Quote from Hangar45 Admin on November 30, 2017, 1:42 am

(Original thread started on 09-25-09 by Scott Wagner)

I was trying to do some instrument flying (raw data) using VORs and found what appears to be a problem in the software. The Flight Director does not give steering cues for VOR navigation in NAV mode. The autopilot works as it is supposed to when you select a VOR and put the CDI in NAV mode but the FD does not. I verified that the FD does work for steering in HDG mode though. Just appears to be a problem in LNAV mode.

 

NOTE: I was using the FP Lear45. I select LNAV on the FP FGC. Not sure if this would affect it but like I said, HDG Mode worked so I am guessing it is just a code fix. Let me know if you want me to try anything different. Gauges look great BTW.

 

(Posted by Jason Hite on 09-25-09)

Good find! I will look into this. I suspect it to be an easy fix.

 

(Posted by Eric Tomlin on 09-25-09)

Scott, just to make sure that we are on the same page here real quick. Please remember that LNAV is not labeled as such on the real LJ45 FGC. The NAV hold button on the FGC does act as a LNAV when the EFIS is tuned to FMS. That will cause the aircraft to fly the loaded flight plan. Are you saying that the FD doesn't show the commands when using not for following a loaded FP, but when a VOR is tuned, the EFIS is in NAV mode, and VOR is selected on the bearing selector?

 

(Posted by Scott Wegner on 09-25-09)

Forget about flight plans for a minute. Flight plans are wonderful but they are only part of the picture and often are not used at all. If you are not using a flight plan and you are flying along in IMC you could tune into a fix either by doing a DTO on a GPS (assuming you have one) or you can select to fly using a Navaid such as the VORs. The NAV/FMS buttons on the EFIS decide whether your CDI on the PFD along with the Flight Director are going to follow your NAV radios (ie VORs) or the GPS. So if you select NAV on the EFIS then the FD and CDI will follow the VOR course. This is also what you do if you want to follow an ILS Localizer except generally you would select Approach mode in the next step instead of LNAV mode on the FGC.

 

Now going back to the FGC....

If you select LNAV (the friendly panels button) this should be the same as selecting (NAV) mode on the real FGC at least I would think (since FP doesn't have a NAV button on their FGC). Selecting LNAV/NAV on the FGC should make the FD start following the tuned in NAV radio or the GPS (whether using DTO or a flight plan) depending on what you have selected on the EFIS for the CDI.

 

So in my case...I tuned in a VOR and rotated the OBS knob to select the radial I wanted to steer to. I then selected NAV on the EFIS. Finally, I turned on FD1 and selected LNAV on the Friendly panels FGC. The flight director is not issuing any steering cues. It should.

 

Now if I turn on the autopilot, it does follow the VOR course as intended but the Flight director is not. In fact, in reality, the FD should follow the course and the autopilot should follow the flight director.

 

If you now put the FGC in HDG mode instead of LNAV mode and move the heading bug to a course, you will see that the flight director will start angling over in the direction you need to turn to get to the heading. It should do the same thing on LNAV (NAV on Lear) mode of FGC. Now it may do this fine when following FMS mode on EFIS (I haven't tested it yet) but it is not working in NAV mode on EFIS.

 

(Posted by Eric Tomlin on 09-25-09)

Yes, you confirmed what I suspected and you are right; thankfully Jason is looking into it. Not sure why it's not giving the command to turn to the selected course. Thanks for the detailed explanation, I just wanted to confirm the situation.

 

(Posted by Scott Wegner on 09-25-09)

Is the FMS mode on the CDI not modeled because you didn't get to it or because there is no such mode in the Lear? I don't see right now any explanation in the flight safety manual but seems awfully weird not to have course deviation information for FMS mode on an HSI. I would be surprised if this is the case.

 

Additionally, I did not notice a To/From Triangle on the HSI like the real deal. May be the mode I am in or something. I will do more review tonight.

 

Sorry to be jumping into this now. First chance I really have had. Obviously the PFD HSI is one of the most important functions and has to work perfect so this is what I am testing right now. The work you did on the EFIS is excellent! Now if I can get my head around the FD and pointers or we can get agree on their functions and get any issues worked out this will be awesome.  Thanks Jason.

 

NOTE:  The features I am referring to are just that.  They are features that would be nice to have to make more realistic for instrument flying and to be like the real deal.  (THEY ARE NOT BUGS in the software.)

 

Here is a picture of a real Lear flying in FMS mode. As you can see the CDI is active and aligned on the FMS course. The CDI is yellow. Also note the To/From Triangle indicator (which I guess is modeled for FMS mode as well as for NAV mode).

 

This is what I would like to see added to the Jet45 software. This is EXTREMELY important to trying to fly the plane on instruments:

 

(Posted by Ron Rollo on 10-13-16)

"The Flight Director does not give steering cues for VOR navigation in NAV mode."

 

Hey Eric and Jason, as I am going through the forums one by one, I came across this thread. Any update on this? I remember we were talking about this a few months ago while doing FMS/CDU testing.

 

(Posted by Eric Tomlin on 10-13-16)

The best answer I could give right now would be that the FD will receive an update once the FGC and CDU is fully integrated.