Fsbuild-2 Flight Planner

Dear Ernine and Dear All,

I have retrofit my MD-80 by Perfect Flight with the last gauges available for Efis and ND.
So all is running ok.
Now I wish to improve the FMS but I'm getting confusion when I try to fly.
So there is a good manual for the FMS, but I need some practical suggestion in order to fly in Lnav and Vnav mode.
Is it possible with my MD80?
I know that not all functions are improved right now, but I wish to fly my flight plan thru the FMS, change some waypoint, go direct to the other ecc.
On my MD80 MCP panel I have:
SPD (ias-mach hold)
FD (flight director)
A/T (auto throttle)
APP (approach button)
LVL
HDG (heading hold and selector)
CRS (course selector)
NAV (navigation hold)
ALT (altitude hold)
V/S (vertical speed selector)
GPS/NAV switch selector

How you can see it is a generic md80 panel.

My questions are:
1) how I can load the flight plan? Only directly from the MFS (FS9 or FSX) or I can put it manually from the FMS keyboard as weel?
2) after take-off above 1000 feet I wish to engage my autopilot (so A/P on ) and fly the route of the flight plan in Lnav mode and Vnav mode. How I can do that? What is the correct procedure?
I read from other post that I need to engage A/P - HDG hold - ALT hold and then press Lnav and Vnav.... is it correct? But in this case where I can find the Lnav and Vnav buttons inside the FMS? Under which window are they available? because my MCP have not the Lnav and Vnav function.
I wish to start flying with the FMS.... pls help me.
Then I will be able to write a little tutorial for everybody...
Thank you I hope to receive your precious answer on it.
Best regards
Andrew

In FS9 you will find a very detailed Smiths FMS manual in your ....\[FS root directory]\isg\Docs. This will answer all your questions.
Also, take a look at some of the retrofits available on the isg home page and study their panel.cfg.

The LNav and VNav buttons must be created separately and placed somewhere on the panel by you! I suggest you use FSPanel (payware) to help you with this. Modifying panel.cfg files is not too difficult but there is a learning curve involving some trial and error.

_________________
John

Hello John,

thank you for the answer. Yes I found out under C:\FS9\ISG\Docs the following manual:
ISG1 SMITHS FMS.
Ok but inside no mention about the Lnav and Vnav procedures to activate it.
How I can put the Lnav and Vnav button on my MCP panel?
Where I can read more information about that?
Is there a little tutorial?
Please give me some more info and I will try with myself.
Thank you again.
A.

Hello again,

can I use the Smiths FMS only with Lnav and Vnav or I need to use it together with the MCU?
In the real aircraft I have the MCP and FMS working together.....
I found some retrofit panel, in example for the defautl B737 but inside the panel.cfg I can see always MCU and FMS.
But I say again: in the real aircraft the flight plane is loaded thru the FMC/CDU and controlled with the MCP together.
So how I can fly my MD80 using only the FMS? Is it possible?
Please I need some more instructions to get practice.
Thank you.
regards

Nobody available to help me step by step on what I need to do?
Tnks

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John

Ok I'm not going to post more.. but I'm ansious to start to fly with it.
So I downloaded the B737 retrofit. Now it is ready to be used.
I started my FS9 and I can find the following icons close to the MCP in vertical position:
FMC2
EFIS CTRL
VNAV
MCU

Ok my question is:
How I can prepare the flight plan?
Reading the tutorial on the Simple flight EDDF to LOWW, it is the GNSXLS FMS gauge, and it allows to load or prepare the new flight plan directly from the FMS clicking on the FPL button.
Reading the features document, I can see for Smiths style FMS:
- create new flight plans, --- where is the button or which method must be followed?
- load stored flight plans, --- I found the FPLN button on the MCU ... is it ok?
- load fp's created by fs9 and fsx --- I can start the flight loading the FP from FS9
- save created flight plans --- how I can do that?

My question is an easy question for your experts:
how I can create new flight plans? Is it possible from the FMS directly? Because I cannot find any button like FPL mentioned before to prepare my FP.
Or when I can find the button to load the stored flight plans?
I can see only the FPLN button on the MCU to load the Flight Plans coming from C:\FS9\ISG\FlightPlans.
Ok but I want to creare the new FP directly from the FMS or MCU... but Where??
I have not clear this step.
I wish to prepare my new flight plan directly from the FMS as reported on the features if possible...
Thank you... otherwise I will be force to abandon this kind of gauge.
Rgds

.....so lots of help for you!

I would forget about the MCU at this stage. Work with the Smiths. It is not necessary to enter your flight plan into the MCU.

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John

Ernie,

you are the best, thank you so much and so sorry for borring you.
Now I have the pleasure to fly with the FMC with all my preferred free and pay planes.
Now all is clear.
I will use your info for my little tutorial, maybe in future will help also other simmers :-)
Big thank to John as well.

Cheers
Andrea

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John