Cessna 337G Skymaster

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Cessna 337G Skymaster
Cessna337 01.png
Type Piston, civilian aircraft
Author(s) Fernando Espinosa, Pavel Cueto
FDM JSBSim
Status Early production
 FDM Stars-3.png
 Systems Stars-2.png
 Cockpit Stars-5.png
 Model Stars-5.png
Download Download the Cessna 337G Skymaster aircraft package for the current stable release (2020.3).

The Cessna 337 is a twin-engine aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Instead of the engines being mounted on the wings, one is mounted on the nose and the other at the rear of the pod-style fuselage. The stabilizers are mounted on booms that extend from the wings. The Skymaster has a retractable undercarriage that gives it that little bit of extra speed.

The combination of a tractor and a pusher engine produces a unique sound.

Aircraft help

Aircraft keys

  • d - Open/close cockpit door
  • c - Open/close front cowl flaps
  • C - Open/close rear cowl flaps
  • m/M - Adjust fuel mixture
  • n/N - adjust speed governor (propeller pitch)

Limits

  • VNE: 198 KIAS (Never exceed speed)
  • VNO: 167 KIAS (Max. speed for normal operations)
  • VA: 140 KIAS (Design maneuvering speed)
  • VFE: 109 KIAS (Max. full flap extended speed)
  • VLE: 200 KIAS (Max. landing gear extended speed)
  • VLO: 140 KIAS (Max. landing gear extend/retract speed)
  • Stall speed, full flaps: 61 KIAS
  • Stall speed, zero flaps: 70 KIAS
  • Max. weight: 4630 lbs. (2100 kg)
  • Cervice ceiling (two engines): 18,000 ft
  • Ground run for takeoff: 1,000 ft
  • Ground roll for landing 700 ft

Normal procedures

General view of the Skymaster cockpit
The model is pretty detailed, and users can select between 5 HQ liveries
Nice view of the Skymaster cockpit at night

Startup

  • Turn ON battery and front and rear generators
  • Turn ON master avionics button (left wall panel)
  • Turn ON the avionics (NAV/COMM Radios, DME, ADF...)
  • Turn ON fuel pumps (not implemented yet)
  • Turn ON required lights and pitot heat
  • Open front and rear cowl flaps
  • Turn ON rear magnetos (mouse wheel), continue turning the knob for starter (left button)
  • Turn ON front magnetos, continue turning the knob for starter

Takeoff

  • Check open front & rear cowl flaps to avoid overheating
  • Check rich mixture and high RPM speed governor (propeller pitch)
  • Full trhottle, release brakes
  • Rotate at 60 KIAS
  • Retract gear

Cruise

The Cessna 337 Skymaster has a constant-speed propeller; so, you can increase propeller pitch to get more airspeed, but with a loss of engine RPM and power.

  • Decrease throttle to desired power
  • Decrease RPM with speed governor (propeller pitch)
  • Adjust mixture depending on flight altitude (for 5000ft or more). Check EGT for best mixture.
  • Close cowl flaps

Landing

  • Open cowl flaps
  • Increase RPM with speed governor (propeller pitch) to maximum
  • Reduce power with throttle
  • Open landing gear
  • Deploy flaps gradually under 110 KIAS
  • Touchdown at 75/60 KIAS, depending on aircraft weight

Systems

Detail of the avionics panel

The Cessna 337 still in development, but it has some suitable systems. Electrical, vacuum and fuel system are working, but they have no failure system modelled yet. Users can adjust the weight of each seat on the plane and fuel ammount. Almost all buttons, knobs and levers are functional and properly animated, and all instruments are labeled for a properly identification.

About knobs, use scroll mouse for gross adjustments, and left-central buttons for fine tunning. When setting radio frequencies, the mouse scroll will adjust integral numbers, and buttons will tune decimals. Try that method with instruments, cowl flap switches, trim levers, magnetos, etc.

Avionics

Our Skymaster release is provided with a working Bendix/King avionics pack, capable to full IFR night navigation:

  • 2 KX-155 COMM/NAV Radios, attached to a pair of KI-206 VOR locators
  • KN-62A DME receiver (in development, attached to NAV1 only)
  • KR-87 ADF receiver, attached to a KI-227 ADF locator
  • KMA-24 Audio panel (not useful in FlightGear yet)
  • KT-76A Transponder (not useful in FlightGear yet)
  • KI-250 Radar altimeter, capable to mark decision height for low-visibility landings

ELT

The ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) is a device which send a message in case of aircraft crash. That message contains info about aircraft model, owner and approximate coordinates of the crashed plane, and it is made to request SAR (Search and Rescue) services. The Cessna Skymaster is the first plane equiped with a functional ELT on FlightGear; however, it's not very useful yet due a bug in the aircraft wich made it unable to be crashed. We hope it will be fixed soon.

External links