XR Flight Operations Manual Version 3.0
Copyright 2006-2018 Douglas Beachy. All Rights Reserved.
46
current attitude. The shortcut key to engage ATTITUDE HOLD and automatically
sync to (i.e., "hold") your current attitude is
CTRL-L
. "L" by itself toggles ATTITUDE
HOLD on or off.
Note: unlike the CTRL-L shortcut key, the
Sync
button on the MDA screen will not
automatically engage the autopilot; therefore, you will normally only use the
Sync
MDA button before engaging the autopilot. If you want to immediately
“lock” the
ship in its current attitude, use CTRL-L instead.
One final note about
Sync
: the pitch/AOA and bank limits for sync mode are +/-60
degrees or between +120 and -120 degrees (crossing 180 degrees; e.g.,
+120 ->
+180 -> -120
); do not engage
Sync
outside those limits. If you do, the ship will
engage ATTITUDE HOLD at the nearest 60-degree or 120-degree boundary.
Reentry Walkthrough
Before you reach the atmosphere during reentry, be sure that the radiator is
retracted and all doors are closed! Bring up MDA MODE 9 (
Reentry Systems Check
)
by pressing
9
, or use the MDA arrows. Close any doors flagged by the reentry
check. Once all systems show GREEN you are ready for reentry!
MDA Mode 9 (Reentry Systems Check) on the XR5 Vanguard
Before reaching entry interface, turn PROGRADE to ensure your ship is aligned with
the
ship’s
velocity vector and then switch to the
Attitude Hold
MDA screen (mode 2)
by pressing
2
on the keyboard or using the MDA screen arrows. Ensure that AOA
Mode is engaged (the top-right should read
SET AOA
), and then set your desired
AOA; typically you will initially set 40 degrees AOA and 0 degrees bank. Engage the
ATTITUDE HOLD autopilot with
L
or by clicking the
Engage
button on the touch
screen. Be sure you have enough APU fuel remaining to reach your landing site!
The APU must remain online to power the center-of-gravity shift pumps and flight
control surfaces.
Once Attitude Hold is engaged you may change your AOA in 2.5- or 0.5-degree
increments by clicking the pitch arrows on the MDA screen or via the
NUMAPAD8,
NUMPAD2, ALT-NUMPAD8
and
ALT-NUMPAD2
keys. You may change your bank in 5-
degree increments by clicking the bank arrows or via the
NUMPAD4
and
NUMPAD6
