take off with Cessna172P Skyhawk (1982)

[newbies]

HI guys I'm new, fisrt of all thanks for your support.

I'm using Windows10 Pro, Intel CORE i7, 16GB RAM, SSD 500GB, Nvidia GEForce GTX and I have installed FlightGear 2020.3.9. I'm using keyboard and mouse to drive the plane (with numlock enabled).

So I trying to take off with default Cessna172P Airplane. I have read the docs related to this plane (in officiale reference) but I have a problem with the Rudder.
I don't know if I do something wrong, if it is a bug or something else but even when the plane is on the ground and I'm a gain speed to take off I must repeatedly push 0 and Enter (keyboard command for the rudder) to adjust the rudder.

When I start the simulation, the plane is stopped -> I remove the parking brake -> full throttle -> the plane goes immediately on the left and I can't get the plane to go straight! It take off by itself from the ground, maybe becuase the Elevator is in arretrated position or due to increasing speed... I have no time to manovrate the elevator because I can't stop pushing the Rudder controls!

It is normal?? Thank you all

[V12]

Yes, it is perfectly mormal. For take off You need use rudder to eliminate the P-factor. Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-factor

[newbies]

OMG! I need more practice.. even during the flight (which lasted as long as the wrights brother one) I can't stop manovrate the rudder..

Another thing I can't start the engine manually but just with autostart of the help menu.

Thanks a lot

[wlbragg]

Another thing I can't start the engine manually but just with autostart

3 pumps of the primer is critical to start the engine, 20% power, full mixture at sea level (adjust to altitude), bat and alt on. Should be all you need to crank it an start it.

Not sure that you have a version with the optional rudder trim on the pedestal. That might be useful if stuck with keyboard only. Mouse mode with auto-coordination gives you a little more control VS keyboard as well.

One more thing that I discovered in all the testing we have done, is aileron has considerable influence, especially at higher speeds on the ground. But it is counter to what you instinctively expect. If your veering left turning the yoke left can help offset that pull. It's a balancing act though for sure. Because it can put you in a bad profile for lifting off the ground.

With all this said, rudder is the key, it's required to be truly in sync with what is required in reality. There has been days of discussion however as to how much rudder should be required. Again even in this discussion, wind over the various control surfaces changes all the equations and that is very much dynamic during takeoff. So it requires a "feel" and "touch" to accomplish a smooth, perfect, take off. Keeping in mind we have no feedback to any of our actions in a simulator other than visual and by the time you perceive visually what is happening it can be to late.
But it's not impossible, with practice you can get pretty good at it with any control device.

[newbies]

Thanks a lot guys!

I am improving much more than I expected! Now I take off and manage to fly pretty good! I see a cessna drive school on youtube and I discover a lot of thing.. for example give more engine during the veer to compensate the loss of lift!! Anyway the next two problem is;

1) I can fly levelled for about 20 second.. after that the plane start slowly to roll right (or left). This is normal? The pitch ball should be perfectly centered?? Because sometimes is a millimeter on the left (or on the right)
2) I can't manage to align to the airport for landing. I flew until I ran out of fuel and I can't manage to align. At the end I manage to land to the grass, with flap 20 and at 60 kts (the driving school on youtube says 85 kts is the right speed) I land on the grass without crash!

Is there a way to align the plane to airport using some instrument? Currently I'm able to read: The Altimeter, The fuel indicator, The speed. No others.

P.S.: During the fly, i was over the sea and I'm veering to the left 20 degrees, a blue light appear (blinkin) with sound alarm. It appear above the radio com instruments.

Thanks a lot!

[legoboyvdlp]

85 knots is very fast for landing. Normally you'd approach at about 60 knots, and then at the last minute idle the throttle -- and touch down about 50 knots.

The blue blinking light is an outer marker beacon which warns you when you are on an ILS approach :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marker_beacon

See https://www.aai.aero/en/content/what-il ... -component for more about ILS

[WoodSTokk]

On the Cessna 172 there is only one blue light marked with 'O'. Thats the 'outer marker'.
Some runways have markers that are also depicted on the airport plate.
If you you have the airport plate and fly over a marker, you know how far to go for touch down.
There is a 'outer marker' that trigger the blue light labeled with 'O' and audible long dashes in 400 Hz (i think).
Then it comes the 'middle marker' that trigger the yellow light labeled with 'M' and audible short and long sound alternating in 1000 Hz (i think).
The last is the 'inner marker' trigger the white light labeled with 'I' and audible short pulses in 3000 Hz (i think).
So you was near an airport and fly over the outer marker.

For radio navigation there are two Bendix/King KX165A on board.
This device include a communication radio (comm-radio) on the left side and a navigation radio (nav-radio) on the right side.
Some runways are equipped with 'Localizer' (in short 'LOC'), some of them have also 'Glide Slope' (in short 'GS') or 'Glide Path' (in short 'GP') and some have 'Distance Measurement Equipment' (in short 'DME').
If a runway has LOC and GP, it is referred as 'Instrument Landing System' (in short 'ILS').
If you want use the ILS for landing, tune in the ILS frequenzy on the first (upper) NAV-radio.
On the top right side of your instruments, you have the 'Course Deflection Indicator' (in short 'CDI').
The CDI has two needles. One vertically and one horizontally.
The vertical needle moves sidewise and show you where the extended centerline of the runway is in relation to your position.
If the needle is on the left side, steer a bit to the left and vice versa.
The horizontal needle moves up and down and show you where the glide path is in relation to your altitude.
The optimum way is, if both needles are in the middle centered.
If the runway is also equipped with DME, you can see the distance to the touch down zone (mostly) on the DME display.

For visual approach, you should see the runway and hold the aircraft on the extended centerline visually.
For altitude, many runways have yellow/red lights on the side of the runway.
There can be 2 or 3 in front and 2 or 3 behind, this configuration is called 'Visual Approach Slope Indicator' (in short 'VASI').
You are on the right height if the 2 lights in front show yellow and the 2 lights behind show red.
If all lights are red you are to shallow, if all lights show yellow you are to high.
Another visual indicator are 4 lights in a row beside the runway that show also yellow or red, this configuration is called 'Precision Approach Path Indicator' (in short 'PAPI').
Optimum way is 2 yellow and 2 red. If you see 3 or 4 red you are to deep, if you see 3 or 4 yellow you are to high.