Chapter 3: Using the Application (iPhone/iPod Touch Version)
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Contents |
Introduction
Once both the mobile device and the PC or Mac copy of X-Plane have been properly configured, it’s time to use Remote. If you are using an iPhone or iPod Touch, continue reading. If instead you are using an iPad, click here to jump to the iPad chapter.
Upon launching the X-Plane Remote application on the iPhone and iPod Touch, users are greeted with the screen below.
Here, users can select the view to be used by tapping any of the first five buttons, as well as toggle the mobile device’s joystick function on or off. Tap the button for either a panel view or the moving map view to select it, and tap the use for joystick! button to toggle it on or off (for instance, in the above image, it is set to “on”).
The Cali tab of this window can be used to change the phone or iPod’s “control calibration.” Just hold the device at the desired angle and tap the Set Current Phone Tilts As Center button to make the current attitude of the phone or iPod the point for which input is zero. This lets users fly with the device in their lap when sitting or standing, or held vertical when lying down—kind of convenient!
When the panel, joystick function, and control calibration have been set up as desired, tap the Done button in the top left of the screen to begin flying.
The Panel Views
The flight controls within each of the four panel views (standard general aviation, standard heavy, EFIS, and Orbiter) are identical; each panel view has trim, throttle, speedbrake, and flap controls, as well as buttons to toggle the wheel brakes and the gear. The differences between panel views lie in their instrumentation, including the availability of autopilot functions.
Note that any X-Plane Remote panel can be used with any X-Plane host aircraft. For obvious reasons, though, it makes sense to use certain types of aircraft with certain panels (as described in each panel’s section below).
Note: When in any panel view, click in the upper center of the screen to return to the menu.
Common Features
The general flight controls are seen in the image below. These controls (as well as the instrument panels) are identical to those found in the mobile X-Plane applications—for instance, the speedbrake and trim controls, as well as the EFIS and standard heavy panels, are all identical to the ones in the X-Plane Airliner application.
The slider in the top left of the screen (labeled 1 in the image above) controls the craft’s pitch trim. For instance, to hold the nose up, drag the TRIM slider down a bit. To hold the nose down, drag the TRIM slider up a bit. This is ergonomically equivalent to using a real trim wheel, which the pilot rolls up to push the nose down, or down to pull the nose up. The trim slider is at neutral when in the center of its travel.
The slider in the top right of the screen (labeled 2 in the previous image) controls the aircraft’s speedbrake. Drag the slider down to pull the speedbrake in. Note, of course, that while this slider will always be visible, many aircraft in X-Plane will not actually have speedbrakes, so moving this control will do nothing.
The slider in the lower left (labeled 3 in the image above) controls the aircraft’s throttle. Dragging this to the to the top of its travel will command full throttle. Note, once again, that while this control will always be visible, it may not actually be affecting anything—for instance, when flying a glider or the Space Shuttle on reentry.
The slider on the lower right (labeled 4 in the previous image) controls the craft’s flaps. Drag it to the bottom of its travel to command full flaps.
The button at the bottom left of the screen (labeled 5 in the image above) controls the aircraft’s wheel brakes. When the BRAKE label is lit red, the brakes are toggled on, and when it is gray, they are toggled off. In some views, this button will not be visible when the brakes are toggled off. Tapping near its location, though, will make toggle them on and make the button reappear.
The button at the bottom right of the screen (labeled 6 in the screenshot above) toggles the gear up or down. When the GEAR label is lit green, the gear is toggled down, and when it is unlit (or invisible), the gear is up. Note that once again, if the button becomes invisible, simply tap near its location to toggle the gear, thus making the button reappear.
Additionally, in each of the panel views (excluding the Orbiter for obvious reasons), scrolling down in the panel by dragging your finger up the screen will show the navigation radios, as in the following screenshot.
The NAV 1 radio (labeled 1 in the screenshot above) is used for navigating using a radio signal. It is tuned using the two knobs on the instrument. The first knob (labeled 2 in the previous screenshot) is used to tune the integer (or "counting number") portion of the frequency. The second knob (labeled 3 in the screenshot) is used to tune the decimal portion of the frequency.
To turn a knob up, tap directly above it, and to turn it down, tap directly below it. For instance, if the frequency read 111.10 and the user clicked above the left knob, the frequency would increase to 112.10. If the user instead clicked above the right knob, the frequency would increase to 111.20. More information on instrument navigation can be found in Chapter 6 of the manual for the desktop version of X-Plane.
To the right of the NAV 1 radio is the navigation source selection switch (labeled 4 in the previous screenshot). This selects between navigating using the frequency on the NAV 1 radio and that of the NAV 2 radio; tap the switch to change its position.
To the right of the navigation source selector is the NAV 2 radio (labeled 5 in the previous image). This is functionally identical to the NAV 1 radio.
Once again, more on using the navigation radios can be found in the full X-Plane manual.
The Standard General Aviation Panel
This panel would typically be used with (relatively) low-cost, general aviation aircraft such as the Cessna 172, the King Air B200, or the Piper Malibu.
There are six primary instruments that have become standard in any instrument panel. Since the early 1970s, these have been arranged in a standard layout referred to as “the six pack.” In the Standard General Aviation panel, this layout has been adhered to with one exception (explained below).
The first instrument in the top row (labeled 1 in the screenshot above) is the airspeed indicator. In its simplest form, it is nothing more than a spring which opposes the force of the air blowing in the front of a tube attached to the aircraft. The faster the airplane is moving the stronger the air pressure is that acts to oppose the spring and the larger the deflection of the needle from which the pilot reads the craft’s speed. There are a number of ways that this reading can be thrown off (most obviously by flying at an altitude where there is little to no air), so bear in mind that this is the indicated airspeed, not necessarily the true airspeed.
The second instrument in the top row (labeled 2 in the image above) is the attitude indicator, which displays the aircraft's position in space relative to the horizon. This is accomplished by fixing the case of the instrument to the aircraft and measuring the displacement of the case with reference to a fixed gyroscope inside.
The third instrument in the top row (labeled 3 in the previous screenshot) is the altimeter. This displays the aircraft's altitude (in feet above mean sea level) by measuring the expansion or contraction of a fixed amount of air acting on a set of springs. As the airplane climbs or descends, the relative air pressure outside the aircraft changes and the altimeter reports the difference between the outside air pressure and a reference, contained in a set of airtight bellows.
The first instrument in the bottom row (labeled 4 in the screenshot above) is the turn coordinator. This measures the aircraft's rate of turn. The instrument is only accurate when the turn is coordinated—that is, when the airplane is not skidding or slipping through the turn. A skid is the aeronautical equivalent to a car that is understeering, where the front wheels do not have enough traction to overcome the car's momentum and the front of the car is thus plowing through the turn. In a car, this results in a turn radius that is larger than that commanded by the driver. A slip is a bit more difficult to imagine unless one is a pilot already. It results from an aircraft that is banked too steeply for the rate of turn selected. To correct the slip, all the pilot has to do is increase back pressure on the yoke, pulling the airplane "up" into a tighter turn, such that the turn rate is in equilibrium with the bank angle.
The second instrument in the second row (labeled 5 in the previous image) is not the directional gyro of the "standard six." Instead, to facilitate instrument flight, the directional gyro has been replaced with an omni-bearing indicator (or OBI). More information on this instrument can be found in Chapter 6 of the manual for the desktop version of X-Plane.
The final instrument in the second row (labeled 6 in the screenshot above) is the vertical speed indicator, also called the vertical velocity indicator or variometer. This reports the aircraft’s climb or descent rate in feet per minute (fpm). Typically, non-pressurized airplanes will climb comfortably at about 700 fpm (if the plane is capable) and descend at about 500 fpm. Descent rates faster than this cause discomfort on the occupants which is felt in passengers’ ears. Pressurized airplanes can climb and descend much more rapidly and still maintain the cabin rate of change at about these levels, since the cabin altitude is not related to the ambient altitude unless the pressurization system fails.
The Standard Heavy Panel
The Standard Heavy instrument panel is about halfway between the general aviation panel and the EFIS display. It would typically be used in larger, older aircraft (such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 found in the X-Plane Airliner application).
The first instrument in the “heavy” panel is the airspeed indicator, marked with a 1 in the previous image. This functions identically to the airspeed indicator in the general aviation panel.
Next to the airspeed indicator is the attitude indicator (labeled 2 in the image above). This is simply a digital version of the steam gauge found in the general aviation panel.
On the far right of the panel’s top row is the altimeter (labeled 3 in the image above), showing the aircraft’s elevation in feet above mean sea level.
On the far left of the bottom row is a directional gyro (labeled 4 in the previous image), which uses a gyroscope fixed to the aircraft to indicate the aircraft’s heading.
Next to the directional gyro us an omni-bearing indicator (OBI—labeled 5 in the previous screenshot). More information on this instrument can be found in Chapter 6 of the manual for the desktop version of X-Plane.
The final instrument in the heavy aircraft panel is the vertical speed indicator (labeled 6 in the previous image), identical to the one found in the general aviation panel.
The EFIS Panel
The electronic flight instrument system (or EFIS) displays much of the same information as the gauges found in the general aviation panel, with a few additions. Displays such as this are commonly found in relatively expensive aircraft, and especially in jets.
The scrolling tape on the far left (labeled with a 1 in the image above) is the airspeed indicator. Note that this is the indicated airspeed, not necessarily the true airspeed. This is due to the fact that it relies on the force of the air hitting its sensor to give a reading; when at excessively high altitudes (where there is very little air to hit the sensor), it will read a very low number. This is especially noticeable in a craft like the SR-71 Blackbird, which might indicate an airspeed of 100 knots at 60,000 feet, when it is actually doing Mach 2. Directly below the scrolling tape is the craft's speed relative to the speed of sound, just like in the HUD view.
In the center of the first display (labeled 2 in the previous screenshot) is the attitude indicator. This shows the aircraft's pitch and roll attitude in space relative to the horizon. The lines above and below the representation of the aircraft mark degrees of pitch. Additionally, the two purple lines (one horizontal and one vertical) serve as part of the horizontal situation indicator (HSI)—specifically, the lines represent the course deviation indicator (CDI) Note that this is tuned using the OBS (omnidirectional bearing selector) found in the lower half of the panel. More information on using the HSI for navigating is found in Chapter 6 of the manual for the desktop version of X-Plane.
The scrolling tape on the right (labeled 3 in the previous image) is the altimeter. This displays the airplane’s altitude in feet above mean sea level.
In the bottom of the first EFIS panel is a modified view of the horizontal situation indicator (or HSI—labeled with a 4 in the previous screenshot). This is a combination of a directional gyro (DG) and the course deviation indicator (CDI). The DG is a gyroscopically driven compass, which makes it much more stable then the older "whisky" compasses (so named because of the whisky alcohol used to stabilize the compass inside the housing). It is the DG portion of the HSI that is marked 4 in the image on the previous page. Once again, more information on flying on instruments can be found in the full X-Plane manual.
At the top of the panel are the autopilot controls (labeled 5 in the screenshot in the previous column). Use of the autopilot is described in Chapter 6 of the manual for the desktop version of X-Plane.
The right display panel of the EFIS is the moving map (marked 6 in the image on the previous page). The local airport’s identifier is shown in blue—in the case of the image on the previous page, this is the default field for X-Plane 9, LOWI. The magenta triangles are the localizers which set up the approach for that runway at that airport. Most unusually, the LOWI airport has two localizers—one pointing away from the field and one pointing toward it. More information on using the localizers can be found in Chapter 6 of the manual for the desktop version of X-Plane.
The Orbiter Panel
The Orbiter panel is intended for use when flying the special Shuttle missions in X-Plane. To access these, move the mouse to the top of the screen in the desktop copy of X-Plane. Click File, then Load Situation, as seen in the following image.
When the Load Situation window appears, select the portion of the Shuttle reentry to load by clicking one of the Space Shuttle buttons from the lower right of the window, as illustrated in the following screenshot.
When flying one of those missions, the right screen of the EFIS will display a yellow representation of the Shuttle, which flies along a green path leading down to its destination at Edwards Air Force Base. The orange text at the bottom of the screen will provide a walk through for the path to Edwards.
The left panel of the Orbiter EFIS is identical to the left panel of the standard EFIS display.
Note that more information on flying the Shuttle approaches can be found in Chapter 8 of the manual to the desktop version of X-Plane.
The External Map View
Selecting the External Map view will provide a larger version of the moving map from the EFIS panel. Airport identifiers are labeled in blue, and localizers are shown as magenta triangles, as seen in the following image.
Additionally, the number in the top center of the screen (099 in the image above) gives the aircraft’s heading in degrees.
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