?? weights in dreamwingsdesign Q400

[deeplyshallow]

I downloaded and installed the DREAMWINGSDESIGN Q-400, but it was impossible to trim.
Turns out, the empty weight was listed as 34 (yes, three four) pounds and the max at 64.  Clearly the CG was about a mile in front of the plane.  I could see no way to adjust the weights in FS9, but I am really new at this.  Did I fail to do some simple thing?  Apologies if this is covered somewhere, I looked hard.  Any advice welcome!  (I REALLY WANT to fly the 400)

[garymbuska]

I downloaded and installed the DREAMWINGSDESIGN Q-400, but it was impossible to trim.
Turns out, the empty weight was listed as 34 (yes, three four) pounds and the max at 64.  Clearly the CG was about a mile in front of the plane.  I could see no way to adjust the weights in FS9, but I am really new at this.  Did I fail to do some simple thing?  Apologies if this is covered somewhere, I looked hard.  Any advice welcome!  (I REALLY WANT to fly the 400)

For starters I am not familiar with the aircraft you talk about but I do know that all of the weights and balances for any aircraft are in the aircraft cfg file for each aircraft. You will find these files in each aircraft folder.
Below is the weight and balance for the default Mooney Bravo

[WEIGHT_AND_BALANCE]
max_gross_weight = 3368                         // (pounds)
empty_weight = 2189                             // (pounds)

reference_datum_position     =  3.9, 0, 0       // (feet) distance from FlightSim Reference position: (1/4 chord, centerline, waterline)
empty_weight_CG_position     = -3.7, 0, 0       // (feet) longitudinal, lateral, vertical distance from specified datum

max_number_of_stations = 50

station_load.0 =  170, -3.1, -1.5, 0.0          // Weight (lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)
station_load.1 =  170, -3.1,  1.5, 0.0          // Weight (lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)
station_load.2 =  100, -6.1, -1.5, 0.0          // Weight (lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)
station_load.3 =  100, -6.1,  1.5, 0.0          // Weight (lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)
station_load.4 =   33, -8.5,  0.0, 0.0          // Weight (lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)

station_name.0 = "Pilot"          
station_name.1 = "Front Passenger"
station_name.2 = "Rear Passenger"
station_name.3 = "Rear Passenger"
station_name.4 = "Baggage"        

;Moments of Inertia
empty_weight_pitch_MOI   = 2706
empty_weight_roll_MOI    = 2131
empty_weight_yaw_MOI     = 3932
empty_weight_coupled_MOI = 0.0

[Jayviator]

I seem to have this problem with most of the planes that i download, the plane is ussualy overweight and i have to get rid of some fuel to make it the correct weight, i find with the q400 (i have the dreamwings one) in flybe colours as i see that so many times at our airport! it takes of on its own, you dont have to pull back on the yoke, it just lifts straigt up and climbs out at a ridiculous rate! the q400 actually does climb out quite steep, ive seen it in real life when i hear one take of i loomk out my window and think how the heck did it get that high so quick! but i dont think it should climb quite as it does on my sim!

[garymbuska]

All you have to do to prevent from having to edit it every time you start up FS is to change some of the entries in the aircraft cfg file If you notice in my last post it explains which entry to change you can either change the payload weights WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND or change the amount of fuel each tank has at start up. I would not do that as you never know when you might need the fuel. Besides that part of flight planing is to board the fuel you want before the flight. 8-)

[deeplyshallow]

Thanks for the tips, but she still flies nose high, with CG in my lap.  That's after offloading all fuel and payload.  Takes full forward pressure to fly level.  I think the config file must be corrupted, but a second download from a different site did not help.  Still, empty weight is something like 34 pounds and max is something like 67 pounds. Therefore, Is it easy to edit the config file?  Can I just open it up in notepad or something?  If anyone's got a tame Q400, any notion what the empty weight and max should be?
Any help welcome, as I really want to fly the 400.  Just obsessive I guess.....

[garymbuska]

If you got it stripped bare and it stills has problems the only other hope you have is to edit the air file and I can not help you there If it was me I would try to find another aircraft it sounds like it could be a design problem and if that is the case that is not much you can do to help it out. Truthfully speaking the center of gravity is made at the time of creation and it is up to the designer to get it at least close but if they do not you wind up with a either a nose heavy or tail heavy aircraft. That is what you sometimes get with free ware aircraft. A plane can look great but fly like a lead anvil. 8-)