Questions, comments and tech support

[Goran_M]

Goran, "runway follow terrain contours" is always disabled. But this issue is not so important for me because I spend most time on the pilot's seat If no one else has noticed it, it will not be necessary to fix it.

I'll check it out.  If it does the same thing to me, I'll have it fixed.  It's not a big thing.

[Kesomir]

Did I read one of the upcoming x-plane versions (maybe the beta) has a modification in planemakler where you can load and save an a/c and it will drop the wheels to proper tarmac height or something?

[blizzard84]

I don't have this plane so I can't say on it for sure, but I have seen this problem with other xplane aircraft.. the Embraer 140 for example

[Warmbrak]

I have the same nosewheel clearance "artifact". Firstly I would like to applaud Leading Edge Simulations for this great aircraft. I have flown it a lot over the weekend, and have enjoyed every flight, and will be spending a lot of time with this one in the future. My main concerns are purely cosmetic. I am writing from memory, and will probably have to back my writing with screenshots and comparisons, but here goes:

• I find the shape of the windscreen to be slightly off - probably too rounded. The side profile looks about right, but the 45 degree front angles look off (too rounded) when compared to the real Duchess. I am just not getting that "Beechcraft" feel when I look at it.
  
• The wings - first thing that caught my eye was the short & stubby look of the wings. The real Duchess's wings look longer and thinner - I'm not sure of this is a wingspan issue or a vertical scale that might be slight exaggerated.
  
• Engine Nacelles - together with the wings, these look quite beefy and stubby as well. The real Duchess's nacelles are quite "small" (compared to a Baron) and elegantly shaped.
  

These are purely my personal observations, and when I have the time I might add a screenshot or two to validate them. Please don't see this as criticism - your aircraft models are very good, and I would certainly recommend this plane to any X-Plane user. I do spend a lot of time admiring geometry and these are the things that stood out to me.

[Goran_M]

I have the same nosewheel clearance "artifact". Firstly I would like to applaud Leading Edge Simulations for this great aircraft. I have flown it a lot over the weekend, and have enjoyed every flight, and will be spending a lot of time with this one in the future. My main concerns are purely cosmetic. I am writing from memory, and will probably have to back my writing with screenshots and comparisons, but here goes:

• I find the shape of the windscreen to be slightly off - probably too rounded. The side profile looks about right, but the 45 degree front angles look off (too rounded) when compared to the real Duchess. I am just not getting that "Beechcraft" feel when I look at it.
  
• The wings - first thing that caught my eye was the short & stubby look of the wings. The real Duchess's wings look longer and thinner - I'm not sure of this is a wingspan issue or a vertical scale that might be slight exaggerated.
  
• Engine Nacelles - together with the wings, these look quite beefy and stubby as well. The real Duchess's nacelles are quite "small" (compared to a Baron) and elegantly shaped.
  

These are purely my personal observations, and when I have the time I might add a screenshot or two to validate them. Please don't see this as criticism - your aircraft models are very good, and I would certainly recommend this plane to any X-Plane user. I do spend a lot of time admiring geometry and these are the things that stood out to me.

First off, thanks for the comments. 

To address your issues

That nosewheel thing is confusing me a bit.  I have not had that issue at all in the last 3 days of looking.  And I've moved the aircraft to many different runways, both dirt and concrete.  I'll get feedback off some other people and take it from there.  If it's only 2 people with this issue, then I have to say it's probably a setting on the users PC. 

Your other points:

I'll have a look at the windscreen.  It was actually modelled against a 3 view drawing of the Duchess supplied by Beechcraft but it's possible that when they made the actual aircraft, the windscreen was made slightly different to the drawing.

The wings:

Again, I modelled the original shape of the wings against a 3 view with some adjustments made from photos I took at Bankstown Airport.  I also modeled the side profile of the wing against a cross section of the actual airfoil diagram.  I'll go through the photos again and check the wings to see the shape and if needed, I'll make a further adjustment.

Engine Nacelles:

The engine nacelles appear to look accurate.

Here's a comparison

Again, I'll look it over and see if anything needs to be done.

[steven winslow]

Goran,

The nose wheel not touching the ground issue only occurs when using ChaseViewDeluxe.  It is not apparent in the standard chase (A) view.  In fact, you can actually make it look like none of the wheels are touching when using ChaseViewDeluxe.  I'll post screenshots if you want.  

Well, I'm editing this post because I just moved the Duchess to my home airport at KBZN.  In the standard chase view the nose wheel is not touching the ground.  The main gear tires look like they are bearing weight.

Interesting issue.  Not one that really bothers me, but it is definitely an issue.

[-TheoGregory]

so it only happens when using a certain plug-in for viewing?

[woweezowee]

No; Steven corrected himself:

Well, I'm editing this post because I just moved the Duchess to my home airport at KBZN.  In the standard chase view the nose wheel is not touching the ground.  The main gear tires look like they are bearing weight.

[Mueli]

so it only happens when using a certain plug-in for viewing?

I noticed it also in tower view, while the analysis of my landings.

[Goran_M]

so it only happens when using a certain plug-in for viewing?

I noticed it also in tower view, while the analysis of my landings.

I've done quite a few adjustments for the front gear.  It wasn't easy as I was taking screenshots of my gear and comparing to the gear that was shown in the forums.  In any case, front gear has been adjusted as much as possible and I've tried it on 2 different installations of x-plane.

I don't think I can adjust it any further as it will sink too far into the ground.

I'll also ask if you can be patient with the update as I want to make sure I get every single reported problem and address it so it is the final update.

I've also noticed some wings on photographs of different Duchess'.  It's not so much the entire wing.  From what I can see, it's the wingtip that appears to have a slightly longer upper surface than the lower surface.  So that will be fixed tonight.

I'll also have a good look at the front window and check the shape.  As of now, it looks fine but I'll definitely scrutinize it a bit more.

Again, thanks for your patience.

[OlaHaldor]

You just go on and on, don't you? I admire your passion, Goran.

[Goran_M]

Making add ons is only part of it.

Looking after the people that support me is the other part.

[steven winslow]

"Looking after the people that support me is the other part."

And that is precisely why I will buy anything and everything you ever make!    ;D

[YYZatcboy]

Great Plane Goran! Small spelling mistake on page 8 of the FCOM, You spelled Propellers with an O instead of an E (Propellor in the manual) this is the title of the propellors description page.

Oh and it seems like the HDG selector knob only seems to go to 0. If I'm going from 330 to 020 I have to back around the compass as opposed to just going past 0.

Anyone else notice this?

[MdMax]

;D Great plane and great support ! Now even Benjamin announces the Duchess on the X-Plane Scenery Blog !

http://xplanescenery.blogspot.com/2010/08/ga-aircraft-abound.html

[Lukasz]

After I click the link to Duchess, there is a message about Trojan: HEUR:Trojan.Script.Iframer and page is automatically forbidden to load.

The same goes for any x-aviation.com subpage I try to open. Is it my computer being overprotective or is it a real malicious attack?

[woweezowee]

I'll also ask if you can be patient with the update as I want to make sure I get every single reported problem and address it so it is the final update.

Great effort, thanks. Patience most often is rewarded

Somebody know, for the time beeing, if one can adjust the HSI with a keyboard shortcut or something else?

[Goran_M]

Great Plane Goran! Small spelling mistake on page 8 of the FCOM, You spelled Propellers with an O instead of an E (Propellor in the manual) this is the title of the propellors description page.

Oh and it seems like the HDG selector knob only seems to go to 0. If I'm going from 330 to 020 I have to back around the compass as opposed to just going past 0.

Anyone else notice this?

Ah the heading bug.  This thing has been driving me nuts.  Theo doesn't have this problem and AFAIK, neither does Cameron.  It happens to me sometimes.  But very rarely.  I've actually spent a huge amount of time looking at this in the last few days and I'm working on it.  Originally I thought it was because I had a somewhat corrupt installation of x-plane.  I'll look into it.

You found one "propeller" spelt with an "o".  The Oz way of spelling it.

Yeah, I'll change it.  Sorry I missed it.

After I click the link to Duchess, there is a message about Trojan: HEUR:Trojan.Script.Iframer and page is automatically forbidden to load.

The same goes for any x-aviation.com subpage I try to open. Is it my computer being overprotective or is it a real malicious attack?

Which link are you talking about?  Ben Supniks Blog or X-Aviation?

They both work fine for me.

[YYZatcboy]

My moving lights technology class coming into play.

It has to do with how many times it can go around. It just so happens that the default plane was close to the limit. I just cranked it around the compass a few times and it's now good to go. I think it might be able to do 5 or 6 circuts, but if you're down at one end or the other it will stop at 0. Moving lights have something like 520 degrees of rotation. that might be what's going on here too.

[Goran_M]

I'll also ask if you can be patient with the update as I want to make sure I get every single reported problem and address it so it is the final update.

Great effort, thanks. Patience most often is rewarded

Somebody know, for the time beeing, if one can adjust the HSI with a keyboard shortcut or something else?

The HSI course bar rotates using the command for OBS 1.

Assign accordingly.

Goran

[Goran_M]

"Looking after the people that support me is the other part."

And that is precisely why I will buy anything and everything you ever make!     ;D

Thanks Steven!

[woweezowee]

The HSI course bar rotates using the command for OBS 1.

Assign accordingly.

Goran

thanks, but I was not clear enough: I meant to adjust the correction of the compass drift, not the obs needle

[Goran_M]

The HSI course bar rotates using the command for OBS 1.

Assign accordingly.

Goran

thanks, but I was not clear enough: I meant to adjust the correction of the compass drift, not the obs needle

Is this what you mean?

[woweezowee]

no. because your HSI behaves like a usual heading indicator in regards to the compass in it, it is necessary to adjust for drift/deviation, until the bug is fixed. but I can't find the command to do it in xplane.  I think it is just not there, I also double-checked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heading_indicator

[Goran_M]

no. because your HSI behaves like a usual heading indicator in regards to the compass in it, it is necessary to adjust for drift/deviation, until the bug is fixed. but I can't find the command to do it in xplane.  I think it is just not there, I also double-checked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heading_indicator

Oh I see.  You want to adjust the Directional Gyro.

Again, my apologies for that.  It has been fixed and will be available for download with a few other small fixes very soon.

BTW, that manipulator problem (where the hdg bug turns and stops at 0) has also been fixed.  Just have to run a few tests with it to make sure.