FPV / FPA support

[FelixM]

Hi,

 

I'm running MSFS on Xbox X and love the A310. The more complex the better. I got my hands on real SOPs for that plane and reading quiet a lot about all the systems. I'm surprised how much detail is in the inibuild A310 - awesome.

At the moment I'm doing a lot of Non-Precision approaches and I realized that the FPA mode in combination with FPV is not working properly. If you switch to FPV mode I can see the "bird" on the PFD, but it is always on center. In windy conditions it actually shows drift effects. Also when in heading mode there should be a small vertical line which you can get matched with the "bird". In addition when you select , lets say -3.0 degrees on the EFIS panel for FPA it does not have any effect in the PFD. I'm aware that the A310 does not have FPA-Track, but it does have a visual references according to FPA shown in the PFD.

Are you planning to integrate that?

Best regards,

Felix

[FelixM]

I have attached two Screenshots of what I mean:

 

[Cammac]

Hi, 

Thanks for your post. 

We have not actually modeled this part of the AFS. You might ask why not and why leave the EFIS FPA knob working.  Flight crews actually use the knob on taxi out as a reminder for the trim to set. So they put 1.4 in the FPA window to remind them to set 1.4 UP or DN trim. 

One of the reasons this feature is not as needed for the ini 310 is the fact we have the FINAL X.X mode. This was a customer option on the A300/A310 series but we did model it. What is it? 

This system allows VOR approaches and NDB approaches to be flown as an RNAV approach. The mode allows the VNAV to be coupled to the final descent path down to the runway so you then monitor the given altitude VS the approach plate. 

Please see below for a video of the system in action. Warning it's a bit complicated to setup. 

 

Many thanks, 

[FelixM]

2 hours ago, Cammac said:

Hi, 

Thanks for your post. 

We have not actually modeled this part of the AFS. You might ask why not and why leave the EFIS FPA knob working.  Flight crews actually use the knob on taxi out as a reminder for the trim to set. So they put 1.4 in the FPA window to remind them to set 1.4 UP or DN trim. 

One of the reasons this feature is not as needed for the ini 310 is the fact we have the FINAL X.X mode. This was a customer option on the A300/A310 series but we did model it. What is it? 

This system allows VOR approaches and NDB approaches to be flown as an RNAV approach. The mode allows the VNAV to be coupled to the final descent path down to the runway so you then monitor the given altitude VS the approach plate. 

Please see below for a video of the system in action. Warning it's a bit complicated to setup. 

 

Many thanks, 

Hi

Thanks for your response. I'm aware of that video and the VNAV feature with respect to Non-Precision approaches. The reason why I asked is that the Airbus A310 procedures actually do not allow to fly the final approach in profile mode. They use profile mode to the FAF and then switch to V/S mode. That is the standard procedure for non-precision approaches. 

See Screenshot below. That is actually the same I have found in any other SOP or QRH documents of the A310. I actually have read somewhere in the 1000+ pages where it explicitly says "profile mode not allowed in final approach". According to some videos I have found pilots of the A310 have reported that the profile mode of the A310 was not that accurate and has its drawbacks. But I just heard that can not verify this at all.

Apart from that the profile mode will fail if you have special RNAV approaches followed by a circle to land procedure. For example NZQN 23 RNAV H, because it does not take the circling part into account. I have tested this several times, because I like the inibuilt NZQN scenery 🙂

Don't get me wrong. Not a biggy, but would just be nice to have 🙂

Best regards,

Felix

 

 

[Cammac]

Hi, 

Thanks for the reply. 

From my understanding you are correct that Profile mode can't fly things like RF legs etc at NZQN but it can be used for guidance down to MDA. The QRH / FCOM you might be reading could be referenced to an aircraft without FINAL X.X mode. This was a customer option and did allow flight crews to fly in VNAV coupled down to MDA and was the SOP for airlines with this fitted. 

[FelixM]

45 minutes ago, Cammac said:

Hi, 

Thanks for the reply. 

From my understanding you are correct that Profile mode can't fly things like RF legs etc at NZQN but it can be used for guidance down to MDA. The QRH / FCOM you might be reading could be referenced to an aircraft without FINAL X.X mode. This was a customer option and did allow flight crews to fly in VNAV coupled down to MDA and was the SOP for airlines with this fitted. 

Hi Cammac,

thx for your answer!

Ok if it was a customer option, which then could be allowed in the SOP - perfectly fine with that - did not know that 🙂. Do you have any SOP where this is actually written down? But as I said you can not use profile mode at NZQN even only to MDA. MDA there is at 4100 ft. Test it yourself. Not gonna work. At the FAF in a perfectly state you should have 0 deviation from the vertical profile. At NZQN you will start with around +2200 ft deviation from the vertical path at the FAF (perfectly configured according to charts), which is logical, because of the followed circular pattern. The "customer option/profile mode" can only be used with RNAV approaches which follow a straight or curved approach track, but no circle to land procedures. In case of circle to land things you can not even use profile mode just to MDA. In those cases you only have two choices 1. V/S Mode 2. FPA/FPV.   FPA/FPV is also very important for visual approaches.

I mean you can probably read between the lines .... I just want that feature so bad 🙂

Best regards,

Felix

 

[Cammac]

Hi, 

I do but we can't share those documents the video linked are those SOPs but in video format. And for the RNAV approach into NZQN in the real aircraft you would not be allowed to fly the approach LNAV only. As it contains RF legs which the real A310 is not allowed to fly. So for a real pilot on the line flying into NZQN they would simply not be allowed / be able to select those complex circling approaches even if flown LNAV with FPA cage setup. 

And approaches with curved final approach tracks will be set as RNP (AR) approaches and they can't even be flown by most A320s that are currently flying so would be well outside the A310 using either LNAV only or LNAV/VNAV coupled. 

Thanks, 

[Mountainbuilder]

Hi,

I would like to support this request, even as I highly appreciate your implementation of the FINAL mode. So much work has been invested in this aircraft, and this little additional step would allow more actual and former A306/A310 pilots to re-anact their well-known procedures.

Regarding lovely Queenstown / NZQN, or RNP-AR in general, I would go one step further and suggest that you have a look at the A300 Cockpit Upgrade offered by Airbus:
https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/news/2021-02-first-ups-a300-facelift-completed

This would also include MMR receivers, a new FMC (coloured display) and offer all capabilities required for RNP-AR approaches. Airbus has offered it for the A310 as well, I'm not sure if anybody purchased it. Could this be a new iniBuilds add-on?

 

[Deleted Account]

Currently not planned unfortunately, no 😕