Did some flyin', then some tweakin'.

Tom Clayton

Tom Clayton

Administrator
Staff member
I decided I wanted to get in some stick time, so I fired up the PAD Seastar. Overall, it was a satisfying flight, but I noticed a few things. Foremost on the list was the fact that the props were both going in the same direction. That was an easy fix - I just added rotation=1,-1 to the [propeller] section to reverse the rear prop. Then I started digging deeper. I found out that the Seastar uses essentially the same engine as the C208, so I compared the engine settings and they were pretty close. The rated N2 RPM was different (lower), but I can attribute that to the extra prop blade on each engine. Next, I decided to check the propeller specs. With a little creative Googling, I found this:

http://www.mccauley.textron.com/MAG.pdf

Every serious sim user needs this file. It contains operating specs for every McCauley prop setup, including the Seastar. I found it interesting to see that the front and rear are actually slightly different, but I don't think that FS9 can handle different prop specs, so I went with an average where there was a difference. The biggest difference between PAD and the spec sheet was in the beta_max setting, which was about 40° too low. After the tweaks, I took it up and the engines felt pretty believable - at least to someone with absolutely no experience with any real turboprop whatsoever.

Now if someone with a little more experience than my none at all could take a look at the flap settings, I'd certainly appreciate that. The sudden pitch and lift changes with flap angle changes are manageable, but I have a feeling that the real thing may not be as abrupt...
 
For your flaps there are simple adjustments that can be made in the aircraft.cfg - look under the [flaps] section & you should find 'lift scalar', 'drag_scalar' & 'pitch_scalar'.
For more tweaking there are the equivalent headings within section 1101. CL_df-Flaps, Cd_df-Drag Coefficient-flaps, & Cm_df-Pitch Moment flaps.
HTH
Keith
 
I used the turbobeaver MK3 air file (PAD's), and just added: spoiler drag=1000. Plus some cfg tweaks. The flap pitch is = -0.500 (works well).

Basically the seastar and MK3 air files are (almost) identical. With tweaks to cfg/engine the cruise speed is now 205 kts (@60 GPH/ 48% Pwr). Max speed is 240 kts.

And oh. I have it working in FSX Accelleration, in case you wondered. But I don't have it in FS9 as of right now. I will have it later tonight.

I work on every download airplane. Port them to FSX Accell for test (yes/no) using my trusty 'hja jet' panel (from H.J. Altman,found inside Harrier zip, for FSX, by Villa). I tweak air files all the time (often switching with similar model air file). Contact points is the first thing I 'attack' and is most important (to me). Especially if it amphib. Here is my edit to same:

[contact_points]
point.0= 1, 12.414, 0.000, -9.500, 2600, 0, 0.920, 60.0, 0.200, 3.0, 0.900, 5.0, 5.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0
point.1= 1, -2.320, -4.167, -9.590, 2600, 1, 0.920, 0.0, 0.320, 2.5, 0.790, 5.0, 5.0, 2, 0.0, 0.0
point.2= 1, -2.320, 4.167, -9.590, 2600, 2, 0.920, 0.0, 0.320, 2.5, 0.790, 5.0, 5.0, 3, 0.0, 0.0
point.3= 4, 8.823, -2.550, -8.217, 2600, 0, 0.512, 0.0, 0.500, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0
point.4= 4, 8.823, 2.550, -8.217, 2600, 0, 0.512, 0.0, 0.500, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0
point.5= 4, -5.979, -4.731, -8.000, 2600, 0, 0.512, 30.0, 0.500, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0
point.6= 4, -5.979, 4.731, -8.000, 2600, 0, 0.512, 30.0, 0.500, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0
point.7= 2, 2.500, -28.745, -3.050, 2600, 0, 0.000, 0.0, 0.400, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0
point.8= 2, 2.500, 28.745, -3.050, 2600, 0, 0.000, 0.0, 0.400, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 2, 0.0, 0.0
point.9= 2, -34.000, 0.000, 4.000, 1220, 0, 0.000, 0.0, 0.400, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.0, 0.0
point.10=5, -30.000, 0.000, -5.000, 1220, 0, 0.000, 0.0, 0.400, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0
point.11=2, 14.000, 0.000, 3.000, 1220, 0, 0.000, 0.0, 0.400, 2.2, 0.750, 0.0, 0.0, 9, 0.0, 0.0
max_number_of_points=12
static_pitch= 1.000
static_cg_height= 9.800
gear_system_type=0
tailwheel_lock=0

Chuck B
Napamule
 
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