Cowl Flaps LVar Help

jmarkows

Evening Nick,

I have been tinkering with my yoke bindings on the Bonanza for a bit, and I found that I have an extra axis since the Bonanza (at least the TC variant) has a flap switch instead of an axis, at least not something I can make worthwhile using an axis like I do the TBM. I was at odds with what to do with my spare axis until I saw the cowl flap lever.

Unsurprisingly, the stock sim binding doesn't seem to work with it, so I buried myself in the FSUIPC manual over dinner. I have some RPN calculator code that I think will take me from my signed INT axis values to something between 0-100, but I'm not seeing it reflected in the cockpit. This variable kind of stands out compared to your normal ordered, labeled affair. The manual lists it as RECIP ENG COWL FLAP POSITION:1, but not only is my code having no effect, I don't see it when I have FSUIPC list out the active LVars.

Is this correct? I did some digging through the various BonanzaPro folders and .cfg files and was unable to find pretty much anything labeled cowl, except what I think are the lights above the lever.

jmarkows

In an interesting twist, while the stock sim binding for Set Cowl Flap 1 doesn't seem to work, having FSUIPC send the axis direct to the sim's Cowl Flaps 1 Axis does work, although because of the range it is looking for, only half of the axis represents valid travel.

I might be able to work some calculator code in there to normalize it across the entire axis, but I'm curious what the actual LVar should be.

EDIT: aha, here it is, already setup with an FSUIPC offset

I don't know why they call them offsets, but I might be able to work with this. It does look like a stock sim variable after all, so why the hell the in-sim bindings won't work with it is a complete mystery.

jmarkows

Solved! It is a stock simulator variable, so it is looking for the A: in front of it. The full variable for interacting with is A:RECIP ENG COWL FLAP POSITION:1. Figuring that out, plus making my math actually do what I wanted it to do fixed it right up.

Next update pass, Nick, would you mind including the A: prefixes for all base sim variables? After a quick look through the Bonanza manual, I think that's the only one, but I haven't checked your other products.