- the custom autopilot system needs at least stable 17 fps to work properly. Any lower performance may result in unexpected behaviour.
- Use modern flight model (legacy flight model is not supported)
- It's crucial for the Autothrust system to have properly setup detents. Ensure that you have enough dead zone around the detents.
- Typical issues when this is not done properly: constantly flashing "LVR CLB", FLX / TOGA not engaging or ATHR not holding speed correctly (the latter can also happen when in CLB/OP CLB or DES/OP DES and flying manually -> in that case you need to take care of holding speed with pitch)
- Custom Autopilot and Autothrust System incl. new Engine model
- Custom Fly-By-Wire System
If this is the case your throttle calibration is not properly. The values of the throttle axis range from -1.0 to 1.0 independently if you're using reverse on axis or not. When the current throttle position is larger or equal then the start position and smaller or equal than the end position of a detent, the throttles are considered to be in that detent.
Ensure that:
- detents are large enough defined so hardware inaccuracy is taken into account (i.e. detents on the Thrustmaster TCA are not that hard and values can quite differ even one thinks it's in the detent
- there is enough range between the detents (meaning end position of detent and start position of next detent are at least wide as the detents)
Important: if you have issues, don't look at the animation part to check if it's in the detent. Check the values in the EFB, those are relevant and not the animation.
Important rule is to always monitor the FMA. If you're in manual flight and you're in CLB, OP CLB, DES or OP DES the autothrust applies either THR CLB (limited by the throttle levers) or THR IDLE. The speed needs to be controlled by pitch and in manual flight the pilot is responsible to do so by following the flight director orders.
If this is not your desired mode, you can do two things:
- engage another vertical mode (i.e. V/S or FPA)
- disengage both flight directors, this will force the Autothrust into SPEED mode
Reminder: Speed is only controlled properly using thrust when Autothrust is engaged and active, thrust levers are in detent CLB, active FMA mode is SPEED or MACH.
SRS mode needs at least a V2 entered on TO PERF page. Additionally it does only engage when the detents are set properly. If no FLX temperature is set, this needs to be TOGA. If a FLX temperature is set, it's FLX/MCT or TOGA.
Other conditions:
- plane needs to be at least 30 s on ground
- Flaps extended at least in position 1+F
There is currently no auto-tune available for the LOC on take-off. You need to enter the right frequency manually. Beside that RWY mode only engages with the following conditions:
- LOC signal valid
- LOC deviation smaller than 1/2 dot
- Deviation between plane heading and LOC bearing is < 20°
- Plane needs to be at least 30 s on ground
- Flaps extended at least in position 1+F
Ensure that both thrust reduction and acceleration altitude on TO PERF page are properly setup.
Before reaching 400 ft radio altitude the FMA needs to show LOC and G/S. If one of them is still in capture mode (LOC* or G/S*) you need to perform a go around maneuver or land manually, LAND will not engage that way.
The Autoland system is quite complex and is dependent on multiple environmental conditions to work properly, such as:
- LOC accuracy in terms
- alignment of heading to runway heading
- alignment on runway centerline
- availability down to 0 ft and also during roll-out
- G/S accuracy in terms
- alignment to correct height (50 ft over runway threshold)
- availability down to 50 ft
- ground in front of runway threshold needs to be more or less stable (no fast raising terrain) beginning 200 ft radio altitude
Reminder: If the autoland warning light goes on it's IRL procedure to go around!
Unfortunately a lot of runways (either using Navigraph or not) have issues for LOC and/or G/S, either in terms of alignment or availability. On many runways you loose the LOC during ROLL OUT. In that case the roll out has to be performed manually by disengaging the AP.
ℹ️ Tuning is a large effort to be done for differnt flight conditions like speed, configuration, weight and center-of-gravity (CG). You can help by reporting issues in certain flight conditions. Please take note of important conditions mentioned before.
- ❌ Due to lack of LNAV, the flaws of the default flight plan manager still apply (bank to left or right shortly after TO etc)
- ❌ Due to lack of VNAV, DES mode is currently only using SPD/MACH
- ❌ Due to lack of VNAV, RNAV approaches are not supported yet
- ❌ Transitions might not be as they should
- ❌ AP disconnect does not trigger master warning etc.
- ❌ NAV mode being armed might show dashes in the FCU instead of selected HDG
- ❌ Engine out operations are not yet considered
- ❌ AP performance when flying turbulence might not be satisfying in all cases
- ❌ AP is not disconnected due to turbulence
- ❌ Realistic start-up procedure is missing
- ❌ During start, no fuel flow is shown
- ❌ Realistic Descent/ Approach idle parameters / drag.
- ❌ N1 thrust limit displayed and achieved may differ
- ❌ Thrust limits are preliminary and not finished (they are currently lacking adaptation for Mach)
- 🔸 Switched to different default input source for LNAV, transitions are now better
- 🔸 Engines can now be started, realistic start-up procedure is in work
- 🔸 first implementation of custom ATHR system is now available
- 🔸 principle go-around mode has been added but not all conditions are respected yet
- 🔸 NAV mode is for the time being using default flight plan manager until the custom is ready
- 🔸 altitude constraints seem to work with CLB and DES (there are many situations out there, so there can still be unknown bugs)
- 🔸 Fuel burn should be correct in flight
- 🔸 SPD/MACH hold might when flying in curves has been improved
- 🔸 FLEX thrust limit is still rough and is also not adapted for Mach yet
- 🔸 Pause and slew detection should be ok now
- 🔸 Fuel flow is currently always in KG
- 🔸 Thrust limits are now corrected for air-conditioning and anti-ice yet
- 🔸 LOC* has has been improved in capturing performance, might still need some tuning
- 🔸 Flare Law has been improved to handle fast raising ground before the runway; when in 200 ft RA, the ground should in the area of the runway slope, otherwise issues are to be expected
- ✔️ In case the default AP is for any reason engaged it will be automatically disconnected
- ✔️ In manual approach LOC and G/S might be lost too fast with mode reversion to HDG + V/S
- ✔️ FMA indications for ATHR system are missing
- ✔️ due to this workaround, the engine EGT can go into read area when in (OP) CLB/DES (see workaround above)
- ✔️ due to missing custom ATHR system, the (OP) CLB/DES modes might need manual thrust control -> a simple and hacky workaround has been added though
- ✔️ FD off/on does not deactivate all FMA items
- ✔️ Engagement of AP with FD off is incorrect
- ✔️ Flight Director (FD) guidance in pitch is not fully satisfying yet
- ✔️ Fuel used since start is not shown correctly on ECAM fuel page, it's basically 0
- ✔️ AP is disconnected due to sidestick or rudder input
- ✔️ EWD has been improved to correctly display N2 > 100
The recommendation is to use a combination of default events and the custom events to trigger the FCU. This has been tested with the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle using SPAD.next or FSUIPC.
ℹ️ You find an event file for FSUIPC in subfolder FSUIPC. This needs to be placed in the FSUIPC folder beside the ini-file to be recognized. Then you can select those custom events for button press (for FS Control).
ℹ️ You find an profile for SPAD.neXt in subfolder SPAD.neXt. This needs to be placed your configured SPAD.neXt profile folder. Then you can create a new profile based on that or by editing the XML files you can take-over the custom events in your existing profile.
Default events:
| Event | Function |
|---|---|
| AP_MASTER | Toggles AP 1 master |
| AUTOPILOT_ON | Engage AP1 (add AP2 when LAND mode is armed or engaged) |
| AUTOPILOT_OFF | Disconnect AP (like red button on sidestick) |
| AUTOPILOT_DISENGAGE_TOGGLE | Same as AP_MASTER |
| AP_SPD_VAR_INC | Clockwise dial Speed knob on FCU |
| AP_SPD_VAR_DEC | Anti-clockwise dial Speed knob on FCU |
| HEADING_BUG_INC | Clockwise dial Heading knob on FCU |
| HEADING_BUG_DEC | Anti-clockwise dial Heading knob on FCU |
| AP_VS_VAR_INC | Clockwise dial V/S knob on FCU |
| AP_VS_VAR_DEC | Anti-clockwise dial V/S knob on FCU |
| AP_APR_HOLD | Push APPR button on FCU |
| AP_LOC_HOLD | Push LOC button on FCU |
| AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM | Push ATHR button on FCU |
| AUTO_THROTTLE_DISCONNECT | Disconnect ATHR (like red button on throttle levers) |
| AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA | Apply TOGA thrust |
Custom events:
| Event | Function |
|---|---|
| A32NX.FCU_AP_1_PUSH | Push AP1 on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_AP_2_PUSH | Push AP2 on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_SPD_PUSH | Push Speed knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_SPD_PULL | Pull Speed knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_SPD_MACH_TOGGLE_PUSH | Push SPD/MACH toggle on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_HDG_PUSH | Push Heading knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_HDG_PULL | Pull Heading knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_TRK_FPA_TOGGLE_PUSH | Push TRK/FPA toggle on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_ALT_PUSH | Push Altitude knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_ALT_PULL | Pull Altitude knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_VS_PUSH | Push V/S knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_VS_PULL | Pull V/S knob on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_LOC_PUSH | Push LOC button on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_APPR_PUSH | Push APPR button on FCU |
| A32NX.FCU_EXPED_PUSH | Push EXPED button on FCU |
ℹ️ It is recommended that the sidestick uses a linear sensitivity with only dead zone set appropriately.
ℹ️ It is recommended to use a linear sensitivity for the throttle axis.
ℹ️ The throttle configuration can be adapted using the EFB.
ℹ️ Tuning is a large effort to be done for differnt flight conditions like speed, configuration, weight and center-of-gravity (CG). You can help by reporting issues in certain flight conditions. Please take note of important conditions mentioned before.
- ❌ Alternative Law
- ❌ Direct Law (in flight)
- ❌ Simulation of hydraulic system missing -> when engines are off / electric pump is off control surfaces should not work
- ❌ Pitch attitude and load factor limitation are currently not applied in high angle of attack (AoA) protection
- 🔸 High speed protection
- 🔸 High angle of attack (AoA) protection
- 🔸 V_LS, V_alpha_prot, V_alpha_max are not finished and will be further improved
- 🔸 Increasing thrust rapidly while being in high alpha protection may additionally trigger alpha floor
- ✔️ Normal Law (Pitch) creates a too small pitch rate on low speed or g-load on higher speeds
- ✔️ Rotation Law including tailstrike protection
- ✔️ pitch normal law (C* law) sometimes oscillates on low speed
- ✔️ yaw damper / rudder control missing
- ✔️ pitch attitude protections can oscillate
- ✔️ nose-down pitch attitude protection sometimes kicks-in too early
- ✔️ transformation from ground to flight mode might take longer than intended (nose might drop after releasing the stick)
- ✔️ auto-trim feature locks trim wheel completely
- ✔️ flare mode might be stronger than expected, needs to be investigated
- ✔️ after landing sometimes a slight pitch up moment is introduced, needs to be investigated
- ✔️ strange interaction with default auto thrust system -> thrust lever sometimes does not move, fix is to manually disable ATHR
- ✔️ after a longer pause the fbw system goes crazy