basic fms tutorial no CDU exec

[Fred737]

I try to fly the basic fms tutorial and I get stuck while programming the CDU. (page 8)

Quote

Enter the intended flight altitude of FL190. Enter either 19000 or 190 - the FMS will auto-correct
the entry dependent on the transition altitude setting. When done, the FMS will have all data
needed to start computing performance values. Press the EXECute key (lit) to confirm your ent

This key does not want to light up. If I load a flightplan made in little navmap (that supports the coroute fileformat of this plane) the switch does work, so I must do something wrong or the tutorial is not  updated to the rewritten CDU. If I just ignore it I can fly the route but not much succes, I found the destination and landed both times but non of the flight director/dme/ils etc seam to be correct. But I am new in old school navigation so I probably read things wrong. But just to be sure I want to ask if this could be related to the exec key "problem"  or I am just doing it wrong.

Fred

[Litjan]

Hi Fred,

the tutorial is very old - and the functionality may have changed in regard to the EXECute light.

Basically this key will light up every time you could change an ACTIVE routing. So the first time you enter a routing, you must press the ACTIVATE prompt on the RTE page, then the EXECute button should light up. Now every change to the flightplan or even entering a different weight will make the key light up - as a way of the FMS letting you know "Hey, you changed (modified) the active routing, if you really want to do this, please press this button.

Hope this helped, Jan

 

[Fred737]

Thanks Jan,  that helped, almost made it this time. Holding altitude is tricky, this beast climbs pretty fast but I am becoming better at it. 
Holding speed is tricky too, but I am becoming better at that too.

Next step is try to hold both at the same time  

I would never have thought flying an airliner can be so much fun and also so much work. Flew it every day a few hours and  I have not even reached the cold and dark level. This is very good for my aviation skills and a lot of fun learning. This really is a great study-level plane. This is the first time I wonder how it feels to fly the real thing, must be wonderful to unleash that power and control such a huge plane. 

Fred

[Litjan]

Hi Fred,

I am glad to hear that!

Yes, flying a fast aircraft like that takes a bit more skill - but the feeling of accomplishment is bigger as well, I feel.

I have flown the real 737 for 10 years and learning to fly it went from "totally overwhelmed" to "second nature" pretty fast. So I am sure you will get the hang of it - it is really constructed quite logically and operating it, even if things break, always "makes sense"...not like in the aircraft made by that "other manufacturer" I have to fly these days .

If you have anything else that gives you trouble figuring out, just let me know.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Fred737]

Finally made it. Only got the wrong runway.  The ILS guided me right but I did not trusted it 100% because I do not yet know how to see if I captured the glideslope. So I took no risk and landed on the one that was best visible.

This is a very nice route. During day and night.

You are right it is very rewarding if everything comes together. I used the MCP and the banana even more as your tutorial states, very handy but also very cool. I had a smile wider as the wingspan  of my 737 when I reached the right waypoint with the right speed and the right altitude.  

Only thing that is a real problem, as soon as I use even a small amount of rudder with extended flaps the plane start to roll  aggressive from left to right with increasing bank-angle. If I am fast enough to get my flaps totally up, it stops but most times it ends in a crash. (I have no pedals because I lay down while flying), I use the "butterfly" of my thrustmaster TWCS  as rudder, a honeycomb yoke, 2 logitec throttle units and a diy switchpanel (30 keys in a 5x6 matrix)for things like autopilot, 2 sliding potentiometers  for brakes and a normal potentiometer for elevator trim. Flaps are also bound to an axis (most right lever of throttle unit like in the real one, most left is speedbrake,. 

First picture half way the decent, the other after landing (I know, not on the centreline) No, this is not MSFS2020 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Fred737

[Litjan]

Wow, nice shots! Yes, I think X-Plane still contends pretty well with MSFS at night!

Regarding the rudder - on the real 737 you do not need to use the rudder at all - except when taking off and landing (to track the centerline) and when you "decrab" for landing in a strong crosswind. Obviously you also need it during an engine failure - thats why the rudder is very potent, it needs to be able to offset the large assymetric thrust when an engine failed.

So during "regular flight" you should not use the rudder at all, there is no need for "turn coordination", as the roll spoilers cancel any adverse yaw.

That being said, the rudder shouldn´t cause you to crash, maybe your butterfly switch is set up in a way to "increase" the deflection while it is pushed down, reaching large angles very quickly?

You can output the values for flightcontrol deflection as "small green numbers" on your screen if you choose the Data Output tab and click on the leftmost box for "flight control deflections" - that lets you troubleshoot problems like that.

Cheers, Jan