Simviation Forums

I am wondering what controls a planes performance most. The aircraft.cfg or the airfile.  Example.  I wish to take a non-turbo piston plane and modify the performance to reflect a turbo upgrade for higher climb, cruise speed, and altitude.  Would the operative file be the .air or aircraft.cfg?  Thanks

You can make some simple adjustments in the .cfg to give a piston aircraft more power and speed.

Create a backup copy of your aircraft.cfg and plug this into yours to try (replacing these two sections).


[piston_engine]

cylinder_displacement =155.777778
compression_ratio =7.29
number_of_cylinders =18
max_rated_rpm =2800.000000
max_rated_hp =2500.000000
fuel_metering_type =1
cooling_type =0
normalized_starter_torque=0.013
turbocharged =1
max_design_mp =57.999999
min_design_mp =4.000000
critical_altitude =13000.000000

emergency_boost_mp_offset =10.000000
emergency_boost_gain_offset =0.000000
fuel_air_auto_mixture =0
auto_ignition =0
emergency_boost_duration = 360
max_rpm_mechanical_efficiency_scalar = 1
idle_rpm_mechanical_efficiency_scalar = 1
max_rpm_friction_scalar = 1
idle_rpm_friction_scalar = 1
emergency_boost_type=1
power_scalar = 1.22


[propeller]

thrust_scalar = 1
propeller_type = 0
propeller_diameter = 11
propeller_blades = 4
propeller_moi = 56
beta_max = 65
beta_min = 17
min_gov_rpm = 1400
prop_tc = 0.01
gear_reduction_ratio = 2.22
fixed_pitch_beta = 0
low_speed_theory_limit = 80
prop_sync_available = 0
prop_deice_available = 1
prop_feathering_available = 1
prop_auto_feathering_available = 1
min_rpm_for_feather = 700
beta_feather = 88.5
power_absorbed_cf = 0.94
defeathering_accumulators_available = 1
prop_reverse_available = 0
minimum_on_ground_beta = 8
minimum_reverse_beta = 0
rotation = 1, 1

There's a "connect" between the .cfg and .air file. I think any settings MANUALLY amended in the .cfg over-ride/ amend the associateed .air file. Never actually checked it out, always assumed things were OK!!!!???

or you could download the free Flight Dynamics Editor program from www.abacuspub.com
its free, and quite easy to use.
Akula

Thanks guys.  I know in the real world increasing a planes horsepower/thrust must be done with care so as to avoid stresses on the airframe and that engines can be tuned to increase power at different flight levels while keeping design power on standard day take off ie.(Blackhawk King Air C90).  Of course I don't believe our simulations have advanced to that level of fidelity (YET).  I see it happening though as computers and code get ever more advanced.

Confirm that the .cfg file further modifies the parameters set in the .air file in 2002. In FS2000, the .air file ruled, with the .cfg being limited to the info necessary to make the plane show up in the selection menu. In 2002 if was greatly extended so that now you can make the great majority of tweaks in the .cfg file. This is even more so in 2004.