The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

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kenlawson
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The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by kenlawson »

Hi there,
Your forum is certainly an unusual one - i I have never before had to spend ten minutes research time on a spambot question. Now that I am here I thought your members might like to be aware of the imminent release of a London Heathrow scenery dated about 1954 - before the central terminal was opened. Further details on this are here:

http://calclassic.proboards.com/thread/ ... -egll-1953

Secondly, and all too belatedly, I have just discovered your very fine Viscount with the 2012 panels, easily the best available for FS9 and in some ways one of the best aircraft I have flown, whether freeware or payware. However, I have had an issue with the autopilot on the 800 and 810 models, I haven't tried the 700. I turn it on correctly and everything works fine except that the height/airspeed switch will turn downwards to height but not upwards to airspeed. I can fix the airspeed using Ctrl R but it is not quite the same. Is this a known bug or has my careful reading of the manual missed something?
Best wishes,
Ken Lawson

FS9.1 on Windows 8.1.

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DaveB
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by DaveB »

Hi Ken and Welcome :hello:

I don't use FS9 anymore and haven't dragged the Viscounts kicking and screaming into FSX so I've had to confirm my suspicions by consulting the manual.

Autopilot Controller
(para 4) Height Lock. Turned to engage the height lock. Note that the Airspeed lock is inoperative.
;)
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kenlawson
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by kenlawson »

Hi Dave,
Many thanks for your reply, and clearly it is correct on the Autopilot, but I cannot find that passage in the manual I have (version 6 June 2012), which clearly states that the speed lock works. It is minor, but seems a pity with such a fine piece of work. The similar switch on David Maltby's Comet works well enough,
Ken

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DaveB
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by DaveB »

Hi Ken :)

It's possible that my Viscount panel isn't as up-to-date as yours.. likely in fact as I'd stopped flying the Viscount by 2012. Fraser still pops in here and I'm sure he'll be able to offer more up-to-date advice ;)
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adysmith
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by adysmith »

If it is like the Vanguard switch, click one side of it for speed lock, click the other side for height lock.

If you have been on speed lock it will need two clicks, one to disengage speed lock, second to engage height lock.

Adrian.
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kenlawson
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by kenlawson »

Thank you for the suggestion Adrian, but no form of clicking on it seems to work. If this is an issue with the panel, rather than something I have not understood about how to operate it, I am surprised that nobody has raised it before. Help from Fraser would be very welcome,
Best wishes,
Ken

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Viscount Cornbank
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by Viscount Cornbank »

Hi Ken,

The passage quoted by Dave is correct, can't think why it should be different on later manuals *-)

The airspeed lock was inoperative on BEA Viscounts fitted with the SEP2 system throughout the aircraft life. This may have been partly due to the complex and constantly changing Vno figure on 802 and 806 aircraft. Viscounts of other operators were sometimes fitted with alternative autopilot systems, but I've never come across one with a functioning speed lock.

Cheers

Fraser
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kenlawson
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by kenlawson »

Hi Fraser,
Thank you very much indeed. I have in fact found that locking the airspeed with Ctrl R is not satisfactory, because jet pipe temperature rises higher than it should, whereas if the aircraft is trimmed properly it will climb at almost exactly 180 kias without any problem. Your 2012 Viscount panels are very fine pieces of work, please accept my congratulations and thanks,
Best wishes,
Ken

kenlawson
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by kenlawson »

My scenery for London Heathrow c.1953 has now been released:

library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=193655

http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php ... fid=188787

Ken

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DaveB
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Re: The First Heathrow and the Piper McKay Viscount

Post by DaveB »

Thanks for the HU Ken :thumbsup:

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