I’ve searched this a few times and don’t think I ever saw a definite yes/no/how.
Will the A320 (regular or FBW) gain/reduce altitude based on the flight plan? Or is the only way to set the dial manually? The rest of the nav/AP is going well, but wondering if this is possible
Thanks all
It will in some degree, if you have vnav turn on and altitude hold OFF. Autopilot will automatically change attitude to match inside legal range (like certain airport require you to flag between 5000-1100 at certain point). But it works only during approach (approach as whole not last part with is turn on with approach button) and departure procedure (idk if it works enrute). But more important any manual entered altitude into autopilot will override this.
It’s what I understand, I may be wrong.
Ok right on, thanks for the reply
In real life the A320 can do VNAV, however it is not currently implemented in the sim for any aircraft (only advisory VNAV for some which means that the instruments show you the path but the AP does not follow it automatically). FBW just announced a few days back that their new custom built FMC will be able to follow the Constraints (altitudes, speeds ) which you program into the MCDU. So look out for the release in their Dev version of the A32NX.
As SierraHotel notes; VNAV should be confined to the back burner with the FBW.
MSFS Pilots should remain cautious about utilising VNAV for any segment of the Flight Plan at this point in time. - I saw degradation in KIAS Hold (280KIAS) on EXPD from FL120 - FL280 earlier that took our KIAS down below 200KIAS that forced an Intervene and a switch over to Manual Flight. We then switched back to V/S and took over the Vertical Nav - once we’d got the aircraft with us.
It’s being worked - I dare say, night and day - but for now, just go with V/S to obtain ALT. - with a left eye watching the KIAS Ribbon.
If ATC (VATSIM, etc) ask you to make an excursion that’s out of KIAS boundaries for YOUR Perfs and CLIMB RATE then just tell them “Unable”. They’ll understand and ask you to do something more reasonable. If you get a particularly good Controller on Vatsim - they’ll ask you what you want to do!
Everyone’s hard at work - making this right - but remember as PIC - it’s YOUR aircraft - and the best way of feeling back in control of things is to take the Automation Off - Hand Fly the thing Straight And Level (just like you did the Cessna C152) - until you’ve fully appraised what’s going on - or wrong and have a solution to how to put it right.
NEVER rely on the AP to get you out of trouble - if you throw the aircraft at the AP thinking it will save you - then, the ground will simply come up to you quicker than it would have done had you not put the AP in.
Think about that.
Any nonsense you encounter with the aircraft should precipitate an immediate respnse of “Click Click” OFF with the AP and a cheery call to your Right Seat Co-pilot of “I’ve got controls”.
And a making sure that you have before ANYTHING else happens.
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it
Apart from all the VNAV stuff (which isn’t called VNAV on the Airbus) the autopilot will never climb or descent beyond what is set in the altitude preselect. So when on the aircraft is supposed to start descent according the flightplan at top of descent, the AP (VNAV) won’t until you have reset the altitude preselect from cruise altitude to the new altitude. Only exception is the approach mode, on approach mode the autopilot will descent through the altitude preselect when GS is captured.
But it would stop climbing for example if the FCU is set to eg FL300 but a constraint is entered in the MCDU of eg FL200.
Same for descents. Just opposite logic.
Yes exactly, I mean the FCU altitude with altitude pre-select. It will never climb / descent passed the FCU altitude, that is kind of a hard limit (except on approach mode) otherwise the VNAV will level off were needed.
Thanks for clarifying and confirming.