Q400 FUELING ISSUE

[crauds]

I've recently installed Majestic Q400 and aircraft seems to have been pre-configured already by GSX, but when I request fuel, the truck arrives, asks for my custom fill parameters, begins to fill but stops after 8 gal and drives away.  I have set progressive fill and custom fill check in the GSX config file.  This works for all my other aircraft.

  My exact scenario:  I first verify tank#1 86 lbs/tank #2 86 lbs.  Then I request fuel.  When prompted I select "custom" and put 2150 in each tank (FSX).  I hear the clicks when I exit the menu and hear the fuel beginning to fill.  Screen message shows the correct current target amount required in gallons and it begins to fill.  BUT after 8 gal, it packs up and leaves with tanks only having 250 lbs each!

I have FSX SP2, Win10, but should have no effect since GSX works for all other of my aircraft.  Please advise.  I am using exactly the same procedure that I do for all my other planes without issue.

Craig

[virtuali]

We'll look into it as soon as possible.

[Richie Hell]

I have the exact same issue with the Q400 in P3D 4.3.

Tells me refuelling will take approx 9 minutes but then only gives me 35kg and drives off.

At least I know it's not just me and glad to hear it will be looked at.

[robains]

I didn't have this exact problem with the Q400, but I had a similar related problem.  I had about 10% fuel in both tanks, requested GSX refuel, truck arrived and I selected 70%.  Truck proceeded to fill and I saw the counter move and waited about a minute or so and then it leaves.  Nothing in the aircraft changed, fuel was the same.  Once the refuel truck actually "disappeared" (visually) then ONE tank showed 70% and the other tank was untouched still at 10% -- leaving me with an unbalance message in the Q400

This is with the latest GSX L2 updated externally.

On a side, love the passenger boarding and unboarding and everything else works like charm, very impressed.

Cheers, Rob.

[virtuali]

Rob,

which airplane you used ? Was it flagged as using the default Fuel/Cargo page ? If not, GSX is not actually refueling it, and it would still be up to you to do it, using whatever method the airplane use to refuel itself.

Have a look at the manual, there are a couple of examples how it's supposed to work with airplanes flagged has not using the default fuel page.

[Gabe777]

Has this been resolved ?

No fuel at all here - just turns up, stops for a few seconds then leaves !!!

[virtuali]

Has this been resolved ? No fuel at all here - just turns up, stops for a few seconds then leaves !!!

See my previous reply, in which I made a question that would help start troubleshooting the problem, assuming there is one.

[Gabe777]

Hi again.

So it seems as though different fuelling systems are used.

The Dash 8 does not use progressive fuelling like the 747, but it does have either a load manager (real time) or via the cdu, that allows you to change the fuel.

So presumably, we set the fuel using the cdu, and then call the fuel truck.

But when the fuel truck arrives, instead of waiting a while and 'pretending' to refuel, it stops for 5 seconds, and then sods off !

[virtuali]

But when the fuel truck arrives, instead of waiting a while and 'pretending' to refuel, it stops for 5 seconds, and then sods off !

As I've said in my previous reply:

"See my previous reply, in which I made a question that would help start troubleshooting the problem, assuming there is one."

This was my question:

"which airplane you used ? Was it flagged as using the default Fuel/Cargo page ?"

[Gabe777]

Which aircraft ?

The clue is in the title - the Dash 8 !!!

As for settings - it doesn't seem to matter - any setting I use does not make any difference.

In fact the PMDG 747-400 is even worse - in passive mode for 50 percent fuel, it is still fuelling after30 minutes - at 10x simulation rate.

Crazy broken.

[virtuali]

Which aircraft ? The clue is in the title - the Dash 8 !!!

I just repeated the sentence, highlighting in bold the part which hasn't been answered yet. The clue was in the bold.

As for settings - it doesn't seem to matter - any setting I use does not make any difference.

It's not possible you won't see "any" difference to the plane as using the default Fuel/Cargo. The most obvious difference would be that, if it's enabled, you'll see a menu from GSX asking how much fuel to load, and if it's disabled, no menu and a message from GSX asking to use the airplane fuel loader instead, when it's required.

In fact the PMDG 747-400 is even worse - in passive mode for 50 percent fuel, it is still fuelling after30 minutes - at 10x simulation rate.

If you are making this question, it means you DON'T understand, at all, how GSX works when the setting to use the default Fuel/Cargo is disabled, although it's clearly explained on the manual, Page 17.

When it's disabled, because the airplane is known to use a custom fuel system (and with the PMDG 747 surely is, because this is how we set in GSX internal database,  unless you changed it) GSX IS NOT FUELING THE AIRPLANE!. The refueling speed in this case will be controlled by the airplane ITSELF and having GSX or not won't change anything. So, if it's too slow refueling, it's because it always was like that.

Crazy broken.

Yes, when nobody reads the manual...

[Gabe777]

I don't seem to be getting the "Use aircraft loader" message at all, when not using the FSX menu option. Don't know why.

The fuel loading section in the manual is not easy to understand. I've read papers in "Nature", easier to follow to be honest (which I did for many years).

However...... not withstanding the fact that clearly, I'm 'thick' ...... I have found workarounds after 8 hours of trial and error, which I'm happy with.

Just wondering though: is there a way of clicking on 1 button (number or option), that would automatically run everything in order (user configurable ?), rather than clicking on multiple options ?

If this is possible already, I don't know how. The "Auto Services" option, again, does not work for me. This is merely a request/suggestion.

Thank you for your patience. It must be awful having all these customers asking questions, buy hey - "Kerching !" 

[virtuali]

I don't seem to be getting the "Use aircraft loader" message at all, when not using the FSX menu option. Don't know why.

Have you seen the GSX refuel menu instead ? Because, the message and the menu are mutually exclusive depending how the airplane is flagged in relationship to the fuel used.

The fuel loading section in the manual is not easy to understand. I've read papers in "Nature", easier to follow to be honest (which I did for many years).

Then tell me, point by point, what is not clear, exactly, and I'll try to explain it better.

Just wondering though: is there a way of clicking on 1 button (number or option), that would automatically run everything in order (user configurable ?), rather than clicking on multiple options ?

The automatic servicing option doesn't call Fuel for you. This is of course made intentionally, since fuel has so many variation that is best left to the user.

[Gabe777]

Hi.

OK, in order of easiest to hardest....

1. So, if I start in the aircraft, 1st flight of the day, which option starts the entire process (not including fuel) 'automatically' ?

2. The standard P3D fuel menu DOES pop up..... and it seems to animate the fuelling correctly in terms of time, but if I use any of the other modes, it does not do anything that the manual suggests it should.

I am using the PMDG 747-400. When I enter the fuel in the CDU, the aircraft immediately adds that much fuel.... presumably NOT progressive fuelling. But if I enter the fuel into the CDU, and then call the fuel truck as suggested for non-progressive fuelling, it arrives and stays forever. And, I do not seem to get a message telling me to enter the fuel manually !??

3. The section on fuelling, is very confusing, and would benefit from a re-write, with some more examples. I have seen many threads discussing the fuel issue, and right now, is the main issue for me.

If the 747 is one of those addons that will, by its nature, only ever give an animation, then that's fine as its clearly no-one's fault... but it would be good to know, for sure.

One of my twin props (Carenado SAAB) works 'actively' ... it gives me actual fuel, but another (the Majestic Dash , is like 747, in that nothing seems to work, other than just using the default fuel menu and watching it pretend to refuel the aircraft.

What might be really useful, is a thread where users can post the required settings for refuelling specific aircraft, like the threads for aircraft and airport configuration files.

Thnx again.

[virtuali]

1. So, if I start in the aircraft, 1st flight of the day, which option starts the entire process (not including fuel) 'automatically' ?

Not sure why you reference to the first flight of the day. What difference does it make ? If you start with Catering, for example, it will call Catering, then Boarding automatically.

2. The standard P3D fuel menu DOES pop up.....

I asked if you saw the GSX fuel menu, which has the standard P3D fuel menu only as one of the options. I assume you saw it, even if you haven't said so. This means the airplane is flagged to USE the default fuel system.

But of course, if the plane doesn't *really* use a default Fuel system, then you should tell GSX. And in that case, GSX will NOT refuel the airplane anymore, but will react to the airplane refueling itself.

However, if the airplane use a totally custom fuel system, one that use non-standard variables (and I suspect the Q400 might be the case, since it uses a non-standard flight model, and it's unique in this regard), you CANNOT use GSX refueling with it, plain and simple, since there's no way GSX could possibly know about an internal fuel simulation, possibly with tanks in custom variables known only to the airplane code.

I am using the PMDG 747-400. When I enter the fuel in the CDU, the aircraft immediately adds that much fuel.... presumably NOT progressive fuelling.

Yes, the PMDG fills immediately with that option. To fill progressively, you use the Turn around options in the PMDG CDU. GSX will react to this refuel very fast, unless you enable the "always refuel progressively"

But if I enter the fuel into the CDU, and then call the fuel truck as suggested for non-progressive fuelling

You are supposed to to the opposite, instead. Quoting from the manual:

Call the GSX Refuel service now.

When the Fuel Truck arrives, it will wait for you to act on the Fuel menu in the FMC, to set a desired quantity. GSX will display the “Please use the refueling system of your airplane to refuel” message”, to remind you it’s waiting for your action.

As soon as you change the Fuel quantity from the FMC. the airplane system will load the fuel instantly, and the GSX refuel truck will show it counter simulating the fuel loading visually

This means you must FIRST call the GSX Truck and then, AFTER you see the “Please use the refueling system of your airplane to refuel” message, change the fuel quantity in the FMC.

I see what you might be confused with: the first sentence says:

Start by selecting an initial Fuel Quantity, using the “FUEL” option in the “FS ACTIONS” menu on the FMC.

But that was just a suggestion to be prepared with the right quantity when the Truck arrives, you are not supposed to confirm it until after the Fuel Truck asked you to do so.