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CRJ Pro - Questions and Answers


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There are several things to the CRJ that you will not be used from the Airbusses and Boeings that most sim pilots usually fly. I've collected some hints that will help to make your life a little easier.

 

Can I use liveries from my CRJ 700/900X in the CRJ professional?

Unfortunately no. They need to be reworked to be compatible with the new PBR exterior.

 

How can I enable coupled VNAV on my favourite CRJ?

The CRJ-550 and CRJ-1000 come with a coupled VNAV option. It's available as a customer option for the CRJ-700 and -900 as well.

You can enable it per livery by editing the acftdata.cfg file in the texture folder to read look like this:

[Config]
CoupledVNAVAvail=1

You can find the livery folders in the main folder of the respective aircraft type. For example: Aerosoft CRJ Professional\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aerosoft CRJ-700 Pro\texture.Privat_DACRJ

If the acftdata.cfg does not exist, copy it from the example livery above or create a new file with the content above. Right now, coupled VNAV is the only available customer option.

 

How does coupled VNAV without Autothrottle even work?

The coupled VNAV system is just an extension to the advisory VNAV of the CRJ-700 and -900. This means, it is very basic. It will follow the calculated path on descent where possible, but speed control always remains with the pilot. This means that you can't just do it like a bus driver, take off, press a button and then take a nap. No, you need to monitor the system all the time. Here are some notes that should help you to find the answers to "What the heck is it doing now?":

  • To use coupled VNAV on a flight press the VNAV button. If it refuses to light up, then not all conditions for a complete VNAV path exist. Check the LEGS page in the MCDU for route discontinuites or ridiculously short altitude changes due. The button really doesn't do much on its own except telling the autopilot system that VNAV is activated.
  • Any flight is split into three phases: CLIMB, CRUISE and DESCENT
  • The CRUISE phase is normally flown in CLB mode. VNAV will capture any altitude restrictions during the climb, arm CLB again and automatically continue the climb once the restriction is lifted. This is the first issue. You have to reduce thrust while the aircraft is levelled off to meet speed restriction and avoid overspeed. But as soon as the altitude restriction is lifted, you have to put the throttles back into the CLB detent to make sure you have enough power available ror the climb.
  • The DESCENT phase is normally flown in PATH mode which is automatically armed as soon as the the aircraft reaches the selected altitude. You can temporarily switch to VS or VPTCH mode to decrease/increase vertical speed if PATH isn't able to keep to the vertical track. As soon as the aircraft crosses the vertical track again, it will automatically revert to PATH. Again, you are fully responsible for managing your airspeed all the time.
  • The vertical glidepath mode (VGP) will lead you to the runway but at a probably lower precision than the GS mode. It's built to keep you on the vertical path until 200ft AGL.

 

Some dos and don'ts:

  • VNAV on a CRJ is a rare beast. Even if the aircraft has it, it's rarely used, because it's complicated and has risks (speed control). I know of one airline that has the VNAV system but doesn't allow its pilots to use it during climb. I also have a 3 hour Just Planes cockpit video of the -1000 where the pilots don't even touch that button. It's a simple system and part of a simple autoflight system, so you should never expect it to be smart and think ahead.
  • If you fly online and get unplanned altitude changes from ATC, do it like the real pilots and use VS mode rather than adding restrictions to your flightplan. It makes your life a lot easier if you have to do a steeper descent.

 

How can I use the Navigraph FMS Data Manager with the CRJ Pro?

The workaround that was previously posted here is no longer required after Navigraph's latest update.

 

I have changed the texture settings to "untinted windows" but my cockpit is still too dark

We provide an alternative texture set for users who have HDR switched off or use Tomato Shade or something similar. You can find the files and a short installation guide here: Aerosoft CRJ Professional\Data\Texture Options

 

The displays in the cockpit are drawn at 4 times their normal size

Please login to display this image.

If this happens to you, quit Prepar3D, open C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\Prepar3d.cfg (if you're using the v5 version, replace "Prepar3D v4" by "Prepar3D v5") in a text editor and find the entry "MAX_VC_TEXTURE_RESOLUTION". It should have a value of 1024 (or anything else less than 4096). Change the line to read:

MAX_VC_TEXTURE_RESOLUTION=4096

and save the file. Restart Prepar3D and load the CRJ. The problem should be gone now.

For the Prepar3D v5 version of the CRJ, please also make sure that this entry is set as well:

COCKPIT_HIGH_LOD=1

 

My cockpit stays dark and the yoke is deflected fully to the left

If this is the case, you are likely not using Prepar3D 4.5 Hotfix 2 (4.5.13.32097) or later. Please make sure to update at least your Prepar3D client to this version and then try again. This problem generally means that the CRJ gauge DLL could not be loaded due to a missing dependency (= another file that is required). Several customers reported that a reinstall of Windows fixed the issue for them.

 

Where's the Livery Manager that is mentioned in the manual?

This has been a mistake in the manual. The livery manager that was in use with the CRJ 700/900X is not compatible with Prepar3D's new add-on packaging system, so we had to remove it. We're working on providing a different solution.

Here's the fixed manual:Vol1_AOM_Part-1.pdf

 

Where has the CRJ Manager gone?

The CRJ Manager has been replaced by the on-board EFB and is not a part of the CRJ Professional anymore.

 

 

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