4eather 'as sho n !elo *. A. Airport !:s /0plaine" Bver# airport on Barth has a uni1ue identifier used to refer to the field in flight plans, instrument approa"h plates, and ?P; navigators. 2n the 8nited ;tates, the airport identifiers are "omprised of three "hara"ters, hi"h "an !e letters onl# or a "om!ination of letters and num!ers. This sounds eas#, !ut ait[ >3<s, a t#pe of navigation radio, also use the same identifi"ation s#stem and, in some "ases, the ver# same identifier. - >3< lo"ated on a field, for e@ample, ill have the same identifier as the field itself. To prevent "onfusion, the letter G is added !efore the identifier of the airport in the 8; if that identifier contains only letters. -ll >3< identifiers are letters onl#, so an# airport identifier that has an# num!ers in the 2. sta#s as is. 5ere are some e@amplesM )%G sta#s as )%G sin"e it has a num!er in it. 3J% 'Johnson %ount# B@e"utive -irport* !e"omes G3J% for the airport !e"ause its identifier is letters onl#. The >3< on the field at Johnson %ount# is also "alled Eust 3J% ith no QGR to denote that it,s a >3<. -94 !e"omes G-94 for the airport. There is no >3< on this field so there is no other identifier for this airport. /or an interesting read on the histor# of the airport "ode naming "onventions, "he"k out ;k#god0s page)). !!!. %etting 7eather X-Plane0s eather simulation is highl# "onfigura!le and remarka!l# realisti". To edit the eather settings, "ause the menu
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%li"k the leftmost ta! in this indo '-tmosphere* to !egin editing the eather. A. 8asi3 Clou" Configuration 2n the upper left of the -tmosphere indo 'sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot*, "loud t#pes as ell as the top and !ase levels for three different "loud la#ers "an !e set. The !o@es designated 9;7 'found on the left side of this se"tion of the indo * are measured in feet a!ove average sea level. The !o@es designated -?7 are measured in feet a!ove average ground level.

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Cat-!!! sets the eather up for a %ategor#-222 27; approa"h. These are e@tremel# lo instrument "onditions, ith !asi"all# Fero "eiling and visi!ilit#. Cat-!! sets the eather up for a %ategor#-22 27; approa"h, ith terri!l# poor "eiling and visi!ilit#. Cat-! sets the eather up for a %ategor#-2 27; approa"h, ith poor "eiling and visi!ilit#. )-pre3 sets the eather for a non-pre"ision approa"h, a ) mile visi!ilit# and a &00 foot "eiling. MA$4 sets the eather marginal >/< fl#ing "onditions, ith a!out four miles of visi!ilit# and a 1,(00 foot "eiling. A$4 sets the eather to good visual flight rule "onditions$ "lear, sunn# skies. 8. ;ui32-%et 8uttons The pane !elo the !asi" "loud "onfiguration has a num!er of !uttons, la!eled 3at-!!!, 3at-!!, 3at-!, n-pre3, and so on 'seen in the follo ing image*. These are 1ui"k-set !uttons, and pressing them ill automati"all# set some general eather "onditions. CAAO@ sets the eather to "lear and visi!ilit# 3G. T#pi"all# pilots refer to this as S%->8R$%lear -nd >isi!ilit# 8nlimited. C. 7eather %li"ers 6elo the 1ui"k-set !uttons is a set of sliders. %li"k these and drag them to "hange their setting. The *isibility slider adEusts hat its name suggests, measured in miles. The pre3ipitation slider sets the level of pre"ipitation. .epending on the temperature around the airplane and in the "louds here it is formed, this ill !e in the form of rain, hail, or sno . ith

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The thun"erstor,s slider adEusts the tenden"# for "onve"tive a"tivit#. The eather radar map in the lo er-right of the indo sho s here the "ells are forming. /l#ing into these "ells results in heav# pre"ipitation and e@treme tur!ulen"e. The tur!ulen"e is great enough that in realit#, airplanes "an fl# into thunderstorms in one pie"e and "ome out in man# smaller pie"es. Taking heli"opters into these i"ing and thunderstorm situations is prett# "ool !e"ause their ver# high ing-loading on their rotor and the fa"t that the rotor is free teetering "auses them to have a prett# smooth ride in tur!ulen"e. The# are still not indestru"ti!le, though, and the# are su!Ee"t to i"ing on their !lades Eust like an airplane. The 6in" an" turbulen3e slider automati"all# sets all the sliders in the "enter of the s"reen that "ontrol the ind and tur!ulen"e. .rag this slider do n to the left and hold it there for a fe se"onds to set all of the ind and tur!ulen"e to Fero for a smooth flight. The tur!ulen"e in X-Plane is simulated ver# realisti"all#. To see ho in"redi!le the tur!ulen"e in X-Plane is, drag the 6in" an" turbulen3e slider up to the right and then "lose the 4eather indo ' ith either the Xs in the top or the Bnter ke#*. Ao sele"t an e@ternal vie like %hase '!# default !ound to the T-0 ke#*. Ae@t, hit the TH0 ke# t i"e to see the ind ve"tors, then use the TX0 and T\0 ke#s to Foom in and out. /or instan"e, in the follo ing image, a %essna 172 is getting tossed around the -ustrian skies. The green lines visi!le in the image a!ove are the a"tual ind ve"tors a"ting on the airplane. Ba"h of those ve"tors represents a ind speed and dire"tion in the flo field around the pane, and that flo field ill intera"t ith ea"h of the elements of ea"h of the ings 'and propellersL* of the plane. -dditionall#, the little green lines sprouting out of the !ottom surfa"e of the ings in the image a!ove sho the lift ve"tor for ea"h segment of the ing 'in the e@ample, these ve"tors are pushing the plane down*. 3f "ourse, hen the air"raft is fl#ing the lift ve"tors ill !e ver# prominent !ut even ith the airplane Eust sitting stationar# at the end of the run a#, the ing "an indeed !e produ"ing some measura!le lift. The air ma# !e !lo ing up on part of the left ing and down on part of the right ing, "ausing the "raft to roll to the right. 3r it might !e pushing up on the ings and do n on the tail, "ausing the "raft to pit"h up. 3r, as it does in real life all the time, the air might !e doing a "om!ination of those at multiple points on the air"raft.

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4ith the visual ve"tors turned on it !e"omes apparent Eust ho mu"h math is going on in the !a"kground ithin X-Plane. The flo field is "ontinuous, varia!le, and "overs the entire air"raft for an# s"enario that "an !e simulated, and all the different parts of ea"h airfoil surfa"e see different relative dire"tions and speeds. The !ottom slider in the !asi" eather settings is the rate of 3hange, hi"h modifies ho 1ui"kl# the eather "onditions are "hanging. :. Te,perature an" Pressure 2n the !ottom left "orner of the 4eather indo , the temperature and !arometri" pressure 'air pressure* "an !e set, as seen in the follo ing image. 6oth "onditions ill take effe"t at the nearest airport. Geep in mind that the Qstandard atmosphereR is (9O/ '1(O%* and 29.92 in"hes mer"ur# '101) milli!ars*.

Ba"h la#er has an altitude, ind speed, shear speed, shear dire"tion, and tur!ulen"e asso"iated ith it. X-Plane ill use the high, middle, and lo altitude settings to interpolate !et een the la#ers. The "ir"les to the right of ea"h altitude setting "hange the dire"tion from hi"h the ind is "oming. %li"k and drag near the edge of the "ir"le and the ind ill "ome from the dire"tion that #ou let go of the mouse !utton 'for instan"e, for ind moving from the south to the north, "li"k the ver# !ottom of the "ir"le and release the mouse !utton there*. $. Ther,als Bnter the ther,al tops, ther,al 3o*erage, and ther,al 3li,b rate in the upper-right of this indo , sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot.

/. 7in" =ayers The middle "olumn of this indo "ontrols three ind la#ers+ the high altitude la#er is sho n in the follo ing image.

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These "ontrols are mainl# used hen fl#ing gliders. 2n addition to thermals, X-Plane also runs air up and do n the terrain as ind !lo s into mountains, simulating the effe"ts that real glider pilots have to keep in mind and tr# to take advantage of. Tr# setting the ind at )0 knots or !etter at a right angle to a mountain range and running along the up ind side of the mountain range in a glider$ #ou should !e a!le to sta# aloft on the "lim!ing air if #ou sta# prett# lo . .rift to the do n ind side of the mountain, though, and an unstoppa!le des"ent is assuredL 9. 4un6ay Con"itions The run6ay 3on"itions drop-do n !o@ is found on the right side of the 4eather s"reen, dire"tl# !eneath the thermals "ontrols, as sho n in the follo ing image.

%onditions "an !e set to 3lean an" "ry, "a,p, or 6et, and et and damp "onditions "an !e either pat3hy or unifor,. -t lo enough temperatures, as in real life, a et run a# ill !e"ome an i"# one. This "ontrol is automati"all# modified hen in"reasing the amount of pre"ipitation. 5. Using 4eal 7eather 6elo the run a# "onditions "ontrols is the <eal 4eather se"tion. 4hen the Perio"i3ally "o6nloa" 4eal-7eather !o@ 'seen in the follo ing image* is "he"ked, X-Plane ill do nload a"tual eather "onditions from the 2nternet ' hi"h are "urrent ithin an hour* and appl# that eather in the simulator. X-Plane ill s"an the thousands of airports that report eather and appl# the eather from the nearest reporting airport to the simulation.

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Johnson %ount# B@e"utive -irport in Gansas %it# 'G3J%*, and as she approa"hes the area, she notes that X-Plane is still sho ing "lear sk# and 1( miles of visi!ilit#. ;he kno s, ho ever, from at"hing the ne s that Gansas %it# is a"tuall# e@perien"ing lo 2/< "onditions, ith thunderstorms and signifi"ant tur!ulen"e. This indi"ates that X-Plane did not "hange the eather as she fle !e"ause she did not have the Perio"i3ally s3an 4eal7eather !o@ "he"ked. /inall#, hen using the real eather do nloads, the allo6 ,a0 *isibility of "ontrol allo s the user to 'artifi"iall#* limit the visi!ilit# in order to keep the simulator0s frame rate at a desired level+ for e@ample, if a user kno s from e@perien"e that a visi!ilit# over 10 miles "auses the sim to slo to an una""epta!le frame rate 'sa#, 20 frames per se"ond*, he or she might allo a ma@ visi!ilit# of K miles to !e on the safe side. !A. Using the @eyboar"I@eyboar" %hort3uts X-Plane has !een designed to !e !oth e@tremel# fle@i!le and easil# usa!le. /or this reason, most of the ke#s on the ke#!oard do something. X-Plane.org has "reated a guide to the default ke# assignments in X-Plane 9 that "an !e found here)&. To see hi"h ke#s are tied to hi"h fun"tions, simpl# go to the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment s"reen0s Ge#s ta! and look at the ke#s assigned to the various fun"tions. /ind this s"reen !# moving the mouse to the top of the s"reen '!ringing do n the menu*, "li"king ;ettings, then "li"king Jo#sti"k I B1uipment, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

3f "ourse, 2nternet a""ess is re1uired to use this option, !ut on"e the eather is do nloaded 'and automati"all# saved as a file "alled 9etar.r @* the same "onditions "an !e used again 'though the# ma# !e out of date* until X-Plane do nloads an updated file. 2t is still ni"e to have the file, though, !e"ause it in"ludes a glo!al snapshot of the eather a"ross the planet, giving eather that varies as the air"raft travels. Just !elo the :o6nloa" 4eal-7eather !o@ is a "he"k !o@ la!eled Perio"i3ally s3an 4eal-7eather. This needs to !e ena!led for X-Plane to update the eather in the sim ith the data from the 9etar.r @ file. 2n other ords, if the real eather is do nloaded on"e per hour, !ut the user flies out of the area the "raft started in without s"anning the eather file, the eather e@perien"ed at the ne airport ma# !e different than hat the real eather do nload "ontained. 5ere,s an e@ample to "larif#M - pilot is a!out to take off from -mes, 2o a 'G-94*, and she do nloads the real eather. This eather '"lear sk# and 1( mile visi!ilit#* is loaded onto her ma"hine and she takes off. 2t takes &0 minutes to get to the

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2n the indo that opens, "li"k the Ge#s ta! at the top. There are t o a#s to "hange a ke#0s fun"tion here. The indo has ea"h ke# of the ke#!oard represented !# a re"tangular !utton 'found on the far left of the s"reen*, and it has that !utton0s fun"tion to the right of it. 3ne a# to program a ke# is to "li"k one of the s1uare !uttons in the left-hand pane and sele"t the fun"tion 'found in the left-hand pane* that its ke# should "ontrol. /un"tions are "lassified into a num!er of "ategories 'operation, engines, ignition, et".*, found in the middle pane of this indo . The fun"tions themselves are found in the right pane of the indo . %li"k on the radio !utton 'that is, the small, "ir"ular !utton* !eside the "ategor# #ou0re looking for, then "li"k the radio !utton ne@t to the fun"tion itself. /or instan"e, in the follo ing s"reenshot, the /1 ke# has !een assigned to the throttle "o6n fun"tion, found in the engines "ategor#.

This ill add a ne gra# !utton at the !ottom of the left-hand pane, la!eled L)O)/M. %li"k this !utton and press the ke# #ou ould like to program. Ae@t, find the fun"tion #ou0re looking for in the right-hand pane of the indo and sele"t it. )oteM 2t is not ne"essar# to tr# and remem!er all of the ke#!oard short"uts. 2nstead, man# of them are sho n in the menus hen fl#ing. /or e@ample, hile in flight, move the mouse to the top of the s"reen and "li"k the >ie menu to see ea"h vie 'listed on the left* and the ke#!oard short"ut it0s assigned to 'found on the right ithin a set of !ra"kets*. /or instan"e, in the s"reenshot !elo , the for ard vie has a Q] ^R ne@t to it, so it "an !e sele"ted ith the T 0 ke#.

A. Using the Mouse !nstea" of a ?oysti32 -lternativel#, "li"k the A"" )e6 @ey Assign,ent !utton found in the !ottom "enter of the indo 'sho n in the follo ing image*. -s alluded to in previous "hapters, it is possi!le to fl# ith onl# a mouse for a flight "ontrol, though this is !oth "um!ersome and unrealisti" 'sin"e real airplanes all have either a sti"k or #oke*. :)

4hen fl#ing ith the mouse, ke#!oard short"uts 'found in the pre"eding se"tion* !e"ome essential for "ontrolling the engine's*, flaps, gears, radio fre1uen"ies, and vie s. %ontrol of the plane via the mouse is availa!le from most vie points. -n# time that the roll and pit3h a@es have not !een assigned !# the user in the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment s"reen 'see %hapter ), ;e"tion 22 on page 3 *, X-Plane assumes that the mouse is the "ontrol devi"e. 2n this "ase, a small hite plus sign ill sho up on the s"reen, t#pi"all# lo"ated near the "enter of it. Aote that this ma# !e diffi"ult to see at times, as parts of the air"raft ma# !lend in ith it hen using an e@ternal vie . 2f onl# the "ross is visi!le and there is no hite !o@ around it, XPlane is indi"ating that the pilot0s QhandR is not on the sti"k. This means that the mouse is free to move an# here ithout impa"ting the flight "ontrols. To gra! the sti"k 'and thus take "ontrol of the air"raft*, "li"k the left mouse !utton in the vi"init# of the little hite "ross and a hite !o@ ill appear around the "ross. The mouse !utton do n should not !e held do n, onl# "li"ked on"e to turn the !o@ on 'i.e., to gra! the sti"k* and again to turn the !o@ off 'to release the sti"k*. 4hen the !o@ is visi!le, the pilot0s hand is on the sti"k and an# movements of the mouse ithin the !o@ ill position the flight "ontrols a""ordingl#. -gain, it is not ne"essar# to hold do n the mouse !utton do n, onl# to move the mouse ithin the "onfines of the hite !o@. The little "ross signifies the "enter of the "ontrol range over hi"h the "ontrol surfa"es are defle"ted. Thus, moving the mouse dire"tl# !elo the "ross ill "ommand some up elevator '"ausing the plane to "lim!* and not ill not impose an# roll "ommands ' hi"h should keep the air"raft from "hanging its !ank*. 7ike ise, keeping the mouse lined up e@a"tl# ith the "ross !ut defle"ting it to the right a !it ill "ause the plane to !ank to the right ithout altering its pit"h.

5ere is a summar# of "ontrol ith the mouseM ?ra! and let go of the sti"k !# "li"king the mouse !utton on or near the hite plus sign. This ill turn on and turn off the hite !o@. 9ove the mouse right and left, up and do n ithin the "onfines of the !o@ to move the flight "ontrols. /or e@ample, moving the mouse to the right edge of the !o@ means that #ou are moving the air"raft "ontrol sti"k all the a# to the right and the ailerons ill !e full# defle"ted at that point, "ausing the air"raft to !ank right at its ma@imum rate. 7et go of the sti"k '!# "li"king again ithin the hite !o@* !efore #ou take the mouse do n to the panel to "hange a "ontrol on the panel or else the flight "ontrols ill !e defle"ted full#, "ausing the plane to g#rate out of "ontrol. A!. Controlling !nstru,ents an" A*ioni3s 6ith the Mouse 4hen using the for ard "o"kpit vie , the mouse "an !e used to "ontrol the instruments in the panel, Eust as the pilot0s hand ould !e used to manipulate the instruments, s it"hes, and other "ontrols. To operate a !utton, Eust "li"k and release. To operate a s it"h, do the same to "hange its position. /or e@ample, to !ring the landing gear do n 'on planes that are a!le to*, "li"k ith the landing gear s it"h, as in follo ing image.

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areas of the instrument panel that "an !e manipulated ith the mouse. A. )ote on 4a"io Tuning -vioni"s in most airplanes utiliFe t in "on"entri" kno!s that allo the pilot to tune the radio. /or e@ample, there ill t#pi"all# !e a large kno! on the surfa"e of the radio, ith a smaller kno! sti"king out from the large one. The large kno! "ontrols the integer 'Q"ounting num!erR* portion of the fre1uen"# and the smaller kno! "ontrols the de"imal portion. /or e@ample, imagine that the %391 radio 'the "ommuni"ations radio num!er 1* needed to !e tuned to 12K.00 95F. 2n a real air"raft, the pilot ould turn the !ig, lo er kno! until 12K as visi!le in the indo , then turn the small, upper kno! until 00 as visi!le. X-Plane is set up the same a#. 4hen hovering the mouse in the vi"init# of one of the radio tuning kno!s, t o "ounter-"lo"k ise arro s ill appear on the left of the kno! and t o "lo"k ise arro s on the right. The arro s "losest to the kno! are ph#si"all# smaller than those on the outside$these adEust the de"imal. The outside arro s are larger and adEust the integer. /or instan"e, in the follo ing image, the integer portion of the A-> 1 radio0s fre1uen"# is !eing turned up using the outer kno!.

3f "ourse, this "ontrol ill look different in different air"raft. Geep in mind that the Tg0 ke# "ould also !e used 'see ;e"tion 2>, Ge#!oard ;hort"uts on page ' * or a Eo#sti"k !utton "ould !e assigned to toggle the gear 'see %hapter ), ;e"tion 22, Part %, 6utton -ssignment on page 3&*. To turn kno!s, move the mouse to the QplusR or QminusR side, hi"hever is ne"essar#, and "li"k to QmoveR the kno!. %li"k repeatedl# for greater movements. /or instan"e, in the follo ing s"reenshot, the pilot is turning the 36; kno! in the %essna 172.

To easil# see the "ontrols ithin the "o"kpit that the mouse "an operate, ena!le the %ho6 Mouse-Cli32 4egions option found in the -ir"raft menu. This ill dra a thin #ello s1uare around the

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%onversel#, in the follo ing image, the de"imal portion of the A-> 1 radio0s fre1uen"# is !eing turned do n ith the inner kno!.

A!!!. $lying Eourself 4hen first fl#ing '!oth in X-Plane and the real orld*, it0s a good idea to use a relativel# simple air"raft. The %essna 172 is an e@"ellent "hoi"e in this regard, a fa"t attested to !# the millions of real orld pilots trained in this model. /or instru"tions on opening an air"raft, see ;e"tion 2 of this "hapter 'found on page 53*. To take off, the airplane must first !e lo"ated at the end of a run a#. X-Plane relo"ates the "raft here henever the program opens, an air"raft is loaded, or the lo"ation is "hanged. To take off in the %essna 172, slo l# advan"e the throttle, then release the !rakes hen the throttle rea"hes its half a# point. %ontinue to advan"e the throttle and !e read# to feed in some right #a 'using the right rudder or the t ist on the Eo#sti"k, if appli"a!le* as the airplane a""elerates. The tenden"# to turn to the left is normal in single engine air"raft due to the turn of the propeller. .on,t orr# if it takes a fe tries to learn ho to keep the air"raft on the run a#$a %essna "an take off in the grass Eust fine. 2f the airplane turns off the run a# as it0s a""elerating, Eust keep on going. Aormall#, the pilot ill rotate 'that is, appl# some !a"k elevator !# pulling !a"k on the #oke or sti"k* at a!out :0 knots in the %essna 172. 3n"e the air"raft leaves the ground, feed in a !it of for ard sti"k to momentaril# level off and allo the airplane to !uild speed. 3n"e the "raft rea"hes K0 knots or so, again pull !a"k gentl# on the sti"k and resume "lim!ing. 6uilding airspeed !efore "lim!ing this a# ill help to keep the plane from stalling. Aote that if a "rash o""urs that damages the airplane too !adl#, XPlane ill automati"all# open a ne airplane and pla"e it at end of the nearest run a# ' hi"h in some "ases ma# !e a grass strip*. 2f the impa"t is onl# hard enough to damage the airplane ithout ne"essaril# killing the o""upants, the air"raft ill Eust sit there and smoke. 2f this happens, the user ill need to move the mouse to the top of the s"reen, "li"k /ile, then "li"k 3pen -ir"raft to get

A!!. Artifi3ial !ntelligen3e JA!K :e,o $light X-Plane has the "apa!ilit# to fl# an air"raft using artifi"ial intelligen"e '-2*. The -2 s#stem "an !oth take the air"raft off and fl# it around. To ena!le the -20s "ontrol of the "raft, move the mouse up to the top of the s"reen to !ring do n the menu !ar. %li"k -!out, then sele"t A.!. $lies Eour Air3raft, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

4ith the -2 "ontrolling the airplane, the user is free to e@periment ith the different vie s and also to pra"ti"e raising and lo ering the air"raft,s landing gear, flaps, and so on. /urthermore, this is an e@"ellent a# to pra"ti"e tuning radios.

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things fi@ed. 2f onl# it

ere so eas# in the real orldL

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5. X-Plane Menus
X-Plane has perhaps the most fle@i!le and po erful interfa"e of an# flight simulator. The ke# to mastering it is learning to poke around the various menus and indo s to dis"over all the things that the user "an "hange. This "hapter is a sort of Qguided tourR through those options. !. The About Menu The -!out menu is a""essed as in the follo ing s"reenshotM 5ere, the te@t in hite gives the version of the soft are on #our "omputer, and the te@t in green !elo this gives the most re"ent version of X-Plane availa!le. This is important !e"ause X-Plane is al a#s !eing updated, either to fi@ or improve old features or to add ne ones. 4hen things go rong, it is important to let "ustomer servi"e kno hi"h version of X-Plane the#,re orking ith. The !utton in the !ottom left of the indo ill open X-Plane."om, here more information on the latest updates "an !e found, and the !utton in the !ottom right, Up"ate X-Plane 'highlighted in the previous image*, ill do nload and laun"h the latest updater. 2n order to keep X-Plane up to date, open this indo from time to time to see hat the latest version is and to upgrade as desired. ;ee %hapter 2, ;e"tion >22 'found on page #* for more information on updating X-Plane. 8. !nstru3tions The 2nstru"tions indo provides !asi" in-sim instru"tions for :K

A. About X-Plane %li"king -!out X-Plane ill open the >ersion and 8pdates indo , seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

'listed in the order of the ta!s a"ross the top of the indo *M 8sing flight "ontrols %ontrolling o!Ee"ts in the "o"kpit 8sing ke#!oard short"uts 4orking ith the simulated air traffi" "ontrol ?etting te"hni"al support C. A.!. %ele3ts Eour Air3raft %li"king this "ontrol ill "ause X-Plane to load a ne air"raft at its Qdis"retionR$that is, randoml#. Aote that even ith this ena!led, the user "an still "hange air"raft manuall#. -dditionall#, the "hoi"e of "raft isn0t espe"iall# QintelligentR$the -2 ill sometimes load a glider and sti"k it on the nearest run a#. :. A.!. $lies Eour Air3raft This "ontrol is "overed in depth in %hapter &, ;e"tion >22, -rtifi"ial 2ntelligen"e '-2* .emo /light 'found on page ''*. Aote that even ith this ena!led, user input ill override -2 "ontrol of the "raft. /. A.!. Controls Eour Aie6s ;ele"ting this "ontrol ill "ause X-Plane to periodi"all# s it"h vie s, making for a mu"h more interesting demo flight hen -2 is also fl#ing. Aote that even ith this ena!led, the user "an still "hange vie s manuall#. !!. The $ile Menu The /ile menu appears as sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot.

A. %a*eI=oa" %ituation These !uttons are used for storing and using situations$ snapshots of the "urrent "onditions of the atmosphere, air"raft, et". - situation stores the air"raft0s position in the air 'or on the ground*, its pa#load, the amount of fuel in the tanks, ever#thing. This is espe"iall# useful for 1ui"kl# loading and pra"ti"ing a spe"ifi" t#pe of approa"h. These situations "an even !e sent to other X-Plane users !# giving them the .sit file that is "reated. The ;ituations folder is found in the 3utput folder, hi"h itself is lo"ated in the X-Plane dire"tor# '!# default found on the .esktop*. /or e@ample, the default path in 4indo s ould !eM %MW.o"uments and ;ettingsW]8ser Aame^W.esktopWX-Plane 9W3utputWsituations To transfer situation files from one "omputer to another, "op# the .sit files lo"ated in this folder to the ;ituations folder of the other "omputer. 8. %a*eI=oa" 4eplay

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4hen the ;ave <epla# "ontrol is sele"ted, X-Plane saves a QmovieR of the "urrent flight from the time that the air"raft and s"ener# ere loaded up to the point at hi"h the ;ave !utton as "li"ked. This QmovieR is a"tuall# Eust a large "olle"tion of data on the flight hi"h X-Plane saves as a situation movie file '.smo*. These .smo files "an !e saved, emailed, shared, or reloaded later to evaluate or share a flight. 2n 4indo s, the# are stored !# default in the folderM %MW.o"uments and ;ettingsW8ser AameW.esktopWX-Plane 9W3utputWmovies 6e"ause the .smo file re"ords so mu"h information a!out the flight, the user is a!le to "hange vie s, look at instruments, stop and re ind, et". hile vie ing the re"orded movie. The ra data for the flight is hat is re"orded, so the vie ing options are unlimited. To save a repla# movieM 1. ;ele"t ;ave <epla# from the /ile menu. - dialog indo ill appear. 2. T#pe a name for the movie. ). ;ele"t the lo"ation to hi"h #ou ould like to save the movie '!# default this is the folder X-Plane 9W3utputWmovies*. &. 5it the Bnter ke# on the ke#!oard to "omplete the pro"ess. To load a repla# movieM 1. ;ele"t 7oad <epla# from the /ile menu. - dialog indo ill appear.

2. 6ro se for and open the folder that "ontains the movies #ou have previousl# saved !# using the drop do n menu at the top of the indo . '6# default, X-Plane ill have saved #our situation files to the folder X-Plane 9W3utputWmovies.* ). To open the repla#, dou!le "li"k on the movie file that #ou ould like to load. C. ;ui32ti,e Mo*ie %pe3s This indo allo s the user to modif# the frame rate and resolution of a Dui"kTime movie "reated ith X-Plane. 2nformation on "reating a Dui"kTime video "an !e found in the follo ing se"tion. - Dui"kTime movie is not the same as a situation repla# movie. repla# movie stores all the ra data that defines the flight, onl# to !e used in X-Plane, hereas a Dui"kTime movie simpl# stores hat is seen on the s"reen during flight. These movies ma# !e vie ed !# an#one ith Dui"kTime, hether the# are running XPlane or not. Dui"kTime is an -pple video format that is no supported !# almost ever# operating s#stem, in"luding 9i"rosoft 4indo s. 4indo s users, ho ever, ma# need to install a suita!le Dui"kTime pa"kage in order to use these featuresL ;ee the Dui"ktime .o nload page)( for more information. :. Toggle Mo*ie The Toggle 9ovie "ontrol !egins re"ording a Dui"kTime movie. 4hen it is pressed on"e, red te@t ill appear in the !ottom left "orner of the s"reen that reads QDui"kTime 9ovie <e"ording[R.
)(

httpMHH

.apple."omH1ui"ktimeHdo nloadH

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4hen it is pressed again, the te@t ill disappear and a file named QX-Plane movie take-x.movR ill appear in the X-Plane 9 dire"tor#, here x is the num!er of the take. Toggle 9ovie "an also !e used !# pressing %trl X ;pa"e. /. =oa" $light :ata 4e3or"er $ile X-Plane is sometimes used in a""ident investigation or re"reation, and in that "ase people need to !e a!le to take the data from a !la"k !o@ and put it in a format that X-Plane "an read. That format is the /light .ata <e"order 'or .fdr* format. 8nlike the ;93 files, hi"h are "ompressed !inar#, and the 93> files, hi"h are for sho ing movies onl#, the /.< file is te@t. This means that users "an make their o n /.< files as easil# as possi!le from hatever data the# have and then re-"reate these flights in XPlane. 7ook in the 2nstru"tions folder ithin the X-Plane dire"tor# for the file QB@ample /.< file.fdr.R This is a sample /.< file. ;o, to summariFe the a!ove se"tionsM The ;93 file is for ;ituation 9ovies, hi"h an#one "an use within X-Plane to repla# a flight from an# vie or angle. The 93> file is a Dui"kTime 9ovie, outside of X-Plane. hi"h an#one "an vie

ke#*. Ba"h s"reenshot is saved in the X-Plane 9 folder as a PA? file named s"reenshotVx.png, here x is a se1uential num!er starting at 0. The hard drive0s "apa"it# is the onl# limit to the num!er of s"reenshots that "an !e taken 'ea"h s"reenshot at a resolution of 102& @ 7:K is a!out 0.& 96*. !!!. The Air3raft Menu The -ir"raft menu is a""essed as in the follo ing image.

A. Open Air3raft This menu option is "overed in depth in %hapter &, ;e"tion 2, 3pening an -ir"raft, found on page 53. 8. Open =i*ery This "ontrol is used for sele"ting user-"reated paint s"hemes "reated for the air"raft.

The /.< file is a te@t file hi"h is made to !e eas# to "reate so that an#one "an make a file to vie a flight in X-Plane. $. Ta2e %3reenshot This "reates an image of the entire X-Plane indo hen sele"ted. To get an image ithout the menu !ar in it, use the ke#!oard short"ut %trl X T.0 'that is, the "ontrol ke# and the period

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C. 7eight an" $uel The 4eight and /uel menu option ill open the 4eight I 6alan"e I /uel indo . i. The $uelIPayloa" Tab 2n the first ta! of the 4eight I 6alan"e I /uel menu, the air"raft0s eight and its distri!ution "an !e modified. -n airplane "an t#pi"all# sta# in the air at ver# high eights, !ut it ill have a hard time getting off the ground initiall#. -dditionall#, moving the "enter of gravit# for ard 'left on the slider* makes the plane !ehave more like a dart, and moving the "enter of gravit# aft 'right on the slider* makes the plane un-fl#a!le !e"ause the plane !e"omes unsta!le. /l#ing a plane ith the "enter of gravit# far aft is like shooting an arro !a"k ards$it ants to flip around ith the heav# end in the front and the fins in the !a"k. The fuel and pa#load "an also !e modified in this s"reen. ;in"e X-Plane "al"ulates in real time ho the plane is Q!urningR fuel, and the engines need fuel to run, and the eight distri!ution of the fuel is "onsidered in the simulation, the fuel put on !oard does indeed matter. ii. The Or"nan3e Tab 3n air"raft that are e1uipped ith internal or e@ternal stores 'su"h as eapons or drop tank hard points*, this ta! allo s various hard are to !e e1uipped on the various hard points of the air"raft. Take an /-& Phantom from the /ighters folder, for e@ample. The 3rdnan"e ta! ill sho a num!er of eapons that "an !e put on a num!er of hard points, as seen in the follo ing image.

8sers "an sele"t eapons from the 4eapons folder that is found inside the folder "ontaining the air"raft, or from the 4eapons folder dire"tl# inside the X-Plane 9 folder. The eight and mass distri!ution on air"raft inertia and moment of inertia, as ell as aerod#nami" for"es of stores are all "onsidered !# X-Plane,s flight model. :. /Duip,ent $ailures X-Plane "an simulate "ountless air"raft s#stems failures. The B1uipment /ailures indo , found in the -ir"raft menu, lets the user e@perien"e hat happens hen important pie"es of e1uipment don,t do hat the#,re supposed to in flight. The 4orldH9T6/ ta! of this indo "ontrols things outside of the airplane, su"h as !ird strikes and airport e1uipment failures. -dditionall#, at the !ottom of this indo is the ,ean ti,e bet6een failure setting, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

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4hen the use ,ean-ti,e-bet6een failures !o@ is "he"ked, the simulator ill use the setting to the right to determine ho often a pie"e of e1uipment ill fail. /or instan"e, if the 9T6/ is set to 1000 hours, X-Plane ill de"ide that ea"h pie"e of hard are in the plane has a!out a one in a thousand "han"e of !reaking ea"h hour. ;in"e the airplane has a fe hundred pie"es of hard are, that means a failure might o""ur ever# ( to 20 hours or so. The other ta!s in this indo let the user set the fre1uen"# of su"h failures, or "ommand spe"ifi" failures, for hundreds of different air"raft s#stems. The general failure "ategories areM B1uipment Bngines /l#ing ;urfa"es ?1000 'if #ou have a real ?1000 atta"hed to X-Plane* -ll 2nstruments, and A->-2.s /. Air3raft N %ituations The -ir"raft I ;ituations indo , sele"ted from the -ir"raft menu, allo s the user to "onfigure the air"raft used in spe"ial situations and to load other '-2-"ontrolled* air"raft. The top pane of the indo , la!eled ;ituation Presets, "ontrols hi"h air"raft are used in the spe"ial situations 'see ;e"tion 22, Part - of this "hapter on page '. for information on loading situations*. These situations are found as spe"ial !uttons on the right side of the 7oad ;ituation indo .

The "enter pane of the indo , 3ther -ir"raft Profiles, "ontrols the speed, dire"tion, and altitude of refuelers, "arriers, and formation air"raft. The large "ir"ular "ontrols operate the same a# as the ind la#er dire"tional "ontrols, des"ri!ed in %hapter &, ;e"tion 222, Part B, found on page '0. -dditionall#, the !ottom pane of the indo is la!eled 3ther -ir"raft ;ele"tion. The most important "ontrol here is nu,ber of air3raft, highlighted in the image !elo .

The value set here ill determine the num!er of air"raft that XPlane ill simulate at on"e. - value of 1 ill simulate onl# the user0s o n airplane. 5igher values ill simulate the user0s air"raft and a num!er of other air"raft in the region. Aote that simulating more "raft in flight re1uires more pro"essing po er from the "omputer. -lso, as in realit#, these airplanes ill ander hither and #on, maneuvering in a a# that makes sense to them. $. %ho6 Mouse-Cli32 4egions -ll X-Plane "o"kpit panels have "li"ka!le !uttons, s it"hes, or dials, hi"h "an !e operated using the mouse 'in addition to an# ke#!oard ke#s or Eo#sti"k !uttons that ma# !e assigned to them*. ;ele"ting %ho6 Mouse-Cli32 4egions from the -ir"raft menu ill "ause a thin #ello s1uare to appear around those "ontrols in the "o"kpit hi"h "an !e manipulated ith the mouse.

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9. %ho6 !nstru,ent :es3riptions ;ele"ting %ho6 !nstru,ent :es3riptions from the -ir"raft menu ill make X-Plane sho a des"ription of ea"h instrument0s fun"tion henever the mouse hovers motionless for a fe moments over the instrument. 5. Toggle Puff %,o2e ;ele"ting this option ' hi"h is also a""essi!le using the T@0 ke# !# default* ill "ause a smokeH"ondensation trail to follo the air"raft, even if the "raft might not have this in realit#. !. Cy3le 3-: $light Path This "ontrol is also assigned to the To0 ke# !# default. %li"king it on"e ill "ause three lines to Qfollo R the "raft$a !la"k line from the port 'left* ingtip of the "raft, a hite line from the star!oard 'right* ingtip of the "raft, and a pink-and-!la"k line from the "enter of the "raft. These lines ill e@tend all the a# !a"k to the run a# from hi"h the "raft took off, as seen in the follo ing image. Pressing the Cy3le 3-: $light Path !utton again 'or, of "ourse, the To0 ke#* ill "ause verti"al pink and !la"k lines e@tending to the ground to appear along the "enter line, as seen in the follo ing image. This is useful for looking !a"k on the flight and easil# seeing the flight path.

Pressing it a third time ill repla"e the verti"al lines ith a semitransparent, verti"al, !la"k !ar, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

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-ir"raft t#pes -irports of departure and arrival .uration of flights Time spent fl#ing "ross-"ountr#, in 2/< "onditions, and at night Total time of flights The Choose Pilot =ogboo2 and )e6 Pilot =ogboo2 !uttons allo the user to sele"t a previousl# "reated log!ook file or "reate a ne one. !A. The =o3ation Menu The 7o"ation menu appears as in the follo ing s"reenshot. Pressing the !utton on"e more ill turn all the flight path lines off. ?. 4eset 3-: $light Path Pressing the <eset )-. /light Path !utton hen the flight path is visi!le ill get rid of the flight path "reated previousl# and start fresh from that point. Pressing this !utton hen the flight path is turned off ill have no effe"t$that is, if the flight path is later turned on, it ill e@tend all the a# !a"k to the run a#. @. =ogboo2 Ba"h time an air"raft is flo n in X-Plane, the program logs the flight time in the ele"troni" 7og!ook. 6# default, X-Plane "reates a te@t file "alled ,X-Plane Pilot.t@t, in the X-Plane 9W3utputWlog!ooks folder. 2nside this te@t file are details of previous flights, in"ludingM .ates of flights Tail num!ers of air"raft

A. %ele3t 9lobal Airport The air"raft "an !e relo"ated to an# here on Barth using the ;ele"t ?lo!al -irport s"reen. This provides a listing of all the airports in the X-Plane data!ase '"urrentl# more than )2,000*, representing nearl# ever# airport on the planet. This s"reen is divided into three parts. 2n the top left 'sho n in the follo ing image* is a listing of ever# airport name, arranged !# "it#. 6oth this format and these names are the offi"ial standard for that lo"al area ' hi"h, for 8; airports, is the /--*.

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The !ottom half of the indo 'sho n in the follo ing image* displa#s ro s of Q1ui"k startR !uttons.

To the right of the list pane 'sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot* is an overhead vie of the "urrentl# sele"ted airport0s la#out.

The !uttons in the T-GB3// "olumn 'on the far left* ill transport the air"raft to the spe"ified run a#. To the right of these !uttons are the /2A-7 -PP<3-%5 !uttons, hi"h ill transport the air"raft to the spe"ified distan"e a a# from the run a# to the right of it. /inall#, the <-9P ;T-<T !utton ill transport the air"raft to the spe"ified ramp for takeoff. To sear"h the availa!le airports, t#pe either the "it# name or the airport 2. into the hite !o@ !elo the list pane 'la!eled Q-ptMR*. /or instan"e, in the image !elo , the user t#ped in QG7-XR to find 7os -ngeles 2nternational -irport. The same results "ould !e o!tained !# t#ping Q7os -ngeles 2ntl,R or !# simpl# t#ping Q7os -ngelesR and s"rolling through the results.

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ii. The $inal Approa3h 8uttons The !uttons under the /2A-7 -PP<3-%5 la!el 'highlighted !elo * provide a 1ui"k a# to pra"ti"e run a# approa"hes.

-lternativel#, use the up and do n arro s on the ke#!oard to move through the full list. To travel to an airport, "li"k on it on"e in the list pane to highlight it '"ausing a gre# !o@ to appear around it*, then "li"k the 9o To This Airport !utton, as seen in the previous image. -dditionall#, an e@planation of airport 2.s "an !e found in %hapter &, ;e"tion 22, Part -, found on page 5#. i. The Ta2e Off 8uttons The !uttons under the la!el T-GB3// 'highlighted !elo * in the /ind -irport indo are a 1ui"k a# to "hoose a run a# to fl# from. The !uttons are la!eled ith a distan"e, hi"h is measured from the end of the run a# hose T-GB3// !utton the /2A-7 -PP<3-%5 !utton is ne@t to. /or instan"e, in the image a!ove, "li"king the top left !utton under /2A-7 -PP<3-%5 ill pla"e the "raft three nauti"al miles a a# from the end of run a# 0K at the 2nns!ru"k airport.

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iii. The 4a,p %tart 8uttons - ramp is effe"tivel# a parking spa"e for air"raft. To !egin a flight from the terminal and ta@i the distan"e to the run a# 'as a real pilot ould*, "hoose to !egin from a ramp 'as highlighted !elo *. Aote that, in man# "ases, the default ramp is hat is loaded hen using the 9o To This Airport !utton.

3ptions s"reen* using the map dra n on one monitor hile fl#ing in the "o"kpit dra n on the other. 2n this "ase, the fastest map availa!le is desira!le so that the simulation is not slo ed do n too mu"h. ii. The =o6 /nroute Tab The 7o Bnroute map vie displa#s the air"raft0s general area, along ith airports, airport and !ea"on fre1uen"ies, 27; indi"ators, and lo level air a#s. iii. The 5igh /nroute Tab The 5igh Bnroute map vie is essentiall# the same as the 7o Bnroute vie , !ut it displa#s the medium and high level air a#s instead of lo level ones. i*. The %e3tional Tab

8. =o3al Map ;ele"ting the 7o"al 9ap menu option from the 7o"ation menu opens the 7o"al <egion indo . This indo is divided into five ta!s$5i-;peed, 7o Bnroute, 5igh Bnroute, ;e"tional, and Te@tured. Please note that the elements of these maps$the 27;, >3<, and A.6 transmitters$are des"ri!ed in %hapter :, ;e"tion 2, Part 6 'found on page .&*. i. The 5i-%pee" Tab This map gives ma@imum speed. 2t is useful for s"rolling around the map 1ui"kl#, "hanging A->-2.; 1ui"kl#, or 'if the :ra6 Co32pit on %e3on" Monitor option is "he"ked in the <endering

The ;e"tional map vie is designed as a >/< se"tional "hart. 2t sho s airports, airport and !ea"on fre1uen"ies, 27; indi"ators, roads, rivers and rail a# lines. 2t also uses a terrain shader to depi"t the ground t#pes and elevations. *. The Te0ture" Tab The te@tured map vie displa#s airports, roads, rivers and rail a# lines. 2n addition, the terrain shader used on this map gives an overvie of the lands"ape as it ould !e seen from the "o"kpit in X-Plane. This vie uses the a"tual s"ener# installed in X-Plane as its !asis.

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*i. Che32 8o0es -t the top of the 7o"al <egion indo is a ro of "he"k !o@es 'sho n !elo * hi"h are used to put the map in different Qmodes.R

the 7o"al 9ap, please see this P./):, availa!le from the X-Plane -irport and Aavigation .ata e!site. 3. The 4eplay 8o0 This "he"k !o@ !rings up a repla# slider !e repla#ed hile vie ing the map. ". The %lope 8o0 Bna!ling this "he"k !o@ opens a verti"al profile of the flight at the !ottom of the map s"reen. e. The !nst 8o0 The inst "he"k !o@ makes a fe ke# flight instruments appear ithin the map s"reen in order to see hat the plane is doing. 6# default, opening the map s"reen pauses the simulation, though, so in order to use the map 'and thus these gauges* ith re"eiving a "ontinuousl# updated data, one of the follo ing must !e doneM 1. 8se the "ra6 !O% on se3on" ,onitor option in the <endering 3ptions s"reen if t o monitors are availa!le for use. 2. %he"k the a""ress of ,aster+ this is !O% !o@ in the .ata 3utput s"reen0s 2net 2 ta! 'onl# appli"a!le hen using a se"ond "op# of X-Plane running on a different "omputer, ith the other "omputer !eing used as the master ma"hine and this one as the 23;*. ith hi"h the flight ma#

a. The !nstru3tor Operator %tation J!O%K 8o0 This "he"k !o@ puts the map in 2nstru"tor 3perator ;tation mode, "ausing this "op# of X-Plane to run as an instru"tor,s "onsole. 3n"e this !o@ is "he"ked, the left side of the 9ap indo ill sho a num!er of !uttons ith hi"h to "ontrol the flight. The instru"tor "an enter an airport 2. in the spa"e in the upper left. 4ith an 2. entered, the air"raft "an !e pla"ed at the airport or on an approa"h to it. The 2nstru"tor,s %onsole "an !e used either hen dra ing a t o monitors from the same video "ard or in a multi-"omputer X-Plane setup. This is a great feature for flight training !e"ause the instru"tor "an fail s#stems, set date and time, "hange the air"raft lo"ation, et". for ma@imum training !enefit. The !uttons along the left of this indo allo the instru"tor to perform all these tasks from one lo"ation, hile maintaining a at"h on the X-Plane pilot using the map vie . b. The /"it 8o0 The e"it "he"k !o@ opens a num!er of !uttons on the left side of the s"reen hi"h are used to edit the various A->-2.; on the map. Just "li"k on a A->-2. to modif# it, or to add a ne one. /or a detailed des"ription of the format used in the A->-2.s on

):

httpMHHdata.@-plane."omHfileVspe"sHXPZ20A->K10Z20;pe".pdf

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f. The 3-: 8o0 Toggling the 3-: "he"k !o@ ill shift the map into )-. mode. 4hen in )-. vie mode, the arro ke#s "an !e used to rotate the vie and the TX0 and T-0 ke#s to Foom in and out. 3n the left is the QFoom outR !utton, and ne@t to it 'la!eled ith t o larger triangles* is the QFoom inR !utton. *ii. Air3raft Controls -t the top right of the map indo are "ontrols to adEust the heading, altitude, and speed of the airplane !# first "li"king on the air"raft, then modif#ing the values !# "li"king on the up or do n arro s. 2f X-Plane is "onfigured to dra multiple planes, then the other panes "an !e dragged around and have their speed, heading, and altitude set as ell. -dditionall#, !elo the air"raft "ontrols, "arrier and frigate headings "an !e modified. *iii. Aie6ing Controls /inall#, in the !ottom right "orner of the map indo are vie ing "ontrols. The "he"k!o@es "ontrol hat is displa#ed on the map, su"h as navigational aids or the "ompass rose. 6elo these "he"k!o@es is a round !utton 'as seen !elo * used to move the map vie up, do n, left, or right, depending on here along its edge the !utton is "li"ked. 6elo the Foom !uttons is the 3enter on a3ft !utton, hi"h, "li"ked to QonR 'turning the !utton green*, keeps the map vie "entered on the air"raft. C. Planet Map The Planet 9ap, sele"ted from the 7o"ation menu, is used to visuall# "hoose a lo"ation to fl# from !# displa#ing the Barth in ).. The "ontrols in the !ottom right "orner ork Eust like in the 7o"al 9ap indo 'see Part 6, ;u!se"tion viii, >ie ing %ontrols a!ove*. %li"king a lo"ation on the map ill transport the air"raft to the airport nearest here the map as "li"ked. To "lose the indo ithout relo"ating the "raft, "li"k one of the Xs in the top "orners or press the Bnter ke#. :. %et Planet to /arth or Mars These t o options, o!viousl# mutuall# e@"lusive, sele"t hi"h planet the air"raft is on. 4hile the la s of ph#si"s are the same on 9ars as on Barth, the atmosphere there is thinner and there is "onsidera!l# less gravit#. These varian"es are modeled in XPlane, so fl#ing on 9ars is Eust as realisti" as fl#ing on Barth. %hapter K, ;e"tion 2X, found on page 1&0, e@plains ho to fl# on 9ars 'and hat to fl# thereL* in more detail. hen

The !uttons !elo this ea"h have t o small triangles 'seen !elo *.

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/. 9et Me =ost ;ele"ting this option ill "ause X-Plane to teleport the air"raft to a random lo"ation an# here in the area, allo ing users to test their navigation skills. A. The /n*iron,ent Menu A. 7eather The 4eather indo is "overed in depth in %hapter &, ;e"tion 222, ;etting 4eather, found on page 5#. 8. :ate N Ti,e ;ele"ting this menu option ill !ring up a s"reen ith t o prominent sliders, seen in the follo ing image.

hours in .e"em!er than in June in Aorth -meri"a, as in the real orld. The real-ti,e offset fro, 9MT "ontrol is used in pla"es here the lo"al time is not hat X-Plane e@pe"ts. -dditionall#, the al6ays tra32 syste, "ate an" ti,e "he"k !o@ does as its name suggests. A!. The %ettings Menu The settings menu, seen in the follo ing image, is the largest menu in X-Plane and is used to get Qunder the hoodR of the program.

A. :ata !nput N Output The .ata 2nput I 3utput s"reen is used to vie or save data a!out hat X-Plane is doing, as ell as to interfa"e different "opies of X-Plane running on different "omputers together. This indo "an !e used to output the simulator0s frame rate 'a ver# "ommon "hoi"e* or an# of hundreds of other parameters as ell. .ragging the first "hanges the time, given as !oth lo"al and Culu time 'that is, ?reen i"h 9ean Time or 8T% *. %hanging the date, the se"ond slider, ill a""uratel# tra"k "hanges in the length of da#s and nights ithin X-Plane$that is, there are fe er da#light This is !# far one of the most po erful tools in X-Plane. 2t "an !e used to diagnose a variet# of pro!lems !e"ause it allo s the user to see hat X-Plane is QthinkingR and determine h# it ma# !e

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doing something une@pe"ted. This s"reen "an also output a host of engineering "onditions. i. The :ata %et Tab 3ver one hundred different data sets ' hi"h "an all !e output* are visi!le in the .ata ;et ta!. Ae@t to ea"h of the lines is a series of four "he"k!o@es. The last line, num!er 12K, has a ke# sho ing hat ea"h of the !o@es do, as seen !elo .

These "he"k!o@es provide a host of engineering data for the fl#ing surfa"es of the air"raft. To understand h# the .ata 2nput I 3utput s"reen is so po erful, imagine for a moment that #our Q6<-GBR light is illuminated on the instrument panel, !ut #ou don,t kno h#. =ou,ve tried to turn it off !# "li"king on it ith the mouse and #ou,ve also tried to use the ,!, ke# 'for 2H) !raking for"e* and the ,v, ke# 'for ma@imum !raking effort*, !ut it is still illuminated. =ou have previousl# set up a set of rudder pedals to "ontrol the rudder and !rakes !ut "annot find an#thing rong ith the a# the# ere set up, and #ou are not pressing the !rake pedals.

The first "he"k!o@ 'moving from left to right* outputs the sele"ted data to the 2nternet. The se"ond !o@ outputs it to a file on the hard disk$!e "areful ith this one, as it "an 1ui"kl# fill up the hard drive. The third !o@ outputs the data to a graphing fun"tion ithin X-Plane, and the fourth outputs it to the flight s"reen. Ba"h of these "he"k!o@es is "overed in depth on the follo ing page. -dditionall#, there are four spe"ial data sets 'sho n in the follo ing image*, found in the lo er right "orner, la!eled "etail, hi"h "an onl# !e output to the s"reen hile in flight.

To find out hat is "ausing X-Plane to engage the !rakes, #ou "ould tr# "he"king the rightmost !o@ on line 1& 'la!eled gearIbra2es* in the .ata ;et ta!. -fter "losing the .ata 2nput I 3utput indo , note that a line of green te@t appears in the upper left "orner of the s"reen. There are four data fields in it, sho ing a value of !et een 0 and 1 forM the landing gear status '1 is gear do n, 0 is gear up* the heel !rakes 'on !oth main gear evenl#*, and the left and right !rakes 'if #ou,re using a set of pedals or have programmed the !rakes to !e a"tivated !# some other "ontrol* /or this e@ample, suppose that the right !rake as sho ing a value of 1.0. This indi"ates that that !rake is lo"ked. =ou remem!er that #ou had mapped individual !rake "ontrols to #our rudder pedals. Perhaps the pro!lem is there. -pparentl#, X-Plane K2

thinks that #ou are "ommanding the right !rake to !e on. There ma# !e a pro!lem ith the "ali!ration of #our e1uipment, so #ou go to the ;ettings menu and open the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment page. There, in order to "ali!rate the Eo#sti"k hard are, #ou move all of #our "ontrol inputs through their full range of motion. This tea"hes X-Plane hat kind of data the rudder pedals are sending out for the full range of !rake appli"ations. /or the purposes of the e@ample, #ou go !a"k to the sim and the pro!lem is solved. The prior e@ample sho s the importan"e of the .ata 2nput I 3utput s"reen in diagnosing pro!lems that ma# o""ur$the <oysti32 ailIel*Iru" option 'line 0K* for Eo#sti"k pro!lems, the fra,e rate option for QEumpiness,R and et". a. The $our Che32bo0es in :epth 6road des"riptions of the "he"k!o@es0 fun"tions ere given a!ove+ here e ill go into greater detail on here e@a"tl# the output is !eing sent to. aa. !nternet *ia U:P J$irst Che32bo0K 8sing this option, the sele"ted data is sent via the 8.P net ork proto"ol to the address assigned in the 2net 2 ta! of the Aet %onne"tions indo 'see Part 6, Aet %onne"tions !elo *. This is useful if another "op# of X-Plane is running on a "omputer ith that 2P address, and the data needs to !e sent from one "op# of X-Plane to another 'for e@ample, if one "op# of X-Plane is a pilot,s ma"hine and the other is a "opilot,s*. 8sers ma# also rite their o n programs to read X-Plane 8.P data. The format is ver# eas#, and is e@plained in the Q8.P referen"e.htmlR file in the 2nstru"tions folder of X-Plane.

bb. :is2 $ile C:ata.t0tC J%e3on" Che32bo0K 8sing this option, the sele"ted data goes to a file lo"ated in the main X-Plane folder "alled data.t@t. 3n"e there, it "an !e opened ith a ord pro"essor or spreadsheet appli"ation$the data is saved as simple "olumns of te@t. 33. 9raphi3al :isplay in C:ata-%eeC Tab JThir" Che32bo0K This option "auses the sele"ted data to !e displa#ed in the .ata ;ee ta! of the .ata 2nput I 3utput indo as a graphi"al displa#. Aote that simulation is paused hile in the .ata 2nput I 3utput indo , so it must !e "losed and reopened !efore an# data ill !e displa#ed in the .ata ;ee ta!. "". Co32pit :uring $light J$ourth Che32bo0K ;ele"ting this option "auses the sele"ted data to !e displa#ed on the simulator s"reen hile fl#ing. ii. The :ata %ee Tab This ta! displa#s a graphi"al representation of an# data sets that ere sele"ted in the .ata ;et ta!. This is useful primaril# for seeing trends in flight "hara"teristi"s or the "omputer0s performan"e. 8. )et Conne3tions The Aet %onne"tions indo , sele"ted from the ;ettings menu, is used to "onfigure multipla#er simulations as ell as multi"omputer, single user simulations.

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)oteM 4henever pro!lems are en"ountered hen using the Aet %onne"tions indo , the first thing to "he"k is the "omputer0s fire all. 2f it is !lo"king X-Plane from "onne"ting to the outside orld, there is nothing the program "an do. 6lue ;ide 8p 6o! has ritten an e@"ellent tutorial on "onfiguring !oth the fire all and XPlane for multipla#er. %overing !oth 9a" 3; and 4indo s XP, that tutorial "an !e found here)7. i. !net 1 This ta! is used to setup a multipla#er session. 8p to t ent# XPlane s#stems "an !e "onne"ted together in this a# simpl# !# assigning ea"h s#stem a uni1ue 2nternet Proto"ol '2P* address. These addresses "an !e either on a 7o"al -rea Aet ork '7-A* or true 2nternet 2P addresses. Aote that 2P addresses need to !e on the same su!net. This makes it eas# to set up a multipla#er gaming session on a 7-A. %he"king the auto-set ,ultiplayer !P a""resses !o@ 'seen in the image !elo * ill "ause X-Plane to s"an all 2(( possi!le 2P addresses on the su!net to tr# to find other "opies of X-Plane.

Ae@t, "he"k one of the !P of other player !o@es and enter the 2P address that the s"an found there.

4hen !oth "opies of X-Plane have QagreedR to "onne"t to one another, ea"h s"reen ill momentaril# go !la"k as one "omputer loads the other0s air"raft. -dditionall#, the lo er third of the 2net 1 s"reen is used to "onne"t to other "omputers hen setting up a multi-"omputer simulation. 3nl# "onfigure this in 2net 1 on the master ma"hine hen using other "omputers for visuals$that is, use the 2net 2 ta! to "onfigure the "opies of X-Plane running on the e@tra displa# s#stems, as ell as to "onfigure ever#thing involving 23;s, map displa# s#stems, et". 8pon entering the 2P address of another "op# of X-Plane in the 2P of B@ternal >isual se"tion of the indo 'as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot*, the "op# running on that "omputer ill automati"all# go into the e@ternal visual mode.

4hen the s"an of the 2P addresses finds another "op# of X-Plane, #ello te@t ill appear near the top of the indo ith the "omputer0s 2P address, as seen !elo .

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httpMHHrogerthat."aHT8T3<2-7;.html

3pening up the Aet %onne"tions indo on that se"ond "omputer ill displa# #ello te@t at the top that reads Q?ot a transmission from someone talking to an e@ternal monitor from 2P address

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@@@.@@@.@@@.@@@ 0.0 se"onds ago, sending ;A-P.R This ill also automati"all# "onfigure the 2net 2 ta! on the e@ternal visual ma"hine to point to the master ma"hine. <emem!er hen using an e@ternal visual to also set a lateral, verti"al, andHor roll offset 'all found in the <endering 3ptions indo , des"ri!ed in %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part /, found on page &5* on the se"ondar# displa#s. 9ore on advan"ed net orks "an !e found in %hapter K, ;e"tion >, found on page 130. ii. !net This ta! is used to "onfigure "omputers in a multi-"omputer XPlane s#stem. 4hen using multiple "omputers, the user "an use this ta! to tell X-Plane hi"h 2nternet Proto"ol '2P* addresses ea"h "omputer is assigned to in the net ork. The user might, for e@ample, have a master ma"hine 'the plane ith the Eo#sti"ks "onne"ted to it, hi"h is al a#s the one that runs the flight model and has the most detail on the instrument panel*, a fe e@ternal visuals 'the ma"hines that sho the s"ener# out the indo *, a "opilot,s ma"hine 'more instruments, possi!l# on different pitotstati" and ele"tri"al s#stems*, and ma#!e an 23; '2nstru"tor 3perator0s ;tation, here an instru"tor "an set eather or lo"ations, fail s#stems, et".*. Ba"h of these stations ould !e "omposed of one "omputer, one monitor, and one "op# of X-Plane, and ea"h ould have its o n 2P address. Geep in mind, though, that the# should all have 2P addresses that are the same for the first three num!ers. 3nl# the last num!er should !e different !et een "omputers. /or e@ample, a setup ith si@ "omputers and si@ "opies of X-Plane "ould isel# !e set up like as in the follo ing "hartM

!P A""ress 192.1:K.1.1 192.1:K.1.2 192.1:K.1.) 192.1:K.1.& 192.1:K.1.( 192.1:K.1.:

:es3ription 9aster ma"hine$Eo#sti"ks plugged in here %opilot,s ma"hine '.a"f file ith "opilots instrument panel used here* 23; 'instru"tor0s station for initiating failures, setting eather, moving the plane, et"...* B@ternal visual, left vie B@ternal visual, "enter vie B@ternal visual, right vie

4hen setting up an 23; using this ta!, "he"k the appropriate !o@ at the !ottom of the s"reen 'as in the follo ing s"reenshot* on the master ma"hine$that is, the one that the QstudentR pilot ill !e fl#ing.

T#ping in the 2P of the 23; ma"hine here ill "ause the 23; ma"hine to automati"all# "onfigure itself, opening up the 7o"al 9ap indo . ;ee ;e"tion 2>, Part 6, ;u!se"tion vi of this "hapter 'found on page #.* for more on using the 23; options in the 7o"al 9ap indo . %hapter K, ;e"tion >, ;etting up -dvan"ed Aet orks 'found on page 130* has more information on this ta!, as ell as a step-!#step guide to setting up a "opilot,s ma"hine. iii. !net 3 The 2net ) ta! is used primaril# to set the 2P to hi"h data feeds 'set in the .ata 2nput I 3utput indo * are sent. 2t "an also !e used to interfa"e ith "omputers running the B/2;-app 'availa!le K(

at X-Plane."om)K* and ith "amera displa#s. C. ?oysti32 N /Duip,ent 2nformation on the -@is, %enter, 6uttons, and B1uipment ta!s of the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment menu "an !e found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 22, Jo#sti"k %onfiguration and %ali!ration 'found on page 3 *. 2nformation on the Ge#s ta! of this indo "an !e found in %hapter &, ;e"tion 2>, 8sing the Ge#!oardHGe#!oard ;hort"uts on page ' . :. 4en"ering Options 2nformation on the <endering 3ptions s"reen "an !e found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, <endering 3ptions ;etup on page 3(. /. %oun" The ;ound indo allo s the user to "onfigure the relative volumes of all sounds in X-Plane using the sliders on the right side of the indo . 3n the left side, sounds "an !e turned off !# "ategor#. 6# default, all sounds are ena!led, ith volumes set at 100Z 'sliders full# to the right*. The !ottom of this indo ill also "he"k the status of spee"h s#nthesis soft are. 2f the soft are is not installed, go here)9 to do nload it.

$. ;ui32-$light %etup The Dui"k /light ;etup dialog offers one "onvenient lo"ation in hi"h to "hange a num!er of !asi" flight options. %louds are set in the upper left "orner, ith other !asi" eather settings !elo that. These are "onfigured Eust as in the 4eather indo 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion 222, ;etting 4eather on page 5#*. 2n the upper "enter of the indo , X-Plane0s airport data!ase "an !e sear"hed like in the ;ele"t ?lo!al -irport indo 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion 22, %hoosing an -irport, found on page 55*. 6elo and to the left of the airport des"ription is a single Open Air3raft !utton, used like the 3pen -ir"raft 4indo '%hapter &, ;e"tion 2, 3pening an -ir"raft on page 53*. /inall#, at the !ottom of the s"reen, the time "an !e set, as in ;e"tion >, Part 6 of this "hapter 'found on page (1*. 3n"e a 1ui"k flight has !een "onfigured, "li"k the 9o To This Airport !utton to !egin the flight. This flight setup "an then !e saved using the ;ave ;ituation menu option 'see ;e"tion 22, Part - of this "hapter, found on page '.*, making it availa!le for future use. 9. Operations N 7arnings The 3perations I 4arnings indo lets the user spe"if# a fe little odds and ends a!out here the plane starts, ho the flight model orks ith the air"raft, hether the sim !reaks the airplane if it gets overstressed, hat arnings the simulator gives if things are going rong, and other little things like that. i. $light Mo"el K:

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)K )9

The flight ,o"els per fra,e "ontrol 'seen in the follo ing image* is used to dou!le sample the simulator0s "al"ulations on the air"raft0s flight.

4ith the 6arn of in3o,plete s3enery installations !o@ 'seen in the follo ing image* "he"ked, X-Plane ill open a 1ui"k dialog !o@ for the user hen a se"tion of s"ener# is re1uired that isn0t installed. This ma# !e a useful reminder of h# the orld outside is onl# ater.

This is onl# needed hen fl#ing 1ui"k, light, small air"raft, hi"h ma# a""elerate !e#ond the rate at hi"h X-Plane "an keep up hen running at a lo frame rate. ii. %tartup 4hen X-Plane is started or hen a ne air"raft is loaded, the %tart ea3h flight 6ith engines running option 'seen in the follo ing image* ill ensure that all engines and asso"iated !atter# and "ontrol s#stems are running and read# to go.

4ith the 6arn of lo6 fra,e-rate option 'seen a!ove* ena!led, XPlane ill !ring up a dialog !o@ if the simulator0s frame rate drops !elo the value spe"ified in the <endering 3ptions s"reen. %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part ?, ;etting 8p X-Plane to -"hieve the 6est <esults 'on page &#* has instru"tions on "onfiguring the simulator for ma@imum speed. 4ith the gi*e *arious in-3o32pit te0t 6arnings option 'seen in the previous image* ena!led, X-Plane ill sho te@t arnings su"h as those for airframe i"e, "ar!uretor i"e, and !lo n landing gear tires on s"reen. i*. :a,age The re,o*e flying surfa3es in o*er-spee" and re,o*e flying surfa3es in o*er-9 'seen in the follo ing image* "ause X-Plane to remove fl#ing surfa"es 'e.g. the ings* hen too mu"h stress is pla"ed on the "raft. -s in real life, this is likel# to have disastrous results.

2f this option is not sele"ted, the user ill need to perform manual s#stem and engine starts using the "orre"t pro"edures for that parti"ular air"raft !efore he or she "an !egin to ta@i or take off. iii. 7arnings

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not responding "orre"tl#, then outputting this diagnosti" data "an help the user determine h# the messages !et een "omputers are !eing reEe"ted. 4hen the "u,p ti,er "ata to log.t0t "ontrol 'seen in the previous image* is ena!led, X-Plane ill save data to the log.t@t file detailing ho long X-Plane is spending on ea"h of its "riti"al pro"esses. 2t allo s the user to see hi"h pro"esses ithin XPlane are "onsuming the most %P8 time and ma# !e useful in determining hi"h settings should !e turned do n to get !etter performan"e. A!!. The Aie6 Menu The >ie menu 'seen in the follo ing s"reenshot* "hanges the user0s vie of the air"raft. These options are mu"h more easil# seen than des"ri!ed, so for the purposes of this manual, it is suggested that the user simpl# e@periment ith the possi!le settings.

%he"king the re,o*e flaps in o*er-Afe !o@ 'seen a!ove* ill "ause X-Plane to rip off flaps if the >fe '>elo"it# flap e@tended* value is e@"eeded hile the# are do n. %he"king the re,o*e gear "oors in o*er-Ale !o@ 'seen a!ove* ill do the same for gear doors if the >le '>elo"it# landing gear e@tended* value is e@"eeded hile the# are open. 4hen the reset on har" 3rash !o@ 'seen in the previous s"reenshot* is "he"ked, X-Plane ill reposition the air"raft at the nearest airport if it is "rashed too hard. *. :ata 4hen the "u,p net "ata to log.t0t !o@ 'seen in the follo ing image* is "he"ked, X-Plane ill save the data that it re"eives over the net ork in the 8.P format to the log.t@t file 'found in the XPlane 9 folder*.

2t ill also save the data that it sends to the same file. This is useful for monitoring "ommuni"ation !et een "omputers in a multi-"omputer setup. 2f the "omputer is sending data to the XPlane soft are on other "omputers, !ut the other "omputers are

Aote that the "hara"ters in !ra"kets to the right side of ea"h menu option are the ke#!oard short"uts for ea"h vie . /or e@ample, to sele"t the for ard vie , one ould press the 4 ke#, and to sele"t the left &( degree vie , one ould press the D ke#.

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A!!!. The %pe3ial Menu The ;pe"ial menu 'sho n !elo * lets the user "onfigure a num!er of odd-!all things in the sim.

has !een pressed on"e, and the air"raft has !een pulling into an up ard "lim!.

The green !ars e@tending from the ings indi"ate ho mu"h lift ea"h se"tion of the ing is generating+ longer !ars represent greater for"e. A. %ho6 $light Mo"el X-Plane models flight !# !reaking the plane do n into a num!er of little pie"es and finding the for"es a"ting on ea"h pie"e. 6# "hoosing the ;ho /light 9odel option one or t o times 'or !# hitting the ,H, ke# a "ouple times* and moving to an outside vie 'e.g., !# using the ,_, ke#*, the user "an a"tuall# see all those for"es. 4ith some ind and tur!ulen"e turned on in the 4eather s"reen, the user "an even see the pseudo-random velo"it# ve"tor flo field around the airplane. The velo"it# ve"tors seen are the a"tual ve"tors intera"ting ith the plane, and the for"e ve"tors 'the green lines "oming off the plane* are the a"tual for"es on the plane$nothing is Eust for sho here. This is the a"tual ork that X-Plane is doing. /or e@ample, in the follo ing image, the ;ho /light 9odel !utton 2n the ne@t image, the ;ho /light 9odel has !een pressed a se"ond time, making the flo field around the air"raft also visi!le.

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i. $un 6ith the $light Mo"el To reall# see the flight model shine, tr# turning off all the ind and tur!ulen"e and fl#ing up "lose !ehind another airplane 'use the -ir"raft and ;ituations indo from the -ir"raft menu and the 7o"al 9ap indo from the 7o"ation menu as needed to help here*. 4at"h the flo field around the airplane !e"ome "haoti" as it enters the ake of the plane in front of itL To take this to the e@treme, sele"t a!out ten other planes in the -ir"raft and ;ituations indo , all ith e1ual performan"e 'all airliners or all light planes*. ;et them all to !e on the re" team, and put #our airplane on the blue team, for e@ample. Then, put #our plane on autopilot in flight and alk a a# from X-Plane for )0 minutes or so. %ome !a"k in half an hour and all the other planes should !e on #our tail, ea"h one in the ake tur!ulen"e of all the planes in front itL This is the t#pe of flight model math that X-Plane does. 8. Output $light Mo"el This menu option ill save the ne@t "#"le of "al"ulations of the flight model dire"tl# to the file Q%#"le .ump.t@tR in the X-Plane 9 folder. /rom there, it "an !e vie ed ith an# te@t editor. C. OpenIToggle Te0t $ile for Aie6ing This option allo s the user to open and displa# a te@t file that as previousl# "reated and saved ithin the X-Plane 9 folder. This is useful for notes and information a!out air"raft, airports, or pro"edures$a sort of in-flight notepad. -fter the file has !een opened, it "an !e toggled on or off using the toggle option sele"ted from the menu. -n open te@t file is sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot. /. $in" Pit3hIEa6 %tability :eri*ati*e 8se this setting to displa"e the air"raft nose !# one degree in pit"h or #a for X-Plane to measure the a""eleration !a"k to level flight. This information "an then !e used to "al"ulate the Pit"h and =a ;ta!ilit# .erivatives. The results are pla"ed in the te@t file T%#"le .ump.t@t0 in the X-Plane folder on the hard disk. The 1ui"ker the nose pops !a"k to level flight, the greater the stati" sta!ilit# of the airplane. The 1ui"ker the resulting os"illations 90 :. OpenIToggle Che32list for Use This option allo s #ou to open a previousl# "reated te@t file saved in the X-Plane folder. 2t ill displa# ea"h line in the te@t file one !# one, allo ing the user to s"roll for ard and !a"k ards using the !uttons on the top left of the popup indo . This is useful for going through user-"reated "he"klists in X-Plane. 3n"e opened, the "he"klist "an !e toggled on or off using the menu. -n open "he"klist is sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot. Aote that, unlike hen this file as opened as a te@t file a!ove, it no displa#s one line at a time.

dampen out, the greater the d#nami" sta!ilit# of the airplane. $. %et /n*iron,ent Properties This setting allo s the user to "hange the virtual orld,s environmental, atmospheri", and gravitational properties. This "an !e used to e@periment ith some of the environmental fa"tors that affe"t an air"raft in flight, in"luding temperature, pressure, densit#, vis"osit# and gravit#. /light on other planets "an also !e simulated this a#. 9. %et Artifi3ial %tability+ Autopilot+ an" $A:/C 3onstants These "onstants are normall# set in Plane-9aker, and their orkings are e@plained in depth in the Plane-9aker manual. -dEusting these values "hanges the a# the "raft handles, though these "hanges cannot !e saved ithin X-Plane. 2nstead, rite do n the settings and enter them into Plane-9aker to save them. 2f something gets "hanged too drasti"all# and the airplane !e"omes unfl#a!le, Eust reload the air"raft ith the 3pen -ir"raft indo . 5. %ho6 Control :efle3tions This option as developed for the Aational Test Pilot ;"hool. 2t lets the user see a running graph of the "ontrol defle"tions in the !ottom left "orner of the s"reen as the "raft is flo n. /or instan"e, in the follo ing image, the pilot is gentl# pulling up and to the left.

!. %ho6 7eapon 9ui"an3e .eveloped for a 9ilitar# ;imulation %ontra"t, this option lets the user see ho the guided missile flight "ontrols are !eing defle"ted. 2t should !e used to tune missile guidan"e algorithms. 'The missile guidan"e algorithms are set in the 4eapons s"reen in Plane-9aker.* ?. %ho6 %2y Colors .eveloped for %hief -rtist ;ergio ;antagada, this option sho s the user hat images X-Plane is "urrentl# using to generate its sk# "olors.

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@. %ho6 Pro<e3tor Test The ;ho ProEe"tor Test option 'ena!led in the image !elo * ill overla# the s"reen ith a horiFontal and verti"al line grid, as in the follo ing image. This is useful for finding rinkles in the vie ing s"reen hen using X-Plane ith a proEe"tor.

having a "op# of X-Plane,s sour"e "ode. The Plug-in -dmin menu option provides a set of features to administer an# installed plug-in soft are. 6# default, there are no plug-ins installed, !ut a num!er of them are availa!le on the 2nternet. This menu "an !e used to ena!le or disa!le plug-ins, vie information a!out installed plugins, and assign Qhotke#sR so that the ena!leHdisa!le a"tions "an !e easil# performed from ithin the simulator.

!X. The Plugins Menu The Plugins menu appears as in the s"reenshot !elo .

A. Plug-in A",in The X-Plane Plug-2n ;oft are .evelopers Git is a "om!ination of "ode, .77s, and do"umentation that allo s programmers to rite additions that ork inside X-Plane, ithout modif#ing X-Plane or

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'. )a*igation+ Autopilots+ an" $lying on !nstru,ents

People often "all "ustomer support asking a!out some of the more advan"ed things that pilots do in the real orld$ho to navigate, use an autopilot, or fl# on instruments. This "hapter ill "over these areas in a fair amount detail, !ut it is re"ommended that if users are reall# serious a!out mastering these fa"ets of aviation the# do n to a lo"al general aviation airport and hire a %/2 '%ertified /light 2nstru"tor* for an hour or t o. 8sers ith a laptop "an !# all means !ring it along and have the instru"tor detail man# of these things in pra"ti"e. There is mu"h more to revie here than this manual "ould ever "over, so a 1ui"k sear"h for information on the 2nternet ill also !e of assistan"e. !. )a*igation Aavigating over the Barth,s surfa"e is as eas# as kno ing here #our air"raft is and ho to get to here #ou ant to go. This isn0t 1uite as eas# as it sounds. 2magine that #ou,re fl#ing 29% "onditions '2nstrument 9eteorologi"al %onditions$that is, in the "louds*. =ou have no referen"e to the ground and are fl#ing over ;t. 7ouis in the middle of an over"ast la#er. -s #ou might guess, this looks prett# mu"h identi"al to the vie #ou ould have fl#ing over 9os"o on instruments. The onl# a# to kno that #ou0re over ;t. 7ouis and not over 9os"o is to !e a!le to navigate. Aavigation is the art of !eing a!le to tell here #our air"raft is and ho to make it go here #ou,d like. A. 5istory i. :ea" 4e32oning

/or the first )0 #ears or so the !est pilots "ould do as to fl# around using hat is kno n as dead reckoning$that is, !# "onfirming their position on a map as the# fle , then looking ahead on the map to see hen the# should !e "rossing some kno n landmark, like a road, railroad, to n, or lake. Then, the pilots periodi"all# "ompared their progress over the real ground ith the anti"ipated progress over the map to see ho things ere going. This reall# is as simple as it sounds. The !iggest tri"k is to al a#s kno here #ou are and hat to !e looking for ne@t. .ead re"koning isn0t too diffi"ult to get do n. ;hortl# after "ollege, -ustin 9e#er 'the author of X-Plane* and 2, <and# 4hitt, on"e piloted a %essna 172 from Gansas %it# to %hi"ago after our se"ond 'of t o* navigation radios gave up and died in mid-flight. Ao, this is not a t#pi"al e@perien"e in the aviation orld, !ut it demonstrates that a pilot al a#s needs to !e thinking ahead and !e prepared for "ontingen"ies. That parti"ular air"raft as a ellused rental and Aav 1 as dead from the time e signed it out. 4hen Aav 2 died, e had no opera!le navigation radios at all and used dead re"koning to fl# the last )00 or so miles of our trip, hi"h as most of the Eourne#. 4e ould never have allo ed ourselves to get into that position had the eather !een poor or had e !een fl#ing on instruments$ e ould have refused to take off into su"h "onditions given the failure in the first radio. 6ut sin"e the eather as ni"e, e took off ith onl# one navigation radio and ere soon fl#ing along on none. X-Plane allo s #ou to pra"ti"e this all #ou like. .uring the he#da# of dead re"koning, the 8; 9ail pilots that ere fl#ing on overnight mail routes a"tuall# fle from !onfire to !onfire that had !een set up along their route, using the light to guide their progress. Just imagine hat this must have !een like$fl#ing in the mid 1920s in an open "o"kpit !iplane 'a %urtis Jenn#, perhaps* tr#ing to keep #our goggles "lean 'the engines of the da# routinel# spra#ed oil* and to sta# out of the "louds on a "old inter

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night, fl#ing along a "hain of !on-fires to #our ne@t destination. Geep in mind these ere not "losed-"o"kpit air"raft and the pilot "ontinuall# had the outside air !lo ing all around. 4o L 2 hope #ou dressed arm and that #ou are good at folding maps in K0 9P5 slipstreams of !elo -freeFing air. ii. Aural )a*igation 2n the mid 19)0s or so a s#stem as devised here pilots ould fl# using aural navigation$that is, the# ould tune into a ne radio s#stem su"h that if the# ere to the left of their "ourse the# ould hear a series of dashes 'long radio tones, as in 9orse "ode*, and if the# ere to the right of their "ourse the# ould hear a series of dots 'short tones*. 2f on "ourse, the# ould hear nothing as the signals "ontaining the dashes and dots "an"eled ea"h other out. The "loser the pilot as to the transmitter the smaller the S%one of ;ilen"e,S as it as kno n, as and the more defined the !oundaries !et een the dashes, dots, and silen"e. -s the air"raft,s range from the station in"reased, the "entral target ' here no signals ere heard* as mu"h ider and eaker. 2magine sitting in a "old, dark "o"kpit listening intentl# to tr# and hear over the drone of the engine and histle of the ind on #our ires to see hi"h side of the "one #ou ere on. -irline pilots used this s#stem for #ears to su""essfull# "arr# passengers all around the orld. This t#pe of navigation is not modeled ithin XPlane. 8. Mo"ern )a*igation 4e no "ome into the area of QmodernR navigation !ased on ground-!ased transmitters. =ou,ll need a good set of "harts if #ou,d like to a"tuall# fl# in X-Plane using an# of these methods, !ut the soft are does "ontain a full set of 'mostl#* "urrent "harts as ell. To see them go to the 7o"ation menu, "li"k 7o"al 9ap, and sele"t one of the five map t#pes that are availa!le in the ta!s

on top of the indo . The# areM 5igh-;peed$used as high altitude "harts !# Eet and tur!oprop pilots. 7o Bnroute$used as lo altitude 2/< navigation "harts !# piston 'propeller* air"raft pilots. 3ne of the most important aspe"ts of this "hart is the addition of >e"tor -ir a#s that are virtual high a#s in the sk# that "onne"t different >3< transmitters. These ve"tor air a#s are given names 'for e@ample, >(0)* and are used !# air traffi" "ontrols to assign "learan"es. 5igh Bnroute$ver# similar to 7o Bnroute !ut onl# sho ing the information of interest to pilots fl#ing a!ove 1K,000 feet and making use of ve"tor air a#s that are mu"h longer, !ased on larger >3<s ith longer ranges. ;e"tional$the standard "hart that >/< pilots are familiar ith. This map has ground elevation data superimposed via a shaded !a"kground and information a!out the airports that are lo"al to that area. Te@tured$a ni"e map that is not used in pilot "ir"les. This overla#s the X-Plane terrain images on top of the navigation "harts to give the user a good !ird,s e#e vie of the area he or she is fl#ing over. Aote that more information on the 7o"al 9ap s"reen "an !e found in %hapter (, ;e"tion 2>, Part 6 'found on page #(*. i. ):8 )a*igation Aon-dire"tional !ea"ons ere invented in the late 19&0s and "onsisted of a ground-!ased transmitter that !road"ast a homing

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signal. - re"eiver in the air"raft "ould !e tuned to one of a!out )00 dis"rete fre1uen"ies in order to tune to a parti"ular transmitter. 4ith that done, an instrument in the panel, "alled the A.6 'or, inter"hangea!l#, the -./, or -utomati" .ire"tion /inder*, ould point to the station. This s#stem as a large te"hnologi"al leap for ard over the older aural-!ased s#stem and as a"tuall# 1uite eas# to use, provided that the ind as perfe"tl# "alm or !lo ing in a dire"tion that as e@a"tl# parallel to the dire"tion of flight. 3f "ourse, that prett# mu"h never happened, resulting in the air"raft al a#s !eing !lo n off "ourse. -s a result, the pilots had to at"h the trend of movement in the needle over a relativel# long period of time 'e.g., five to eight minutes* to see if the angle to the station that as depi"ted sta#ed "onstant or as "hanging. 2f it as "hanging, it indi"ated that the air"raft as !eing !lo n off "ourse and the pilot had to turn in the opposite dire"tion !# half of the deviation. -fter holding that heading for another five minutes or so the pilot ould again o!serve the relative trend of the needle and "orre"t again. The tri"k as to fl# as straight as possi!le from one station to another. -lthough nearl# a!andoned in the 8nited ;tates, A.6s are still used in man# "ountries around the orld. 2t is for this reason that the# are modeled in X-Plane. The# appear as in the follo ing image.

follo ing image.

ii. AO4 )a*igation >er# 5igh /re1uen"# 3mni-<ange navigation 'or >3<* as introdu"ed in the mid-19(0s and represented a large improvement in navigation a""ura"#. 2nstead of an A.6 that a pilot "ould home in on, the >3< sends a series of ):0 dis"rete little "arrier tones on a main fre1uen"#. Ba"h of these "arriers is oriented along a different radial from the station, one of ):0 Eust like a "ompass rose. Thus, hen #ou are fl#ing along and tune in the main >3< fre1uen"#, #ou then fine tune #our navigation displa# to tell #ou hi"h of the ):0 radials #ou are fl#ing and also hether the transmitter station is in front of or !ehind #ou. 2mpressiveL This finall# gave pilots a means of telling e@a"tl# here the# ere in relation to a fi@ed spot on earth, and this s#stem Qautomati"all#R adEusted for an# inds aloft as the s#stem ould 1ui"kl# displa# an# error in tra"k that the plane as making. This error "ould onl# !e due to t o fa"tors$either the pilot as not fl#ing along the radial or the ind !le the airplane slightl# off of "ourse. >3<s are modeled in X-Plane. >3< stations appear in the X-Plane maps as relativel# large "ir"les ith not"hes around the edges, similar to a "lo"k fa"e. 2n

/or e@ample, in the image a!ove, the 2nns!ru"k A.6 ' hose identifier is 2AA* transmits at a fre1uen"# of &20 k5F. -n -./ is lo"ated in the instrument panel for the %essna 172; that "omes ith X-Plane. 2t is lo"ated a!ove the mi@ture kno! and trim heel, !elo the dual >3< %.2s, and is sho n in the

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the hi-speed and enroute maps, the# are !la"k, hile in the se"tional map, the# are !lue, as seen in the image !elo .

The# are tagged ith !o@es that have their name and identifier on the left side and their >3< fre1uen"# on the right. /or instan"e, in the image a!ove, the Gempton >3<, hose identifier is GPT, transmits at a fre1uen"# of 109.:0 95F. A specific type of VOR, a VOR-DME, combines the lateral guidance (that is, guidance left and right) of a VOR with the distance guidance of a DME (distance measuring equipment). In X-Plane, this is labeled as in the image on the following page.

To use a >3<, first look on either the se"tional or lo enroute map to find a >3< station that is fairl# "lose the lo"ation of the air"raft. Tune this station0s fre1uen"# into #our >3< radio 'in the %essna 172;P, the A-> 1 radio is found on the far right of the "o"kpit, !eneath the ?P;*. The little red ,nav1, or ,nav2, flags on #our %.2 '%ourse .eviation 2ndi"ator* should disappear 'keep in mind that #ou ma# have to hit the flip-flop s it"h to !ring the fre1uen"# #ou Eust tuned into the a"tive indo *. Ao rotate the 36; '3mni 6earing ;ele"tor* kno! so that the verti"al hite indi"ator is perfe"tl# "entered in the little hite "ir"le in the middle of the instrument. -t this point the verti"al hite line should !e trul# verti"al and #our air"raft is either on the radial from the station indi"ated !# the arro at the top or at the !ottom of the instrument, la!eled T3 or /<. Ao fl# that e@a"t heading and #ou ill !e fl#ing dire"tl# to ards or a a# from the station, as sho n !# the little hite up or do n 'to or from, respe"tivel#* arro that ill !e on the right side of the %.2, either a!ove or !elo the hite horiFontal glide slope indi"ator. Aote that the verti"al referen"e line indi"ates ho far #ou are from #our desired radial. To the left and right of the "enter target 'the little hite "ir"le* the instrument displa#s five dots or short lines on ea"h side. Ba"h of these dots indi"ates that #ou are t o degrees off of "ourse. Thus, a full s"ale left defle"tion of the verti"al referen"e indi"ates that the air"raft is 10 degrees right of the desired radial if the station is in front of #ou. 3f "ourse, if the station is !ehind #ou then the instrument is reverse sensing and that means that a left defle"tion indi"ates that the plane is to the 9:

Another type of VOR beacon, a VORTAC, is also found throughout the X-Plane maps. This is a transmitter that combines both VOR and TACAN features. TACAN (or tactical air navigation) provides special information to military pilots similar to a civilian VOR. However, for our purposes, this is functionally identical to a VOR-DME. A VORTAC in X-Plane is labeled as in the following image.

left of #our desired radial$#es, it "an !e a !it "onfusing. Just remem!er that as long as you are flying towards the VOR, the line on the CD indicates the location of the desired course. 2f the referen"e line is on #our left that means that #our target radial is on #our left. 4ith onl# one >3< #ou reall# don,t kno here #ou are along a given radial, onl# that #ou are in front of or !ehind a station and hat radial #ou,re on. =ou have no a# of telling if #ou are 1( miles from the station or &( miles a a#. The solution is to use t o >3< radios so that #ou "an plot #our lo"ation from t o different >3<s. 2f #ou "an determine that #ou,re on the :7th radial from the 3J% >3< and on the 117th radial from the 9G% >3< then #ou "an pinpoint #our lo"ation on a se"tional "hart. .on,t forget that #ou,ll have to ork fast as #our position ill !e "ontinuall# "hanging. iii. !=% )a*igation -n 27; 'or instrument landing system) differs from a VOR in that it provides both lateral guidance (left and right, as given by a VOR) and vertical guidance (up and down). An ILS is therefore made up of two transmitters, a localizer and a glideslopeone for each component of the navigation. Both these components of the ILS are tuned together; tuning an ILS is just like tuning in to a VOR. A localizer (LOC) transmitter provides lateral guidance to the centerline of a runway. It works by sending out two signals on the same channel, one of which modulates at 90 Hz and the other of which modulates at 150 Hz. One of these signals is sent out slightly to the left of the runway, while the other sent out slightly to the right of it. If an aircraft is picking up more of the tone modulated at 150 Hz, it is off to the left. If it is picking up more of the tone modulated at 90 Hz, it is off to the right. The course deviation indicator (or CDI) in the instrument panel then indicates this so that the pilot can correct it. When both tones are being received in equal amounts, the craft is lined up with the physical centerline of the runway. These LOC transmitters do not

necessarily have to be paired with a glideslope (thus making them an ILS). In X-Plane, a standalone LOC transmitter is marked as in the following image.

In the example above, the LOWI runway 26 localizer transmits at a frequency of 111.10. An ILS combines the functionality of a localizer, which provides lateral guidance, with a glideslope transmitter, which provides vertical guidance to the runway. The glideslope beacon functions similarly to the localizer, sending out two tones that have the same frequency, but different modulations. The difference is that the glideslope tells the plane that it is either too high or too low for its distance from the runway. The pilot uses this information to push the craft's nose up or down as needed. The ILS will allow a pilot to fly on instruments only to a point that is a half mile from the end of the runway at 200 feet (depending on the category of the ILS) above the ground. If the runway cannot be clearly seen at that point the pilot is prevented from executing a normal landing. If this happens, the pilot in real life is required to fly a "missed approach" and climb back to altitude in order to try again or go somewhere else. In X-Plane, an ILS transmitter is marked as in the following screenshot.

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press the Q.ire"t ToR ke# on the ?P; radio 'sometimes sho n as a ,., ith an arro through it, from left to right* and enter the airport 2. #ou,d like to navigate to. 3n the ?armin &)0, entr# is performed using the "ontrol kno! on the !ottom right of the unit. 8se the outer kno! to sele"t hi"h "hara"ter of the identifier to modif#, the use the inner kno! to s"roll through the "hara"ters 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion >2, Part - on page '5 for more info on using the kno!s*. -lso, keep in mind the 2. "onventions dis"ussed in %hapter &, ;e"tion 22, Part - 'on page 5#* and enter the !eginning ,G, as appropriate. i*. 9P% )a*igation ?lo!al Positioning ;#stems ere first invented for the 8; militar# and introdu"ed to the pu!li" in the earl# 1990s. This s#stem "onsists of a series of satellites or!iting the Barth hi"h "ontinuousl# send out signals telling their or!ital lo"ation and the time the signal as sent. - ?P; re"eiver "an tune into the signals the# send out and note the time it took for the signal to travel from the satellite to the re"eiver for several different satellites at on"e. ;in"e the speed at hi"h the signals travel is kno n, it is a simple matter of arithmeti" to determine ho far from ea"h satellite the re"eiver is. Triangulation 'or, rather, 1uadrangulation* is than used to determine e@a"tl# here the re"eiver is ith respe"t to the surfa"e of the Barth. 2n an air"raft, this information is "ompared ith the on!oard data!ase to determine ho far it is to the ne@t airport, navigational aid 'A->-2.*, a#point, or hatever. The "on"ept is simple, !ut the math is not. ?P; s#stems have turned the orld of aviation on its head, allo ing ever#da# pilots to navigate around ith levels of a""ura"# that ere unimagina!le 20 #ears ago. There are several t#pes of ?P; radios availa!le, and a!out 11 of these have !een modeled in X-Plane. 4hile the intri"ate orkings of the various ?P; radios are "omple@, the !asi" prin"ipals are prett# "onsistent. 2f #ou ant to navigate from one lo"ation to another Eust laun"h X-Plane, open the air"raft of #our "hoi"e, then The data!ases in these radios are not limited simpl# to the identifiers of the airports #ou ma# ish to fl# to. =ou "an enter the 2.s for an# >3< or A.6 station #ou,d like, or the name of an# a#point or fi@ #ou,d like to go to. !!. Autopilots 3ne of the most fre1uentl# asked 1uestions from X-Plane users is the same as one of the most fre1uentl# asked 1uestions from realorld pilots$ho do 2 ork the autopilotJ 9an# pilots have never taken the time to learn$<and# 4itt has even !een on airliner here the plane as Eerking left and right for five minutes or so as the flight "re tried to figure out ho to program and engage their autopilot. The follo ing autopilot fun"tions are availa!le in X-Plane. Ba"h of these "an !e "hosen for an air"raft0s panel in the Panel-Bditor of Plane-9aker. The# are lo"ated in the SautopilotS instrument folder. Ba"h of these is a mode that the air"raft "an !e put into simpl# !# "li"king that !utton on the panel ith the mouse. A. :es3riptions of Autopilot $un3tions i. 7=A 9K

The 6ing le*eler !utton. This ill simpl# hold the ings level hile the pilot figures out hat to do ne@t. ii. 5:9 The hea"ing hol" !utton. This ill simpl# follo the heading !ug on the 5;2 or dire"tion g#ro. iii. =OC The lo3aliHer !utton. This ill fl# a >3< or 27; radial, or to a ?P; destination. Aote that the !"# may be programmed by the $%# 'e@plained in the follo ing se"tions*. i*. 5O=: The hol" !utton. This ill hold the "urrent or pre-sele"ted altitude !# pit"hing the nose up or do n. *. AI% The *erti3al spee" !utton. This ill hold a "onstant vertical speed !# pit"hing the air"raft nose up or do n. *i. %P: The spee" !utton. This ill hold the pre-sele"ted airspeed !# pit"hing the nose up or do n, leaving the throttle alone. *ii. $=C5

The flight-le*el 3hange !utton. This ill hold the pre-sele"ted airspeed !# pit"hing the nose up or do n, adding or taking a a# po er automati"all#. This is "ommonl# used to "hange altitude in airliners !# simpl# letting the pilot add or take a a# po er, hile the airplane pit"hes the nose to hold the most effi"ient airspeed. 2f the pilot adds po er, the plane "lim!s. 2f sHhe takes it a a#, the plane des"ends. %P: and $=C5 are "urrentl# almost identi"al fun"tions in X-Plane$the# !oth pit"h the nose up or do n to maintain a desired air"raft speed, so adding or taking a a# po er results in "lim!s or des"ents. The differen"e is, if #ou have autothrottle on the airplane, $=C5 ill automati"all# add or take a a# po er for #ou to start the "lim! or des"ent. %P:, on the other hand, ill not. *iii. PTC5 The pit3h syn3 !utton. 8se this to hold the plane,s nose at a "onstant pit"h attitude. This is "ommonl# used to Eust hold the nose some here until the pilot de"ides hat to do ne@t. i0. 9I% The gli"eslope !utton. This ill fl# the glideslope portion of the 27;. 0. A)AA The *erti3al na*igation !utton. This ill automati"all# load altitudes from the /9; '/light 9anagement ;#stem* into the autopilot for #ou in order to follo route altitudes 'e@plained in follo ing se"tions*.

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0i. 8C The ba32 3ourse !utton. Bver# 27; on the planet has a littlekno n second locali&er that goes in the opposite dire"tion as the in!ound lo"aliFer. This is used for the missed approa"h, allo ing #ou to "ontinue fl#ing along the e@tended "enterline of the run a#, even after passing over and beyond the runway. To save mone#, some airports ill not !other to install a ne 27; at the airport to land on the same run a# going the other dire"tion, !ut instead let #ou fl# this se"ond lo"aliFer backwards to "ome into the run a# from the opposite dire"tion of the regular 27;L This is "alled a back course '#. 8sing the same 27; in both dire"tions has its advantages 'e.g., it0s "heaper*, !ut there0s a dra !a"kM the needle defle"tion on #our instruments is backwards hen going the wrong way on the 27;. 5it the 8C '!a"k "ourse* autopilot !utton if #ou are doing this. 2t "auses the autopilot to realiFe that the needle defle"tion is backwards and still fl# the approa"h. )oteM 5;2s do not reverse the visi!le needle defle"tion in the !a"k-"ourse !e"ause #ou turn the housing that the defle"tion needle is mounted on around 1K0 degrees to fl# the opposite dire"tion 'it ould !e reversing the reversal*. )oteM The glideslope is not availa!le on the !a"k "ourse, so #ou have to use the lo"aliFer part of the pro"edure onl# 8. Using the Autopilot i. Turning !t On 6efore using the autopilot, it needs to !e turned on. The autopilot po er s it"h is la!eled Q/light .ire"tor 9ode,R or simpl# /72?5T

.2<. 2t has 3//, 3A, and -8T3 modes. 2f the flight dire"tor is 3//, nothing ill happen hen #ou tr# to use the autopilot. 2f it is 3A, then the autopilot ill not ph#si"all# move the airplane "ontrols, !ut ill rather move little target ings on #our artifi"ial horiFon that #ou "an tr# to mimi" as #ou fl#. 2f #ou do this, #ou ill !e follo ing the guidan"e that the autopilot is giving #ou, even though #ou are the one a"tuall# fl#ing. The flight dire"tor is, at that point, follo ing hatever autopilot modes are sele"ted, and #ou, in turn, are follo ing the flight dire"tor as #ou fl# the plane. 2f the flight dire"tor is set to -8T3, then the autopilot servos ill a"tuall# fl# the airplane a""ording to the autopilot mode #ou have sele"ted. 2n other ords, turning the flight dire"tor 3A turns on the brains of the autopilot, displa#ing the "ommands from the modes a!ove on the horiFon as little magenta ings #ou "an follo . Turning the /light .ire"tor to -8T3 'as sho n in the follo ing image* turns on the servos of the autopilot, so the plane follo s the little magenta ings for #ou ithout #ou tou"hing the sti"k.

Therefore, if #ou have a flight dire"tor s it"h, make sure it is in the right mode for the t#pe of autopilot guidan"e #ou ant$none, flight dire"tor onl#, or servo-driven "ontrols. 4hen #ou first turn the flight dire"tor to 3A or -8T3, it ill automati"all# engage in the pit3h syn3 and 6ing le*eler modes, hi"h ill simpl# hold the "raft0s "urrent pit"h and roll until some other mode is sele"ted. )oteM 2f the s#stem is turned on ith less than 7 degrees of !ank, 100

then the s#stem ill assume #ou ant the ings level, thus leveling the ings for #ou. Ao that #ou have set the flight dire"tor to the right mode, let,s look at the various modes #ou "an use to "ommand the flight dire"tor and autopilot servos. ii. Using the Controls a. 7ing =e*eler an" Pit3h %yn3 5it either of these and the# hold ings at the "urrent !ank 'or level the ings if #ou engage it ith less than 7 degrees of !ank* and pit"h-attitude at the "urrent pit"h. b. 5ea"ing+ Altitu"e+ Aerti3al %pee"+ %pee" 5ol"+ $light =e*el Change+ Auto-Throttle 5it these !uttons and the# ill hold hatever values are entered into the sele"tors, ith most values auto-set to #our "urrent speed or altitude at the moment the# are hit for smooth transitions. Ao , this makes perfe"t sense at firstM ;impl# hit the >>2 'verti"al velo"it# indi"ator* !utton and the autopilot ill gra! and hold #our "urrent >>2. The same goes for airspeed and altitude. 2f #ou ant the autopilot to guide the air"raft to a ne altitude that has not yet been reached, #ou have to ask #ourselfM .o #ou ant the airplane to hold a "onstant vertical speed to rea"h that ne altitude, or a "onstant airspeed to rea"h itJ ;in"e airplanes are most effi"ient at some "onstant indi"ate airspeed, "lim!ing !# holding a "onstant airspeed is usuall# most effi"ient. <egardless, e0ll start ith the verti"al speed "ase.

the autopilot to store #our current altitude of (,000 feet. 2magine, though, that #ou ant to "lim! to 9,000 feet. =ou ould first dial 9,000 into the altitude indo . The plane, though, does not go there #et. The ne@t step re1uires #ou to "hoose how #ou ant to get to 9,000 feet. 2f #ou de"ide to get there via a verti"al velo"it#, hit the >H; !utton and the plane ill "apture #our "urrent verti"al velo"it# 'possi!l# 0*. Then, simpl# dial the >>2 'verti"al velo"it# indi"ator* up or do n to get to 9,000 feet more or less 1ui"kl#. 4hen #ou get to 9,000 feet, the autopilot ill automati"all# disengage the verti"al speed mode and drop right !a"k into altitude mode at #our ne altitude. Ao , to get there via a given airspeed 'as airliners do*, after dialing in 9,000 feet in the altitude indo , #ou ould hit the /7%5 or ;P. !uttons. This make the plane pit"h the nose up or do n to maintain #our "urrent indi"ated airspeed. Ao , simpl# add a dose of po er 'if needed*, "ausing the nose of the plane to rise to keep the speed from in"reasing. 4hen #ou rea"h 9,000 feet, the autopilot ill leave spee"-hol" mode and go into altitu"e-hol" mode, holding 9,000 feet until further noti"e. -s #ou "an see, !oth the airspeed and verti"al speed modes ill !e maintained until they reach the specified altitude, at hi"h point the# ill abandon that mode and go into altitu"e-hol" mode. The same thing ill happen ith the gli"eslope "ontrol. 2f the gli"eslope is armed 'that is, lit up after #ou pushed the !utton*, then the autopilot ill a!andon #our verti"al mode hen the glideslope engages. This ill also happen ith the lo3aliHer "ontrol. 2f the lo3aliHer is armed, the autopilot ill a!andon #our hea"ing mode hen the lo3aliHer engagesL This is referred to as Q"apturingR the lo"aliFer or glideslope. The ke# thing to realiFe is that the verti"al speed, flight level

2magine #ou are fl#ing along at (,000 feet and #ou hit -7T, "ausing

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"hange, and heading modes are all modes that "ommand the plane the moment the# are engaged. -ltitude, glideslope, and lo"aliFer are all armed, and sit there in stand!# 'armed* until one of the modes a!ove inter"epts the altitude, glideslope, lo"aliFer, or ?P; "ourse. -n e@"eption to the a!ove rule is altitu"e. 2f #ou hit the altitu"e !utton, the autopilot ill !e set to the current altitude. This is not the a# a smart pilot flies, though. - smart pilot ith a good airplane, a good autopilot, and good planning ill dial in the assigned altitude long before sHhe gets there 'in"luding the initial altitude !efore sHhe takes off* and then use verti"al speed, flight level "hange, or even pit"h s#n" to reach that altitudeL 5ere is ho the s#stem in a real plane ould !e used 'and thus ho the s#stem in X-Plane is best used*M 1. 4hile on the ground, short of the run a#, the pilot is told to maintain ),000 feet. ;Hhe is give a run a# heading and is "leared for takeoff. 2. The pilot enters ),000 feet into the -7T2T8.B indo and a run a# heading 'for instan"e, 290* into the 5B-.2A? indo . ). The pilot takes off. &. 2n the initial "lim!, around ma#!e (00 feet, the pilot sets the flight dire"tor to -8T3. The autopilot notes the plane0s "urrent pit"h and roll and holds the plane stead#. (. The pilot hits the 5:9 !utton, and the plane follo s the initial run a# heading. :. The pilot hits either the AI%, $=C5, or %P: !uttons. The autopilot automati"all# notes the "urrent verti"al velo"it# or

airspeed, and the plane flies at that airspeed or verti"al velo"it# until it gets to ),000 feet, here it levels off. 7. The pilot is given a ne heading and altitude !# -T%. K. The pilot dials the ne heading into the indo , dials the ne altitude into its indo , and then hits AI%, $=C5, or %P: to let the plane Foom to the ne altitude. 9. The pilot is "leared to the plane0s destination or some other fi@. Those "oordinates are entered into the ?P; and the 5;2 sour"e is set to ?P; 'as the autopilot follo s the 5;2*. The pilot hits the =OC !utton. The autopilot ill then follo the 5;2 needle defle"tion laterall# as it "lim!s to the ne altitude. .o this, and #ou "an get here #ou are going.

3. Pit3h %yn3 6ith the Pit3h %yn3 ?oysti32 8utton =ou "an assign a Eo#sti"k !utton to the pit3h syn3 "ontrol. 4hen pressed, this !utton ill make the autopilot mat"h its settings to hatever #ou are doing as #ou fl# the plane. Then, hen #ou release the pit3h-syn3 Eo#sti"k !utton, the autopilot servos ill take hold of the #oke and maintain the verti"al speed, altitude, airspeed, or pit"h that #ou ere Eust fl#ing. To assign a !utton to pit3h syn3, do the follo ingM 1. 9ove the mouse to the top of the s"reen, "ausing the menu to appear. 2. %li"k ;ettings, then "li"k Jo#sti"k I B1uipment, as seen in the follo ing image.

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). %li"k the 6uttonsM -dv ta!, as seen in the follo ing image. 2f the 6uttonsM -dv ta! does not e@ist and there is onl# a 6uttons ta!, X-Plane has not !een updated to the latest version 'see %hapter 2, ;e"tion >22 on page # for information on fi@ing this*.

&. Press the !utton on the Eo#sti"k that #ou ould like to assign to pit3h syn3. (. %li"k the round !utton ne@t to autopilot, found near the "enter of the s"reen. :. Press the round !utton ne@t to pit3hOsyn3 'seen in the follo ing s"reenshot*, found a!out half a# do n the first "olumn of the options that appeared in ;tep (. 7. B@it the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo .

5ere0s ho the pit"h s#n" orks. 2magine #ou are at ),000 feet. The flight dire"tor is in altitu"e mode, so the autopilot is holding ),000 feet for #ou. =ou hit the pit3h syn3 Eo#sti"k !utton. 4hen #ou do this, the autopilot servos release "ontrol of the #oke and let #ou fl#. =ou fl# to ),(00 feet ' ith the autopilot still in altitu"e mode* and let go of the pit3h syn3 Eo#sti"k !utton. -t that point, the autopilot ill hold ),(00 feet, sin"e #ou ere in altitu"e mode at ),(00 feet at the moment #ou let go of the pit3h syn3 !utton. 2f #ou are in *erti3al spee" mode, the autopilot ill tr# to maintain

10)

the verti"al speed that #ou had at the moment #ou released the pit3h syn3 !utton. 2f #ou are in spee" or le*el 3hange mode, the autopilot ill tr# to maintain the airspeed '!# pit"hing nose up or do n* that #ou had at the moment #ou released the pit3h syn3 !utton. ;o, hen #ou press the pit3h syn3 Eo#sti"k !utton, the autopilot turns the servos off and lets #ou fl#, !ut hen #ou release the !utton, the servos take hold and tr# to maintain the speed, altitude, or verti"al speed that #ou had at the moment hen #ou released the pit3h syn3 Eo#sti"k !utton. The same applies to !ank angle. 2f #ou are in 6ing le*el or hea"ing mode hen #ou hit pit3h syn3, then the plane ill tr# to maintain the !ank angle #ou had at the moment #ou released the !utton. )oteM 2f the !ank angle is less than 7 degrees, the autopilot ill Eust level the ings, as it assumes that #ou ant nose level. ". =OC an" 9I% These are the options that no!od# "an figure out, partiall# !e"ause the right fre1uen"ies and 5;2 mode must !e sele"ted to use them, and partiall# !e"ause they will do nothing until the# capture the approa"h path the# are looking for. /or that to happen, some other mode 'an# of the ones dis"ussed a!ove* must !e engaged to do that. These modes "apture an 27;, >3<, or ?P; "ourse, so the# must o!viousl# !e a!le to fl# either A-> 1, A-> 2, or ?P;. The autopilot only knows hi"h of these three to use hen #ou tell it hi"h one. This is done ith the !utton la!eled SA->-1 A->-2 /9%H%.8S ' ith filename S!utV5;2V12?P;S in the 5;2 folder*, hi"h is the 5;2 sour"e sele"tor. )oteM 2n some air"raft, this is instead a three-position s it"h

la!eled ;38<%B, as seen !elo .

The autopilot ill fl# hatever "ourse the (# is showing 'if #ou have one*, so #ou need to de"ide hat #ou ant the 5;2 to sho M A-> 1, A-> 2, or ?P; 'la!eled /9%H%.8, for /light 9anagement %omputer, hi"h gets its signal from the ?P;*. 3n"e #ou de"ide, use this !utton to tell the 5;2 hat to displa#. The autopilot ill then fl# to that "ourse. 2f #ou set this !utton to A-> 1, the 5;2 ill sho defle"tions from the A-> 1 radio, and the autopilot ill fl# >3< or 27; signals from the A-> 1 radio hen #ou hit the =OC or 9I% !uttons. ;imilarl#, if #ou set this to A-> 2, then the 5;2 ill sho defle"tions from the A-> 2 radio, and the autopilot ill fl# >3< or 27; signals from the A-> 2 radio hen #ou hit the =OC or 9I% !uttons. 2f #ou set this s it"h to /9%H%.8, then the 5;2 ill sho defle"tions from the ?P;, hi"h "an !e set manuall# or !# the /9;, and the autopilot ill fl# to the ?P; destination hen #ou hit the =OC !utton. <emem!er that if #ou enter destinations into the /9;, the# ill automati"all# feed into the ?P;, so the autopilot ill follo them if #ou sele"t =OC. To repeatM !e sure to send the right signal 'A-> 1, A-> 2, or ?P;* to the autopilot hen using the =OC and 9I% 'lateral and verti"al navigation* !uttons. Ao let0s dis"uss ho to a"tuall# use the =OC and 9I% !uttons.

10&

aa. =OC The =OC !utton ill immediatel# !egin lateral navigation 'navigating to a ?P; destination* on"e engaged. 2t ill, ho ever, onl# tra"k a >3< radial or 27; lo"aliFer after the needle has come off of full)scale deflection. This means that if #ou have a full-s"ale 27; needle defle"tion 'simpl# !e"ause #ou have not #et gotten to the lo"aliFer* the 73% mode ill simpl# go into armed '#ello * mode, and will not do anything yet to the plane. =our "urrent hea"ing or 6ing le*el mode 'if engaged* ill remain in for"e 'or #ou "an fl# !# hand* until the locali&er needle starts to move in towards the center. 3n"e that happens, the =OC ill suddenl# go from armed mode '#ello * to a"tive mode. This "auses the autopilot to start fl#ing the plane for #ou, disengaging an# previous modes. The reason that =OC mode disengages previous modes is that #ou ill t#pi"all# fl# hea"ing mode until #ou get to the locali&er, and as soon as the lo"aliFer needle "omes in, #ou ant the autopilot to forget a!out heading and start fl#ing the lo"aliFer do n to the run a#. -lternativel#, #ou ma# simpl# fl# the plane !# hand to the lo"aliFer ' ith no autopilot mode on at all* and have the autopilot take over on"e the 27; needle starts to "ome in, indi"ating #ou are entering the lo"aliFer. 2nterestingl#, this is mu"h the same as the altitude modes. Just as the lo"aliFer is armed !# hitting the =OC !utton, and #ou "an do an#thing until the lo"aliFer arms take over lateral "ontrol, the altitude is also armed 'al a#s and automati"all#* and #ou "an fl# an# verti"al speed, airspeed, or pit"h 'manuall# or on autopilot* until the altitude is rea"hed, at hi"h point the autopilot ill go into altitu"e hol" mode. bb. 9I% Just like the lateral nav 'that is, =OC mode*, the verti"al nav '9I% mode* will not do anything until the glideslope needle starts to move. 8nlike ith the lo"aliFer, though, the 9I% mode on,t do

an#thing until the glideslope needle goes all the way through the center position. 2t does this !e"ause #ou t#pi"all# have the airplane on altitu"e hol" until #ou inter"ept the glideslope, at hi"h point the plane should stop holding altitude and start des"ending do n to the run a#. 2n other ords, the 9I% mode ill automati"all# go from armed to a"tive on"e the plane hits the center of the glideslope. 7et0s no put the =OC and 9I% settings into use to fl# an 27;. 33. $lying an !=% Using =OC an" 9I% To fl# an 27;, do the follo ing hile still far a a# from the 27; and below glideslopeM 1. 5it the altitu"e !utton to hold the "urrent altitude. 2. Bnter a heading in the hea"ing indo to !e follo ed until #ou inter"ept the 27;. ). 5it the hea"ing !utton to hold that heading. &. 5it the =OC !utton. 2t (. 5it the 9I% !utton. 2t ill go to QarmedR '#ello *. ill also go to QarmedR '#ello *.

:. -s soon as #ou inter"ept the lo"aliFer, the =OC !utton ill go from #ello to green, a!andoning the hea"ing mode to instead fl# the lo"aliFer. 7. -s soon as #ou inter"ept the center of the glideslope, the 9I% !utton ill go from #ello to green, a!andoning the altitu"e hol" mode to instead fl# the glideslope. K. The autopilot ill tra"k #ou right do n to the run a#, and even flare at the end, "utting po er if auto-throttle is engaged. 10(

Just as in a real airplane, these things onl# ork ell if #ouM inter"ept the lo"aliFer far a a# 'outside of the outer marker* and below the glideslope, inter"ept the lo"aliFer at less than a )0 angle, and hold altitude hen #ou inter"ept the glideslope. 2f #ou "ome in a!ove the glideslope, "ross the lo"aliFer at a ide angle, or inter"ept the lo"aliFer too "lose to the airport, the autopilot ill not !e a!le to maneuver the airplane for landing 'again, Eust as in a real plane*. Ao that e0ve detailed fl#ing ith the autopilot, let,s talk a!out fl#ing an /9; 'flight management s#stem* plan. iii. $lying an $M% Plan To fl# a flight management s#stem plan, a fe things must happenM a* =ou must enter #our entire flight plan into the /9;. !* =ou have to have the 5;2 set to ?P;, not A-> 1 or A-> 2 '!e"ause the autopilot ill fl# hatever it sees on the 5;2*. "* =ou must have the =OC !utton sele"ted 3A sin"e that !utton "auses the autopilot to follo the lo"aliFer 'or hatever is on the 5;2*. d* =ou must have the /72?5T .2< s it"h set to -8T3, so that the servos are running. e* =ou must hit the A)AA !utton if #ou ant the /9; to also load altitudes into the altitude indo . .o all these things and the plane ill follo an# /9; plan, assuming, of "ourse, that the plane #ou are fl#ing has all this e1uipment ' hi"h of "ourse some do not*. To demonstrate the use of an /9;, e0ll go through the pro"edure

in a t#pi"al air"raft 'a 6oeing 777*. The steps ill !e similar in an# air"raft. 1. 3pen up the 6oeing 777 using the 3pen -ir"raft dialog !o@ 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion 2 on page 53*. 2t is found in the 5eav# 9etal air"raft folder. 2. The /9; is found on the right half of the s"reen, near the middle of the panel 'it should !e displa#ing the te@t QP7-A ;B?9BAT 01R*. 5it the !)!T !utton 'as sho n in the follo ing image* on the /9;. This gets the /9; read# to re"eive a flight plan.

). Ao hit the A!4P !utton 'sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot*, telling the /9; that #ou are a!out to go to an airport.

10:

&. Ao enter the 2. of the destination airport !# hitting the ke#pad ke#s ith the mouse. /or instan"e, in the s"reenshot !elo , e0re starting at ;an .iego 2nternational -irport 'G;-A* and e0re fl#ing to ;an 6ernardino 2nternational 'G;6.*.

:. Ao , if #ou ant to do more than Eust fl# to an airport, hit the )/XT !utton on the /9; and repeat the steps a!ove for the ne@t a#point. There is a !a"k arro to erase mistakes, as ell as AO4, ):8, $!X, and =ATI=O) !uttons to enter those t#pes of destinations. The P4/A and )/XT !uttons ill "#"le through the various a#points in #our plan, and the =: and %A !uttons ill load or save flight plans if #ou ould like to use them again. 7. 3n"e #ou have entered the plan into the /9;, take off and set the %OU4C/ s it"h for the 5;2 'found near the left edge of the panel* to ?P; so that the 5;2 is getting data from the ?P; 'rather than the A-> 1 or A-> 2 radios*.

<emem!er that more information on airport 2.s "an !e found in %hapter &, ;e"tion 22, Part - on page 5#. (. 2f #ou like, hit the line-sele"t !utton on the left side of the /9; ne@t to the te@t S/7= -T VVVVVV /TS 'seen in the follo ing s"reenshot* and enter the altitude #ou ant to fl# at using the ke#pad.

K. 9ove the $=!95T :!4 s it"h to -8T3 so the autopilot servos are a"tuall# running, and hit the =OC autopilot !utton

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'at the top of the panel, sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot* to follo the 5;2 lateral guidan"e ' hi"h as Eust set to get data from the ?P;*, ith the servos a"tivel# fl#ing the plane.

had !e"ome Eust another part of the re"kage, smoldering in a field. Ao it is "ommonpla"e for even relativel# ine@perien"ed pilots to fl# long distan"es in "louds. -n instrument rating onl# re1uires 12( hours total flight time$although it ould "ertainl# not !e ise for a 1)0- or 1&0-hour pilot to attempt an instrument approa"h in a 200 ft over"ast ith 1H2 mile visi!ilit# or to take off on a fogg# da#. 9odern g#ros"ope-!ased instrumentation and "ontinual training make it possi!le to safel# fl# ith referen"e to onl# the instrument panel. 8. The !nner /ar an" Eour %ense of 8alan3e To !egin a dis"ussion on instrument flight, e must first dis"uss h# it is so diffi"ult. 2t isn0t that the prin"iples !ehind fl#ing on instruments are so diffi"ult or that interpreting hat the instruments are telling #ou is that diffi"ult. <ather, the diffi"ult# lies in !elieving hat the instruments are sa#ing. =our !od# had developed a s#stem of !alan"e and e1uili!rium that has evolved in humans over millions of #ears, and for"ing #our !rain to ignore these signals and to !elieve hat the instruments are telling #ou is ver# diffi"ult. To put it !luntl#, in a real air"raft, #our life depends on ignoring #our feelings and senses and fl#ing !ased solel# on the information in front of #ou. This is h# it0s so diffi"ult. =our sense of !alan"e "omes from three sour"es ithin #our !od#. These are, in order of prerogative, #our inner ear, #our e#es, and #our sense of tou"h and even hearing. =ou should remem!er from high s"hool that #our inner ear is a series of semi-"ir"ular "anals that are filled ith fluid. The# are positioned in #our head in different planes and ea"h is lined ith thousands of small hairs. The root of ea"h hair is "onne"ted to #our nervous s#stem. -s #our !od# "hanges position in spa"e, the fluid is moved due to momentum. The resulting !ending of these hairs feeds #our !rain signals that indi"ate the orientation of #our head in spa"e. This information is "ontinuall# updated and "orre"ted !# hat #our e#es are sending 10K

2f #ou entered an altitude into the /9;, #ou0ll also need to hit the A)AA autopilot !utton to tra"k the entered altitude. 9. ;it !a"k and let the autopilot take #ou to #our destination. i*. Turning the Autopilot Off Ao , to turn off an autopilot mode, simpl# hit the "urrentl# sele"ted mode !utton on"e again. 4hen that mode is turned off, the autopilot ill revert to the default mode that as sele"ted hen the autopilot is first turned on$pit"h and roll hold modes. To turn the autopilot off altogether, simpl# turn the $=!95T :!4 s it"h to 3//. -lternativel#, hit the TL0 ke# on the ke#!oard or assign a Eo#sti"k !utton to turn it off in the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment s"reen of X-Plane. !!!. $lying on !nstru,ents A. 5istory Though for a long time "onsidered impossi!le in aviation "ir"les, the a!ilit# to fl# an air"raft through a large "loud or fog !ank rel#ing "ompletel# on the air"raft0s instruments as made possi!le in the 1920s. 6efore then, nearl# ever#one that attempted this

#our !rain as ell as !# #our sense of tou"h. 4hile standing stationar# on the ground, #our ears tell #ou that #our head is positioned verti"all# and not moving, #our e#es tell #ou that the ground is stationar# !eneath #our feet, and the skin on the !ottom of #our feet tells #ou that it is standing on the ground. -ll of these inputs align to sa# the same thing$that #ou,re standing on the ground. 3ne limitation to #our sense of !alan"e is seen hen #ou are a""elerating ver# slo l#, or hen #ou a""elerated !riefl# and have no stopped. Think of a post on a pla#ground that stands verti"all# in the sand ith a seat affi@ed to it a "ouple feet from the ground. 2t "an !e e@tremel# disorienting to sit on the seat, "lose #our e#es, and then have someone spin #ou at a "onstant rate. 2t doesn,t matter if #ou,re !eing spun to the left or the right$ hat is "riti"al is that #ou are 1ui"kl# a""elerated and then kept at a "onstant angular velo"it#. 4hen #ou first !egin to spin, #our inner ear ill dete"t that #ou are a""elerating and spinning. 6efore long, ho ever, the fluid in #our ears ill stop moving, sin"e #ou are no longer a""elerating !ut rather Eust spinning. ;ta# like this for a fe se"onds and it ill fell like #ou,re Eust sitting stationar#. =ou ma# still feel a !reeFe on #our fa"e or hear sounds QspinningR a!out #ou, !ut #our inner ear ill !e telling #our !rain that #ou,re sitting stationar# and #our !rain ill !elieve it. Ao if #ou0re suddenl# stopped, #ou ill instantl# feel an in"redi!le sense of angular a""eleration in the opposite dire"tion, like #ou are !eing spun ildl# the other a#. 3pen #our e#es and the# ill tell #our !rain that #ou are stationar#, !ut the feeling ithin #our head 'a primal, driving sensation* is that #ou have Eust started to spin. 2n s"ientifi" "ir"les, this is "alled Qvertigo,R !ut the sensation is "ommonl# referred to as !eing diFF#. The same thing "an happen in a "o"kpit prett# 1ui"kl#. 2magine for a moment that there is a large !ank of "louds in front of #ou on a "alm da#. 4ith a fe passengers on !oard #ou "an enter the "loud in a left !ank of, sa#, 20 degrees. Then, after entering the

"loud ver# slo l# and ver# smoothl#, #ou start to !ank the air"raft to the right. 2f #ou do this slo l# and smoothl# enough, no one on !oard ill noti"e. 6efore #ou "ome out of the "loud, #ou get to a su!stantiall# different attitude 'perhaps !anked )0 degrees right*. The unsuspe"ting passengers ma# feel the ver# !eginning of the "hange in !ank, !ut the# ill pro!a!l# suspe"t #ou,re !anked to the left. 4hen #ou suddenl# fl# through the other end of the "loud, 6-9L The#,re in a right hand turn. 4hile this as fun and harmless to do to unsuspe"ting friends in "ollege, it underlines the diffi"ult# that unsuspe"ting pilots "an find themselves in if the# are not "areful. C. 9yros3opes an" Their Appli3ation to $light The g#ros"ope as invented man# de"ades !efore air"raft, !ut its tremendous impli"ations for fl#ing ere not realiFed until the midto late 1920s. The !asi" prin"ipal that the# ork on is that if #ou take a relativel# heav# o!Ee"t and rotate it at a high rotational velo"it# it ill hold its position in spa"e. =ou "an then mount this sta!le, rigid g#ros"ope in an instrument that is fi@ed to #our air"raft and measure the relative motion of the instrument "ase 'and thus the airplane* a!out the fi@ed g#ro. The g#ros"ope is ph#si"all# atta"hed to an indi"ator of some sort, and these indi"ators then rela# "riti"al information to the pilot "on"erning the air"raft0s attitude 'that is, its orientation relative to the horiFon*. There are three primar# g#ros"opi" instruments in the panel. The# areM the attitude indi"ator 'or -2$normall# driven !# a va"uum pump on the engine*, the turn "oordinator 'or T%$t#pi"all# ele"troni"all# driven*, and the dire"tional g#ro 'or .?$t#pi"all# va"uum po ered, though possi!l# ele"tri"*. The -2 indi"ates hat attitude the air"raft is fl#ing at$ho far the nose is a!ove or !elo the horiFon and simultaneousl# ho far

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the ings are !anked and in hi"h dire"tion. The T% indi"ates the rate of turn$that is, ho steep or shallo #our !ank is in relation to a standard 2 minute turn rate, and the .? is nothing more than a g#ros"opi"all# driven "ompass that is more sta!le and a""urate than the old stand!#, the magneti" 'or Q hisk#R* "ompass. :. The %i0 Pri,ary $light !nstru,ents There are si@ primar# instruments that have !e"ome standard in an# instrument panel. ;in"e the earl# 1970s, these have !een arranged in a standard la#out referred to as Qthe si@ pa"k.R The# are laid out in t o ro s of three instruments ea"h. The top ro , from left to right, "ontains the airspeed indi"ator '-;2*, the attitude indi"ator '-2* and the altimeter '-7T*. The !ottom ro "ontains the turn "oordinator 'T%* the dire"tional g#ro '.?* and the verti"al speed indi"ator '>;2*. - summar# of these instruments follo s. The Qstandard si@R are sho n in the follo ing image, taken from the %essna 172 "o"kpit. i. The Airspee" !n"i3ator JA%!K The airspeed indi"ator 'la!eled 1 in the image a!ove* sho s the speed at hi"h the air"raft is traveling through the air. 2n its simplest form, it is nothing more than a spring hi"h opposes the for"e of the air !lo ing in the front of a tu!e atta"hed under the ing or to the nose of the air"raft. The faster the airplane is moving the stronger the air pressure is that a"ts to oppose the spring and the larger the defle"tion of the needle from hi"h the pilot reads the "raft0s speed. 3!viousl#, it,s 1uite a !it more "ompli"ated than this, as the pressure e@erted !# the stream of air varies ith the lo"al air densit# ' hi"h "ontinuall# "hanges as the airplane "lim!s or des"ends*, and the -;2 must a""ount for this. ii. The Attitu"e !n"i3ator JA!K The attitude indi"ator 'la!eled 2 in the previous image* informs the 110

pilot of his or her position in spa"e relative to the horiFon. This is a""omplished !# fi@ing the "ase of the instrument to the air"raft and measuring the displa"ement of the "ase ith referen"e to a fi@ed g#ros"ope inside. iii. The Alti,eter JA=TK The altimeter 'la!eled ) in the previous s"reenshot* looks some hat like the fa"e of a "lo"k and serves to displa# altitude. This is measured !# the e@pansion or "ontra"tion of a fi@ed amount of air a"ting on a set of springs. -s the airplane "lim!s or des"ends, the relative air pressure outside the air"raft "hanges and the altimeter reports the differen"e !et een the outside air pressure and a referen"e, "ontained in a set of airtight !ello s. i*. The Turn Coor"inator JTCK The turn "oordinator 'la!eled & in the previous s"reenshot* measures the rate of turn for the air"raft. The instrument is onl# a""urate hen the turn is "oordinated$that is, hen the airplane is not skidding or slipping through the turn. - skid is the aeronauti"al e1uivalent to a "ar that is understeering, here the front heels do not have enough tra"tion to over"ome the "ar,s momentum and the front of the "ar is thus plo ing through the turn. 2n a "ar, this results in a turn radius that is larger than that "ommanded !# the driver. - slip is a !it more diffi"ult to imagine unless #ou,re a pilot alread#. 2t results from an air"raft that is !anked too steepl# for the rate of turn sele"ted. To "orre"t the slip, all the pilot has to do is in"rease !a"k pressure on the #oke, pulling the airplane ,up, into a tighter turn, su"h that the turn rate is in e1uili!rium ith the !ank angle. *. The :ire3tional 9yro J:9K

The dire"tional g#ro 'la!eled ( in the s"reenshot on the previous page* is a simple instrument that points north and thus allo s the pilot to tell hi"h a# she or he is fl#ing. *i. The Aerti3al %pee" !n"i3ator JA%!K The verti"al speed indi"ator 'la!eled : in the previous image* reports the "raft0s "lim! or des"ent rate in feet per minute. T#pi"all#, non-pressuriFed airplanes ill "lim! "omforta!l# at a!out 700 fpm 'if the plane is "apa!le* and des"end at a!out (00 fpm. .es"ent rates faster than this "ause dis"omfort on the o""upants hi"h is felt in passengers0 ears. PressuriFed airplanes "an "lim! and des"end mu"h more rapidl# and still maintain the "a!in rate of "hange at a!out these levels, sin"e the "a!in altitude is not related to the am!ient altitude unless the pressuriFation s#stem fails.

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#. /0pan"ing X-Plane
!. A""ing Thir"-Party Air3raft Perhaps the easiest pla"e to find ne air"raft is the X-Plane.org S.o nload 9anagerS page&0. -s of this riting, all the planes in that su!se"tion of the site are free, though X-Plane.org does have plane models 'some of them ver#, ver# good* for sale. 4hen do nloading a "ustom plane, it ill t#pi"all# !e in a "ompressed folder 'usuall# ith a .Fip e@tension* that "ontains the airplane and all its various paint Eo!s, airfoils, "ustom sounds, and instrument panels. 3n"e the "ompressed folder is do nloaded, users should !e a!le to dou!le-"li"k on it to open or e@pand it on 9a"intosh, 4indo s, or 7inu@ !o@es. /rom here, the folder "an !e e@panded out into the -ir"raft folder ithin X-Plane 9 dire"tor#, or the files ithin "an !e dragged and dropped into the -ir"raft folder. 6e sure to pla"e the ne air"raft files in a folder ith the name of the air"raft$for instan"e, for a ne l# do nloaded Piper J-) %u!, the folder path in 4indo s might look likeM %MW.o"uments and ;ettingsW8serW.esktopW X-Plane 9W -ir"raftWPiper %u!W 4ith the ne air"raft in the proper dire"tor#, open up X-Plane. 9ove the mouse to the top of the indo '"ausing the menu to appear*. %li"k -ir"raft, then "li"k 3pen -ir"raft. /ind the file there and dou!le "li"k on it to load 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion 2 on page 53 for more information on opening an air"raft*. 3f "ourse, users "an also upload their o n planes to X-Plane.org and similar sites. To do so, first "reate a "ustom airplane 'using
&0

Plane-9aker$see the ;upplement !eginning on page 15(* ith airfoils, panels, sounds, et". -ll the files making up the plane then need to !e "ompressed into a C2P folder to !e uploaded to the 2nternet. To "ompress a folder in 4indo s, right "li"k on the file "ontaining all the files needed for the plane, move the mouse do n to ;end To, then "li"k Q%ompressed 'Fipped* /older.R - ne .Fip file ill appear in the dire"tor#. 3n the 9a", "ontrol-"li"k 'that is, press the %trl ke# on the ke#!oard hile "li"king ith the mouse* on the air"raft folder in the /inder, and "hoose S%reate -r"hiveS from the resulting popup menu to make a "ompressed C2P ar"hive of that plane. These "ustom air"raft ma# !e uploaded and shared at ill. There are no "op#right restri"tions of an# sort on planes made !# users ith Plane-9aker. !!. A""ing Thir"-Party %3enery %ustom s"ener# pa"kages, too, "an !e found on the S.o nload 9anagerS page&1 of X-Plane.org, among other pla"es. These ma# !e do nloaded and installed at ill. T#pi"all#, "ustom s"ener# pa"kages ill need to !e unFipped into the X-Plane 9W<esour"esW%ustom ;"ener# folder. -dditionall#, the X-ddon9anager&2 utilit# ma# !e helpful for managing a large amount of "ustom s"ener# or do nloaded o!Ee"ts. To "reate ne "ustom s"ener#, use the 4orld Bditor tool '4B.*, do nloada!le from s"ener#.@-plane."om&). - good tutorial for the
httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJauto"omNdo nloads httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJ auto"omNdo nloadsIsho fileN&KK: &) httpMHHs"ener#.@-plane."omHtools.php
&1 &2

httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJauto"omNdo nloads

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tool "an !e found here&&. !!!. !nstalling Plug-!ns Plug-ins are little programs that let the user modif# X-Plane. People rite plug-ins to do all sorts of interesting things like hang eights on the dash!oard that move around a""uratel#, run little tugs around to push #our airplane on the ground, or dra interesting terrain visualiFation s#stems, among other things. 3n"e again, X-Plane.org 'and spe"ifi"all# the .o nloads ` 8tilities page&(* is a good pla"e to go to find various plug-ins and other things to t eak #our "op# of X-Plane. /or information on "reating "ustom plug-ins, see the X;1ua k6o@ site&:.

httpMHHdata.@-plane."omHdesigners.html httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJauto"omNdo nloadsIsho "atN9 &: httpMHH .@s1ua k!o@.netH@psdkHmedia ikiH9ainVPage

&& &(

11)

(. /0pert /ssays
!. Tuning the 5an"ling in X-Plane 2f X-Plane is set up and fl#ing, !ut air"raft seem to !e too sensitive in pit"h or pull to one side, the simulator ma# need to !e tuned. 6efore performing the follo ing, make sure the Eo#sti"k andHor other "ontrol devi"es are "ali!rated. ;ee %hapter ), ;e"tion 22 'found on page 3 * for instru"tions on this. To easil# see hether the "ontrols are properl# "ali!rated, go to the ;ettings menu and "li"k .ata 2nput I 3utput. There, sele"t the rightmost "he"k!o@ ne@t to <oysti32 ailIel*Iru", as seen in the follo ing image.

This ill "ause X-Plane to displa# on the flight s"reen the aileron, elevator, and rudder inputs from the flight "ontrols 'su"h as a Eo#sti"k, rudders, #oke, et".*. 4ith this done, "lose the .ata 2nput I 3utput s"reen. The inputs for the various sti"k defle"tions should no !e visi!le the top left "orner of the s"reen, as seen in the image !elo .

4ith properl# "onfigured "ontrols, hen the sti"kH#okeHpedals are "entered, the aileron, elevator, and rudder Eo#sti"k inputs all read around 0.0. 4hen the "ontrols are pushed full left and for ard, the# should read around -1.0. 4hen the "ontrols are pulled full aft and right, the# should read around 1.0. 2f these are the results o!tained, then the Eo#sti"k is "ali!rated. 2f not, the Eo#sti"k is not "ali!rated$no onder the plane is not fl#ing "orre"tl#L ;ee %hapter ), ;e"tion 22, Part 6 on page 3& for information on "ali!ration. 2f the "ontrols are indeed properl# "ali!rated as per the a!ove test, !ut the plane still is not fl#ing "orre"tl#, it0s time to look at the first level of "ontrol response tuning. ?o to the ;ettings menu and "li"k Jo#sti"k I B1uipment. 2n that indo , "li"k the %enter ta!. 9ove the sti"k or #oke around. .oing so should move little re"tangles around in a !o@ on the lo er half of the s"reen, and hen the sti"k is "entered, the re"tangles should 'ideall#* go to Fero siFe. ;in"e no hard are is perfe"t, though, simpl# "enter the "ontrols and hit the !utton la!eled C/)T/4 T5/ EO@/ A): P/:A=% A): 5!T T5!% 8UTTO) , as highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot.

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This ill tell X-Plane that the hard are is indeed "entered. 4hen using P/% hard are, there ill !e little !uttons a"ross the !ottom of the indo that ill set the "enter position of ea"h a@is. 4ith that done, "lose the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo and move the flight "ontrols to the "entered position. %he"k to see if the data output ' hi"h should still !e on the s"reen from the pre-test in the a!ove paragraphs* is around 0.000 hen the "ontrols are "entered. 2f it is, then the hard are orks fine and the "enter point as set su""essfull#. 2f the data output does not read near 0, the hard are is either of poor 1ualit# 'or failing* or the "enter point as not properl# set. 4ith the "enter point set "orre"tl#, tr# fl#ing the plane on"e again. 2f it still does not handle "orre"tl#, read on to tune the ne@t level of "ontrol response. 3pen the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo and sele"t the %enter ta! on"e again. 7ook at the three sliders la!eled 3ontrol-response 'one la!eled pit3h, one roll, and one ya6* at the top left of the s"reen, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot. 2f these three sliders are full# left, then the "ontrol response is linear+ that is, a (0Z sti"k defle"tion in the hard are ill give (0Z "ontrol defle"tion in the air"raft. 7ike ise, 100Z sti"k defle"tion in the hard are ill give 100Z "ontrol defle"tion in the air"raft. 2f the pro!lem !eing e@perien"ed is that the plane feels too responsive in the simulator, tr# dragging the sliders all the a# to the right. This ill give a non-linear response. ;et this a#, 0Z hard are defle"tion ill still give 0Z "ontrol defle"tion in the sim, and 100Z hard are defle"tion ill still give 100Z "ontrol defle"tion. The differen"e lies in !et een$(0Z sti"k defle"tion in the hard are might onl# give 1(Z "ontrol defle"tion in the sim. 2n other ords, hile the hard)over roll rate in the sim ill remain unchanged no matter hat these sliders are set to, fine "ontrol ill !e in"reased for smaller, partial defle"tions, sin"e the flight "ontrols ill move less for a small-to-moderate sti"k defle"tion in the hard are Eo#sti"k or #oke. This ill give a ni"e fine-pit"h "ontrol and slo , detailed roll "ontrol. 2f, after "hanging the "ontrol response, the air"raft still does not fl# as it should, read on.

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The ne@t level of "ontrol tuning is sta!ilit# augmentation. 2f the plane still feels s1uirrell# or overl# sensitive, go !a"k to the %enter ta! of the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment indo and tr# dragging the three sliders on the right side of the s"reen 'la!eled stabilityaug,entation$sho n in the follo ing image* all the a# to the right.

"ountera"ts an# imperfe"tions in the shape of the airplane or d#nami"s of the prop ash or mass distri!ution inside the plane. The same thing "an !e done in X-Plane$one "an !end a trim ta! a !it one a# or the other to make the plane fl# true. To do this, first e@it X-Plane and open Plane-9aker 'found in the X-Plane 9 installation folder*. ?o to the /ile menu and open the plane that is pulling left or right, as sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot.

?o to the ;tandard menu and "li"k %ontrol ?eometr#, sho n in the follo ing image. This ill "ause X-Plane to automati"all# "ountera"t an# sti"k input to some degree, resisting rapid or large defle"tions in pit"h, heading, and roll. 6asi"all#, it is like al a#s having an autopilot on that smooths things out. This is o!viousl# ver# fake, !ut in the a!sen"e of a perfe"t flight "ontrol s#stem and g-load and peripheral-vision feed!a"k, this "an help smooth out the airplane0s flight "hara"teristi"s. Tr# fl#ing ith those sliders at various pla"es, !earing in mind that full left should !e most realisti" ' ith no artifi"ial sta!ilit# added*. 2f, after doing all of the a!ove, the air"raft still does not fl# as it should, nothing more "an !e done ithin the simulator. 2t is no time to t eak the airplane. 2n the real orld, if a plane is pulling to one side or the other, a pilot ill !end the little trim ta! on the aileron one a# or another. This !ending of the aileron trim ta!

11:

2n this indo , "li"k the Trim I ;peed ta!, as sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot.

7ook at the far right-hand "olumn of "ontrols in the top half of the s"reen, la!eled tri, tab a"<ust, highlighted !elo .

hether it is pit"h, #a , or roll. Thus, if the plane needs to roll right a !it more 'or needs to stop rolling left*, then enter a positive num!er for the aileron "ontrol. The same goes for the rudder if the plane needs to pull right a !it more, or for the elevator if the plane needs to pull up a !it more. T eak the trim ta!s as needed, save the plane, and e@it Plane-9aker. Then, open up X-Plane and tr# fl#ing the plane again. The plane should noti"ea!l# pull one a# or another !ased on ho the trim ta!s ere !ent. The trim ta! "ontrols ma# need to !e tuned again to get the plane to fl# as straight as is desired. !!. $a3tors Affe3ting X-PlaneCs Perfor,an3e X-Plane users tend to noti"e either that the simulator runs e@tremel# fast, giving them 100 frames per se"ond 'fps*, or that it is dismall# slo , topping out at 20 fps. -t identi"al rendering settings, this is due almost entirel# to the hard are in the "omputer. ;ome people toda# have "omputers ith a (00 95F Pentium 222 pro"essor, 12K 96 of <-9, and K 96 of ><-9 'perhaps an K #ear old s#stem*, hile others have 1uad-"ore )000 95F pro"essors, &09: 96 of <-9, and (12 96 of ><-9 'perhaps onl# one #ear old*. There is more than a :@ differen"e in speed !et een those t o setups, sin"e the <-9 speed, !us speed, video "ard speed, and man# other things also influen"e the "omputer0s performan"e. 9an# people do not understand hat determines a "omputer0s performan"e. The three !iggest fa"tors are the amount of <-9 in the s#stem, the speed of the %P8, and the speed of the graphi"s "ard. - fourth fa"tor, hi"h determines a s#stem0s a!ilit# to displa# high 1ualit# video te@tures, is the amount of <-9 on the video "ard '"alled ><-9*. %oming up short in an# of the a!ove "ategories ill "reate a 117

This is a measure of ho mu"h the trim ta!s are !ent on ea"h a@is. The top "ontrol is the elevator, the middle is the aileron, and the !ottom is the rudder 'as per on the far left side of the s"reen*. - value of 0.000 means that the trim ta! is not !ent at all. - value of 1.000 means the ta! is !ent so far that the "ontrol is fully deflected !# the trim ta!$this is a# too far. Tr# !ending the trim ta! just a little bit$ma#!e set the value at 0.0( or at most 0.10. This ould "orrespond to !eing enough for"e to defle"t the "ontrols (Z or 10Z due to the trim ta!. - positive value "orresponds to !ending the trim ta! up or right, depending on

Q!ottlene"kR in s#stem performan"e, limiting the a!ilit# of the rest of the "omponents. /or instan"e, using higher 1ualit# te@tures than "an !e stored in ><-9 ill slo X-Plane signifi"antl# 'see %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part 6, ;u!se"tion i on page 3. for more information on ><-9 and te@tures*, regardless of an# other fa"tors. %onversel#, even if the s#stem0s video "ard has 2 ?6 'that is, 20&K 96* of ><-9 and X-Plane is running at a lo s"reen and te@ture resolution 'eliminating an# <-9 pro!lems*, if the "omputer0s %P8 or video "ard are too slo , then X-Plane0s performan"e ill !e poor. /or information on optimiFing X-Plane0s frame rate, see %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part ? on page &#. !!!. Tuning the Autopilot 3""asionall#, the autopilot in X-Plane might a"t up. 2t ma# sort of ander do n the lo"aliFer or ander around in pit"h hen it should !e holding altitude. 2t might ander around in heading, or perhaps fli"ker its ings madl# left and right as it tries too hard to hold a heading. 4hatever the pro!lem, the autopilot "onstants "an !e adEusted !# the user in order to make the plane hold its desired path more tightl#. These autopilot "onstants "an !e adEusted in Plane-9aker !# doing the follo ingM 1. 3pen Plane-9aker !# opening the X-Plane 9 folder and dou!le "li"king on Plane-9aker.e@e. 2. 7oad the airplane that needs adEusting !# "li"king the /ile menu and sele"ting 3pen, as sho n !elo . :. - num!er of "ontrols ill appear that spe"if# the autopilot "onstants for #our airplane. ). /ind the .a"f file Eust as #ou ould hen sele"ting a "raft ithin the X-Plane sim 'see %hapter &, ;e"tion 2, 3pening an -ir"raft, found on page 53*. &. ?o to the B@pert menu and "li"k on -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit#, as !elo .

(. ?o to the -utopilot ta! and "he"k the use 3usto, autopilot 3onstants !o@, as seen in the follo ing image.

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7et0s e@amine hat ea"h of these autopilot 3onstant "ontrols do. /irst, let,s talk a!out "orre"ting heading. A. Tuning Autopilot 4oll i. 4oll /rror for $ull Aileron This "ontrol is found in the middle !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , in the right "olumn, highlighted in the follo ing image.

)0 degrees of roll. =ou onl# need one more degree of roll, so #ou ouldn0t put in full aileron to get to )0 degrees$that ould overshoot it for sure. 2nstead, #ou ould look at the "ontrols and noti"e that #ou are onl# a little off of from the desired !ank angle, so the plane ould need onl# a little bit of aileron. Ao , ho man# degrees off of a desired !ank angle ould a pilot have to !e to put in full aileronJ 3ne degreeJ TenJ 3ne hundredJ The roll error for full aileron "ontrol spe"ifies to the autopilot ho man# degrees off the air"raft must !e from the desired roll angle !efore it puts in full aileron. 2f this is set to a ver# small num!er, the autopilot ill put in full aileron for even the tiniest of roll errors$not goodL This ill "ause the plane to over-"ontrol and flutter madl# left and right like an over-"affeinated pilotL 3n the other hand, if this "ontrol is set to a ver# large num!er, like 100 degrees, then the autopilot ill hardl# put in an# aileron input at all. 2n that "ase, the plane ill al a#s ander off "ourse a !it, !e"ause it ill never move 1ui"kl# enough to get back on course. Ao , a smart pilot might sa#, S2 ould never input full aileron, ever.S /air enough. 6ut realiFe that the autopilot will !e limited to a!out (0Z travel or so, and it ill automatically !a"k off of the "ontrols as the airplane speeds up, Eust as a good pilot ould. Thus, hat this "ontrol reall# determines is ho aggressivel# the ailerons are applied. 2f the plane tends to steer too unaggressively to the "ommand !ars, a smaller num!er is pro!a!l# re1uired here. This ill tell the autopilot to re1uire a smaller defle"tion to reall# "rank in the ailerons. %onversel#, if the plane flutters left and right like a plasti" !ag in a (0-knot ind, then the autopilot needs to !e told not "rank in so mu"h aileron. To do that, enter a larger num!er here, so that the autopilot aits for a larger error to develop !efore responding ith so mu"h for"e. - good starting point for this "ontrol is )0 degrees. This means that if the roll angle is off !# 10 degrees, the plane ill appl# onethird aileron to "orre"t hen at lo speed$not a !ad idea.

4hen fl#ing a real plane, a pilot de"ides on a roll angle to make a turn. 5e or she then de"ides to defle"t the ailerons a "ertain amount to a"hieve the desired !ank angle. 2magine that #ou want &( degrees of !ank, and the plane is "urrentl# at 0 degrees of !ank. =ou ouldn0t appl# Eust a tou"h of aileron to get there, !ut rather a strong dose of it. -fter all, #ou are a hole &( degrees a a# from the desired roll angle. %onversel#, imagine #ou are at 29 degrees of roll, and #ou want

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ii. 4oll Pre"i3tion This "ontrol is found in the middle !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# s"reen, at the top of the left "olumn, highlighted in the follo ing image.

hen real pilots fl#, it0s a good !et that the# enter "ontrols !ased on where the plane will be in one se"ond, rather than here it is at the moment. iii. 4oll Tune Ti,e This "ontrol is found in the middle !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , in the middle of the left-hand "olumn, seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

4hen a pilot flies, he or she tends to look into the future to de"ide hen to add to or !a"k off from the flight "ontrols. This is simple anti"ipation. The roll pre"i3tion "ontrol tells the autopilot ho far into the future it should look. 2f the plane tends to ander slo l# left and right, al a#s !ehind its mark, or it overshoots and then anders slo l# off in the rong dire"tion like a tired drunk driver, then it "learl# is not anti"ipating enough. 2n that "ase, an increase is re1uired in the roll pre"i3tion to make the autopilot anti"ipate more. 2f, ho ever, the airplane starts flopping !a"k and forth h#steri"all# ever# frame, the autopilot is "learl# anti"ipating too much+ a smaller roll pre"i3tion is needed. 3ne se"ond is a good starting point for this "ontrol$after all,

2n the real plane, a pilot ill trim out an# loads ith trim if it is availa!le. The roll tune ti,e determines ho long the autopilot takes to run the trim. - real pilot pro!a!l# takes more than Eust a fe se"onds to do this. 5o ever, if the autopilot aits too long to trim out the loads, it ma# !e slo and late in getting to the "orre"t angle. - good starting point for this "ontrol is ( se"onds.

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i*. =o3aliHer C:! 9ain This "ontrol is found in the middle !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , at the !ottom of the right-hand "olumn, highlighted in the follo ing image.

*. =o3aliHer C:! Pre"i3tion This "ontrol is found in the middle !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , at the !ottom of the left "olumn, as seen in the s"reenshot !elo .

2f a pilot is one degree off the lo"aliFer hen fl#ing an 27;, he or she needs to de"ide ho man# degrees of heading correction are "alled for to "orre"t that. 2f sHhe "orre"ts onl# one degree, the "raft ill !e fl#ing right to ards the airport, never inter"epting the lo"aliFer until it gets to the transmitter on the ground. 8suall#, if a pilot sees a one degree error in the lo"aliFer 'one dot on the %.2*, sHhe ould enter a!out 10 degrees of heading "orre"tion, thus for"ing the plane to nail that 5;2 now. The lo3aliHer C:! gain "ontrol sets the num!er of degrees of heading "hange that the autopilot ill pull for ea"h degree of error on the lo"aliFer ' hi"h is the same as sa#ing for ea"h dot of %.2 defle"tion*. - good starting point for this "ontrol is 10 degrees.

- good pilot does not fl# an 27; !ased on here the %.2 is at the moment. - pilot that flies like that anders around in ;-turns all the a# do n the lo"aliFerL - good pilot flies the plane !ased on here the 5;2 %.2 will be in the near future. The lo3aliHer C:! pre"i3tion "ontrol tells the autopilot ho far into the future it should !e looking hen follo ing the %.2. 2t should !e looking at least a fe se"onds into the future. The higher this num!er is, the more the autopilot ill anti"ipate. 2f the plane is andering !a"k and forth slo l# a"ross the lo"aliFer, al a#s ;-turning, it pro!a!l# needs a !igger num!er here. 9ore anti"ipation ill prevent those endless ;-turns. 5o ever, if too big a num!er is entered here, then the plane might never Eoin the lo"aliFer. This is "aused !# the autopilot anti"ipating so far ahead that it turns a a# from the lo"aliFer as soon as the needle comes alive, sh#ing a a# to avoid an over-shoot. 3!viousl#, that is too mu"h anti"ipationL 121

- reasona!le num!er for this "ontrol is !et een 2 and & se"onds. 8. %u,,ary of 4oll %ettings 2n summar#, enter the num!er of degrees of !ank error that should give a ver# strong aileron response in the roll error for full aileron "ontrol. Bnter the num!er of se"onds the s#stem should anti"ipate in the roll pre"i3tion "ontrol, the num!er of se"onds re1uired to trim out the load in the roll tune ti,e, the num!er of degrees of heading "hange per degree lo"aliFer error in the lo3aliHer C:! gain, and the num!er of se"onds of anti"ipation in 5;2 %.2 defle"tion in the lo3aliHer C:! pre"i3tion. To tune these "ontrols, it is a good idea to first forget about the '# and simpl# tr# to get the aircraft to perfectly hold a heading. T eak the roll error for full aileron to give as strong a response as desired, and t eak the roll pre"i3tion to give the desired anti"ipation. /l# the plane around in heading mode, snapping the heading !ug left and right and t eaking those "onstants until the plane follo s the heading !ug perfe"tl#. Then, after the heading mode is perfe"t, adEust the lo"aliFer values hile fl#ing 27;s to tune the lo"aliFer. 2f the plane flies ;-turns a"ross the lo"aliFer, the lo3aliHer pre"i3tion needs to !e greater. 2f the autopilot never even lat"hes on to the lo"aliFer, "ontinuall# turning a a# from it, then the lo3aliHer pre"i3tion needs to !e de"reased$the "raft is "learl# over-anti"ipating. Ae@t e ill dis"uss "orre"ting pit"h+ the dis"ussion ill !e almost e@a"tl# the same as roll, reall#. C. Tuning Autopilot Pit3h i. Pit3h /rror for $ull /le*ator

This "ontrol is found in the !ottom !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , at the top of the right "olumn, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

This "ontrol is to pit"h as the roll error for full aileron 'from Part - a!ove* "ontrol is to roll. 2t determines ho mu"h error !et een desired and a"tual pit"h is re1uired for full elevator defle"tion. <emem!er that the autopilot ill automati"all# redu"e the "ontrol defle"tions as the plane speeds up, limiting to ma#!e (0Z "ontrol defle"tion, so it isn0t ne"essar# to orr# a!out the s#stem reall# going to full defle"tion. To "onfigure this "ontrol, forget about the '# for a minute and Eust fl# *erti3al spee" or pit3h syn3 mode. 2f the plane is slopp# a!out getting the nose up to tra"k a ne verti"al speed and Eust takes too long to get there, then a smaller pit3h error for full ele*ator value is needed. This ill "ause the plane to !e more aggressive ith the elevator. 3f "ourse, if the plane starts flapping a!out madl#, a larger value is needed, telling the plane to stop defle"ting the elevator so mu"h unless it has a larger error !et een the a"tual and desired pit"h. Put the autopilot in pit3h syn3 mode, then hold the %4; !utton do n and 1ui"kl# pit"h the nose, letting go of the %4; !utton. 2f the autopilot is slo and slopp# in holding that ne pit"h, then a smaller num!er needs to !e entered here to make the thing more aggressive.

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ii. Pit3h Pre"i3tion This "ontrol is found in the !ottom !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , at the top of the left "olumn, highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot.

2t sets the time re1uire to trim, similar to the roll tune ti,e "ontrol des"ri!ed a!ove in Part %. 2f this is set to too small a num!er, the plane ill "onstantl# !e andering up and do n as it pla#s ith the trim, as it ill al a#s !e too *uick to modif# the trim. - real pilot ould ait until sHhe is sure that the trim needs modif#ing. - good pilot ill input flight "ontrols !# predi"ting here the plane ill soon !e. The pit3h pre"i3tion "ontrol determines ho far into the future the autopilot ill look. 2f the plane is al a#s andering up and do n hen tr#ing to hold a given verti"al speed, al a#s a fe steps !ehind here it needs to !e, then more anti"ipation is "learl# "alled for$the pit3h pre"i3tion "ontrol needs to !e set to a larger num!er. %onversel#, if the plane is al a#s afraid to get here it needs to !e, resisting motion to ards the desired pit"h, then it is pro!a!l# anti"ipating too mu"h, and a smaller num!er is "alled for. 3n"e again, these num!ers need to !e tuned in pit"h and roll modes, or ma#!e hea"ing and *erti3al spee" modes, to get them set perfe"tl#, ith ni"e, snapp#, pre"ise autopilot response, before the autopilot is tested on an 27;. - good starting point for this "ontrol is one se"ond. iii. Pit3h Tune Ti,e This "ontrol is found in the !ottom !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , in the left-hand "olumn, as seen in the follo ing image. 2t tells the autopilot ho mu"h it should "hange the pit"h for ea"h 12) This "ontrol should pro!a!l# !e set !et een ( and 10 se"onds. i*. 9li"eslope C:! 9ain This "ontrol is found in the !ottom !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , at the !ottom of the right "olumn, as seen in the follo ing s"reenshot.

degree of glideslope error. /or e@ample, if it is set to ( degrees 'a reasona!le value*, the autopilot ill pit"h up ( degrees for ea"h degree it is !elo the glideslope. The greater the num!er entered here, the more the "ommand !ars ill move to meet the glideslope. *. 9li"eslope C:! Pre"i3tion This "ontrol is found in the !ottom !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , in the left-hand "olumn, highlighted in the follo ing image.

image.

2t determines ho man# degrees the autopilot ill pit"h the "raft up or do n in order to "orre"t for a one-knot differen"e !et een the a"tual speed and the one set in flight le*el 3hange mode. good starting point is 0.2 degrees. :. %u,,ary of 8oth Pit3h an" 4oll Controls To summariFe, remem!er that there are t o things happening ith these "ontrolsM the amount the autopilot moves the command bars, and the amount it moves the controls to "apture those "ommand !ars 'see the ta!le on the follo ing page*. Therefore, if the "ommand !ars are not !ehaving as the# should, one of the command bar variables needs to !e set. 3n the other hand, if the "ommand !ars are fine, !ut the airplane isn+t tracking those bars correctly, one of the flight control tracking variables needs to !e set so that the autopilot ill Qgra!R the !ars. <emem!er there are t o steps to tuning these autopilot "ontrolsM 1. .e"ide ho to move the !ars 'C:! gain and C:! pre"i3tion*, then 2. .e"ide ho to move the "ontrols 'pit3h and roll error, pit3h and roll pre"i3tion*. 12&

- good pilot ill anti"ipate here the glideslope ill !e in the near future as he or she "ontrols the pit"h. 2f the pit"h is not anti"ipated enough, the air"raft ill !e "orre"ting up and do n all the a# do n the glideslope. 2f the pit"h is anti"ipated too mu"h, the "raft ill never get to the glideslope, as it ill al a#s !e sh#ing a a# from it as soon as the needle starts to "lose in. - good starting point for this "ontrol is K se"onds. *i. Pit3h :egrees per @not This "ontrol is found in the !ottom !o@ of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo , at the !ottom of the left "olumn, seen in the follo ing

/inall#, remem!er that there is one num!er that "ontrols ho hard e tr# to get to our target 'C:! gain, roll and pit3h error$think of this as a Qspring "onstantR* and one num!er that "ontrols our anticipation 'C:! pre"i3tion, roll and pit3h pre"i3tion$think of this as a damping "onstant*. A,ount to Mo*e the Co,,an" 8ars on the !=% lo"aliFer %.2 gain glideslope %.2 gain A,ount to Anti3ipate the Co,,an" 8ars on the !=% lo"aliFer %.2 predi"tion glideslope %.2 predi"tion Ti,e to Tri, the $or3es pit"h tune time roll tune time The settings here "an !e "hanged while flying in order to determine hat the autopilot "onstants need to !e for the plane. 6e a are, though, that these settings ill !e lost the se"ond XPlane is "losed or another air"raft is opened. This in-simulation version of the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo from Plane-9aker is for experimentation only. 3n"e desired settings have !een determined, !e sure to rite them do n on a pie"e of paper or enter them into a te@t do"ument so that the# "an later !e entered into Plane-9aker, here the settings "an a"tuall# !e saved. 3ne final noteM ;ome users tr# to "onfigure a reall# aggressive autopilot s#stem that has huge anti"ipation, huge gains, and tiny ma@imum pit"h and roll errors for full defle"tions. That ould !e a ver# strong, ver# aggressive autopilot that ma# seem to ork perfe"tl#. - pro!lem arises, though, as soon as the "raft is flo n at a lo frame rate. 4hen this happens, the plane ill start shaking violentl# on autopilot !e"ause that autopilot is not !eing 12( A,ount to Mo*e the Controls to Tra32 the 8ars roll error for full aileron pit"h error for full aileron A,ount to Anti3ipate the Attitu"e to Tra32 the 8ars roll predi"tion pit"h predi"tion

/. %etting Autopilot Constants ;ui32ly Ao that e0ve dis"ussed hat ea"h "ontrol does, let,s look at ho to set these things up 1ui"kl#. /irst, laun"h X-Plane and open the air"raft that needs modif#ing. ?o to the ;pe"ial menu and "li"k the ;et -utopilot %onstants menu item. - indo 'sho n in the image !elo * ill appear that looks identi"al to the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo dis"ussed a!ove.

run fast enough to see the ver# rapid results of its overl# strong inputs. 2f su"h settings are to !e used, !e sure to "onfigure the s"ener# or eather so that the# ill reall# slo the simulator do n 'ideall# to its minimum frame rate* hile tuning the autopilot. 3nl# then "an it !e "ertain that the "onstants entered that ill always ork, !e"ause a higher frame rate ill never hurt. The easiest a# to slo the sim do n for this is to set three !roken la#ers of "louds and plent# of !uildings to !e rendered 'see %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, found on page 3(, for more on setting rendering options*. !A. :esigning an Artifi3ial %tability %yste, /or users "reating a >T37 'a verti"al take-off and landing air"raft* or a fighter, it ma# !e ne"essar# to design an artifi"ial sta!ilit# s#stem in order to make the "raft feel sta!le, even though, in realit#, it isn0t. This is espe"iall# "ommon in fighter Eets and heli"opters$fighters are most maneuvera!le if unsta!le, and heli"opters simpl# have nothing to naturall# make them sta!le. %ontrol s#stems are designed to make these "raft seem sta!le. These t#pi"all# ork !# adding some input in addition to the Eo#sti"kH#oke input in order to make the "raft do hat the pilot ants. - "ommon e@ample of this kind of sta!ilit# s#stem in the "ivilian orld is the #a damper. - pilot0s feet still move the rudders, !ut the #a damper s#stem adds some additional rudder defle"tion for the pilot to damp out the rotation rates of the plane. The amount of rudder defle"tion added depends on hat the "ontrol s#stem engineer de"ides is ne"essar#$in the "ase of designing "ustom air"raft for X-Plane, that QengineerR is the user. To "reate a s#stem to add sta!ilit# in Plane-9aker, first load the air"raft to !e modified. 3pen the B@pert menu and sele"t the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# menu option 'as sho n in the image !elo *.

2n the indo that opens, sele"t the -rt ;ta! ta!.

A. :esigning a Ea6 :a,per 6# a# of e@ample, "onsider a #a damper again. 2ts purpose is to add some rudder defle"tion to hatever the pilot inputs ith his or her feet, stopping the air"raft0s rotation. This is seen in highend 9oone#s and most Eets. The #a damper0s designer must "onsider ho mu"h rudder is desired to stop the rotation$full rudderJ 5alfJ Perhaps Eust 1H10 of the ma@ rudder defle"tion is needed. 3!viousl#, if the plane is onl# agging its tail a little bit, onl# a little rudder is needed to stop it. 5o ever, if the plane s ings around 1ui"kl#, then the damper s#stem needs to put in a lot of rudder to stop the rotation 1ui"kl#. To de"ide ho mu"h e@tra rudder input is ne"essar#, the designer first needs to kno ho mu"h Q agR the s#stem needs to "ompensate for. 2n X-Plane, designers enter a fra"tion of the rudder input per degree per second of rotation rate. /or instan"e, imagine the plane0s tail is s inging 'from tur!ulen"e,

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var#ing "ross ind, the pilot stepping on the rudder, et".* at 90 degrees per se"ond$that is, the tail moves in one se"ond from !eing straight in line to pointing full left or full right. 2n a real airplane, 90 degrees per se"ond of tail- agging ill feel like a lot. Gi"king the rudders a !it in a %essna 172, for e@ample, ill shake its tail at a!out )( degrees per se"ond. ;o, let0s imagine that 90 degrees per se"ond is su"h a high rotation rate that the "ontrol s#stem needs to put in full rudder to oppose it. That means that if the plane is rotating at 90 degrees per se"ond, the #a damper ill put in full rudder to oppose that motion, and at &( degrees per se"ond it ill put in half rudder to oppose that motion. -t a measl# 9 degrees per se"ond, the #a damper ill put in onl# 1H10 rudder to oppose that motion. -t the )( degree per se"ond tail- ag of a %essna 172, the "ontrol s#stem ould put in as mu"h as a!out )(Z rudder defle"tion to sta!iliFe the plane0s #a motion. This does not sound like an unreasona!le "onstant. To enter those settings in X-Plane, on"e again open Plane9aker0s -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo from the B@pert menu. ;ele"t the -rt ;ta! 'that is, artifi"ial sta!ilit#* ta!. The a!ove e@ample deals first ith the hea"ing1 target "eg si"eslip "ontrol, found in the se"ond "olumn from the left in the !ottom !o@ of this indo , highlighted in the follo ing image. - value of 0 ould !e entered here, meaning the plane al a#s tries to sta!iliFe at 0 sideslip.

/or the fra3tion "efle3tion per "egree "ifferen3e "ontrol immediately to the right of the heading: target deg sideslip control, simpl# enter 0, meaning the s#stem is not tr#ing to a"hieve a desired sideslip, onl# to damp out the tail agging !# opposing rotation. /or the fra3tion "efle3tion per "egree per se3on" "ontrol to the right of that 'highlighted in the follo ing image*, enter a value 0.0111.

This num!er "omes from dividing 1.000 'that is, full rudder* !# 90 'the rotation rate in degrees per se"ond that full rudder should !e applied at*. 1 H 90 N 0.0, hi"h is rounded to 0.0111 in Plane9aker. Put another a#, that e1uation is 1 H rate for ma@ #a . value of 0.01111 is prett# reasona!le. Tr# entering this for the 172, saving the plane in Plane-9aker, and loading it again in XPlane. Pop the rudders left and right and noti"e ho the plane damps out faster, as ould a real plane if su"h a #a damper ere installed. Ao , if even more sta!iliFation is needed, tr# entering 0.1 in the fra3tion "efle3tion per "egree per se3on" "ontrol. This means that if the plane is rotating at 10 degrees per se"ond, the rudder ill defle"t full# to oppose it. '10 degrees per se"ond times 0.1 "ontrol per degree per se"ond N 1.00, or full deflection.* - rotation

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rate of 10 degrees per se"ond means that it ill take 9 se"onds for the plane0s tail to move 90 degrees$a ver# slo rotation rate. 4ith a "onstant of 0.1, even this rate ill !e opposed !# full rudder. =ikesL 2f su"h a plane ere taken into tur!ulen"e, the air ould "ertainl# !e ki"king the plane around at over 10 degrees per se"ond, so the "raft ould give full rudder deflection first one a#, then the other. The plane ould over rea"t to ever# angular rotation indu"ed !# the tur!ulen"e !# ki"king the rudder to full in order to oppose that rotation. 3!viousl#, this "onstant of 0.1 is high. %ustomer support had a "all, though, ith someone ho had entered a "onstant of ).0$ thirty times higher than the h#potheti"al "ase a!ove. This means that for a rotation rate of 1H) degree per se"ond 'at hi"h rate it ould take a hole four and a half minutes to move thru 90 degrees of heading*, the s#stem ould put in full opposing rudder. Bven the tiniest hint of rotation in a given dire"tion ould make the rudder slam hard over to "ounter it. Aeedless to sa#, an# time this plane met even a tou"h of ind, the rudder ould slam from one stop to the other in a ildl# e@aggerated effort to "ounter the tur!ulen"e. 2f one must kill a fl# !uFFing around in a "hina shop, don,t do it ith a sledgehammer$the results on0t !e prett#. This parti"ular plane handled alright if there as no tur!ulen"e$sin"e nothing as rotating the plane, the flight "ontrols didn0t have to move to oppose that rotation. -s soon as the slightest imperfe"tion "ame along to move the plane, though, su"h as tur!ulen"e, movement from the pilot hitting a flight "ontrol, a !irdstrike, an engine-failure, a !ump# landing, or fl#ing into "hanging inds, the "ontrols ent "raF#. 3ne thing that "an onl# !e learned !# a"tuall# getting a pilot0s li"ense and getting up in the sk# is that it is a very imperfect world up there. The plane is "onstantl# !arraged !# all manner of imperfe"tions, pertur!ations, and e@ternal inds and for"es, and, mu"h like ith a !oat, these imperfe"tions must !e anticipated in the design.

8. %tabiliHing Pit3h Ao that e0ve dis"ussed heading sta!ilit#, let0s move on to pit"h. 2f a plane is not ver# sta!le in pit"h, users ma# ant to Qlo"k it do nR a !it. Plane-9aker0s -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# indo is used as a!ove if users ant to avoid artifi"ial sta!ilit# "ontrols found in XPlane 'these are applied to all air"raft in the sim and thus aren0t appli"a!le an# parti"ular "raft$see %hapter ), ;e"tion 22, Part . on page 3&*, !ut rather ant to design their o n to mimi" one that might !e installed in a real plane. /or our e@ample airplane, e ill again open Plane-9aker, "li"k the B@pert menu, and open the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# 4indo . 3n"e more, sele"t the -rt ;ta! ta!. This time, enter ma#!e 20 degrees in the pit3h1 target "eg angle of atta32 'highlighted in the follo ing image*$this should !e enough to stall the plane.

Bnter 0.1 for the fra3tion "efle3tion per "egree "ifferen3e 'highlighted in the image follo ing*, so that if the angle of atta"k is 10 degrees off, the plane applies full elevator to "apture the desired angle of atta"k.

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greater than in #a , here onl# the verti"al sta!iliFer is offset, simpl# !e"ause the ing is so mu"h !igger. - plane sees a mu"h greater effe"t for ea"h degree of "hange in the angle of atta"k than in sideslip, so it needs lo er rates of pit"h than #a to keep ithin "omforta!le 'safe* ?-loads. /or this reason, e enter higher "onstants in pit"h than in #a to reall# ork hard to "ounter those pit"h rates. The se"ond reason for entering higher "onstants in pit"h than might seem advisa!le is that, 1uite simpl#, X-Plane "heats. The simulator ill automati"all# reduce these settings as the plane speeds up, !e"ause it kno s that at high speeds it is !etter to enter smaller "ontrol defle"tions to keep from !reaking thingsL This means that the "onstants entered here are onl# full# applied near stall speeds here "ontrol authorit# is mush#. The artifi"ial sta!ilit# "ontrols rela@ and phase out as the indi"ated airspeed 'air pressure on the "ontrols* !uilds up. To see this s"heme in pra"ti"e, open up Q-ustin0s Personal >T37R in Plane-9aker. ?o to the /ile menu, "li"k 3pen -ir"raft, open the -ustin,s .esigns folder, and sele"t -ustin,s Personal >T37. Ao open the -rtifi"ial ;ta!ilit# s"reen again from the B@pert menu. Aoti"e that onl# lo -speed "onstants 'in the top !o@ of the s"reen rather than the !ottom, highlighted in the follo ing image* are set here, designed to phase out rotation rates to make the "raft eas# to fl#.

/inall#, enter 0.0( for the fra3tion "efle3tion per "egree per se3on" 'highlighted in the follo ing image* so that if the nose is "oming up at a rate of 20 degrees per se"ond, the s#stem ill appl# full elevator to stop it.

These are all prett# aggressive "onstants 'meaning a lot of elevator is !rought in to "ountera"t a small amount of motion*, !ut the# aren0t e@treme. There are t o reasons for using these aggressive "onstants. /irst, the plane needs to have lo er rates in pit"h than in #a . This is !e"ause if the plane is moved left and right a !it, not that mu"h ill "hange in terms of flight "ontrol$the verti"al sta!iliFer, hi"h is !eing !road"ast to the air, is small. 6ut, if the plane is tilted up or do n a !it, then the entirety of both the wing and hori&ontal stabili&er is e@posed to the air. The effe"t ill !e mu"h

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separate "omputer for an out-the- indo vie '"alled an e@ternal visual*, or to set up a multipla#er session to fl# formation ith friends. 9a#!e the user ants all of the a!ove, all at on"eL

4hat all of these setups have in "ommon is the use of multiple "omputers. Ba"h of these "omputers needs X-Plane installed 's"ener# and all*. The# also need to !e on the same net ork, ith 2P addresses that are the same for the first three num!ers 'e.g., 10.2.2.aaa or 192.1:K.1.aaa* and su!net masks of 2((.2((.2((.0. 7ook at the rotations that are targeted ith full-s"ale sti"k defle"tions in hover$a ma@ of )0 degrees pit"h, &( degrees roll, and &( degrees per se"ond rotation rate in #a 'no #ou kno hat the 0.02 and 0.01 do as ell*. Ae@t, open up X-Plane and load up this air"raft 'noting that it starts off ith its thrust ve"tor at 90 degrees, straight up*. -dd po er to rise up off the ground and ork on hovering. ;lide left and right, then fore and aft, up and do n, all using small "ontrol defle"tions. Then, "li"k on the little s it"h on the panel la!eled -<T ;T-6. This ill turn the sta!ilit# augmentation off in order to fl# without it. >iva la differen"eL /or an even more e@treme "ase, tr# turning off the artifi"ial sta!ilit# in -ustin0s .eath Trap at )00 knots. A. %etting Up A"*an3e" )et6or2s ;uppose a user ants to have t o "omputers running X-Plane, one ith the instrument panel on the pilot,s side, and one ith a panel on the "opilot0s side. This is "alled having a master ma"hine and a "opilot,s ma"hine. 3r, suppose a user ants t o panels, and ma#!e a "enter radio panel as ell. 9a#!e she or he ants an 2nstru"tor 3perator,s ;tation '"alled an 23;* to "ontrol eather, time of da#, and air"raft failures. 3r ma#!e sHhe ants a 3n"e ea"h of the "omputers has an 2P address that meets this re1uirement, the# ma# !e set up something like this, for e@ampleM !P A""ress 192.1:K.1.1 192.1:K.1.2 192.1:K.1.) 192.1:K.1.& 192.1:K.1.( 192.1:K.1.: :es3ription 9aster ma"hine$Eo#sti"ks plugged in here %opilot,s ma"hine '.a"f file ith "opilots instrument panel used here* 23; 'instru"tor0s station for initiating failures, setting eather, moving the plane, et"...* B@ternal visual, left vie B@ternal visual, "enter vie B@ternal visual, right vie

3f "ourse, the 7-A must !e set up so that the "omputers "an talk to ea"h other, and the net ork must !e read# for an X-Plane multi-"omputer setup. 4ith the net ork "onfigured, open the Aet %onne"tions indo from X-Plane0s ;ettings menu on ea"h of the "omputers. ;ele"t the middle ta!, 2net 2, as seen !elo .

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instrument panel. 2f the user is "ontent ith the default panel la#out, an# of the sto"k planes "ould !e used. 4ith the first version of the plane read# 'the pilot-side version*, simpl# make a "op# of the airplane file and add SV"opilotS to the end of the name$for instan"e, if the file Q6oeing 7&7.a"fR as used for the pilot-side version, the "opilot-side version ould !e named Q6oeing 7&7V"opilot.a"fR. The "opilots-side airplane should !e saved in the same folder as the pilot-side plane. Ae@t, open the "opilot-side "op# in Plane-9aker and t eak the instrument panel as desired for the "o-pilot0s side of the "raft. ;ave it hen finished and "lose Plane-9aker. There should no !e t o "opies of the same plane, ea"h ith its o n instrument panel, ith names in the format of S nsert plane name.a"fS and S nsert plane nameV"opilot.a"fS. 6oth files should !e in the same folder. ;impl# "op# that hole air"raft folder from one of the "omputers over to the other, putting the air"raft folder in the same dire"tor# on the se"ond "omputer. /or e@ample, if, on the first "omputer, the folder as lo"ated inM %MW.o"uments and ;ettingsWPilotW.esktopWX-Plane 9W-ir"raftW6oeing 7&7W then, on the se"ond "omputer, it ould !e lo"ated inM %MW.o"uments and ;ettingsW%opilotW.esktopWX-Plane 9W-ir"raftW6oeing 7&7W 4ith that done, open X-Plane on ea"h "omputer, move the mouse to the top of the s"reen, "li"k on the ;ettings menu, then sele"t Aet %onne"tions, as sho n in the follo ing image.

This ta! allo s the user to "onfigure a multi-"omputer X-Plane s#stem. 3n ea"h "omputer, simpl# "he"k the !o@ des"ri!ing the Eo! of ea"h "omputer and enter the 2P address of hatever other "omputers are "alled for !# the te@t des"ription. 4ith that done, the sim should !e read# to fl#L 7et0s go through the spe"ifi" e@ample of setting up a "opilot0s instrument panel using a se"ond "omputer. This is re1uested often !# people ho are reall# pushing for a thorough simulation. A. %etting Up a )et6or2e" Copilot>s %tation 6e a are that there is more than one a# to set up a "opilot,s station. The method des"ri!ed here uses t o "omputers Eoined over a net ork. The other method, hi"h uses t o monitors atta"hed to one "omputer, is less e@pensive, !ut the results ma# not !e as good as hen using t o "omputers 'in hi"h "ase ea"h "omputer onl# has to dra half as mu"h*. 2nstru"tions on using t o monitors ith one "omputer to set up a "opilot,s station are found !eginning on page 1)&. To set up a net orked "opilot,s station, e ill need t o "omputers, ea"h running their o n "op# of X-Plane. These need to !e Eoined together ith either a single "rossover Bthernet "a!le or a pair of Bthernet "a!les hooked to an Bthernet hu!. The "omputers should form a simple 7-A, "onfigured as normal ithin the 9a" 3; or 4indo s, hatever the "ase ma# !e. The airplane file to !e used ill need t o "opies, !oth either "reated or modified using Plane-9aker. The first "op# 'for instan"e, named Q6oeing 7&7.a"fR* should have the pilot)side

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the name of the plane that it needs to open. Ao , on the pilot0s ma"hine, open the S nsert plane name.a"fS file. 2f ever#thing is set up "orre"tl#, the pilot0s ma"hine ill send all the appropriate data to the "opilot,s ma"hine '!e"ause the !P of e0tra *isualI3o32pit !o@ is "he"ked*, the "opilot0s ma"hine ill get the message '!e"ause the !P of ,aster ,a3hine !o@ is "he"ked*, and the "opilot,s ma"hine ill appl# the name SV"opilotS to the air"raft name '!e"ause of the name suffi@ that as entered*, and it ill open the "opilot0s plane on the "opilot0s ma"hine. A!. %etting Up Multiple Monitors - ver# "ommonl# asked 1uestion deals ith ho to set up a multiple-monitor simulator. 3ften, this is in referen"e to using three monitors in parti"ular. There are t o a#s to do this. The first is to use one "omputer ith multiple monitors 'either hooked dire"tl# to the video "ard or to a video splitter, like the 9atro@ Triple5ead2?o&7*, and the se"ond is to use multiple "omputers ith one monitor atta"hed to ea"h. 3!viousl#, ith all other things !eing e1ual 'e.g., hard are, rendering options*, having one monitor per "omputer ith multiple "omputers ill give the highest frame rate, simpl# !e"ause there is more "omputing po er !ehind ea"h !it of displa#. 5o ever, using a po erful video "ard ith a high fill rate, it should !e possi!le to use one video "ard or "omputer to drive man# monitors. 4e ill first e@amine the !etter of the t o options 'in terms of performan"e rather than "ost effi"ien"#*$using one "omputer per monitor, ith the "omputers net orked as spe"ified in the pre"eding se"tion, ;etting 8p -dvan"ed Aet orks '!eginning on page 130*.
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3n the pilot0s ma"hine, go to the 2net 1 ta! of the Aet %onne"tions indo . %he"k the first "he"k !o@ la!eled !P of e0tra *isualI3o32pit Jthis is ,aster ,a3hineK and enter the 2P address of the "opilot,s ma"hine. /or instan"e, in the image !elo , the "opilot0s ma"hine has an 2P address of 192.1:K.1.(.

3n the "opilot0s "omputer, go to the 2net 2 ta! of the Aet %onne"tions indo . %he"k the !o@ la!eled !P of ,aster ,a3hine Jthis is e0tra 3o32pitK and enter the 2P address of the first ma"hine 'the pilot0s, "onfigured in the paragraph a!ove*. /or instan"e, in the follo ing image, the pilot0s ma"hine has an 2P address of 192.1:K.1.).

Ao , on the lo er left, "li"k on the ,air"raft name reading suffi@, and enter SV"opilotS. This means that no matter what plane is opened on the pilot+s machine, this "omputer ill add SV"opilotS to

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A. Multiple Co,puters+ Multiple Monitors 7et0s assume e are to use four "omputers and four monitorsM one "o"kpit and three e@ternal visuals 'a "ommon setup*. ?o to the <endering 3ptions s"reen on ea"h of the three e@ternal-vie "omputers in X-Plane. Bnter a field of vie of &( degrees for ea"h of them. Bnter a lateral offset of -&( degrees for the left s"reen, 0 for the "enter s"reen, and &( degrees for the offset, ith 0 verti"al offset on all s"reens. This ill simpl# #ield a &(X&(X&( degree field of vie . 2f this is dra n out on a pie"e of paper, it !e"omes apparent that the &(-degree offsets on the left and right s"reens ill "ause them to perfe"tl# s#n" up ith the "enter s"reen. /rom there, the monitors need to ph#si"all# !e moved around the Q"o"kpitR 'that is, here a user ill sit hen fl#ing the sim* in a semi-"ir"le des"ri!ing a 1)(-degree field of vie . 2f this is not done, then the horiFon ill seem to not !e straight as the "raft pit"hes and rolls, "aused !# the Qfishe#e lensR effe"t. 2f a 1)( degree field of vie is des"ri!ed in a flat plane or in an ar" of monitors that des"ri!e less than 1)( degrees of ar", fishe#e distortion ill result, apparent as a horiFon that seems to !end and distort !et een monitors. 2n some "ases it is not desira!le for the monitors to rap around the Q"o"kpit,R !ut instead to simpl# !e lined up !eside one another in a flat plane 'as hen the monitors are sta"ked against a flat all*. 2n that "ase, an offset in degrees should not !e used, !ut rather an offset ratio. 2n the "ase of using offset ratio, a ratio of 1.0 ill "ause the lateral offset for that "op# of X-Plane 'in linear distan"e* to !e an amount e1ual to the distan"e !et een the user and the monitor. ;o, if the user is si@ feet from the monitor, and an offset ratio of 1.0 is used, then the "enter of that monitor should !e : feet off to the right to line up. Ao , sometimes people sit on the ground and see the horiFon

does not line up, so they enter vertical offsets on some of the display machines only in order to get the hori&ons to line up. The# 1ui"kl# !e"ome "onfused hen ever#thing !reaks do n as the# pit"h and espe"iall# roll. >erti"al offsets should not be set on some ma"hines !ut not others. -s soon as this is done, things start getting messed up. 4hat often happens is that a user ill fl# ith a "o"kpit in the "enter s"reen, here the "enter of the s"reen as far as s"ener# is "on"erned is pro!a!l# a!out )H& of the a# up the monitor 'in order to leave room for the instruments*, hile using e@ternal visuals on the lateral displa#s, hose s"reen "enters as far as s"ener# is "on"erned is right in the "enter of the monitor. 2n that "ase, the vie point "enter needs to !e set in Plane-9aker for hatever airplane is !eing flo n. This should !e set to the "enter of the monitor$)K& pi@els as of this riting, or half a# up the 7:K pi@el height. 8. One Co,puter+ Multiple Monitors 2f the "ost of a multi-"omputer setup is prohi!itive, a single "omputer "an !e used to drive multiple monitors. ;in"e the virtual demise of the 9atro@ Parhelia video "ard, a video splitter like the 9atro@ Triple5ead2?o&K is most often used. These video splitters tri"k the operating s#stem '4indo s or 9a" 3;* into seeing the three monitors together as a single super- ide displa#. To "onfigure this in X-Plane, simpl# spe"if# the QsingleR displa#0s resolution in the <endering 3ptions s"reen, !eing sure to also set a ide field of vie . The video splitter ill distri!ute X-Plane0s output automati"all# a"ross all three monitors. 3f "ourse, to do this ith a de"ent frame rate, the "omputer ill need a ver# po erful video "ard. There are plent# of other a#s to have multiple monitors on !oth 9a" and 4indo s "omputers, !ut the rule of using them in XPlane is simpleM 2f the monitors appear to !e one !ig desktop in
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the operating s#stem, then the# "an form one !ig indo in XPlane 'using the ide resolution and ide field of vie that results*. Just set the pi@el resolution and field of vie in the <endering 3ptions s"reen in X-Plane to mat"h hatever monitor real-estate is availa!le. This ill allo rap-around visuals from one "omputer. C. %etting Up a CopilotCs %tation Using T6o Monitors 6ith One Co,puter -s mentioned in the pre"eding pages, there are t o a#s of setting up a "opilot,s station. 3ne method ' hi"h is des"ri!ed on page 1)1* involves t o "omputers, ea"h running their o n "opies of X-Plane. The other 'des"ri!ed here* involves one "omputer outputting to t o monitors. 4ith this method, e ill "reate a single, dou!le- idth instrument panel, ith one side !elonging to the pilot and one to the "opilot. To !egin, "reate a "ustom panel in Photoshop that is 20&K @ 7:K pi@els 'dou!le the idth of the standard panel*, to allo room for !oth sides of the panel. ;ee the follo ing dire"tor# for e@amples of these panel imagesM X-Plane 9W2nstru"tionsWB@ample Plane-6asi"W"o"kpitWP-AB7;The .png files in that dire"tor# are e@amples 'though the# are o!viousl# onl# half the idth that is needed for the panel e need here*. 3n"e the 20&K @ 7:K instrument panel image ' hi"h is !ig enough for !oth sides of the panel* has !een "reated, load the airplane #ou ish to use in Plane-9aker. 4ith this open, "li"k the ;tandard menu and sele"t QPanelR 'either 2-. or )-.*. This !rings up the panel editing s"reen here, if the "o"kpit image as named and siFed properl#, #ou ill see that the

panel is in fa"t 20&K pi@els ideL /rom here, things are eas#M Just drag in instruments so that the pilot side instruments are on the left, and the "opilot side instruments are on the right. /or the "opilot instruments, !e sure to do the follo ingM %he"k the Copilot !utton in the !ottom "enter of the indo . This indi"ates hat pitot-stati"-va"uum s#stem ea"h instrument runs on. %he"k ea"h instrument as !eing on a different ele"tri"al !us than the pilot,s-side instruments, if desired, in the lo er-left. This ill put the "opilots instruments on different ele"tri"al and pitot-stati" s#stems, preparing the "raft for the ver# fun failuremodes of onl# failing one s#stem or another hen in flightL Ao , to fl# ith this air"raft, t o monitors must !e used on the "omputer sho ing the instrument panels. 6oth monitors must appear as one extended desktop in 4indo s. To do this in 4indo s XP, right "li"k on the desktop, sele"t Properties, and go to the ;ettings ta!. %li"k on the representation of the se"ondar# monitor there and make sure the QB@tend m# 4indo s desktop onto this monitorR !o@ is "he"ked. 2f this is not done, the simulator ill run ver# slo l#. 3n"e !oth monitors are setup as one e@tended desktop ' ith a resolution of, sa#, 20&K @ 7:K*, laun"h X-Plane on the "omputer and set its resolution to 20&K @ 7:K. 7oad the air"raft hose panel as Eust modified 'or "reated* and it,s read# to fl#L A!!. $lying 5eli3opters The follo ing is a des"ription of ho heli"opters are flo n in the real orld, along ith the appli"ation of this in X-Plane. -ll manner of different heli"opter la#outs "an !e found in realit#, !ut e ill dis"uss the standard "onfiguration here$a single

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overhead rotor ith a tail rotor in the !a"k. 5ere,s ho this orksM /irst, the main rotor provides the for"e needed to lift the "raft !# continually maintaining the same rotor R"% for the entire flight. The amount of lift generated !# the main rotor is onl# varied !# adjusting the blade pitch of the main rotor blades. ;o, imagine the one-and-onl# operational <P9 of a heli"opter is &00 <P9. 4hen the "raft is sitting on the ground, the rotor is turning &00 <P9, and the pit"h of the rotor0s !lades is a!out &ero. This means that the rotor is giving a!out &ero liftL 6e"ause the !lades have Fero pit"h, the# have ver# little drag, so it is ver# eas# to move them through the air. 2n other ords, the po er re1uired to turn the rotor at its operational <P9 is prett# minimal. Ao , hen the pilot is read# to go fl#ing, he or she !egins !# pulling up on a handle in the "o"kpit "alled the S"olle"tive.S 4hen this happens, the !lades on the rotor go up to a positive pit"h. -ll the !lades on the main rotor do this together at one time $S"olle"tivel#.S 3f "ourse, the# are then putting out a lot of lift, sin"e the# have a positive pit"h. B1uall# apparent is the fa"t that the# are harder to drag through the air no , sin"e the# are doing a lot more ork. 3f "ourse, sin"e it is a lot harder to turn the !lades, the# start to slo do n$if this ere allo ed to happen, it ould !e catastrophic, sin"e the "raft "an0t fl# hen its rotor isn0t turningL To "ompensate, at that point an# modern heli"opter ill automatically in"rease the throttle as mu"h it needs to in order to maintain the desired &00 <P9 in the rotor. To summariFe, this is the se1uen"e for getting a heli"opter in the air in X-PlaneM 1. 4hile on the ground, the "olle"tive handle is flat on the ground. This means the rotor pit"h is flat, ith minimum drag and Fero lift. 2n X-Plane, a flat collective corresponds to the throttle being full forward, or farthest from the user. The automati" throttle in the heli"opter is o!sessivel# at"hing the rotor0s <P9, adEusting the throttle as needed to hold e@a"tl#

&00 <P9 in the e@ample a!ove. 3n the ground, ith the "olle"tive pit"h flat, there is little drag on the !lades, so the po er re1uired to hold this speed is prett# lo . 2. 4hen the user de"ides to take off, sHhe does so !# raising the collective up !# pulling it up from the floor of the heli"opter. 2n X-Plane, this is done by easing the throttle on a joystick back down toward you. This in"reases the !lade pit"h on the main rotor and therefore in"reases its lift, !ut it also in"reases the drag on the rotor a lot. The rotor <P9 !egins to fall !elo &00 <P9, !ut the auto-throttle senses this and loads in ho ever mu"h engine po er it has to in order to keep the rotor moving at e@a"tl# &00 <P9. ). %ore "olle"tive is pulled in until the !lades are "reating enough lift to raise the "raft from the ground. The auto-throttle "ontinues adding po er to keep the rotor turning at &00 <P9 no matter ho mu"h the "olle"tive is raised or lo ered. 3n"e the "raft is in the air, the first-time heli"opter pilot0s first "rash is no dou!t !eginning. This inevita!ilit# "an !e dela#ed for a fe moments using the anti)tor*ue pedals. The main rotor is of "ourse putting a lot of tor1ue on the "raft, "ausing it to spin in the opposite dire"tion '!e"ause of "ourse for ever# a"tion there is an e1ual and opposite rea"tion$the rotor is t isted one a#, the heli"opter t ists the other a#*. This is here the anti-tor1ue pedals "ome in. The rotational tor1ue on the heli"opter is "ountered ith thrust from the tail rotor. Just push the left or right rudder pedal 'su"h as the %5 Produ"ts Pro Pedals&9* to get more or less thrust from the tail rotor. 2f rudder pedals aren0t availa!le, the t ist on a Eo#sti"k "an !e used for antitor1ue "ontrol. 2f the Eo#sti"k used does not t ist for #a "ontrol, then X-Plane ill do its !est to adEust the tail rotor0s lift to "ounter the main rotor0s tor1ue in flight.
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2n"identall#, the tail rotor is geared to the main rotor so that they always turn in unison. 2f the main rotor loses 10Z <P9, the tail rotor loses 10Z <P9. The tail rotor, like the main rotor, "annot "hange its speed to adEust its thrust. 7ike the main rotor, it must adEust its pit"h, and it is the tail rotor0s pit"h that is !eing "ontrolled ith rudder pedals or a t isting Eo#sti"k. 3n"e the "raft is in the air and the collective pitch of the main rotor is !eing adEusted 'in X-Plane, using the Eo#sti"k throttle*, tr# holding the "raft 10 feet in the air and adEusting the tail-rotor pit"h ith the anti-tor1ue pedals 'e.g., rudder pedals or a t isting sti"k* to keep the nose pointed right do n the run a#. /rom here, the Eo#sti"k should !e iggled left, right, fore, and aft to steer the heli"opter around. 5ere is ho this orksM 2f the sti"k is moved to the right, then the rotor !lade ill increase its pit"h hen it is in the front of the "raft, and decrease its pit"h hen it is behind the "raft. 2n other ords, the rotor !lade ill "hange its pit"h through a full "#"le ever# time it runs around the heli"opter on"e. This means that it "hanges its pit"h from one e@treme to the other &00 times per minute '7 times per se"ond* if the rotor is turning at &00 <P9. Prett# impressive, espe"iall# "onsidering that the "raft manages to sta# together under those "onditionsL Ao , hile it seems that the right name for this might !e the Sheli"opter destro#er,S the fa"t that moving the sti"k sends the !lade pit"h through one cycle ever# rotation of the rotor !lades means e "all the "ontrol sti"k the cyclic sti"k. ;o, e have the "olle"tive, "#"li", and anti-tor1ue "ontrols. 7et,s talk more a!out the "#"li". 4hen the sti"k is moved to the right, the rotor in"reases pit"h hen it is in the part of its travel that is in front of the heli"opter. This ill in"rease the lift on the front of the rotor dis", "ausing it to tilt to the right$remem!er that the g#ros"opi" for"es are applied 90 degrees along the dire"tion of rotation of the g#ros"ope. Ao that the rotor is tilted to the right, it

ill of "ourse drag the "raft off to the right as long as it is produ"ing lift. The fas"inating thing is that the rotor on man# heli"opters is totall# free-teetering+ it has a "ompletel# Sloose and flopp#S "onne"tion to the "raft. 2t "an "ondu"t &ero tor*ue 'left, right, fore, and aft* to the !od# of the heli"opter. 9aneuvering is onl# a"hieved !# the rotor tilting left, right, fore, and aft, dragging the top of the "raft underneath it in that dire"tion. The heli"opter !od# is dragged along under the rotor like livesto"k !# a nose-ring, !lindl# follo ing herever the rotor leads. 8se the a!ove information to hover perfe"tl#. 3n"e that is mastered, push the nose do n to tilt the rotor for ards. The lift from the rotor a"ting a!ove the "enter of gravit# of the air"raft ill lo er the nose of the heli"opter, and the for ard "omponent of lift from the rotor ill drag the "raft for ard as it flies along. A!!!. $lying the %pa3e %huttle <ead this se"tion !efore attempting ;pa"e ;huttle landings in XPlane if #ou ant #our virtual pilot to liveL The first rule of fl#ing a glider$1uite unlike fl#ing a po ered plane $is thisM Aever "ome up short. 4hen !ringing a po ered plane in for landing, if the pilot thinks the "raft ill not 1uite make it to the run a#, it is no !ig deal. ;he or he Eust adds a !it more po er to "over the e@tra distan"e. 2f a little more speed is needed, it is again no pro!lem$Eust add po er. ?liders pla# !# a different set of rules, though. There is no engine to provide po er, so hen setting up a landing, a pilot must !e sure to have enough altitude and speed to !e a!le to "oast to the airport, !e"ause if sHhe guesses lo !# even one foot, the "raft ill hit the ground short of the run a#, "rashing. ?liders must never !e lo on speed or altitude, !e"ause if the# ever are, there is no 1):

way of getting it !a"k$a "rash is assured. 'Thermals, or rising "urrents of air, provide the e@"eption to this rule. These "an give effi"ient gliders enough !oost to get the Eo! done, !ut thermals ill t#pi"all# provide less than (00 feet per minute of verti"al speed$ not enough to keep even a light eight %essna in the airL* Ao , ith the ;pa"e ;huttle, it is "ertainl# true that the air"raft has engines$three li1uid-fuel ro"kets putting out )7(,000 pounds of thrust each, to !e e@a"t. 'To put this in perspe"tive, a full#-loaded 6oeing 7)7 tips that s"ales around 1)0,000 pounds, so each engine of the or!iter "ould pun"h the 6oeing straight up at ) ?s indefinitel#. That is not even "onsidering the solid ro"ket !oosters atta"hed to the ;huttle,s fuel tank that provide millions of pounds of thrustL* ;o, the ;pa"e ;huttle has engines+ the pro!lem is fuel. The or!iter e@hausts ever#thing it0s "arr#ing getting up into or!it, so there is nothing left for the trip do n. Thus, the ship is a glider all the a# from or!it to its tou"h-do n on Barth. 4ith the final !it of fuel that is left after the mission, the or!iter fires its smaller deor!it engines to slo it do n to a !it over 1(,000 miles per hour 'that0s right$it slows down to a !it over ,-,... miles per hour/* and !egins its des"ent into the atmosphere. ;o, if a user ants to fl# the ;pa"e ;huttle, and the ;pa"e ;huttle is a glider from the time it leaves or!it to the time it tou"hes do n on Barth, that user must !ear in mind the "ardinal rule of glidingM 0lways aim long 'past the landing point* not short, because if ever you aim short, you are dead, because you cannot make up lost speed or altitude without engines. -im long sin"e the e@tra speed and altitude "an al a#s !e dissipated ith turns or speed!rakes if the "raft inds up !eing too high, !ut nothing "an !e done if it "omes up short. 2n o!servan"e of this rule, the 3r!iter intentionall# flies its glide from or!it extra high to be on the safe side.

6ut there is one pro!lem. 2t ould appear that if the 3r!iter flies its entire approa"h too high, it ill glide right past Bd ards. 2n realit#, this doesn0t happen for the follo ing reason. /or most of the re-entr#, the shuttle flies ith the nose way up for extra drag, and it makes steep turns to intentionall# dissipate the e@tra energ#. The nose-up attitude and steep turns are ver# ineffi"ient, "ausing the shuttle to slo do n and "ome do n to Barth at a steeper glide angle. 2f it ever looks like the or!iter might not 1uite !e a!le to make it to the landing Fone, the "re simpl# lo ers the nose to !e more effi"ient and level it out in roll to 1uit fl#ing the steep turns. This makes the or!iter then glide more effi"ientl#, so the "re "an stret"h the glide to Bd ards for sure. The e@tra speed and altitude is the a"e up their sleeve, !ut the dra !a"k is the# have to "onstantl# !leed the energ# off through steep turns 'up to 70 degrees !ank angleL* and drag the nose up 'up to &0 degreesL* to keep from overshooting the field. 4e ill no alk through the re-entr# pro"ess from the !eginning as it is done !oth in the real ;huttle and in X-Plane. -fter de-or!it !urn, the shuttle heads for the atmosphere at &00,000 feet high ith a speed of 17,000 miles per hour and a distan"e of (,)00 miles from Bd ards 'e1uivalent to landing in the 9oEave .esert after starting a landing approa"h est of 5a aii$ not a !ad pattern entr#L*. 2n realit#, the autopilot flies the entire )0minute re-entr#, and the astronauts do not take over the "ontrols of the shuttle until the final 2 minutes of the glide. The astronauts could fl# the entire re-entr# !# hand, !ut it is offi"iall# dis"ouraged !# A-;-, for o!vious reasons. These speeds and altitudes are a# outside of normal human "on"eption, so our a!ilit# to Shandfl#S these approa"hes is ne@t to nil. .uring the first one hundred A-;- ;huttle missions, the "raft as hand-flo n for the entire re-entr# onl# once, !# a former 9arine

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ho as read# for the ultimate risk and "hallenge.

!e put out !# the ings. )oteM 2f the airspeed indi"ator reads more than a!out 2(0 knots, the ings have enough air to generate the lift to "arr# the air"raft. 2f the airspeed indi"ator is sho ing less than a!out 2(0 knots, then the ings do not have enough air hitting them to lift the ;huttle, so it is still more or less "oasting in the thin upper atmosphere, here the air is too thin to do mu"h for "ontrolling flight. -s the airspeed indi"ator on the 58. graduall# starts to indi"ate a value 'as the air"raft des"ends into thi"ker air*, it means the "raft is starting to ease do n into the atmosphere at 1(,000 mph like a sun!urned !a!# tr#ing to ease into a !oiling-hot Ja"uFFi$very "arefull# and very slo l#. <emem!er, if the "raft as going 1(,000 mph in the thi"k air of sea level, it ould !reak up into a million pie"es in a mi"rose"ond. The onl# reason it survives at 1(,000 mph up here is the air is so thin that it has almost no impa"t on the ship. -gain, the airspeed indi"ator tells ho mu"h the air is reall# impa"ting the "raft+ 2(0 knots is a S"omforta!leS amount. The tri"k is to get the "raft moving mu"h slo er than 1(,000 mph !# the time it gets do n to the thi"k air of sea level$ and to have it doing so at Bd ards -ir /or"e 6ase. This is hat the re-entr# is for, to dissipate speed hile des"ending so that the 3r!iter is never going too fast for the thi"kness of the air that it is in. 2t should onl# des"end into the thi"ker air on"e it has lost some speed in the thinner air up higher. The hole thing should !e a smooth pro"ess herein the ship doesn0t get rammed into thi"k, heav# air at too high a speed. Ao , as the 3r!iter !egins to tou"h the outer mole"ules of the Barth,s atmosphere, users ill noti"e a slight a!ilit# to fl# the ship as some air !egins to pass over the ings. -t the same time, the 58. should !egin sho ing speed. Aoti"e the pi"ture of the 3r!iter on the right-hand B/2; displa#. The -tlantis alread# has this displa# retrofitted over its old steam gauges 'the B/2;s from

2n "ontrast, users fl#ing the ;huttle in X-Plane ill have to "omplete the entire mission !# fl#ing !# hand. There is not #et an autopilot for the ;pa"e ;huttle in X-Plane #et. A. 7al2through ?o to the /ile menu and sele"t 7oad ;ituation, then "li"k the %pa3e %huttle1 $ull 4e-entry !utton. X-Plane ill load the "raft at around &(0,000 feet, in spa"e, "oming do n at a speed of 9a"h 20. %ontrol ill !e limited in spa"e 'the "raft is operating off of small rea"tion Eets on the 3r!iter, set up as SPuffersS in Plane9aker*, !ut on"e the shuttle hits atmosphere, there ill !e some air for the flight "ontrols to get a grip on and the "raft ill a"tuall# !e a!le to !e "ontrolled. The ship ill first hit air at a!out &00,000 feet, !ut it ill !e so thin that it ill have almost no effe"t. The airspeed indi"ator at this point ill read around &ero1 interesting, sin"e the "raft is a"tuall# moving at over 17,000 mph. The reason for this is that the airspeed indi"ator orks !ased on ho mu"h air is hitting it, Eust like the ings of the or!iter do. 2n spa"e, of "ourse, that0s ver# little. The indi"ated airspeed ill !uild graduall# as the "raft des"ends. 8nder these "onditions, even though the ;huttle is a"tuall# slowing down, the airspeed indi"ator ill rise as it des"ends into thi"ker air that puts more pressure on the airspeed indi"ator. This oddit# of the airspeed indi"ator, though, is useful, sin"e the air is also putting more pressure on the wings. This means the airspeed indi"ator is reall# measuring ho mu"h for"e the wings "an put out, hi"h is reall# hat a pilot is interested in here. <estated, the airspeed indi"ator indi"ates the "raft0s true airspeed times the s1uare root of the air densit#. 2t indi"ates lo er speeds in thin air, !ut the ings put out less lift in thin air as ell, so the airspeed indi"ator orks ver# ell to tell the pilot ho mu"h lift "an

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the -tlantis are modeled ver# a""uratel# in X-Plane$astronauts "ould use it for familiariFation for sure*. 6oth the 3r!iter and the path do n to Bd ards should !e visi!le. The goal is to sta# on the "enter path. 2f the "raft gets a!ove it, it is either too fast or too high and might overshoot the landing. 2f it gets !elo it, it is either too slo or too lo and might not make it. <emem!er that the line is dra n ith a large margin for error, so if a pilot sta#s on the line, he or she ill have plent# of e@tra energ#. ?etting below the line a little ill onl# tap into the speedHaltitude reserve. ?etting !elo the line a lot ill keep the "raft from rea"hing Bd ards. The 3r!iter must sta# near the "enter green line. This green line represents the desired speed for the earl# part of the re-entr#, the desired total energy for the middle part of the re-entr#, and the desired altitude for the final phase of the re-entr#. This is the a# A-;- set up the B/2;. 2f the "raft is too fast or too high 'meaning it is a!ove the "enter line* then it is time to dissipate some energ#. Put the ;huttle in a steep !ank, pull the nose up, and hang onL The real 3r!iter ill have it nose up a!out &0 degrees and !e in a 70 degree !ank to tr# to lose energ# hile moving at 1&,000 mph, glo ing red hot, hurtling through the upper atmosphere on autopilot, and leaving a ten mile-long trail of ioniFed gas !ehind it hile the astronauts Eust at"h. ?o into some steep turns to dissipate energ# as needed to keep the ship from going a!ove the "enter green line. 7ook at the little !lue pointer on the far left-hand side of the far right displa#. That indi"ates ho high the nose is supposed to !e. The green pointer is here the nose is no $the# need to mat"h. The pointers Eust to the right indi"ate the desired and "urrent de"eleration. These indi"ators, though, ill not !e used to fl# !#. 7ook at the little pointer up top on the horiFontal s"ale. That is the "omputer,s estimation of ho mu"h !ank angle the "raft pro!a!l# needs to

sta# on the "enter green line. Pilots should follo the "omputer,s re"ommendation or their o n intuition for ho mu"h !ank to fl#, !ut the# must "ertainl# keep the nose up 'in order to sta# in the upper atmosphere* and fl# steep banks to dissipate the e@tra speed and altitude. 2t might !e tempting to Eust push the nose do n if the "raft is high, !ut don,t. The air"raft ould drop do n into the thi"k air and "ome to an a!rupt stop from the tremendous drag, keeping it from ever making it to Bd ards. 2t ould ind up s imming in the Pa"ifi" some here around 5a aii. Ao , as the pilot makes those steep turns, the air"raft ill graduall# !e pulled off "ourse. /or this reason, the turn dire"tion should !e s it"hed from time to time to sta# on "ourse. Turn left a hile, then right, then !a"k to the left again. This is hat the real 3r!iter does$it slalom-skis through the upper atmosphere at 9a"h 20. 4at"h Bd ards on the "enter B/2; displa#. This is the destination. 5it the TU0 ke# to see the 3r!iter on a fl#!#. 4at"h "arefull#$it0s going fast. 5it the T 0 ke# to get !a"k in the "o"kpit '!eing sure that the "aps lo"k is off*. -s the ship approa"hes Bd ards, right on the "enter green line on the right-hand displa#, there should !e a sort of a "ir"le out past Bd ards. This is the 5eading -lignment %#linder, or 5.-.%. The air"raft ill fl# past Bd ards at a!out K0,000 feet, then fl# around the outside of the (202C2 like it0s running around a dining room ta!le. -fter "oming around, it ill !e pointed right at Bd ards. 2f the "raft is still on the green line, its altitude ill !e Eust right for landing as ell. 2n the real ;huttle, this is usuall# here the pilot ill turn off the autopilot and hand-fl# in. The "raft should no !e doing a!out 2(0 or )00 knots, "oming do n at a!out 1(,000 feet per minute or so 'a!out 12( miles per hour of des"ent rate*. Aeedless to sa#, pilots do not ant to hit the ground ith that 12( miles per hour des"ent rate. .o not aim for the run a# ithout e@pe"ting to !e"ome a smear on it. 2nstead, aim for the flashing glideslope lights 2 miles short of the

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run a# that A-;- has thoughtfull# provided. 2f the# are all red, the "raft is too lo . 2f the# are all hite, it is too high, so the speed !rakes need to !e hit using the T:0 ke# or the mouse. 2f the lights are half red and half hite, the 3r!iter is right on its glideslope 'a!out 20 degrees*. -irliners fl# their approa"h at 12( knots ith a ) degree angle of des"ent, hile the ;pa"e ;huttle uses 2(0 knots and a 20 degree des"ent angle$not too unusual "onsidering pattern-entr# started est of 5a aii, a"tuall#. To re"apM the "raft should !e at 2(0 knots, on the green line, lined up ith the run a#. 2t should !e fa"ing half red, half hite glideslope lights ith the flashing stro!es !# them. This approa"h "onfiguration should !e held until the "raft is prett# "lose to the ground ') degree glideslope to the run a#*, then the des"ent should !e leveled and the gear put do n 'using the Tg0 ke# or the mouse*. Pull the nose up for a flare as the run a# approa"hes, "ausing the 3r!iter to tou"h do n smoothl#. 7o er the nose then and hit the para"hute and even the !rakes if the "raft ill !e allo ed to roll out. Ao , if a user "an Eust repeat that pro"ess another hundred times in a ro ithout a single hit"h, sHhe ill !e as good as A-;-. #pecial thanks to #andy "adilla for most of the #huttle re)entry information/ !X. $lying on Mars A-;- has ver# e@a"t data on the atmospheri" pressure, densit#, and temperature on 9ars. The# also have ver# e@a"t data on the gravit# of 9ars, as ell as rough topographi" maps for the entire planet and ver# detailed maps for some areas. /urthermore, the la s of ph#si"s, hi"h are programmed into X-Plane, are e@a"tl# the same on Barth as on 9ars. X-Plane needs atmospheri" pressure, densit#, temperature, gravit#, and topographi" maps to deliver an engineering-a""urate flight simulation.

X-Plane "an simulate flight on 9ars. 8se the S;et planet to 9arsS option 'found in the 7o"ation menu* to go to 9ars+ use the "orresponding S;et planet to BarthS option to go !a"k. A. !ntro"u3tory =etter The follo ing is an email sent !# -ustin 9e#er, author of X-Plane, to the X-Plane "ommunit#, at &M)( -9 on /e!ruar# 2&, 2000. 2t is reprinted here in its original, "offee-fueled form. 2 .2. P3;;267= T5B 93;T BX%2T2A? T52A? 2 5->B B>B< .3AB T3A2?5T. '3G, te"hni"all# 2 finished it T52; 93<A2A?*. -s some of #ou ma# kno , 2 have !een gathering data on 9artian atmosphere, gravit#, surfa"e Ste@tureS, and topograph# for X-Plane from various A-;- sites 'httpMHHltp .gsf".nasa.govHtharsisHmola.html(0, for e@ample* 2 do A3T #et have the T3P3?<-P5= for 9ars, !ut 2 .3 have ever#thing else, and 2 have gotten it all entered into X-Plane and designed t o planes to fl# on 9ars as ell, and have !een e@perimenting ith deign and flight on 9ars for the last : hours or so. '%ould 2 !e the first human to fl# a real-time flight simulation of 9arsJ 2 have seen man# SmoviesS of Sfl#ingS over 9ars terrain, !ut A3AB have !een hooked to an a"tual realisti" /72?5T 93.B7... has A-;- done a <B-7-T29B simulation of 9ars flight in a P273TB. air"raftJ 5as -A=3ABJ* 4ell, 2 have for the last : hours, -A. 2T 2; /<2??2A /-;%2A-T2A?. /irst of all, the atmosphere is 3AB PB<%BAT as thi"k on 9ars as it is on earth... 2A.2%-TB. airspeed is proportional the s1uare root of the air densit#, so the 2A.2%-TB. airspeed is 3AB TBAT5 the true airspeed. The resultJ 2f #ou take off ith :0 knots on the airspeed indi"ator,
(0

httpMHHltp

.gsf".nasa.govHtharsisHmola.html

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#our <B-7 speed is ;2X 58A.<B. GA3T;L 'a!out 9a"h 1* Take it from me, 9a"h-1 takeoffs are 1uite a thing to !ehold, hen the plane ill !arel# leave the run a# at that speed. 4hile there is almost no -2< for #ou, #ou do have the 'sort of* advantage of onl# a!out 3AB T52<. the ?<->2T=, so it is three time easier to get air!orneL <esultJ - take-off in a ell-designed airplane "an o""ur at a SmereS &00 knots or so, indi"ating all of &0 knots on the airspeed indi"atorL ;ound eas#J 2T 2;A,T, 6B%-8;B 4527B =38< ?<->2T= '4B2?5T* 2; 3A7= 3AB-T52<. 3/ B-<T5,;, =38< NN`2AB<T2-bNN 2; ;T277 T5B<B 2A /877 /3<%BL ;o #ou are fl#ing ith onl# 1H) the total lift of hat #ou are used to having to sta# in the air, hi"h seems fine 8AT27 2T %39B; T29B T3 T<= T3 T8<A 3< /7-<BLLLLL T5BA #ou see that hile the lift for ;T-=2A? air!orne is onl# 1H) of Barth,s, the 2AB<T2-, and thus the lift needed to %5-A?B .2<B%T23A 'this in"ludes the landing flareL* 2; ;T277 T5B<B 2A /877 /3<%BL The pro!lem is, #ou .3A,T 5->B T5-T G2A. 3/ 72/T, ;2A%B T5B -2< 2; ;3 T52AL 6ottom lineM -ll airplanes on 9ars are -2<63<AB T2T-A2%;M <ipping !lissfull# along, una are of their impending doom due to their ina!ilit# to T8<A against their tremendous inertia. 7andings are impossi!le ithout arresting gear. 2f #ou "an ork the flare out right 'it 2; possi!le ith advan"e planning* then #ou ill tou"h do n doing a!out &00 mph. Ao ho do #ou stopJ -`P-<-%58TBJ A3PBLLLL &00 mph is onl# &0 mph orth of drag due to the thin air. =ou ill run off the end of the run a# going 100 mph ith the "hute onl# SseeingS 10 mphM 8;B7B;; for slo ing do n -`6<-GB;J A3PBLLL =ou onl# have one-third gravit#, so onl# 1H) of #our eight on the heels. A3 T<-%T23AL -`<everse thrustJ A3PBLLLL 4ith onl# 1Z atmosphere, Eet or prop engines "an put out !asi"all# no thrust... Eust !arel# enough to keep the airplane in flight at ma"h-0.K(.. the Eet plane needs a J-T3 to take offL ;o ho do #ou stopJ 2 finall# ent ith -<<B;T2A? ?B-<. 2

kno of no other a# to avoid !lasting off the end of the run a# at 200 knots ith the "hute uselessl# deplo#ed and !rakes uselessl# lo"ked. ;peaking of hi"h, %<-;5B; are interesting. Ao air drag to slo the tum!ling planes do n, and little gravit# to drag them to a stop against the groundL %rashes look like Sthe -gon# of .efeatS from the 3l#mpi"s here the gu# on the do nhill ski-Eump !ites it near the top of the ramp and tum!les on and on and on, po erless to stop an a""ident that started hundreds of #ards earlierL 'though on mars, at &00 mph, #our plane ill tum!le a"ross the plains for 927B;L* %<82;2A? -73A? 3>B< 9-<; is ;PB%T-%87-<, ith the s"ar# red-orange 9artian sk#, ne 9artian ro"k#-red terrain te@tures, >2;267= thinner air'L* 'due to modified lighting in 3pen?7, modified fog in 3pen?7, and visi!ilit# of stars*.. #ou reall# "an tell #ou are half a# !et een air and spa"eL <eturning to Barth, #ou feel like #ou are fl#ing in soup# aterL =ukL ;o hat sort of planes "an fl# on 9arsJ Aot an#thing from Barth, that,s for sure. Aot enough lift or thrust. - %essna or 6oeing ill Eust sit there on the ground ithout even moving. Put them in the air and the# drop like !eveled !ri"ks ith no ings. 6oth of m# 9ars-plane "on"epts are mu"h like the 8-2 ;p# plane 'designed to operate at around 100,000 ft, in similar densit# air* one ith a 58?B high-!#pass Eet engine !uilt -<38A. T5B /8;B7-?B, and another ith a smaller ro"ket engine in the tail, like the X-1(. The ro"ket plane has a lo er-thrust engine, ith plent# of fuel, for a!out )0 minutes of flight or so... the JBT plane "an fl# for hoursL 9# designs are realisti" 'again, !ased on the 8-2, ith redu"ed eight for the lo er stru"tural needs 'lo er gravit#* and modern '"omposite* materials*. The ro"ket-plane is prett# mu"h guaranteed feasi!le 'kno n te"hnolog# a"ross the !oard* !ut the Eet-po ered one 2 am not sure a!out sin"e 9ars has so little 3X=?BA in the atmosphere it ma# !e impossi!le to keep a tur!ofan engine running. '9# 9ars Eet-plane has t i"e the average fuel-"onsumption, though, to simulate inEe"tion of li1uid o@#gen or nitrous o@ide*. 6ottom line, 2 no kno it 2; possi!le to !uild and

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fl# a piloted plane on 9ars and 2 no kno hat it ould !e like. 'though 2 used a 10,000 ft run a# ith arresting ires... none of those on 9ars no 2 admit*. 8. Tips

That "ould ork, !ut at"h out for the "an#on or "rater all hen approa"hing and departing, or fa"e impa"ting the "rater all at the speed of soundL 3f "ourse, the speed of sound is around the minimum speed needed to fl# on 9ars. X. $or3e $ee"ba32 in X-Plane

4ith the latest versions of X-Plane, the 9artian terrain is finall# availa!le. 4e0ll no dis"uss touring that terrain. X-Plane has planet)wide 9ars elevation data thanks to A-;-,s 9ars 3r!iting 7aser -ltimeter 'or 937-, a satellite or!iting 9ars that gathered terrain elevation data on the entire planet*. -ll of this s"ener# has !een gridded for X-Plane. %ontrar# to "ommon assumption, 9ars is not flat, ith a fe meteor impa"ts here and there$not even "loseL /or e@ample, even though 9ars is one half the radius of Barth ' ith one 1uarter the surfa"e area*, it has "an#ons that make our ?rand %an#on look like a fish pond ')0,000 feet deepL*. 2t has a vol"ano :(,000 feet tall. The atmosphere is gone to essentiall# pure va"uum at 1((,000 feet, so if one "lim!s the vol"ano, he or she is a!out half a# to spaceL 9ars has far more topographi" variet# than Barth, on a planet ith onl# a 1uarter of the surfa"e area, so the sight-seeing !# air is intense. The ma@ allo a!le visi!ilit# in X-Plane has !een raised to :0 miles hen on 9ars so that the grand vistas "an !e taken in. -ir"raft designed for Barth ill simpl# not fl# on 9ars. 2t is re"ommended that one of the air"raft found in the 9ars Planes folder ' ithin the -ir"raft folder* !e used. Taking off and landing is interesting. - pilot is tempted to pi"k a ni"e, high spot to make an airport so that there are no o!stru"tions to a landing approa"h. 5o ever, the air is so thin up there that air"raft "an hardl# fl#L 2n that "ase, ma#!e a pilot ants an airport at the !ottom of a "an#on or meteor "rater here the air is thi"ker.

3ne interesting addition to X-Plane 9.)1 and later is the option to drive for"e-feed!a"k "ontrols. This unlocks the potential to build some amazing simulators with X-Plane that could achieve very high levels of certification. To the force feedback options, first open up Plane-Maker (found in the X-Plane 9 installation directory). Load the aircraft for which the force feedback controls will be modified (by clicking on the File menu and selecting Open). With the aircraft open, open the Standard menu and click Control Geometry, as shown below.

2n the indo that opens, go to the %ontrol /or"es ta!, as sho n in the follo ing image.

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took 10 pounds of force to move the elevator 50%, one would enter 20 pounds for the force for full up-elevator; because it took 10 pounds to go halfway, it must take 20 pounds to go all the way to the stops, assuming that the control force is linear with displacement. Of course, in reality, the control force might not be perfectly linear with displacement, but this is probably a decent approximation. Let's go through each variable that can be set here. A. 4eferen3e %pee" for Pit3h $or3e C. Pit3h :a,ping Start by entering 0 here, and then increasing the force a bit if needed. This simply is the number of pounds that will resist the speed of the control deflection to damp out oscillations. Depending on your hardware, it may be that none is required. Of you may need to enter some value damp out rapid motions of the yoke.

:. 4oll+ Ea6+ an" 8ra2e 4eferen3e %pee"s an" $or3es Same as for pitch, of course. Just enter the speeds at which you deflected the controls in the real plane, and the force required to fully-deflect those controls. For safety, it makes sense to only partially deflect the controls in flight and then multiply the force that you enter into Plane-Maker to be the force that would be required to get full-scale deflection, using linear extrapolation. (Note that commanding full down elevator is extremely dangerous in a real aircraft. It can over-stress the plane's structure even below maneuvering speed.) /. Turbulen3e an" 9roun" I think you should probably enter 0 here, but if you want the stick to thrash around a bit in turbulence or on the ground, then try entering values here to get a nice response.

2magine #ou take the airplane up, fl# it at 90 knots indi"ated airspeed 'kias*, and it takes 10 pounds of for"e to move the elevator aft (0Z of it,s travel. In this case, your reference speed for pitch force is 90 knots. This is the speed for which you recorded the elevator force in the real plane. 8. $or3e for $ull Up-/le*ator To the right of the reference speed for pitch force is the force for full up-elevator control. Using the previous example, where it

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$. %tall an" %ha2er For the aerodynamic stall, enter the number of oscillations per second that are desired to flop the stick back and forth, and the number of pounds of force that result. Ditto that for the artificial stick-shaker. 9. 5y"rauli3 $or3e !n3rease If you are simulating a plane that operates with hydraulic boost that can be lost, then enter how much stiffer the controls get here when hydraulic pressure is lost. 5. $or3e Ma0i,u,s /or safet#, e "an limit all for"es to pre-determined values... enter those ma@imums hereL X!. Co,bat in X-Plane 8sers often ask ho to simulate air "om!at in X-Plane. X-Plane is not a "om!at simulator$it does not simulate damage on air"raft, so on"e a plane is hit, its engines simpl# sputter out and it glides do n to earth.

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.. %upple,ent1 Airfoil-Ma2er
Ao let,s talk a!out the -irfoil-9aker appli"ation, found in the XPlane 9 installation dire"tor#. !. Menus The menus of -irfoil-9aker are ver# simpleM

iii. %a*e 8se this to save an airfoil that i*. %a*e As 8se this to save an airfoil that different name. *. /0it as "reated or modified under a as "reated or modified.

A. About The -!out menu0s onl# option, >ersion, ill displa# the version of the program and "he"k for updates from the @-plane."om e!site. 8. $ile Menu The file menu orks Eust like the file menu of an# ord pro"essor or spreadsheet appli"ation. /iles are "reated, loaded, and saved here+ the onl# differen"e is that, instead of te@t do"uments, -irfoil9aker is opening and saving files that represent airfoils. i. )e6 8se this to generate a ne airfoil. ii. Open 8se this to open an e@isting airfoil for vie ing or modifi"ation.

B@it -irfoil-9aker. !!. :esigning an Airfoil Bver# airfoil ever designed has its o n spe"ifi" "hara"teristi"s, hi"h are its "oeffi"ients of lift 'ho mu"h the airfoil ants to lift up*, drag 'ho mu"h the airfoil ants to pull !a"k*, and moment 'ho mu"h the airfoil ants to pit"h up*. A. The Coeffi3ient 9raph .ominating the design s"reen is a large !la"k graph ith green, red, and #ello lines on it, like the follo ing image.

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This is the "oeffi"ient displa# !o@, and it displa#s, for hatever angle of atta"k the mouse it pointing at, the "oeffi"ients of the airfoil at that angle of atta"k. Just point the mouse at the part of the "urve #ou are interested in, and look at the e@a"t "oeffi"ients in the "oeffi"ient displa# !o@. The left edge of the graph "orresponds to an angle of atta"k of -20 degrees, and the right edge "orresponds to an angle of atta"k of X20 degrees. Therefore, moving the mouse to the left edge of the "hart ill "ause the alpha1 reading in the !la"k !o@ to go to -20, "orresponding to the -20 degree angle of atta"k. The same goes for the right edge ith its X20 degree angle of atta"k. The "enter of the "hart represents an angle of atta"k of Fero degrees. '<emem!er that the angle of atta"k is the angle of the ing to the air. 2t is the angle at hi"h the ing hits$Satta"ksS$ the air*. The green line in the graph is the "oeffi"ient of lift, "alled 3l in the "oeffi"ient displa# !o@ in the !ottom left. The red line is the "oeffi"ient of drag, "alled 3" in the "oeffi"ient displa# !o@. The #ello line is the "oeffi"ient of moment, "alled 3, in the "oeffi"ient displa# !o@. 4e,ll look at the !ehavior of ea"h of these lines !elo . 8. 4eynol"s )u,ber 9oving the mouse around in the graph ill "ause the num!ers displa#ed in the !la"k !o@ in the !ottom left of the s"reen 'seen in the follo ing image* to "hange in real time. 2n the upper left of the s"reen is a num!er la!eled 4e, for <e#nolds num!er, as highlighted in the follo ing image.

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C. Coeffi3ients

The <e#nolds num!er is simpl# the air densit# times the speed of the airplane times the "hord of the ing divided !# the vis"osit# of air '4o L*. B@periments have sho n that a ing0s "oeffi"ients of lift, drag and moment var# some hat ith <e#nolds num!er. /or re"reational purposes, e "an pro!a!l# negle"t an# "hange in performan"e ith <e#nolds num!er, thus ignoring this setting altogether. The num!er entered in the <e#nolds num!er !o@ ma# have some impa"t, ho ever, on the simulation. /or highest realism, users "an generate t o different airfoil files for the same airfoil in -irfoil-9aker, ea"h file at a different <e#nolds num!er, and assign them !oth to a ing in Plane-9akerL X-Plane ill figure out the <e#nolds num!er on ea"h pie"e of the plane at least 10 times per se"ond and interpolate !et een the t o airfoil files to give the most realisti" "oeffi"ients for that flight <e#nolds num!er. Pilots should realiFe that ver# good a""ura"# "an !e o!tained ithout tou"hing the <e#nolds num!er at all, and ithout generating t o airfoil files for ea"h airfoil. 9ost users "an ignore the a!ove paragraph and the S<e#nolds num!erS slot in the airfoil generation s"reen ithout sa"rifi"ing a good simulation.

i. Coeffi3ient of =ift The green line in the graph a!ove is the "oeffi"ient of lift. Aoti"e that at Fero degrees angle of atta"k 'the "enter of the graph* the "oeffi"ient of lift is fairl# lo + it is "lose to the thin hite line that represents Fero. -s the angle of atta"k in"reases, the 1&7

"oeffi"ient of lift in"reases right along ith it, until it rea"hes around 1: degrees angle of atta"k, at hi"h point the "oeffi"ient of lift falls a!ruptl#. That is representing the stallL 7ooking at the negative angles of atta"k, one sees that the "oeffi"ient of lift a"tuall# gets negative. 2f #ou go to a large enough negative angle of atta"k, the airfoil stalls then, too. 2t is possi!le to stall upside do nL - good ing ill have a de"ent "oeffi"ient of lift 'ma#!e 0.&* at angles of atta"k "lose to Fero, and a ni"e high "oeffi"ient of lift 'ma#!e 1.:* at the ma@imum angle of atta"k. - safe airfoil ill also have a stall that is not too a!rupt. 2n other ords, the "oeffi"ient of lift ill fall off graduall# at the stall, rather than sharpl#. ii. Coeffi3ient of :rag The red line on the graph on the previous page is the "oeffi"ient of drag. Aoti"e that the "oeffi"ient of drag is lo est "lose to Fero degrees angle of atta"k. The drag gets higher and higher as the ing goes to larger and larger angles of atta"k. That is not surprising, is itJ The higher the angle the ing is offset from the airflo , the greater the dragL 2t doesn,t matter mu"h hether the ing moves to positive or negative angles of atta"k 'that is, hether the ing is aimed up or do n*+ moving the ing a a# from its most streamlined position in"reases its drag. - good airfoil ill o!viousl# have the lo est drag possi!le. 'Aoti"e that this drag "oeffi"ient does not in"lude the drag due to the produ"tion of lift. X-Plane ill figure this drag out automati"all#*. iii. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent The #ello line in the graph on the previous page is the "oeffi"ient of moment.

The "oeffi"ient of moment is the tenden"# of the ing to pit"h up a!out its a@is, or rotate up ards a!out the spar. 9ost ings a"tuall# ant to pit"h do n, so the "oeffi"ient of moment is usuall# negative. The moment varies a !it ith angle of atta"k, often in a#s that are a little !it surprising. T#pi"all# the moment ill !e negative for all normall# en"ountered angles of atta"k, de"reasing 'that is, !e"oming more negative* espe"iall# as the angle of atta"k is in"reased. This "ontinues until the stall, at hi"h point the moment heads !a"k to Fero. - desira!le "hara"teristi" of an airfoil is usuall# to have a lo "oeffi"ient of moment. :. 9eneral !nfo i. $in"ing Coeffi3ients 9an# users onder ho to find hat the "oeffi"ients are for the airfoils of their o n airplane. To do this, the user must first find hat airfoil the air"raft uses, pro!a!l# from the manufa"turer. Then, "he"k to see if that airfoil is in"luded ith X-Plane. 2f a user is fl#ing a %essna 1K2, for e@ample, that air"raft uses the A-%2&12 airfoil, hi"h is in"luded. %essna 1K2 o ners, then, do not need to generate their o n airfoil for that ing. 8sers ho do not kno hat airfoil to use should leave them as the defaults of Plane-9aker. ii. 4e3o,,en"e" 8a32groun" 4ea"ing -irfoil sele"tion is a fun and interesting pro"ess, !e"ause one looks for the !est possi!le "om!ination of lift, drag, and moment "hara"teristi"s for a parti"ular airplane. /or users that ill !e e@perimenting ith their o n airplane designs and are ne to the matters dis"ussed in this "hapter, e highl# re"ommend the follo ing !ook to get startedM R3C %odel 0irplane Design 1&K

02!2 'ennon %otorbooks nternational "ublishers and 4holesalers, nc2 The !ook is intended for radio "ontrol designs, !ut is ver# straightfor ard, eas# to understand, and all of the prin"iples appl# to full-s"ale air"raft. 3n"e users understand the !asi"s of airfoil theor# and nomen"lature, e re"ommendM 5heory of 4ing #ections 0bbot and Von Doenhoff %c!raw)(ill, 6ew 7ork 8,9:9; -n oldie !ut goodieL This !ook has the lift, drag, and moment plots of man# airfoils in it, so the reader "an "hoose their favorite airfoil for a design and then enter it into the "omputer using the te"hni1ue des"ri!ed !elo . iii. Types of Airfoils 2n the follo ing dis"ussion, thin and s#mmetri"al, thi"k and highl# "am!ered, and Qnormal general aviationR airfoils ill !e dis"ussed. These t#pes of airfoils serve as a good introdu"tion !e"ause the# are so different from one another. Thin, s#mmetri"al airfoils are thin and have the same shape on !oth the top and !ottom surfa"es. The# do not produ"e ver# mu"h lift or drag. The# t#pi"all# are used for verti"al sta!iliFers and often horiFontal sta!iliFers as ell !e"ause the# are not "alled upon to produ"e a lot of lift, and are not e@pe"ted to produ"e mu"h drag, either. 8se thi"k, high-"am!ered airfoils in the foreplanes of "anards, or other appli"ations here #ou ant a 7-<?B amount of lift from a ;9-77 ing area. These foils are kno n for providing a large amount of drag as the penalt# for providing a large amount of lift.

;o-"alled Snormal general aviation airfoilsS, like the A-%- 2&12 'seen in the follo ing image*, are "ompromises !et een the t o, and are good "andidates for the ing of a general aviation air"raft.

;uper"riti"al, laminar-flo , and other possi!le groupings of airfoils e@ist, !ut for the purposes of our dis"ussion e ill "on"entrate on the thin and s#mmetri"al, thi"k and highl# "am!ered, and Snormal general aviationS airfoils Eust outlined. /. 9enerating Airfoils i. Coeffi3ient of =ift !nter3ept Ao let,s a"tuall# generate an airfoil. The "ontrol to modif# first is the "oeffi"ient of lift inter3ept "ontrol, found in the upper left, as highlighted in the follo ing image.

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ii. Coeffi3ient of =ift %lope This is the in"rease in "oeffi"ient of lift per degree in"rease in angle of atta"k. - thin airfoil has a value of a!out 0.1. - reall# fat airfoil has a value of a!out 0.0K. /atter airfoils have slightl# lo er lift slopes. '=ou ill find, ho ever, that lift slopes are almost al a#s ver# "lose to 0.1*. The "oeffi"ient of lift slope is modified using the slope "ontrol highlighted !elo .

To in"rease this num!er, Eust "li"k right a!ove the digits that #ou ant to in"rease, and !elo the ones that #ou ant to de"rease. /or e@ample, if the lift inter"ept on the s"reen is 0.2( 'as in the previous image*, and #ou ant to "hange it to 0.)) to model #our airfoil, Eust "li"k a!ove the S2S in S0.2(00S and t i"e !elo the S(S in S0.2(00.S This is ho all of the data for the entire design and simulation s#stem is "hanged. The "oeffi"ient of lift inter"ept is the "oeffi"ient of lift at an angle of atta"k of 0 degrees. /or a s#mmetri"al airfoil, this ill al a#s !e Fero, sin"e, in su"h an airfoil, the air is doing e@a"tl# the same thing on the top and !ottom of the ing at Fero degrees angle of atta"k. ;#mmetri"al airfoils are sometimes used for horiFontal sta!iliFers, and are almost al a#s used for verti"al sta!iliFers. ;leek, skinn# ings ith lo "am!er might have a lift inter"ept of 0.1. /at, highl# "am!ered foils have a value around 0.:. - t#pi"al airfoil like the A-%- 2&12 '"ommonl# used in general aviation* has a value of a!out 0.2.

iii. Coeffi3ient of =ift Cur*ature )ear the %tall -s the angle of atta"k gets "lose to stall, the lift slope is no longer linear. 2nstead, it graduall# levels off as it approa"hes the ma@imum, or stalling, "oeffi"ient of lift. This value is modified !# the first po6er "ontrol, highlighted in the s"reenshot !elo . 1(0

Just pla# ith this "ontrol until #ou find a po er "urve that "onne"ts the linear and stalling regions smoothl#. %han"es are a po er of around 1.( ill ork prett# ell. Just pla# ith it until the lift "omes up smoothl#, then graduall# levels off to the stall, sin"e that is hat happens ith a real airfoil. i*. Coeffi3ient of =ift Ma0i,u, This is the ma@imum "oeffi"ient of lift, or the "oeffi"ient of lift right !efore the stall. - ver# thin, s#mmetri"al airfoil has a value of around 1.0. - thi"k, highl# "am!ered airfoil has a value of around 1.K. - t#pi"al general aviation foil might have a value of around 1.:. This value is modified using the ,a0i,u, "ontrol, highlighted in the follo ing image.

*. Coeffi3ient of =ift !,,e"iate :rop at %tall This is the drop in lift that immediatel# follo s the stall. /or thin airfoils, hi"h tend to stall sharpl#, this value might !e 0.2. /or man# airfoils, ho ever, there is no immediate drop, !ut instead a more gradual one as the angle of atta"k is further in"reased. 2n most "ases, this num!er ill !e Fero or ver# "lose to Fero. This is modified using the "rop "ontrol highlighted in the follo ing image.

1(1

*i. Coeffi3ient of =ift Cur*ature After the %tall .ifferent airfoils have different lift slopes after the stall. /or skinn# airfoils that stall sharpl#, the po er should !e fairl# lo , perhaps around 1.&. /or fat airfoils ' hi"h usuall# have more gentle stalling "hara"teristi"s* this num!er ma# !e "loser to 2.0. This setting is "ontrolled via the !o@ highlighted in the follo ing image.

Just pla# ith the po6er "ontrol until the graph looks like the data #ou are tr#ing to model from the airfoil "hart in hatever !ook #ou are getting #our airfoil data from. *ii. Coeffi3ient of =ift :rop fro, %tall to 0 :egrees This is the de"rease in "oeffi"ient of lift from the stall to an angle of 20 degrees. This num!er, modified using the "rop "ontrol highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot, might !e in the 0.& range for a thi"ker airfoil, 0.: for a thinner one.

1(2

This minimum "oeffi"ient of drag also should not in"lude the Qlo drag !u"ketR of a laminar flo ing. - thi"k or highl# "am!ered airfoil has a value of a!out 0.01. - t#pi"al older general-aviation airfoil su"h as the A-%- 2&12 has a value of a!out 0.00:, and a reall# thin, s#mmetri"al airfoil has a!out a 0.00( value. 7aminar flo airfoils "an approa"h values of 0.00&, !ut that num!er should not !e entered here, !e"ause it ill !e addressed in the laminar drag !u"ket "ontrols dis"ussed !elo . i0. Coeffi3ient of =ift at 7hi3h Mini,u, :rag O33urs Bnter the "oeffi"ient of lift at hi"h the minimum drag o""urs in the ,in-" 3l "ontrol, highlighted !elo .

The A-%- 2&12 has a value of a!out 0.&. 'The "oeffi"ient of lift goes from around 1.: to 1.2 as the angle of atta"k goes from around 1: to 20 degrees*. *iii. Coeffi3ient of :rag Mini,u, The "oeffi"ient of drag minimum, la!eled 3"-,in in the image !elo , is the minimum "oeffi"ient of drag of the airfoil. 3n"e again, this does not in"lude induced drag, hi"h is determined automati"all# !# the X-Plane simulator. This value is pro!a!l# ver# "lose to the "oeffi"ient of lift at Fero degrees angle of atta"k, "alled the lift inter"ept$the ver# first num!er e entered. 2f an#thing, the minimum "oeffi"ient of drag o""urs at a "oeffi"ient of lift a little lo er than the lift inter"ept "oeffi"ient of lift. This is !e"ause an airfoil usuall# has the least drag at an angle of atta"k of a!out Fero degrees or Eust a hair lo er. 0. Coeffi3ient of :rag at Angle of Atta32 of 10 :egrees This value is modified using the " alphaP10 "ontrol highlighted in the follo ing image.

1()

perfe"tl# smooth airflo a"ross a large part of the ing. This flo pattern is "alled Slaminar flo S 'hen"e the "ompan# name S7aminar <esear"hS*. This super smooth, lo -drag flo "an onl# happen at fairl# small angles of atta"k, though, so there is a Slo drag !u"ketS, or area in a small angle of atta"k range, that has lo er-than-normal drag. The drag !u"ket lo"ation is usuall# thought of in terms of the "oeffi"ient of lift. 2n other ords, the "enter of the drag !u"ket o""urs at some "oeffi"ient of lift of the airfoil. This might happen at a "oeffi"ient of lift of around 0.:. /or a thin, s#mmetri"al airfoil, this value might !e around 0.01(. The A-%- 2&12 "omes in ith a surprisingl# good 0.012. - reall# highl# "am!ered airfoil might !e around 0.02(, though. 0i. Coeffi3ient of :rag Cur*ature This value is set !# the first po6er "ontrol in the drag se"tion, highlighted in the follo ing image. The laminar drag !u"ket lo"ation is set using the 3l lo3ation "ontrol highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot.

0iii. =a,inar :rag 8u32et 7i"th The laminar drag !u"ket idth, set using the 6i"th "ontrol highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot, refers to ho Q ideR the !u"ket is, or hat range of "oeffi"ient of lift the drag !u"ket "overs. - de"ent guess ould !e 0.&.

The po er "urve is simpl# the "urvature of the drag "urve as it "hanges ith angle of atta"k. =ou ill have to fiddle ith the "urvature until the "urve looks like the e@perimental data, !ut theoreti"all# this num!er ill !e around 2. 0ii. =a,inar :rag 8u32et =o3ation ;ome airfoils, "alled Qnatural laminar flo R or SA7/S airfoils, have

1(&

) to (. 0i*. =a,inar :rag 8u32et :epth 0*i. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent =o6-Alpha Change Point This is the all-important varia!le. The "epth "ontrol, highlighted in the image !elo , determines ho mu"h the airfoils drag is redu"ed !# going to laminar flo . 2deall#, this ill !e around 0.002. That is a"tuall# 1uite a !it, though+ it might turn a "oeffi"ient of drag of 0.00: to 0.00&$1uite a large per"entage differen"e. The "oeffi"ient of moment is usuall# linear a"ross the non-stalled angle of atta"k range. 2n other ords, if the airfoil is not stalled, the moment "urve is usuall# a straight line. -fter the stall, ho ever, the moment "oeffi"ient tends to "hange dire"tion. /or the A-%- 2&12, the moment "oeffi"ient has its lo angle of atta"k moment "hange at 10 degrees, a point "orresponding to roughl# X& degrees !efore the stall. This point of "hange is set using the alpha 1 "ontrol highlighted !elo .

0*. =a,inar :rag 8u32et Cur*ature This is set using the se"ond po6er "ontrol in the drag se"tion of the indo , highlighted in the follo ing image.

0*ii. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent 5igh-Alpha Change Point This "hara"teristi", set using the alpha "ontrol 'highlighted !elo *, determines here the moment "oeffi"ient "hanges dire"tion ith a positive angle of atta"k. The po er "urve is simpl# the "urvature of the lo drag !u"ket. =ou ill have to fiddle ith the "urvature until the "urve looks like the e@perimental data, !ut "han"es are this num!er ill !e around

1((

0i0. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent at =o6-Alpha Change Point This is set using the 3, image. "ontrol, highlighted in the follo ing

The A-%- 2&12 airfoil has its high angle of atta"k moment"hange right at the positive stalling angle of 1: degrees. 0*iii. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent at 0 :egrees This is set using the 3, 1 "ontrol, highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot. /or the A-%- 2&12, this num!er is a!out -0.0(, hi"h is a light pit"h-do n. - ing ith a higher "am!er ill have a value of around -0.10, perhaps even -0.1). - s#mmetri"al airfoil ill have no pit"h tenden"# at all here, so 0.0 should !e entered for that t#pe of airfoil. 00. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent at 5igh-Alpha Change Point This is set using the 3, 3 "ontrol, highlighted in the follo ing image.

/or the A-%- 2&12, this num!er is a!out 0.07(. Aoti"e that this is a positive num!er. This means that if the airfoil is at a "lear negative angle of atta"k, it ill stall and tr# to pit"h !a"k up to an angle of atta"k "loser to Fero. This is a ni"e effe"t, !e"ause the airfoil tends to tr# and re"over from the stall automati"all#.

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onl# !# that airplane*. /or the A-%- 2&12, this num!er is a!out 0.02(, hi"h is a ver# light pit"h-do n. - ing ith a higher "am!er ill have a value of around 0.10, perhaps even 0.1). - s#mmetri"al airfoil ill have no pit"h tenden"# at all here, so 0.0 should !e entered for that t#pe of airfoil. 00i. Coeffi3ient of Mo,ent at 0 :egrees This is the "oeffi"ient of moment ell into the stall, set using the 3, & "ontrol highlighted in the follo ing image.

/or the A-%- 2&12, it is a!out -0.10. This is a moderate pit"hdo n, hi"h is desira!le !e"ause this pit"h-do n ill help re"over from the stall. $. $inishing Up %hange all of the parameters around a !it as dis"ussed a!ove, then sele"t ;ave -s from the /ile menu. T#pe in an airfoil name and hit Bnter. %ongratulationsL =ou have Eust generated #our o n airfoilL .rop it in the -irfoils folder in #our X-Plane 9 folder 'so that it ill !e usa!le !# all planes* or a folder that #ou make "alled S-irfoilsS in the same folder as #our airplane designs 'to !e used

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10. %upple,ent1 Plane-Ma2er

!. Plane-Ma2er :es3ription Plane-9aker is a program !undled ith X-Plane that lets users design their o n air"raft. 8sing this soft are, nearl# an# air"raft imagina!le "an !e !uiltL 3n"e all the ph#si"al spe"ifi"ations of the airplane have !een entered ' eight, ing span, "ontrol defle"tions, engine po er, airfoil se"tions, et".*, the X-Plane simulator ill predi"t ho that plane ill fl#. -irplanes are saved in Plane-9aker Eust as one ould save a ord pro"essing do"ument. These files are then opened in X-Plane and flo n. 8sers "an "reate a .Fip file of all the "omponents of the airplane and distri!ute that C2P on the 2nternet for others to fl#. Planes "reated !# others "an also !e do nloaded and used in the simulator. XPlane.org0s S.o nload 9anagerS page(1 is "urrentl# a good pla"e to upload and do nload these planes. Aote that information on ho to add air"raft to X-Plane is found in %hapter 7, ;e"tion 2, -dding Third-Part# -ir"raft on page 11 . This "hapter ill "over the !asi"s of !oth the "reation and distri!ution 'likel# over the 2nternet* of air"raft using Plane-9aker. !!. =i3ensing of Planes Create" in Plane-Ma2er 8sers are free to do whatever they like ith planes the# have "reated. The end-user li"ense agreement 'B87-* of X-Plane is prett# simple. 2t !egins, S=ou "an use X-Plane for an#thing #ou antLS 3ne e@"ellent use for Plane-9aker is to "reate the airplane of one0s dreams, fl# it in X-Plane, and then upload it to the 2nternet
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for others to fl#L Bven !etter, if a "ompan# has an e@"iting airplane, it "an !e !uilt in Plane-9aker, test flo n in X-Plane, and then put on the "ompan#0s e!-site for "ustomers or potential "ustomers to do nloadL -n#one that has X-Plane ill !e a!le to do nload the virtual version of the airplane and fl# it in X-Plane. This is great !e"ause it ill first tea"h more people to fl# the airplane '"reating potential "ustomers* and then improve the "urren"# of those that alread# fl# it '"reating safer "ustomers*. 3f "ourse, Plane-9aker "an also !e used to enter an air"raft that a user alread# has and flies ever# da#, simpl# for the purpose of keeping up the pilot0s sti"k-and-rudder and instrument skills. !!!. Using Plane-Ma2er to Ma2e a Plane 4e ma#, at some point, rite the 200-page !ook needed to e@plain ever# detail of entering a user0s o n design in Plane9aker, !ut the follo ing are the !asi"s, hi"h are enough to get users started and orking on their o n. /irst, open the X-Plane 9 folder and dou!le "li"k on Plane9aker.e@e to get Plane-9aker running. 3n"e it opens, go to the /ile menu and sele"t 3pen. ;ele"t the 2nstru"tions folder and then sele"t one of the B@ample Plane airplanes. 3ne of the e@ample planes has a 2-. instrument panel hi"h is easiest to "ustomiFe, and one of them has a )-. "o"kpit hi"h is harder to "ustomiFe !ut provides an e@ample of a )-. virtual "o"kpit if the user de"ides to make one. 3n"e an airplane has !een opened in Plane-9aker, the ke# to mastering the soft are is to simpl# go to ever# menu item in Plane-9aker, noting the hundreds of parameters of the airplane that "an !e "hanged. '4ant to tr# fl#ing ith t i"e the po erJ T i"e the eightJ 5alf the ing-areaJ Tr# itL* 3n"e a fe parameters have !een "hanged, it is time to save the plane and fl# it. To do this, go to the /ile menu and sele"t ;ave 1(K

httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJauto"omNdo nloads

-ir"raft. Ao , laun"h X-Plane and sele"t /ile ` 3pen -ir"raft. ;ele"t the airplane that as Eust saved in Plane-9aker and voilaL The ne l#modified airplane loads, read# to fl#. This is the pro"ess for "reating air"raft and fl#ing them in X-Plane. !A. A""ing Airfoils to a Plane in Plane-Ma2er 2t should !e prett# self-e@planator# ho to enter all the data into Plane-9aker 'all the !uttons are "learl# la!eled*, !ut one 1uestion that "omes up a lot is, Q5o do 2 atta"h various airfoils to m# air"raft, parti"ularl# at different <e#nolds num!ersJR. 7ike ever#thing in X-Plane, this is prett# eas# on"e the !asi"s are mastered. /irst, note that X-Plane does not look at the shape of the ing and then de"ide ho mu"h lift, drag, et". the foil ill put out. X-Plane is not a "omputational fluid d#nami"s program. 2nstead, X-Plane uses pre-defined airfoils that list the performance of an# airfoil 'lift, drag, moment* to predi"t ho the plane ill fl# ith that foil. To learn ho to enter that performan"e, read %hapter 9 'the -irfoil9aker supplement, found on page 1&5* of this manual, as it details ho to enter the lift, drag, and moment of an# given airfoil at an# given <e#nolds num!ers. Ao , let,s imagine that #ou have Eust "reated two foils in -irfoil9aker, one for a A-%--2&12 at <e N ) million, and one at <e N 9 million. =ou might save the foils ith names like SA-%- 2&12<e).aflS and SA-%- 2&12-<e9.aflS. The -irfoil-9aker manual e@plains ho to do this. 4ith this done, laun"h Plane-9aker and open the airplane. Then go to the B@pert menu and sele"t the -irfoils menu item.

2n the indo that opens, ta! over to the area "ontaining the various different ings that the airplane has. 7et,s take the 4ings ta!, for e@ample. =ou ill noti"e that there are & airfoils listed for the S4ing 1S !o@. 5o "ould one ing have four airfoilsJ Bas#L There "ould !e one t#pe of ing at the tip, another at the root, ith linear interpolation in !et eenL There "ould !e one airfoil file for low <e#nolds num!ers, and another for high <e#nolds num!ers, ith X-Plane interpolating in !et een. That "omes to four airfoil files$t o <e#nolds num!ers at the root 'on the left* and t o <e#nolds num!ers at the tip 'at the right*. The lo er <e#nolds num!ers go at the top of the !o@, the higher <e#nolds num!ers go at the bottom. Just hold the mouse over the gra# !o@ to the left of ea"h airfoil name to get a reminder of this if needed. Ao , for the e@ample of the h#potheti"al plane a!ove, #ou ould sele"t '!# "li"king on the little gra# !o@ to the left of the airfoil names* SA-%- 2&12-<e).aflS for the upper left, and SA-%2&12-<e9.aflS for the lo er left, assuming the ing uses a A-%2&12 at it,s root and X-Plane needs to give a""urate performan"e at <e#nolds num!ers of ) and 9 million, ith linear interpolation in !et een. The same goes, of "ourse, for the ing tip, and all the other foils on the plane. A. $inishing the Plane 6ith Custo, Co32pits+ Paint+ an" %oun"s 4e0ve "overed ho to "reate, modif#, upload, and do nload airplanes for X-Plane, !ut an air"raft has !een "reated in Plane9aker, the dis"erning user ill noti"e that the instruments are all X-Plane standard, the sounds are all X-Plane standard, and the airplane is simpl# gre#. To take the air"raft to the ne@t level of "ustomiFation, ith "ustom paint, instruments, and sounds, let0s look at some e@amples. 1(9

2n the operating s#stem, open the X-Plane 9 folder. ?o into the 2nstru"tions folder and find the QB@ample Plane-6asi"R folder. This is the e@ample "raft ith a 2-. "o"kpit onl#. 4e ill use this to see hat sorts of things "an !e "ustomiFed on the airplane. The B@ample.a"f file in this dire"tor# is the a"tual air"raft file that "ontains all the data that defines the airplane. This is hat is saved in Plane-9aker. A. Custo, Paint 3pen the various B@ampleVpaint.png files. These are the paintEo!s for the plane. The# "an !e painted an# a# a user likes in Photoshop 'or even 9; Paint* to make them perfe"t for a parti"ular design. The files ma# !e saved as either .!mp or .png. Aoti"e the B@ampleVprop.png file. 2ts name is self-e@planator#. 3f "ourse, the prop images "an !e modified as ell. /or an# plane, simpl# follo the naming "onvention seen in this folderM name paintEo!s as Qaircraft nameVpaint.!mpR and Qaircraft nameVpaint2.!mp.R Ba"h !itmap ma# "urrentl# !e up to 102&@102& in siFe. -ll !itmaps must !e po ers of 2 in siFe 'that is, 2, &, K, 1:, )2, :&, 12K, 2(:, (12, or 102& pi@els in idth and height*. To "ontrol hat part of the plane lives in hat !itmap 'sin"e #ou have up to t o !itmaps*, go to the B@pert menu in Plane-9aker, and sele"t the Te@ture <egion ;ele"tor indo . 8. Custo, Panels an" !nstru,ents

airplane. Ba"h of the instruments seen there ma# !e "opied to an air"raft folder and "ustomiFed Eust like the fe sample "ases seen in the B@ample Plane folder. 4hen opening the e@ample "raft in X-Plane, the instrument panel and altimeter ill !e stunningl# ugl#. This is simpl# to make it o!vious at a glan"e that the# are "ustom, non-standard instruments. 2n "on"lusion, simpl# follo the model seen here, using the instrument names and folders as in the <esour"esW!itmapsW"o"kpitW folder, and "ustomiFe all of X-Plane,s instruments for an airplane. C. Custo, %oun"s 7ook in the e@ample plane0s ;ounds folder to see some "ustom sounds asso"iated ith this plane. -ll it takes to add a "ustom sound is to make a 4-> file and name it as S0ircraft name engnx. avS, here the x is the engine num!er '1 for left, 2 for right*. .rop that file into the ;oundsWengineW folder and it0s read# to go. /or a "omplete list of all the sounds that "an !e "ustomiFed, look in the X-Plane 9W<esour"esWsoundsW folder. Just like the <esour"esW!itmapsW"o"kpitW folder is a list of all the instruments that "an !e "ustomiFed, the <esour"esWsoundsW folder "ontains a list of all the sounds that are "ustomiFa!le !# pla"ing them in an air"raft0s folderL /ollo these simple "onventions and add hatever "ustom sounds are needed. :. Custo, 7eapons an" %lung =oa"s

Ao look in the %o"kpit folder ithin the B@ample Plane dire"tor#. 2n this folder are Eust a fe "ustom panel and altimeter files. Aeedless to sa#, these parti"ular "ustom files are Eust the tip of the i"e!erg. 7ook in the X-Plane 9W<esour"esW!itmapsW"o"kpitW folder to see the appro@imatel# 7(0 instruments that "an !e added to an

Plane-9aker "an also !e used to "reate missiles and !om!s for an air"raft. 2n Plane-9aker, go the B@pert menu and sele"t 6uild 4eapons. There, users "an make and save a eapon. =ou ill !e saving a . pn file that should go in the air"raft0s 4eapons 1:0

folder. /or e@ample, look in the e@ample plane0s 4eapons folder. This is here the users ould save eapons. The B@ampleV eapon.!mp file is simpl# the paint that goes on the eapon. Aote, of "ourse, that one "an have a good handful of eapons on a given plane. The 4eapons indo "an also ork ith slung loads 'a Jeep "arried !# a 6la"k 5a k heli"opter, for e@ample*. These o!Ee"ts "an !e sele"ted as a slung pa#load in the 4eight and /uel indo , sele"ted from the -ir"raft menu in X-Plane. These o!Ee"ts "an !e saved in the )-. editor -%).. - "ustom te@ture for the slung load "an !e "reated !# spe"if#ing an image to use in the 36J file. /. Custo, 3-: Co32pits an" 8o"ies Ao e "ome to the pinna"le of air"raft designing$making "ustom )-. "o"kpit and !odies for an airplane ith a )-. editor. This goes !e#ond the !asi" 2-. "o"kpits and the simple shapes of the standard airplanes and up into the level of total "ustomiFation and a""ura"#. 7ook at the e@ample plane0s B@ampleV"o"kpit.o!E. This is the )-. virtual "o"kpit, if #ou ant #our plane to have one. 6# default, pressing %trl X 3 'that is, the "ontrol ke# and the To0 ke#* in XPlane ill send the "o"kpit into )-. mode. /rom there, use the a, s, d, , r, and f arro ke#s and the mouse to move around in the )-. "o"kpit. 7ook at the e@ample plane0s B@ampleV"o"kpitVte@ture.png. This is the te@ture that ill !e used in the 'totall# optional* )-. virtual "o"kpit, if one e@ists. The )-. panels are "reated as o!Ee"t files ith a .o!E e@tension. These 36J files are simpl# )-. o!Ee"ts that X-Plane "an dra . To "reate them, users ill need an editor that "an "reate )-. o!Ee"ts

and save them in the 36J format. -%). 'do nloada!le here(2* is one su"h editor. /ull do"umentation on "reating o!Ee"t files is found at s"ener#.@plane."om(), !ut a !rief des"ription follo s. A!. Creating Ob<e3ts for X-Plane Users sometimes mean different things when asking how to create objects to be used with X-Planesome may mean the aircraft themselves, some the scenery objects, and some the 3-D cockpits. The answer as to how to create them varies depending on what is being discussed. First of all, for the aircraft itself, there is only one answerthe XPlane .acf file, as saved by Plane-Maker (bundled with the simulator and located in the X-Plane 9 directory). X-Plane looks at this file to determine flight physics, mass properties, engine power and limits the works. As such, it is highly customized to X-Plane and could never be any sort of all-purpose" format. This means that you can only use Plane-Maker, and nothing but PlaneMaker, to make the aircraft. While Plane-Maker is perfectly adequate for entering the design of the plane (it is bug-free, easy to use, not too fancy, and reliable) Plane-Maker is not a 3-D model editor. Instead, it is used to lay out the basic aerodynamic shapes and properties which result in an airplane that looks okay, but would certainly not knock anyones socks off. As such, it can not make the complex 3-D model that is needed to make a cool 3-D cockpit, or to make a highly detailed aircraft model that might overlay the basic PlaneMaker model from which flight physics are calculated. These 3-D models can also be used to create buildings and other custom objectsnot just plane overlays and cockpits. So, to repeat:
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httpMHH .inivis."omHdo nloads.html httpMHHs"ener#.@-plane."omH

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1. Plane-Maker can be used on its own to make a model for XPlane. It will look okay and will fly fine. It will be pretty good. 2. In addition to this Plane-Maker model, you can make a 3-D cockpit to sit inside the plane, or a highly detailed aircraft model to overly the basic X-Plane model, which could actually be made with transparent textures to be invisible, if you desire. Clearly, users can use Plane-Maker, which comes with X-Plane, to do part 1 above, but not part 2. See the "Example Aircraft" in the "Instructions" folder for a very simple example. So, what editor does one use for part 2? To do part 2 of the above, you will need a 3-D editor capable of saving an object in the X-Plane OBJ format. Note: This is not the same as the Alias OBJ format. The following file formats can be used to create X-Plane OBJ files: 3DS (Autodesk 3D Studio) DXF (Autocad) OBJ (Alias Wavefront) AC (AC3D) MD2 (Quake model) WRL (VRML) LWO (LightWave) TXT (Milkshape) With each of these file extensions, users need to convert the objects to ones usable by X-Plane. This is often done by opening the file in AC3D, then using the X-Plane plugin downloadable here54 to export the file as an X-Plane OBJ. Alternatively, after an object has been created in 3DS or Autocad, ObjConverter may to be used to convert it. ObjConverter comes in the Scenery Tools pack, downloadable here55.
httpMHHs"ener#.@-plane."omHtools.php (( httpMHHs"ener#.@-plane."omHtools.php
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Alternatively, direct export to an X-Plane OBJ file is available in the two free 3-D editors by Jonathan Harrisboth Google Sketchup56 and Blender57. Note: All of these exports are limited by file format issues: 3DS doesn't feature lines, only meshes. DXF/Autocad has no texturing info. Lightwave's texturing model doesn't correspond to ours very well. VRML conversion between programs doesn't usually work well. There may be other issues, too, in converting between formats. In all cases, though, the file needs one texture per object. The bottom line is that there are a lot of ways to get objects into XPlane from just about any 3-D editor imaginable. If it isn't on this list, and the 3-D editor is decent, it can probably export to one of these formats such as 3DS, Alias Waverfront OBJ, or similar. For pure "meshes" made with one texture, no tricks, 3DS seems to be the most reliable conversion format for simple work. A!!. :istribution 3n"e an air"raft is "omplete, it,s time to get it out thereL ?o to XPlane.org(K and "reate a free a""ount. Then, make a single folder that holds #our airplane, and a folder ithin that folder that holds an# "ustom airfoils #ou ma# have made 'if #ou have not alread#*. People often upload airplanes !ut forget to upload their airfoils. That doesn0t orkL 6e sure to give the .a"f file inside the folder a re"ogniFa!le name.
httpMHHsket"hup.google."omH httpMHH .!lender.orgH (K httpMHH .@-plane.orgH
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Put an# "ustom airfoils #ou made inside a folder "alled Qairfoils,R hi"h lives inside the main folder for the airplane, and put the hole thing into a .Fip file. 4indo s users "an use right "li"k on the folder, move the mouse do n to Q;end to,R and sele"t Q%ompressed 'Fipped* folder.R 9a" users "an option-"li"k on the folder and "hose S%reate -r"hive.S -ll that0s left is to upload the plane. This is a great a# to let others see #our design, espe"iall# for "ommer"ial purposes, like letting the orld test-fl# #our "ompan#0s plane virtuall#... at Fero "ost to #ouL A!!!. %u,,ary 4e have no dis"ussed ho to make, modif#, and upload "ustom airplanes to fl# in X-Plane. -s ell, e0ve talked a!out "ustomiFing the paint, instruments, sounds, eapons, slung loads, and even )-. "o"kpits. Ao it0s time to get to orkL

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11. %upple,ent1 X-Plane %3enery 4esour3es

The main resour"e for users interested in "reating s"ener# for XPlane is the X-Plane ;"ener# homepage(9. 6efore doing an#thing that "ould affe"t X-Plane on #our s#stem, make sure #ou take steps to save important models, plug-ins, et". 4ork ith an X-Plane installation that is easil# repla"ea!le should it !e "orrupted or damaged in an# a#$to easil# do this 'assuming there is enough room on the hard drive*, simpl# "reate a ne folder and "op# the "ontents of the X-Plane 9 folder alread# on the "omputer to it. This folder "ould !e named QX-Plane TestingR or something similar. This a#, if an#thing goes "atastrophi"all# rong, all it takes to restore it the program to a orking state is to delete the "ontents of the se"ondar# folder and re-"op# the simulator. !. :o6nloa"ing Pre-Ma"e %3enery - num!er of e!sites offer free, read#-made s"ener# for do nload. -mong them are the X-Plane.org ;"ener# page:0 'a good resour"e for a ide variet# of s"ener#* and Ted0s X-Plane ;"ener# page:1 ' hi"h has lots of ver# detailed airports*. !!. 8uil"ing Custo, Airports /or users ho Eust ant to make an airport look lived in, the

easiest thing to do is to install the 3pen;"ener#X tool:2. This is a huge li!rar# of !uildings, stati" air"raft, and other o!Ee"ts. 3ne need onl# drop them in pla"e ith 3verla# Bditor:). 9em!ership 'free* at X-Plane.org is re1uired to do nload. -nother great sour"e of stati" air"raft are the li!raries of %;7 kits:& do nloada!le at X-Plane.org. These are meant for use to displa# other air"raft hen fl#ing online ith X;1ua k6o@, !ut the#,re simpl# air"raft o!Ee"t files. -s su"h, the# "an !e in"orporated in s"ener#. Please note that, hen !uilding s"ener# like this for personal use, no "op#right restri"tions appl#. 5o ever, the %;7 kits are "op#righted !# their various authors, so one ould need their permission !efore selling s"ener# using these kits. 3pen;"ener#X, on the other hand, is free to use in s"ener# pa"kages. The developer0s one re1uirement is that users in"orporate !# referen"e, meaning that their s"ener# makes referen"es to the 3pen;"ener#X o!Ee"ts !ut does not in"lude "opies of them. 'Aote that an#one ho installs a pa"kage "reated this a# ould have to install 3pen;"ener#X as ell.* !!!. Con*erting 9oogle /arth %3enery for Use in X-Plane ?2XP7:( is a '4indo s-onl#* utilit# that "onverts ?oogle satellite photos into X-Plane terrain te@tures. - "ouple of prett# impressive videos are linked to on the do nload page sho ing hat the tool is "apa!le of.
httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJ auto"omNdo nloadsIsho fileN222: :) httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJ auto"omNdo nloadsIsho fileN72: :& httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJauto"omNdo nloadsIsho "atN12 :( httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJ auto"omNdo nloadsIsho fileN&7K)
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%hris Gern has ritten a tool "alled Xplage:: that drives a ?oogle Barth moving map displa#. ?maps for X-Plane:7 is a 9a" utilit# that "reates X-Plane s"ener# from ?oogle 9aps images. )oteM Test ea"h of these utilities "arefull#, as things "an "hange from version to version of X-Plane.

httpMHH ."hriskern.netH"odeH@planeTo?oogleBarth.html httpMHHforums.@-plane.orgHinde@.phpJ auto"omNdo nloadsIsho fileN:9K)

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Appen"i0 A1 5o6 X-Plane 7or2s

!. X-Plane>s 8la"e /le,ent %i,ulation /0plaine" X-Plane assimilates the geometri" shape of an# air"raft and then figures out ho that air"raft ill fl#. 2t does this !# an engineering pro"ess "alled S!lade element theor#+Q hi"h involves !reaking the air"raft do n into man# small elements and then finding the for"es a"ting on ea"h little element man# times per se"ond. These for"es are then "onverted into a""elerations hi"h are then integrated to velo"ities and positions. 3f "ourse, all of this te"hni"al theor# is "ompletel# transparent to the end users$the# Eust fl#L X-Plane goes through the follo ing steps to propagate the flightM A. /le,ent 8rea2"o6n .one onl# on"e 'during initialiFation*, X-Plane !reaks the ing's*, horiFontal sta!iliFer's*, verti"al sta!iliFer's*, and propeller's* 'if e1uipped* do n into a finite num!er of elements. The num!er of elements is de"ided !# the user in Plane-9aker. Ten elements per side per ing or sta!iliFer is the ma@imum, and studies have sho n that this provides roll rates and a""elerations that are ver# "lose to the values that ould !e found ith a mu"h larger num!er of elements. 8. Aelo3ity :eter,ination This is done t i"e per "#"le. The air"raft0s linear and angular velo"ities, along ith the longitudinal, lateral, and verti"al arms of ea"h element are "onsidered to find the velo"it# ve"tor of ea"h element. .o n ash, prop ash, and indu"ed angle of atta"k from

lift augmentation devi"es are all "onsidered hen finding the velo"it# ve"tor of ea"h element. Prop ash is found !# looking at the area of ea"h propeller disk, and the thrust of ea"h propeller. 8sing lo"al air densit#, X-Plane determines the prop ash re1uired for momentum to !e "onserved. .o n ash is found !# looking at the aspe"t ratio, taper ratio, and s eep of the ing, as ell as the horiFontal and verti"al distan"e of the S ashed surfa"eS 'normall# the horiFontal sta!iliFer* from the S ashing surfa"eS 'normall# the ing*, and then going to an empiri"al look-up ta!le to get the degrees of do n ash generated per "oeffi"ient of lift. C. Coeffi3ient :eter,ination The airfoil data entered in Part-9aker is t o dimensional, so XPlane applies finite ing lift-slope redu"tion, finite- ing % 7ma@ redu"tion, finite- ing indu"ed drag, and finite- ing moment redu"tion appropriate to the aspe"t ratio, taper ratio, and s eep of the ing, horiFontal sta!iliFer, verti"al sta!iliFer, or propeller !lade in 1uestion. %ompressi!le flo effe"ts are "onsidered using Prandtl-?lauert, !ut transoni" effe"ts are not simulated other than an empiri"al ma"h-divergent drag in"rease. 2n supersoni" flight, the airfoil is "onsidered to !e a diamond shape ith the appropriate thi"kness ratio+ pressures !ehind the sho"k aves are found on ea"h of the plates in the diamond-shaped airfoil and summed to give the total pressures on the foil element. :. $or3e 8uil"-Up 8sing the "oeffi"ients Eust determined in step three, as ell as the areas determined during the first step and d#nami" pressures 'determined separatel# for ea"h element !ased on air"raft speed, altitude, temperature, prop ash and ing s eep*, the for"es are found and summed for the entire air"raft. /or"es are then divided !# the air"raft mass for linear a""elerations, and moments of

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inertia for angular a""elerations. /. 8a32 to 7or2 The pro"ess is repeated from step t o, and the hole thing is run over again at least 1( times per se"ond. -ren,t "omputers greatJ !!. A"*antages of 8la"e /le,ent %i,ulation This method of "omputing the for"es on the airplane is mu"h more detailed, fle@i!le, and advan"ed than the flight model that is used !# most other flight simulators. 9ost other simulators use something "alled Ssta!ilit# derivativesS to "ompute ho an airplane flies. This te"hni1ue involves simpl# for"ing the nose to return to a "entered position along the flight path ith a "ertain a""eleration for ea"h degree of offset from straight-ahead flight of the airplane $for ever# degree of angle of atta"k the nose is raised, the nose should return to "enter ith a "ertain a""eleration. This is a perfe"tl# ni"e rule of thum!, !ut is far too simplisti" to use a"ross the flight envelope of the airplane. ;ta!ilit# derivatives ill not normall# take into proper a""ount the as#mmetri" affe"ts of engine failures, the "haoti" effe"ts of tur!ulen"e, stalls, and spins, and the m#riad of d#nami" effe"ts that are generated !# the props of planes and the rotors of heli"opters, su"h as spiraling slipstream, P-fa"tor, and translational lift. -s ell, these simplifi"ations "an not easil# "onsider su"h effe"ts as transoni" drag rise and "ompressi!ilit# hi"h effe"t different parts of the airplane in different a#s at different speeds, angles of atta"k, sideslips, and rotation rates. ;ta!ilit# derivatives ill t#pi"all# sa#, S3ka#, e are fl#ing at 9a"h 0.K, so e add (Z to our drag due to "ompressi!ilit#,Q in a situation here !lade element theor# ill sa#, S3ka#, e are fl#ing at 9a"h 0.K, !ut the ings are s ept at &( degrees, and the plane

is in a ( degree right side-slip, so the effe"tive s eep on the left ing is onl# &0 degrees, !ut the effe"tive s eep on the right ing is (0 degrees, and the plane is rotating at 10 degrees per se"ond to the right, so the advan"ing ing has an e@tra 10 knots of speed at the ingtip due to this rotation, !ut the retreating ingtip has 10 knots less speed due to this rotation, and the roll rate is )0 degrees per se"ond to the right, hi"h in"reases the angle of atta"k from nothing at the "enter of the plane to 2 degrees at the right ingtip and negative 2 degrees at the left ingtip, and the plane is pit"hing up at 10 degrees per se"ond, hi"h adds 1.( degrees of angle of atta"k to the tail and takes a a# 0.1 degrees angle of atta"k on the main ing !e"ause it is in front of the "enter of gravit#, and the "hanges in angle of atta"k "ause in"rease in indu"ed drag on the horiFontal sta! redu"tion in indu"ed drag on the for ard ing.R /urthermore, the a!ove is onl# a gross appro@imation$the simulator does this for ea"h piece of the ing, horiFontal sta!iliFer, verti"al sta!iliFer, and propeller !lade to reall# !uild a model of hat the airplane is doing. 2n other ords, the "ommonl#-used Ssta!ilit# derivativesS are gross over-simplifi"ations of ho an airplane flies, and !lade element theor# figures out the for"es on ea"h little !it of the airplane. 6lade element theor# is mu"h more ro!ust, and it "an give greater a""ura"# in a mu"h ider variet# of flight "onditions. -s ell, sta!ilit# derivatives cannot predict how an airplane will fly. The air"raft model0s "reator has to figure out ho the plane ill fl# and then use the sta!ilit# derivative to mindlessl# spit that performan"e !a"k out. Only !lade element theor# "an a""uratel# predict hat an airplane of a given geometr# ill do. 9i"rosoft /light ;imulator cannot predi"t ho an airplane ill fl# for the user. 4hoever designed the airplane has to tell the simulator ho the airplane should fl#, and the simulator then spits that information !a"k to the user$no!od# a"tuall# learns an#thing. 4ith !lade element theor#, though, used in X-Plane, a user "an enter the shape of an

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airplane and then fl# that plane in the simulator. X-Plane ill figure out ho a plane of that shape and eight and po er should fl#L

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To file a bug report, please use this page68.

Appen"i0 81 %en"ing a 8ug 4eport

When sending a bug report, please include as much information as possibleanything that the X-Plane development crew might need to know in order to reproduce the malfunction. This includes (but is not limited to) the following information: The software in question (X-Plane, EFIS-App, PlaneMaker, etc.) The operating system being used The version of X-Plane in question The hardware in use (if the issue only occurs when using certain hardware) The exact steps (as specific and step-by-step as possible) required to reproduce the problem -dditionall#, !efore filing a !ug report, pleaseM 6e sure #ou are using the latest version of X-Plane 'this in"ludes making sure #ou aren0t using an outdated short"ut*. .elete 'or "hange the name of* #our preferen"es file in order to rule that out. .isa!le an# plug-ins or third-part# add-ons. 'Please report !ugs in third-part# soft are to the soft are0s developer, not the X-Plane team.* 6e sure #ou understand the feature #ou are reporting a !ug on. %onta"t X-Plane "ustomer support at infoU@-plane."om if #ou are not sure hether #ou have a !ug or a te"h support pro!lem. -tta"h a log.t@t file from X-Plane 'or the installer or other X-ppli"ation* hen filing the report, as ell as PA? s"reenshots for an# visual pro!lems. The log.t@t file ill tell us a lot of information a!out #our s#stem that ill speed up !ug anal#sis.

Please note that, if the report was filed correctly, you will not receive any feedback on it. The report will be saved and looked into, and, depending on its priority, fixed in a future update. Below is an email that gets sent often when users send a bug report without enough information to diagnose the problem: Very often, people will report a bug like, "My speed indicator does not work. Well, I might crash my Corvette into a tree, pick up my cell phone as the airbag deflates in my lap, call General Motors, and say, "My speed thing indicates zero!" In a case like that, how good a job can GM do in deciphering that report? Filing a report with X-Plane saying My speed indicator does not work" can be almost that incomplete for two reasons. The first is that with about 20 or 30 instruments available in the X-Plane world (accessible via Plane-Maker) that indicate speed, saying "speed Indicator" does not really isolate what instrument is being discussed. The second reason is that you have not really given a checklist of steps that you took to find yourself with the apparent bug. For example, it may take certain conditions for the airspeed indicator to not work, conditions you may cause without thinking about based on your airplane selection, weather, etc. In my Corvette analogy, the proper report to GM would be: 1. I got in my car. 2. I hit the starter button, the engine started, and I put the transmission in first gear. 3. I hit the gas and turned the wheel and drove until I hit a tree, which stopped me. 4. The speedometer in the instrument panel indicated zero.

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5. I included a picture I took on my digital camera here, showing both the speedometer indicating zero and the car actually stopped. In the X-Plane world, a proper checklist for the report would look like: 1. I deleted my preferences so I did not have any odd settings that may cause this that we might not know about. 2. I fired up X-Plane on computer running [insert operating system here]. 3. I went to the File menu and opened the Austins Personal Transport aircraft. 4. I noticed the EFIS airspeed indicator stayed at zero, no matter how fast I flew. 5. I included a screenshot of X-Plane showing the panel here, with the actual speed of the plane shown using the Data Output screen to show my real speed. The difference between the five-lined report above and the oneliner at the top is that you have actually told me what you are really doing. You are starting by deleting the preferences so that I can do the same as you (a first step toward solving the problem!), you are telling me what plane you are opening (so I can do the same), you are choosing one of the planes that come with XPlane (so I can do the same as you) and you are listing which of X-Plane's dozens of speed indicators you are referring to, so I can see what the problem really is. To summarize the above, be sure to give a complete checklist to duplicate the issue, starting with deleting the preferences and choosing an airplane that comes with X-Plane so that I can go through the same steps as you. I must be able to mirror your actions, step by step, to duplicate the bug on my computer, as this is the first step to solving the problem. Another very common mistake is to say something like, "I flip a switch and hit a button and an indicator goes to 56%." The

problem with this is that it doesnt tell what the issue actually is. What do you think the indicator should go to? And, above all, prove it. In almost all filed bug reports, the report lacks any sort of proof that the value being cited as wrong is actually wrong. Since I sometimes get reports from people that think a Cessna cannot roll, an airliner cannot take off without flaps, or a helicopter cannot turn without pulling collective (all incorrect assumptions on the part of the bug reporter), I do require proof that a characteristic that is claimed to be wrong actually is. Segments of pilot's operating handbooks are typically just fine. So, be sure to include proof that a characteristic of the simulator is wrong if you believe it to be so. Another very common error is for people to install plug-ins that modify data in the sim, third-party scenery packages that don't quite follow the standards, or third-party airplanes that may have problems, and then report it as a bug when something does not work correctly. I wont be able to duplicate the problem if it is due to third-party modifications. So, be sure that starting from a freshly installed copy of X-Plane with the preferences (and any plug-ins) removed is the first item in your step-by-step walkthrough for recreating the problem. Build up from there as needed, including each step in the checklist so that I can go through it and see the same thing you see. Use only scenery and planes that come with X-Plane if possible, so that I can duplicate the bug. Once again, be sure to: 1. Use a checklist to explain what you are doing, starting with deleting the preferences. 2. Include every step in the checklist that you send in your bug report. 3. Use proper terminology. If you do not know the name of an instrument, then go into Plane-Maker and click on it with the mouse. The X-Plane instrument name will be displayed at

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right. Or turn on the Show Instrument Descriptions option in the Special menu of X-Plane to get the real name of the instrument that you think is wrong. 4. Explain why you think the result you are seeing is wrong. Provide proof if you think the sim is not doing what the real plane would do. Remember, a bad report would say, "The pressure gauge does not work." (What pressure gauge? Why do you think it does not work? What do you expect it to show? What plane are you even flying?) A good report would say, "On a Mac running OS X, I deleted the preferences and opened the following plane with the File menu, then I set the controls as follows, then I observed the manifold pressure gauge to indicate manifold pressure of zero as I advanced the power, though in the real plane I would get 25" of manifold pressure in this plane, as I know from the following excerpt from that plane's pilots operating handbook." That report indicates what type of computer you are using, what you do to get the problem (in a way that lets me perfectly mirror it), what you think the problem is, and it gives proof that what you believe about the plane is in fact true. That is enough info for me to work with! Also, send the log.txt file! This lists what type of computer you have. Hardly anyone even thinks to mention whether they are on Mac, Windows, or Linux!

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Appen"i0 C1 9lossary of Ter,s

5ere is some !asi" terminolog# that people misuse ever# da#. Gno ledge of these terms is "ru"ial to orking ith X-Plane. These are the same terms that ill !e used !# "ustomer support if or hen a user "alls. !. 7or2ing 6ith the Progra, !tself :o6nloa"M To do nload something means to get files from some remote server on the 2nternet and re"eive those files on #our "omputer. 8sers "an do nload lots of airplanes and s"ener# pa"kages for X-Plane from the internet. .o nloading is re"eiving files from the 2nternet+ it is not the same as installing those files. !nstallM To install something means to move a "op# of something onto #our "omputer so that it "an !e run. 4hen a user gets a .>. ith X-Plane on it, he or she runs the installer to install the program from the .>.$this is not do nloading the program. 2t is installing it. 3ne ould onl# !e downloading it if the files ere "oming from the 2nternet 'though on"e su"h files ere do nloaded, one ould install them to have them read# for use*. Update: To update a piece of software is to convert it to a newer version. This should be done every couple months or so in order to take advantage of new features in the simulator. To update in X-Plane, the user first do nloads and then installs a ne er version. The updater program 'availa!le for free at XPlane."om:9* does !oth of these things for #ou ver# easil#. !!. Parts of an Air3raft
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Anti-torque pedals: In a helicopter, the foot pedals which modify the collective pitch of the tail rotor. Because the helicopter's throttle governor keeps the rotors turning at a constant RPM, changing the pitch also changes the thrust generated by the rotor, so the tail rotor can swing the helicopter's tail to the left or right. This is referred to as yaw motion. Collective: In a helicopter, the lever that modifies the collective pitch of the main rotor's blades; called collective because the pitch of all the blades is modified at the same time. Because the engine keeps the rotor moving at a constant RPM, increasing the rotor blades' pitch with this control will also increase their lift. Cyclic: The control (a joystick in real life) which changes the pitch of the main rotor's blades as they go through each cycle, used to steer the craft left, right, forward, or aft. ?oysti32M - "ontrol devi"e used in air"raft. 2t "onsists of a !ase ith a handle atta"hed to it. The handle "an !e tiled around ithin the !ase to "ontrol the pit"h and roll movement of the air"raft. %omputer Eo#sti"ks often have the a!ilit# to t ist the handle to "ontrol #a movement also. <eal airplanes have either a Eo#sti"k or a #oke to "ontrol them, hile heli"opters are "ontrolled ith Eo#sti"ks onl#. Rotor: The rotating part of a helicopter that generates the craft's lift; similar in appearance to an oversized airplane propeller, though different in its operation. 4u""er pe"alsM Foot pedals in an airplane used to steer the plane down the runway and to control its yaw motion in flight (that is, the wagging of its tail left or right). This !e"omes ver# useful hen starting turns and "ounter-a"ting "ross inds. Aote that these are not spelled Qpetals,R as the# are not named after the fragile leaves of a flo er. Eo2eM The #oke, named after a ooden devi"e draped a"ross o@en to to things, is the Qsteering heelR of the airplane. 2t is used to steer the plane in flight !# dipping the ings up or do n

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and !# pulling the nose up and pushing it do n. Aote that this is not spelled Q#olk,R as it is not named after the "enter of an egg. !!!. Mo*e,ent of an Air3raft

above under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. !A. Other A*iation Ter,s A:$M -utomati" .ire"tion-/inder. This is the old-st#le navigation devi"e that Eust points a needle at a transmitter on the ground. These are not used too often an# more !e"ause modern navigation involves sta#ing on a pre-defined course 'a line*, not Eust taking an# random routing to get to a pre-defined point, like an -./ t#pi"all# provides. -dditionall#, ith ?P; navigation, the hole idea of going to pre-defined points 'like pi"king up !read"rum!s to find one0s a# home* is thankfull# disappearing. The ?P; ill take pilots all the a# to here the# ant to go in a straight line, not a Fig-Fagg# one like ould !e a"hieved in fl#ing from one navigation transmitter to another, asting fuel ith an indire"t routing simpl# !e"ause of the lo"ations people "hose to plant navigation transmitters fift# #ears ago. A9=M -!ove ?round 7evel. 4hen holding an altitude re1uested !# air traffi" "ontrol, a pilot ill hold an altitude 9;7 'a!ove mean sea level*. This lets the pilot sta# at a "onstant level hile fl#ing. 2n order to avoid a horrifi" and instant death, ho ever, pilots should !e a are of their altitude -?7 'a!ove ground level* as ellL The altimeter in the air"raft orks on air pressure, so it measures the altitude a!ove sea level '9;7*, so a areness of minimum allo a!le altitudes in one0s region is always needed in order to sta# at least that high. The radio altimeter measures the height a!ove the ground '-?7*. 9ost planes, ho ever, do not have these installed. This is in"reasingl# oka#, though, !e"ause in theor# a pilot "an follo the en route and approa"h "harts, hi"h list safe 9;7 altitudes, and more and more planes have moving maps that "learl# sho the terrain elevation, so pilots "an !e sure that their elevation is safe. Airspee" in"i3ator JA%!KM The -;2 is driven !# the pressure of the 17)

Pitch: Movement of the aircraft's nose up or down (see the image above). Roll: Movement of the aircraft's body along the line formed by its body; in an airplane, this is easily seen as the dip or rise of the wings (see the image above). Yaw: Movement of the aircraft's body left or right, most easily pictured as a wagging of the aircraft's tail (see the image above). Thanks to Wikipedia contributor ZeroOne for releasing the image

air impa"ting a little tu!e on the nose or ing of the plane. 9ore pressure means the "raft is moving faster. ;ee the dis"ussion in Q2ndi"ated airspeed '2-;*R !elo . Altitude: An aircraft's altitude is its height above sea level. This is t#pi"all# displa#ed on the air"raft0s altimeter, hi"h is driven !# air pressure. ATCM -ir Traffi" %ontrol. 8CM 6a"k %ourse. This is the part of the 27; that goes beyond the tou"h-do n Fone. <ead all a!out it in %hapter :, Aavigation and -utopilots, !eginning on page .3. CDI: Course Deviation Indicator. This instrument (part of the OBI or HSI) displays which direction the aircraft needs to turn in order to intercept the VOR course. This is discussed in Chapter 6, Navigation and Autopilots, beginning on page .3. :ensity altitu"eM -s the temperature of the air in"reases, its densit# de"reases. The !arometri" pressure "an var# !ased on a num!er of other fa"tors, too, so at sea level on a hot, lo -pressure da#, the densit# of the air ma# !e the same as standard air densit# at 10,000 feet up in the airL This is a 10,000 foot densit# altitude. This means there is less air for the engines, less air for the propeller, and less air for the ings. -ll of this adds up to sa# that it ill take the air"raft longer to get off the ground. DME: Distance Measuring Equipment. An instrument used in navigation which measures distance using the delay between the sending and receiving of a radio signal. Aircraft use this to determine their distance from a fixed NAVAID. Drag: The aerodynamic force (created by a fluid such as air flowing around an object) that slows the object's motion. EFIS: Electronic Flight Instrument System. A flight instrument system (found in an aircraft's panel) with electronic displays rather

than the mechanical gauges of a standard panel. 9AM This "an stand for either general aviation 'light planes* or ?o -round, an autopilot mode that raises the nose in a ings-level attitude and "alls for lots of po er in order to get !a"k to altitude after a !ot"hed landing approa"h*. Glideslope (G/S): The angle at which an aircraft approaches (or needs to approach) a runway; often used when discussing navigation by instruments. ;ee %hapter : of the manual, !eginning on page .3. 9P%M ?lo!al Positioning ;#stem. - form of navigation using data from satellites. Heading (HDG): An aircraft's heading is the direction that its nose is pointing. This is also a mode in the autopilot that lets the pilot hold a pre-defined heading, t#pi"all# magnetic. - magneti" heading is heading to the magneti" north pole, something a hair different than true north, hi"h is a geographi" heading that ill take one to the true geographi" Aorth Pole. <emem!er, sin"e the magneti" north pole is separated from the geographi" north pole !# a !it, true and magneti" heading are not t#pi"all# the sameL The# ma# !e off !# ( or 10 degrees in the medium latitudes. The differen"e !et een the true and magneti" north poles is "alled the magneti" variation. 5=:M 5old. Pressing this !utton ill engage the autopilot in altitude hold mode. ;ee %hapter :, ;e"tion 22 '!eginning on page .(* for more information. HSI: Horizontal Situation Indicator. This instrument is found in the panel of many aircraft in X-Plane. It serves the same function as an OBIthat is, it indicates course deviation. ;ee %hapter : '!eginning on page .3* for more information. IFR: Instrument Flight Rules. The procedure for flying an aircraft based solely on the craft's instrument panel. Environmental 17&

conditions requiring such flight (such as the poor visibility on a rainy day) are referred to as IFR conditions. This is contrasted with VFR conditions (those operating under visual flight rules). 2n !ad eather or a!ove 1K,000 feet, pilots need to fl# !# 2nstrument /light <ules, follo ing their instruments and air traffi" "ontrol instru"tions "arefull# to avoid hitting the ground or other planes, or going off "ourse and messing up the "arefull# laid plans of the air traffi" "ontroller. 4hen fl#ing 2/<, it reall# makes no differen"e hether the pilot "an see out the front of the plane or not, sin"e he or is on a "arefull# mapped pro"edure to sta# on a safe "ourse. ;eeing out the indo in this "ase is an unneeded lu@ur#. ILS: Instrument Landing System. A ground-based system for guiding approaching aircraft into the runway via radio signals. ;ee %hapter :, Aavigation and -utopilots '!eginning on page .3* for more information. !MCM 2nstrument 9eteorologi"al %onditions. 4hen pilots are in "louds or rain and "annot see out the indo , the# are re1uired to fl# !# 29% rules. 2n su"h "onditions, the# need to !e on an instrument flight plan. Indicated airspeed (IAS): The presumed airspeed of a craft as determined by measuring the pressure acting on a little tube attached to the craft which points into the wind. This differs from true airspeed in situations where the air has very little density (for example, at 80,000 feet in an SR-71 Blackbird or in orbit in the Space Shuttle). This error, though, can be useful, be"ause if there is less pressure pushing on the airspeed indi"ator, then there is also less pressure pushing on the ings of the air"raft. Therefore, the airspeed indi"ator tells ho mu"h air pressure is availa!le for the props and ings ' hi"h is hat a pilot reall# "ares a!out, as more pressure gives more lift and drag*. ;o, if a pilot is going 120 mph in thin air, !ut the pressure is onl# strong enough to measure 100 mph on the airspeed indi"ator, then that means the aerod#nami" pressure on the wings is onl# 100 mph- orth of pressureL 2t is this pressure that determines ho mu"h lift and drag the ings "an put out.

Lift: The aerodynamic force (created by a fluid such as air flowing around an object) that pushes an object upward. Localizer (LOC): A localizer is part of an instrument landing system (ILS). It serves as a lateral (left and right) guide to the centerline of the runway. Mach speed: The speed of sound through the air. Mach's number actually describes the speed of sound through any fluid (that is, liquid or gas). In application to aeronautics, though, it is implied that the fluid is air. Note that this number is dependent on a number of factors, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure. Generally, "Mach 1" is cited as 768 miles per hour (the speed of sound at sea level in dry air at 68 Fahrenheit). )AAM ;hort for Qnavigate.R This is an autopilot mode that follo s an 27;, lo"aliFer, >3<, or ?P; path. ;ee %hapter : '!eginning on page .3* for more information. NAVAID: A navigation aid transmitter (typically a VOR, NDB, or ILS) which is used as a reference when flying. These are often found on or near an airport, but they can also be scattered between airports to use a node points in an airway. Pilots often fly from NAVAID to NAVAID on long flights, as a VOR is only useable from about 50 miles away. ;ee %hapter : '!eginning on page .3* for more information. ):8M Aon .ire"tional 6ea"on. ;ee the -./ note a!ove. OBI: Omni-Bearing Indicator. This instrument, used for navigation, is found in most general aviation aircraft. It consists of a moving arrow (called the course deviation indicator, or CDI) which points the way to whatever VOR frequency is tuned in the navigation radio. The instrument is set using the Omni-Bearing Selector (or OBS), the knob in its lower left corner. A more expensive version of this is an HSI. ;ee %hapter : '!eginning on page .3* for more information. RPM: Rotations per minute; a way of measuring the speed of a 17(

rotor or propeller. In a helicopter, the RPM of both the main rotor and the tail rotor are held constant. Speed: The change in the position of an object over time; unlike velocity, speed does not take into account the direction of the object's movement. Thrust vector: The direction in which the engine or rotors thrust is going; for a helicopter sitting on a helipad with its controls at neutral, this is straight down. Thrust vectoring: The ability of helicopters and some other aircraft (such as the Harrier or the F-22) to change the direction of the thrust from its engines/rotors. Ae3tor air6aysM >e"tor air a#s are the pre-"harted air a#s that are defined !# a series of >3<s. Pilots fl# from >3< to >3< until the# rea"h their destination, there!# sta#ing on a ve"tor air a#. Ba"h segment of the ve"tor air a# thoughtfull# lists the minimum altitude that pilots "an fl# that air a# segment ith to avoid "rashing. Velocity: The combination of an object's speed and the direction of its movement; for example, an aircraft might have a vertical velocity of 500 feet per minute (meaning it moves upward at a rate of 500 feet per minute) or a vertical velocity of -500 feet per minute (meaning it moves downward at 500 feet per minute). Vertical speed/vertical velocity: The rate at which the aircraft is gaining or losing altitude, typically given in feet per minute. AfeM >elo"it# /lap B@tension. This is the ma@imum speed at hi"h the air"raft "an deplo# its flaps ithout damaging or !reaking them. VFR: Visual Flight Rules. This is flying done using a combination of the pilot's view of the outside world and the aircraft's instruments. Environmental conditions permitting such flight (such as a sunny day with 10 mile visibility) are referred to as VFR

conditions. It is assumed in such conditions that pilots are al a#s a!le to see out the indo ell enough to avoid "ollisions ith terrain and other air"raft. To use visual flight rules, one t#pi"all# needs a!out ) miles visi!ilit# and to sta# a!out 1000 feet from the "louds. AMCM >isual 9eteorologi"al %onditions. These are environmental "onditions suita!le for fl#ing !# sight '>/<*. AO4M Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range. This is a t#pe of A->-2. that sends out signals that pilots "an follo to get to or from the transmitter. 4hile an A.6 simpl# lets the air"raft0s -./ needle point right to it, the >3< a"tuall# lets pilots fl# to the station along a programmed radial. ;o, for e@ample, rather than Eust Qfl#ing to the >3<,R a pilot "an !e sure to fl# to the >3< along the .9. radial 'from the east*, guaranteeing his or her lo"ation to !e along an air a# for the entire trip to the >3<. This is ni"e !e"ause on"e the air a# is "harted, the air"raft ill !e over mapped terrain height for the entire trip, and if the ind starts to !lo it off "ourse, then the pilot ill see it 1ui"kl# due to a defle"ted needle, at hi"h point he or she "an turn the nose into the ind to sta# on the desired radial. Light airplanes often track these VOR signals using an Omni-Bearing Indicator, or OBI, while more expensive craft often use a Horizontal Situation Indicator, or HSI. See Chapter 6 (beginning on page .3) for more information. AneM >elo"it# Aever B@"eed. This is the ma@imum speed that a given airplane "an go. ?oing faster than >ne "an result in Qstru"tural damage.R Please !e a are that Sstru"tural damageS is ver# "onservative language for Sripping #our ings off so #ou plunge to a horri!le death.S

AnoM >elo"it# Aormal 3perating. This velo"it# should not !e e@"eeded unless the air is ver# smooth. Bven then, it should !e e@"eeded Q ith e@treme "aution,R as the operating hand!ooks sa#.

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A%!IAA!M >erti"al ;peedH>elo"it# 2ndi"ator. 6# looking at ho fast the air pressure is "hanging, the >;2 dedu"es ho 1ui"kl# the air"raft must !e "lim!ing or des"ending.

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Appen"i0 :1 $A; an" Troubleshooting

This appendi@ ill attempt to ans er some of the most "ommon 1uestions sent to "ustomer support, as ell as to assist in trou!leshooting some "ommon pro!lems. ;ometimes, users simpl# "annot get X-Plane to ork properl# on their "omputers. 2n Eust a!out ever# "ase, though, this is not the fault of the X-Plane simulator itself. !. 5o6 "o ! up"ate or install X-PlaneR Please see %hapter 2 of this manual, !eginning on page 1#. !!. 7hy "oes X-Plane not 6or2 on ,y 7in"o6s ,a3hine or 3rash upon e0iting the si,R This is a driver pro!lem, assuming #ou have a usea!le operating s#stem, video "ard, and <-9. This is ver# likel# an issue on 4indo s >ista, here 9i"rosoft does not install 3pen?7 drivers !# default. 7et0s start !# making sure the operating s#stem and hard are are usea!le. /irst, the operating s#stem '3;*. 4indo s XP or >ista '!oth )2and :&-!it* "an !e used, as ell as 9a" 3;X.& or later. There are simpl# too man# distri!utions of 7inu@ to keep tra"k of them all, !ut X-Plane has users from virtuall# ever# maEor distri!ution '8!untu, /edora, open;8;B, et".*. 4indo s AT "an not !e used due to pro!lems ith 9i"rosoft,s Eo#sti"k manipulation in that 3;.

-t least 1 ?6 of <-9 is re1uired to run X-Plane, as ell as a video "ard ith at least )2 96 or so of ><-9. >irtuall# an# modern -T2 or A>2.2- video "ard ma# !e used 'an#thing that supports 3pen?7*, !ut an integrated 2ntel graphi"s "hip ill not ork ith the simulator. -s of this riting, these "hips are too slo to run X-Plane. ;o, in 4indo s, assuming #ou have 4indo s XP or !etter and a video "ard "apa!le of running 3pen?7, and #ou get some sort of "rash hen tr#ing to run or e@it X-Plane, #ou pro!a!l# need to update to the latest drivers for #our video "ard. To do this, follo these stepsM 1. ?o to #our video "ard manufa"turer0s driver do nload page 'su"h as the -T2 do nload page70 or the A>2.2- do nload page71* and do nload the latest drivers, !eing sure to save it to a pla"e that #ou0ll !e a!le to find it 'for e@ample, the .esktop*. 2. %li"k on the ;tart menu and open the %ontrol Panel. ). %li"k -dd or <emove Programs. &. ;"roll do n to either the %atal#st .ispla# .river 'for -T2 video "ards* or the A>2.2- .rivers 'for A>2.2- "ards*. (. %li"k the %hangeH<emove !utton. 'This ma# !e repla"ed !# a <emove !utton onl#+ it does not affe"t the pro"ess.* :. /ollo the instru"tions provided !# the uninstaller and re!oot if ne"essar#.

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7. -fter re!ooting, find the driver file that as do nloaded in ;tep 1 and dou!le "li"k on it. The steps var# from here depending on the t#pe of graphi"s "ard and the "ompan# it,s manufa"tured !#, !ut e ill "ontinue ith a general outline for all "ompanies. K. %hoose a destination folder to e@tra"t the files to. -gain, make it something eas# to find like %MWvideo driversW and "ontinue "li"king Ae@t or 2nstall. 9. 2f the installer ' hi"h #ou Eust e@tra"ted in ;tep K* does not run automati"all#, navigate to %MWvideo drivers and dou!le "li"k on setup.e@e. 10. -gree to the li"ense agreement, "hoose the B@press installation, and "li"k Ae@t until it finishes. 11. <e!oot #our P% and #ou,re read# to fl#L 2f #our "ard does not support 3pen?7, it is re"ommended that an# A>2.2- ?e/or"e "ard. Ao , if #our video "ard0s manufa"turer gives #ou instru"tions that are different than those a!ove, then Eust follo their instru"tions. 2f the old drivers are not removed !efore installing ne ones, XPlane is likel# to "rash hen e@iting. !!!. 5o6 "o ! 3hange the resolutionR 5ere e ill alk through onl# the steps ne"essar# to "hange the monitor resolution. /ull detail on this 'in"luding ho to "hoose hi"h resolution to use* "an !e found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part 6 'on page 3.*. 2n X-Plane, move the mouse to the top of the s"reen. %li"k

;ettings, then "li"k <endering 3ptions. The s"reen resolution setting is found in the upper left of the <endering 3ptions indo 'highlighted in the follo ing image*.

To "hange it, "li"k the up or do n arro ne@t to ea"h digit of the setting. /or e@ample, to "hange the resolution from 102& @ 7:K in the image a!ove to, sa#, 12K0 @ 7:K, one ould "li"k t i"e on the arro above the Fero in 102&, si@ times on the arro a!ove the t o in 102&, and four times on the arro below the four in 102&. !A. 5o6 "o ! set up a <oysti32+ yo2e+ or ru""er pe"alsR 7et0s go through the !asi"s of setting up flight "ontrols. /ull detail on this pro"ess 'in"luding trou!leshooting* "an !e found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 22 '!eginning on page 3 *. 4e ill first set the a@es 'the for ardH!a"k and leftHright movement of the "ontrols*, then e0ll dis"uss setting up the !uttons on the "ontrols. )oteM 4hen using a Eo#sti"k or other hard are, it ill need to !e plugged in before starting X-Plane. 2f it is not, X-Plane ill not see the input devi"es. 1. 3pen X-Plane and move #our mouse to the top of the s"reen, "ausing the menu to appear.

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2. %li"k on ;ettings 'as per the image at the top of the ne@t page*, then Jo#sti"k I B1uipment.

!a"k ard. (. T ist #our Eo#sti"k 'if appli"a!le*. The green !ar that moves should !e set to #a . 2f #ou don0t assign a #a a@is, X-Plane ill attempt to sta!iliFe it for #ou. 3n"e again, do not "he"k the reverse !o@ unless, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s #a "ontrol 'movement of the nose side to side, like the rea"tion of a !oat to rudder "ontrol* is orking !a"k ard. 2f using rudder pedals instead of a t isting Eo#sti"k, slide them for ard and !a"k ard and set the green !ar that moves then to #a . -dditionall#, onl# hen using rudder pedals, press the left pedal do n ith #our toes. The !ar that moves should !e set to left toe !rake. .o the same for the right pedal, and set that !ar to right toe !rake. 2f this is done, #ou ma# also skip steps K through 11 !elo . 9ove #our throttle for ard and !a"k. 3n a #oke, this is t#pi"all# the leftmost lever. ;et this !ar to throttle. %he"k the reverse !o@ onl# if, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s throttle "ontrol orks !a"k ard. 7. 9ove all the "ontrol a@es 'that is, pit"h, #a , roll, and throttle* through their full range of motion to "ali!rate the "ontrols. K. To assign a !utton to the !rakes, "li"k the 6uttonsM 6asi" ta! at the top of the s"reen 'as seen in the s"reenshot at the top of the ne@t page*. 2f onl# a single 6uttons ta! is availa!le, the soft are has not !een updated to the most "urrent release. 2nstru"tions on updating "an !e found in %hapter 2, Part >22 on page # 'though, in the mean time, the instru"tions ma# !e follo ed using the outdated 6uttons ta!*.

). 9ove #our Eo#sti"k or #oke for ard and !a"k. - green !ar should move as #ou do so 'see the s"reenshot !elo *. %li"k the drop-do n menu ne@t to it and set it to pit"h. .o not "he"k the reverse !o@ ne@t to this "ontrol unless, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s pit"h "ontrol 'movement of the nose up and do n* is orking !a"k ard.

&. 9ove #our Eo#sti"kH#oke left and right. The green !ar that moves as #ou do so should !e set to roll. .o not "he"k the reverse !o@ ne@t to this "ontrol unless, hen fl#ing, the air"raft0s roll "ontrol 'movement of the ings up and do n* is orking

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pro"essor get ver# hot !e"ause the# are running at 100Z utiliFation. This "auses the temperature to rise inside the "ase. To eliminate heat as an issue, remove the "omputer0s "over and aim a fan into the "ase. <un X-Plane for a hile and see if the pro!lem goes a a#. 2f it does, then #ou need to add some additional "ooling. )oteM This assumes that the s#stem has enough <-9. <unning out of <-9 ill "ause "rashes as ell. -t least 1 ?6 of <-9 should !e used for "urrent versions of X-Plane. This also assumes that the "omputer is not over"lo"ked. A!!!. 7hy "o ! get an error about a ,issing :==R This indi"ates that .ire"tX 9.0" 'or later* is not installed. This "an !e do nloaded from 9i"rosoft,s .ire"tX page72. !X. 7hy "oes air traffi3 3ontrol spee3h not 6or2 on ,y 7in"o6s ,a3hineR The first thing to "he"k hen diagnosing an -T% spee"h pro!lem is the "omputer0s spee"h s#nthesis soft are. 8sers "an do nload the ;pee"h ;#nthesis ;.G v(.17) if the# are not "ertain that spee"h s#nthesis soft are is "urrentl# installed. .o nload the file ;pee"h;.G(1.e@e 'found near the !ottom of the page*. This is a self-e@tra"ting ar"hive. 4hen it is run, it e@tra"ts all of the files to the hard drive that are needed to install 9i"rosoft spee"h. 6e sure to "hoose a lo"ation to e@tra"t the files to that "an !e found later. 4hen all of the files are e@tra"ted, the installation is not "omplete. To "omplete it, the user must !ro se to the lo"ation of the e@tra"ted files and run ;etup.e@e. 3n"e the
httpMHH .mi"rosoft."omHdire"t@ httpMHH .mi"rosoft."omHdo nloadsHdetails.asp@J /amil#2.N(eK:e"97-&0a7-&()f-!0ee-:(K)171!&()0Idispla#langNen
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9. Press the !utton on #our Eo#sti"k that #ou ould like to assign to !rakes, then release it. 10. 8sing the mouse, "li"k the round !utton to the left of Toggle !rakes regular effort 'found at the top of the third "olumn of the indo , sele"ted in the previous s"reenshot*. 11. %lose the Jo#sti"k I B1uipment menu ith either of the X !uttons at the top of the s"reen, or !# pressing the Bnter ke# on #our ke#!oard. A. 5o6 "o ! install ne6 s3enery+ air3raft+ or plug-insR Please see %hapter 7 of this manual, !eginning on page 11 . A!. 5o6 "o ! use the autopilotR Please see %hapter :, ;e"tion 22 of this manual, !eginning on page .(. A!!. 7hy "oes ,y PC freeHe after running X-Plane a6hileR This is almost al a#s heat related. 2 have seen this man# times in the past. 4hen the s#stem is running X-Plane, the video "ard and

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setup is "omplete, users ma# delete the e@tra"ted files so the# do not "ontinue to take up hard drive spa"e. 3n"e ;pee"h ( is installed, go into X-Plane, open the ;ettings menu, and "li"k ;ound. 2n the !o@ at the !ottom, #ou should see the message S;pee"h s#nthesis for air traffi" "ontrol voi"e output is installed on this ma"hine.S 2f #ou do not see this, then the installation has not !een "ompleted. To hear the spee"h, hit the Bnter ke# hile fl#ing. =ou ill see various things appear on the indshield for #ou to "hoose. 2f #ou do that and #ou still get no audio -T% in X-Plane, then it is likel# a "ompati!ilit# pro!lem !et een multiple te"hnologies. 4e have !een orking e@tensivel# ith 9i"rosoft on this. 4e have determined that X-Plane is not the "ulprit. The pro!lem is that the sound "ard "annot pla# a 4-> file 'sound effe"t* at the same time that it pla#s spee"h. 4e tested this !# "ompiling X-Plane ith the sound effe"ts disa!led and the spee"h started orking. X. 7hy is there no soun" on ,y Ma3R /or versions of 3; X prior to 10.&, users needed to do nload the 3pen-7 drivers for 3; X, availa!le here7&. 5o ever, using XPlane 9 re1uires at least version 10.&, so users running an#thing prior to that need to run the -pple soft are update !efore running X-Plane$this also serves to ensure that the 3pen-7 drivers are alread# installed. -ssuming version 10.& or later is !eing used and the "omputer still puts out no sound, here is hat -pple has to sa#M SMa3 O% X1 )o au"io fro, 3ertain ,ulti,e"ia 3ontent

;ome audio appli"ations ma# "hange #our "omputer,s audio settings to a sample rate that is too high for other appli"ations to use. 2n this situation, s#stem alert sounds still ork, as does iTunes, !ut other appli"ations ma# have no sound 'audio output*. This do"ument applies to 9a" 3; X 10.) or later and appli"ations that use Dui"kTime : or later for audio, su"h as ;afari and Dui"kTime Pla#er. This "an happen on 9a"s that support high sample rates 'higher than &K000 5F*M i9a" ?( 9a" mini 'all models* Po er 9a" ?( models that support sample rates higher than &K000 5F Po er6ook ?& that support sample rates higher than &K000 5F 9a"6ook 9a"6ook Pro i9a" 'Barl# 200:* and later 9a" Pro /or e@ample, if #ou pla# an 2nternet movie in ;afari, it ill make no sound+ if #ou open a Dui"kTime movie on #our "omputer, Dui"kTime Pla#er reports the follo ing error 'and the movie ill have no audio*M S=ou ma# e@perien"e pro!lems pla#ing a sound tra"k in ]9ovie Aame^.mov !e"ause a soft are "omponent needed !# the movie "ould not !e opened.S %olution 1. 3pen -udio 92.2 ;etup 'H-ppli"ationsH8tilitiesH*, then "he"k the -udio 3utput setting. 2. %hange the -udio 3utput setting to &&100.0 5F.

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). Duit -udio 92.2 ;etup. 4h# does this happenJ ;ome third-part# audio appli"ations ma# "hange #our "omputer,s audio output setting. 2n fa"t, if #ou use the third-part# appli"ation again after appl#ing the a!ove solution, the issue might o""ur again. 3!serve "hanges !# at"hing the settings in -udio 92.2 ;etup !efore and after running a third-part# appli"ation #ou suspe"t might !e "ausing the issue. %onta"t the manufa"turer of the appli"ation for more information.R X!. 5o6 "o ! ,a2e ,y si, run fasterR Please see %hapter ), Part 222, ;e"tion ?, ;etting 8p X-Plane to -"hieve the 6est <esults, !eginning on page &#. X!!. 7hat har"6are shoul" ! buyR X-Plane 9 re1uires a "omputer ith at least the follo ing spe"ifi"ationsM - 2 ?5F pro"essor 1.0 ?6 <-9 'ph#si"al memor#* :& 96 ><-9 'video memor# on #our video "ard* 10 ?6 of hard drive spa"e The simulator ill run on 9a" 3; X version 10.& or later, 4indo s XP or >ista '!oth )2- and :&-!it*, and 7inu@. Aote, ho ever, that hen using 4indo s >ista, it is re"ommended that at least 2 ?6 of <-9 !e used. 3f "ourse, a "omputer ith & ?6 of <-9, a 1uad-"ore pro"essor, and 2 ?6 of ><-9 "an !e used and X-Plane ill take full advantage of it. %P8s ith multiple "ores are useful !e"ause X-

Plane ill use that se"ond "ore to load s"ener# hile fl#ing. This eliminates the tenth of a se"ond stutter usuall# asso"iated ith transitioning from one s"ener# file to another ' hi"h is still e@perien"ed hen using a single-"ore pro"essor*. Ao , a fe notes on hard areM 5#perthreaded %P8s are little more than marketing Qh#pe.R The old Pentium & 5#perthreading "hips are reall# Eust one %P8 pretending to !e t o. This does not provide an#thing near the performan"e !oost of using t o dis"reet %P8s or a dual-"ore %P8. <egarding video <-9 '><-9, present on the video "ard*, some "heaper video "ards advertise having more memor# than the# a"tuall# do. A>2.2- "alls this Tur!o%a"he, hile -T2 "alls it 5#per9emor#. The video "ard itself ma# have onl# :& 96 of memor#, hile advertising that it QsupportsR 2(: 96 of <-9. 2t does this !# QstealingR the other 192 96 from the s#stem <-9. 4hile this might give some performan"e in"rease, it is no here near as desira!le as having a true 2(: 96 of <-9 on the video "ard. This is espe"iall# important for s#stems that barely meet the s#stem re1uirements for <-9 as it is$for instan"e, if the s#stem has 1 ?6 of <-9, !ut 192 96 of that is !eing reserved for the video "ard, X-Plane onl# has K)2 96 of s#stem <-9 to ork ith. -lso, hile 2ntel makes a fine %P8, their integrated video "ards are, at the moment, awful for X-Plane. The# are the onl# "ards at the moment that the soft are doesn0t support outright, though their mu"h-h#ped Q7arra!eeR "hip "ould "hange this. Ao , a!out ><-9 speed$the Smemor# !us idthS of a graphi"s "ard 'su"h as :&-, 12K-, or 2(:-!it* indi"ates ho man# !its of data it reads at on"e ea"h time it reads data. 6asi"all#, the ider this is, the faster the graphi"s "ard "an dra things. Toda#,s most po erful high end "ards have a (12-!it !us+ most mid-range "ards

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are 2(:-!it, and the "heapest "ards are 12K-!it. X!!!. 7hy "oes ,y airplane flutter an" 3rashR This is a known limitation. Just as a "ar "an onl# go a "ertain speed ith a given horsepo er, the X-Plane simulator "an onl# a""uratel# model flight at a "ertain speed ith a given frame rate. 2f the frame rate gets too lo for the flight model to handle, then the plane is likel# to start os"illating 1ui"kl# !a"k and forth 'referred to as Qsimulator flutter,R often o""urring ith autopilot on* as the flight model tries unsu""essfull# to predi"t hat the plane ill do ne@t. -t this point, the "omputer is running too slo l# to take small enough steps in the flight model to see hat the plane ill reall# do at ea"h moment. ;maller and more maneuvera!le planes ill a""elerate more 1ui"kl#, and greater a""elerations re1uire a higher frame rate to simulate. 5ere is h#M X-Plane "al"ulates the a""eleration of the "raft for ea"h frame. 2t then adds up the a""eleration !et een frames to move the plane. This orks fine if the frame rate is reasona!l# high and the a""elerations are reasona!le lo . 2n fa"t, for an# reasona!l# normal air"raft that has reasona!l# normal a""elerations, a frame rate of 20 fps or more is fine. Pro!lems o""ur, though, hen #ou have ver# light air"raft ith ver# large ings going ver# fast, or sitting on the ground ith landing gear spread ver# far out from the "enter of gravit#. -ll of these things add up to the same result$high acceleration. - light air"raft gives high a""eleration !e"ause there is little mass, and therefore little inertia. 6ig ings give high a""eleration !e"ause the# put out lots of for"e. 5igh speeds give high a""eleration !e"ause there are high for"es under all that air

pressure. - idel# spa"ed landing gear gives high a""eleration !e"ause it has a huge lever arm on the "enter of gravit#. %an X-Plane handle these high accelerationsJ Of courseL 6ut it needs a high frame rate to do it. /or the flight model to ork, there "an onl# !e a "ertain amount of velo"it# "hange per frame of the simulation. 2f the a""elerations are high, then the frame rate !etter !e high so that there is a reasona!le velo"it# "hange 'i.e., a""eleration* per frame. To determine ho high a frame rate is enough to handle a given a""eleration, Eust find the frame rate at hi"h there is no flutter. /or e@ample, imagine a 6oeing 7&7 at approa"h speed. 2t slo l# lum!ers along, hardl# a""elerating at all. One frame per second "ould tra"k that flight a""uratel#. Ao imagine holding a paper airplane out the indo of a "ar at K0 miles per hour and letting go. The plane doesn0t smoothl#, graduall#, a""elerate up to speed, it disintegrates in a thousandth of a se"ondL To simulate that ma# re1uire a simulator to run at one thousand frames per secondL ;o, hile a simple 20 frames per se"ond orks fine for most an# air"raft, hen small, light, !ig- inged "raft ith idel# spa"ed landing gear designs start fl#ing fast, the a""elerations "ome up enough that in e@treme "ases, 100 fps might !e needed to model a""uratel#. This is more of a pro!lem ith planes thatM are small !e"ause the# maneuver mu"h more 1ui"kl# than !ig planes are light !e"ause the# have less inertia and rea"t faster have long ings !e"ause the# have more leverage on the "enter of gravit#, thus rea"ting faster

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have !ig ings !e"ause the# get more lift, thus rea"ting faster have idel# spa"ed landing gear !e"ause the gear has more leverage on the "raft, "ausing it to tor1ue the plane faster 4hen using an airplane that rea"ts extremely *uickly to the environment, the "omputer needs to rea"t Eust as 1ui"kl# to simulate it. This "an !e a"hieved !# redu"ing the rendering options and visi!ilit# in X-Plane enough to raise the frame rate to a non-fluttering level. 9ore info on this "an !e found in %hapter ), ;e"tion 222, Part ?, ;etting 8p X-Plane to -"hieve the 6est <esults, found on page &#. X!A. :oes X-Plane use '&-bit pro3essingR - "ommon 1uestion is, S4hen ill X-Plane !e "ompiled as :&-!it, to nativel# support :&-!it s#stemsJS The ans er is not 1uite hat one might think, !e"ause :&-!it pro"essing does not reall# give more speed. 5ere is hat :&-!it it doesM 1. 2t allo s a""ess to more than 2 ?6 of <-9. ;in"e X-Plane onl# uses half this mu"h <-9, though, this fun"tion is not useful to X-Plane. 4h# have a""ess to <-9 the simulator ill not useJ 2. 2t allo s S!igger num!ersS to !e used nativel# in some "ases, thus allo ing the program to ork ith :&-!it num!ers. -gain, though, hen does X-Plane need or even want a :&-!it num!erJ AeverL K-!it num!ers are fine for 99.9Z of "ases, and 1:-!it num!ers are needed for the other 0.1Z of the time hen e need reall# high pre"ision. There is no a need for a single :&-!it num!er in the entiret# of X-PlaneL

4e ent through this #ears ago ith 99X. Bver#one ould ask S4hen do 2 get 99XJ 4hen do 2 get 99XJS. 4hen 99X as finall# ena!led, though, the frame rate gain as so tin# that it as not even orth having. This is !e"ause 99X did not a"tuall# address the stuff in X-Plane that a"tuall# took the most time$ moving pol#s a"ross the !us to the video "ard. Ao e are going through this again ith :&-!it operating s#stems. 2t sounds interesting, !ut, for no , there is no reason to have it in <)"lane !e"ause it is not useful for the kinds of things the simulator does. ;ome da#, this ill "hange, of "ourse, like hen X-Plane uses more than 2 gig of <-9, or hen it uses the sun, rather than the Barth, as its "oordinate referen"e to allo real-time, engineeringa""urate flights to 9ars. 2t ill !e useful hen X-Plane uses the galactic center, rather than the ;un, as its "oordinate referen"e to allo engineering-a""urate flights to other star s#stems. 4e,ll need some !ig, !ig num!ers then, and :&-!it operating s#stems ill !e needed to get the Eo! done. /or no , for most home users, :&-!it 3;s are all h#pe. 4hen XPlane "an take advantage of native :&-!it "ompiling, it ill. Aote, of "ourse, that X-Plane will run on a :&-!it operating s#stem $it ill do so as a )2-!it appli"ation onl#, though. XA. 7hat are the "ifferen3es bet6een the stan"ar" "es2top *ersion of X-Plane an" the $AA-3ertifie" *ersionR The /---"ertified version has a different set of air"raft than the standard desktop version. The "ertified version has onl# general aviation air"raft, rather than the huge variet# of planes that "ome ith the retail X-Plane. -dditionall#, these planes have "ustom instrument panels, fuel s#stems, and autopilot s#stems designed to ork spe"ifi"all# ith the hard are the# are sold ith 'for

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e@ample, the simulators sold !# Pre"ision /light %ontrols7(*. /urthermore, these panels are often used as in full-s"reen displa#s in multi-"omputer setups ' ith more "omputers providing e@ternal visuals*. These allo the user to fl# using full-s"reen "o"kpits, ith separate e@ternal visuals, hile enEo#ing full-s"reen panels that do not dupli"ate an#thing that e@ists in the P/% hard are, using s#stems that integrate perfe"tl# ith P/% fuel and autopilot s#stems. The /---"ertified version does not have the ;pe"ial menu in XPlane, or the various S;pe"ialS take-offs, in-flights, and approa"hes found in the 7o"ation menu. These allo the user to take off from "arriers, relo"ate to 9ars, and do other unusual things. 3f "ourse, these things "an "onfuse training, so the# are removed. -s ell, the "ertified version does not in"lude helipads and supershort private airstrips. This too is designed to keep training fo"used. /or the same reason, the "ertified version does not have night vision or sun glare effe"ts. - 1(-minute demo is in"luded ith the "ertified version rather than the desktop0s 10-minute demo to allo more time to evaluate the program !efore pur"hasing. /inall#, the /---"ertified version "he"ks the simulator0s frame rate and hard are to make sure that !oth are oka# !efore allo ing flight, something that is not done in the desktop version. To summariFe, the "ertified version of X-Plane Eust has a lot of the Qe@trasR removed to fo"us the user0s training, and it has a large suite of general aviation planes to allo training on appropriate air"raft, ith instrument panels on those "raft that are optimiFed to ork ith hard are the#0re !undled ith. /inall#, the "ertified
7(

version has no dupli"ations of the "ontrols and displa#s availa!le on the hard are. XA!. 7hy "oes %=!ICrossfire not spee" up the si,R ;ome appli"ations !enefit from ;72 'the A>2.2- version of using dual video "ards* and %rossfire '-T20s version of the same*, and some do not. X-Plane, t#pi"all#, does not !enefit. This is !e"ause performan"e !oosts using these te"hnologies depend on hether or not the "omputer is limited !# the fill rate. /or X-Plane, at a resolution of 102& @ 7:K, the simulator0s speed is limited !# the geometr# going a"ross the !us, not the fill rate. ;o, in that "ase, ;72 and %rossfire are useless$one "ard "an fill 102& @ 7:K at :0 fps. /urthermore, in ;72, the t o "ards must communicate with one another, sending te@tures !a"k and forth !et een them. This "an !e slower than one "ard doing all the orkL This is !e"ause sending these te@tures from one "ard to another "an !e slower than doing a hole frame, if the hole frame "an !e done on one "ard. ;o, here the "omputer is not limited !# the graphi"s "ard0s fill rate, ;72 "an a"tuall# slo the simulator do n, not speed it up. There are performan"e testing programs '!en"hmarks* that "an test ;72H%rossfire setups and sho a higher performan"e ith them ena!led. This is !e"ause the test program does not have to dra the orld from the sk# hen it tests 'as X-Plane does*, so hen it tests fill rate, it does nothing else. Thus, #ou see only fill rate performan"e. This has nothing to do ith X-Plane !e"ause X-Plane is t#pi"all# not fill rate-limited. -s ell, the test program 1K:

httpMHH

.fl#pf"."omHinde@.html

might not "op# te@tures !a"k and forth !et een the "ards. -gain, the performan"e #ou see in the program has nothing to do ith XPlane, hi"h must "op# "loud shado s, refle"tions, and the like around !et een video "ards. ;o, the !ottom line is that these te"hnologies "an make the simulator slower, not faster, in man# "asesL To learn more, read 6enEamin ;upnik0s !log here7:.

httpMHH@planes"ener#.!logspot."omH2007H0&Him-not-fan-ofsli"rossfire.html
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Appen"i0 /1 Ma2ing Ob<e3ts for X-Plane

- "ommon 1uestion for "ustomer support is, S2 ant to model o!Ee"ts for X-Plane$ hat formats do #ou useJR. There are a fe parts to that ans er. /irst of all, for the air"raft itself, there is onl# one ans er$the XPlane .a"f file, as saved !# Plane-9aker '!undled ith the simulator and lo"ated in the X-Plane 9 dire"tor#*. X-Plane looks at this file to determine flight ph#si"s, mass properties, engine po er and limits[ the orks. -s su"h, it is highl# "ustomiFed to X-Plane and "ould never !e an# sort of Qall-purposeS format. This means that #ou "an onl# use Plane-9aker, and nothing bu Plane9aker, to make the air"raft. 4hile Plane-9aker is perfe"tl# ade1uate for entering the design of the plane 'it is !ug-free, eas# to use, not too fan"#, and relia!le* Plane-9aker is A3T a )-. model editor. 2nstead, it is used to la# out the !asi" aerod#nami" shapes and properties hi"h result in an airplane that looks oka#, !ut ould "ertainl# not kno"k an#one0s so"ks off. -s su"h, it "an not make the "omple@ )-. model that is needed to make a "ool )-. "o"kpit, or to make a highl# detailed air"raft model that might overla# the !asi" Plane9aker model from hi"h flight ph#si"s are "al"ulated. These )-. models can also be used to "reate !uildings and other "ustom o!Ee"ts$not just plane overlays and cockpits. ;o, to repeatM 1. Plane-9aker "an !e used on its o n to make a model for XPlane. 2t ill look oka# and ill fl# fine. 2t ill !e prett# good. 2. 2n addition to this Plane-9aker model, #ou "an make a )-.

"o"kpit to sit inside the plane, or a highl# detailed air"raft model to overl# the !asi" X-Plane model, hi"h "ould a"tuall# !e made ith transparent te@tures to !e invisi!le, if #ou desire. %learl#, #ou "an use Plane-9aker, do part 1 a!ove, !ut not part 2. hi"h "omes ith X-Plane, to

;ee the SB@ample -ir"raftS in the S2nstru"tionsS folder for a ver# simple e@ample. ;o, hat editor do #ou use for part 2J

To do part 2 of the a!ove, #ou ill need a )-. editor "apa!le of saving an o!Ee"t in the X-Plane 36J format. )ote1 This is not the same as the -lias 36J format. The follo ing file formats "an !e used to "reate X-Plane 36J filesM ).; '-utodesk ). ;tudio* .X/ '-uto"ad* 36J '-lias 4avefront* -% '-%).* 9.2 'Duake model* 4<7 '><97* 743 '7ight4ave* TXT '9ilkshape* 4ith ea"h of these file e@tensions, users need to "onvert the o!Ee"ts to ones usa!le !# X-Plane. This is often done !# opening the file in -%)., then using the X-Plane plugin do nloada!le here77 to e@port the file as an X-Plane 36J. -lternativel#, after an o!Ee"t has !een "reated in ).; or -uto"ad, 3!E%onverter ma# to !e used to "onvert it. 3!E%onverter "omes in the ;"ener# Tools pa"k, do nloada!le here7K.
77 7K

httpMHHs"ener#.@-plane."omHtools.php httpMHHs"ener#.@-plane."omHtools.php

1KK

-lternativel#, dire"t e@port to an X-Plane 36J file is availa!le in the t o free )-. editors !# Jonathan 5arris$!oth ?oogle ;ket"hup79 and 6lenderK0. )oteM -ll of these e@ports are limited !# file format issuesM ).; doesn,t feature lines, onl# meshes. .X/H-uto"ad has no te@turing info. 7ight ave,s te@turing model doesn,t "orrespond to ours ver# ell. ><97 "onversion !et een programs doesn,t usuall# ork ell. There ma# !e other issues, too, in "onverting !et een formats. 2n all "ases, though, the file needs one te@ture per o!Ee"t. The !ottom line is that there are a lot of a#s to get o!Ee"ts into XPlane from Eust a!out an# )-. editor imagina!le. 2f it isn,t on this list, and the )-. editor is de"ent, it "an pro!a!l# e@port to one of these formats su"h as ).;, -lias 4averfront 36J, or similar. /or pure SmeshesS made ith one te@ture, no tri"ks, ).; seems to !e the most relia!le "onversion format for simple ork.

79 K0

httpMHHsket"hup.google."omH httpMHH .!lender.orgH

1K9

Appen"i0 $1 Custo, Air3raft $iles for 5ire

7aminar <esear"h no offers the "apa!ilit# to "ustom-"reate real air"raft for X-Plane on a "ontra"t !asis. This ork "an dupli"ate an o ner,s airplane, do n to the paint, tail num!er, avioni"s and instrument panel, in"luding the proper pla"ement of "ontrols and s it"hes. This pro"ess in"ludes "ustom one-off engineering and design graphi"s ork. 5istori"all#, e have even "ertified a fe of these air"raft for use ith the /---"ertified version of X-Plane. -s #ou "an imagine, this ork is pri"ed a""ordingl# and is not ine@pensive, t#pi"all# a!out P),(00 per file. Please "onta"t X-Plane %ustomer ;ervi"e at 91)-2:9-097: or email at infoU@-plane."om for more information. 2f either of these has !e"ome outdated, "urrent "onta"t information "an !e found at X-Plane."omK1.

K1

httpMHH

.@-plane."omH"onta"t.html

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Appen"i0 91 The =og $ile /0plaine"

log.t@t for X-Plane K.:0 6eta-1 X-Plane !uild K:000 "ompiled on Aov 29 200: 11M2)M0& This log file is generated automati"all# !# 7aminar <esear"h appli"ations and "ontains diagnosti"s a!out #our graphi"s hard are, installation, and an# error "onditions. 2f #ou need to "onta"t te"h support or file a !ug, please send us this file. A3TBM this file is re ritten ever# time #ou start -A= of #our X-;#stem appli"ations. This preamble is written by all the apps. Among other things, it gives you the exact app name and the date it was built, so you can be SURE the user is using the same build you are. 9a" 3; X 10.&.K %P8 t#peM 17:(09(&7K 'Pentium* %P8 speed 'mhF*M 21:06us speed 'mhF*M ::&<-9 '96*M 20&K System in o ! varies by machine. "ere we have the #S version. This is a $%entium$ &ac so we 'now it(s a new )ntel &ac. *%U is +.,- ."/. 0us speed is --1 &"/ ! that(s not usually important. ) have + .0 o RA&. X-;#stem folderNH"odeHdesignXXH "ase sensitiveN0 )nstall location o my x!system older...also my ile system is 2#T case sensitive. %P8 "ount N 2 This is a dual!processor machine. -?7V<?6M1 -?7V.3867B68//B< M1

-?7V<B.V;2CB MK -?7V?<BBAV;2CB MK -?7V678BV;2CB MK -?7V-7P5-V;2CB MK -?7V.BPT5V;2CB M)2 &ac speci ic ! this tells us their screen resolution ! 3+!bit color. This is usually not important. 3pen?7 ;ituation M 3pen?7 >endor M-T2 Te"hnologies 2n". 3pen?7 <ender M-T2 <adeon X1:00 3pen?7 Bngine 3pen?7 >ersion M2.0 -T2-1.&.&0 This is the most important stu : the #pen.4 vendor, renderer, and version. The renderer will give you a hint about what card they have, but doesn(t tell you exactly. 5or example, a -677.T and -677 will both be listed as a $-677.$ 0ut this in o will tell you .E2ERA448 what 'ind o card they have, which is what matters, because cards come in amilies9 The #pen.4 version is not :uite the same as the driver version, but old drivers have old #pen.4 versions, so rom this we can tell i they have old drivers. 3pen?7 B@tensionsM?7V-<6VtransposeVmatri@ ?7V-<6Vverte@Vprogram ?7V-<6Vverte@V!lend ?7V-<6V indo Vpos ?7V-<6VshaderVo!Ee"ts ?7V-<6Vverte@Vshader ?7VBXTVmultiVdra Varra#s ?7VBXTV"lipVvolumeVhint ?7VBXTVres"aleVnormal ?7VBXTVdra VrangeVelements ?7VBXTVfogV"oord ?7V-PP7BV"lientVstorage ?7V-PP7BVspe"ularVve"tor ?7V-PP7BVtransformVhint ?7V-PP7BVpa"kedVpi@els ?7V-PP7BVfen"e ?7V-PP7BVverte@Varra#Vo!Ee"t ?7V-PP7BVverte@VprogramVevaluators ?7V-PP7BVelementVarra# ?7V-PP7BVflushVrender

191

?7VA>Vte@genVrefle"tion ?7VA>VlightVma@Ve@ponent ?7V269VrasterposV"lip ?7V;?2;VgenerateVmipmap ?7V-<6VshadingVlanguageV100 ?7V-<6Vimaging ?7V-<6VpointVparameters ?7V-<6Vte@tureVenvV"ross!ar ?7V-<6Vte@tureV!orderV"lamp ?7V-<6Vmultite@ture ?7V-<6Vte@tureVenvVadd ?7V-<6Vte@tureV"u!eVmap ?7V-<6Vte@tureVenvVdot) ?7V-<6Vmultisample ?7V-<6Vte@tureVenvV"om!ine ?7V-<6Vte@tureV"ompression ?7V-<6Vte@tureVmirroredVrepeat ?7V-<6Vshado ?7V-<6VdepthVte@ture ?7V-<6Vshado Vam!ient ?7V-<6VfragmentVprogram ?7V-<6VfragmentVprogramVshado ?7V-<6VfragmentVshader ?7V-<6Vo""lusionV1uer# ?7V-<6VpointVsprite ?7V-<6Vte@tureVnonVpo erVofVt o ?7V-<6Vverte@V!ufferVo!Ee"t ?7V-<6Vpi@elV!ufferVo!Ee"t ?7V-<6Vdra V!uffers ?7V-<6VshaderVte@tureVlod ?7VBXTV"ompiledVverte@Varra# ?7VBXTVframe!ufferVo!Ee"t ?7VBXTVte@tureVre"tangle ?7V-<6Vte@tureVre"tangle ?7VBXTVte@tureVenvVadd ?7VBXTV!lendV"olor ?7VBXTV!lendVminma@ ?7VBXTV!lendVsu!tra"t ?7VBXTVte@tureVlodV!ias ?7VBXTVa!gr ?7VBXTV!gra ?7VBXTVsten"ilV rap ?7VBXTVte@tureVfilterVanisotropi" ?7VBXTVseparateVspe"ularV"olor ?7VBXTVse"ondar#V"olor ?7VBXTV!lendVfun"Vseparate ?7VBXTVshado Vfun"s ?7VBXTVsten"ilVt oVside ?7VBXTVte@tureV"ompressionVs)t" ?7VBXTVte@tureV"ompressionVd@t1 ?7VBXTV!lendVe1uationVseparate ?7VBXTVte@tureVmirrorV"lamp ?7VBXTVpa"kedVdepthVsten"il ?7VBXTVgpuVprogramVparameters ?7V-PP7BVflushV!ufferVrange ?7V-PP7BV#"!"rV&22 ?7V-PP7BVverte@Varra#Vrange ?7V-PP7BVte@tureVrange ?7V-PP7BVfloatVpi@els ?7V-T2Vte@tureVfloat ?7V-<6Vte@tureVfloat ?7V-PP7BVpi@elV!uffer ?7VA>V!lendVs1uare ?7VA>VfogVdistan"e ?7V-T2Vte@tureVmirrorVon"e ?7V-T2Vte@tVfragmentVshader ?7V-T2V!lendVe1uationVseparate

?7V-T2V!lendV eightedVminma@ ?7V-T2Vte@tureVenvV"om!ine) ?7V-T2VseparateVsten"il ?7V-T2Vte@tureV"ompressionV)d" ?7V;?2;Vte@tureVedgeV"lamp ?7V;?2;Vte@tureVlod ?7V;?2V"olorVmatri@ This huge list is all the $opengl tric's$ the card supports ! Austin and ) print this so that we can see what the card does or debugging ! you guys won(t need this. te@V"lampVavailN1 addVenvVavail N1 "om!ineVavail N1 disVfogVavail N1 te@V"ompVavail N1 v!oVavail N1 vprogVavail N1 '2(:* fprogVavail N1 '102&H(12H(12H&* autominiVavail N1 anisoVavail N1 fsaaVavail N1 spritesVavail N1 depthVte@VavailN1 o""ludeVavail N1 shadVo!EsVavailN1 vshaderVavail N1 '1:H&09:H)2H1:H0H&09:* fshaderVavail N1 '&09:* glslVavail N1 '1.10* frame!ufVavail N1 ma@ te@ units MK '1:HK* ma@ iso filteringM1:.000000 ma@ te@ture siFe M&09: ma@ point siFe M:&.000000 &ore #pen.4 diagnostics...generally only needed by Austin and me, but sometimes we can tell you how to detect bugs. Each o these $ lags$ will be 7 i we don(t ind the driver has a

192

tric', or , i it does. 5or example, my card ;#ES support .4S4 <.4S4=avail > ,?. That means ) have pixel shaders both on my card and drivers that understand them. So you can tell i a user is getting pixel shaders this way. Also, i we detect a card with a bug, you may see some warning messages li'e $not using @@@ or )ntel graphics card$ or something. lo est free te@t inde@NK2 Austin noting to himsel the next $slot$ or internationali/ed strings ! ignore it9 4-<A2A?M "ommand simHautopilotHairspeed in ke#s file unkno n. 4-<A2A?M the !inding TH;52/TX%T<7 is !ound to t o "ommandsM simHoperationHgroundVspeedV"hange and simHenginesHignitionVdo nV( Aarning rom the 'eyboard shortcuts ile !! on this machine, ) have a 'ey bound to an un'nown command and two mappings or shi t!ctrl!T. #oops9 3pen-7 version M 1.1 3pen-7 hard are M 3pen-7 e@tensionsM -7%VBXTV%-PT8<B -7%VBA89B<-T23AVBXT -7%VBXTV9-%V3;X -7%VBXTV-;&ac and 4inux: sound in o...usually this can be ignored9 Ae don(t seem to have a lot o sound bugs on &ac, and on 4inux i sound drivers are bad, the sim won(t launch. Tr#ing to find %/9 atM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMXP79.shl! failed %/9 - frag load failed.

This means that old #S B plugin can(t load. This happens on any )ntel &ac, which can(t support &ac #S!B style plugins. /et"hing for 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignXXM<esour"esMplugins 7oadedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMPlugin-dmin9a".@pl. 7oadedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsM.ata<efBditor9a".@pl. dlerrorMdlopen'H"odeHdesignX XH<esour"esHpluginsHPlugin-dmin7in.@pl, 9*M no suita!le image found. .id findM H"odeHdesignXXH<esour"esHpluginsHPlugin-dmin7in.@plM unkno n file t#pe, first eight !#tesM 0@7/ 0@&( 0@&% 0@&: 0@01 0@01 0@01 0@00 /ailedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMPlugin-dmin7in.@pl. 'This file is missing, not a .77 or "ould not !e loaded due to another missing .77.* dlerrorMdlopen'H"odeHdesignX XH<esour"esHpluginsHPlugin-dmin4in.@pl, 9*M no suita!le image found. .id findM H"odeHdesignXXH<esour"esHpluginsHPlugin-dmin4in.@plM unkno n file t#pe, first eight !#tesM 0@&. 0@(- 0@90 0@00 0@0) 0@00 0@00 0@00 /ailedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMPlugin-dmin4in.@pl. 'This file is missing, not a .77 or "ould not !e loaded due to another missing .77.* dlerrorMdls#m'0@910f9a0, XPlugin<e"eive9essage*M s#m!ol not found 7oadedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMPosition.@pl. 7oadedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMPrivate%ommands.@pl. 7oadedM 9a"intosh 5.M"odeMdesignX XM<esour"esMpluginsMXPush6a"k.@pl. /ound stats pluginM 2

19)

/ound remote pluginM & %lugin discovery ! each plugin is loaded...i it ails, the error message is here. ) it does load, plugins may insert their own message and warnings . 5rom this section you can igure out <,? what plugins the user has and <+? are they wor'ingC 5or example in this case, %luginAdmin4in.xpl didn(t launch ! it(s not a real &ac plugin. <That(s because it(s or 4inux? ) a user has problems and a lot o plugins, as' them to try again without the plugins...perhaps it(s not our bug9 2 found the follo ing s"ener# pa"kages 'prioritiFed in this order*M 0 %ustom ;"ener#Ha ks!d ground overla#H 1 %ustom ;"ener#HaVfa"VtestH 2 %ustom ;"ener#H!ea"hesH ) %ustom ;"ener#HB..T lightH & %ustom ;"ener#HB.T%H ( %ustom ;"ener#HforestsH : %ustom ;"ener#HG723 Pursuit /ieldH 7 %ustom ;"ener#HG;6. .emo -reaH K %ustom ;"ener#H7oireI7/3DV/;2XPH 9 %ustom ;"ener#H7;9.H 10 %ustom ;"ener#H9ake2t;oH 11 %ustom ;"ener#HP-<2;V6aseH 12 %ustom ;"ener#HroadsH 1) %ustom ;"ener#HTest1000mH 1& %ustom ;"ener#HtoulousH 1( %ustom ;"ener#Hus pat"hH 1: %ustom ;"ener#H ha"koVgermanVaptH 17 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H700 roadsH 1K <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK00 o!Ee"tsH 19 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK00 roadsH 20 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 !ea"hesH 21 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 roadsH

22 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 us o!Ee"tsH 2) <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 us o!Ee"ts pla"eholderH 2& <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 orld o!Ee"tsH 2( <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 orld o!Ee"ts pla"eholderH 2: <esour"esHdefault s"ener#HK20 orld terrainH 27 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H%>;.sand!o@infoH 2K <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth BuropeH 29 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;H )0 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#Hsim o!Ee"tsH )1 <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H@-plane terrainH Scenery pac'age list9 This is all o the scenery we ound, irst ones listed are highest priority. i a user has a crash and custom scenery, as' them to remove it. 0UT i the custom scenery causes the crash A2; the custom scenery USE; to wor', please ma'e sure to get a bug report to &E9999999999 4-<A2A?M <un a# must have a )-letter name, !ut e have C@ at %ollege Park 4-<A2A?M <un a# has a !ad num!er string C@ at %ollege Park 4e found a dupli"ate run a# ):H1K vs. 1KH): at airport )0/ 4e found a dupli"ate run a# ):H1K vs. 1KH): at airport )0/ 4-<A2A?M <un a# has a !ad suffi@ 0(u at 7el#stad 4e found a dupli"ate run a# 0(uH2) vs. 0(H2) at airport B57B 4e found a dupli"ate run a# 1&H)2 vs. )2H1& at airport &62 4e found a dupli"ate run a# 1&H)2 vs. )2H1& at airport &62 4e found a dupli"ate run a# 1KH): vs. ):H1K at airport :279 4e found a dupli"ate run a# 1KH): vs. ):H1K at airport :279 Aarnings about apt.dat ile...with +7,777 entries there are still some screwed up ones. :!< Robin tries to ix these things. ;tarting s"ener# shift at 0 .;/ rotate timeM 7 for 0 .;/s.

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.;/ load timeM ):(&2K for file <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;HBarth nav dataMX)0-120HX)2-119.dsf .;/ load timeM 7&1K7& for file <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;HBarth nav dataMX)0-120HX)2-11K.dsf .;/ load timeM 9&97&1 for file <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;HBarth nav dataMX)0-120HX)2-117.dsf .;/ load timeM 7&1&9: for file <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;HBarth nav dataMX)0-120HX))-119.dsf .;/ load timeM 17::2(& for file <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;HBarth nav dataMX)0-120HX))-11K.dsf .;/ load timeM 1&&179) for file <esour"esHdefault s"ener#H.;/ K20 Barth 8;HBarth nav dataMX)0-120HX))-117.dsf Preload timeM 121)&:29. Preload timeM 719)&:. Preload timeM 207(1:. Preload timeM 12:272. Ahenever we load scenery, some logging in o goes out. )n this way we can see what scenery they were last viewing and where they were lying. %lean e@it from threads. ) they exit the sim, this message is printed at the log. ) you don(t see this, it means one o two things: <,? the user crashed. <+? the user emailed you the log ile be ore :uitting99

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Appen"i0 51 X-Plane an" =inu0

The X-Plane dis"s sold from X-Plane."om are "ompati!le ith 4indo s, 9a" 3;, and 7inu@. 2nstalling the soft are on either 9a" 3; or 4indo s is prett# straightfor ard+ in most "ases, so long as one has the proper drivers, the steps to install ill !e nearl# identi"al !et een "omputers. There are multiple versions of these operating s#stems 'for instan"e, 9a" 3; 10.& versus 10.(, or 4indo s XP versus 4indo s >ista*, !ut for the purpose of installing X-Plane, ea"h version fun"tions a!out the same. 3n the other hand, Q7inu@R is a ver# !road "ategor# of operating s#stems. Ba"h distri!ution 'or QflavorR* of 7inu@ is uni1ue. 2n some "ases, the onl# thing that differentiates one distri!ution from another is the programs 'also "alled soft are pa"kages* that are in"luded !# default$for e@ample, 8!untu ;tudio simpl# adds tools for orking ith multimedia to the standard 8!untu distri!ution. 2n other "ases, distri!utions ma# !e differentiated !# their user interfa"e$for e@ample, Xu!untu "hanges the desktop environment from ?nome 'as in the standard 8!untu distri!ution* to X/%B. 2n #et other "ases, distri!utions ma# var# in man# more a#s$for e@ample, users of ?entoo 'a highl# "onfigura!le, highl# involved distri!ution* "hoose to use it over something like 8!untu largel# due to the fa"t that the kernel 'the Q!onesR of the operating s#stem* is tailored to ea"h s#stem individuall#. 3n the other hand, 8!untu users "hoose to use it largel# for the fa"t that the# don+t have to "ustom-tailor an#thing. Aone of these differen"es prevent X-Plane from !eing installed. 5o ever, the ide variations in soft are pa"kages 'as ell as

differen"es in the user interfa"e and ho pa"kages are installed* make a step-!#-step guide for ea"h parti"ular 7inu@ distri!ution impossi!le. 4e ill dis"uss the installation of X-Plane on three of the most popular distri!utionsM /edora, open;use, and 8!untu. - helpful 'though su!Ee"tive* "omparison of these three distri!utions "an !e found hereK2. <eading through the installation guide !elo ill !e helpful to users of other distri!utions, too, as the pro"ess is largel# the same$"op# the installer to the hard drive, gather the re1uired li!raries, and run the installer. /or users ne to 7inu@, this installation ma# seem daunting. .on0t give up, thoughL The installation will ork, and the e@perien"e gained in installing X-Plane ill !e helpful hen installing other soft are later. X-Plane "ustomer support is top not"h, and the XPlane "ommunit#$espe"iall# the 7inu@ side of the "ommunit#$is e@"eptionall# helpful. Please note that this guide is ritten for users ne to 7inu@. ;ome information ma# seem anno#ingl# !asi" to 7inu@ veterans, !ut it is ne"essar# in order to make 7inu@ a via!le option for all our users. /or users tr#ing to de"ide !et een the )2-!it version of their distri!ution of "hoi"e and the :&-!it version, kno that X-Plane ill run on !oth. The )2-!it version has the !enefit of re1uiring fe er ne soft are li!raries "ompared to the :&-!it version. The do nside to using a )2-!it operating s#stem is that the s#stem "an onl# address & ?6 of memor#+ ho ever, sin"e X-Plane fits "omforta!l# ithin 2 ?6 of memor#, a s#stem !uilt stri"tl# for XPlane ill !e fine ith a )2-!it operating s#stem. This guide assumes that the "omputer X-Plane is !eing installed
httpMHHne s.helpero."omHarti"leH868AT8-vs-;8;B-vs/B.3<-V20.html
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on is "apa!le of running the simulator ith its default rendering options. Aote that the minimum s#stem re1uirements to run XPlane are a 1 ?5F pro"essor, 1 ?6 of <-9, and 12K 96 ><-9 on an independent 'non-integrated* video "ard. 5o ever, the re"ommended spe"ifi"ations are a 2 ?5F pro"essor, 2 ?6 of <-9, and 2(: 96 of ><-9. 3f "ourse, X-Plane "an take advantage of even faster s#stems, too. /or help, please email "ustomer support at infoU@-plane."om, or get "ommunit# support from the X-Plane.org 7inu@ forumsK). !. !nstallation 6efore e !egin, let0s dis"uss the general steps that e0ll !e follo ing in ea"h distri!ution0s spe"ifi" installation instru"tions. /irst, e0ll "op# the X-Plane 7inu@ installer to the desktop. This is ne"essar# !e"ause e ill need to remove .is" 1 in the "ourse of installing the s"ener#. 7inu@ doesn0t like having the installer present onl# in memor# 'as ould !e the "ase in a 4indo s or 9a" installation*, so e0ll pa"if# it !# moving it to the hard drive. 2n the past, there ere issues ith the mounting of the 7inu@ dis"s+ in the distri!utions des"ri!ed here, this is no longer the "ase. The installation dis"s mount "orre"tl# and are usa!le ithout an# e@tra input. 9ore information "an !e found at the XPlane 4ikiK&. Please note that the installation steps presented here are for the 9.00 set of gra#-"olored dis"s. 4hen using a different set of dis"s 'su"h as the older !eta dis"s or the dis"s pur"hased in a retail store* it ma# !e ne"essar# to do nload the 7inu@ installer from the

X-Plane 4ikiK(. -fter getting the installer on the desktop, e ill do nload an# soft are li!raries needed !# X-Plane !ut not present on the s#stem. 3n a :&-!it s#stem, this usuall# means do nloading the =>)bit versions of 9esa 'a free implementation of the 3pen?7 graphi"s li!rar#* and 3pen-7 'an audio li!rar#*. ;ome )2-!it s#stems ill alread# have these installed. To find out hat li!raries the installer ill need, open the terminal 'also "alled the "ommand line* and navigate to here the installer as saved. -ssuming that the installer is on the desktop, and that the terminal opens in the ]user name^ folder, this is done !# t#pingM cd Desktop and pressing Bnter. The QcdR stands for Q"hange dire"tor#,R after hi"h e tell the terminal here to go. 3n"e in the .esktop folder, e "an "he"k the dependen"ies of the 7inu@ installer !# t#pingM ldd ./Linux Installer and pressing Bnter. The li!raries listed there "an !e sear"hed for either in the distri!ution0s pa"kage installer or on ?oogle. /or the 7inu@ distri!utions in this guide, e on0t go through this step !e"ause e alread# kno hi"h pa"kages are needed. 3n"e the proper li!raries are installed, running the installer is as simple as opening a terminal, navigating to the desktop 'via Qcd DesktopR in most "ases*, and e@e"uting the file !# t#pingM ./Linux Installer and pressing Bnter. /rom there, the installer itself "an alk the user through the setup. 6# default, the installation ill default to the dire"tor# HhomeH]user name^HX-Plane 9.
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A. !n Ubuntu J3 -bitK The )2-!it version 'that is, the i)K: installation dis"* of 8!untu 9.0& QJaunt# Ja"kalopeR ill !e used in the follo ing instru"tions. -dditionall#, the X-Plane 4iki has guides for installing on versions K.0&K: and K.10K7, and further dis"ussion of the li!raries ne"essar# for the :&-!it version of K.10 "an !e found on the X-Plane.org forumsKK. ;ome 8!untu users report having issues ith the file permissions of the installer found on the X-Plane .>.s. 2n order to avoid this entirel#, e ill simpl# do nload the latest installer from the e! !# "li"king hereK9. 4hen /irefo@ prompts, sele"t to open the file ith the -r"hive 9anager, noting that ma# take a fe minutes for the do nload to "omplete. 4hen it does, drag the X-Plane .>. 2nstaller 7inu@ file to the desktop. 4ith the installer do nloaded, e need to gather the re1uired pa"kage li!raries. 3pen the ;#napti" Pa"kage 9anager !# "li"king the ;#stem menu 'in the upper left of the s"reen*, going to -dministration, and "li"king ;#napti" Pa"kage 9anager, as sho n in the follo ing image.

4hen ;#napti" opens, sear"h 'in the top "enter of the indo * for 3pen-7. /ind the line that reads Qli!openal1R and "li"k it 'as sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot*, then "li"k 9ark for 2nstallation.

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4ith li!openal1 marked, press Apply 'found at the top of the indo , to the left of the sear"h !ar*. %li"k Apply on"e again in the ;ummar# indo that appears to install the pa"kage. .ue to an idios#n"ras# in 8!untu 9.0&, e ill no need to link another li!rar# file 'li!openal0* to the file e Eust do nloaded 'li!openal1*. To do this, first open the terminal !# "li"king the -ppli"ations menu 'found at the top left of the s"reen*, going to -""essories, then "li"king Terminal, as sho n at the top of the ne@t page.

2n the terminal indo that opens, t#pe the follo ing "ommandM sudo ln \s HusrHli!Hli!openal.so.1 HusrHli!Hli!openal.so.0 Press Bnter and enter the root pass ord to "reate the link. Aote that, in the :&-!it version of 8!untu, users ill need to repla"e the Sli!S portion of the t o dire"tories a!ove ith Sli!)2S. 2n the previous "ommand, the QsudoR told the terminal to QdoR hat e told it as a super user 'su*. The QlnR told it that e anted to "reate a link, and the Q\sR modifier told it to make it a s#m!oli" link rather than a hard link. Ae@t, e told it hi"h original file to use, then here to pla"e the link. 4ith the link "reated, it0s time to run the installer. 2n a terminal indo , t#pe Q"d .esktopR to move to the desktop, then t#pe T.HRXPlane .>. 2nstaller 7inu@R0 to laun"h the installer. 2n the installer indo that appears, "li"k Continue.

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6# default, X-Plane ill install to the HhomeH]user name^H dire"tor#. 2f this is a""epta!le, "li"k Continue, as in the follo ing image.

-""ept the li"ense agreement, the "li"k Continue.

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;ele"t the area of the orld for hi"h s"ener# should !e installed. 4ith the ne est installer, none of the orld ill !e sele"ted !# default. -reas hi"h are not sele"ted ill !e gra# and hite, hile areas hi"h are sele"ted ill have their full "olor. /or e@ample, in the image !elo , onl# Aorth -meri"a is sele"ted. 7arge areas "an easil# !e sele"ted !# "li"king and dragging the mouse "ursor. -lso, note that for areas ith no s"ener# installed, airports ill appear to !e QfloatingR a!ove an o"ean. 2nstalling that area0s s"ener# later 'done using this same installer* ill "orre"t this issue. 4hen the desired s"ener# has !een sele"ted, "li"k Continue, as sho n in the image !elo .

"omplete s"ener# pa"kage ill "onsume a!out 7( ?6 of hard drive spa"e and ill take !et een five and si@ and a half hours to install. 4hen the installer prompts, remove .is" 1 from the drive and insert .is" 2. Aote that this must !e pla"ed in the same .>.<39 as the first dis" for X-Plane to re"ogniFe it. 4ait for the se"ond dis"0s i"on to appear on the desktop 'indi"ating that it is mounted and read# to use*, then "li"k Continue. <epeat this for all the re1uired dis"s. 4hen the installer finishes, the simulator is read# to go. ;"ener# "an !e added or removed at an# point in the future !# inserting .is" 1 and re-running the installer. 4hen the X-;#stem installer "omes up sa#ing S=ou alread# have X-Plane 9 installed on this "omputer,R "li"k the A"" or 4e,o*e %3enery !utton and pro"eed as !efore. i. )ote on =oss of Au"io in Ubuntu ..10 ;ome users of 8!untu 9.10 have reported that, after fl#ing in XPlane for an# here from a fe minutes to a fe hours, the sim ill suddenl# stop putting out sound, although it ill still take input from the Eo#sti"k, the menus ill still ork, et". -fter this happens, the sim ill lo"k up hen the user tries to "lose it. This is "aused !# a "onfli"t !et een X-Plane and Pulse-udio hi"h, "uriousl#, seems to !e limited to 8!untu 9.10. This "an !e fi@ed either !# removing Pulse-udio entirel# 'as des"ri!ed here in the 8!untu forums* or !# upgrading to 8!untu 10.0&. 6oth the pro!lem and the solution are des"ri!ed further here on the X-Plane.org forums.

2nstallation ill no !egin. Aote that installation ma# take an# here from thirt# to si@t# minutes per dis". 2nstalling the

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8. !n Open%U%/ J'&-bitK This guide ill use the open;8;B 11.1 @K:-:& ?A39B distri!ution. The soft are pa"kages in"luded ith other versions ma# differ slightl#, !ut the steps to install should !e similar. 7et,s get started. /irst, insert X-Plane 9 .is" 1 into the "omputer,s .>. drive. 2f the /ile 6ro ser does not appear automati"all#, dou!le "li"k on the XP7-AB9 i"on on the desktop. 2n that indo , "li"k the 2nstaller 7inu@ i"on 'as highlighted in the follo ing s"reenshot* and drag it to the desktop. This is ne"essar# so that e "an s it"h dis"s during the installation.

need to !e do nloaded hen running the :&-!it version of open;8;B$the )2-!it version ill likel# have 9esa installed alread#. %li"k on the %omputer !utton in the !ottom left of the s"reen. 2n the menu that appears, "li"k !nstall %oft6are. T#pe the root pass ord hen prompted.

4ith that done, e need to gather the ne"essar# soft are li!raries. <emem!er that these some of these li!raries ill onl# 202

4hen the =a;T ;oft are 9anager appears, t#pe QopenalR in the sear"h !ar in the upper right, as highlighted in the image !elo . %li"k on SopenalS in the pa"kage list, then "li"k !nstall 'as highlighted !elo *. .o the same for Sopenal-)2!it.S The 3pen-7 pa"kages ill !e ne"essar# for audio output in X-Plane.

X-Plane.

%li"k the Apply !utton to install all of the sele"ted pa"kages, as highlighted in the follo ing image. Ae@t, sear"h for Qfreealut.R ;ele"t it and "li"k !nstall Eust like ith the previous pa"kage. This too ill !e responsi!le for audio output in X-Plane. /inall#, sear"h for 9esa. %li"k on S9esa-)2!itS and "li"k !nstall, as sho n in the image at the top of the ne@t "olumn. 9esa is a free implementation of 3pen?7 that ill handle the video output in 20)

The terminal indo that appears ill !e lo"ated '!# default* in the HhomeH]user name^H dire"tor#. To get to the X-Plane installer from here, e need to dire"t it to the desktop. .o this ith the "ommand Scd DesktopS as sho n in the image !elo . 3n"e there, laun"h in the installer !# t#ping ,./"Installer Linux", and pressing enter, as in the image !elo .

-ll the re1uired soft are li!raries are no installed. To laun"h the installer, e,ll need to open a terminal indo . %li"k Co,puter 'found in the !ottom left of the s"reen*, then "li"k More Appli3ations. There, dou!le "li"k on the Terminal i"on. -s an aside, ne users might ant to drag this i"on and pla"e it on the task !ar, as it ill likel# !e used often.

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The X-Plane 2nstaller

ill appear. %li"k Continue.

-""ept the agreement, then "li"k Continue.

6# default, X-Plane ill install to the HhomeH]user name^H dire"tor#. 2f this is a""epta!le, "li"k Continue.

;ele"t the area of the orld for hi"h s"ener# should !e installed. .epending on the version of the dis"s, either all or none of the orld ill !e sele"ted. -reas hi"h are not sele"ted ill look ashed out, hile areas hi"h are sele"ted ill have their full "olor. /or e@ample, in the image at the top of the ne@t "olumn, onl# Aorth -meri"a is sele"ted. 7arge areas "an easil# !e sele"ted !# "li"king and dragging the mouse "ursor. -lso, note that for areas ith no s"ener# installed, airports ill appear to !e QfloatingR a!ove an o"ean. 2nstalling that area0s s"ener# later 'done using this same installer* ill "orre"t this issue. 4hen the desired s"ener# has !een sele"ted, "li"k Continue, as sho n in the follo ing image.

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To !egin, insert the first of the X-Plane installation dis"s into the .>.-<39 drive. 4hen it spins up, dou!le "li"k on the XP7-AB9 i"on on the desktop, as sho n in the image !elo .

The installation ill !egin. 4hen prompted to do so, remove .is" 1 and insert .is" 2. Aote that this must !e pla"ed in the same .>.-<39 drive as the first dis"+ if it is pla"ed in another drive, the installer ma# not re"ogniFe it. 4ait for the dis" to spin up, or for its /ile 6ro ser indo to appear, then "li"k Continue. 4hen the installation finishes, the "omputer is read# to fl#. Aote that s"ener# "an !e added or removed at an# point in the future !# inserting .is" 1 and re-running the installer. 4hen the X-;#stem installer "omes up sa#ing S=ou alread# have X-Plane 9 installed on this "omputer,R "li"k the A"" or 4e,o*e %3enery !utton and pro"eed as !efore. C. !n $e"ora J'&-bitK This guide ill use the @K:-:& distri!ution of /edora %ore 10. The )2-!it distri!ution ill likel# not need the 9esa pa"kage.

%li"k on the 2nstaller 7inu@ i"on and drag it to the desktop. This is ne"essar# so that e "an s it"h dis"s during the installation. Ae@t, e need to gather the soft are li!raries that X-Plane ill re1uire. %li"k on ;#stem 'found in the upper left of the s"reen*, go to -dministration, then "li"k -dd or <emove ;oft are. 2n the indo that appears, sear"h for 3pen-7, then "li"k on the 3pen -udio 7i!rar# that notes on the se"ond line that it is the i=?@ version 'that is, the )2-!it version, as sho n in the follo ing image*, as opposed to the one hi"h notes that it is the @K:V:& version 'the :&-!it version*.

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-fter sele"ting the "orre"t version of 3pen-7, "li"k Apply. Ae@t, sear"h for 9esa. %li"k on the version of the Q9esa li!?7 runtime li!raries and .<2 driversR that notes on the se"ond line that it is the i)K: version 'as sho n in the follo ing s"reenshot*, not the @K:V:& version. Then, "li"k Apply.

-fter "li"king Apply, a dialog !o@ ill appear 'sho n in the follo ing image* sa#ing that a num!er of other pa"kages must !e installed in order to install 9esa. %li"k !nstall.

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Ae@t, hile still having sear"hed for 9esa, s"roll do n and "li"k on the i)K: version of Q9esa li!?78 runtime li!rar#R 'as sho n in the follo ing image*, then "li"k Apply.

4ith all the re1uired soft are pa"kages installed, it0s time to run the installer. 3pen the -ppli"ations menu, go to ;#stem Tools, and "li"k on the Terminal i"on 'as sho n in the follo ing image*.

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/rom there, using the X-Plane installer is identi"al to the steps detailed in the open;8;B guide in the pre"eding pages. :. Troubleshooting 2f, hen tr#ing to run the installer from the "ommand line, an error a!out a missing li!rar# 'for instan"e, li!openal* appears, tr# sear"hing the operating s#stem0s pa"kage manager for the missing file. 2f that fails, sear"h ?oogle ith the li!rar# name and the name of the 7inu@ distri!ution. To 1ui"kl# determine hat li!raries ill !e needed to run the installer, use the Qlld .H]installer name^R "ommand in a terminal 'after moving to that dire"tor# ith the "d "ommand*. /or further help, please email "ustomer support at infoU@plane."om, or get "ommunit# support from the X-Plane.org 7inu@ 209

The terminal indo that opens ill, !# default, !e set in the HhomeH]user name^H dire"tor#. /irst, move to the desktop !# t#ping Qcd DesktopR and pressing Bnter. Ae@t, laun"h the installer !# t#ping T./ Installer Linux0 and pressing Bnter.

forums90. -dditionall#, the follo ing X-Plane 7inu@ users have generousl# volunteered to provide support for fello usersM Jeff ;offerin$EeffUEls orld."om Joe ?iles$EgilesU"#!ermesa."om .ave 5agert#$daveUsurfingpenguin."om 9artin 7eek$mleekUmllengineering."om Peter ;mith$peterVal!ertVsmithU#ahoo."om

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Appen"i0 !1 Up"ating the Co,puter>s 9raphi3s :ri*ers in 7in"o6s

Many systems will have the graphics drivers necessary to run XPlane already installed. However, it may be necessary to periodically update the computers video drivers, either to fix a problem or to get the very best performance the system can deliver. Users of ATI video cards can download drivers here91, and NVIDIA users can download drivers here92. Before updating the graphics drivers, we recommend installing and launching X-Plane (as per Chapter 2, beginning on page 1#) and seeing how it runs. If any of the following is experienced, the systems graphics drivers probably need to be updated: a screen consisting only of splashes of color a screen with horizontal or vertical bars running through it random images of various pieces of the airplane or instrument panel a system crash upon loading or exiting X-Plane Additionally, if an error appears referring to a corrupt or missing .dll file, the graphics drivers most likely need to be replaced. A high percentage of Windows-based computers are operating with drivers that are out of date or that do not currently support OpenGL (caused by using the default Windows drivers rather than those of the manufacturer). If it is determined that the drivers need to be updated, users should first determine what graphics card they have. The easiest way to do this is to use the DirectX Diagnostic tool included with Windows. Before we begin, note that, while most of the screenshots are taken in Windows 7, the steps should be almost identical in Windows Vista, and will be very similar in Windows XP. Where they are not similar, the differences are noted.
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!. :eter,ining the 9raphi3s Car" Ma2er an" Mo"el Using :ire3tX :iagnosti3 1. To open the DirectX Diagnostic, with which we'll determine what graphics card is in the system, open the Start menu and type dxdiag.exe, as seen in the following image, then press Enter.

Windows XP does not have this integrated search in the Start menu. Instead, open the Start menu and click Run, as seen in the following image, or press the Windows + R keys.

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Additionally, it may be helpful to make a note of the Approx. Total Memory line in this screen. This is the amount of VRAM present on the video card. It is important to know this number when optimizing the rendering options in X-Plane (specifically, it determines the quality of textures that can be loaded). In the box that appears, type dxdiag, then press OK. 2. If a box appears asking whether the program should check for WHQL-signed drivers, click nothis is not important to what were looking for. 3. When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool appears, click the Display tab at the top of the window, as shown in the following screenshot. Using the information we just found, either continue on to read how to install drivers for ATI video cards, or skip down to Part III to install drivers for NVIDIA cards. II. Installing Drivers for Video Cards Made by ATI 1. Go to the ATI download page93 and select the computers operating system, the video card series, and the video card model. For instance, in the screenshot below, the computer is running Windows 7 64-bit and the graphics card is an ATI Radeon HD 5850. With all that selected, click Display Results (as shown in the following image) to open the download page.

4. The information were looking for (name and manufacturer of the graphics card) is highlighted in the following screenshot. For instance, in this screenshot, the video card is a Radeon 4670, made by ATI.

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Note that ATI has a series of video tutorials on this page which may make the installation even easier than using this guide. 2. Scroll down to the Catalyst Software Suite and click the Download button, as shown in the following image.

3. In the download dialog box that appears, navigate to the Desktop and click Save to begin downloading the file, as seen in the following image.

4. Before installing the drivers that were just downloaded, we need 21)

to get rid of the old graphics drivers. To do this, open the Start menu and click on the Control Panel, as in the following image.

5. In the window that appears, click Uninstall a Program (labeled Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP), shown in the following screenshot.

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6. Select the previous video display driver (for instance, ATI Display Driver or ATI Catalyst Install Manager) and click the Change button (in Windows XP, this is labeled Change/Remove), as in the image below.

8. After restarting, Windows 7 will automatically install generic drivers. This is no problem, as we will simply install the new drivers and replace these. In Windows XP, however, the computer will ask to install drivers for a generic Video Controller. Click Cancel, as shown in the following image, because we do not want to use Windows default drivers.

7. Click Next through the uninstall process (actual steps vary depending on which old driver is installed), and restart the computer if the uninstaller prompts to.

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9. Double click on the driver file that was saved to the Desktop in Step 3 above.

10. In the window that opens, click Install to begin the installation. The drivers will be extracted to the default destination.

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11. The drivers will be extracted to the default location. When the installer window appears (it may take a few seconds for it to do so), click Next.

12. Click the Install button to continue.

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13. Select the Express option and click Next. III. Installing Drivers for Video Cards Made by NVIDIA 1. Go to NVIDIAs driver download94 page. Select the video card that was found in Part A of this guide. For example, in the screenshot below, the card in use was an NVIDIA GeForce 9800GX2, so the product series selected was the GeForce 9 series. Then, select the operating system to be used and click Search to find the required drivers.

14. When the installation completes, restart the computer. After the computer reboots, youre ready to fly!

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2. When the page loads, click the Download button.

6. Click Run if a Windows security alert dialog box appears.

3. Click the Agree and Download button.

7. Click OK when the file extractor appears.

4. Click Save in the dialog box that appears, and save the file to the Desktop so that it will be easy to find. 5. Since NVIDIA recommends not uninstalling #our old drivers, simpl# dou!le-"li"k the file #ou Eust saved to the .esktop to laun"h it.

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8. When the installer appears, click Agree and Continue.

9. Select the Express installation option and click Next.

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10. The drivers will install automatically. When they are through, click Restart Now.

Appen"i0 ?1 :efault @ey Assign,ents

X-Plane.org has "reated a detailed 'and "olorful* Q"heat sheetR for ke# assignments in X-Plane 9. 2t "an !e do nloaded from their site here9(.

Following the restart, youre ready to fly!

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Appen"i0 @1 Using Ol"er Aersions of XPlane

The X-Plane 9 installation dis"s !egan shipping on )0 Aovem!er 2007. T o different sets of dis"s have !een shipped out from the X-Plane."om site so far. The first dis"s ere the so-"alled Q6etaR dis"s. These "ame as a set of eight .>.s. 3n the other hand, the dis"s "urrentl# !eing sold are the version 9.00 to version 9.22 dis"s, hi"h "ome as a set of si@ .>.s. The installation pro"edure is 1uite different !et een these t o. 2nstru"tions for installing the si@-dis" set are found in %hapter 2 of this manual '!eginning on page 1#*+ instru"tions for the eight-dis" set follo . -dditionall#, ?raphsim Bntertainment, X-Plane0s retail distri!utor, sells the X-Plane version 9 si@-dis" set. 8nlike the dis"s availa!le on X-Plane."om ' hi"h have gra# la!els*, the ?raphsim dis"s have #ello la!els. These dis"s use a proprietar# installer from ?raphsim and are for 4indo s and 9a" 3; onl#. /or "ustomer support regarding these dis"s, please email am#Ugraphsim."om, or "all '21&* KK&-((71. Aote that the end result of installing and updating from any of these X-Plane distri!utions is the same+ installing from the 6eta dis"s, then updating to version 9.22 is e@a"tl# the same as installing from, sa#, the v9.10 dis"s, then updating to version 9.22. !. !nstalling X-Plane . fro, the /ight :is3 8eta :istribution The set of eight Q6etaR installation dis"s ere shipped !efore the final release of the X-Plane v9.00 set of si@ dis"s. 2nstallation is 1uite different from v9.00 and later 'des"ri!ed in %hapter 2, on page 1#*, !ut the end result, after updating, is the same.

1. 2nsert the master .>. '?lider on gre# la!el* into the "omputer0s .>. drive. This is the dis" ith a glider on the gra# la!el. 2f the installer indo does not appear automati"all#, open up 9# %omputer 'or the 9a" /inder, as the "ase ma# !e* and navigate to the dis". 3n"e there, dou!le "li"k on the appropriate installer to open it. 2. ;ele"t here X-Plane is to !e installed. 7ook at the .estination !o@ to see here the installer ill automati"all# tr# to install the X-Plane. %li"k on the .estination la!el to "ause a !ro ser indo appear for sele"ting the desired destination. .ou!le "li"k on this lo"ation to "ause it to !e pla"ed in the .estination indo . ). 6e sure to install X-Plane to an eas#-to-find lo"ation, as the simulator, as ell as Plane-9aker, -irfoil-9aker, and et". ill all !e laun"hed from here. The .esktop is al a#s a good "hoi"e. 2t ma# !e !est to rite this lo"ation do n. 3n a 9a", avoid the %MW-ppli"ations folder. &. %li"k the !nstall !utton, to !egin installation of the simulator frame ork and s"ener# "ontrol files. 'This ill use a!out 2.( ?6.* (. -fter the X-Plane "ode is installed and verified to !e orking, install ;"ener# from disks for areas #ou ish to fl# over. Ba"h s"ener# .>. 'seven total* has the map highlighted on it highlighted ith the s"ener# "ontained on that dis". 2t is not ne"essar# to install all the s"ener# .>.s, and s"ener# not needed "an !e easil# deleted later from the X-Plane <esour"es folder to re"over disk storage. /or referen"e, the version 9 frame ork plus 8nited ;tates s"ener# ill take up a!out 10 ?6. 3f "ourse, these s"ener# areas are not divided politi"all#, so one ill have to also install some %anada s"ener# in order to get all of the

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8;. :. 4hen the installation finishes, put the X-Plane master dis" into the .>. drive. Plug in an# flight "ontrols, then go to the main X-Plane folder and "li"k on the X-Plane e@e"uta!le file. The simulator ill load over the "ourse of a fe minutes. 4hen it finishes, "onfigure an# flight "ontrols, set the desired rendering options, "hoose an airplane and lo"ation, et".$all per the rest of this manual. -t this point, users ma# also ant to "reate a short"ut to XPlane on the .esktop. -dditionall#, !e sure to update to the latest version as per %hapter 2, ;e"tion >22 on page #.

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Appen"i0 =1 7ater /*ery6hereB

4hen s"ener# is not installed for a given lo"ation, all that ill !e visi!le are airports and ater. This is referred to as Q ater orld,R and is a "ommon pro!lem, espe"iall# hen using the eight-dis" set of Q6etaR installation dis"s. To avoid ater orld, either install the s"ener# for the lo"ation in 1uestion, or "hoose to fl# some here else. To install s"ener#, insert the first X-Plane installation dis" 'the same dis" used to run the simulator* and run the installer as !efore. 2nstead of installing a ne "op# of the program, though, hen the installer indo appears, press the A"" or 4e,o*e %3enery !utton. 2f s"ener# for the lo"ation is in fa"t installed, !e sure that the "op# of X-Plane for hi"h it is installed is the one !eing used$for instan"e, if a user has t o "opies of X-Plane installed 'sa#, one running version 9.22 and one running 9.)0 6eta*, the# ma# have different amounts of s"ener# installed.

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