Board index FlightGear Support Flying

Why am I crashing?

Controlling your aircraft, using the autopilot etc.

Why am I crashing?

Postby BJW » Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:12 am

Logistic Extreme 3D Pro

Is there a tutorial anywhere out there written in video format for the Cessna that shows how to take off and keep flying once in the air. I’m using a joystick and as soon as I leave the runway I veer left strongly and after half 10 – 30 seconds I crash. Are there some controls that come into play then that are not mentioned, or is it the joystick needing calibration or just me?
BJW
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:03 am
Location: Australia
Version: 2017.3.1
OS: Windows 10 Chrome

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby wlbragg » Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:36 am

My first guess is you don't have enough airspeed and your stalling. Roll out until your airspeed is above 60kts or even higher. Then very gently apply slight back pressure on the yoke until you leave the ground. The aircraft will leave the ground on its own if you have a high enough airspeed. Remember, small adjustments.
Yes, there are tutorial under Help/Tutorials in the GUI
Kansas and Ohio/Midwest scenery development.
KEQA, 3AU, KRCP Airport Layout
Intel i7/GeForce RTX 2070/Max-Q
User avatar
wlbragg
 
Posts: 7587
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:31 am
Location: Kansas (Tornado Alley), USA
Callsign: WC2020
Version: next
OS: Win10/Linux/RTX 2070

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby Alant » Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:20 am

It is easy to check the controls. Select an outside view and move the joystick fully back, forward, left and right. The elevator and ailerons should move accordingly,. Check that all surfaces return to neutral when you release the joystick.
Repeat this test for the rudder, and , if you are interested , the flaps.

Alan
Alant
 
Posts: 1219
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:58 am
Location: Portugal
Callsign: Tarnish99
Version: latest Git
OS: Windows 10/11

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby BJW » Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:19 am

Thank you both for you advice. I seem to remember seeing a joystick configuration, somewhere I thought it was in Help, that told what each button was used for when you pressed it, but it is not in Help now, if that is where was in the first place.

The “Taking Off” tutorial in Help isn’t working for me, two voices talking over the top of each other and I can’t get past using full power.

I might try reinstalling FG again, bit hesitant to do so as most things seem to be working now.
BJW
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:03 am
Location: Australia
Version: 2017.3.1
OS: Windows 10 Chrome

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby BJW » Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:32 am

From outside view only the flaps are moving. So on the joystick the only buttons being used are flaps up and down and throttle.
I found the joystick configuration unde File and when I move the joystick everything moves except the rudder, but I think I read elsewhere that this joystick doesn’t control the rudder.
So does it look like everything is working on the joystick?
I still cannot run most of the tutorials, so maybe a reinstall anyway.
BJW
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:03 am
Location: Australia
Version: 2017.3.1
OS: Windows 10 Chrome

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby Alant » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:36 am

ITry following the advice in http://wiki.flightgear.org/Input_device. Especially note step 4:-
<name>The EXACT name you found under step 2; including spaces, capitals etc.</name>

This joystick should have rudder control, by twisting it. Also see the file fgdata/Input/Joysticks/Logitech/extreme-3d-pro.xml. (this is probably the file for your joystick :D ).You can edit this if you want to change the effects of each button.

Alan
Alant
 
Posts: 1219
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:58 am
Location: Portugal
Callsign: Tarnish99
Version: latest Git
OS: Windows 10/11

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby wkitty42 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 11:14 am

firstly, reinstalling won't help... it never does unless you've got some file corruption and if that's the case, you have bigger problems to deal with...

it sounds to me like you're simply running into the p-factor... it is the twist of the engine and newton's law that causes this... the engine is twisting one way and the craft is going to try to twist the other way... equal and opposite reaction and all that rot... if the engine were to spin the other direction, the craft would be going off to the right... so the ""fix"" is to apply some rudder to keep the craft as straight as you can... on some joysticks, that's a twist of the stick...

yes, i also agree with others that you need to keep your speed up and maybe reduce your climb rate... IIRC 700feet/sec is good until you reach altitude... maybe 900f/s at sea level but that'll have to be reduced as you gain altitude... i forget my numbers for taking the c172p to max ceiling but starting at 700-900f/s climb with full throttle and then reducing the climb rate until max ceiling took roughly 30 minutes to get there... that was leaving KSFO, turning to 90degrees and climbing out... it would put you at max ceiling before you got to the mountains...

FWIW: i generally ""cheat"" by setting the AP's altitude to my target and as soon as i get off the ground, i enable the AP so it keeps my wings level and maintains my climb rate... it takes the climb rate as what the rate was when you turned the AP on... once it is on and the wings are leveling out, then i work on the climb rate setting and lastly i use the heading bug to steer my course... that's the basics and it gets me into the air where i can dance with the angels as i like :)
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
User avatar
wkitty42
 
Posts: 9146
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:46 pm
Location: central NC, USA
Callsign: wk42
Version: git next
OS: Kubuntu 20.04

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby dilbert » Sun Apr 01, 2018 12:55 pm

Did you previously use the stick with another program, such as FSX? Or did did you attempt to program any buttons? I have four 3D pros . They work fine in out-of-the box or default mode. However, if any of the above occurred, the rudder slaves to the throttle: at high throttle the rudder causes the aircraft to leave the runway to the right; at low throttle it makes it leave to the left.

Fortunately, the condition is easily remedied by going to File and Joystick Configuration; then clicking Reset. In default mode, the front switch controls brake, the top left buttons control trim, the top right buttons
control flaps, the hat switch controls view, twist controls rudder, throttle operates normally, and the back two switches on the bottom (11 and 12) control left and right toe brakes (handy on the carrier). I use the keyboard for other functions. :)
dilbert
 
Posts: 774
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:36 pm
Location: KJKA, Alabama, USA
Callsign: db1
Version: 220.3.19
OS: W10,Ubuntu64

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby BJW » Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:32 am

Thank you all so much for your advice, a lot for me to digest and educate myself on. I‘ve printed it all out and will go through it bit by bit.

I bought the joystick on ebay as new so anything could have been programmed into before I guess although it looked new.

Unfortunately yesterday I did do a reinstall and now find myself worse off than before. Sound of crashing upon opening and black screen. (Do have scenery files)

Came across something about checking the log files and saw several warning lines in it, does that mean that my downloaded version of the programme could be corrupted, or my system is not set properly.

So another reinstall I guess. No doubt I will return, thanks all.
BJW
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:03 am
Location: Australia
Version: 2017.3.1
OS: Windows 10 Chrome

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby dilbert » Mon Apr 02, 2018 12:19 pm

Recommend a clean install:
Go to C>Program Files>FlightGear 2017.3.1> and click on F unins000.
Go to Documents and delete " FlightGear"
Go to C>Users>{name used for your computer}>AppData>Roaming>and delete "flightgear.org"
The latter two files remain after an uninstall to carry over information from the old installation to a new one-
which you don't want or need at this point.
Then re-install.
Best Regards and welcome. :)

P.S. Go to File>Joystick Configuration and click on "Reset" before starting down the runway, which will re-calibrate your stick to default mode..
dilbert
 
Posts: 774
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:36 pm
Location: KJKA, Alabama, USA
Callsign: db1
Version: 220.3.19
OS: W10,Ubuntu64

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby wkitty42 » Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:56 pm

if you follow all of that, you will not have your already downloaded craft or scenery... you will have to start with the default craft and airport until your system has downloaded the ones you had again...
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
User avatar
wkitty42
 
Posts: 9146
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:46 pm
Location: central NC, USA
Callsign: wk42
Version: git next
OS: Kubuntu 20.04

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby dilbert » Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:11 am

True. One wouldn't normally want to eliminate those files when reinstalling or upgrading, in order to avoid
losing scenery, installed aircraft, etc. But assuming he's new to FlightGear and having the troubles
described in his last post, might it not be the best option to initially depend on the automatic scenery downloading feature in the start menu until he gets up and running?
dilbert
 
Posts: 774
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:36 pm
Location: KJKA, Alabama, USA
Callsign: db1
Version: 220.3.19
OS: W10,Ubuntu64

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby wkitty42 » Tue Apr 03, 2018 5:05 pm

yes, dilbert... you are correct about that... i just wanted to make sure they understood what would happen if they did purge their user's private FG data directory ;)
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
User avatar
wkitty42
 
Posts: 9146
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:46 pm
Location: central NC, USA
Callsign: wk42
Version: git next
OS: Kubuntu 20.04

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby BJW » Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:42 am

Thanks for more advice. At the moment I think the SIM is working OK, so I will just keep practising, everything. One question though when I execute the programme from the link on my desktop after the splash screen I start to auto download subsystems then scenery and come to the main page. When I select Fly, more downloading and eventually come into the actual programme I’m, welcomed to the Tutorials straight away, is this correct, this is without actually selecting Help - Tutorials?
BJW
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:03 am
Location: Australia
Version: 2017.3.1
OS: Windows 10 Chrome

Re: Why am I crashing?

Postby wkitty42 » Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:46 am

are you sure you're placed into a tutorial? could it be the sim's ATC is loading and talking to AI craft which are preparing to fly out?
what craft are you working with? at which airport?
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
User avatar
wkitty42
 
Posts: 9146
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:46 pm
Location: central NC, USA
Callsign: wk42
Version: git next
OS: Kubuntu 20.04

Next

Return to Flying

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests