New feature: Virtual pilot controls the take-off

[Hardy Heinlin]

In beta 2 the conditions will be more tolerant:

• Time acceleration factor is higher than 1
• Active FMC departure runway does not exist
• Aircraft not on the ground
• Groundspeed higher than 10
• Any gear not down
• Any thrust lever more than 5° out of idle
• Pitch mode not TO/GA
• AFDS status not F/D
• A/T ARM switch off
• Any engine not running
• Any EICAS warning, caution, or advisory message exists
• Flap lever not at 10 or 20
• Along-centerline distance from take-off threshold greater than 9000 ft (takes FMC POS SHIFT entry into account)
• Difference between runway heading and aircraft heading greater than 20°
• Distance from centerline greater than 100 ft

Also, the throttles will move to the vertical position slowly, not instantly. It wasn't that expensive.


|-|ardy

[Will]

Great to see evolution in action, Hardy!


But soon I'm going to think it's not that expensive to have the virtual pilot taxy the aircraft from the gate to the runway to the takeoff... Just imagine...

With the engines running, F11 starts the virtual pilot taxying at 10-15 kts to the runway. A subsequent press of F11 disengages the virtual pilot, who smoothly applies the brakes and then sets the parking brake. Another press of F11 re-engages the virtual pilot, who then resumes taxing. And so on, until the above takeoff paradigm is engaged.

To approximate real-world conditions, we'd hope that the virtual pilot taxis for at least 2000 feet on a virtual downwind, followed by a 90º turn to base, followed by a 90º turn onto the runway. "Position and hold" would be implemented by just pressing F11, which stops the aircraft and sets the parking brake... After which, F11 would carry out the takeoff as described on this thread...

Okay, I'll stop dreaming now. You're busy with many other things. :-)

[Hardy Heinlin]

Maybe next year, Will. This requires an intelligent behaviour regarding taxi speed: don't ride the brakes, don't set too much thrust etc.

What I would prefer is an option that allows the PNF to move the gear and flap levers when you are flying. But not this year ...


Cheers,

|-|ardy

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Ha, the tricky bit of having the PNF operate flaps and gear levers is mostly that (s)he needs to listen to you. If you would need to hit, say, F11, then you can as well hit G. And if the PNF watches your flying and magically extends gear him/herself, then it isn't what you want, guaranteed, and you soon want a virtual briefing...


Hoppie

[asboyd]

Hoppy, picky picky... next thing you know you will want the inflatable PNF from Airplane/Flying High....

[Hardy Heinlin]

The simulation can assume you say "gear up" when the RA rate is positive, and "flaps 10" when flaps 10 speed is reached ...


|-|

[Will]

Let me think this through... when I'm PF, and I hit the "G" key, isn't that really me saying "gear up," while it's the PNF who actually moves the lever? So the "G" key isn't connected to the gear lever, it's connected to my virtual vocal cords? Or is the G key connected to the lever?

It's as if we need G and G' keys, where G says "Gear up," but G' actually moves the lever. So when the virtual pilot is flying, he/she will announce "gear up," at which time I would hit the G' key to move the lever.

Or rather, the activity of the G key changes: when I'm PF, G is my vocal cords. When I'm PNF, G moves the lever. If the virtual pilot is flying, he/she should command "gear up" with an audio file, at which time the (human) PNF should hit the G key, right?

[Hardy Heinlin]

The G key asks the PNF to move the gear lever. The voice you hear is the voice of the PNF.

While you hit the G key you too can say something in your head or aloud :-)


|-|

[cagarini]

Thx for the excellent update to the "grey-out" triggering conditions Hardy!