[RELEASED] Aeroplane Heaven Cessna C-140

I made a short video. First everything is off. Then I switch on the Battery Master. Then I start the engine. And then I switch on the Alternator.

It’s not visible in the video anymore, but when the engine spools up, the gauge needle moves.

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That’s what I am saying though, if you have the alternator mapped to a button (I don’t because you literally don’t need it in ANY aircraft because they all work with a switch or the alternator is just on), it’s not an issue. But if there is no cockpit switch, once you load cold and dark, the alternator (setting) should be on and it doesn’t seem to be.

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I would be very surprised if the alternator is just ON in any real aircraft cold and dark. That would mean it is functional while pulling the prop through.

As mentioned quite a few times the POH for this and also the C170 show wiring diagrams with double pole single throw switches that simultaneously disconnect the electrics from ground and isolate the generator when switched OFF. Making the generator permanently on would be incorrect.

That said - neither this aircraft or the Carenado aircraft currently do this correctly. If for some reason you do want to start from cold and dark you need to turn the generator on with a key command.

I believe the issue with fixing it is to do with the way the game implements these switches and the weirdness that occurs with external switch gear if you couple them or just make them always on? Not sure.

Correct ammeter behaviour? Also no idea.

Just a thought. You do not need the generator to start the airplane. You need battery power to the starter motor and spark generated by the magnetos. The generator restores the battery to full power once the engine is running, but plays no part in getting the engine to start.

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Yeah that is true.

Basically for people that start in the air or spawn on the runway ready to take off this is not an issue. The generator is just on automatically. Similarly if you have switch gear on a Saitek panel or something like a Honeycomb it is not a problem either.

The issue IS however a big one those people that want to start cold and dark and want to do the start procedure entirely with a mouse (potentially using a VR headset) as eventually the battery will go flat part way through the flight. The magnetos presumably should still run the engine but all non-vacuum systems will fail.

The potential solutions are:

  • ignore it as “most people actually bothering to do a cold and dark start will have a simpit anyway” (NOT a good solution at all, especially with VR, let us cross this off the list)
  • stop the battery draining so the generator becomes redundant (while this will work it is an unrealistic simplification of the systems that will create almost as many complaints as the current issue)
  • add a fake or even hidden non-realistic generator switch to the cockpit for mouse users (while this will work it is an unrealistic and will create almost as many complaints as the current issue)
  • have the generator, un-realistically permanently on (this could work but apparently has already been tried and so far has not provided a solution, will generate less complaints then a fake switch)
  • find a way to have the master switch correctly turn both on and off by mouse without the game messing stuff up for simpit users (the only truly good solution long term)
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I need a variant with skis! :innocent:

In my case I would use my Logitech Switch Panel with SPAD driving it, which I guess fits neatly under your first option.

I use the Saitek Switch Panel with FSUIPC and just switch on the alternator.

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Giovanni Battista Venturi could provide an explanation for that.
A friend of ours had an office in the Empire State and was always intrigued by the rain running up the Window pane.

An Angelic review of the AH C-140.

We like Av Angel’s straight forward no nonsense Reviews.
BCP 's trying to place her pleasant accent and some inflections are possibly indicating Way up North of the Trent. Nice !

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Apparently there was another update posted earlier today (or late last night depending on your timeframe), V1.2.1, that fixes the electronics issues. At least the dev posted about it on Sim Outhouse about 12 hours ago. Has the generator issue been fixed with this patch?

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Yep if you bought through AH the original email will take you to it. About to test the patch.

Not the ammeter.

I can not connect Nav lights to a button, I use Bravo Throttle, does anyone else have that problem?

OK… so here’s the deal. I really, really want to like Aeroplane Heaven. They seem like solid developers.

It also seems like they - like all of us, to be honest - are having “teething problems” with MSFS. Can we agree to give them a bit of a break?

I gave up on FSX about half a dozen years ago or more, and have never tried P3D. XPlane? No thanks. So… that leaves me with MSFS. I tried (and still have) FSX on Steam… can’t really say why except that I have tons of payware and freeware from “back in the day.”

I can’t wait until Aeroplane Heaven releases their DC-3/C-47 bundle. I expect that will be pretty darned good, based on what I’ve read about the same A/C for P3D.

So… I’m going to support them by purchasing the C140. I love Cessnas, and this is the “Daddy” to the plane I learned to fly in, the Cessna 150 (with Johnson bar flaps.) I’m going to trust that they will “work out the wrinkles.” There’s too much to lose if they don’t.

EDIT: After three days of flying the little Cessna it has rapidly become my all-time favorite for low and slow sight seeing. It also seems to be the perfect aircraft in which to hone the skills necessary for flying a taildragger. Landings, so far, have been every bit as good as the C152 or C172… maybe even a bit better, because I’m really paying attention to the details. A ground loop would be embarrassing, even in flight sim! :smiley:

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Orbxcentral still shows 1.2.0. Has the update not yet arrived there or is the display incorrect? Anyone have any idea?

Also on Just Flight it’s not yet visible.

The main installer is v 1.2.0 - install first.

There is a micro update in a separate zip file for 1.2.1 - install after 1.2.0

Thanks for the information. How do you get the ZIP if you didn’t buy it directly from AH?