| About to start a round-the-world tour... |
Author: DareDevil 57 Posts Status: Pilot near incorporation  | Date 05-05-10 08:36 |
I am about to start a round-the-world tour, but before starting I plan to spend a bit of time in preparation (route, aircraft, etc). One of the things
that I would like to have is unexpected emergencies/failures to add spice to the adventure.
In order to have random failures/emergencies, there are several options:
1) treat any flight as a FSPX flight and rely on the random emergencies of FSPX. However, those kind of failures are major ones (bird strike, engine
fire, landing gear not working, ...). A round-the-world tour would have to be aborted I believe for such kind of problems.
2) use the in-flight failure generator of FSX. I have never used that, but it is capable to generate random problems pretty much to every system in
the aircraft (from the control surfaces to the engines and every electric system), this could be better suited to experience a few glitches here and
there (I dread losing the GPS...)
3) use the "In flight emergencies" application. I do not know it, but from reading the reviews, it seem pretty limited in the number of failures. On
the positive side, I understand that for each event there is a pre-planned checklist to handle and resolve it.
Has anyone experience with FSX built-in failures or "In Flight Emergencies"? Or has other hint on a round-the-world tour? By the way, I plan also to
use TileProxy (that's more or less like FS Earth Tiles, however it works in real-time) for the scenery.
Thanks,
DareDevil
Post Edited ( 05-05-10 08:44 )
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
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Author: Swoop 33 Posts Status: Student pilot | Date 05-08-10 22:50 |
FSX failures are scripted and WILL (100% chance) happen within the set timeframe you choose, the only thing that varies is the exact
time of the failure. Which, IMO, takes all the fun out of it, knowing exactly what's going to happen.
I've been round the world (flying eastwards out of Great Britain) about 7 or 8 times now running FSP, the randomness of the failures is
what makes it fun.
Try this for a challenge: Leave your chosen start airport at 6pm local time on a friday evening and make it all the way round the globe by
monday morning. At every airport you land at, do an FSP "restore last location" at the next hour on the clock to simulate fuelling time (ie if
you land and exit flight at 17:25hrs, your restore point is 18:00hrs on the same day - don't forget to knock off a day after you've crossed the
international date line). What makes this very interesting is unless you're flying a seriously fast aircraft it's not possible to make it right
round the world within 25 hours so you'll be running over on maintenance by the end of the trip.
If you suffer a failure then your restore point should be sufficiently further on to simulate the repair, major failures that would result in a
complete overhaul of the airframe (eg, gear not extending, forcing a belly landing and destruction of multiple engines) effectively end your
attempt as repair would be in excess of a week. I've managed this with a failure rate set at 10% flying a 6000hr old Airbus, a CRJ-700
and a 737. Edit: Oh and a learjet. Haven't yet tried it with the latest company I've started, mainly cos I've got failures set at 40%....and have only just bought my first jet.
So far, the earliest I've managed to make it home is 11am on the monday.....meaning I'm late for work. 
Post Edited ( 05-08-10 22:54 )
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
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Author: DareDevil 57 Posts Status: Pilot near incorporation | Date 05-09-10 10:43 |
Hi Swoop,
Thanks for answering.
I have experimented a bit the FSX built-in failures. There is a wide range of let's say minor failures (instrumentations and navigation systems) and
then structural failures (engines and control surfaces) to choose from.
Actually, the failures of FSX can be randomized, I am making tests to be 100% sure, because it if works, I am going to use that.
The key to have random failures is to pick the timing. Given a flight of, for example, 2 hours, you can set a random FSX failure to happen between 0
and 8 hours of flight, which gives you a 25% probability to face that event. Increase the time interval to lower the probability and the opposite.
From that point of view, it wouldn't be different from FSPX in terms of "randomness". Where FSPX is better is in a belly-landing, which simply can't
be done in normal FSX.
EDIT:
Yes, I can now confirm you can easilty random failures in FSX and it works quite well. Random means:
1) You can choose individually components may fail. So for example you can select only instruments failures to begin with and have an easier life. Or everything, as you like.
2) You can choose the number of components that may fail: one or more. More components means you can face multiple failures.
3) You can choose the interval of time in which failures may occours. The probability of failures is directly related to the flight duration and this interval of time. So you fly for 1 hour and you set a 3 hours interval, you have 33% probability of failure. Fly for 2 hours and set an interval of 2 hours, you have 100% probability of failure and so on
4) you can even select whether a failure is going to be temporary or permanent. For example, I have made a flight in which I set random failures to the engines (and their components) and for the entire duration of the flight I have been plagued by problems in the cylinders which appeared and disappeared
I think it is great! I am going to work more on the preparation of the tour, but in terms of random failures, I have found something that for sure will keep me awake!
DareDevil
Post Edited ( 05-09-10 23:28 )
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
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Author: Swoop 33 Posts Status: Student pilot | Date 05-09-10 13:33 |
That's a good point. Yes, setting a timeframe outside the limit of your flight time would mean you've got a less than 100% chance of the
failure actually happening.
Question for ya, what aircraft are you planning making this epic flight in?
Your route depends on the range of said aircraft, if you've got something with a 2000 mile range you can make the trip via Australia, if not
then you won't make it over the Pacific legs of the trip and will be forced to fly via north east Russia - Alaska instead. Also.....if you are
flying blue water Pacific legs then best of luck with the failures......
I'd be interested to read of your progress.
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
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Author: DareDevil 57 Posts Status: Pilot near incorporation | Date 05-09-10 14:20 |
Swoop wrote:
...
Question for ya, what aircraft are you planning making this epic flight in?
...
I'll fly GA and VFR. Not sure about the aircraft, I have at least five models in mind:
a) the Rutan Long-EZ, which is wonderful and it has even a nice endurance for a small homebuilt (approx. 1200 miles), but it has only one engine, so I
would be a bit concerned if I am going to experiment failures.
b) a variation of the standard Beech Baron, that is the Baron 58TC. Fast and easy to fly, but with shorter legs (approx. 1000 miles)
c) the Diamond DA-42 Twin Star. Also this one has approx. 1000 miles with its relaxed turbo-diesel engines.
d) something odd, the P-38 Lightning, which has a better endurance and it is fast!!!
e) the only relatively "big" aircraft I am considering, the Piaggio P-180 Avanti. That one could make the Pacific route I believe (and also
South-America-Africa)
Most probably I'll end up flying the DA-42 or the P-38... And with that kind of endurance (and failures) the Pacific is not an option  !
I do not have a 100% clear path in mind, but I would like to take-off from Switzerland (where I live in RL), move to Italy, then Greece and maybe
Turkey, proceeding SE toward India, SE Asia, Australia and then "turn back" moving kind of NW, reach Japan, Kurile Istands, Kamchatka and then the
usual Alaska route. Continental USA, Greenland, Island, UK, Netherlands, Germany and then Switzerland again.
DareDevil
Post Edited ( 05-09-10 14:33 )
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
Author: gbapache 1562 Posts Status: Living Legend  | Date 05-10-10 12:16 |
How 'bout a PC-12 or C-130? 
If it's stupid, but it works, it isn't stupid.
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
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Author: DareDevil 57 Posts Status: Pilot near incorporation | Date 05-10-10 16:15 |
gbapache wrote:
How 'bout a PC-12 or C-130?
The PC-12 has the same problem of the Rutan, only one engine... So I wouldn't trust it too much (and besides, I like the Rutan more!). The C-130 is a
nice aircraft and even STOL capable, but I have not enough experience with MEPs.
DareDevil
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| Re: About to start a round-the-world tour... |
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Author: DareDevil 57 Posts Status: Pilot near incorporation | Date 06-14-10 11:25 |
To whom it may concerns... :-)
I have started the tour. Everything is published on a blog (preparation, diary of each leg, pictures etc). I am flying with full realism, real time
weather and random failures.
Four legs made so var, faced a number of minor failures, so far so good...
Everything is here if you want to read it:
http://anubis-gateway.blogspot.com/
Cheers,
DareDevil
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