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Creating a New Aircraft Type


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Hello,

I'm trying to create a new aircraft type. Can anybody clarify what the columns in this table from the aircraft type stand for:

[CLIMB.0]
Name=NORM
[DATA]
ISA; 6500 ; 7000 ; 7500 ; 8000 ; 8645
15000; 4; 84; 13; 4; 92; 14; 5; 100; 15; 5; 108; 17; 6; 119; 18
21000; 6; 117; 20; 7; 128; 22; 7; 139; 24; 8; 151; 26; 9; 166; 29
25000; 8; 139; 27; 8; 152; 29; 9; 166; 32; 10; 180; 35; 11; 199; 38
27000; 8; 151; 30; 9; 165; 33; 10; 179; 36; 11; 195; 39; 12; 216; 44
29000; 9; 161; 34; 10; 177; 37; 11; 193; 40; 12; 209; 44; 13; 232; 49
31000; 10; 172; 37; 11; 188; 41; 12; 205; 45; 13; 223; 49; 15; 248; 55
33000; 11; 182; 41; 12; 199; 45; 13; 218; 50; 14; 238; 54; 16; 265; 61
35000; 12; 193; 45; 13; 211; 50; 15; 231; 55; 16; 253; 60; 18; 283; 68
37000; 13; 204; 50; 15; 224; 55; 16; 246; 61; 18; 269; 67; 20; 302; 76
39000; 15; 216; 56; 16; 238; 62; 18; 262; 69; 20; 288; 76; 22; 326; 87
41000; 16; 230; 63; 18; 255; 70; 20; 282; 79; 23; 312; 89; 27; 359; 105
I assume it's something like weight/altitude vs fuel flow/TAS, can somebody clarify?
I was hoping it would be easier than pulling a text document to pieces, when creating new aircraft types.
Regards,
ND
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Hello,

15000 is the altitude.

4 is the time, when you reach this altitude.

84 is the fuelburn until this altitude.

13 is the distance.

Best Regards,

Moritz

Thanks Moritz,

How about the cruise table?

[CRUISE.0]
Name=HI SPEED
FuelAdjust=0.2;-0.2
SpeedAdjust=10;-10
OptAltAdjust=0;0
MaxAltAdjust=0;0
[DATA]
WGT; 6500 ; 7000 ; 7500 ; 8000 ; 8645
OPT; 37000 ; 35000 ; 35000 ; 33000 ; 31000
MAX; 41000 ; 41000 ; 41000 ; 41000 ; 39000
5000; 1011; 269; 1016; 269; 1020; 269; 1026; 269; 1033; 269
10000; 969; 290; 974; 290; 979; 290; 984; 290; 992; 290
15000; 944; 312; 949; 312; 955; 312; 961; 312; 969; 312
21000; 919; 339; 919; 338; 918; 337; 917; 335; 917; 334
23000; 884; 343; 884; 342; 883; 341; 883; 339; 883; 338
25000; 844; 346; 844; 345; 843; 343; 843; 342; 843; 340
27000; 789; 346; 788; 344; 787; 342; 786; 340; 785; 338
29000; 737; 345; 737; 344; 737; 342; 737; 340; 736; 337
31000; 691; 345; 690; 343; 688; 341; 688; 338; 687; 335
33000; 646; 345; 647; 343; 647; 340; 647; 338; 648; 334
35000; 609; 346; 609; 343; 609; 340; 609; 337; 609; 332
37000; 572; 346; 570; 342; 569; 338; 567; 333; 565; 326
39000; 522; 341; 520; 336; 518; 330; 516; 323; 517; 314
41000; 473; 333; 470; 326; 468; 317; 465; 306;
Regards,
ND
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Having to work with files and internal codes to create a new Aircraft type... Isn't it an ungly way to do things for such a nice piece of software? Surely it should not be that difficult to add that function within the interface!!!

Hope to see that feature in a future update...

Thanks for the tip though!

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Hi Ramon,

If you are just creating 1 aircraft with a small amount of data then an interface, such as the one used by Jepp Flitestar into which you manually enter the information for each data point is a better solution. I think your interface suggestion is a good one which would allow casual users to build their own plane.

However for a more complex profile that process is extremely slow, and prone to error and typos. I use Excel (other good spreadsheets are also available!) to input the data either manually or cut and past from existing electronic data and then convert it into PFPX format - I also do the same for Flitestar files. The PFPX data structure is quite simple, once you have the formatting nailed you can produce aircraft txt files very quickly -believe me it's far less ugly than entering data point by point.

Cheers

Jon

Having to work with files and internal codes to create a new Aircraft type... Isn't it an ungly way to do things for such a nice piece of software? Surely it should not be that difficult to add that function within the interface!!!

Hope to see that feature in a future update...

Thanks for the tip though!

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Hopefully to help the initial posters here's some scribbles on the format of the aircraft text files. This is a printout of a truncated version of my 737-200 file included with PFPX. I have deleted some sections to keep this short, and it doesn't include things like ETOPs definition.

It is not comprehensive, and it only scratches at the surface of the data that PFPX is capable of handling, but I hope that it at least gives a basic understanding of the structure of the text files. Also it's the way I did things, it worked for me.

Already I can see some things maybe to add, but gotta start somewhere. I'm sure someone can do a more professional job of explaining this!

Jon

Hi Ramon,

If you are just creating 1 aircraft with a small amount of data then an interface, such as the one used by Jepp Flitestar into which you manually enter the information for each data point is a better solution. I think your interface suggestion is a good one which would allow casual users to build their own plane.

However for a more complex profile that process is extremely slow, and prone to error and typos. I use Excel (other good spreadsheets are also available!) to input the data either manually or cut and past from existing electronic data and then convert it into PFPX format - I also do the same for Flitestar files. The PFPX data structure is quite simple, once you have the formatting nailed you can produce aircraft txt files very quickly -believe me it's far less ugly than entering data point by point.

Cheers

Jon

PFPX Aircraft template Notes.pdf

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Hi Ramon,

If you are just creating 1 aircraft with a small amount of data then an interface, such as the one used by Jepp Flitestar into which you manually enter the information for each data point is a better solution. I think your interface suggestion is a good one which would allow casual users to build their own plane.

However for a more complex profile that process is extremely slow, and prone to error and typos. I use Excel (other good spreadsheets are also available!) to input the data either manually or cut and past from existing electronic data and then convert it into PFPX format - I also do the same for Flitestar files. The PFPX data structure is quite simple, once you have the formatting nailed you can produce aircraft txt files very quickly -believe me it's far less ugly than entering data point by point.

Cheers

Jon

Hi Jon

Any chance you'd be willing to share your xls file with the rest of us, to save lots of wheel reinventing :lightbulb_s:

Cheers

Paul

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Hi Paul,

I'm going to say "no" I'm afraid, mainly because I don't have the time to support it, I'd rather be producing aircraft performance profiles than answering questions about my excel files ;)

I'm not a programmer, so my compiler is not fully automated. Whilst I know exactly what to do with it and it's quick and easy for me to use, someone else isn't going to have a clue what I've done! I also build it in modules for each particular type to match weight and altitude ranges and to cater for different input data. For example with some types TAS may not be directly available and you've got to convert Mach or IAS into TAS, same with fuel burns as some manufacturers publish SFC. Older aircraft are even more of a pain in the neck, eg for the 707 cruise data is not published based on ISA deviation, but on Total Air Temperature (TAT), which needs conversion and then adjustment.

Sorry for the negative, but I hope my earlier scribbles shed some light on the final PFPX data structure though to help start anyone wanting to give it a go.

Cheers

Jon

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Hi Paul,

I'm going to say "no" I'm afraid, mainly because I don't have the time to support it, I'd rather be producing aircraft performance profiles than answering questions about my excel files ;)

I'm not a programmer, so my compiler is not fully automated. Whilst I know exactly what to do with it and it's quick and easy for me to use, someone else isn't going to have a clue what I've done! I also build it in modules for each particular type to match weight and altitude ranges and to cater for different input data. For example with some types TAS may not be directly available and you've got to convert Mach or IAS into TAS, same with fuel burns as some manufacturers publish SFC. Older aircraft are even more of a pain in the neck, eg for the 707 cruise data is not published based on ISA deviation, but on Total Air Temperature (TAT), which needs conversion and then adjustment.

Sorry for the negative, but I hope my earlier scribbles shed some light on the final PFPX data structure though to help start anyone wanting to give it a go.

Cheers

Jon

No worries - fully understood

Cheers

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Stas,

It is the TOTAL fuel burn (climb and descent) or TOTAL fuel flow per hour (cruise and hold)

Cheers

Jon

I have a question:

the fuel flow value is per engain or it the total of all the engins?

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Hopefully to help the initial posters here's some scribbles on the format of the aircraft text files. This is a printout of a truncated version of my 737-200 file included with PFPX. I have deleted some sections to keep this short, and it doesn't include things like ETOPs definition.

It is not comprehensive, and it only scratches at the surface of the data that PFPX is capable of handling, but I hope that it at least gives a basic understanding of the structure of the text files. Also it's the way I did things, it worked for me.

Already I can see some things maybe to add, but gotta start somewhere. I'm sure someone can do a more professional job of explaining this!

Jon

Thanks for this. I'll be busy outside of my regular stuff wrapping my head around this.

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One idea.

Someone (if the producers of PFPX could do it, better!). could create a program that let you choose your aircraft you want to setup. Then the program say you for example:

"Taxi 10 minutes" and you do it (hitting a key to record when you are doing it). Then,

"fly it at FL050" and you takeoff and fly the plane at that level. The program would set the weather to clear and 29.92 pressure, cero wind

Then after sometime it would say

"fly it at FL150" and you do it..

and so on.. until the altitude of the plane can reach.

The program would be recording numbers of performance, fuel burning, etc.. so it would create a template we could modify later... but would be a great start.

That way even the plane could have an internal complex code as the PMDGs or ConcordeX.. or even the simplest ones, we could have those magic numbers that the program would fill automatically for us.

Don't know if I am too optimistic in this, but I think is a good solution, instead of filling numbers and tables, don't you think?

Thanks!

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For a jet, I strongly suggest looking at AJPC by Herve Sor's I used it to make a profile for an aircraft recently and so far it's been spot on in what PFPX reports with the profile I made using it. It requires that you spend some time copying the data across from the produced tables, but it does speed things up... It is a pitty that something simular to AJPC is not part of PFPX from the start given it obviously can be done.

The only problem is of course that AJPC only covers jets and not prop's.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hopefully to help the initial posters here's some scribbles on the format of the aircraft text files. This is a printout of a truncated version of my 737-200 file included with PFPX. I have deleted some sections to keep this short, and it doesn't include things like ETOPs definition.

It is not comprehensive, and it only scratches at the surface of the data that PFPX is capable of handling, but I hope that it at least gives a basic understanding of the structure of the text files. Also it's the way I did things, it worked for me.

Already I can see some things maybe to add, but gotta start somewhere. I'm sure someone can do a more professional job of explaining this!

Jon

Hey Jon,

thanks for this PDF. It really helps a lot.

I am just wondering, how to find out the "Optimum altitude (ft) for that aircraft weight".. Any hints?

Cheers

Nazze

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Hey Jon,

thanks for this PDF. It really helps a lot.

I am just wondering, how to find out the "Optimum altitude (ft) for that aircraft weight".. Any hints?

Cheers

Nazze

Hi Nazze,

If I can't get that information from the manuals or original data I divide the speed (TAS) by Fuel Flow (per Hour). The altitude which gives you the highest value for a given weight is the most efficient for that weight. That's where Excel comes in handy, quick and easy to do the calculation a few hundred (or thousand) times over! It's not strictly accurate because optimum altitude may depend on factors like sector distance, but works well for this purpose.

Jon

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Thanks! Will try that!

Hi Nazze,

If I can't get that information from the manuals or original data I divide the speed (TAS) by Fuel Flow (per Hour). The altitude which gives you the highest value for a given weight is the most efficient for that weight. That's where Excel comes in handy, quick and easy to do the calculation a few hundred (or thousand) times over! It's not strictly accurate because optimum altitude may depend on factors like sector distance, but works well for this purpose.

Jon

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  • 3 months later...

Hi.

I am trying to restart this topic for a JS32 template.

I have two questions on the PFPX aircraft template files:

1: How are climbs and descents written?

(ATR 72 example)

[DESCENT.11]
FuelBias=0.90
Name=240/2000FPM ICING
[DATA]
   ISA;   15000           ;   22000           ;
  1500; 3.00;   30.0;  0.0; 3.00;   40.5;  0.0;
  4000; 4.00;   40.0;  5.0; 4.00;   54.0;  5.0;
  6000; 5.00;   49.0;  9.0; 5.00;   66.2;  9.0;
  8000; 6.00;   57.0; 14.0; 6.00;   77.0; 14.0;
 10000; 7.00;   66.0; 18.0; 7.00;   89.1; 18.0;
 12000; 8.00;   75.0; 23.0; 8.00;  101.3; 23.0;
 14000; 9.00;   83.0; 28.0; 9.00;  112.1; 28.0;
 16000;10.00;   92.0; 33.0;10.00;  124.2; 33.0;
 18000;11.00;  100.0; 38.0;11.00;  135.0; 38.0;
 20000;12.00;  109.0; 43.0;12.00;  147.2; 43.0;
 21000;13.00;  113.0; 46.0;13.00;  152.6; 46.0;
 22000;13.00;  118.0; 48.0;13.00;  159.3; 48.0;
 23000;14.00;  122.0; 51.0;14.00;  164.7; 51.0;
 24000;14.00;  127.0; 54.0;14.00;  171.5; 54.0;
 25000;15.00;  131.0; 57.0;15.00;  176.9; 57.0;
[/DATA]
[/DESCENT.11]

Am I right assuming, that the first line means descent from 1500 ft to 0 ft? And the third one descent from 6000 ft to 0 ft? How is climb managed accordingly? Climb to 1500 takes you 2 minutes, climb to 15000 takes you 20 minutes? ...

2. What do these lines mean?

EngineAntiIce=
TotalAntiIce=

Is this fuel burn for anti Ice per hour?

kind regards, Erich

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