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Route manager: Difference between revisions
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→Flying a Route
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==Flying a Route== | ==Flying a Route== | ||
Flying a route depends partly on whether the aircraft includes a navigation computer system (for example, an INS or GPS), or not. | |||
===Aircraft without a navigation system=== | |||
The route-manager is in 'auto-sequencing' mode; it will compute some basic route data (such as the total route distance remaining), and automatically switch to the next waypoint (sequencing) when passing the current waypoint. This will never drive the aircraft's autopilot (generic or aircraft-specific) - there is no connection between the route-manager and autopilot systems in this situation. | |||
This mode lets you use the route-manger in aircraft that would never have featured a navigation computer (eg, a WW1-era fighter), but only to the extent that the pilot reads the route-manager information and flies accordingly. | |||
==Aircraft with a GPS, INS, FMS=== | |||
It is assumed the navigation system disables route-manager auto-sequencing (and some other automatic behaviours), and handles all navigation itself. In this case, the route manager is simply providing a library of waypoints; it's up to a specific navigation / autopilot system to follow courses, establish vertical navigation, and so on. Depending on the real-world system being modelled, fully automatic flight may be possible, controlling lateral and vertical navigation as well as speed - but equally, some real world GPS and INS units may not even be connected to the autopilot, and require manual intervention to command the aircraft. | |||