Dmitriy Kopylenko

A lot of questions have been asked lately about whether we model such and such function or not. There seems to be a slight confusion as to what the level of detail of our projects is. I would like to take a moment and amplify on our features.

First of all, our goal is to be the leader in producing ultimate-quality Airbus-based aircraft add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is our mission statement, and that’s what the company has in mind every second of its operations.

Secondly, we achieve this goal by employing highly-trained professionals for each part of our projects (such as visual modeling and texturing, flight dynamics, sounds and system programming). We also believe that the flight simulator add-on industry today is primarily a business, and consumers of premium-quality add-ons must receive the same level of service as consumers of other premium-quality products. We achieve this by choosing Flight One as our e-commerce partner. Flight One is known as the leader of the field. It offers consumers a customer-friendly, convenient and secure purchasing experience, as well as a piece of mind with the 30-day money-back guarantee. We work with Navigraph to allow you to have the best and the latest navigation database updates. We provide you with a Support Forum that is viewed constantly, so you get answers to your questions as soon as possible. We work with various companies in aviation industry in order to support our designers and programmers with all they need for proper, thorough, improvisation-free modeling. AirSimmer is one of the next-generation developers who work on their project full-time, rather than working on days-off, while busy with other ‘real-world’ activities.

All of this translates into the final product. We model everything that is required for flight operation of the aircraft, and we do mean it. To give a little technical insight, all of our gauges are written in C++ from day one. All system logics runs outside FS. Essentially, our aircraft uses FS for what the real aircraft uses world environment for. Let’s take ADIRS system, for example. There isn’t just one ADIRS on our A320. There are three. All of them run independently, supplying various aircraft systems with Air Data (such as airspeed, Mach number, atmospheric pressure and angle of attack) and Inertial Data (including present position, track, groundspeed, and wind information). Each of these systems has its own accuracy. One could drift more than the other. Each ADIRS has 9 sub-modes, including fast realignment, excess motion, ATT mode… The synthesis of 3 IRS positions, or MIX IRS position, is complimented by GPS to calculate GPIRS position. The FMGS then properly calculates FM POS (Flight Management Position) using GPIRS, taking into account bias logics. For example, remember that you have to enter runway shift into the MCDU as part of pre-flight preparation? The FMGS uses this shift to come up with the actual position on takeoff (based on runway position in the database, plus runway shift correction), which becomes the FM POS when you advance throttles to takeoff power, overpowering GPIRS position. GPIRS is actually not quite the same as pure GPS position. If you lose the GPS (signal goes down, or there is a failure), the plane doesn’t switch back to MIX IRS (which could cause map shift), but rather the FM POS remains at the last known GPIRS and is calculated further from there using IR data. It is a must for us to go into details like this.

FMGS system does include all Flight Management and Guidance functions. All autopilot modes, all autothrottle modes, and full Flight Management Systems are there. You get real holding entry (direct, parallel or offset, as appropriate), full flight plan management, including alternate and company routing, secondary flight plan, DATA page, pseudo-waypoints, constraints and so on. Our team spent a lot of time for research and development, studying tens of thousands of pages of documentation to bring you the most accurate FMGS model. After all, it is the heart of the A320.

Hydraulic system is another example. We simulate all 3 systems (Green, Blue and Yellow). We model the proper flight control supplies. For example, different spoiler sections are powered by different hydraulic systems. We simulate the bidirectional Power Transfer Unit, (PTU) that equals the pressure in G and Y systems when only one is available. Electrical system is also fully modeled. You get all appropriate bus assignments for all systems. EMER CONFIG, including such details that the EMER GEN is powered not by RAT directly, but by B HYD, which, in turn, is powered by RAT.

Flight controls are also up to the top level. We totally disconnect the conventional FS axes (this is done seamlessly), ‘capture’ all joystick inputs, send them for processing through our simulated ELAC and SEC computers, and then send the filtered signal back to FS. All FBW configurations are modeled (Normal Law, Alternate Law, Direct Law, and Mechanical Backup). The Normal Law includes all protections. Pitch control is simulated in accordance to C* law (C STAR), where pitch rate demand is used at lower speeds, and g-load demand on higher speeds. Our FBW uses the PI (Proportional-Integral) controller to meet the sidestick demand, just like the real Bus. Reconfiguration (Alternate) law is also simulated, including such features as reverting to Direct Law when gear is extended. If you want some chilling experience, you can turn off all five flight control computers (2 ELAC, 3 SEC), putting the aircraft in Mechanical Backup configuration, leaving yourself with a dead sidestick and just rudder, THS (Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer) and thrust available. Now try and land it. Yes, you do get all that with AirSimmer.

Have you ever heard the ‘MINIMUM’ auto call-out? Do you think it’s triggered when height equals decision height (DH)? Think again. The height at which this call-out is commanded by FWC (Flight Warning Computer) equals to DH+X, where X varies with DH. The ‘RETARD’ callout is dependent on the Throttle Lever position, just like in the real airplane, and will keep playing until you retard the throttles to idle or touchdown, whichever comes first. All our callouts and warning sounds are undistinguishable from the actual ones.

Have you noticed how MODE CHANGE appears on ND when you select another mode? Screen blinking due to power transfer? Yes, we do simulate small things like this, too.

I presented you with but a fraction of the vast list of technical features of our A320 Family. Hopefully, it gives you a little bit of understanding what level of realism we are going for. If you have any questions about the system implementation level of our A320, and whether it is true or not, I suggest you wait for shortly before release. We saved the best for last. Everything will fall into place when we make the next big announcement.

Thank you for your attention!

Nik Efimov
AirSimmer Engineering

A must have!