Convair 880 problem

[steamingsthingy]

Hey guys,
I've been a longtime Convair 880 fan and found that the HJG model was the best one out there. However, I have been facing some problems with it. I have properly followed all the installation instructions.
1) There are no smoke effects showing (I copied both the effect files to the fsx effects folder, is the aircraft effect folder involved in any way? It didn't say so in the instructions.)
To help solve this problem I downloaded Rikoooo's gauges and effects restorer, but it didn't do much.

Anyone got a solution?

Steam

[Dan K. Hansen]

Which panel did you use?

[steamingsthingy]

I used the CV-880 panel available on the downloads page. I got all the problems with that sorted with a reinstall. However the effects are still missing :/

[Dan K. Hansen]

Hmm... strange.... and you can verify that the two .fx files are actually in the general effects folder?
The files are referred to in the aircraft.cfg file (in your case you should obviously use the renamed aircraft_fsx.cfg in the section:

[SMOKESYSTEM]
smoke.0=-15.00, 44.00, 0.00, fx_hjg_cv880
smoke.1=-15.00, 24.00, 0.00, fx_hjg_cv880
smoke.2=-15.00, -24.00, 0.00, fx_hjg_cv880
smoke.3=-15.00, -44.00, 0.00, fx_hjg_cv880

You need to enable smokeeffects by pressing the "i" key though... (You can find the equivalent in the FSX-menu-item)

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

I "TOTALLY" endorse what Dan communicates above .... in that so long as one has activated he "FSX SPECIFIC" AIRCRAFT.CFG file in FSX ..... AND .... has the "CONVAIR" specific Smoke Fffects files (available from the HJG "EFFECTS" downloads page) installed also .... THEN .... one should not experience any problems/issues/difficulties at all with the HJG CV880 files.

One needs to be using both the HJG supplied CONVAIR panels .... AND .... the HJG supplied CONVAIR somke effects too .... in order to be able to see any auto-smoke effects at all with these simulations.

Just 1 minor correction to the above information though .... in that the CV880 engine smoke effects are "AUTO-GENERATING" on the basis of high engine thrust/RPM/EGT indications

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[steamingsthingy]

Thanks for the replies guys, I got the smoke effects to work when i reinstalled the panel. However, are they programmed to deactivate at a certain altitude? Once i took off, the smoke effects were showing but once I reached about FL100 they disappeared until the high-altitude contrail effects took over. Is it supposed to be like that?

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

All HJG smoke effects work in conjunction with the engine EGT gauge indications in the panels we supply .... in that these gauges need to reflect very high engine thrusr influenced indications (like at T/O, and landing with bith full flap and gear deployed) before the smoke effects will automatically activate.

Below a certain engine thrust influenced indication these smoke cannot be generated.

In most cruise situations .... at high altitude/high MACH airspeed (around MACH 0.88/0.89 for the CV880-22 and CV880-22M) in particular .... smoke will/should continue to be produced, but, it will be wafer-thin evidence .... and which also dissipates within the virtual slipstream/contrails behind each smoke effects equipped simulation .... at least that the way it "iS" in FS2004

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[steamingsthingy]

Thanks for the reply Aerofoto, but my question was that the smoke effects were not showing at certain altitudes (for eg, after takeoff when the aircraft was in stabilised climb at full thrust above FL100 when the 250kt speed restriction is removed).
I.e, there was a period pf time when the aircraft was at full thrust settings and there was absolutely NO smoke effect visible (neither smoke nor contrail)
Hope you can clarify this, and thanks for the support

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

There "IS" a minor altitude smoke effects imposition which applies to the CV880 simulations and which I "did" forget to clarifY .... BUT .... it's only in regard to the manner in which engine RPM indications (and by implication EGT also) are impaired with altitude gain.

HERE's HOW IT WORKS ....

The CV880 smoke affects are slightly different from those of the most other HJG simulations .... albeit these do all work similarly .... provided one's using the intended HJG supplied panels/gauges files with these simulations.

The HJG CV880 smoke effects are what we refer to as being "heavy smoke" (those whom were associated with HJG prior to 2006 will remember these being branded as such) .... because they are a bit more "dense" than those for other HJG simulations in order to produce the desirable/heavier engine exhaust smoke effects during T/O and landing.

These smoke effects are (as I mentioned yesterday) triggered per the engine EGT indications .... which increase with engine RPM/thrust whenever high power is applied during T/O and the approach to landing.

Using the CV880 simulations .... engine thrust is set, and maintained, at (almost) its maximum during T/O, and throughout the climb to altitude, and during the cruise also.

Provided a constant minimum power setting of approximately 97.5% to 98% is maintained .... then ..... this will ensure that the EGT indications remain sufficiently high for smoke to be auto-generated .... HOWEVER .... as indicated engine thrust decreases with altitude gain (as it should .... and does occur with these simulations), then, these effects will eventually dissipate completely as the indicated engine RPM's decline to less RPM 97%.

Throughout later stages of climb the actual indicated RPM will be seen to decline to between 94% and 92% .... and finally to 92% and 90% during the cruise (depending on CV880 aircraft version since both the -22 and -22M perform slightly differently) despite maximum throttle detente being applied throughout.

This, then, accounts for why you see no further smoke effects beyond a ceratin stage/altitude after T/O .... and until later during the approach to landing.

What you're reporting is "quite correct" .... and also "QUITE NORMAL" too .... for these simulations

This is how they (are intended to) work .... in both FS2004 and FSX

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[steamingsthingy]

I guess that gets everything sorted then. Thanks for the support!