Engine parameters

[PeterV]

Does anyone know if there is somewhere (site, manual etc) that details how all the engine info in the Air file operates?
I have scoured through air files with AirEd to try to work it out, but it is quite complex and thus I am not getting too far of use for now.  (can alter/edit/ correct/ruin a fair few things so far!!)

Actually....a source of info on ALL Air file stuff would be good!!  
Some Air files are pretty atrocious really, and missing heaps of values of reasonable importance - which I assume FS9 uses defaults if they are missing(?).

[-sam-]

I

[PeterV]

No, sorry.  Only aircraft.cfg stuff there.
Thnx for the try anyway!

There must be something solid - documents - somewhere!  lol

[AuMaV]

Hi
Try this
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/hsors/FS_Soft/fsdocs.html
the other place is www.avhistory.org forums
cheers
Wozza

[Brett_Henderson]

Aside from a few, specific items (like whether or not a plane is AI only).. most everything you'd want to alter about a plane's characteristics can be done in the aircraft.cfg file.

You have to get a little "creative", but it can be done.

As far as engine stuff goes.. there are a couple of ways to go about it. If all you want to do is raise the power (sans realism) just increase the power_scalar. Or more realistically, increase the cylinder_displacement, max_rated_rpm and/or compression_ratio. If it's turbo-charged.. you can increase the max_design_mp. Even if it's not turbo-charged.. you can do like RealAir did with the 172. "Make" it turbo-charged in the aircraft.cfg file, but limit max_design_mp to something close to atmospheric (30 inches or so) and make the critical altitude on the low side (8,000 ft +/-). That, in effect, gives you a more powerful, non-turbo-charged-like engine power increase.

To keep it semi-realistic.. increase the fuel_flow-scalar too.

I've found that messing with the air file is redundant (most parameters are over-ridden by the aircraft.cfg file anyway) and tricky, at best.