Turbo Bonanza Manifold Pressure
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I've had 2 or 3 flights now with this wonderful little b1rd, and on a few occasions, the manifold pressure is whack. It's jiggling around like my belly would if I tried to run (which would be a neat trick, considering my legs don't work), and I thought it might be windy and or gusty conditions, but that is not what the weather was like. Additionally, I used to own a constant speed prop b1rd, and don't remember ever having seen this, and if I did, I likely would have proceeded to the nearest airport to have an A&P take a look under the hood.
So, is this some kind of bug, or is it normal for a turbonormalized engine, and something I'm not familiar with.
As I know it will be the first question, I checked for failures and there are none, and the engine itself is showing 95%, which I find a bit... aggressive, considering while I was at full power for a while, I was not over any redline. The fuel flow and engine computer are showing the same thing, with the computer going from 180hp up to 240hp and back, almost continuously, but randomly, no discernible pattern.
A few additional observations, this is not just in flight, it was doing it as soon as I started the engine, when it was showing as 100% on the condition bar. I also tried several different weather conditions, both live and presets with no changes to this behavior. It's not every flight I've done, though, and it seems quite random.
Thoughts?
Kev -
@kevykevtpa do you have a third party software to control the manifold axis? Once I had a similar scenario the manifold axis was setup on both FS2020 settings and third party settings which caused such conflict.
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@anderson I can't think of a single thing that might do something like that. Additionally, my other favorite GA plane is the Cessna 414 and I've never seen it do anything like that, nor any other constant speed prop plane that I've flown, though aside from those two (and the upcoming Baron!), that's infrequent.
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I flew her yesterday, and aside from a location change, all else remained the same, but did not have the wild MP fluctuations.
Go figure.
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@kevykevtpa This is some feedback that might help, direct from the developer:
This very much sounds like trying to run the engine at WOT with severe fouling. Was there any backfiring audible? This would also account for the loss of engine condition, since producing backfires for an extended period of time does reduce engine health. All fouling can be removed by repairing the engine via the engine condition page of the weather radar display. If it's not that, then does this only occur with the turbocharged version? A mixture binding issue could possibly cause this behavior in the turbocharged version only, as the hardware controls try to set one mixture lever position, while the software tries to set another. If this is not easily resolved by clearing the engine fouling, please contact support, and they will take a closer look, and contact me (the developer) for further assistance.
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@voice-of-reason said in Turbo Bonanza Manifold Pressure:
WOT with severe fouling
That makes sense, except during the flight with the issues, I leaned properly (which is something I didn't have to do with my plane, so it's something I can easily screw up but didn't that time), and I was at WOT for only the first 500' or so off the runway, then I backed off both the throttle and RPM.
I also did a proper run up. But yesterday it didn't happen, and I literally just landed from flying around with a friend in an Arrow (mine looked nicer, but it costs like it, too, at least IRL), and didn't have the issue this time either.
Yes, it was the tc model, and I started at a high altitude cold airport, vs. yesterday and today I was flying around Florida and the Carribean.
During the flight with the issue, the engine moniter gauge was showing like 97% I think, and then late last night, just goofing off, after a full power takeoff and a few touch-n-gos (in Ukraine, as if) it was down to 94%. If a few touch-n-gos makes it go down that far, if I just let it be and flew it daily it would be down under 50% within just a few weeks, but I don't know if that means time for an oil change (from a real life comparison perspective) or an actual major or top overhaul.
I know I probably have some bad habits I need to get myself out of when handling the TC version that wouldn't apply to my real life plane, but if I needed an overhaul after a month of what would granted be pretty heavy use, considering most personally owned airplanes gather dust for weeks on end, which is why I don't own one anymore, and of course the disabled thing would probably be a problem with a medical, but I'd be pretty upset if I had to get an overhaul after a few months!
All that said, the engine surging issue and the quick drop from 100% down when I think I was handling it properly, including gradual increase of the throttle on TO,. are two separate things. Unless it is actually user error in some way, which is entirely possible.
At this point I'll jsut have to keep an eye on her and see if the issue repeats, and if so, see if I can identify why... did I not lean during taxi, did I cycle the prop, though I can't see myself NOT doing that as that's deeply ingrained in muscle memory if nothing else, and so forth.
I'm also planning to get the Baron (I mean, since I won the virtual airplane lottery, why not have an entire hanger full, no?), and I'll watch it, too.
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@kevykevtpa From the developer in response to your reply, hope this helps some more:
Not sure what else to say about the manifold pressure in the turbo version unless you're able to share a video. It really sounds like severe fouling to me. It wouldn't have to be at WOT to appear this way.
So a video might help if that's possible?
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@voice-of-reason I did not take one of the flight where this happened, but if it does again, I will do so.
I also have what is a couple of nit-picks about the openable window on the pilot's side.
First, though I understand they are not supposed to be opened during the flight (more on that below), having been a real-world pilot where I flew around with the windows open plenty of times, whether or not you are 'supposed to' doesn't mean the plane disintegrates in mid-air the moment one is opened contrary to instructions. Since the one on this bird opens inward, it wouldn't even be ripped off the plane by wind forces, though those wind forces might have the same effects on the flight instruments as opening the atl static port would, and it may make the plane a bet less controllable, especially in yaw.
Second, still on the issue of the side window, the following placards are required but missing. I hope I can attach a pic, here goes...
OK good, that did work. Those came from a 2002 POH for the A36 normally aspirated version, I have to date been unsuccessful finding an A36TC POH, so I'm unsure of the proper power settings to use for various phases of flight and whether I want 75%, 65%,, etc, or even LRC.
Here is a link to the non-TC version I found if it may prove useful: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Agjs4q22lK4epbcHy0f-Gw-m_uhuBA?e=Ja9PuA
If you, or anyone else reading this has, or knows where to find the TC one, I would appreciate if someone could share it with me.
I am really looking forward to the release of the Baron on Thursday as I understand it. I've already warned my wife that I will be spending her money the minute it comes out (I'm disabled and unable to work, so we are left with only her income now and have to scrimp and scrape), it is so worth it, at least assuming it's up to the standards of the Bonanza.
I genuinely appreciate the work and dedication you guys put into all of this! I hope you are not taking my input as whining and moaning, as a RL pilot with many years of experience, I think I am able to provide a unique perspective that I hope will only serve to improve the products, because that is my sole intent.
Kev
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@kevykevtpa Next reply from the developer for you Kevin.
Glad to hear you haven't had any further problems with the manifold pressure. Let us know if it recurs, and if you are able to stabilize things by repairing the engine within the weather radar display. Yes, I have been known to open the window in my aircraft many times, telling passengers that I was "testing for the presence of air" :) This is a known issue with MSFS. Anything that opens is considered a "door" in MSFS. Most owners of payware aircraft disable airframe stress damage in the main simulator realism settings for various reasons, including this one. You will find that opening the windows of Black Square aircraft in flight affects the cabin temperature and pressurization, where appropriate.
I believe that the window placards you found are applicable only to the two overwing emergency exits, behind the pilot's seats. I was not able to find a picture with any placards accompanying the front window. Always happy to include anything that's missing if you find a reference, though.
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@kevykevtpa
Hi,
I own the bonanza now for some days and have made some nice flights with this stunning addon "plane".But I also recognises some strange damage incresase or loss of engine condition.
I flew nearly 2h (straight forward) with full engines set (full throttle and prop) with no effects to the engine condition.Otherwise I was flying in the alps with cruise setting between the mountains and valleys with 20% decrease of engine condition in 1/2 an hour (many curves and "stick pulling").
As far I could investigate this it seems to me that giving positive G-force to the plane has an enormous effect to the condition decrease. No matter if you level off a descent or flying long steep curves.
As soon as you apply some force to the plane by pulling the stick it affects the engine condition much more than any engine mismanagement. -
@voice-of-reason Thank you Voice, or whoever it is I'm talking to LOL... So far no recurrance of the manifold pressure issue, and I've even tried, so... Tis a mystery for now anyway.
Now I'm off to fly the Baron, been looking forward to that especially as an alternative to the stock one, which sorta sux.... #justsayin
Still haven't found the TC POH, so hello world, if anyone has one or knows where to find it, short of buying it, please let me know! Haven't looked for the Baron, though I may have from when I was flying the stock version.
But now with these two GA beauties, I may never fly an airliner again! And someone (I don't remember who just now, brain dead after trading stocks all day) published a really nice KTPA so that made me happy, too, just look at my name to know why LOL...
Kev
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@kevykevtpa said in Turbo Bonanza Manifold Pressure:
@voice-of-reason Thank you Voice, or whoever it is I'm talking to LOL... So far no recurrance of the manifold pressure issue, and I've even tried, so... Tis a mystery for now anyway.
Now I'm off to fly the Baron, been looking forward to that especially as an alternative to the stock one, which sorta sux.... #justsayin
Still haven't found the TC POH, so hello world, if anyone has one or knows where to find it, short of buying it, please let me know! Haven't looked for the Baron, though I may have from when I was flying the stock version.
But now with these two GA beauties, I may never fly an airliner again! And someone (I don't remember who just now, brain dead after trading stocks all day) published a really nice KTPA so that made me happy, too, just look at my name to know why LOL...
Kev
Just for info:
It seems that this is really a bug in the addon, triggered by the cylinder temperature management in some way. The support is aware of this and will repair this in the next patch for the Analog Bonanza.Happy landings,
Patrick. -
Hello,
I have exactly the same problem with the Bonanza. In level flight, the pointers of Manifold-Pressure and Fuel-Flow always wobble back and forth. No matter what I change on T P M, the back and forth wobble remains.Then I saw this topic and wanted to record a video of the problem. In the next 2 flights I have then made, the problem did not occur.
So far I have not found out when the problem occurs and for what reason.
