Using AIR files from other aircraft

[TrafficPilot]

Hello

Great website and advice on this forum!

Can someone more technical than me please offer some advice on the following?

I have two Piper Seneca addons in FSX. I want to use one of them for IFR practice. I obviously need a good IFR panel and accurate flight dynamics.

One of my Seneca addons has an excellent panel but poor flight dynamics when compared to the real aircraft we fly.

The other Seneca has a poor panel but much better flight dynamics.

Is there any way I can use the AIR file from the second Seneca with the other model which has the better panel?

I did try swapping them round last night but it didn't seem to work very well

TrafficPilot

[Brett_Henderson]

90% of the flight dynamics, come from the aircraft.cfg file. There's a weird relationship between the Air-file, and aircraft.cfg file, that isn't worth getting into here.. except that all entries in the aircraft.cfg file, over-ride any data in the Air-file.

Most of the parameters that do not appear in the aircraft.cfg file, are cryptic tables that make up a generic flight-model, for the airctraft type... i.e.. engine number and type, tail-wheel, floats, etc. There are other entries that you might want to edit (it requires special software) that alter things like gear drag, and gauge responses.. but that's a whole different chapter..lol

The bulk of the flight-dymanics come from the aircraft.cfg file... That's where you'll find; weights, CoG, MOIs, dimensions, geometry, wing and control surface apexes, areas and deflections.. fuel tank size/location.. weight-stations (where people and baggage are located), engine locations and characteristics.. and so on.

Now the tricky thing is that since all these geometric locations are in 3-dimensions.. they need a reference point... AND contact points are also relative to that reference point. These determine where the the wheels contact pavement, and their animated suspension travel...Also referenced, are where some of the light-effects are placed...

The short answer, is that you

[Brett_Henderson]

OH.. and the long answer is....

Compare the two aircraft.cfg files... look for differences and similarites in all the areas that effect flight.. and then start making intuitive changes ..

(MAKE A BACKUP FIRST)

Then post questions as they arise.. 

[TrafficPilot]

Hi Brett

Thanks for the quick and detailed response

I understand what you are saying. I went into the aircraft.cfg last night to try and modify the relevant bits and leave some other stuff alone (ie the different installed repaints etc).

When I loaded it back up the eyepoint in the VC was all wrong (as you mentioned could happen). Then both the engines stopped. Then once I'd restarted the engines one windmilled and the other was fine. Ouch.

Looks like I need to spend a tedious night editing in notepad!

Cheers

Adam
TrafficPilot

[dave3cu]

.....Be careful with any settings that define x,y,z location. All positions are measured from the arbitrary 'reference_datum_position =' which may differ between ac.

If you have the SDK you can refer to the 'aircraft configuration files' document. If not you can view it here-http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526949.aspx

Dave

[TrafficPilot]

Thanks for the link dave3cu. I will take a read of that info now and go through both aircraft.cfg's carefully tonight as you suggest Brett.

I'll post back when I've made some modifications which work ok

Adam
TrafficPilot

[chrismunc]

just a thought I am not up on aircraft design so this may not do the job ,but would it not be easier to copy the good panel to the good flyer.

[TrafficPilot]

Hi chrismunc

Thanks for the reply.

I have tried that but the "good panel" Seneca has some unique gauges and features which didn't work properly when I moved it over

Regards

Adam
TrafficPilot