A. CAPTAIN'S PANEL Main page Back

Lockheed L-1649A Starliner

Captain's Panel

  1. Icon - Radios
    This icon toggles the Glareshield Radio Panel.
  2. Icon - Kneeboard
    Use this icon to view Checklist, Performance Tables, Pilot's Handling Notes, Specifications and Panel Reference.
  3. Icon - Air Traffic Control
  4. Icon - Flight Map Toggle
  5. Icon - GPS Toggle
  6. Icon - Cowl Flap Set
    This icon allows to operate the cowl flaps without switching to the Lower FE Panel. Clicking the left icon half will decrease the cowl flap position of all engines by 10%, while a click into right half causes a 10% increase. See Cowl Flap Switches (2) on the Lower FE Panel and Cowl Flap Indicators (39) on the Flight Engineer's Panel.
  7. Icon - Pitch Set
    Enables adjusting of pitch without switching to the Master Propeller Lever (55) on the Flight Engineer's Panel. Clicking the left icon half will decrease propeller RPM, while a click into right half increases it. Always reduce throttle before prop and increase prop before throttle. All four propellers are affected and each click corresponds to a 1% change. Propellers cannot be feathered or unfeathered using this icon, instead, use the Feather Buttons (8) on the Lower FE Panel.
  8. Icon - Supercharger and Mixture Set Best
    Allows to operate the Superchargers (57) and Mixture Levers (58) without switching to the Flight Engineer's Panel first. Each click causes the levers to be set to their currently best position, optimizing the fuel-air-mixture for the engines. For maximum realism, ensure that you have disabled the Auto-Mixture option in the FS Aircraft-Realism menu.
  9. Icon - Yoke Toggle
  10. Icon - Toggle Flight Engineer's Panel
  11. Vaccum Warning Lights
    Vacuum pump driven instruments, ie. the Directional Gyro (25) or the Attitude Indicator (26), are not working properly, if these lights are indicating low suction press.
  12. Radio Marker Beacon (OMI) Lights
    You can toggle the OMI marker sound with the MKR button of the DME Radio (32).
  13. Radio Altitude
    This instrument has three needles, two for the radar height (0-800 ft and 0-8000 ft.), and a third (red-white) needle for the decision height, which can be adjusted using the knob on the left side. Default decision height is 100 meters.
    The radio altimeter also has an indicator lamp showing three colors:

    RED: radio altitude < decision height
    GREEN: radio altitude < 1000 feet
    BLUE: radio altitude < 2000 feet

  14. OBS1 Course Selector (Magnetic Bearing Runway-Omni)
    Used in combination with the Instrument Approach Indicator (31). The red lamp indicates, that the localizer signal received by the NAV1 Radio (49) has no valid glide slope (this is the case, if there is no GS signal available at all, or if you are flying too much above or below the GS).
  15. Nav Lights ON/OFF
  16. Beacon Lights ON/OFF
  17. Panel/Cabin Lights ON/OFF
  18. Landing Lights ON/OFF
  19. Taxi Lights ON/OFF
  20. Whiskey Compass (magnetic heading)
  21. Localizer Inoperative Warning Light
    Illuminates, if a LOC frequency is tuned at the NAV1 Radio (49), but no localizer signal is received. The light won't work, if the NAV1 Radio is in GPS mode or turned off. See also Instrument Approach Indicator (31), VORLOC Indicator (47) and Glide Slope Inoperative Warning Light (22).
  22. Glide Slope Inoperative Warning Light
    Illuminates, if a LOC frequency is tuned at the NAV1 Radio (49), but no valid glide slope signal is received. The light won't work, if the NAV1 Radio is in GPS mode or turned off. See also Localizer Inoperative Warning Light (21), OBS1 Course Selector (14).
  23. Flap Shut-Off Warning Light and Test Switch
    Flap overspeed warning, normally located on the co-pilot's side. Vfe is 185 knots for flap stage 1, and 160 knots for stage 2. The test switch is used to check the bulb.
  24. Airspeed Indicator (IAS)
    Red hand shows Vne, which is 294 knots IAS or 0.57 Mach, whichever is less.
  25. Directional Gyro
    Plane heading degrees. From time to time, the left knob must be used to correct the gyro drift error (or hit D). Clicking into upper half of the gauge will display the exact heading degrees in larger, red digits.
  26. Gyro Horizon (vacuum)
  27. Radio Magnetic Indicator
    RMI with ADF- and VOR2-needle. The needles will not work, if the corresponding radios are turned off. See NAV2 Radio (50) and ADF Radio (3) on the Glareshield Radio Panel
  28. Altimeter
    Use the left knob to adjust the altimeter to the local barometer pressure (or hit B). Clicking into the barometer card window will display the exact value currently tuned in.
  29. Turn and Bank Indicator (electric)
  30. Rate of Climb Indicator (VSI)
  31. Instrument Approach Indicator
    Consists of a CDI (course deviation) needle and a GSI (glide slope) needle for NAV1. Use the OBS1 Course Selector (14) as OBI and for TO-FROM information. On panels with VORLOC Indicator (47), this gauge may be replaced by a VOR2 Indicator.
  32. DME Radio (NAV1/NAV2)
    When receiving a VOR/DME signal, the distance to the station is displayed in nautical miles. Use the knob, to select either N1 (NAV1) or N2 (NAV2). In GPS mode (see NAV1 Radio (49)), select N1 to display the distance to the active waypoint. The MKR button toggles the OMI marker sound. See (12).
  33. Auto Pilot
    Early Constellations were fitted with a Sperry A-3 automatic pilot, maintaining directional and altitude control of the airplane.
    The auto pilot used here is of a more modern type and offers three displays to preselect heading course, altitude and rate of climb (V/S). Pushing the AP ENG button, the auto pilot master switch, will engage the auto pilot and also the ALT (altitude hold) and the HDG (heading hold) buttons, maintaining the plane's current heading and altitude.
    ALT button: Activates altitude hold using the preselected target altitude and V/S settings. It is possible to select a negative rate of climb with current altitude lower than target altitude and vice versa, a positive rate of climb is allowed, although the target altitude is lower than the current altitude. In these cases, the V/S setting has a higher priority, causing the aircraft to fly away from the target altitude.
    HDG button: Activates heading hold using the preselected heading course.
    NAV button: The plane follows the direction to the VOR station received by the NAV1 Radio (49) (nav hold). The auto pilot will not allow to select nav hold, if there is neither a nav signal available nor an active waypoint (GPS mode).
    APR button: Activates approach hold. A localizer signal must be received by the NAV1 Radio.
    If APR is pushed with activated altitude hold, ALT will remain active until a valid glide slope signal is received or altitude hold is turned off by hand.
    BC button: Activates backcourse hold. A localizer signal must be received by the NAV1 Radio. Pushing this button always activates approach hold, too.
    The Test button can be used to check the button lights.
  34. Parking Brake Light
    [FS: Click into the light to set or release the parking brake]
  35. Hydraulic Pressure Warning Light
    Normally four seperate lights located on the co-pilot's panel. Indicates low hydraulic pressure. The Connie has two hydraulic pressure circuits (1500 psi each) for flight control boosters, gear and wing flap operation.
  36. Manifold Pressure Indicator (dual)
    Same as (43) on the Flight Engineer's Panel.
  37. Tachometer (dual)
    Same as (41) on the Flight Engineer's Panel.
  38. Three-Axis Trim Indicator
    [FS: Click into the gauge for rudder trim, aileron trim and elevator (pitch) trim. Pitch trim can be zeroed by clicking into the digital display which displays in red font in case of a nose-down condition, otherwise green.]
  39. Flap Position Indicator
    Click into the gauge to set the flaps to the positions 80% (Takeoff) and 100% (Landing). See also (23).
    Vfe is 185 knots (80%) and 160 knots (100%) IAS.
  40. Clock
  41. Gear Lever
    Vle and Vlo is 185 knots IAS.
  42. Landing Gear Position Indicator Lights
  43. Gear In Transition Light
  44. Throttle Levers
    Always reduce throttle before prop and increase prop before throttle.
    [FS: Each lever has its own mouse area, and on the left side of lever 1, there is a hot spot for moving all four throttles.]
     
    Propeller reverse can be used to slow down after landing. With this panel, reverse pitch is simulated using the brakes: After touchdown, a mouse-click into one of the throttle lever's red knobs (or a little bit above, if throttle levers are completely closed) will activate reverse thrust. Having done that, move throttle levers to the desired position and wait until your aircraft has slowed down. Normal reverse power is between 1500 and 2100 RPM. To deactivate reverse, reduce throttle to idle or click into the red knobs again. Then, you can use the brakes as usual (hit . for normal braking).
    Propellers cannot be reversed in flight. Since it is simulated using the brakes, you will see the red brake message bottom left on the screen, when reverse is engaged. With activated propeller reverse, always all four throttle levers will move together, even if you click only one of them. This is made for easy adjusting all engines without searching for the 'all together' mouse area first.
    The brake power depends on the position of the throttle levers and is adjusted no matter if the throttles are moved using the mouse, keyboard (F1-F4) or with a yoke/joystick throttle (28% brake power at 1500 RPM, which is approx. 14% throttle and 68% brake power at 2100 RPM (34% throttle), but maximum brake power is limited to 80%).
    If you don't like the red brake message to be displayed during prop reverse you can edit the file FS9.CFG and add the following line to the [SIM] section:
    show_brake_message=0
     
  45. Propeller Reverse Indicator Lights
    Warning for activated reverse pitch. See (44).
  46. Automatic Feathering Armed Light
    Control lamp for Automatic Feathering Master Switch (26) on the Flight Engineer's Panel. Note: Since the auto-feathering system disarms immediately after the first engine has feathered, this light may be off, although the master switch is still in position ON.
  47. VORLOC Indicator (NAV1)
    Multi-function instrument with CDI (course deviation) needle, GSI (glide slope) needle, TO-FROM flags, OMI marker light and OBS1 course selector knob.
  48. COMM1 Radio
    Frequency range is between 118.000 and 136.975 MHz, for example 118.025 is displayed as 118.02 and 118.375 as 118.37. The TRM button indicates, if either COMM1 or COMM2 is transmiting. With BTH pushed, both radios can receive, otherwise the transmitting radio is the only receiver. See COMM2 Radio (1) on the Glareshield Radio Panel.
  49. NAV1 Radio
    Frequency range is 108.00-117.95 MHz. The IDT button toggles the NAV1 ident sound. After activating the GPS button, the OBS1 (14), DME1 (32), Instrument Approach Indicator (31), VORLOC Indicator (47) and the Auto Pilot (33) are driven by the GPS receiver and not by the NAV1 Radio (GPS drives NAV1). The OBS1 (14), Instrument Approach Indicator (31), VORLOC Indicator (47) and DME1 (32) won't work, if the NAV1 Radio is turned off, or if no signal is received.
  50. NAV2 Radio
    Frequency range is 108.00-117.95 MHz. The IDT button toggles the NAV2 ident sound. The VOR2-needle of the RMI (27) and the DME2 (32) won't work, if the NAV2 Radio is turned off, or if no signal is received.
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