Simviation Forums

I've recently downloaded the Airhead Super Decathlon, and a lovely little kite it is - one of the very few I'd happily fly from startup to shutdown using just the virtual cockpit. However, I do have one problem, which is that the electrics - radio, direction finder (but not compass), strobe lights etc all shut down after about 15 minutes. It still flies and lands safely, but after shutting down ctrl/E won't restart, and neither will the switches. No, I haven't set up some sort of inflight failure from the menu, and yes, it happens wherever I fly, but with no other aircraft.
Any ideas, anyone? It would be a firm favourite, but for this.

Gosh its a long time since I took this up, but I'm guessing its a battery problem.
Can you find a switch to activate the generator?

I wondered if there was a generator or battery switch which I hadn't found, but I still can't find one.
In SimHQ it was suggested that I change a line in the aircraft.cfg file to electric_always_available=1 and this seems to have done the trick. Odd, though. Thanks for trying, anyway.

Can you see the voltage on your ammeter drop through use?

If you can see your voltages continually dropping at a constant rate until it cuts out, your alternator is not producing enough, or no voltage at all.  

IF your voltages don't change, or increase dramatically through flight it may be that the high voltage protection system in your alternator is not functioning properly and overcharging the system. This would typically cause your breaker to blow...I trust you've checked your breaker? :-)

Anyways, seriously I've got the same airplane from their site and had no problems with it thus far.  ;)

....I have it too..and love it. No problems to add. Flew for 30 minutes and all OK so far...commoner

I never had that problem but I did have a problem with this and a few other AC involving the VC. Even if it is reading 30+ FPS in the VC view the graphics are still jerky, it will fly smoothly for about 1/2 a second and then pause for about 1/4 of a second... very strange...

I have had the same problem with some of my aircraft. I found out the generator wasnt turned on and the battery was dying. I mapped a switch on my joystick to the generator switch and everythign runs great now.

I've never had the choppiness  in the Super Deke particularly, but when it has occurred in this or aother a/c it's usually been when close to extra detailed downloaded airports such as the Msscenery Bremerton or ones from Golden Eagles.
Thanks for that idea, Papa - I'll try it next time I'm running FS. Good avatar, btw  ;)

Thanks, Papa - I've done that, using Shift/A, and it works. It's a more elegant solution than modifying the aircraft.cfg, I think, and of course it will work if the same thing happens with other a/c.