Turboprop Airliner (TPA) 2D Panel Kit
This is a project I have been tinkering with for a while now. For years I have enjoyed flying a well known twin turboprop 19 passenger airliner in FS2004, and wanted to build myself a 2D panel with a few extra details. All steam gauges, no autopilot system (only a flight director), for added fun.
I have programmed the gauges in XML, and painted the gauge graphics outside a few XML "Text" objects for a few displays.
It is flyable now, though the the copilots main panel and subpanel are mess and still incomplete. The project still is lacking any fuel system panel.
What will ultimately become of this project, I have not decided. I realize that FS2004 is old, and 2D panels are less popular, so my early excitement about perhaps making some money is well tempered.
Below is a list of completed (functional) systems:
*Note that some of these are not visible in my screenshots, as they are located on the still messy copilot's panel/subpanel.
This is a project I have been tinkering with for a while now. For years I have enjoyed flying a well known twin turboprop 19 passenger airliner in FS2004, and wanted to build myself a 2D panel with a few extra details. All steam gauges, no autopilot system (only a flight director), for added fun.
I have programmed the gauges in XML, and painted the gauge graphics outside a few XML "Text" objects for a few displays.
It is flyable now, though the the copilots main panel and subpanel are mess and still incomplete. The project still is lacking any fuel system panel.
What will ultimately become of this project, I have not decided. I realize that FS2004 is old, and 2D panels are less popular, so my early excitement about perhaps making some money is well tempered.
Below is a list of completed (functional) systems:
*Note that some of these are not visible in my screenshots, as they are located on the still messy copilot's panel/subpanel.
- Electrical system buses and bus ties, bypassing FS default battery system. Aircraft system electrical loads simulated individually. External power cart simulation powers all buses and will recharge aircraft battery. In absence of generators or ground power connection, aircraft battery discharges based on system amperage loading. Generators or External power will automatically recharge aircraft battery at high rate (if battery is moderately depleted) or lower rate. Where possible, aircraft systems and instrumentation operation/functionality are dependent on their respective electrical bus being sufficiently powered.
- Pressurization control with cabin pressure, differential, and rate gauges. Functional ground test, pressure dump (pressure bleeds off based on differential), and press modes. Loss of environmental bleed air results in slow leak off of cabin pressure based on differential.
- Auto-Ignition simulated by toggling engine starters if torque below limit.
- Bleed Air, Pressure, and Vacuum systems. Variance with N1 and heavy pneumatic loads (surface deice and brake deice). Bleed air valves are DC powered and on electrical loss fail to closed.
- Flight Hours Meter (simple average of both engine's FS indicated hours)
- Cabin Environmental Controller, Auto, Manual, T Test modes basic functionality. Cabin temperature gauge indicates temperature system settings over time. (Note that the user is not actually heated or cooled by this gauge.)
- ITT Gauge with modes including: Hot start simulation on low N1 fuel introduction; Increasing altitude results in increasing ITT; Cooling time of engines after shutdown varies based on wind speed and direction (tail wind slows cooling, as wind speed increases); Motoring the engines spins up N1 with no ignition, functions to clear engine after hot start, and speeds cooling of engine after hot start or during unfavorable post-shutdown cooling conditions.
- Torque Gauges indicate FS readings.
- Percent N1 RPM Gauges Mod: Startup N1 speeds scaled to 18% RPM or so max (instead of default FS 12%); actual maximum starting percent RPM depends on battery charge. Low battery state will result in failure of N1 to reach speed sufficient to avoid a hot start.
- Prop RPM, Engine Oil gauges indicate FS readings.
- Flight Director Controller (pedestal) and pilot's panel annunciator.
- Auxiliary Pedestal Panel: Yaw Damper switch (more to come later)
- Window icing and heating system, with animated ice accumulation on windows, operation of window heating causes Magnetic Compass to be erratic.
- Warning and caution annunciation panels, with flashers. Push to test illumination.
- Overhead panel consisting of: Generator percent load meters, electrical bus ammeter and bus selector knob, battery amperage load meter, inverter output meter, prop heat amperage indicator.
- Nav, Com, and ADF radios with standby frequencies. ATC with "1200" preset button.
- Airspeed Indicator with 3 bugs.
- Altimeter with rotating drum numeric display indicates FS reading.
- GPWS Modes: Descent Rate, Bank, Glide Slope, Terrain
- RMI with dual selectable VOR and ADF needles, simulated ADF needle dip, and weak ADF signal needle hunt.
- DME configured for two channels, with distance, speed, time, and ID (ID for channel one only).
- Magnetic Compass.
- Slip Indicator.
- Elevator, Aileron, Rudder Trim Controls with improved readability on settings scales.
- Throttle Quadrant with dragable and animated levers.
- VSI indicates FS reading.
- Oxygen cylinders, pressure varies with OAT.
- Prop Synchrophaser Indicator.
- ADI with flight director, GS and runway needles, and Decision Height light (set by copilot Radio Altimeter, TBD).
- Dual mode Altitude Selector/Vertical Speed Selector.
- HSI with numeric Course setting, selectable DME numeric mode display indicating distance, time-to-go, or speed, all with rotating drum numeric displays.
- Instrument and panel placard backlights where appropriate.
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