Cockpit 2D

The cockpit has been refined, with a new render from the 3D files. The windscreen pillars have a little more polish, and the fire warning panel has a lot more detail. There are more switches on more inset panels, with locators showing where those functions should be.

On June 3, 2008, I wrote about my frustration at having to change the arrangement of switches and lights on the autopilot compared with the proper Smiths SEP-2. Now it’s more accurate:

An inset panel shows the main power switch, which is on the roof switch panel. On the real SEP-2, when the power is switched on, the gyros take about 45 seconds to spin up to operating speed, after which a “Ready” lamp lights on the control box, on the pedestal. In X-Plane 8, there is no 45 second delay, and the lamp lights instantly. In this state, the autopilot will move bars on the director horizon and beam compass, but not the actual control surfaces.





On the SEP-2 control box, a white power switch must be pulled up before the control servos will engage. The switch is tall, and flat-topped, so it can be slapped down fast if there’s a problem in flight, returning control to the pilots. In X-Plane, this switch is, in fact, just another power switch; normally a rotary switch (in fact, it still has the curved “+” “-” arrows) but it only pops up when the virtual servos engage, and the ready light goes out, as it should do.



In June, I put two additional lamps on the control box for the locating and glide slope beams. These are not necessary any more, after learning that flags should appear on the director horizon when either one or both knobs have been pulled. When the aircraft is successfully following a beam, a large lamp lights above the standard-six flying panel.





I may try to improve the engine starter panel, otherwise, unless I find some glaring omission during flight testing, this will be the final version of the 2D panel for X-Plane 8.



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GMM-P (05/12/2008)

Tags: Cockpit