Beech Baron 58 for Microsoft Flight RC1

[FS-Tester]

Hi folks,
I'm pleased to announce the availability of the Beech Baron 58 for Microsoft Flight (Release Candidate v1) addon. This is a free download. The aircraft is a conversion of the default Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) Beechcraft Baron 58.

This addon consists of:

• Interior and exterior models of the Beechcraft Baron 58 aircraft.
• Eight liveries (textures): Four that have been converted from FSX (White, Blue, Red & Grey), and four new liveries (Jungle Green, Orange Crush, Hawaiian Rainbow and Cosmic Girl).

Dependencies:
In order to install this addon, you must have previously installed the latest Flight Toolkit, available from: http://flighttoolkit.com
This application is required in order to allow Microsoft Flight to recognize and run 3rd-party addons.

Installation:
If you have not installed a Flight Toolkit addon before, please see the following webpage for instructions on how to do so:
http://flighttoolkit.com/?page_id=24

Bug reporting:
This aircraft has gone through a lot of beta testing. However, there may still be bugs or other issues. If you come across any, please report them by responding to this thread.

Please note that because I have no internet connectivity where I live, you will not see a response from me for at least a week from my last post.

Known Issues with this Flight Addon:
Converting a FSX aircraft with 100% accuracy is not possible. The following is a list of known issues that cannot be fixed and that you do not need to report:

Simulation Variables:
Many simulation variables that existed in Microsoft Flight Simulator X do not exist in Microsoft Flight. This means that some functionality of the FSX aircraft could not be converted. The following lists the functions that were not converted, and the work-arounds (if any) that were adopted in the converted aircraft:

Functionality not modeled in MS-Flight:

• Independent engines systems.
• Cowl flap temperature regulation.
• Engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT).
• Propeller syncronization.
• De-icing.
• Radio reception. You cannot receive on both Com1 and Com2 at the same time.
• Autopilot and flight director.

Workarounds:
Engines

• Engines #1 and #2 operate as a single engine system.
• Engine #1 and #2 cowl flaps are visually modeled in the closed position in the external model. The cowl flap levers in the internal model are inoperative.
• Engine #1 and #2 exhaust gas temperature (EGT) needles are non-functional.

Propellers

• The propeller syncronization spinner is non-functional.

Levers

• The left and right throttle, mixture and propeller levers are linked together and work as three single units.

Switches

• The propeller syncronization switch is non-functional.
• The de-icing switches are non-functional.

Radios

• The Com (BOTH) audio button is non-functional.
• The autopilot and flight director buttons are non-functional.

Lights
Although Microsoft Flight has variables for the following, correctly converting and displaying the FSX XML gauge code was not possible.

• The APH (blue) flap transition light is non-functional.
• The 3 green landing-gear-locked indicator lights work as one unit. They do not operate independently depending upon the position of each of the three landing wheels.

Wheel loading
In the external model, the front wheel sinks into the ground slightly when fully loaded with fuel and / or payload. It is thought that this is because Flight models gear-spring compression differently than FSX.
​

Mouse-clickable areas:
Most gauges in the original RTM models for Microsoft Flight Simulator X were based on XML code that included instructions on how handle mouse actions. Microsoft Flight does not recognize any mouse code in XML gauges. The gauges also needed to be partially converted to LUA. As a result the following FSX mouse-related actions cannot be accomplished in the converted model using your mouse:

1. Activating the COM, NAV, MKR, DME and ADF radio buttons.
2. Setting COM, NAV, ADF or Transponder radio frequencies.
3. Switching COM or NAV radio frequencies between Active and Standby.
4. Switching between DME R1 & R2 (NAV1 & NAV2)
5. Changing the altimeter knob.
6. Changing the airspeed knob. This is non-functional.

A work-around has been devised for item numbers 1 - 5 using your keyboard and the Checklist feature of Microsoft Flight:

• Press "Q" to activate the checklist window.
• Press "3" to open the Radio and Navigation Controls.
• Choose between one of the four options:
• Press "2" to set communication radios.
• Press "3" to set navigation radios
• Press "4" to set the DMI, HSI and altimeter pressure settings
• Press "5" to set the radio audio
• Press "3" to move to the item you wish to change, and then "4" to change the setting for that item. Unlike a normal checklist, these items are not automated. You can also repeatedly press "4" to continue to change the setting for the item.

For example, to change the frequency of COM1 from 118.70 to 120.90, you would:

• Press "Q" to activate the checklist window.
• Press "3" to open the Radio and Navigation Controls.
• Press option "2" (Set communication radios).
• Press "4" repeatedly until the COM1 standby radio shows a frequency of 120 MHz
• Press "3"
• Press "4" repeatedly until the COM1 standby radio shows a frequency of 90 KHz
• Press "3"
• Press "4" to swap the COM1 standby frequency - that now shows 120.90 MHz - with the current active COM1 frequency.
• The COM1 active frequency is now 120.90 MHZ
• Press "Q" to close the checklist window.

Bugs in the original FSX Model:
There are three bugs in the Microsoft Flight Simulator X model that are carried over into Microsoft Flight:

• There are no fuel tank selector levers in the interior model of the aircraft.
  You are unable to crossfeed fuel from the left wingtanks to the right (or right wingtanks to the left). In real life, the pilot only crossfeeds fuel during emergency situations when running on one engine (ref: Hawker Beechcraft Owners Manual [2008] Section 7-38). Since MS-Flight does not model independent engine system functionality, crossfeed functionality is not applicable in this model.
• The two glass windows of the cabin doors are not animated - they remain in place while the two rear doors open.
• The cabin door handle has no clickable area (it was not present in the original model). Doors can be opened & closed using the "O" key. Use "Cntl+O+1" to switch between door modes.
  Note: The door by the co-pilot does have a clickable area by the door handle.

Sounds:
The sound system for Microsoft Flight has completely changed from that used by FSX. Microsoft Flight uses the FMOD sound system. Currently, there is no easy way to automatically convert sounds from FSX to the new FMOD format.
This aircraft uses a set of custom FMOD sounds based, in part, on the FSX sounds for the Baron 58. The sounds therefore only approximately reflect the sounds of an actual Hawker Beechcraft Baron 58 aircraft.

Aerodynamics:
The aerodynamics of this aircraft are based on a very limited set of aerodynamic data available to the author. As a result, while this aircraft can be flown in Microsoft Flight, no attempt was made to create an accurate representation of flight characteristics of the real Baron 58. Pilots who have flown a real Baron 58 will undoubtedly notice significant differences between the two versions!

Download location:
Update 12/01/16: RC1 has been upgraded to RTW, and is now available directly from within the Flight Toolkit Addon Manager!

Regards,
FS-Tester

 

[BergSpreu69]

Thanks for the new Aircraft Addon and special thanks for your much work! Great Job and it works fine,perfect Controlls! Thanks,best regards,Steff

 

[FS-Tester]

Hi Folks.
FYI, the Beech Baron 58 has been upgraded to RTW, and is now available directly from within the Flight Toolkit Addon Manager. There should be no need to manually uninstall RC1 - upgrading to RTW will uninstall RC1 for you. As no bugs were reported with RC1, RTW has no changes other than changing the version number and name.

Regards,
FS-Tester