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.
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.
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.
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.
Radio Marker Beacon (OMI) Lights
You can toggle the OMI marker sound with the MKR button of the
DME Radio (32).
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
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).
Nav Lights ON/OFF
Beacon Lights ON/OFF
Panel/Cabin Lights ON/OFF
Landing Lights ON/OFF
Taxi Lights ON/OFF
Whiskey Compass (magnetic heading)
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).
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).
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.
Airspeed Indicator (IAS)
Red hand shows Vne, which is 294 knots IAS or 0.57 Mach, whichever is less.
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.
Gyro Horizon (vacuum)
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
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.
Turn and Bank Indicator (electric)
Rate of Climb Indicator (VSI)
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.
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).
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.
Parking Brake Light
[FS: Click into the light to set or release the parking brake]
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.
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.]
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.
Clock
Gear Lever Vle and Vlo is 185 knots IAS.
Landing Gear Position Indicator Lights
Gear In Transition Light
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
Propeller Reverse Indicator Lights
Warning for activated reverse pitch. See (44).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.