User Guide

219
Flight Instruction
218
Flight Instruction
CENTER PANEL
The center panel is devoted to the avionics installation. The
only significant difference from what you’re used to is that these
are airline-style remote radios: since these high-performance units
are too large to fit into the instrument panel, the actual radios are
mounted in the nose, while only the remote “control heads” are
on the panel. Functions are basically the same as for the smaller
radios; only the nav radios’ “digital RMI” functions have been
deleted, in the assumption that any airplane in this class will have
at least one actual RMI in the panel. The switches across the top
of the avionics panel control which radios you’ll hear, and on
which ones you’ll transmit; there are two completely separate
audio switch panels, allowing the captain to communicate on
comm radio while the copilot uses the other one.
SUBPANEL
Running all the way across the
airplane below the instrument panel
is a big subpanel that at first glance
appears to be a forest of switches.
They’re logically groupled, howev-
er: at the extreme left, above the
captain’s left knee, are the master electrical switches (battery and
generators) and those devoted to engine functions, including start-
ing, ignition, and ice protection. Above the captain’s right knee, the
top row of switches controls exterior lighting; the lower two rows
control airframe, rather than engine, ice protection functions. To the
right of these is the big landing gear handle.
In the center of the subpanel is a group of annunciators
which are considered less urgent than those in the glareshield. All
the glareshield annunciators are red, and will illuminate the red
MASTER CAUTION flasher. Those in this panel are either amber,
and will illuminate the amber MASTER WARNING flasher, or
green, indicating simple advisories only. Below the annunciator
are the flap position indicator, cabin rate of climb indicator, and
cabin altimeter/differential pressure gauge.
The right subpanel is concerned primarily with passenger
comfort items: cabin lights and all the controls for the environ-
mental system (heating and air conditioning). Finally, at the
extreme right are a few small gauges for such things as pneumatic
pressure, vacuum for the copilot’s gyro horizon, cabin air temper-
ature, oxygen cylinder pressure, and the airplane’s hour meter.
Next down is the torquemeter. This indicates, directly, how
hard the engine is turning the propeller shaft, and is your primary
power setting instrument. Like the ITT, it has a redline which must
not be exceeded.
Next comes the tachometer. To allow very accurate setting of
RPM, it works like a miniature altimeter: the big hand indicates
hundreds of RPM, the small hand indicates thousands. Takeoff
RPM is 2000; you’ll cruise between 1600 and 1800 RPM.
The next indicator is one you’ll find only on a turbine air-
plane: it’s marked NG, meaning gas generator RPM, and indicates
how fast the core engine (not the propeller) is turning. Because the
numbers can be so high, it doesn’t read them directly; instead, it’s
calibrated in per cent RPM, with a redline at 101.5%. To make it
easier to read, there’s a small inset needle that reads in 1% incre-
ments; it’ll make ten turns between zero and redline NG RPM.
Below this is fuel flow, calibrated in hundreds of pounds per
hour. Traditionally, turbine fuel quantities are measured in units of
weight (pounds) rather than volume (gallons). This is partly
because turbine fuel changes its volume with temperature more
than gasoline does - a gallon weighs 6.7 lbs on a standard day, less
on a warm one, and more on a cold one - and partly to allow the
pilot to know at all times what the actual gross weight of the air-
plane is. (In aircraft of this class, we’ll use that weight for accurate
calculation of takeoff and approach speeds).
Finally, at the bottom of the stack, a pair of dual indicators
displays oil pressure and temperature for each engine.
FLOOR PANEL
The floor panel is where you will find the cabin pressure and
autopilot controls.
Autopilot
Cabin Pressure
Control Panel
Miscellaneous Autopilot
and Cabin Pressure Switches
Autopilot Mode
Selector Panel