Beechcraft Duchess 1.1 Update Released!

[Cameron]

Hello, all,

This will serve as a formal forum announcement that we have released the version 1.1 update for the Beechcraft Duchess. All customers who have purchased the Duchess up till now have been sent an e-mail by X-Aviation with complete installation instructions on how to update your product. Please follow these instructions carefully! For those that purchase the Duchess from today forward, your purchased download will already be updated to version 1.1 for you.

There are some important fixes and requests implemented in this update.

The following is a list of additions/fixes included:

- HSI and Stormscope swapped to correspond to the "Standard 6"

- Heading Bug on the HSI more accurately programmed

- Directional Gyro on the HSI fixed and now aligns correctly

- Manifold Pressure more accurately programmed

- EGT gauge more accurately programmed

- ASI now goes to 200kts without reversing

- Nose gear now touches the runway

- Nosewheel steering adjusted

- Drag coefficient adjusted so aircraft more closely matches chart speeds to within 2% depending on Mixture setting.

- Indicator added to the Kollsman Window for more accurate selection of QNH

- Airfoils adjusted to match real world specifications.

- Beacon light switch added

As always, thanks for being a customer with X-Aviation. We appreciate your feedback and support!

Enjoy these latest updates, and stay tuned to the forum as we continually announce the latest happenings.

[albert]

Update is not working properly...!

Update instructions followed as specified.

This is what I get :

[Cameron]

Albert,

We are receiving many emails of thanks for the update and it is installing successfully for everyone so far. It appears you have installed the update in a new directory or NOT over a fresh 1.0 installation.

[sgabriel]

I found that the installer does not have a browse feature. I had to type the file path manually to get it to update the previous version. This may confuse users who are not 100% computer-savvy...

(I'm on a Mac.)

[sgabriel]

The update is great! I'm happy to see that the Duchess no longer leaps off the runway and climbs at 3000 ft/min at mid-weights.

However:

- I do not get full rpm on the runway. Rpm reaches 27 only at speed, say around 100 kt or more. Is this normal? (If so, the POH should be changed.)

- The 1.5-second flight control displacement time is very strange. Was this intended?

And a question: Is vertical speed coming to the autopilot?

Thanks for your great work.

[Cameron]

I found that the installer does not have a browse feature. I had to type the file path manually to get it to update the previous version. This may confuse users who are not 100% computer-savvy...

(I'm on a Mac.)

This was a bug in the Mac installers which was fixed on the server this morning. You must have grabbed it prior to the fix. Thanks for the report though!

[Goran_M]

However:

- I do not get full rpm on the runway. Rpm reaches 27 only at speed, say around 100 kt or more. Is this normal? (If so, the POH should be changed.)

The Duchess engines and props need to overcome the aircrafts weight, drag and ground friction on the takeoff roll.  

- The 1.5-second flight control displacement time is very strange. Was this intended?

Yes.  Although I'm not sure what you mean by it being strange.

And a question: Is vertical speed coming to the autopilot?

No.  Unfortunately, the real Duchess does not have a VS on the autopilot.  It was considered to add one but I have yet to come across a real one that has it.  So I left that feature out.  Please see the photo below that I took at Bankstown Airport.

[Zach Decou]

And a question: Is vertical speed coming to the autopilot?

Here's how I usually set the VS in the duchess.

Before takeoff, turn on the flight director, but not the servos. Select altitude hold. Takeoff and trim for your desired VS. Then deselect altitude mode and engage the servos. When you disengage altitude hold mode, the autopilot automatically goes into pitch hold mode.

Hope this helps.

[sgabriel]

No.  Unfortunately, the real Duchess does not have a VS on the autopilot.  It was considered to add one but I have yet to come across a real one that has it.  So I left that feature out.  Please see the photo below that I took at Bankstown Airport.

Roger. What does the Up-Down rocker switch do?

[Goran_M]

The one on the left is the electric pitch trim (modeled but not functioning in the x-plane Duchess)

[Simmo W]

Congrats G, just flew her and the night lighting and little sound details are fantastic. just did a filming session so a steam of consciousness to come in time.

[albert]

I found that the installer does not have a browse feature. I had to type the file path manually to get it to update the previous version. This may confuse users who are not 100% computer-savvy...

(I'm on a Mac.)

"... I found that the installer does not have a browse feature ..."

OK, that was the culprit.

Updated correctly now...

[Simmo W]

Ah, it finally sunk in, when looking around the floor of the Duchess- those red tubular tools are for the emergency landing gear release. Duh.

[Goran_M]

Congrats G, just flew her and the night lighting and little sound details are fantastic. just did a filming session so a steam of consciousness to come in time.

Looking forward to it!

I found that the installer does not have a browse feature. I had to type the file path manually to get it to update the previous version. This may confuse users who are not 100% computer-savvy...

(I'm on a Mac.)

"... I found that the installer does not have a browse feature ..."

OK, that was the culprit.

Updated correctly now...

Cheers,

Albert

Glad you got it sorted.

Ah, it finally sunk in, when looking around the floor of the Duchess- those red tubular tools are for the emergency landing gear release. Duh.

ATM, there is no dataref for manually pumping the landing gear out.  Not that I could see anyway.  I'm waiting for a dataref to be made.  Yes, there is a clickspot available in planemaker but a clickspot doesn't animate the linkage.

[Oliver]

Great Update! Thanks Goran!

[Simmo W]

You've got to be joking about the gear pump animation!! Next you'll be texturing and animating the piss-bottle (DO NOT get Javier onto that, I don't want a yellow version of his birdstrike all over the interior :-) )

Congrats G, just flew her and the night lighting and little sound details are fantastic. just did a filming session so a steam of consciousness to come in time.

Looking forward to it!

I found that the installer does not have a browse feature. I had to type the file path manually to get it to update the previous version. This may confuse users who are not 100% computer-savvy...

(I'm on a Mac.)

"... I found that the installer does not have a browse feature ..."

OK, that was the culprit.

Updated correctly now...

Cheers,

Albert

Glad you got it sorted.

Ah, it finally sunk in, when looking around the floor of the Duchess- those red tubular tools are for the emergency landing gear release. Duh.

ATM, there is no dataref for manually pumping the landing gear out.  Not that I could see anyway.  I'm waiting for a dataref to be made.  Yes, there is a clickspot available in planemaker but a clickspot doesn't animate the linkage.

[LA]

However:

- I do not get full rpm on the runway. Rpm reaches 27 only at speed, say around 100 kt or more. Is this normal? (If so, the POH should be changed.)

The Duchess engines and props need to overcome the aircrafts weight, drag and ground friction on the takeoff roll.

 

You might want to adjust this, as normally.... a constant speed prop will allow the engine to rev to full rated rpms while standing still.

LA

[Goran_M]

Looks like there will be a V1.2.

Took about 5 seconds to fix.

[Mueli]

My Duchess is probably not been flown for some time. Huh, is this a spiders web between the lamps or is something wrong with my installation?  ???

I haven't seen this before v1.1.

Anyway, it's an excellent plane  Thanks for your untiring support!

[Goran_M]

My Duchess is probably not been flown for some time. Huh, is this a spiders web between the lamps or is something wrong with my installation?  ???

I haven't seen this before v1.1.

Anyway, it's an excellent plane   Thanks for your untiring support!

Almost certain it's to do with your installation.  Nothing was done to the mesh.  All fixes were either flight model or gauge programming.  Try a reinstall.

EDIT:

Just had a look.  Very strange.  I looked at the raw 3D mesh in Blender and it's fine. 

In Sim, it's not fine.  Never had that happen before.

I'll look into it over the next few days. 

[Mueli]

Thanks for looking at it! I just tried to do a reinstall from ground up, but after running the updater I got the same artefacts again!

[pmorris]

Hi Goran,

Very much enjoying the Duchess but I have one question.  If I engage the AP once I've trimmed out at altitude she starts to porpoise slightly.  Pressing ALT hold does not change this.  Any suggestions?  I can't recall if this happened on version 1.0.  X-plane installed on a Mac.    

Phil

Oops sorry!....Just saw this was mentioned for the 1.2 update

[Goran_M]

Hi Goran,

Very much enjoying the Duchess but I have one question.  If I engage the AP once I've trimmed out at altitude she starts to porpoise slightly.  Pressing ALT hold does not change this.  Any suggestions?  I can't recall if this happened on version 1.0.  X-plane installed on a Mac.   

Phil

Thanks Phil.  Glad you're enjoying it.

Regarding the porpoising, there is a slight issue with the flight model that has been fixed in the interim update instructions I posted.  I will be adding it to the new 1.2 update but I made a set of instructions for people to follow in case they couldn't wait.

http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php?topic=1611.0

Give that a go and let me know how you get on.

[pmorris]

Excellent!  That fixed the problem.

Thanks Goran. I'm looking forward to your next amazing offering!

Phil

[Goran_M]

You're very welcome!

Stay tuned for the Saab.