Suggestion/request: random payload button in the Control Panel

rcutandarcutanda
in General

Hi:

I really miss a "random" payload button in the Control Panel for both passengers and cargo. Ideally, with an option to set the random ZFM above a certain amount to avoid unrealistic low figures. Before writing this post, I made a search in the forum and found nothing about his topic. I apologise if it has been dealt with before, but I was not able to find it.

Thank you for such an awesome and enjoyable aircraft!

Kind regards.

Comments

  • jpgmultimodaljpgmultimodal

    This can be done with the Flight Planner PFPX.

  • rcutandarcutanda

    Hello, jpgmultimodal:

    Thank you for your suggestion. That is actually what I do: I plan with PFPX or SimBrief and I get a random payload. However, this requires to "play around" in the Q400 Control Panel with the distribution of the passengers and the cargo to match the values of the external plan and I find it a little bit annoying. It is not the end of the world, of course, but I would rather have a "one click" distribution.

    Because the ZFW can be easily introduced manually both in PFPX or SimBrief, I would find the other way round much more straight forward: the control panel calculates a random ZFW and makes the distribution of passengers and load and then the calculated ZFW could be easily introduced in whatever planning app used.

    Another interesting possibility, now that think of it, would be to introduce a pre-calculated ZFW in the Control Panel and get an automatic distribution of passengers and cargo. That would also be a nice solution for me.

    Thank you for taking the time to share your idea.

    Kind regards.

  • aua668aua668

    Hi,

    In this thread:

    majesticsoftware.com/forums/discussion/526/pax-weights

    you find a loading chart, which could help you tu distribute the passengers.

    Rgds
    Reinhard

  • 934999934999
    If you happen to have access to an iPhone/iPad/Mac, you could simply use my little app: http://majesticsoftware.com/forums/discussion/865/majestic-dash-8-q400-takeoff-and-landing-speeds-calculator-for-ios#latest

    It’ll do what you’re wishing for, although you’d still have to enter the randomized values into the Control Panel. But at least it spares you the fiddling with pax and cargo to make the numbers match. In fact, it’s exactly what I had in mind when I added this feature.

    Hope this helps.

    Regards,
    Oliver
  • rcutandarcutanda
    edited January 2022

    Hello Reinhard and Oliver:

    Thank you both for your contributions. I have found the thread about loading very helpful and educational. Regarding the DH8D TOLD app, I discovered it just last week and I have used it for my recent flights. I love it! I find it so helpful to calculate the reference speeds. Thank you!

    However, my request is not about getting a random payload figure: DH8D TOLD, PFPX or SimBrief provide a random ZFW value, which is the key figure for me. What I don't like to do is to manually distribute the passengers and cargo to obtain an acceptable centre of gravity. My request was (is) to add a button to obtain that distribution with one click. Not a game-changer feature but, if possible, I would appreciate it.

    Maybe I am too influenced by the awesome tool CPS-X, used to generate the payload for Concorde-X, that I have used hundreds of times to fly Concorde-X. This is what this tool does:

    1. Has a "random loading" button that generates a random load. If you are luck enough to generate a load within the limits, you are good to go.

    2. If not, you can "play the lottery" and click the button several times until you get it, or you can go and move the load. A very helpful feature is that you can change the number of passengers and load for each section WITH THE MOUSE WHEEL, without having to manually type; which is very helpful. Another great feature of CPS-X is that not only you can add or remove passengers from each section, but you can also "lock" the total number of passengers and then "move them" from one section of the aircraft to another. If you reduce the number of passengers from one section that same number of passengers is going to be added in another section.

    I have a tutorial about how to use CPS-X... but in Spanish. I was just about to make a version of the video in English when FSLabs announced that they were working on their P3Dv4/v5 version of their Concorde-X and then I decided to wait. CPS-X requires having Concorde-X installed and right now I am only using P3Dv3, so I cannot make a quick demo video. But hopefully, watching how it works, even in Spanish, will help you get the idea. The section I am mentioning is at 01:02:36.

    Thank you all once again.

    Kind regards.

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