Flying the Black Square Piston Duke from Gladstone to Rockhampton in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Today we're working through the draft start procedure I have written for the Black Square Piston Duke in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and then flying from Gladstone to Rockhampton with the most basic set of avionics configured on-board.
You can download the procedure I (mostly) followed from the link below:
ko-fi.com/s/da...
Enjoy!
#msfs #flightsimulator #aviation #flying #flight #simulator #microsoft #asobo #tobii #blacksquare #piston #duke #gladstone #rockhampton #australia #orbx
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Useful resources:
My homepage:
- jonbeckett.online
My flight simulation blog (subscribe by email for free!):
- jonbeckett.sub...
All of the functional procedures I have written up to get aircraft up and running in simulators:
- ko-fi.com/jonb...
The flight simulation community I founded (join for free!):
- virtualflight....
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Resources I use to create content:
Microsoft Flight Simulator
- www.flightsimu...
Navigraph (charts, flight planning, and tracking)
- navigraph.com
Copyright © 2023 Jeppesen. All rights reserved. The charts are available to the flight simulation community via Navigraph.
LittleNavMap (mapping software)
- albar965.githu...
OBS (Screen and audio capture)
- obsproject.com/
Tobii Eye Tracker 5 (head and eye tracking)
- gaming.tobii.c...
Volanta (flight tracking)
- volanta.app/
Simbrief (flight planning)
- simbrief.com
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Computer Specification:
- CPU : Intel Core i7 @ 3.60 Ghz (Skylake)
- GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- RAM : 16Gb
- HDD : 1863 Gb NVME
- NET : 500 megabit fibre

[@jonbeckett]

You can download the procedure I (mostly) followed from the link below: ko-fi.com/s/da1585a1c6

[@BPond7]

There is a click spot hidden between the two cowl flap switches, that allows you to operate both at once. About the fuel priming, you need to prime it for 5-8 seconds with the throttle wide open. If you then move the throttle back to just barely open, it will start much more easily. 🖖😀

[@jonbeckett]

Good to know - thank you - I'll update the procedure to reflect that.

[@cheno216]

I think if he opens the throttle to full and wait 5-8 with the fuel pump. It should start right up. There is no need to throttle back to barely open (which is a cheat, black square added to help ppl start up) Look at what the engine is doing during the startup on the tablet.

[@MojaveHigh]

That's what I do as well. And also in the BS Bonanza and Baron.

[@jonbeckett]

@@cheno216 you've just repeated exactly what the first commenter wrote...

[@cheno216]

​@jonbeckett I validate what he said, and added, no need to throttle back "to barely open" which is a "hack" to start the engine.

[@user-qi8nl2re4y]

Agree. I came on to list the corrections mentioned. Follow the checklist provided and it lists these very accurately. Also true that you can verify the cowl in the tablet. Looking out your left window you can actually see if the left cowl is open and if you have a decent sound device and turn the sounds up (highly recommended) you can here them running and a change in tone when complete. About 14 seconds.

[@jonbeckett]

Looking at the tablet is cheating though :) You can't look inside the engine with the real thing :)

[@yauteth9761]

When yoe use preoiler you can click on the gauge with oil pressure to tap it and it should show you the correct reading. It's an interesting feature.

[@lloydnoel2289]

I get instant startup all the time by looking at the ENG L and ENG R tabs in the tablet while operating the Fuel pumps. I just operate the pump until a little blue shows at the top of the cylinders. This indicates proper prime. Any more and you will have a flooded engine. Once you get used to it you will known how long to run the pumps without consulting the tablet.

[@jonbeckett]

Great tip :) Of course in the real aircraft you don't get to see inside the engine :)

[@CyrilDeretz]

Yes. Normal procedure is to crack the throttle fully opened while you do that (pump on). Do not forget to shut the pump or you will quickly flood the engine (flooding procedure works well also from the checklist if that happens)

[@colinberneville-claye5768]

Hi Jon, with regards to the cowl flaps on the Duke. The cowl flaps are designed to operate slowly and on modern light aircraft the cowl flaps are either opened or closed. The relatively slow cowl flap operation is to prevent thermal shock on opening, say at TOD very cold ambient air can cause cracking on the air cooled cylinders. Conversely if the flaps are closed too quickly cylinder temps may rise rapidly. Continue to enjoy your videos mate. You do a great job with a very relaxed style. After flying for all my adult life and now continuing flying MSFS I make a point of watching and reading a lot of your content.

[@neozoan]

When I first experienced the signal degradation, I though they had overdone the wobbliness and physics in the instruments. Then I thought back to some VOR-to-VOR videos I had seen earlier and realized I now really had to pay attention to when the from the outbound to inbound VOR stations.

[@QuantumGamingUploads]

Love the Pistons sound. Super nice aircraft.Congrats on 30K

[@itellzzz]

Congratulations on 30k 😊

[@jonbeckett]

I hadn't even noticed! :)

[@ceegnz]

Nicely done, the Dukes are the Lamborghini Countach's of the sim. They're quick (a bit quicker than a 310 but not Grand Chancellor quick) and hard to see out of but my god they look good in posters on bedroom walls ! I leave the yoke visible for starting the piston Dukes, it doesn't cover anything and if you put the clock into ET mode it counts up to 30 seconds for you. If you want to cheat a bit you can see what the cowl flaps are doing on the engine pages in the tablet. Even if you're flying the Duke commercially you can't leave the landing lights on up to 10,000' as they're mounted on the landing gear - gear up = landing lights off, and on the way down you don't get them back until you put the gear out.

[@HaraldLabout]

Just bought the Duke combi package from Just Flight and they are really great. Will do a lot of flying with them. Thanks for the start up procedures

[@peterbassey9668]

Big congrats, Jon, on the 30k!!

[@jonbeckett]

Cheers :)

[@nicknicholson1268]

Congratulations on 30K !

[@geolpilot7036]

Regarding position of cowl flaps. At top right of each engine page of the electronic pad there is a schematic that shows the cowl flap position for each engine. Agree it would be easier if there was a cockpit gauge; do not know if the actual aircraft has one. Really enjoy this plane

[@Izmael1310]

Funny starting up procedure. It is like to start very old car you found in your grandpas barn :D

[@johnc.4871]

Nah, my '13 overland starts up a whole lot easier than that.

[@yams900]

Good work mate ! Thx for sharing 😊

[@epdfsm]

There is a hidden click spot to the right of the altitude set gauge which controls pitch, saves you having to look down and manage this from the lower autopilot console.

[@richardmartin706]

Thanks

[@camstewart4080]

You don't need to lean until you are above 'critical altitude' with turbo charged engines.

[@Noeldoran]

Great lessons, would like to know your computer specifications please

[@yauteth9761]

For me the easiest way to start the engine reliably is to set preoiler for 30 sec., fuel pump with full throtle for 8 sec., magnetos with throttle around the "edge" of the pedestal and then starter for just a few sec

[@yauteth9761]

and I do turn off fuel pump before the start

[@seeingeyegod]

maybe they fixed something because I had a much easier time starting the engines on my first try, just got the plane yesterday.

[@lalogala2140]

Replay landing 🙏