AVIONICS

There is a glideslope pointer on the side that can be used for reference. If the GS is not active, the red GS flag will appear. The LOC flag works the same way. The Gyro flag will appear when the gyros are not active or the ADI has failed. The steering flag will appear when the directional gyros are inoperative (not quite like the real thing - the ADI is a fully integrated instrument in the 188.)

Altimeter: To set the barometric pressure, click the knob on the bottom left. This is the stock Extra 300 altimeter, used to simulate the original altimeter shipped in 1959.

Parking Brake: Click the handle to set or release it.

RMI: This functions as a standard RMI. There are two knobs on the bottom - the left one switches the dashed needle between VOR1 and the ADF, and the right one switches the hollow needle between VOR2 and ADF. The gauge defaults to the dashed needle on the ADF, and hollow needle on VOR2.

HSI: The left knob adjusts the needle, and the right knob adjusts the heading bug.

Mode selector knob: This knob picks the mode the Autopilot operates in. From the left, you can go into Hdg (standard FS heading hold), Man (no navigation), Loc/Vor (Localizer/VOR hold), GS Auto (Glideslope hold, standard FS), or GS Man (Manual Glideslope, where the aircraft will attempt to fly up or down to meet the Glideslope. It doesn't work too well.)

Vertical Knobs: These set the vertical speed of the aircraft, at 100 FPM rates. Click up at the top to decrease the rate of climb, or increase rate of descent. Click at the bottom to increase the rate of climb, or decrease the rate of descent. Click in the middle to set the climb rate to 0. To tell what your climb rate is, use the VSI gauge. Tip: After turning off the Altitude hold, if you want to click the middle of the pitch wheel, click it TWICE (climbing or descending is no problem though); this will avoid any odd pitch behavior.

Turn Knob: If the Mode selector knob is set to "MAN" (Manual), this knob can be used to make a coordinated turn of the aircraft while in Autopilot. Click on either side to set the turn rate, and click on the center to re-center it.

If the autopilot does not seem to work properly, turn it off and on several times. If this doesn't work, go to the Aircraft/Autopilot menu, and set the altitude hold altitude at 65000 and the vertical speed to your desired climb/descent rate. This should reset things.

TIT indication: This is the primary power setting tool on this aircraft. The number at the bottom is a digital readout telling you the exact TIT (Turbine Inlet Temperature) setting. Max takeoff TIT is 971 degrees C.

Horsepower: These gauges tell you how much horsepower each engine is generating. Max is 4000 HP per engine, max continuous 3200 (as indicated by the yellow and red marks.) Note - it is normal on engine start to exceed 4000 HP momentarily.

RPM: These gauges tell you if you are in low or high RPM. Low RPM is 10,000 HP; high is 13,800. The Electra has a constant speed engine, hence these gauges should not change much in normal operation.

Fuel flow: These small gauges tell you pounds of fuel flow per hour, per engine.

Fuel quantity: These gauges tell you how much fuel is in each tank. These two are for the left wing tanks.

Oil gauges: Most are too small to be legible, and are there for completeness of panel (and to ensure your engines are working).

Flap indicator: Click to move the flaps up or down. The Electra has only 3 flap settings, marked by the white boxes on the gauge.

Fuel quantity: These gauges tell you how much fuel is in each tank. These two are for the right wing tanks.

Temperature Gauge: This will show an uncorrected outside air temperature. It was originally created for the new 707 panel by Richard Probst and Chris Arrington. On the ground at 0 airspeed, it will be accurate. This is true to real L-188 operations (the manual features an airspeed correction chart.)

Click here to view this chart.

Fuel quantity gauges: Each gauge runs from 0 lbs (bottom left) to 12000 lbs (bottom right), starting at the bottom of the gauge and pointing counter-clockwise.

Altitude warning: This is a reminder gauge, and it is not linked to the autopilot. It is designed so you can set the gauge to tell you when to click altitude hold on the autopilot.

Fire handles: This panel has working fire handles. If there is an engine fire (not programmed into this panel), all you have to do is click on the appropriate handle and the engine will be shut down, fuel flow cut off, and throttle set to idle (to simulate feathering the prop.) The engine will not operate until the fire handle is reset to the 'off' position.

Generator: After starting the engines, turn the generator for that engine on to power the aircraft systems. The generator is on if the switch is down. When the generator is on, the Generator failure light for that engine on the warning lights panel will turn off (be darkened.)

Battery: Turn the aircraft systems on and off on the ground with this switch. Note that the battery will run out quickly. If it does run out, just turn an engine on using the start panel (engines can start without the battery) and flip the generator switch on to re-power the aircraft systems.

Start gauge: This panel features an extremely realistic start procedure, custom programmed for this panel by the author based on the L-188 flight manuals. You must follow these directions EXACTLY to start the engines. (Or cheat and press Ctrl-E. ;)

1. Turn the compressor (located next to the twin-needle pressure gauge on the overhead, bottom switch) to "AUTO" (flip to the right.)
   
2. Turn the appropriate air bottle selector switch to the engine you want to start. The top switch controls the left bottle (engines 1&2), and the bottom switch controls the right bottle (engines 3&4.) These switches are above the compressor switch.
   
3. Select the fuel flow selector for the engine you want to start, and turn the knob to the appropriate engine. Press the start button. You should hear the engine spool up and the TIT rise. After about 10 seconds, the engine will light off and TIT will rise to idle. If it doesn't start, the air bottle will deplete. You still have enough pressure for one more start on that side.
   
4. On the throttle quadrant, select the engine you just started and shift it to high RPM. Switch the air bottles to have no engine selected (switch in the middle position.)
   
5. Open the bleed air valve for the engine you just started (above the fuel controls - the valve is open when the switch is downward.)
   
6. Open the bleed air valve for the next engine to start (example - you started #3, so open the valve for #4.) Turn the fuel on for the next engine to start, turn the knob to select that engine, and press the start button. The engine should start up.
   
7. Close the bleed air valve for the engine you just started (i.e. #4) and open the valve for the next engine (i.e. #1.) Follow the same procedure in step 6 for each remaining engine.
   
8. Once started, close the bleed air valves and make sure the start knob is turned to the center (off.) The air bottles will recharge slowly as long as #3 is running - it takes 45 minutes to fully charge both bottles, at an even rate. After the bottles are fully charged, you may turn the compressor off. Normal start procedure is 3-4-1-2. Alternate start procedure is 1-4-3-2.

Note: If you need to shut down an engine in-flight, it must be in beta mode (low idle) to restart. You cannot restart an engine in-flight in high RPM.

Engine Anti-Ice: Turns on or off Engine Anti-Ice, with the corresponding performance penalty.

Landing Lights: To use the landing lights, they must be extended first. Click the pair of switches to the right of the Landing lights to extend.

Pitot Heat: Click to turn Pitot Heat on or off.

Fasten Seatbelt/No Smoking: These switches do nothing but play the chime when the seatbelt sign and no smoking light are turned on.

Auto Feather: Enables FS2000/FS2002 Autofeathering.

Propeller feathering: Single button prop feathering (true feathering) is not supported in this version, due to a lack of SDK commands.

Clock: This is the stock FS2002 clock.

Gear handle: Click on the top to raise the gear, and on the bottom to lower the gear.

DME: Click the switch on the left to switch between DME1 and DME2.

Radar Altimeter: This indicates from 0' to 2500' AGL.

Radar Screen: This is just a simulation of the L-188 nose weather radar, it doesn't actually display the weather ahead. To turn the radar on or off, click the knob on the upper right corner of the gauge. To switch between Radar and the FS2002 GPS, click the buttons on the left side of the gauge.

Throttle: On the top of the throttles are 4 switches, for low or high RPM. The proper procedure for starting the 188 is to start one engine in high RPM, and start the rest in Low RPM. Then downshift the last engine to low RPM. Low RPM is designed for use during taxi and on the ramp, to increase safety and reduce noise. Once the engines are above 690 degrees TIT, low RPM is not available and the engines will be shifted for you.