X-Plane 9.0 and bad weather...

SUBMAN1 · 01-05-09, 10:32 PM

Man, this sim is better than I expected. They fixed all my problems from my previous versions, that is for sure. Running up from Cali in a turbo-prop last night, and the real weather throwing snow at me, and watching my airspeed drop as I'm obviously picking up ice.

Reminds me of real-life. Coming back from Los Angeles one night, I remember sitting there at midnight in the pitch black of clouds, IFR, and I notice the airspeed indicator had dropped to 160 knots. I'm thinking we had the throttles pulled back way too much to get range and thought nothing of it at the time (We could get about 6 to 7 hours I'm guessing with low throttle settings and we were bucking a headwind that night so any extra time was a blessing - the other choice is to stop somewhere and top off. Theoretically, that plane had enough fuel for about 1200 nmi with low power settings, but that is without a headwind). Later on, I noticed we were closing in on 120 knots, and that's when I spoke up! Crud. Grabbed a flashlight, and pointed it the wing! It was a block of ice, and I was probably a hairpin away from spiraling to my death (one wing stalls, and its all over - ice disrupts the flow of the wing, dramatically increasing its stall speed). Hit the boots, and prop de-icer, pitot heat, and heat plate - problem solved for the moment. What a racket as the right side typically slings its ice against the fusilage at high speed no less - it smacks louder than you can possibly imagine - something X-Plane doesn't give you. No nap time with ice slinging going on. I wonder if that ice we sling makes it intact to the ground? Just a thought.

I will tell you that X-Plane 'feels' like bad icing when it happens - take it from someone that has been there for real a few times. Had to ask for a new alt quickly that night that it really happened. Boots and prop de-ice will take care of the problem, but it won't allow you to stay in the problem. What will happen if you leave the boots on is that the expansion of the boot will eventually create a bubble and then the ice will simply form around the bubble making the boot completely ineffective. So De-Ice gear should be thought of as an out only, not a solution.

Get X-Plane. The snow passing the cockpit when its dark and the strobes light it up is amazing. Looks real. I can vouch for that!

-S

01-05-09, 10:32 PM	#1
SUBMAN1 Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 11,866 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	X-Plane 9.0 and bad weather... Man, this sim is better than I expected. They fixed all my problems from my previous versions, that is for sure. Running up from Cali in a turbo-prop last night, and the real weather throwing snow at me, and watching my airspeed drop as I'm obviously picking up ice. Reminds me of real-life. Coming back from Los Angeles one night, I remember sitting there at midnight in the pitch black of clouds, IFR, and I notice the airspeed indicator had dropped to 160 knots. I'm thinking we had the throttles pulled back way too much to get range and thought nothing of it at the time (We could get about 6 to 7 hours I'm guessing with low throttle settings and we were bucking a headwind that night so any extra time was a blessing - the other choice is to stop somewhere and top off. Theoretically, that plane had enough fuel for about 1200 nmi with low power settings, but that is without a headwind). Later on, I noticed we were closing in on 120 knots, and that's when I spoke up! Crud. Grabbed a flashlight, and pointed it the wing! It was a block of ice, and I was probably a hairpin away from spiraling to my death (one wing stalls, and its all over - ice disrupts the flow of the wing, dramatically increasing its stall speed). Hit the boots, and prop de-icer, pitot heat, and heat plate - problem solved for the moment. What a racket as the right side typically slings its ice against the fusilage at high speed no less - it smacks louder than you can possibly imagine - something X-Plane doesn't give you. No nap time with ice slinging going on. I wonder if that ice we sling makes it intact to the ground? Just a thought. I will tell you that X-Plane 'feels' like bad icing when it happens - take it from someone that has been there for real a few times. Had to ask for a new alt quickly that night that it really happened. Boots and prop de-ice will take care of the problem, but it won't allow you to stay in the problem. What will happen if you leave the boots on is that the expansion of the boot will eventually create a bubble and then the ice will simply form around the bubble making the boot completely ineffective. So De-Ice gear should be thought of as an out only, not a solution. Get X-Plane. The snow passing the cockpit when its dark and the strobes light it up is amazing. Looks real. I can vouch for that! -S __________________