Left engine ground crossbleed startup

Hello,

I've got the thrustmaster TWCS throttle, so I can only bind the sole throttle axis to control both engines.

I haven't found the keybinding to control left and right throttle independently with the keyboard. Am I missing something on my end?

When doing a ground crossbleed startup for the left engine, I increase right engine to above 80% and crank left engine. But as soon I set left throttle out of the idle position, it also moves to the same setting ans the right engine.

Is there a way to keep the left throttle in idle position during this startup?

Thanks

Jens

Hey jens.

You should take a look at the axes assignment tab and ignore the "Thrust/throttle" assignment.

It should say "Left Throttle" and ""Right Throttle" just below it.

That won't help. The TWCS only has one throttle axis. So this part is okay.

I need to know if i can increase left / right throttle via keybinds.

In the MiG-19 I can use rctrl + num+/num- to increase/decrease right throttle only during runup test (same with ralt + num+/num- for left engine).

So I can keep throttle axis at idle. and as long I do not move the throttle, the independent settings stay as set via key strokes.

Oh sorry, i thought it was the Thrustmaster HOTAS, i misread that.

Im sorry, i cant help you there.

If you have both engines bond to an axis you may not be able to do this at all. But you could by to have keyboard commands for each engine control and at start not touch or axis at all until both engines are started.

I need to know if i can increase left / right throttle via keybinds.

Yes, I've done it by keybinds. I own TWCS too. The only time it was useful was when I had to taxi back to the parking spot after loosing nosewheel control so I had to use differential braking plus differential thrust.

EDIT: It was axis with modifiers - not key binding alone.

Yes, I've done it by keybinds. I own TWCS too. The only time it was useful was when I had to taxi back to the parking spot after loosing nosewheel control so I had to use differential braking plus differential thrust.

Do you use the thrustmaster software for this?

I'm unable to locate the keyboard binding for left / right throttle increase / decrease in DCS control setup. Only within axis assignment you can have left throttle / right throttle / both throttles bind to an axis.

Thanks

Jens

You are right the F-14 doesn't have this controls, they exist on other planes (i.e F-18) but not on the Tomcat module atm. Sorry the only way I see to get around your problem is using TM TARGET to program other axis in "shift states" that you can then use to assign to each engine. Maybe someone else can think of another way.

Okay thanks for clearing this up.

I don't want the extra thrustmaster software to mess around :smilewink:

I usually setup the controls within DCS as nearly as possible the same for all planes I fly.

Maybe HB adds these keybinds in the future.

Regards

Jens

Try assigning a modifier switch (in the DCS controls menu itself) to your throttle axis to make it control right engine throttle instead. It overrides the default throttle binding allowing you to have independent throttle control. I have one of the buttons on my T16k's base bound as a switch modifier that switches my TWCS throttle's main axis to right throttle, and the little radar elevation pinky wheel to left throttle, and it works surprisingly well for such cases.

Thanks, never thought of this. Will give it a try.

edit: Just tried it. Really never thought about using modifiers with axis. Works.

Only thing left is the bug, that mostly on ground cold & dark loadings my front wheel is tilted left and the plane creeps a bit forward when throttling right engine up to 84% RPM which seems to be required to start left engine. And wheel chocks would help too ;-)

Thanks, never thought of this. Will give it a try.

 

edit: Just tried it. Really never thought about using modifiers with axis. Works.

Only thing left is the bug, that mostly on ground cold & dark loadings my front wheel is tilted left and the plane creeps a bit forward when throttling right engine up to 84% RPM which seems to be required to start left engine. And wheel chocks would help too ;-)

you should never release the parking break until Jester says "ready to taxi" or you might interrupt the INS alignment. With parking break set, the aircraft should never creep anywhere.

Yeah you can. On my Virpil throttle I have the idle set to the buttons under the axis itself. I did 3d print SneakyBastd afterburner detents, which are great.

The idle binds work great for startup but not as well for shutdown. On the Hornet, have one bind to start and another to shutdown while Tomcat only has one bind per engine. Additionally, tapping button won't lock it down have to right click

Just tried it. Really never thought about using modifiers with axis. Works.

That's how I did it. I did not remember this at first. No TM software needed.

you should never release the parking break until Jester says "ready to taxi" or you might interrupt the INS alignment. With parking break set, the aircraft should never creep anywhere.

Hi,

parking brake was set, the plane loaded with the front wheel turned slightly to the left and it began creeping slightly with the right engine at 84% RPM to do the cress bleed start, while the left engine was still off. Jester didn't started the alignement, cause the second engine wasn't running. Both engines in idle and air switches set to both, Jester started alignement procedure.

I'll see if I can create a track file next time.

edit: I've created the following report in the bug section:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4189284#post4189284

Thanks

Jens

Thanks, never thought of this. Will give it a try.

 

edit: Just tried it. Really never thought about using modifiers with axis. Works.

Only thing left is the bug, that mostly on ground cold & dark loadings my front wheel is tilted left and the plane creeps a bit forward when throttling right engine up to 84% RPM which seems to be required to start left engine. And wheel chocks would help too ;-)

Just a quick FYI, normal procedure wouldn't be to do a cross-bleed start on the ground. You should use the external air (huffer) for both engines.

The normal procedure is to connect both air and electrical before starting right engine and then remove electrical once the right is online and then start the left from external air as well.

Crossbleed starts are really only for air starts.

Hi,

 

parking brake was set, the plane loaded with the front wheel turned slightly to the left and it began creeping slightly with the right engine at 84% RPM to do the cress bleed start, while the left engine was still off. Jester didn't started the alignement, cause the second engine wasn't running. Both engines in idle and air switches set to both, Jester started alignement procedure.

I'll see if I can create a track file next time.

 

 

edit: I've created the following report in the bug section:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4189284#post4189284

 

Thanks

Jens

Danke sehr, Jens.

Bitte sehr.

I read somewhere, that the F-14 crews used crossbleed engine starts on the ground or carrier to start up a greater number of planes but only having few number of air supply carts. So they can move to the next plane faster.

At around 2 min, right engine is started and they removed air supply. But wheelchocks are in place.

Thanks

Jens

Bitte sehr.

 

I read somewhere, that the F-14 crews used crossbleed engine starts on the ground or carrier to start up a greater number of planes but only having few number of air supply carts. So they can move to the next plane faster.

 

At around 2 min, right engine is started and they removed air supply. But wheelchocks are in place.

 

Thanks

Jens

Interesting. I'll check with our maintenance SMEs. Might have been wrong on this one, I said in the bug thread "wasnt a thing".

Crossbleeds are the rule on the boat. Rarely do it on the beach, only if the flight line air is down and you have to use the huffer.

There were some lines at Oceana that didn’t have air and the huffer/crossbleeds were the rule.

Crossbleeds are the rule on the boat. Rarely do it on the beach, only if the flight line air is down and you have to use the huffer.

Thanks Spice, so there is the response from our maintenance guys themselves. I was wrong, my apologies, Jens.

Happy to help! I’ll never forget when we saw the f-18 on the boat for the first time. It was like “what sorcery is this!?”

Thanks. Great. One question though.

...only if the flight line air is down...

So there were fixed spots in the ground with the air supply hoses? Like there are refueling ports in the ground on bigger airports like Frankfurt here in Germany? Or do I misunderstand this?

That’s right. There were fixed units on the ground that had power cords and compressed air.

Thanks for the insights. Everyday something new.