When will PM provide a CDU that works as it should be?

[RobertVdb]

I have just flown a flight exercise including a few holdings. The CDU is acting terrible in each holding.
- it doesn't follow the holding path as it should be
- the holding path disappears suddenly and you are lucky when you get it back by pushing EXEC
- sometimes the holding path was lost and had to be reprogrammed
- the holding path jumps from big to small
So, one is not even able to follow the holding manually. On the track picture you see the "fight" I had to deliver in each holding to keep it within bounderies.

I always have to use that CDU version giving me errors that bothers me less.
After versions that worked "relatively well", I had versions or still have a version:
- which didn't follow the programmed route as soon you intend to change something (e.g. putting the approach and runway)
- that changed the descent speed always to the set value in knots and not limited by the mach value giving me overspeeds while descending.
- in which the second flight only remembered the setting of the descent speed from the former flight and used that for climbing speed so that only at cruise level there was an acceleration to the set cruise speed.
-that while approaching the speed suddenly goes to maximum descent speed
- in which new fixed flightlevels cannot be set without the whole lot of waypoints changing to the same flight level
- that, which, ............. It makes me sick.
And when I explicitely ask for support they act as I am the only one with those errors.
Anyone with similar problems?
OK a new build just appeared. What will be the bugs now?

Using Boeing PM-PFD/MCP/CDU + Engravity CDU

[Michael Carter]

This is irrelavent to your problem, but I find a lot of satisfaction in flying a hold by hand.

I did that just last night flying into Augsburg from Frankfurt.

[Matt Olieman]

Robert I'm not picking on you, you make some good points and I respect that.

CDU is a complicated piece of equipment on the flight deck, requiring a tremendous amount of logical programing. I've talked to several pilots that had the opportunity to play with CDU's in a Level D simulator, and have come up with errors similar as you mentioned.

I find that our hobby is mainly compromised of perfectionist which is a good thing, but can be frustrating to others (mainly vendors).

We can be obsessed of panels colors that does not match. Every panel has to be identical color match. I go onto a REAL flight deck and see multitude of colored panels. I see different sets of greys and some brown or vise versa.

Get's complicated, doesn't it???

PM CDU and their other vendor products are in a continued evolutionary state, just as many other vendor products. Will there be bugs, you bet ya!!! I don't know of any program that does not.

The other day I was flying approaches and lost my yoke control (a bug in an other vendors programing), I had fun, franticly trying to make a safe landing without using a yoke, a wonderful and successful challenge (just an added feature). That's the way I look and accept bugs, keeps you on your toes.

Like any of the products in our hobby, the products keep getting better and better (some would even say, better then the real thing), it just takes patience and appreciation of those who continue to support our small group of flight-sim builder hobbiest.

Matt Olieman

[RobertVdb]

Thanks, Matt, for your reply.

It is here not a question of colours or appearances. I don't need a shiny car, but it should ride properly.
You surely have a point if you say that the CDU needs complex programming. But, in the exercise flight of yesterday, someone used the CDU of a PMDG aircraft and all the holds went smoothly. So, the CDU delivered with an add-on aircraft works better than the one of PM, which should be the best because they are merely specialized in those things. And I will not even talk about the price which is of the order of tens for the PMDG and thousands for the PM.
Let me give a simple example
I have a CDU version now which I can hardly use during descent and surely not during approach.
If I have on the LEGS page an approach configuration like
WP1 270/FL150
WP2 250/FL090
WP3 220/FL060
WP4 190/3000
WP5 180/2500
there is a good chance that it suddenly, without any reason, jumps to a speed of 300 kts between WP1 and WP2 or to 250 kts between WP3 and WP4.
If in the same configuration I force a certain waypoint to be on a certain level, say FL050 for WP2 I get after EXEC
WP1 270/FL120
WP2 250/FL050
WP3 220/FL057 <---- goes up again?
WP4 190/3000
WP5 180/2500
Don't tell me that this is not possible to program that adequately.
The fact is also that all the problems started when I used my Engravity CDU. Not because of the piece of hardware itself, but because I had to start from a certain build (version) to let it work properly. And since that build everything went worser every time. You speak about "the products keep getting better and better". Well, this is going in the opposite way for PM products.
Probably your moto is "a bug a day keeps the doctor away" but moving backwards is always hard for a human.
I must admit that I still have to test the last build, but I cross my fingers.
Best regards

[Matt Olieman]

All have possibilities Robert

And again your concerns are legitimate, but please bring this to the attention of PM, I can assure you they are just as much interested in resolving these issues as you are.

Matt Olieman

[Trevor Hale]

Robert,

What builds are you using? I do not have any of the issues that you speak of.

Trev

[Jackpilot]

Flying real world computerized machines is sometimes so redundant and boring that a lot of airline pilots spend free time building or restoring biplanes, gliders, ultralights or else to be able to enjoy hand FLYING...Then, I always find curious that some of us spend all their energy and money recreating push button virtual cockpits that frustrate them because they do not always perform according to a preloaded program!
No Offence because it is my own opinion with its own limited merits, but flying a holding pattern correctly is one of the great challenge a pilot can be proud of , virtual or real. Programming it and looking at the airplane do it by itself may be interesting at best the first time, but totally boring thereafter.
I am amazed by the quality of PM Avionics every time I switch them on, and I find unfair to critize them based on the fact that they are not always fully compatible with every software or hardware sold on the market, or worse with every personal and often unperfect setup.
As far as I can see, the latest builds corrected most if not all of the bugs created by the change of NavData source. Thanks PM for an amazing product and happy 10 Years anniversary.
Jack

[Matt Olieman]

I love shooting those CAT III approaches, unassisted.

Matt Olieman

[sas550]

Hey Matt! Cat III. Wow that's autoland irl.

[Jackpilot]

Can do CAT zillion all manual...it is a sim!!
Cheers and happy flying.
Jack