cessna 172 trainer trouble

[Duke_sc]

Hi,
I'm having trouble with the cessna 172 that I just bought today. I'm starting fsx from scratch and loading my default flight which is the stock cessna 172 running at Orlando intl. I turn everything off and switch to the a2a cessna and without doing anything I bring up the hangar and it says the plane is basically wrecked. Prop strike, fuel leaks etc. It won't let me fix anything so I'm stuffed sitting on the runway. Same thing happens if I select the a2a at the start menu. The thing is I haven't had a crash in previous flights, they all ended up on the apron before I ended the flight. So what do I need to do to get the a2a Cessna back up and running again. I'm sorely disappointed as this is the first a2a I've purchased and it wasn't exactly cheap. Hopefully, it will be something simple.

FSX:Steam dx9 (which it was working on earlier) can't get dx10 to work without ctds on loading flights.
Windows 10 2004
i5-6400
gtx 1060 6gb
16gb ram
Orbx Global Base
Vectors
Buildings
landclass

Thanks in advance

[Nick - A2A]

Hi,

The first thing I'd recommend is to make sure you've downloaded and run the Accu-Sim update if you haven't already done this. It's available here.

After you've done this, please can you check that the Microsoft SimConnect client is properly installed? You can access the installer locally from this directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\LegacyInterfaces\FSX-XPACK\SimConnect.msi. Just double click to run it.

If the problem persists after following these two steps, I'd suggest resetting your modified default flight back to the original FSX default flight.

Thanks,
Nick

[Duke_sc]

Hi,
That did the trick! No more damage showing and I can start with CTRL-E or full startup from dark. A quick question if I may. Although I have all realism switches set to the left except auto mixture as advised, I notice that the A2A Cessna drifts the right on take-off whereas the default cessna doesn't. I have a real job trying to trim for straight and level flight. Any idea why this would be? Anyway many thanks for your help with this.

Cheers,
Robert

[Nick - A2A]

That's good to hear Robert and thanks for the update.

As regards the flight model, the default FSX Cessna has what can be described as a "flying on rails" approach to simulated flight. The Accu-Sim 172 requires more realistic use of rudder and/or aileron input to counteract the natural tendency of the aircraft to turn due to a variety of factors. During take-off, a left-turning tendency would normally be expected if there's no crosswind and this should be counteracted with right rudder input. If you fancy a bit more reading, the reasons for this turning tendency are summarised here.

If the aircraft is turning right for you during take-off, it might be worth checking that the fuel load in the wing tanks is reasonably well balanced, and whether you've got a crosswind coming from the right side of the runway which is causing you to 'weathervane' into the wind.

When it comes to trimming for straight and level flight, bear in mind that you'll still need to physically fly the aeroplane, even when it's properly trimmed. Taking your hand off the yoke for more than a few moments will result in one or the other wing gradually dropping. The KAP 140 autopilot is fitted to reduce pilot workload in this respect and its manual can be found here.

Thanks,
Nick