INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FTIME GAUGE

The FTime gauge measures and displays elapsed flight time from the instant the wheels lift off the runway until they again contact the runway. The time is desplayed in decimal minutes to the nearest 1/100th. When on the ground it will display whatever time was last measured or 0.00 if just installed. When the aircraft lifts off it will show counting minutes. (At six seconds it should show 0.10.) After the plane lands, it will show the total elapsed time for the flight. It will continue to show that until you take off again. Then it will begin counting time from 0 for the new flight.

To install this gauge, first copy the Gauges Folder into your main folder for FS2004. The content of this Gauges folder will be merged with the existing content in your Gauges folder.

Then put the gauge on the panel of one of your aircraft by inserting a line similar to the one shown below in the panel.cfg file (in the Panel Folder) for the selected aircraft.

gauge59=Digital!FTime, 72, 380

This line works with typical DC-3 panels as shown in the accompanying .jpg file. Make sure the gauge number is greater than any existing gauge number. That shows the panel in my Convair 240 about 1 minute after takeoff. (The panel started life in a DC-3 so some elements may look familiar.)

For other panels you will have to adjust the X, y coordinates until it is in a position you like.

It will work properly only if you begin each flight with the aircraft on the ground. If you "pop" into the aircraft while it is flying, you must land it and then take off before the timer will begin working properly. 

This version actually measures the time the aircraft is moving faster than 35 KIAS. This way it will work with DC-3's that bounce on landings!

This was developed for use in races.

Have fun,

Tom Goodrick
CEO of Tango Golf Aeronautics

