Boeing 737-800 questions (Class 5)

[EHM-2198 Didimo]

Two days ago I "graduated" to Commercial Captain and can FINALLY fly th B737-800 I had been "doing" for a long time before I joined EHM.

I installed the FS9 B767-800 of the Class 5 fleet (main division). I have some questions regarding this plane (or actually the panel) as I want to avoid crashing on PP For the overly sensitive, this is not criticism, it is a series of question a virtual pilot wants to know before flying the hardware.

For this test flight I setup the plane on the active runway (offline). Turned on everything I could see on the panels (lights, etc.). I started the engines and started to look around the cockpit. Here some of the questions:

1. The installation (as well as aircraft.cfg) say the default view is a virtual cockpit (model=vc) but I only see a 2D panel. Is that right? I thought virtual cockpits were 3D. Anyway, this isn't that important to me as 3d cockpits are usually difficult to read.

2. After being ready and lighted up I noticed that both the Autopilot panel as well as the GPS panel were OFF. I looked all around the cockpit and could not find any button to have my AP & GPS lighted up. I could see it was operational because the PFD responded to changes made on my GoFLight MCP-PRO (autopilot module) but the actual AP panel on the cockpit was black on all its indicators (Speed, course, altitude, v/s).

3. I took off anyway to test the thing for a while but could not get the autopilot to enable (perhaps because it was all black, yet the PFD displayed the proper changes made with the AP dials).

I hope somebody who has used this B738 of the Class5 FS9 fleet could answer these questions so that I can make my first EHM C5 flight in PP.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Didimo,

"I installed the FS9 B767-800 of the Class 5 fleet", I'm hoping the B767 in that sentence is a mere typo

As best I can remember, the fleet B738 is the Posky with their panel (which personally I never had any problem with, but I already had the full Posky B738 package installed long before we introduced it as the fleet B738).

Having said that, what you're looking for (as I am sure you know) is the avionics switch; you say the MCP and the PFD/ND are black, so it's got to be an avionics problem. Personally, I have a GF-T8 set up with the main switches and never have to struggle to find them on the 2D/VC panels. However, despite not having FS9 on my laptop (which I really should do...) I've had a good dig around in the fleet install package and according to the check list there is an avionics switch somewhere on the panel. Unfortunately, Posky no longer supply the panel, so I can't check where it is via their website.

[EHM-2198 Didimo]

Ooops, indeed a typo error (my old B737 is rusting in the hangar), I really meant the B737-800 as you pointed out.

My PFD was not black, it was fully operational showing the attitude indicator with all the settings of the MCP PRO I could dial.

The Auto Pilot panel (on the cockpit) as well as the GPS and the NAV+ADF radios were off (COM radios have their own ON/OFF switches but don't tune with the dials).

The rest of the avionics displays were ON. I could not find any avionics switch anywhere in the panel

Also noticed that the ALT HOLD switch automatically disconnects itself (it briefly goes green and turns off).

And what is that Panel TEST/ON switch? it is operational but I don't see it doing anything. Would like to make sure it doesn't do something I don't expect LOL.

On a side note, I will check out that GF module you mentioned, I have been thinking of assembling my own because the next items on my cockpit list was the pedestal radios (from Open Cockpits). So far on track with starting to build my own home cockpit.

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Hi Didimo,

forst of all, the defualt view is not VC, it is only written, by defualt you have VC. Of course in FS2004 the default view is a 2D panel, but the next in the circle is VC, and by default, you can get it, or you can turn it off by editing the aircraft.cfg

Anyway, this POSKY panel do not have some buttons I think. There is an overheadpanel with some live and many fake buttons too. As there is no icon for sub-panels you should open them by the panel keys: SHIFT+2 ... +9. SHIFT+1 is the main panel. But still, the Avionics button is turned on by default, so I think what you see is instead a graphical (card) bug and does not come with the panel... or a missfortune and your A/P hardware is not synchronized well with the Posky panel.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Really obvious suggestion, *if* the POSKY/Molina panel(s) doesn't have an avionics switch, is change to the C172/C182 (or similar plane which does have an avionics switch), turn the avionics on there, then switch back to the B738 with your panel of choice...

[EHM-2198 Didimo]

Thanks 4 the replies, I decided to stick to my enhanced B737-800 (Posky), seems to work well with the MCP PRO and has the avionics switch.

Now I just need to choose my flight.