– New Features:
– Full Working Title (WT) GNS 530/430 compatibility. The new WT GNS entered public beta via the in-game marketplace shortly after version 1.2 of the Analog King Air was released. This replacement GNS GPS system offers many advanced features that will be enjoyed by many serious simmers. Unfortunately, these features proved difficult to integrate fully with the Black Square aircraft due to their hot-swappable avionics. After several months of incremental patches, this aircraft now fully supports the new GPS. This was a laborious joint effort between TDS, PMS50, and Working Title developers. Thank you for your patience, and thank you to those who made it possible. The WT GNS is still in active development, so there may be changes to functionality, and the possible introduction of bugs. Black Square and Working Title will continue to work together to ensure that there is as little interruption to service for this fabulous new GPS offering as possible. See the “Third Party Navigation & GPS Systems” section of this manual for more information.
IMPORTANT: Please be sure to update all three GPS addons before trying to use this aircraft! If any of the three GPS addons are outdated, they may affect the others, even if they are not currently selected in the cockpit.
– Optional autopilot mode control panel added to the main panel, just above the attitude indicator. Some users have complained that the standard autopilot control panel on the pedestal is difficult to access quickly. To alleviate this, an optional autopilot mode control panel can now be accessed by clicking on the main panel’s autopilot annunciator panel. All autopilot mode controls are duplicated, with the exception of the yaw damper, softride, half bank buttons, and roll hold knob.
– A new interface into the failure system has been provided in all Black Square aircraft for those wishing to trigger failures from external applications. Simple HTML events can now be sent from Air Manager, Axis and Ohs, and many more, including payware instructor stations, and even your own custom web interfaces. To learn more about this new feature see the “Failure System HTML Interface” section of this manual.
– VOR and ADF receivers now exhibit mathematically accurate signal attenuation and noise based on the aircraft’s height above the terrain and distance from the transmitter. This should greatly improve the feel of radionavigation in a flight simulator. For more information, see the “VOR & ADF Signal Degradation” section of this manual.
– Custom propeller disk textures. Vast improvement over default FSX-style textures. The default King Air 350i is not affected, and livery mods require no change.
– Engine and wind sounds have been added to the interior when the cockpit windows are open. Due to the limitations of the default aircraft’s sound system, this solution is not perfect, but it should be more immersive than before. This will be the standard for new Steam Gauge Overhaul aircraft, and will sound even better in future aircraft.
– Have you ever noticed that the wind sound in all other MSFS aircraft is erroneously based on true airspeed rather than indicated airspeed? This makes wind noise during high altitude cruise far too loud. It’s likely the result of there being no persistent indicated airspeed simulation variable that is not affected by pitot-static failures. All Black Square aircraft now have wind sounds based on indicated airspeed, which makes them much more enjoyable to fly at high true airspeed.
– New handcrafted 4K window surface imperfections. Scratches and smudges are slightly less pronounced than default, but the high resolution results in minimal tiling, and a much more pleasant experience during low sun angles and with VR.
– COM 3 audio and ADF 2 identifier audio may now be toggled on and off with the two push buttons adjacent to the ADF 2 radio on the pedestal. For those flying with online ATC, especially with VPilot, there is a bug in the application that requires the audio for ALL radios to be receiving to successfully monitor COM 1 & COM 2.
– Autopilot engagement is now MUCH smoother, with the aircraft maintaining its present attitude unless commanded to do otherwise. The PID reset mode is set to “current aircraft state” now, which resets the integrator upon engagement.
– Pressing the centre dual concentric knob on the CTL-62 ADF receivers will increment the tuned frequency by 0.5 kHz. While this is not necessary in the real world due to the large bandwidth of ADF signals, this will allow users of MSFS to tune NDB’s with 500 Hz frequency spacing.
– Increased the performance of the master battery controller. Power will now be supplied to the buses instantaneously when activating the battery master switch.
– Tertiary mouse click on heading knob will set the bug to the aircraft’s current heading.
– Electric trim switches will now only actuate trim when the electric trim switch is on, and the circuit is receiving power. Electrical current draw is now indicated when the electric trim and other autopilot servos are in use. Disrupting power to the pitch trim circuitry will also cause the autopilot to disconnect, and it will not engage again until power is restored to the pitch trim circuitry.
– Better interactions for home cockpit builders. All essential switches for operation should have an associated variable, and the switch position should change with this variable.
– The autopilot will now disengage if the electric pitch trim switch is not on, or the system is not powered. The red “TRIM” indicator on the autopilot now warns of this condition.
– Checklists updated with a procedure for testing the function of the autopilot roll actuators in the runup checklist. When the autopilot is engaged on the ground, heading mode will attempt to follow the selected heading with yoke movement, just like in the real aircraft.
– Slightly dimmed GNS 530 screen backlighting at night.
– Slightly darker panel colour. Text is more legible now, and easier on the eyes.
– Bug Fixes:
– New failure menu blinking cursor method. On some systems, there is an HTML rendering bug that will not blink the cursor with CSS animations, despite this being the recommended method used throughout MSFS. There is a workaround, and cursors should blink regardless now.
– Left turning tendency of the default aerodynamics has been abandoned. The aircraft will now climb straight ahead with no need for aileron trim.
– Propeller disk braking effect increased at low power settings, and consequently, low power thrust reduced while taxiing. Reverse thrust has also been further reduced.
– Amber BLEED AIR annunciators will now illuminate when their bleed air switch is in the ENVIR OFF position. This should help users identify when the cabin environmental control system is not operating, and when heat and pressurization are not available.
– Amber AUTOFTHER OFF annunciator will only illuminate when gear is down and locked
– Torque bloom effect reduced from 10% to 5% based on pilot reports.
– GNS 530 push button click sounds restored.
– Yaw Damper indicator on main panel autopilot mode annunciator will now illuminate.
– Airspeed indicator approach flap airspeed marker moved from 222kts to 202kts.
– Panel.noreg has been restored to the package folder. Since SU11 Beta, the package builder will no longer include files and directories that are not directly linked to by the aircraft’s configuration files.
– The EXTINGUISHER PUSH light will now not illuminate when a fire is detected, but only when the corresponding firewall valve has been closed, arming the fire bottle.
– Propeller RPM spike on touchdown reduced to negligible effect.
– Reminder to close cockpit windows prior to pressurization test added to checklists.
– Primary flight display’s DME and Time-to-Go information will now flag to “—-” when the number displayed is limited to 999.9.
– Cabin temperature monitor unit will now be saved between sessions.
– Cabin Master Switch tooltip corrected from “Aft Blower” to “Cabin Master”.
– Fixed incorrect default tooltip for the OAT monitor.
– Fixed about a dozen spelling and grammar errors in the manual, generally tidied things up, and added a few clarifying statements in the systems guide.
– L & R Ignition pedestal annunciator will now illuminate when the engine start switches are placed in the “Ignition and Start” position.
– Secondary radar altimeter test will now work while in flight above 3000 feet.
– Aircraft selection menu cruising speed corrected from default to 312 KTAS.
– Possible VR collision issue fixed. The PANEL_COLLISION object was not correctly named, which acts as a sort of backdrop for the VR cursor, making it easier to interact with controls on the various surfaces inside the cockpit.
– If you are having ITT spikes over the starting redline on every start, wait for the starter to accelerate the gas generator to its maximum sustained RPM, not just 12%. The 12% Ng stated in the checklist is the minimum possible starting RPM in some operating conditions, not when fuel should be introduced before the RPM has stabilized. The engine starting checklist items have been changed from “Low Idle Stable above 12% Ng” to “Low Idle Max Ng Above 12%” to encourage best operation.
– Windshield and Airframe de-icing is verified to be working properly in SU11 Beta. Windshield and pitot-static de-icing work continuously, and slowly. Airframe de-icing is provided by pressurized boots, which are toggled with the “Surface Deice” switch. Both the “Single Cycle”, and “Manual” positions will trigger one cycle of de-icing to clear ice. The switch must be toggled every time ice is to be cleared. Notes on ice mitigation have been added to the “Tips on Operation within MSFS” section of this manual.
– A handful of users have reported stuttering while in flight (as soon as the aircraft leaves the ground), while the majority have reported that the aircraft is light on frames, as it was designed to be. Several of these users have been able to isolate their stutters to the PMS GTN 750, or other mods that affect all aircraft, not just the Analog King Air. There is no behaviour programmed into the Analog King Air that changes when the aircraft leaves the ground, which provides some evidence for the previous claim.
– A possible bug in the RNAV system was explored. In summary: The RNAV behaviour is accurate to the real world, and matches the indications from a simultaneously monitored VOR. The apparent angular error is introduced by VOR stations with declinations where the real magnetic variation has drifted significantly since their installation. In the real world, this is most likely disregarded as a wind correction angle, but absolutely affects real aircraft. This is not an error in the operation of the RNAV system, and the courses to RNAV waypoints should be flown as they would be to any physical VOR in the real world. For VOR’s with inaccurate magnetic declinations, the actual magnetic bearing to the station is the flown course that produces a cantered CDI in zero wind conditions, regardless of the OBS setting. More information is available in the Analog Caravan topic on the official MSFS forums.
The panel of the aircraft contains only fully 3D gauges, modelled and coded to meticulously match their real-world counterparts, with reference to real-world maintenance and installation manuals.
Radio and navigation systems are available from several eras of the King Air’s history, so users can fly without GPS via an original Bendix KNS-80 RNAV system, or with the convenience of a Garmin GTN 750 (PMS50 or TDS). Other swappable radio equipment includes Collins CTL NAV/COM radios, CTL-62 ADF, GNS 530, IND-42 DME, CTL-92 transponder, APS-65 autopilot, and a Bendix RDR1150XL colour weather radar.
An extensive manual provides instruction on all installed equipment, and numeorus checklists with control/instrument highlighting are included for normal and emergency procedures.
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