Flight data window

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that the flight data window can be minimized, maximized, stretched, shrunk, and moved around using the customary Windows controls. However, if you shrink the window much smaller than the default size, some of the graphic elements may start to overlap. When you close a flight data window, Fsaver remembers its size and location so that the next flight data window can start out with the same size and location as before.

The trace selection box identifies the plotted traces by color and also tells you which traces are enabled. The enabled traces are shown in bold and the disabled traces are shown in italics. In the flight data window shown above only six of the twenty traces are enabled. As you will see later, this is easy to change.

In no particular order, a description of each trace follows:

Fuel

The instantaneous fuel flow in gallons/hour times 10. Since the graph uses a single y-axis scale (which is optimized for the CHT display),  the "times 10" allows the fuel flow to fit comfortably into the graph. Because the data from the fuel flow sensor is a bit noisy, the data is smoothed for a more readable display. If you want to see the data before the smoothing, click on the "ALT" tag. The trace ID will change to "FuelR" so that you know you are viewing the raw data.

CAS

Calibrated airspeed (in knots) from the FlightSaver's pitot pressure transducer

TAS

True airspeed (in knots). This is CAS corrected by the pressure altitude and the outside air temperature.

P.ALT

Pressure altitude (in feet/100) from the FlightSaver's static pressure transducer

ALT

True altitude (in feet/100) from the GPS data

GS

Ground speed (in knots), from the GPS data. The raw ground speed data is quite noisy, so it is heavily filtered for the display. Click on the "ALT" tag to view the data before smoothing. (The trace ID will change to "GSraw").

MPG

Miles per Gallon (nautical) times 10. This is computed from TAS and so is a measure of efficiency. (It is not affected by the winds). Your actual MPG relative to the ground will be lower than the plotted value when flying into a headwind.

MgCrs

Magnetic course (in degrees) - from GPS data

CHT1-CHT6

Cylinder head temperature (in degrees F). For 4 cylinder engines the last two are not shown. For twins this is the right engine. To display the data for the left engine, click on the "ALT" tag. The trace IDs switch to lower case (cht6) when viewing the data for the left engine. (Think "l" for "left" and "lower case").

EGT1-EGT6

Exhaust gas temperature (in degrees F divided by 10). For twins, to display the data for the left engine, click on the "ALT" tag. The trace IDs switch to lower case when viewing the data for the left engine.

OilT, OAT, MP, RPM, TIT, Gyro

The 3 remaining traces may display miscellaneous data from the engine analyzer. Which traces are displayed depend on your setup and which extra sensors (if any) have been installed with your engine analyzer. In the plot above, the 3 traces shown are Oil Temperature, Outside Air Temperature, and Gyro Vacuum. If sensors were also installed for Manifold Pressure, RPM, and Turbine-Inlet Temperature, then you could view three traces by pressing the "ALT" tag, at which point the original three traces will disappear. Pressing "ALT" again restores the original view. Of course the trace labels change to indicate the data that is actually plotted.