Hello!

NOTE: I've also posted this in the FS 2002 forum, but thought I'd post it here as well. If this isn't the right thing to do I apologize.

I have a question to ask... I have installed a couple of aircraft that were 'FS 2002/ FS 2004' compatible, and for some reason when I load the sim, the A/C's engine(s) shut down and won't restart. Also, moving the throttle will not increase engine RPM's. Please note that prop trim/ mixture are not affected... the RPM's just won't increase on the tachometer.

Anybody ever come across this? Here is one of the A/C in question:

http://www.flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=93064

It's a B-17 Shark Fin (although in the description it's called a 'G' Model).

Any help & suggestions are most appreciated!

Thanks!

Alan 

change to the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, start the engines, and then hop back into your B17G and everything should be working fine.   When you go to shut down your sim, do not shut off the engines so that the next time you hop in a plane, the engines will be running and everything is ready to just go flying.

Hello!

Opa & the Captain: Thanks for the replies! They are much appreciated, and it's good to know the flight sim community is here to help a guy out. 

Opa: The setup I have for FS 2002 (which is the sim version I'm running) has the A/C up & running when I start the default flight; engine(s) running and all instruments live.

Capt. Propwash: I used your idea, and started the default flight with the C172. The 172 runs fine, as stated above. When I change to the B-17 in question, the A/C is on the runway with engines running, but after 5 seconds or so the engines shut down. The key assignment I have for Engine Autostart is 'E'. When I press the Autostart key, Engine 4 starts, then immediately shuts down. If I hold the 'E' key the other engines try to start, but immediately shut down as well. Just to check, I downloaded a different B-17 from another author just to see if it would operate under the same conditions; this one ran just fine (this one was created for FS 2000).

Because I have had the same difficulties with different A/C from this particular author, I'm thinking there's something in either the panel.cfg or the aircraft.cfg that won't let these aircraft operate properly in FS 2002.

Have you had similar difficulties with a particular aircraft? I'd like to figure out a way to get these A/C to function properly; they look fun to fly, and I'd like to add them to my virtual hangar. Any suggestions?

Thanks again!

Alan

This may or may not help you, but it's worth a shot.

There is a setting in the aircraft.cfg of many fs2004 aircraft under the heading of [GeneralEngineData] called "min_throttle_limit", that tells the sim how little throttle there can be before the engines shut down. (If my understanding is correct)

You might try adding this line to the aircraft.cfg of the B17 you want to use:

min_throttle_limit=0.000000

So the aircraft.cfg would the look like this:

[GeneralEngineData]

//0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop
engine_type = 0
fuel_flow_scalar = 1.000000
min_throttle_limit = 0.100000
engine.0 = 10.10, -10.58, 0,
engine.1 = 10.10, 9.81, 0,
engine.2 = 8.83, -20.81, 1,
engine.3 = 8.36, 21.27, 1,
min_throttle_limit=0.000000

While I don't think it's nessesary for FS2004 to have this entry present, most aircraft do. (I also think FS2002 will ignore this entry, so you shouldn't have a problem cross compatability there either.)

Like I said, it may be worth a shot.