Flight Test C182S Part 2 Date : December 2001 ************************************************** These findings stem from a comparison with an addon product, whuch will not treated here. I will not modify style and layout of the text. It is just for archiving my work. Prop effects ============ I do not know the extent of prop effects in a real C182. Have not read anything about it in the manual (182R) and in various flight test reports. Personally I can live with the extent of prop effects felt in the default C182. It is demanding and educating. Elevator Trim ============= The precision of key-board elevator trim in FS2002 has improved decidedly against FS2000. It feels very much like the wheel trim I´m used in real planes . I am still experimenting with analog trim (joystick) in FS2002, so I cannot tell anything validated about that. Handling in Roll ================ The FS2001 has neutral lateral stability , which makes aileron control precise. The default C182 is too stiff in roll. Putting the sensitivity to MIN (!) gets it more soft. In a flight test report in PILOT 12/97 one can read the comment: "In a 172 you felt there was no real stability; you where at the whim of the winds. In a 182 you point it where you want to go and it gets there." I want to stress that "stability" obviously here and in myriads of other flight reports is not meant in the sceintific sense (stability = returning to a previous state, ball in a bowl), but should characterize NEUTRAL STABILITY (in the scientific sense : staying where you put it, ball on a plate). Take Off ========== All my tests are started from flights, which I stored seperately for the default 182 and the RealAieSim 182 derived from the default FS2002 flight "Meigs Field". FS2002 default flight shows the 172 standing with static pitch of 3 deg at my pitch gauge, (parking brakes ON) found as well in the .cfg file (3.02). You have a free view at the runway over the panel. Trim stands on the mark TO, that corresponds to "-22" at my digital trim gauge (HGHB). Loading the default C182 brings static pitch to 4 (.cfg= 3.82).You canot se anymore the runway over the panel ! Trim stands at "-22", 2 marks above TO. I reduced trim to themark TO (+20) and stored that in a flight. Before taking off , I pan down the view by one stroke on SHIFT+ ENTER to see the runway. This is not stored in the flights. Fuel is 2x100 % . I notice, that Microsoft has given the Cessna 4 passengers. . First two basic tests : taking off with elevator neutral and trim where it is (above): Default C182 no flaps: plane rotates and lifts off at 75 kts, elevator hand off, plane is settling quickly in a high pitch corresponding to a speed around 65 kts. 10 deg flaps: plane rotates and lifts off at 70 kts, elevator hands off, settling quickly in a pitch corresp. a speed about 55 kts . Take off checklist procedures of the Cessna 182 R say: NORMAL TAKEOFF "... 5. Elevator Control --LIFT NOSEWHEEL at 50 KIAS 6.Climb SPEED-- 70 KIAS (Flaps 20 deg) 80 KIAS (flaps UP) ..." In a flight test report in Private Pilot 9/1097 p 50 I can read: (flaps up) "As we rolled , we started raising the nose wheel at about 50 knots. We lifted off at 55 knots..amd climbed at 80 knots." The following procedure with the DEFAULT C182 simulates the real thing BEST I think, even if you cannot RAISE the nosewheel. Start pulling 1 deg pitch at 40 kts (half the stripe between panel and end of runway in the stored flight ), keep it at 50 kts, plane rotates and takes off from ITSELF at 60 kts. You can easyly gain 80 kts by pushing softly. I can not see "Fs2002 aircraft's tendency to delay rotation then suddenly lurch into the air" as You say in the readme. You can even "pull off apruptly" with the default 182 to "prevent possible settling back to the runway while drifting" in CROSSWIND situations , while the "airplane is accelarated slightly higher than normal", according to the abovementioned manual. With appropriate caution it works well with the default 182 at 60-65 knots. I would not chengethe default C182´s behaviour in this respect. And it simply looks right from the outside ! Stall Speeds ============ Default C182 Flaps Up 50 kts in a sort of mushing (horn and drop not discernible) Flaps 40 horn 45 kts distinct marked dosedrop when pulled any further Real Manual says for 3100 lbs : Flaps UP 50 KIAS Flaps 40 40 KIAS Two thoughts for further improvements =========================== 1) The default C182 shows way to high rpms at 65 kts (1800 at 15 inch, >2000 (green) at 20 inch) as compared with the real thing. 2) The pitch at approach with full flaps is way to high (nearly level). That simply does not look right for Cessnas or any other GA prop. Carl