tkyler

So official "full manuals" of an autopilot system as old as the SPZ-500 aren't exactly floating around freely on the internet....BUT...*wink wink.....I may or may not have miraculously gained clarity on a lot of how this system operates....AND...I may or may not...ok MAY....be updating the docs to include a comprehensive SPZ-500 supplement on how the system works with answers to all your (and even my) questions. Get ready for a few "HUHs?" (see quote below) ...can't say the AOM was as clear as....um..."my enlightenment". Turns out there are 8 other ways to disconnect the AP servos. -TK

no. next update.

WINDOWS users only......when a RXP GTN plugin is present, you'll get a new option in the GUI. Because RXP uses the same plugin for both the GTN 650 and 750....I have no way of knowing what products you have licensed...which is what controls what the RXP GTN plugin allows you to have. So you use the pull down to set your configuration. If you only own the 650...then select that...only the 750...or both, etc. The pull down simply controls the 3D layout of the radio panel. In the video below....I also have the RXP GNS 430/530 installed....but because these don't require a differing panel layout, there is no GUI pull down for those. The GNS units are set up via a RXP *.ini file in the Moo folder, which will be included in the next update...so if you have the RXP 430/530, those should just appear depending on your licensing I suspect. TK GTN_opt.mp4

Also, the GPS knobs won't animate with the RXP "taking over the commands". I augment the default XP GPS commands with 'animation code' to animate the knobs, but the RXP plugin does not..so when it takes over, we lose the animations. I'm not going to try and overcome this in the near term...maybe a bit later. Its very low impact...most of the time you're looking at the changing values anyhow and not the knobs. TK

I did not see such selectable options through the RXP plug-in (only GTN 650 and 750)....may be I'm missing something. Besides, I do not think I would implement those (the bezels and controls) anyhow. Its enough managing all the panel variants I have as it is for the time being and the 650/750 have those GPS functionalities anyhow. -TK

If one had a 625/725 (gps only), then certainly the panel mounted audio/transponder would be required for those functionalities. I don't know if RXP implements the 625/725, I haven't see those on their product page. TK

So just a heads up. The GTNs can support 'remote' equipment, such as a remote audio panel and transponder...but of course they can also drive the panel mount versions of these pieces. I'm going to keep the panel mount audio panel and GTX transponder in place (except with 650/750 combo), simply because removing them requires new 3D work and even more shifting around of stuff...and its not unreasonable to keep these panel pieces in anyhow. Besides..if there's some sort of conflict between the GTN (using default XP transponder handling) and my GTX (custom transponder handling)....we'll need the GTX until I can investigate deeper.... I won't need till functional testing. -TK

yes. that is the way, in order to burn "residual fuel" in the manifold and avoid pushing unburned hydrocarbons into the air. Kind of forward looking of Garrett AirResearch way back when eh? TK

Nice Glass (lucky Windows users)....something tells me there'll be a few 'GPS source" headaches to work through on this stuff. right now, its just get the things in place. TK

have you read the documentation on hardware setup? Its been revised 3 times just for Bravo users. There's even a section dedicated to the Bravo setup. http://togasim.com/mu2docs/setup/hardware_setup.html and please use the Mu2 forums for support.

they should work fine. no issues here. You 1) use the command hot spot below the switches and 2) have to hold them 3-4 seconds. They don't shut down the engines immediately as the fuel valve switches do. TK

FYI.....because someone will always ask..."Can you please make it so that......" The possible GPS permutations are too numerous and unwieldy with regards for asset management. For example, if you have a GN530 / GTN650 combo...do you want the 530 to be Nav1 because its the bigger screen?.....or the 650 to be Nav 1 because its the fancier piece of equipment? Do you want the 530 on top or on the bottom? If I give folks these options, then things would get out of hand quickly. The possible permutations become: 430_650 combo, 650 on top, nav 1 430_650 combo, 650 on top, nav 2 430_650 combo, 430 on top, nav 1 430_650 combo, 430 on top, nav 2 530_430 combo (current) 530_650 combo, 530 on top, 530 nav 1 530_650 combo, 530 on top, 530 nav 2 530_650 combo, 650 on top, 650 nav 1 530_650 combo, 650 on top, 650 nav 2 750_430 combo, 750 on top, 750 nav 1 750_430 combo, 750 on top, 750 nav 2 750_430 combo, 430 on top, 430 nav 1 750_430 combo, 430 on top, 430 nav 2p 650_750 combo, 750 on top, 750 nav 1 650_750 combo, 750 on top, 750 nav 2 650_750 combo, 650 on top, 650 nav 1 650_750 combo, 650 on top, 650 nav 2 of course some of these combos aren't logical or standard....but you still see the problem? This would be horrendous to handle in Blender and very very high risk of screwing up the exports. So here's what I'll be offering initially... Nav/GPS 1 is always the "bigger screen" and always on top...resulting in the following combos: 530_430 combo, 530 Nav 1, 530 on top (current GNS implementation) 530_650 combo, 530 Nav 1, 530 on top 750_430 combo, 750 Nav 1, 750 on top 750_650 combo, 750 Nav 1, 750 on top. We'll start there and see what crops up...and if I have to make adjustments based on a majority of users preference, then so be it. -TK

working on it now..and hopefully by end of upcoming week..that's the target. Also a few small changes from the post 2.0.2 reports. TK

Aye....I grew up around Port Arthur....and worked in Clear Lake from 2015-2019...so quite familiar with your 'neck of the woods' I can only assume you'll be at FlightSimExpo 2023 FYI....looks like I'll be adding 3 more variants with various combos of GNS/GTNs...... a 650/530 combo....a 750/430 combo....and a 650/750 combo. I think that should cover all the RXP options for Windows users. TomK

its actually been on my todo list for some time....just end of summer stuffs (family) and this XP12 transition business is taking my time atm. I fully intend to do a comprehensive AP supplement along with some tutorials as soon as possible. -TK

No doubt. Its the toughest plane I've ever had to lay out/paint and I've done a lot...some special techniques are required to get the best results. Its just not shaped like a simple tube-liner and making it "paint friendly" somewhat compromises what we can do with PBR nowadays. Liveries will come in due course...if not by others, then by me...once I have higher priority stuff in place. (GTN integration, XP12 port etc). Not like the MU2 is going away. TK

Me too...which is why you don't do it this way. With the AP engaged and presumably in ALT mode, simply hit SBY ...or deselect the ALT mode.....or hit ALTSEL (all 3 cancel the ALT hold mode) and then use the pitch wheel to dial in the VVI you desire....WHILE the AP is still engaged. When you achieve the rate of climb/descent you desire via the pitch wheel, then simply hit the VS mode button to hold that value. Easy peasy....sure, not quite as easy as modern copilots for sure, but neither terribly bothersome either. TK

@Pivot Thx for setting this up John. I just got my windows 10 machine up and running and had no issues getting these two units up and running as you described. (.ini + "use simulator GPS commands). Can't say I'm proficient using a dual GPS setup (I defer to you guys).....just let me know if anything else is needed for the GNS units. I'll be starting the GTN variants shortly. TK

So I implemented another command here for "lift both power levers" One is for dual hardware levers, the other for single. The commands are now suffixed with _sp and _dp for "single paddle" and "dual paddle" respectively. Because of the way x-plane maps their hardware axis assignment, this is the simplest solution and once configured, should be fine. This means folks will have to remap their hardware to the new command though, but only a one time thing and should accomodate a broader range of preferences. -TK

If there is, I have not been able to find documentation on such in the 'readily available' documentation I have. I'm still poking around on this one for more clarification. TK

The OEM version simulates the Mu2 as it was delivered back in the 70s and 80s, so VOR/ADF was the 'order of the day' TK

Ah...so it looks like I put the code to "hide" the GPU if you are moving in the preference window callback....which means... IF the GUI window is active and showing, then the code to hide the GPU will run (if moving). So you can toggle the pref window open/close to hide the GPU if its showing in the air. I'll move that code to a more sane location. TK

It is not. Technically, you don't need any fuel in the outers or tips if you don't need that much fuel. When we flew cargo, we would regularly put fuel in the mains and outers but not the tips, to make it a bit easier on ground crews (see below). Ideally, you don't want any fuel in the tips at landing. Since the fuel system transfers fuel to the main automatically, then its logical to fill up that tank first. From there, the outers and finally the tips if you need that much fuel. As far as loading the tips before the mains, the tips are slightly easier to access by ground crew than the mains, but a bigger PITA also as there is a limit to the imbalance between tips during fueling, so ground crew have to go back and forth between the tips multiple times, which is quite annoying......so we'd just request fuel in the outers to speed the refueling process and be 'kind' to the refueling crew. Again, the end goal was to have no fuel in the tips at landing. Since fueling is "virtual" in sim and you can't annoy real people, it makes no difference if you put fuel in the tips and not the mains...at least with regards fuel burn..the auto transfer system takes care of the details. But certainly the roll handling will be a bit slower with fuel in the tips, but its not like the Moo is aerobatic. TK

Set the response curve according to the instructions for the condition levers and try again. http://togasim.com/mu2docs/setup/hardware_setup.html TK

Could you please post a screenshot of your condition lever response curve.