Fsbuild-2 Flight Planner

Hi,

Please could you tell me the format required for an aircraft performance file to use with the Smiths FMS - I cannot find this information in the manual or any examples in the ISG1 installation... I am referring to the file that you can call by the line "PerformanceData=..."

Also, while I'm here asking questions:

- Will there be the possibility of AIRAC updates this autumn? Fron Navighraph?
- While I can read the XML shared variables for the LNAV and VNAV states, I cannot set them from my own gauges - ie make a VNAV button that integrates with my panel. Is this expected or have I done something wrong. 1 (>L:isg_lnav,enum) should work (and does for my own L: vars)...
- In VNAV mode, if I set VnavOffAtLastWpt=1, the altitude / VS settings that were set before VNAV initiation are applied, rather than locking current altitude. Is that normal?

Thanks,
Geoff

Hi Ernie,

Thanks very much for the help. About the .prf files, is it possible to get a ready made example for the Boeing 717-200 - ie, does one exist somewhere? I think I can make one easily enough (and will post here if it starts to do strange stuff) but if I could get one without having to make my own... That manual refers to them but perhaps they are part of FSBuild and only available to customers thereof?

The XML variables work perfectly - now I can use my own buttons... I don't suppose there are any more secret XML variables to have the controls of the MD11/B717 EFIS control panel without having to show it on the panel..?

Cheers,
Geoff

Hi Ernie,

Thanks for the clarification. This then brings me to another question though, as I must be doing something wrong with the VNAV mode since it is not working for me in climb mode... Here is what I am doing and an explanation of the problem, please can you tell me where it is going wrong??

I start my flight and load the FMS with the full route including departure and (expected) arrival procedures. Then I set the the pref page and after that, the CLB / CRZ / DSC sections:
[CLB] Set to '270/0.70' and a restriction of '240/10000' which I think should mean climb at 250kts to FL100, then 270 kts until that becomes 0.70M and finaslly hold 0.70M thereafter?
[CRZ] Check the target FL and set '/0.76' with which I hope to cruise at 0.76M (I don't enter an IAS value, because I want to fly the given MACH speed)...
[DSC] Set to '280/0.72' and a restriction of '240/10000' to hopefully give M0.72 until that is 280kts and 280kts thereafter until FL100 where we reduce to 240kts...
I go to the legs page, and set the correct target altitude for the last waypoint in my STAR according to the charts and now the VNAV profile should be ready??

The problem is, that initially at the lower altitudes, the aircraft only climbs at a very low rate - like 1500fpm where it could (should) easily be making 2500fpm (that's the maximum rate in the cfg). Then, as the altitude increases, the VS keeps on going up until the plane is trying to get 2500fpm at FL300 which just isn't going to work... Despite the fact that the aircraft is slowing right down, the VNAV profile tries to increase the VS to the point that (without intervention) the plane might stall. Surely the VNAV should decrease the VS when the target IAS / MACH cannot be maintained and also why is the profile VS so low in the lower altitudes??

Thanks for your insights on this - I'm sure I've just misunderstood something,

Geoff