NG Feature Request

[Hardy Heinlin]

I've split the discussion re "various fuel freezing points in tanks" to an extra thread:

http://aerowinx.com/board/index.php?topic=5794.0

[Hardy Heinlin]

A question for those who enter a MIN FUEL TEMP on the PERF INIT page:

Can your engineers change the default MIN FUEL TEMP value on the AIRLINE POLICY page?

I.e. is it important to be able to change the default on the AIRLINE POLICY as well?

PSX has a fixed default of -37 on the AIRLINE POLICY page.


Regards,

|-|ardy

[DougSnow]

Our crews verify it (B777F) as a part of their preflight. If the analysis is available (we place the report in a pouch in the logbook), "The flight crew will round up to the nearest whole degree and enter the resulting number on the FMC PERF INIT as the MIN FUEL FRZ TEMP" so its a crew responsibility.

[Hardy Heinlin]

Your crews verify whether the AIRLINE POLICY page displays the -37 value?

[dhob]

With the switch to the NG FMC, the Airline Policy page is only modifiable via the AMI, or Airline Modifiable Index. The AMI is Loadable Software Airplane Part (LSAP). To edit the default MIN FUEL TEMP or FUEL FRZ TEMP, the AMI would need to be modified, then loaded on to the LRU.

The OPC, or FMC Options file, gives the operator a choice between MIN FUEL TEMP, or FUEL FRZ TEMP.

The MIN FUEL TEMP option is the minimum operating fuel temperature, or the temperature at which the EICAS MSG FUEL TEMP LOW displays. For Jet A, with a fuel freeze temp of -40C, the default of -37 is correct. If operating with Jet 1A, with a Fuel Freeze Temp of -47C, the crew would need to enter -44C in the PERF INIT page.

The FUEL FRZ TEMP option is the actual fuel freeze temperature. This is the option our airline chose as we didn't want the crew to have to do math. Currently our default is -37C, and procedurally the crew manually changes this to -40C. On Polar flights, if all Jet 1A, then the crew would enter -47C. If a fuel blend is used, then the fuel blend temperature is published on the flight plan, for example -43C, and the crew enters this temperature on the PERF INIT page.

Eventually we will change the default FUEL FRZ TEMP to -40C. With the FUEL FRZ TEMP option, the EICAS MSG FUEL TEMP LOW displays when the fuel temp is 3 degrees from the FUEL FRZ TEMP entered on the PERF INIT page. For example, if -47C entered, then the FUEL TEMP LOW message displays when actual fuel temperature reaches -44C.

[Hardy Heinlin]

So does your AIRLINE POLICY page 1/2 display the words "FUEL FRZ TEMP" instead of "MIN FUEL TEMP" in the line title of 5L? Same question for the PERF INIT for the line title in 3R.

This switch between the MIN mode and FRZ mode would be yet another option I had to implement.

Is it possible to make entries directly on the AIRLINE POLICY pages on aircraft other than the 747? (Instead of making entries via the AMI.)

[dhob]

So does your AIRLINE POLICY page 1/2 display the words "FUEL FRZ TEMP" instead of "MIN FUEL TEMP" in the line title of 5L? Same question for the PERF INIT for the line title in 3R.

Yes, FUEL FRZ TEMP is the title for both.

This switch between the MIN mode and FRZ mode would be yet another option I had to implement.

Is it possible to make entries directly on the AIRLINE POLICY pages on aircraft other than the 747? (Instead of making entries via the AMI.)

The 747 Legacy FMC allowed for editing the Airline Policy page, with the use of the code ARM entered at 6R. The 757/767 FMCs likely can edit the policy page as well. With the 777 on, Boeing moved to the AMI process with the FMCs. For an airplane like the 767-400, with the Pegasus 2000 FMC, I'm not sure, even though I flew it at one time.

[Hardy Heinlin]

I mean literally the AIRLINE POLICY page, not the legacy PERF FACTORS page.

I'm asking because the information I used during my NG development mentioned valid entries on the AIRLINE POLICY page, which I implemented in my software model. If you're saying direct entries aren't possible, then all my work regarding this stuff was in vain :-)

Instead I should have implemented an AMI editor on the Instructor screen.

Maybe some airlines have the option to set the AMI values via the AIRLINE POLICY page?

Anyway, I actually wondered why the NG doesn't require the ARM keyword anymore (except for the FF/DRAG edit on the IDENT page).


P.S.: Is it sufficient if I just add a checkbox "Use freeze temp instead of min temp"?
So instead of making the default value editable, I would link a fixed value of -37 to the min temp mode, and -40 to the freeze temp mode.

[dhob]

Yes, I'm referring to the AIRLINE POLICY page 1 of 2.

Page displays the following:

                    AIRLINE POLICY             1/2
                                          OPTION CODE
                      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
MNVR MARGIN                            THR/CRZ
1.30                                           CRZ/  0
MIN CRZ TIME                            THR RED
1                                               FLAPS 5
FUEL FRZ TEMP                          ACCEL HT
-37C                                      1000/1000
------------------------------------- AMI P/N
<INDEX                      XXXXX-XXXX-XXXX

[Hardy Heinlin]

Thanks.

[Hardy Heinlin]

I added another option. When this option is selected, the system displays the FUEL FRZ TEMP title with default -40 instead of the MIN FUEL TEMP title with default -37. And the related EICAS message trigger is then 3° higher.

[turbodiddley]

Hardy, we would love the option to edit the default -37 temp value on the Perf Init page. Part of our preflight setup flow.

[Hardy Heinlin]

This is already implemented in the next update.

In my previous comment I'm referring to the FRZ and MIN modes. Their default values (-40 and -37) are fixed on the AIRLINE POLICY page.

On the PERF INIT page you can overwrite the default (small font) with a manual entry (large font).

[turbodiddley]

Fantastic. Thank you, Hardy.

[Hardy Heinlin]

This will be the INIT REF uplink editor:

[Hardy Heinlin]

I was thinking that after sending the TAKEOFF REF request from the flight deck, we could then go to the Dispatcher (or another) tab and see what the PSX "Dispatch Office" will be sending to the FMC. We could then, if needed, edit the values in each field before sending.

Editing a requested dataset that is already in the pipeline makes no sense. You can't reasonably edit the generated dataset within five or ten seconds.

You can enter your own data at any time, and edit it at any time. But you won't see simulator-generated data on the editor panel. You will only see your own data or some blank edit fields. The simulator can't read the user's mind; it doesn't know what physical weight you will load, what weather you will set, what physical CG you will set etc. The sim generates the data in the moment when the REQUEST key is pressed. The generated data may or may not suit your planned scenario.

The sim will never delete your data on the editor. On takeoff the sim will activate the checkbox "Uplink simulator-generated data". This assures that during the next preflight the sim won't uplink the same old manually entered data. So if you want to uplink special manual data again during the next preflight, you will have to select the checkbox "Uplink the data set below" again. This action is a confirmation that you want to set manual data again. If you forget this action, the next uplink will use simulator-generated data as usual.

The dataset on the editor is saved in situation files.


|-|ardy

[Will]

When you click "Uplink simulator-generated data," do the boxes all become blank?

[Hardy Heinlin]

No. Just the green frame turns grey.

[Mariano]

Hardy,

That looks stunning (although I don't really know why I am surprised;-).

I agree with all you said. As long as I can enter customized data, I do not mind doing it early, in fact, the earlier, the better (I will have all the performance data before I load the situation, anyway; I always do).

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU and best regards,

Mariano

[Hardy Heinlin]

You're welcome :-)


The INIT REF uplink editor and some other stuff are now available in PSX 10.106:

http://aerowinx.com/board/index.php?topic=4191.0


|-|ardy