Forums

Thanks, that is the Topcat installation folder.   On my systems the active database in is located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\TOPCAT   It would appear that for some reason PFPX and Topcat are not using the same database, check the path above.

Excellent post Mike! Thanks for taking the time. 

Hi guys can you please help to troubleshoot the problem i have thanks!  Note batteries can’t also be turned on

Hi guys can you please help to troubleshoot the problem i have thanks!  Note batteries can’t also be turned on

More: appears to me that when SIMstarter launches P3D, it is ignoring the [MAIN} Location=1282,5,3839,2115,\\.\DISPLAY1 entry.  Those coordinates correctly define top left and lower right of resized window that appears if I launch P3D directly without using SIMstarter.  How to enable use of this Location in SIMstarter ?

I notice this happens as well.  I fly the real aircraft and it smart turns using a method similar to what GEK describes above.  The faster you are flying and the larger the turn the earlier it starts its turn. It doesn't however do this in green needles and Han's is correct, You need to be very careful with your intercept speed.  The real airplane will blow through the loc all the time if you are going faster than 210 with too great an intercept angle.  My rule of thumb is to be at flap 8 and 180kts for a reliable intercept and capture.  Also try flying the SSTIK 4 SID off runway 1L at KSFO.  For me it makes the left turn at SSTIK and instead of doing the 180 and heading straight to the next waypoint it continues doing 360's over SSTIK.

First of all, I want to congratulate Mathijs, Hans, and the rest of the Aerosoft team for developing such a great aircraft.  It blows me away that you are able to replicate a multi million-dollar aircraft and its systems so accurately for an $80 product. I love how involved you still are in making this aircraft even better.  I see you responding to questions and concerns on the forum within hours, and that’s a big reason why I am taking the time to write this.  I have been a flight simmer for 20 years. I fly the CRJ-900/900NG for a regional airline in the real world, and I have had an opportunity the last few months to fly the real thing and then come home and fly the Aerosoft CRJ-900 version immediately after and compare the two.  This has given me a great perspective on where the differences lie between the sim and the real thing. I have compiled a list of small things I notice that could be tweaked in the next update. I am not a programmer, and I am sure a lot of the things I am going to mention here are things you would love to fix but can’t because of programming issues, development costs, sim-ism’s, differences in my system ect.  Maybe some of the things you haven’t thought of, or they weren’t caught by the original beta testers.  Anyways, this is not me complaining about the aircraft at all. I really love it and you guys did a great job. It is simply me trying to help you guys create the most life like and accurate aircraft possible with this next update.  For the record I am running P3D V4.4 with the latest CRJ update. I use Navigraph to update the FMS database and Pilotedge when I fly.  I am going to break this down into two categories.  Aircraft handling/characteristics and FMS/System differences. Aircraft handling and characteristics.  Only two big things: I would say the biggest difference in how the real airplane behaves vs the sim is in decent. The real CRJ-900 does NOT want to go down and slow down.  It is legendary how slippery this airplane is and managing the decent is really one of the biggest challenges of flying it.  Descending from FL360 at 3000FPM with idle thrust you will still be accelerating all the way down and will have a hard time keeping it under 300kts.  Speed brakes are pretty much useless until below FL250 because of the thin air and how small they are.  I find the speed brakes in the sim WAY too effective. In the real aircraft I use a 12/12 rule to make 250kts at 10,000.  The rule is at 12,000ft select 1200fpm (idle thrust/no speed brake) that will get you from 300-290kts to 250kts barley in time at 10,000.  That gives you an idea how bad this thing doesn’t want to slow down.  I find in the sim if you chop the thrust at 3000fpm you immediately start lose airspeed quickly. Most of the time I find myself having to use 50-60% thrust to mimic the rate and speed the real aircraft descends.  In real life I am always at idle thrust while in decent and it still wants to haul ass. Second, I find the Sim aircraft performs too well in cruise at high altitude.  I realize there are a lot of factors that determine this, but I usually have a similar fuel, pax load and altitude as I fly in the real world and the performance is much different. When you programmed the sim aircraft, I imagine you used Bombardier’s performance numbers which makes sense.  I imagine these are achieved on brand spanking new engines in ideal conditions.  A real world CRJ-900 fleet that is well maintained will have tails that average 8-10 years old.  Those engines can get tired over time. In the real jet, in cruise from FL340-FL390 you will need 87-89% N1 and a fuel flow from about 1800GPH-1950GPH to maintain .78.  It is very very sluggish at altitude, especially anything over FL360.  Any small power changes can take 30 seconds to even see much of a change in airspeed. Not responsive at all. And to barber pole it up high would probably take everything it’s got.   FMS/Systems Altitude windows on RNAV stars: when the FMS is loaded with a STAR, and that STAR has an altitude window at one of its waypoint altitude restrictions, its is displaying the top of the window altitude or above (A) as the target for VNAV. Example: a window between FL230 and FL200 the FMS is showing FL230A as default. As I’m sure you are aware, the real FMS shows both the top and bottom of the window like this FL230B/FL200A. I’m sure this was simplified to keep development time and cost down in the sim which is fine. While the real-world aircraft’s default VNAV target is still the top of the window (non NG) its not correct that it is an “above” altitude.  If you’re not going to display both top and bottom altitudes of the window on the legs page, it makes more sense to have it default display the bottom of the window altitude and Above (FL200A in our example).  Often, we will just hard code an altitude between the two windows to get more effective vnav info. The RTU volume knobs work backwards. Pushed out is muted, pushed in is on. All altitude and speed changes on the legs page should require an EXEC to take effect. Legs page Missing “cancel mod” option to discard any changes you don’t want to make anymore The last page of the legs page should be for the alternate flight plan The speed trend indicator is much too jumpy. In real life it is silky smooth FO’s side FMS Direct Intercept page doesn’t display the modified vertical path programmed on the legs page of the captain’s side.  We often have these two pages up at the same time so we can see feet per minute requirements of waypoints further down the STAR. I don’t think this page is syncing properly with the other side. Direct intercept FPM rate is jumpy. Its changing at much to fast a rate and its hard to read.  This is a very important page we use for decent planning. It should only show changes in hundreds of feet. It changes slowly in real life and is easy to read. When hitting NAV mode on the FCU the FMS1 goes green right away without it arming at all.  In real life, even if you are right on the lateral path the FMS takes a second or two to turn from white (armed) to green (captured) this triggers very important standard calls we make, and if it doesn’t arm at all first its not realistic. I find the aircraft ALTS CAP a bit too early (I’m being super picky) I know it depends on the rate of accent or decent but the real thing usually doesn’t ALTS CAPs until 100ish feet below and 300-500ft in decent.  Once and awhile it will stop climbing before I reach altitude as well and I have to VS it to complete the climb. The VNAV snowflake is much bigger on the real display, and I find it hit or miss if I get it in the sim. Same with a TOD point. I’ve had a problem flying the SSTIK 4 RNAV SID off Runway 1L/1R in KSFO.  The FMS makes the left turn at SSTIK but instead of heading to PORTE it starts doing 360deg turns after SSTIK.  This might be a similar problem some people have reported about the FMS getting lost sometimes and making high rate and high bank angle turns.  I have had this happen to me.  The real plane does not bank like this at all with autopilot on and with ½ bank selected 15 degrees of bank is the maximum it will do. After an approach is loaded and executed, the hold should be automatically be loaded in the hold page. The Fuel pumps should operate fully independent.  A lot of times we shut one off for single engine taxi HCP values should clear when you start entering a new elevation or distance.  You don’t need to delete what’s in there first. Might just be my system but the sound cuts out momentarily when I enlarge the FMS.   That’s it for now. Sorry for the length, but I am very passionate about this airplane. If you make these changes you will have an extremely life like simulation of the real thing.  If you have any questions, comments or would like to add me to the beta testing group I would be happy to send you my credentials to prove I am who I say I am. please contact me and I will be happy to help out!   Mike

1) Yes, that's what I do (attached image), only that I have it installed on another hard drive (my Windows 10 is in Spanish, I hope it isn't a problem with the images)   2) Sure, here it is   3) And the another one:    4) Perfect, I back up my 'aircraft data' for anything.   Thanks again Stephen, greetings.

ok... Die Linien sind genau die Gleichen wie in Albertville, gehen nur nicht über die in EDXO sehr breite Landebahn. Gruß heinz   PS: Jetzt ist erstmal Feierabend

Run the ASUpdater it shows which version you have installed