Flight Simulator Controls
ENGINE & PROPELLER
Learning your flight simulator controls like the engine and propeller is a very important part of flying. If you have already read my previous controls blog then this is your next step in becoming a better flight simulator pilot. We need to learn the basic engine and propeller controls starting simplified aircraft like the Cessna 172. The Barron 58 is more complicated with constant speed propellers and manifold pressure gauges for example that needs to be managed.
Lets start with the humble Cessna 172. This is where most pilots start their journey in aviation as well as us simulator pilots. This is an excellent place to get the basics. We can learn engine management as well as fuel and prop management all in a simple way to get you flying faster and sooner.
Flight Sim controls
Throttle.
Engine flight simulator controls for are the black throttle lever and this is monitored by the tachometer or tacho. The tacho shows us the RPM the engine is rotating at during operation. Generally general aviation aircraft engines don’t rotate at high speeds like car engines and remain in the 2-3000 rpm range.
The black knob increases throttle as you push it in towards the control panel and is at its lowest when its pulled back towards you.
Flight Sim Controls
Mixture.
The RED lever is the fuel mixture control. It allows you to adjust the air to fuel mixture as you fly for best performance and economy.
Normally it is all the way forward at sea level but as you climb in altitude the air thins making the engine air fuel ration to richer.
To control this we lean the engine by slowly pulling the mixture lever back lowering the fuel delivery. Monitoring the engine temps ensuring the temp does not get to high and damaging the engine with the EGT gauge (engine exhaust temperature) and the rpm remains ideal.
This can also be managed by the tacho to monitor the rise and fall of RPM with the EGT gauge allowing finer tuning of the mixture. We will speak more of the EGT gauge below.
Flight Sim Controls
RPM
The tachometer or tacho allows us to monitor the engine RPM in a propeller aircraft. The engine will have a maximum RPM or power setting at full throttle at sea level. The tacho also allows us to adjust the mixture as we climb by ensuring the highest rpm at a given altitude.
The air gets less dense as we climb so the performance of the engine is less as it becomes to rich a mixture. The RPM often slowly decreases as we climb so if you don’t adjust the mixture for the engine it will slowly loose power. To adjust the mixture we can pull the red mixture lever out slowly. We monitor the tacho and the engine RPM will rise slowly till the air/fuel mix becomes lean then the RPM will start to decrease. This allows us to set a good mixture at a given altitude by getting the maximum RPM.
Flight Controls
Setting Mixture – Takeoff
Lets look at getting the best performance for your aircraft at ground level or in the air in say a Cessna 172 with a fixed prop and no manifold gauge.
To ensure your getting the best performance you set at full power and note the rpm figure. Lets say your at 2500 ft in the mountains your normal 3000 RPM is likely to be say 2600 RPM. How do we get the best performance?
With brakes on and power at max slowly pull the RED mixture towards you and the RPM should rise. It may not make it to the normal seal level RPM but it may say get to 2850 rpm before it starts to drop again. The point at which you get the max rpm is going to be your best power setting. You can use this procedure as you climb in altitude but also remember as you descend you will have to re adjust the mixture so as not to lean the engine out and cause damage.
Flight Sim Controls
Manifold pressure
The manifold pressure gauge offers an incite into engine performance as well as the information we get from the Tacho. Engine manufacturers often give both RPM and manifold settings for different parts of flight from cruise and takeoff power depending on altitude for constant speed propeller aircraft like a Barron 58. Manifold pressure also gives an indication of engine performance at a given altitude so we can set power via the throttle and then performance of the prop by adjusting the propeller lever (Blue) to give a set manifold pressure on the manifold pressure gauge..
Fuel Pumps
Fuel Gauges
Fuel management is one of the reasons many aircraft accidents happen so ensuring we know the controls for fuel are very important. Making sure you rotate between fuel tanks keeping the aircraft in balance and ensuring you don’t run out of fuel.
We have fuel selectors allowing us to change generally from right wing fuel tank to left wing fuel tank. There is often a both setting but we must monitor the tanks to remain balanced both on the ground and in the air. It becomes a regular thing in some aircraft where you may change from one tank to another say every 20 minutes.
Fuel Boost Pumps
Fuel boost pumps are available as a back up to mechanical fuel pumps on the engine. These are used during takeoff and climbs as well as other critical phases of flight like decent and landing.
This gives the pilot a second chance should the fuel pump fail during this time. They are turned off in cruise flight.
Fuel Selectors – Management of Multiple Tanks.
This is an example of a fuel selector found in aircraft. These can be often found on control panels or on the floor or even above your head on a console. No matter what you fly you may need to adjust these selectors to keep fuel balanced in the aircraft for safe flight. You may see Both, wing or fuselage as options on these switches.
Carbi Ice – Prevention & Causes.
Carburetor icing or carb ice can occur when AOT or outside air temperatures is near freezing. Flying in high humidity in or around clouds is an ideal place to find carb icing when its cold. The air and fuel enter a venturi of the carburetor and slow down making the air even colder.
This can lead to moisture freezing and blocking the carby venturi. The engine may initially start to run a little rough so you have to listen to the engine in these conditions especially. This is often the first sign of trouble so the answer is initially to run the carb heat by pulling the tab out. Checking the carb heat is a check done on the ground before takeoff also to ensure this equipment is working. The engine rpm will drop a little when the carb ice heater is turned on as the air is less dense being warmer.
This carb air heater ducts air from around the engine that is warm into the venture of the carburetor allowing the ice to melt. The engine will soon normally return to correct operation and RPM.
Not identifying this condition can lead to the engine stopping and little or no chance to restart before crash landing. This is modeled in most flight simulators so be aware and ready.
Engine Controls – Constant Speed Propeller.
Constant speed propellers are a great advance allowing the prop to adjust automatically to give you the best performance during flight. They automatically adjust their pitch as we climb in altitude and the air becomes thinner. We adjust them by using the blue lever between the black throttle and red mixture control.
This is normally done in cruise as altitude increases the air thins requiring a bigger bite of the air for the prop to keep the performance we desire. This is something a fixed prop cannot offer us and can limit us more to altitudes we wish to fly in our flight simulator.
This is where our manifold pressure gauge comes into being so important. It allows us to set RPM by adjusting the RPM first the we can set a desired manifold pressure to give us the performance we desire at a given altitude . These figures are specified in the Pilot Operating Manual or POH.
If your looking for a POH then simply head to google and type in Barron 58 POH and you will likely see several from real aircraft. They will likely be PDF files you can download and keep. There is a wealth of knowledge in the POH as you would imagine.
The Pilot Operating Handbook.
This is a Pilot Operating Handbook or POH I downloaded from the internet. This one sets out guidelines for altitudes, Outside Air temperatures or OAT to set manifold pressures to get a set performance at an altitude. In this diagram fuel flow is also an important feature and RPM is not mentioned. Fuel flow is also another guide to performance we have yet to speak about.
Outside Air Temperature – OAT
The Outside Air Temperature Gauge is crucial gauge when there is a possibility of icing. This I believe is modeled in X Plane 11 and other sims. If the temperature is close to or below freezing and there is moisture in the form of rain or clouds the danger is real. Any time there is a possibility of carb icing it is wise to use some carb heat to help reduce the ice in the throat of the carburetor. If the ice builds up to much the engine will stop.
Fuel Flow Meter.
The fuel flow meter along with fuel quantity gauges are there to control and manage fuel usage and amount available. Here you are able to monitor the fuel flow for your economy. There are guides for cruise performances using fuel flows in pilot operating handbooks. Its worth noting this gauge as a reference with RPM and required cruse speeds.
The EGT we will talk about next.
EGT – Exhaust Gas Temperature.
Exhaust Gas Temperature gauge (EGT)measures the temperature of the gas leaving the engine. This temperature can change as fuel air mixture changes. IF the mixture is rich then the temp will drop and if its to lean then the tempreture will rise.
Its important to monitor when setting your mixture to ensure you don’t lean the fuel to much and damage the engine. Moving the red lever back towards you leans the mixture and in doing so the EGT will generally rise. Note the POH for guides for EGT guidelines.
Flight Simulator Controls.
Setting Mixture & Manifold Pressure.
Tuning for Maximum Power at Altitude.
Setting your complex aircraft controls is an easy task. The POH will have figures for RPM and manifold pressures.
Lets say its 2700 rpm and 27 inches of manifold pressure as an example.
Once at altitude you need to check your mixture and set it using the EGT or exhaust temperature gauge to be normally at peak temperature. There are two schools of thought on the leaning process. Some pilots favor just past peak so lean of peak temperature and other pilots favor rich of peak. This will enable best performance and fuel flow for economic flight and look after your engines. Its important to check the recommendations in the POH for your given aircraft.
Now you reduce rpm with the throttle till you have 2700 rpm indicated on the tacho. Then you now adjust the blue propeller pitch control till the manifold pressure gauge indicates the correct manifold pressure and your set for cruise. Now your ready to sit back until its time to descend when you will have to manage the engine as you descend.
Enjoy your flying now you have a great idea of how to manage your flight simulator aircraft engines and propellers.
Author.
Brendon McAliece is a multi lingual-expat who brings over three decades of flight simulator/PC building experience as well as over two decades of real world jet fighter experience as a weapons/egress technician. He holds a sport pilot certificate giving him real world flying experience. Hi travels have taken him from Europe to the Middle East, Asia and his home of Australia. He has a passion for travel, languages, Flight simulation as well as Guitaring and Coffee. You can read more in his blogs below.
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DreamingGuitar.com – DreamingCoffee.com – LetsFlyVFR.com
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