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Cannot get the Left Engine to Start in P3Dv4


nigel grant

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I am having difficulty starting the Twin Otter extended floats model in P3Dv4. 

 

I have the configuration panel set-up for “ready to fly situation“and when the aircraft boots up (I have it in its own scenario), the starter switch moves to the right for the right engine, then nothing happens.  I move the right fuel lever down then the engine fires. 

 

I feather the props but nothing further happens (if I don’t feather the props the plane moves off in a circle). 

 

I then move the starter switch to the left for the left engine and there is a continuing screeching noise.  I move the left fuel lever down but the engine does not start.  I find I can only move the right prop lever.

 

If I try the cold start setting (I do not go through all the check lists for this), similarly I can get the right engine to start but not the left engine (it still makes the screeching sound), regardless of the order I try to start them.

 

I searched the forum and only found one relted entry but it does not fit my situation.

 

What am I not doing or doing wrong – help would be appreciated.

 

Nigel

Vancouver

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

You might be getting crossed up with the start locks, which are only on the water models. I haven't been able yet to get mine out and see what might be going on, but will in the next day or so.

 

BTW, if you didn't know, the start locks are a feature of the float and amphib model. They keep the prop pitch near flat beta, otherwise, when you start the first engine, even idle thrust will pull you to the opposite side and when you start the second one, the thing will be moving along smartly until you can get into idle reverse or more. No parking brakes of water of course :D. If you haven't already, please use the automated checklist with the behind-the-scenes copilot and see if you can get a successful two engine start. The FO is really good at making sure things are set up correctly, and has a polite comment if you don't come off the start locks correctly. Sort of hard to hear, so have the volume up when using it.

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Hi Herman

 

Thx for your response.  I am finding a lot of this quite confusing; I am a retired engineer, so I am familiar with problem solving techniques, but I have been having a lot of difficulty trying to establish a pattern.  However, I think I have found a work-around or it may in fact even be the solution?

 

Some saved scenarios with the floats model seem to work, others do not and the left engine stays shut-down with a screeching sound (maybe something to do with some scenario saving quirks?).  I have found if I reload the Aircraft from the vehicle menu, I can get it to start. I have both “Start locks installed on float versions “ and  “ready to fly situation” entries activated in the configuration panel.

 

 But this also requires some fast finger work!

 

When both engines start the plane moves forward away from the jetty, even though still feathered, whereas I want to start taxiing from the jetty.

 

So when the engines start, I rapidly press the F2 button (or an equivalent assigned button on my CH Yoke) to reverse the power, then rapidly move the Power Lever(s) to disengage the reverse thrust; now the props are unfeathered so I have to rapidly move the Prop Lever(s) to re-feather ………………………Phew!!

 

Thanks

Nigel

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

Wow, you get high marks for tenacity and resourcefulness to have to go through all that! :o I hope to get to this tomorrow and see what I can find.

 

Wondering if you had any success using the automated co-pilot to help you get started. Please respond when you can.

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  • Deputy Sheriffs
On ‎7‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 11:59 AM, nigel grant said:

I am having difficulty starting the Twin Otter extended floats model in P3Dv4. 

 

I have the configuration panel set-up for “ready to fly situation“and when the aircraft boots up (I have it in its own scenario), the starter switch moves to the right for the right engine, then nothing happens.  I move the right fuel lever down then the engine fires. 

 

I feather the props but nothing further happens (if I don’t feather the props the plane moves off in a circle). 

 

I then move the starter switch to the left for the left engine and there is a continuing screeching noise.  I move the left fuel lever down but the engine does not start.  I find I can only move the right prop lever.

 

If I try the cold start setting (I do not go through all the check lists for this), similarly I can get the right engine to start but not the left engine (it still makes the screeching sound), regardless of the order I try to start them.

 

I searched the forum and only found one relted entry but it does not fit my situation.

 

What am I not doing or doing wrong – help would be appreciated.

 

Nigel

Vancouver

After reacquainting myself with the Twin Otter, I have some things for you to look at. First off, the "screeching sound" is the starter side of the start/generator spinning up the engine. It's a normal (and realistic) sound for a PT-6 engine right outside the cockpit door. The left starter is louder because there is a stereo effect and since you're probably in the left seat, it is supposed to be louder than the right one.

 

Since you seem to be able to easily start the right engine, I don't think your technique is the issue, but what is controlling the condition levers (the two outboard levers in the overhead quadrant that look like mixture controls) seems likely. I believe with what you've described and how mine behaves that you're not getting fuel to the left engine at start, so the starter whines away waiting for Jet A to start the fire.

 

Also, to start with a known environment, at the default aircraft and situation, change the Vehicle to the -300 on floats with airstair (you might have to scroll up to see it in the list) and S60 (Kenmore Air Harbor) runway 16 for the airport. The "runway" is 10,000 feet long and 1,000 feet wide, so there's lots of room to work with. Lake Washington is of course much longer than that, it's just that those dimensions are guaranteed to be clear of fixed objects. You will have to watch for boats, so maybe turn the boat traffic off.

 

Here's two questions to get us going:

   Q1 - What are you using for each of the six levers (the power levers (left 2), the props (middle 2) and condition levers (right 2)? I have a six lever quadrant setup, which makes things far easier than the mouse. However, I tried a start using just the mouse on the levers and the keyboard to control the views (no joystick whatsoever), so I know it can be done that way too. To do a start successfully, you need to be able to control each condition lever separately. If you do use a mouse, the wheel controls moving the lever fore and aft. At start, once you get the lever moving, it will go all the way forward by itself

   Q2 - At cold and dark, can you easily control the power and condition levers throughout their full range? Don't worry about the props. Without getting into detail, the props won't move when the associated engine isn't running. The real ones work this way too. Best to check this in the view where you're looking straight up at the quadrant. Pay particular attention to that left or #1 condition lever.

 

When you get a chance to check this out, simply reply with the answers to Q1 and Q2 and we'll go from there.

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Hi Herman

 

Tenacity? Some people call me obstinate, or stubborn, or pig-headed; but I was brought up in Scotland and I like to think I am tenacious!

 

Back to the Otter. 

 

Q1 - yes, I have been using the mouse to move the individual levers for start-up then going to my CH yoke, with its three levers, each acting for its two levers in the virtual cockpit, and they seem to operate okay once I get going.

 

Q2 – “At cold and dark, can you easily control the power and condition levers throughout their full range?”  yes.

 

I went right through the check list under the “cold and dark situation” and found myself skidding along the ground, but with both engines operating.  However, during the ticking-off process the fire alarm bell sounded and it was the same sound as the screeching I referred to before when the left engine would not start.

 

I created a scenario at the Kenmore runway with the _300 model as you suggested, and it started correctly under the “ready to fly situation”. I changed the scenario to my _100 model and it started okay too! I suspect there must have been some quirk in my previous saved scenario.

 

Where I am at now, I think I have got it starting up as I want it, I don’t want to be going through the whole start-up procedure every time I want to fly.  Now I want to learn to fly it properly. Unless you have any other suggestions?

 

It would be nice if there was a command to tie it to, or untie it from, the jetty so that it didn’t move.

 

Thx for all your help.

 

Nigel

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

I only do the cold and dark maybe once every 10 or 20 flights, mostly just to remind myself what it takes to get one of these critters going in real life. I by no means consider it lazy or a sneaky shortcut to have things already started with just the takeoff checklist to do. I want to fly. There's plenty of others that value the real-life challenge of a C&D, so the product accommodates that.

 

There could well be some hidden quirk in your earlier scenario that caused the issue, but it does seem to be working now and I'm glad to hear it. I'll leave this open for a couple more weeks in case you or someone else wants to add something, then I'll close it.

 

Happy flying!

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Deputy Sheriffs

Because we believe this topic has been answered we have closed it. If you have any more questions feel free to open a new topic.

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