Viscount Freighter

[Moniack]

Greetings folks

I am introducing a couple of Rick Piper's Viscount 800's to my VA ostensibly as 815 palletised freighters hauling mixed cargo around the western half of Canada. My query is, does there exist a freight loadout section to replace the pax loadout included in the aircraft.cfg?

Rick if you read this, thanks for the aircraft and of course the other creations of yours we use. Also thanks to Fraser for the 810 panel, it had me swearing a couple of times but I got there in the end.

[DaveB]

Hi Moniack and welcome

We don't use the Viscount in freighter config at CBFSVA but what you can do is cheat (I hate that word but it fits). Make all the pax stations zero in the aircraft.cfg and look for the line 'empty_weight_CG_position ='. Note what the detail is for this line then add a new station using the same detail and call it Cargo (or whatever comes to mind). Here's an example for the Avro Lancastrian..

[WEIGHT_AND_BALANCE]
max_gross_weight =65000.0
empty_weight =30453.00000 //37200.00000

reference_datum_position = 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
empty_weight_CG_position = 9.630, 0.000, -1.000 (this is the line to look for)
CG_forward_limit = 0
CG_aft_limit = 1

max_number_of_stations =22
empty_weight_pitch_MOI =280130.00000
empty_weight_roll_MOI =226967.00000
empty_weight_yaw_MOI =471760.00000
empty_weight_coupled_MOI =0.00000
station_load.0= 000, 35.000, 0.000, -2.000, Nose_Bags
station_load.1= 200, 29.500, 2.000, 3.000, Pilot
station_load.2= 200, 29.500, -2.000, 3.000, Co-pilot
station_load.3= 200, 27.900, 2.000, 3.000, Nav
station_load.4= 200, 27.900, -2.000, 3.000, Flt_Eng
station_load.5= 550, 30.500, 0.000, -4.500, Fwd_Bagage
station_load.6= 200, 26.900, -3.000, 0.000, Crew_Galley
station_load.7= 200, 26.900, 3.000, 0.000, Crew_Elsan
station_load.8= 180, -2.500, -3.000, 0.000, Seat_1A
station_load.9= 180, -2.500, 3.000, 0.000, Seat_1B
station_load.10= 180, -5.500, -3.000, 0.000, Seat_2A
station_load.11= 180, -5.500, 3.000, 0.000, Seat_2B
station_load.12= 180, -8.500, -3.000, 0.000, Seat_3A
station_load.13= 180, -8.500, 3.000, 0.000, Seat_3B
station_load.14= 180, -11.500, -3.000, 0.000, Seat_4A
station_load.15= 180, -11.500, 3.000, 0.000, Seat_4B
station_load.16= 180, -14.500, -3.000, 0.000, Seat_5
station_load.17= 180, -14.500, 3.000, -0.500, Stewardess
station_load.18= 300, -17.500, -3.000, -0.500, Pax_Galley
station_load.19= 300, -17.500, 3.000, -0.500, Pax_Elsan
station_load.20= 300, -17.500, 0.000, -3.500, Rear_Bags
station_load.21= 7332, 9.630, 0.000, -1.000, Cargo (this is the line I added to the config to enable the Lancastrian to be correctly flown at maximum weight)

It's a dirty fix but lets you load up with the freight centred on the CG.. if that makes sense

EDIT.. I've just had a look at my Viscounts and it seems I have an unholy cocktail (a mixture of old and new). Empty Weight CG Position is listed as all zeros which doesn't help the cause at all Fraser did the station loads for the latest releases so perhaps he can suggest something more meaningful

ATB

DaveB

[Moniack]

Hi and thanks for replying Dave

Have to admit I was kind of thinking along these lines myself. I might be over simplifying but I thought it might be possible to somehow group the existing 'station loads' in such a way so as to be left with fewer along the length of the aircraft. The end result being possibly one for'd a couple or three in the mid sections and an aft one. Unfortunately my understanding of aircraft.cfg files is limited to the usual adding of aircraft along with some understanding of contact points, light positioning and nav/radio setup. I don't want to charge on willy nilly so as you say it may be an idea to wait and see if we get any other suggestions.

[DaveB]

Hello Mate..

Let me have a dig and see if I can't find an older cfg. I seem to remember Rick making the original all one station so you could load whatever you wanted in one easy go.. the same as he did the Vanguard. This poor old lady has been fiddled with so many times over the years, I may have an untouched version. Off to dig

ATB

DaveB

[Garry Russell]

Dave

Wouldn't the best ones be those in the VA download??

[DaveB]

Hello Mate..

Well.. yes they would if you're running pax config. An ideal situation would be to know the freighters stations and load it accordingly. Of course, another alternative is to have a single station as in the 'old' Vanguard and throw your freight into the hole. Looking at the Viscounts stations, they're all centred around the zeros from 25.000, -4.000, 0.000 to -25.000, 4.000, 0.000 so.. I guess Moniack could delete the current pax stations and have just one..

station_load.0= 000.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000

Moniack.. back up your original cfg and try that entry in place of your current station loads. If it leaves the ground and continues to fly.. you're in! I don't have time to fiddle at the moment but off the top of my head.. I can't see why that wouldn't work

ATB

DaveB

[Moniack]

Greetings again

Well Dave tried your solution and it appears to work fine, allows me a usable payload as far as I can ascertain.

Took it on a short haul from Norman Wells CYVQ to Deline CYWJ, visual approach, gravel runway, 130 knots, anchors out etc. and nothing unexpected happened. So there remains only one thing to say, thank you very much.


As a matter of interest here's a piccie of our new Bushtit Transport, Viscount 815PF, my own interpretation of a palletised/general cargo freighter.



Thanks again

Louie

[Garry Russell]

There were three real Viscount palletised cargo freighters V.800's converted by Scottish AViation for Aer Lingus

They had a double front door.

[DaveB]

That'd be cool Garry and I have to say, I like that livery too Louie.. simple.. understated but effective

Nice to see the old girl in use and finding new friends after all these years

Glad the station mod has worked for you too

ATB

DaveB

[Garry Russell]

G-BBDK was one of them