New user with some questions

[CowlFlapsOpen]

Still getting used to this product but enjoying it so far. A couple of questions:

1. Where is the kneeboard text stored. I discovered that you can enter text in the various pages, but I'd like to enter some information here BEFORE
I start MSFS (flight, weather, and fuel planning). Not a big thing, but it would be nice if I could write directly to this.

2. I am confused about the weight in the payload models. I am using the Aeroworx B200 Corporate model. It lists 3 Stations: Front, Middle, and Aft
with seating for two passengers each row. When I start the flght in MSFS and go to the Fuel and Payload dialogue, it gives the empty weight as 8317.
I take out all fuel (to be filled later by FsP) and add a pilot and copilot for total 420lbs more, but no passengers. I then go to FsP. It lists
the Empty weight as 8317 still and I loaded 1306 lbs of fuel and four passengers (178, 182, 213, 324) for a total weight of 10520. Where are my pilot
and copilot's weights? I couldn't figure how one adds these, or am I missing something? I am wondering if the model counts pilt and copilot as
passengers, as it seems to let them in the front row. I poked around and noticed that some of the deafault craft seem to have the first row greyed
out, but stations specified. I don't get it. Thanks

[poden]

1) You use the "flight log" in the kneeboard, but I have heard this is a very buggy feature and prone to making FS crash. I haven't used it myself,
so I don't know if you can write your own notes in there are not.

2) FSP replaces all the payload stations with the ones from the payload model. Anything that's there in the aircraft.cfg is actually not used in FSP.
If you really want to include pilot/copilot weights, you should just add them to the empty weight of the plane. I wish the FSP payload model was a
bit more sophisticated myself, and included another station for the pilot/copilot myself.

[CowlFlapsOpen]

Thanks. Just so I understand correctly:

FsP overrides whatever I set in MSFS Payload and Fuel dialogue. As a result, the pilot co-pilot weights are being ignored in the calculation of the
weight after fuel and passengers are loaded. Is this ust in the computation for FSP purposes or is this affecting the flight dynamics within MSFS?

Additionally, the payload model I am using uses all seating in the aircraft as passenger seating (i.e., passengers are sitting in the cockpit--yeow,
sp,e much for a sterile cockpit and FAA security!). If I want to add the weight of pilot and co-pilot, I must add them to the Zero weight.

However this is not very satisfactory: First, I want the passengers out of the cockpit and the pilots back. Second, simply adding the weight to the
base weigh doesn't deal with the ARM/COG issue. I would like to add the pilot and co-pilot weight into the forward station and the lock them in
somehow, so they are a permenent part of the payload and their influence on the COG is considered before passengers are added. Can I do this somehow?

[olseric]

Thanks. Just so I understand correctly:

FsP overrides whatever I set in MSFS Payload and Fuel dialogue. As a result, the pilot co-pilot weights are being ignored in the
calculation of the
weight after fuel and passengers are loaded. Is this ust in the computation for FSP purposes or is this affecting the flight dynamics within
MSFS?

Let's try this again. FSP has a good loading system assuming that you have a good payload model. If you are using general aviation
aircraft, this should be a breeze because with that few of passengers, you can tweak the payload model to your liking giving you some
good control over the weight.

Poden is right, but I don't think he worded his response clearly. FSP DOES NOT replace loading points in your aircraft. FSP DOES LOAD
into the loading points of your aircraft assuming that it is an FS2004 model and there aren't like 200 load points.

In short, FSP will "empty" your aircraft and then allow you to load it from there. Use the advanced fuel dialog in order to load individual
tanks as opposed to an "even" fill across all tanks.

Additionally, the payload model I am using uses all seating in the aircraft as passenger seating (i.e., passengers are sitting in the
cockpit--yeow,
sp,e much for a sterile cockpit and FAA security!). If I want to add the weight of pilot and co-pilot, I must add them to the Zero weight

.

That sounds correct to me.

However this is not very satisfactory: First, I want the passengers out of the cockpit and the pilots back. Second, simply adding the
weight to the
base weigh doesn't deal with the ARM/COG issue. I would like to add the pilot and co-pilot weight into the forward station and the lock
them in
somehow, so they are a permenent part of the payload and their influence on the COG is considered before passengers are added. Can
I do this somehow?

Sure. You can statically add to the weight of your aircraft from the .cfg file and then post the center of gravity that far forward. When you do
up your payload model, just make sure that the passenger seats are loading towards the rear and that should do it.

Good luck!

[CowlFlapsOpen]

Thanks. I am using a custom B200 model contributed by one of the developers but I found a second version that looks a bit more correct. I could be
wrong though, I'll check more thoroughly this weekend. I think I am going to do some further tweaking so that the craft is "preconfigured with a
pilot and co-pilot (adjust the weight and center of gravity).

[jboweruk]

Don't forget, almost everything in FSP can be edited, mostly fairly simply too. Payload models can be created and you can then put the
pax where you want them, ie in the back where they belong. As to locking yourself in well,, the Flight Attendant will always have access so
she can keep you awake with coffee, then you stay awake running back to the restroom.

[DanSteph]

CowlFlapsOpen wrote:
Still getting used to this product but enjoying it so far. A couple of questions:

1. Where is the kneeboard text stored. I discovered that you can enter text in the various pages, but I'd like to enter some information
here BEFORE
I start MSFS (flight, weather, and fuel planning). Not a big thing, but it would be nice if I could write directly to this.

I presume you speak about FSP kneeboard and not MSFS kneeboard (wich are buggy etc etc)

In this case look in the "FsPassengers/bin" folder there are 4 files called:
Kneeboard1.txt
Kneeboard2.txt
Kneeboard3.txt
Kneeboard4.txt

this is the file to edit with notepad.

If they don't appear: !

it's because you never entered any information in the kneeboard tab, enter garbage text in the four kneeboard tab
and the files will now appear in the "bin" folder ready for you to edit BEFORE the flight or at any moment for what
it matter. (they are opened only when you view the kneeboard)

I added this question in the FAQ:
http://www.fspassengers.com/?action=faq&question=42

CowlFlapsOpen wrote:
Where are my pilot
and copilot's weights?

By default FsP doesn't include pilot weight for small aircraft this can easeally be solved:
load the payload editor,find the payload model of one aircraft add a station point named "pilot"
or whatewer and set the price to "no price"

Hope this help ?

Dan



Post Edited ( 10-27-05 14:58 )

[CowlFlapsOpen]

Wow! My own FAQ! Thanks Dan, for the assistance and for the wonderful program. I was going to post and ask what the No Price option did. So, if I
add or change one of the stations to no price, does FsP then "board" the fellow along with or instead of one of the passengers waiting at the gate?

Aso, I did find the kneepad.txt files. before each flight I write the ActiveSky weather report and FSNav Plight plan there.

[CowlFlapsOpen]

Thanks again Dan. I tried your suggestion but it wasn't quite what i thought it would be. let me try again, witha a working example:

Let's use the Aeroworx B200 as an example. The aircraft.cfg lists 9 stations: 2 side-by-side pilot and copilot seats, three sets of two passemger
seatc\s, and an aft baggage hold. ZFW = 8317. There is a payload model in the download section that models these very nicely. It gives ZFW = 8317
and four banks of two seats each with the postions forward/aft and side to side that match those specified in the aircraft.cfg..

All i want to do is load a pilot and co-pilot in the first two seats and have FsP load passengers in some/all of the the six passenger seats. It
would be fine if the pilot/copilot weights were fixed (i.e., same crew from flight to flight is fine). The B200 is certified for 1 pilot if an
autopilot is available (which it is) but since I have a virtual co-pilot thanks to FsP I'd like him to have a seat.

here's the problem: If I use your suggestion and designate the first station as "pilot/copilot" with "no price" and FsP reports, say, 4 passengers
waiting at the gate, then using the sliders in the loading dialogue box, it only lets me load 1 passenger in each of the four rows. The left front
seat is not reserved for the pilot, there is no co-pilot in the right seat, everyone aboard the flight is a passenger (no flight crew!), and one
passenger is not paying for his flight. Another option is to not load anyone in the first row, of course, but then I simply pass on the opportunity
to transport a willing passenger and there is still no pilot and copilot.

Alternatively, if I uncheck the left box next to the first station (disable it) in the payload editor, then FsP will only load passengers in the three
passenger seating rows (better), but there is no weight consideraion for a pilot and copilot.

I can go to the .cfg and add, say, 2 X 200 = 400lbs to the ZFW to simulate a flight crew (as someone here suggested) and this will at least take
into account the weight of the flight crew but not their effect on the COG. Plus, it will affect all flights with this A/C, including those I don't
use FsP for. In the loading dialogue, the sticker for Pilot/copilot is also blank and the value for ZFW is of course misleading because if includes
the crew weight. I could probably live with all this inaccuracy, but it bugs me and i purchased FsP for enhance realism.

I'm not upset (there is still much to recommend this program) but it does surprise me a little that with all the careful thought that went into this
program, no consideration (as far as I can tell) went into accounting a for a pilot and copilot on board the plane (or for that matter a Flight
Attendant, if the plane were large enough). maybe I've just missed something. i suspect the program was built with "heavies" in mind, where an
overlooked body or two would not be missed.

-jeff