X-Plane and GAAR 2009

[bgak011]

Allen, from what I have been able to find out, about wind gusts in X-Plane, is that the weather setup screen does not have a slider for "wind gusts". I asked the tech support folks at X-Plane, about what should be used to simulate wind gusts, and they told me to use the slider labeled "Shear Speed". There are a couple more sliders in addition to the "Wind Speed" slider, that you can play with to make the weather more realistic. They are named "Turbulence" and "Shear Direction".

I think that this is how it works. Once you have the wind direction and speed set, for a given altitude, you can then start adjusting the other sliders. If you want the wind gusts to come from an angle other than what you have set for the wind direction, then you set the "Shear Direction". This is set to the number of degrees that you want the gusts to vary from the set wind direction. If you want the gusts to blow at a speed that is 5 knots, more than the wind speed, then you set the "Shear Speed" to 5. The "Turbulence" slider will crank in however much turbulence you want. I believe this will cause the aircraft to jump up and down during flight.

I hope this helps and doesn't confuse you.

[Andrew Godden]

Coleman has refined the weather in the X-Plane Flight Situation Files for Flight Leg 6. This has been updated in the "zip"download and is now available on the GAAR Downloads page.

[Allen Peterson]

Hey, Coleman, how are you and the other X-Planers doing on the GAAR??? Give us a holler.

[bgak011]

Hi Allen, I have completed the first four legs and am having a blast!
I didn't think that I would ever get over the mountains, when I departed from WPDL. It is a lot more fun flying with the new weather files. I have not heard from either of the other X-Plane pilots, but hope they are enjoying the GAAR 2009 as much as me.
Coleman

[paulie76]

Having a ball so far. Only had the time for the first two legs so far, but I'm hoping to find the time today to add to it.

Paulie

[bgak011]

Paulie and other X-Plane pilots, I have found a small glitch in the flight plan, for "Leg 5" (YTTI-YGIB), and I am working with Andrew to come up with a fix for it. The NDB for WYM has a range of 60 nm, in X-Plane, and it has a range of 77.7 nm in FS9. If you fly the leg using the directions in the flight plan, you will never pick up the signal from WYM. I would suggest that you hold off flying this leg until we get it resolved.

Coleman

[Chris Ross]

I have flown Leg 5 in the C172 at 5500' and found that the WYM ndb flickered into life a little late about 104* I then turned onto the new heading the GIB ndb said I needed 240on this heading I found a new airfield not in FS9 or FSX
sorry I am not communicating well Just a bit busy now
Chris

[Andrew Godden]

Below is a revised Nav Data description for X-Plane users for Flight Leg 5. This aims to alleviate the problem of a weaker NDB signal strength in X-Plane.

While the aircraft is setting at YTTI, set the GPS destination "Airport" to YTST and that should show a distance of about 24 miles. Use the information, as it is published on the flight briefing, to fly to " TST ". When you are at "TST", the distance to the destination airport should be zero miles. Now set your aircraft's heading to 150 degrees, like it says in the flight briefing. You should now select the "NDB" button, on the GPS, and enter "GIB" into the destination. Make sure that the data for GIB is displayed in the gauge. You should select the "Airport" button again, because it will show you how many miles you have flown, since leaving " TST ". When this distance reaches 78 miles, you should turn to a heading of 210 degrees, to pick up the " GIB " NDB. You should now select the "NDB" button, on the GPS, to get the data for GIB. The signal strength for " GIB " is also 60 nm, so it may take a little longer to pick it up. From here you should be back on track with the flight briefing.

Coleman flew leg 5 again, this morning, using the above procedure and I think it is OK. He flew a heading of 150 degrees from TST, for a distance of 78 nm and when he reached that point, the GPS showed GIB was 81 nm away on a heading of 204 degrees. He turned to a heading of 204 degrees and it took him straight to GIB.

The info from FS9 said that GIB was 77.7 nm, when the WYM signal was picked up (about 78 nm from TST) and Coleman's position, in X-Plane, was only 3 nm off from FS9's.

[paulie76]

I knocked out Legs 3 and 4 today. Those two long legs are about as much desk-sitting as I can do for tonight. I'll use this info tomorrow for sure.

Thanks!

Paulie

[Chris Ross]

X-Plane Notes

I have entered 3 Beech 17 Staggerwings in the GAAR 09

GAAR 127 John Archer FS9 (Gladdon design)
(John Archer was an Australian pilot who flew a Wirraway(Ozy Harvard) in WWII

shooting down a Zero)

GAAR 128 Tony Gaze FSX (simTECH)
(Tony Gaze was an Ozy adventurer who drove in Formula 1 and attempteted a record

flight from AUS to GB in a P51 Mustang)

GAAR 129 Ted Wells (X-Plane Vintage)
Ted Wells designed the Staggerwing

On sunday Afternnon I raced the FSX and X-plane planes together on Leg 6 YGIB-YDBY

The X-plane scenery was impresive when compared to the payware Orbx which had more

detail but from 6500' the textures were similar The FS9 freewarw addon scenery was

more desert like

It rained most of the way in FSX It was overcast in X-Plane

I used Toms F Time gauge in FSX and The cabin analogue clock and the digital hour

clock in Zulu and local that X-Plane provide as a screen addon

I flew Fsx on my PC and X-Plane on my laptop(both Petium Duo's)mid 30fps on both

STATISTICS
(times are from standing start to over the airfield,too many variables landing)

______RPM____MP___IMPH__GS___TIME__FUEL Lbs

FSX___2208__33.18__187__180__57.20__219

X-PL__1500__25.00__188__179__58.74__183

I have to say I enjoy all 3 flightsims
X-Plane is alittle more fiddly but I am still new to it and learning