Hi
Learning using FS Academy and struggling with maintaining climb speed. Lesson states to climb and maintain 75kts which is fine but doing so even with trim is very difficult. What happens is if I do not pay massive attention to the speed and attitude I either drop or gain speed and cannot maintain 75kts.
I get the impression from searching that in clear whether the real life plane is far easier to maintain a climb speed. So I am wondering what the hell is the problem. One thing I was gonna try was to put the speed guage on a separate monitor so I can be even more in tune with micro adjustments to my attitude.
Also forget about being in a turn. Maintaining 75kts and making a 20 degree turn it becomes even MORE difficult to maintain the proper attitude/speed. If I look away for a second BAM I am dropping or climbing 500ft/m and I lose my climb speed.
Could is be the setting of my Alpha Flight Yoke? Is it just the sim being inaccurate?
In a real 152 you do not continually watch the instruments you stabilise at the desired climb speed and then maintain the horizon at the same place on your windshield.
Thats just it. I try my best to stablize with trim. If I let go of the yoke no way it holds. Is it normal to fluctuate even with trim set? Is it common to be able to remove your hands from the yoke when trimmed properly? Assuming clear and calm weather of course.
How high are you climbing and are you leaning the mixture starting at 3000ft MSL?
Flagstaff to Sedona. Flagstaff I believe is at 8000ft. I have the fuel leaned probably an inch. Maybe less.
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Likely have to lean more. Try some airports that are lower, that’s pushing it a bit with a C152.
Lean a lot.
Also the service ceiling on a c152 is only 14000 and if it is a hot day the density altitude at Sedona can be a lot higher than 8000. The c152 rate of climb is only about 700 FPM at sea level. Do not expect a spectacular rate of climb.
@brainshake27, FWIW, I really struggle with the Honeycomb Alpha yoke maintaining climb speed or rate of climb just as you mentioned.
I actually wonder if part of the issue (at least for me) is the tension on the yoke. I really wish there was a way to loosen up the band that they use for elevator tension. It’s just really difficult to hold the yoke in a climb without it starting to “get away” from you, especially if you’re one-handing it while you manage throttle with your other hand.
And yes, I’ve also tried adjusting the climb using the trim wheel on the Bravo (and I do LOVE that trim wheel), but even so, I still find myself bouncing around trying to get into a nice stable climb.
I’m not a real pilot so I have nothing to compare this to, but, just wanted to let you know you’re not the only one.
I am guessing you are trying to master the first solo tutorial which is set at Sedona, which would make the comments about trying another airport irrelevant. I agree with you entirely. I have hundreds of sim hours, mostly on the 172 but have given up trying to master that tutorial for all the reasons you mentioned. So my suggestion would be to move on and enjoy your simming doing something that falls into the realms of the possible. Also, I too do find the Bravo a bit too sensitive, particularly elevators but have been unable to find a solution.
Hi there,
I struggled with this one too. A lot…
As others have said Sedona is pretty high altitude. I turned the carb heater off and weakened the mixture to about 40 - 50%. Basically, I put the parking brake on and just revved the thing on full throttle and then turned off the carb heater (I found this usually gives another 150 – 200 rpm) and played around with the mixture setting until I got the highest rpm (maybe another 50 rpm or so). In doing so, I found I was able to get right up to and maintain the maximum (2,500) rpm.
This Training Flights - VFR Navigation - First Solo Navigation - Struggling to get an “A” - Student Pilots / Basic Gameplay Help - Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums may be helpful.
Good luck. Hope this helps.
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The reason it will not hold trim when you let go of the yoke is that you are trimming the plane with the controls not centered.
Slowly and gradually let go of the yoke, trim as you do so.
Repeat process until you can eventually release the yoke and the plane maintains its attitude.
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Sorry, I forgot to say with regard to the turns and losing altitude. If you pull the nose up a bit whilst in the turn it should stop it losing altitude.
Bingo. But is it reasonable to be able to be almost hands off in real life? That is my real question
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In real life you hold the correct pitch with yoke then wind on trim until the pressure disappears at which point you can indeed continue the climb “hands off”. Once you trim, the yoke naturally holds the new position without any force, it does not try and return to centre.
Unless you have a FFB yoke that is not possible. Instead you need to use the slightly counter intuitive procedure outlined by TheSevenFlyer outlined above.
Trimming is MUCH easier in a real 172, the issue in game is no force feedback support and a lack of FFB devices at a reasonable price. This is exasperated in the Alpha by the relatively short (4") elevator axis. The reason I bought a Fulcrum instead. I assume Honeycomb did that to keep the device profile small but it does make elevator very sensitive.
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