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Post by taildraggin68 on Apr 4, 2017 22:09:24 GMT
I'm loving the changeable wingtips with v004. Thanks for the continued updates. Fabulous aircraft.
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Post by VSL-Admin on Apr 5, 2017 7:32:42 GMT
I'm loving the changeable wingtips with v004. Thanks for the continued updates. Fabulous aircraft. Thanks! I've reached the Phoenix 'steady' development phase. So it's time to prepare for some EuroFox development (bush-plane capabilities version). I'm having thoughts on implementing the Tundra tires in the same interactivity principles that I've done with the wingtips of the Phoenix (Changing tires simply by clicking on it, from the cockpit 3d view). It's time to run some experiments... Thanks again
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Post by taildraggin68 on Apr 5, 2017 14:02:00 GMT
Sounds like a plan, look forward to the tundra versions of the fox
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eric
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by eric on Apr 6, 2017 4:43:51 GMT
As an Phoenix owner, I'm happy to see a Phoenix sim appear. I don't have X-Plane and haven't flown it, but a fellow owner say your Phoenix is good, and he is looking forward to some tweaks to make it great. I have some suggestions and comments: - Please, please replace the duct tape on the yaw string with a 1/2" circle or triangle of tape. Nobody wants to look through a big piece of tape!
- The prop feathering handle is not an emergency control, but is a standard control, just like the spoilers or throttle.
- The prop tips should not twitch while feathered. The prop blades are very stiff, and the prop does not move easily, even on the ground with a fair amount of force by hand.
- There is no carb heat control, so one should not be added. Engine temperature is controlled by airspeed, power setting, and cowl flap position.
- You wrote "the Phoenix is not an ordinary glider. It is heavier two or even three times from an ordinary glider" - not true. My Phoenix with myself, 10 gallons of fuel, no baggage, weighs about 1000 lbs. Older 15 meter span fiberglass gliders with pilot+parachute weigh about 850 lbs; with water ballast, they weigh about 1050 lbs. Newer ones carry more ballast and are over 1200 lbs.
- Spoilers/airbrakes terms are used interchangeably (sloppy usage, but that's what we do!).
- Spoilers spoil lift and add drag at the same time, and are mainly used for glide path control during landing, while the speed is adjusted by changing the pitch attitude with the elevator.
- Spoilers are sometimes used for deceleration. For example, you might arrive at the airport pattern entry going 80 knots, then open the spoilers to slow down to 60 knots while maintain level flight. After that, they are mainly glide path control. They are also used help slow down on the ground while rolling after landing, as needed. They are not very effective when the speed diminishes.
- In my Phoenix, the engine vibration can only be felt, not seen. The Rotax is a very smooth running engine on a good mount that absorbs most of the vibration. So, no need for any visual vibration effect.
- As others have mentioned, the Phoenix spoilers are average at best in their power, so speed control on final is important minimize floating after the flare, so the plane settles down on the runway where you want it. Note that the plane is easier to land with the engine off, as the idling engine during landing does contribute some thrust as the speed drops below 50 knots after the flare.
I'm looking forward to flying your Phoenix in X-Plane, but it'll take me a few weeks to get the control stick, software, and get it all working, as I've never used X=Plane before.
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Post by VSL-Admin on Apr 6, 2017 8:17:56 GMT
Hi eric, Thank you for joining in and taking the time to write your comments. I always take into consideration all of the notes and feedback that people are writing, and when it comes from a real Phoenix owner, it is really precious! I'll answer to your very contributing points (in a parallel order): - Duct tape on yaw string... - I get your point. I'll have to think about it... No question that you are right regarding the 'big piece of tape' in front of the canopy, but it isn't that big...and it is more of a small touch in the 'artistic' aspect.
- Prop Feathering lever... - currently it is a 'toggle' control lever, with two positions only (not gradient movement as the spoilers, although I might change this in the future). Reason is that I designed it's usage to be similar to the usage of the Phoenix in the US, with the automatic feather system (turn the key on - the propeller will unfeather, turn the key off - it will feather automatically). There was that issue, as far as I know, that the FAA said that a manual lever to feather/unfeather the prop was not considered as an 'auto feather' system (It was written into light sport regulations that light sport gliders may have an auto feathered propeller). But...with the servo and electric systems, when the servo malfunctions as you are feathered, you are 'stuck' with a feathered propeller. So then they had to put the lever back, to have an emergency disconnect of the servo system, when it fails. As far as I know, now the regulations says that a light sport glider may have a feathering propeller, and the manufacturer should determine how it feathers. Based on all of this...in the VSKYLABS Phoenix, there is an auto feather system, and the manual lever could be used also to feather/unfeather (acting as the emergency disconnect system). I set it up in a way that if the auto feather system works fine, you don't have to touch that lever during flight (with one exception...X-Plane has it's own system simulation architecture limitations, and once you are switching the engine to 'off' during flight, and it auto feathers, when starting the engine again you need to manually set it to 'unfeather'. this behavior in X-Plane is a challenge that I'm working on to resolve).
- The prop tips should not twitch while feathered... - In X-Plane, a feathered propeller may 'twitch' (also when standing still on the ground). It is probably a 'buggy' behavior, although not a severe one. It will not continue easily to windmill, but currently these 'twitches' are part of the simulation behavior. This 'twitching' can be "detoured" with the use of more complex animation algorithm, but I'm not there yet...maybe down the road. In general, when feathered, the propeller is 'stucked' (and sometimes 'twitching' a bit).
- There is no carb heat control... - Some engines (Jabiru) has carb-heat systems, on other engines (as the Rotax 912) some pilots add that system, although, as you said, you can manage it by specific flying configuration (as the checklist also instructing). I had some thoughts to add that system, but I decided to keep it without it.
- You wrote "the Phoenix is not an ordinary glider... - you are absolutely right !!!, I wrote it down during a discussion on spoilers effect and I was inaccurate...probably wrote that fact while distracted...(also added a 'lecture' on heavy vs light behavior of bodies...). Your figures are, of course, the right ones.
- Spoilers/airbrakes terms are used interchangeably... - I do it also! actually (you are probably aware of that) it not the same thing; there are aircraft in which the spoilers are being used to induce roll moment (like ailerons), and there are some aircraft that the spoilers are used as airbrakes (on the wing surfaces). In both cases, the spoilers are on the wings, 'spoiling' the airflow. When you are flying an aircraft with both spoilers and airbrakes (for example, A-4 Skyhawk...), you use the spoilers for braking/killing lift only after landing and not inflight. in this case, you don't "mix" the terms, and 'spoilers' are spoilers, while the 'airbrakes' are airbrakes; they are different surfaces (usually attached to the fuselage and not to the wings). Dive brakes are also a term...they can be on the wings, underneath it...fuselage...
- Spoilers spoil lift and add drag at the same time... - agree 100%
- Spoilers are sometimes used for deceleration.... - same here
- In my Phoenix, the engine vibration can only be felt, not seen - not to worry! the vibrating effect is so mild, that you may even miss it. Reason that I did this experimental trial is to test some easy aids to enhance realism; when you are flying an aircraft in a PC, and your world is 21" - 50" screen, you loose a lot of things that compromise the authentic feeling of "being there". This vibration effect is one of them (at least a trial, as I wrote in the update log). As human beings, we are also compensating vibrations and other "jumps" with the "gyroscopic" behavior of our head; we 'feel' the vibration but thanks to this "built in" compensation, we don't always "see it". Another example is that when you fly a real aircraft and turn with a bank, your head will usually tilt sideways to "align" with the horizon (to a certain point). In this case, you will see the front panel in an angled view (unless flying on instruments with the head "inside" the cockpit). In the simulator, your head is always aligned with the panel (unless you use VR gear or other software based plugins), and although you may find it "real", it isn't. Back to the vibration effect...it is very mild trial to induce some "in cockpit action", but it is almost unnoticeable.
- Speed control on final... - As in your extended description, this is how I try to tune the Phoenix. As it is flying now, you can practice this in the simulator and notice that it is happening. What you have wrote in this aspect occurs is the simulation. Although the current version of the Phoenix is fine tuned, constant testings and tune-up for better and more accurate aircraft performance is always a "background process" that I run, and future updates in this matter are to be expected.
I really hope that you will enjoy the Phoenix! The aircraft is in constant development process, and it will continue to evolve. Thanks again for taking the time to write your comments. I really appreciate it
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eric
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by eric on Apr 9, 2017 22:17:28 GMT
Good replies. Yaw strings: I've attached a picture of my cockpit, where you can see the tape on the yaw string is very small, and it'scurrently even smaller, as is typical. Looking around is a major task when flying a glider, and you don't want anything that will keep you from seeing another aircraft coming at you, or a circling glider or bird (a thermal!), a good looking cloud, a field with dust devil in it (a thermal!), or even the airport you are after. Feather lever: now I understand why you called it an emergency lever. As far as I know, the Phoenix was always manual and never had the auto-feather feature that was originally required in LSA aircraft. Certainly, none of the 30+ planes that are in the USA have an auto-feather. Is there a way to get notifications of a new post in this thread?
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Post by VSL-Admin on Apr 9, 2017 23:13:38 GMT
Hi eric Thanks for the great photo! The little triangle tape in the yaw-string element is a good and very useful feature! I will consider adding it in the next update! (also the reduction in the size of the tape). Regarding the prop lever - I got familiar with the auto feather "history" in a video with Phoenix Air USA presentation. I don't now if practically it is being used though. (link to the video with the explanation starts at 00:04:50: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0jrEb70rj0&t=415s).
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Post by patbest on Jul 18, 2017 12:25:53 GMT
Hi! This is the support toppic for the VSKYLABS Phoenix.
Feel free to feedback in here! JetManHuss.Hello, I bought "Phoenix Air Phoenix Project" some time ago and could not get it back in "My purchase" with my other planes. Can you fix this so I can update them. Thank you in advance. Patrick
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Post by patbest on Jul 18, 2017 12:26:27 GMT
Hello,
I bought "Phoenix Air Phoenix Project" some time ago and could not get it back in "My purchase" with my other planes. Can you fix this so I can update them.
Thank you in advance.
Patrick
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Post by VSL-Admin on Jul 18, 2017 12:49:22 GMT
Hello, I bought "Phoenix Air Phoenix Project" some time ago and could not get it back in "My purchase" with my other planes. Can you fix this so I can update them. Thank you in advance. Hi Yes, it's simple! Go back to your original download E-Mail and click on the "i" symbol near the download counter. You will have an option to transfer it to your account! If you're having problems, please let me know JetManHuss.
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shibi
New Member
Posts: 1
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Post by shibi on Jan 24, 2018 2:09:58 GMT
Changelog says
I know it's early days, and this is all preview stuff, but still A few comments:
There is no brake for VR use. The "manual" shows one on the control stick, but there is nothing there. Means one needs to take the headset off, walk over to a keyboard, and hit b The flaps lever doesn't work well. One needs to click the position you want the flaps to extend to, rather than grab and pull the lever The throttle is very problematic. It is quite hard to pull out and push in, to the point I could only get 75% power maximum The control stick is doubled up in green. The inbuilt planes place a rectangular green object (lowest lod maybe?) over the stick, this plane draws a second stick in green, and they don't line up. The throttle is doubled up in green.
Apart from these... the biggest being the throttle... what a beautiful aircraft to fly in VR!
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Post by VSL-Admin on Jan 24, 2018 4:28:47 GMT
Hi, Thanks You are right, and all these are known issues. Pretty soon, the VSKYLABS Falke will be released. It is a VR aircraft by definition, and many hours spent in working out how to set the VR controllers with maximum usability and comfort. All lesson learned will be applied to whole VSKYLABS models. This is including, of course the U-15, and it is expected to happen next week (for the U-15).
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jon
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by jon on Oct 23, 2020 3:56:51 GMT
Hi! I just purchased the U15 Phoenix and cannot find the wingtip swap instructions?
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Post by VSL-Admin on Oct 23, 2020 5:44:49 GMT
Hi! I just purchased the U15 Phoenix and cannot find the wingtip swap instructions? Hi there! You change the wings by clicking on the airspeed indicator glass (recommend to read the included manual/POH - it is in the POH Manual folder). Let me know if you need further assistance!
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jon
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by jon on Oct 27, 2020 15:15:12 GMT
Thanks!
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