SimCoders.

com

Reality Expansion Pack

for
Laminar Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

v3.4.6
September 4, 2018

1
 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk CONTENTS

Contents
THANK YOU 4
Introducing REP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

AIRCRAFT GENERAL DESCRIPTION 5

INSTALLATION & CONFIGURATION 6

System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Install the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Automatic Update of the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Manual Update of the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Remove the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Recommended sound settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Recommended control settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

HARDWARE & SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY 9

Headshake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Saitek Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
XPRealistic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Differential and progressive brakes for X-Plane 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

USER INTERFACE 10
Lateral Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Maintenance Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Kneeboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Mass & Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Engine Autostart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Settings Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

VIRTUAL REALITY & VR VISORS 18

How to activate the VR menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

HUMAN FACTOR 19
Hypoxia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
TUC & EPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION 21
Powerplant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Engine Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Induction System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Oil System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Starter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Spark Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Red Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Preheater & Winterization Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk CONTENTS

Engine Startup Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Fuel Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Vacuum System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Electrical Systems & Avionics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Electrical Gyros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Radio Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Landing Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Spring loaded nose wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

HOME COCKPITS/CUSTOM DATAREFS 31

RESOURCES & HOW-TOs 32

SUPPORT & CONTACTS 32

VERSION CHANGELOG 33

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

THANK YOU

Welcome to the ranks of the Reality Expansion Pack users!

Our software has been designed to give you the most in performance andfun. Our desire is that
you will find using it a pleasant and profitable experience.
This manual has been prepared as a guide to help you get the most from our software. It contains
information about the usage and the features of the Reality Expansion Pack for X-Plane.

Introducing REP

The Reality Expansion Pack (or REP) is a software developed by real pilots. It is designed to
provide the most realistic experience to the X-Plane users. This goal is achieved by providing
more realistic flight dynamics, sounds, and on-board systems.
This software is meant to enhance an existing X-Plane aircraft. In this particular case, this REP
package is targeting the Default X-Plane 11 Cessna 172SP Skyhawk.

Licence

Before starting using this software please carefully read the End-User License Agreement
provided with this package as a .txt file.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

AIRCRAFT GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk s a four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the
Cessna Aircraft Company. First flown in 1955, more 172s have been built than any other aircraft.
Measured by its longevity and popularity, the Cessna 172 is the most successful aircraft in history.
Cessna delivered the first production model in 1956 and as of 2015, the company and its partners
had built more than 43,000. The aircraft remains in production today.
The modern avionics, the useful load and the simplicity of flying it make the Cessna 172SP a
perfect airplane for both training and recreational flights.
Since the R version, the Cessna 172 has bigger fuel tanks. The extended range may reduce the
number of passengers it can carry. Therefore, pilots often trade a little bit of fuel for another
person onboard.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

INSTALLATION & CONFIGURATION

System requirements

This software requires X-Plane 11.00 or superior.

The minimum hardware requirements are the same of X-Plane:
• Dual Core, 2.5 GHz or faster
• 2 GB of RAM
• A video card with at least 500 MB of VRAM.
This software is designed to run on Windows, Mac OS and Linux.
In order to install this software, the Default X-Plane 11 Cessna 172SP Skyhawk must be installed
on your system.

Install the software

To install the software please follow this procedure.

1. Install the C172SP Skyhawk in your X-Plane folder.
2. Make a copy of the C172SP Skyhawk folder and call it such “C172SP Skyhawk REP”
3. Copy the contents of the “into-aircraft-plugins-folder” folder contained in this package
inside the “plugins” folder of the new C172SP Skyhawk folder that you created at the
previous step.
• After this operation, inside the “plugins” folder of the C172SP Skyhawk there must be
another folder called “REP”.
• Inside the “REP” folder, there must be two folders called “64” and “data”" respectively.
• If you’re updating the software, feel free to overwrite the existing “REP” folder inside
the “plugins” folder of the C172SP Skyhawk
4. Copy the contents of the “into-aircraft-main-folder” folder contained in this package inside
the main folder of the new C172SP Skyhawk folder that you created before.
5. Run X-plane and load the C172SP Skyhawk.
6. Click “understood” if you are prompted with the following popup message:

7. In the menu bar click on “Plugins”, then “SimCoders.com” then “Enable Package”

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Automatic Update of the Software

8. When asked, type your licence in the following popup:

9. When the installation ends, reload your airplane.

NOTE
After reloading the airplane, X-Plane may crash reporting an error related to the
“master.bank” file. If that’s the case, please follow the instructions stated in this FAQ.

Automatic Update of the Software

The Reality Expansion Pack support the automatic updates via the SkunkCrafts Updater plugin.
In order to activate the automatic updates you shall:
1. Install the SkunCrafts Updater plugin as stated in its user manual
2. Inside REP’s zip, inside the “into-aircraft-main-folder”, you find a file called skun-
crafts_updater.cfg. Copy such file into the C172SP Skyhawk main folder.

Manual Update of the software

NOTE: It is not necessary to remove the older REP files. The software will take care of the update
procedure.
1. Copy the “REP” folder contained in this package inside the “plugins” folder of the C172SP
Skyhawk, overwriting the existing one.
2. Run X-Plane and load the C172SP Skyhawk.
3. Reload the aircraft when the automatic update is finished.

Remove the software

To remove the software follow this procedure:

1. In the menu bar click on “Plugins”
2. Click on “SimCoders.com - REP” and choose “Disable Package”
3. Click “Ok” in the confirmation message
4. Reload the aircraft when the uninstallation procedure ends
At the end of the uninstallation procedure, the original aircraft will be restored to its mint condi-
tions.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Recommended sound settings

Recommended sound settings

To better enjoy the Reality Expansion Pack on the C172SP Skyhawk, you should setup your sound
settings like the following screenshot.

Figure 1: Recommended sound settings

Recommended control settings

To have a better control over the airplane axis, you should setup your control sensitivity as
follows.

Figure 2: Recommended control settings

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

HARDWARE & SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY

Headshake

If HeadShake v1.5 or higher is installed in your system, it will communicate with REP to improve
the simulation realism.
REP will drive HeadShake to simulate the vibrations of the real engine. Using this, you will be able
to run the engine at the most comfortable RPMs by simply checking the vibrations it produces.
In the same way, HeadShake will simulate the stall buffeting if the airplane in use shows that
kind of behavior.

Saitek Panels

This software is compatible with Saitek Panels. In order to use them, you should install the
XSaitekPanels free plugin from Sparker.
This package already includes a INI configuration file for XSaitekPanels. Make sure you copy it
inside the main folder of your C172SP Skyhawk.

XPRealistic

The Reality Expansion Pack can be used together with XPRealistic.

You might need to disable XPRealistic’s wind, touchdown and brakes sound effects as REP
already provides them.

Differential and progressive brakes for X-Plane 11

The Reality Expansion Pack detects if Differential and progressive brakes for X-Plane 11 is
installed in your system.
If so, REP’s differential braking algorithm is disabled in favor of the custom differential brakes
algorithm of the third party plugin.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

USER INTERFACE

Lateral Menu

When loaded, REP shows a lateral menu on the left-side of the screen. The menu consists of a
set of small icons.
By default, the menu partially hides itself until the mouse pointer gets near it.

Figure 3: The menu is partially hidden by default

Figure 4: The menu is shown when the mouse pointer gets closer to it

You can choose to completely hide the menu when the mouse pointer leaves it. To do so, go to
“Plugins -> SimCoders - REP -> Settigs” menu and tick the “Show side menu on mouse over only”
option.
The lateral menu entries are available in the “Plugins -> SimCoders - REP” menu as well.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Maintenance Report

Maintenance Report

This window is the primary way you have to check the status of your airplane and to fix all the
systems that need the mechanic attention.
The report is divided on more pages. Each page relates to a different group of systems.
To act on a system, click on the entry in the “Action” column.
To switch to the previous/next page click over the flipped page corners at the bottom of the
report.

Figure 5: The Maintenance Report window

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Kneeboard

Kneeboard

The software come with a complete kneeboard window that contains the aircraft normal and
emergency checklists together with the performance reference tables.

Figure 6: The Kneeboard window

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Kneeboard

Show the kneeboard using the plugins menu

The kneeboard window may be shown by clicking on the “Plugins” menu, then “SimCoders –
REP” then “Show kneeboard”.

Manage the kneeboard using the custom commands

You can also use five different custom commands at which you can assign your custom keys or
joystick buttons. The custom kneeboard commands defined by REP are the following:

Command Description
simcoders/rep/kneeboard/toggle Show or hide the kneeboard
simcoders/rep/kneeboard/next_section Show the next kneeboard section
simcoders/rep/kneeboard/prev_section Show the previous kneeboard section
simcoders/rep/kneeboard/next_page Show the next kneeboard page
simcoders/rep/kneeboard/prev_page Show the previous kneeboard page

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Mass & Balance

Mass & Balance

The Reality Expansion Pack provides a Mass & Balance tool to precisely load the plane.
While loading the plane, the goal is to keep the crosses inside the plot section delimited by the
blue area, like shown in the screenshot below.

Figure 7: The Mass & Balance window

The blue area is the Center of Gravity Envelope. The mass is reported on the Y axis, the Center
of Gravity Arm is reported on the X axis.
If the cross is towards the left side of the plot, it means that the center of gravity will be towards
the front of the airplane, that is, the airplane will be nose heavy.
On the other hand, if the cross is on the right side of the plot, the airplane will be tail heavy.
If you overload the airplane and the cross goes outside the blue envelope, the cross becomes
red, indicating that the plane is not allowed to fly.
Clicking on the “Apply” button, the selected passengers mass and fuel load will be applied to
X-Plane.
The unit of measure for the airplane mass and the C.G. arm can be changed by clicking the
“Change Units” button.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Towing

Walkaround

Click on the Walkaround icon in the lateral menu to enter walkaround mode. Click again on the
same icon on close the walkaround window to return in the cockpit.
During walkaround you can interact with some external systems of the aircraft using the walka-
round window. Click the “Next” and “Prev” buttons at the bottom of the pre-flight checklists to
move along the different pre-flight stations.
Always do the walkaround and the pre-flight inspection before each flight.
If you do not remove the tie-down and the chocks, you are not able to taxi and takeoff properly.
If you do not remove the pitot cover, you will incour in a airspeed indicator failure.
Since version 3.4.5, it is possible to toggle all the static elements - such the pitot cover and the
tiedowns - using a single entry in the plugins menu or a keyboard command.
Since version 3.3, the following keyboard/joystick commands are available to control the walka-
round mode.

Command Description
simcoders/rep/walkaround/toggle Toggle the walkaround mode
simcoders/rep/walkaround/next Next walkaround station
simcoders/rep/walkaround/previous Previous walkaround station
simcoders/rep/walkaround/action Execute the action of the current
walkaround station
simcoders/rep/walkaround/static_elements/toggle Toggle the static elements

Towing

REP comes with a complete towing simulation. To activate it, click on the towing icon in the
lateral menu. Click the icon again to exit from the towing mode.
The towing features a 3D towing bar that will help you driving the airplane on the tarmac.
To move the airplane, push or pull the pitch axis of your joystick. Use the roll axis to turn.
Since REP simulate the force applied by a single man placed in front of the airplane, you may
not be able to tow the airplane on the grass, just like in real life.
You won’t be able to tow the airplane if it’s tied-down or if chocks/brakes are applied.

Engine Autostart

The Reality Expansion Pack provides you a way to automatically start the engines.
Click on the engine autostart icon in the side menu and wait until the startup procedure is
completed.
During the automatic start, REP shows a series of tips that describe the action being done.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Settings Window

Settings Window

The settings windows is shown by clicking over the “Plugins -> SimCoders - REP -> Settings”
menu.

Enable the plane damages

When ticked, this option enable the plane damages.

Show failure messages

If ticked, REP will show a message in case of a system failure. The message will explain why
the failure happened and what course of action should be taken.

Show tips
If ticked, REP will show a message in case of a system failure. The message will explain why
the failure happened and what course of action should be taken.

Show side menu on mouse hover only

When ticked, REP will completely hide the lateral menu when the mouse pointer leaves it.

Save and restore the plane status between sessions

If ticked, REP will save the airplane status when unloaded. When the same plane and livery are
loaded again, the status will be restored.
The status includes all the switches position, the fuel on-board, the loaded weights, the engine
fluids quantity and quality and all the possible values that play part to the systems simulation.
The engine temperatures - such CHT and Oil Temperature - are restored accordingly to the
elapsed time since the values where stored.

Enable hypoxia effect

When ticked, the default hypoxia effect is replaced by REP’s custom algorithm. See the Hypoxia
chapter to get more information about the custom hypoxia effect.

Roll axis drives ground steering

When ticked, the joystick roll axis will steer the nosewheel on the ground.

Use US Customary
When ticked, REP will use the US Customary units of measure (pounds and inches).

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Settings Window

Enhance default stall behavior

When ticked, REP will improve the default stall behavior in order to make it more realistic.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk How to activate the VR menu

VIRTUAL REALITY & VR VISORS

REP 3.4.0 introduced an experimental Virtual Reality visors support with visible windows in VR.

How to activate the VR menu

A VR menu that lets you open the kneeboard, the tech report and all other items you find normally
in the side-menu can be shown using the simcoders/rep/vr/open_menu command.
This menu will be shown in VR only and will be clicable using your VR manipulators.
You find that command in the X-Plane main settings, in the Keyboard and Joystick tabs. Inside
one of those tabs, click to assign a command to a keyboard key or to a joystick button, then
select the simcoders/rep/vr/open_menu command for that given key or button.
For more informations please read X-Plane’s user guide about assigning commands to buttons.
REP features some other extra commands that let you access all the features of the package
using your VR controllers, if necessary.

NOTE
Make sure you loaded a REP airplane before looking for the command in X-Plane’s settings
window.

Figure 8: The Tech Report shown in VR mode

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

HUMAN FACTOR

Hypoxia

Hypoxia is a condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen
supply at the tissue level.
As altitude is gained, the partial pressure of Oxygen gets lower and lower to the point that the
human body is unable to absorb enough quantity of it to sustain life.
The symptoms of hypoxia are:
• Apparent personality change
• Impaired judgement
• Headache
• Tingling
• Increased rate of breathing
• Muscular impairment
• Memory impairment
• Visual sensory loss
• Tunnel vision
• Impairment of consciousness
• Cyanosis
• Unconsciousness
• Death
The Reality Expansion Pack simulates some of the symptoms above, such the tunnel vision, the
increased rate of breathing and the muscular impairment.

TUC & EPT

Time of Useful Consciousness (TUC) is the time available for the development of hypoxia and
the pilot to do something about it. It is not the time to unconsciousness but the short time from
a reduction in adeguate oxygen until a specific degree of impairment, generally taken to be the
point when the individual can no longer take steps to help him/herself.
Effective Performance Time (EPT) is always within and shorter than TUC. Its quantification
however depends on the individual.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Hypoxia

The following is a table that represent the EPT simulated by REP.

Altitude (ft) EPT

10000 Few hours
15000 40 minutes
20000 10 minutes
30000 30 seconds
40000 15 seconds
45000 1-2 seconds

Figure 9: Hypoxia effect

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION

Within the Reality Expansion Pack, each system has its own life-cycle and can be damanged
depending on many factors, including the pilot’s behavior.
All systems can be fixed individually using the Maintenance Report or all at once using the
simcoders/rep/systems/fix_all command.
The following is a brief description of each system onboard.

Powerplant

The Cessna 172SP is powered by a four-cylinders Lycoming IO-360-L2A normally aspirated, direct-
drive, air-cooled, horizontally- opposed, fuel-injected engine with 360 cubic inches displacement.
This engine outputs a maximum power of 180HP at 29 inches Hg and 2700RPM with no time
limitations.

Engine Overview

The Reality Expansion Pack totally replaces the engine simulated by X-Plane with custom algo-
rithms to the point that not a single bit of the old engine model is left in the sim.
This includes the combustion model to which all the other model - such the Power Output, the
Cylinders Head Temperature or the Oil Pressure - depend.
Some of the features include:
• Correct animations and sounds: the cylinders compression is simulated to the deepest
level, enhancing the propeller movements at very low RPMs and at startup and shutdown
• Correct power output: the engine outputs the correct power at every RPM setting.
• Correct fuel flow: reaching the correct power output allows X-Plane to provide the right
fuel flow at every phase of the flight, right down to the numbers.
• Realistic startup procedure: The engine needs to be pre-injected using the electrical fuel
pump (see the operating tips)
• Realistic engine issues:
– The oil type, quality and quantity affects the engine behavior.
– The spark plugs may be fooled by carbon deposits
– Leaning the mixture at the wrong time or in the wrong way may cause damages to
the engine
– Engine preheater and winterization kit: the engine may be preheated on winter using
the provided electric engine heater. If the engine is not heated correctly, it won’t start
or may be damaged after start.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Powerplant

Induction System

The Reality Expansion Pack replaces the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) algorithm of X-Plane
with a custom one.
The C172SP Skyhawk engine is normally aspirated. That is, the maximum air pressure that
affects the engine is the outside atmospheric pressure.
During climb, as the atmospheric pressure gets lower the maximum manifold pressure gets
lower as well.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Powerplant

Oil System

The oil system has the main role to lubricate the engine thus reducing the friction between
engine components. It also helps reduce the engine temperature.
The oil system is made by:
• An oil tank
• A screening filter
• A set of oil lines that go to the cylinders
• An engine-driven scavenging pump that moves the oil from the bottom of the oil sump -
below the engine - back to the oil tank
• An oil radiator.
The Reality Expansion Pack simulates all these components as well as the oil fluid properties.
The pilot must check the quantity and quality of the oil before each flight. This should be done
during the walkaround.
In the “Engine Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the type of oil fluid in use
• Check the quantity of oil fluid in the oil tank
• Change the oil fluid type
• Check the status of the oil filter
• Change the oil filter with a new one
• Check the oil pump status
• Overhaul the oil pump
A higher grade oil - such SAE50 - is thicker than a lower grade - such SAE30 - and meant to be
used in hotter climates.
The following article is a guide to choose the correct oil grade depending on the type of flight op-
erations in progress: https://www.simcoders.com/2016/04/18/how-to-choose-right-oil-engine
If the oil is not changed regularly (about every 40 hours) it may get dirty and have a lower lubricant
action. That is, the engine will run hotter and wear more than before.

NOTE
The oil pressure may get closer to its maximum value when a cold engine is first started.
This is normal and do not cause any harm to the engine as long as the oil pressure gets lower
during engine warmup.
Warmup the engine to ensure the correct oil temperature and pressure before applying full
power for takeoff.

CAUTION
Using a higher grade oil in cold climates could lead to high oil pressure, thus damaging the oil
system components.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Powerplant

Starter

The Reality Expansion Pack replaces the default starter with a custom one.
In the “Engine Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the starter status
• Replace a faulty starter with a new one

CAUTION
The starter will overheat and then damage if engaged for too long. Make sure to engage the
starter for no more than 30 seconds. Let it cool down between failed starts.

Spark Plugs

Each cylinder is provided with two spark plugs, one connected to the left magneto and the other
connected to the right magneto.
Carbon deposits form on the spark plugs pointers if the engine is run at low RPMs with rich
mixture. That is, the spark plugs foul.
To avoid fouling, always keep at least 1000RPM and aggressively lean the mixture when on
ground.
A big drop in RPM during the magnetos check is a sign of a fouled spark plug.
To clean the spark plugs, set a high power setting and aggressively lean the mixture. Run the
engine with this setting for about 20 seconds then recheck the magnetos.
In the “Engine Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the spark plugs status
• Manually clean the spark plugs
• Change the default spark plugs with the “fine wire” type.
Fine wire spark plugs are less prone to fouling but not immune to it.

The Red Box

When the IO-360 was firstly designed, there were many misconceptions about how to actually
manage the engine throughout the normal operating range.
The most common tip was to run 100°F ROP during high power operations, such climb, and
50°ROP during cruise, with the extra rule to almost never run LOP.
When engine monitors started to be normal equipment on most high-end GA aircrafts, pilots
finally had some data on which they could base they engine management decisions.
It turned out that the 50/100°ROP rule is – generally speaking – not the best way to take care of
your engine.
In fact, the best ranges turned out to be the following:

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Powerplant

• Above 80% of power: richer than 200°F ROP or leaner than 60°F LOP
• Between 75% and 80% of power: richer than 180°F ROP or leaner than 40°F LOP
• Between 70% and 75% of power: richer than 125°F ROP or leaner than 25°F LOP
• Between 65% and 70% of power: richer than 100°F ROP or leaner than peak EGT
• Below 65% of power: no restrictions, lean as you like
The ranges outside the one suggested above form what is called the ‘red box’.
Running the engine in the red box is not really damaging it, but if you take care of it and stay
away from the red box, you may extend the engine life and get an engine that run smoother.
An extensive explanation of how and why you should keep the red box rule in mind is in this
article: https://www.avweb.com/news/savvyaviator/savvy_aviator_59_egt_cht_and_leaning-
198162-1.html

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Powerplant

Preheater & Winterization Kit

To engage the engine preheater, open the Maintenance Report window and activate the electrical
heater by going into the “Engine Tools” section.
The electrical heater will warm up the engine (CHT) and the oil to a temperature that is suitable
for startup is 30/60 minutes, depending on the outside air temperature.
A “Fast Warmup” button is available in the Maintenance Report window. Once clicked, the engine
will be warmed up instantly.
Keeping the cowl plugs mounted will provide a faster and better warmup. To mount the cowl
plugs, enter the walkaround mode and move to the engine checks.
If operating in very cold climates, keep the engine preheater on until the walkaround is completed
and startup the engine as soon as the preheater is turned off.
The engine preheater state is kept between X-Plane sessions. If you turn on the heater and then
close X-Plane, the engine will be warmed up even when the simulator is not running.
In very cold climates, the excessive flow of cool air may prevent the engine to warmup correctly
after startup. To reduce the amount of air that enters the engine cowl, enter the Maintenance
Report window and enable the Winterization Kit from the “Engine Tools” section.

Engine Startup Tips

• Before starting the engine, always apply full mixture and 1 inch throttle and then switch the
electrical fuel pump on for a variable time between half (warm engine) and two seconds
(cold engine). After this pre-injection phase, close the throttle, set the mixture full lean and
proceed with the normal engine startup.
• If the engine “pops” during the startup it means it’s flooded. Just close the mixture and set
the throttle full open, then engage the starter. The engine should start in few revolutions. If
not, repeat the normal startup procedure.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Fuel System

Fuel System

Fuel Pump

The fuel system is provided with a electrical fuel pump that can be used to prime the engine.
The fuel pump should not be used in flight unless required by the checklists.
In the “Engine Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the fuel pump status
• Repair the pump in case of failure

Vacuum System

The engine is provided with a vacuum pump used to power up the vacuum gyros.
A vacuum pump is connected to the engine via a quick-break shaft. In case of vacuum pump
seizure, the shaft breaks and no harm is done to the engine.
Use the vacuum gauge to check that the vacuum pump is properly working. A normal vacuum
reading is about 4 to 6 when the engine is running at cruise power.
In the “Engine Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the vacuum pump status
• Repair a broken vacuump pump

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Electrical Systems & Avionics

Electrical Systems & Avionics

The airplane is equipped with a 28-volt, direct-current electrical system.

The system uses a battery as the source of electrical energy and a belt-driven, 60-amp alternator
to maintain the battery’s state of charge.

Battery

The default battery is replaced with a battery that keep its charge between sim sessions and
discharge at a realistic rate. The battery state is updated even when the simulator is not running.
This means that if you leave your battery on, it will discharge even if X-Plane is closed.
In the “Electrical System & Avionics Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the battery charge
• Recharge the battery
• Disconnect the battery poles from the electrical system
If you plan not to fly the airplane for a while, you should disconnect the battery via the Maintenance
Window. This will avoid self-discharging and extend the battery life during storage.

Alternator

The alternator switch position is saved through all X-Plane sessions. Make sure it is switched in
the correct position according to the checklists throughout the entire flight.
The alternator switch operation may affect the avionics. Check the Avionics paragraph below to
get more informations.

Lights

The lights switches position are saved through all X-Plane sessions.
If the airplane is not provided with strobe lights fmod sounds, the Reality Expansion Pack adds
the strobe lights sounds when the lights are switched on.

Electrical Gyros

The Reality Expansion Pack replaces the default X-Plane electrical gyros with custom ones with
a more realistic spin up/down dynamics.
The typical spin up/down sounds are reproduced when the battery switch is turned in the “On”
position.
The instruments provided with an electrical gyro and therefore depending on the electrical supply
are the turn/slip indicator and the standby attitude indicator, if provided.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Landing Gear

Radio Stack

The radio components save their own state - such as frequencies and knobs position - during
X-Plane sessions.
In the “Electrical System & Avionics Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the status of each radio
• Fix a faulty radio

CAUTION
Never turn on or off the engine or the alternator when the avionics switch is in the “On”
position. Doing so may trigger a overvoltage spike that could damage one or more avionics
component.
The newer avionics such the Garmin GNS430/530 are better protected from overloads but
they are not totally immune from them.

Landing Gear

The airplane is equipped with a tricycle fixed landing gear.

The Reality Expansion Pack introduces the following changes to the default landing gear:
• Improved ground roll physics: REP corrects the default behavior of X-Plane on ground in
cross wind conditions, when the airplane tended to steer against the wind.
• Custom touchdown sounds: The touchdown sounds tone and volume are related to the
touchdown speed. A harder touchdown will produce different sounds than a soft landing.
• Brakes sounds: Actuating the brakes produces the typical whining sound. Also the classic
squeaking sounds are reproduced when the brakes are not in perfect shape.
In the “Landing Gear & Brakes Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the status of the landing gear struts
• Fix a faulty strut

Spring loaded nose wheel

The nose wheel will freely turn right or left.

The airplane direction on ground should be maintained using the brakes as well as the steering
pedals.

Tires

The Reality Expansion Pack simulates the tire status and failure basing on the landings done in
the past.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk Landing Gear

A flat tire can cause the plane to yaw during the landing run or get it stuck on the ground before
taxi.
In the “Landing Gear & Brakes Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the status of each tire
• Fix a faulty tire

Brakes

The C172SP Skyhawk has a single-disc, hydraulically-actuated brake on each main landing gear
wheel. Each brake is hydraulically connected to a cylinder attached to each of the pilot’s rudder
pedals.
The brakes are operated by applying pressure to the top of the rudder pedals, which are intercon-
nected. When the airplane is parked the brakes may be activated using the parking brake switch
located under the pilot’s yoke.
To avoid brake failures, keep the brake system properly maintained and minimize brake usage
during taxi operations and landings.
Do not apply the brakes for a long time. If the runway is long, let the plane slow down by itself.
In the “Landing Gear & Brakes Status” page of the Mainantenace Report you can:
• Check the status of the braking system
• Fix a faulty brake

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Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

HOME COCKPITS/CUSTOM DATAREFS

In order to work properly, REP uses a set of custom datarefs instead of default X-Plane ones.
Here you find a list of datarefs that you can use for your home cockpit.

Dataref Contents
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/attitude_indicator_0_pitch Main att. ind. pitch
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/attitude_indicator_0_roll Main att. ind. roll
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/airspeed_kts_pilot Pilot airspeed
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/airspeed_kts_copilot Copilot airspeed
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot Pilot altitude
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_copilot Copilot altitude
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/vvi_fpm_pilot Pilot VSI
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/vvi_fpm_copilot Copilot VSI
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/switches/avionics_power_on Avionics switch
simcoders/rep/indicators/fuel/fuel_quantity_0 Fuel kg in tank 0
simcoders/rep/indicators/fuel/fuel_quantity_ratio_0 Fuel ratio in tank 0
simcoders/rep/indicators/fuel/fuel_quantity_1 Fuel kg in tank 1
simcoders/rep/indicators/fuel/fuel_quantity_ratio_1 Fuel ratio in tank 1
simcoders/rep/indicators/fuel/fuel_flow_0 FF indicator
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/engine_0_rpm RPM indicator
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/engine_0_egt EGT indicator
simcoders/rep/cockpit2/engine/actuators/fuel_pump_0 Pump (0 off, 1 on)
simcoders/rep/engine/oil/temp_f_0 Oil temp (F)
simcoders/rep/engine/oil/temp_c_0 Oil temp (C)
simcoders/rep/engine/oil/press_psi_0 Oil press (PSI)

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Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

RESOURCES & HOW-TOs

SimCoders.com blog contains tons of resources that you will find very useful when using REP.
Moreover, this is a list of How-Tos available.
• How to lean the mixture
• How to keep the spark plugs clean
• How to choose the right oil for your engine
• How to quickly startup the engine with REP
• How to manage an emergency

SUPPORT & CONTACTS

Before asking for support please read the FAQs we published on our site. They contain informa-
tions about installation troubles and general usage.
If you encounter any kind of technical problem with our software, please write to support@
simcoders.com providing as much informations as possible and including your X-Plane’s Log.txt
file.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

VERSION CHANGELOG

V3.4.6
1. New: Automatic updates via SkunkCrafts Updater plugin
2. New: REP is now compatible with the Differential and progressive brakes for X-Plane 11
plugin
3. Improved documentation
4. Improved gyros spin-down behavior
5. The CHT and Oil Temperature now rise faster in warm weather conditions
6. Improved ground steering
7. Improved ground effect
8. Fix: corrected the stall warning sound during flare
9. Fix: the automatic start procedure selected the wrong fuel tank
10. Fix: failures and damages were triggered while in replay mode
11. Fix: the oil pressure needle was not visibile if the airplane was loaded with the engines
running
12. Minor improvements

V3.4.5
1. New: It is possible to manage the static elements from the plugins menu
2. New: Command to toggle the static elements
3. New: Command to fix all systems
4. New: REP correctly recognizes the engine failures triggered by X-Plane
5. Fix: The gyros where stuck when the engine was switched off
6. Fix: Improved the stall behavior in XP11.20+
7. Fix: In the latest X-Plane versions the in-flight tip messages may have been not shown
correctly
8. Fix: Some entries in the tech report were not clickable
9. Fix: Minor typos in kneeboard
10. The installer has been improved to work with all the airplane mods available over the
Internet
11. More realistic hypoxia effect at lower altitudes
12. Improved documentation

V3.4.4
1. Minor fixes

V3.4.3
1. New: Improved engine torque algorithm
2. New: Improved sparkplugs fouling algorithm
3. New: Removed the mouse gestures to open the kneeboard
4. New: The checklists/mass and balance/towing mode/autostart are now accessible from
the plugins menu as well as the lateral menu

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

5. New: a new command has been added to switch on the HI fuel pump
6. Improved multimonitor compatibility

7. Fix: oil pressure was sometimes too low

8. Minor fixes

V3.4.2
Internal test build – not released to the public

V3.4.1
1. Fix: missing input chars in textbox
2. Fix: input on multimonitor setup was not working as expected
3. Minor fixes

V3.4.0
1. New: Experimental VR Support
2. New: SDK 3.0 (Detachable) windows
3. Improved engine model
4. Minor fixes

V3.3.1:
1. Fix: Too rich mixture at full power
2. Minor fixes

V3.3.0
1. New: 100% custom engine model to replace the internal X-Plane piston engine
2. New: Engine monitor enables engine fine tuning during flight
3. New: Improved drag model
4. New: Improved walkround oil system check
5. New: Improved ground roll sounds
6. New: Improved ADI spoolup model
7. New: Walkaround keyboard commands
8. Minor fixes

V3.2.1
1. Fix: Loading and unloading the plugin more times caused a crash
2. Fix: If the flight was started with engine running, the mixture was set to idle-cutoff
3. Minor fixes

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V3.2.0
1. New: 3D sounds
2. New: Advanced gyro wander
3. New: You can now check the pitot probe temperature during walkaround
4. New: Postflight walkaround
5. New: Lights check during walkaround
6. New: More informations about the cylinders status
7. New: The hobbs hour are now saved in the airplane state file and restored the next session
8. Improved steering algorithm
9. Better startup sounds
10. Fixed a bug that caused the cylinders to not being fixed correctly after an engine seizure
11. The landing gear failures are based on actual gravity acceleration. Now the landing on
sloped strips are more realistic.
12. Fix a bug that may caused the engine to not fail when it should have
13. Minor fixes and improvements

V3.1.1
1. New: The chocks and tie downs are checked before automatic start
2. New: The lateral menu can now be completely hidden (see the plugin settings window)
3. Alternator output set to 28V and battery to 24
4. Improved flooded engine message
5. Better compatibility with the “Start with engine running” setting
6. Fix: the label colors in some walkaround views were incorrect
7. Fix (XP11 only): the wind sound volume is controlled by the environment sounds volume
8. Minor fixes

V3.1.0
1. New: Dynamic ground roll sounds
2. Minor fixes

V3.0.0
1. New: reworked user interface and graphics
2. New: automatic startup procedure
3. Improved flight dynamics in X-Plane 11
4. Fix: some throttle quadrants did not work correctly with REP
5. Minor fixes and improvements

V2.6.4
1. New: Flight dynamics improvements in both X-Plane 10 and 11
2. Fix: Minor fixes

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Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

V2.6.3
1. Fix: The right toebrake did not couple properly with external rudder pedals
2. Fix: The oil system “Refill” button was not clickable

V2.6.2
1. Fix: Minor fixes

V2.6.1
1. Fix: Checklists typos
2. Fix: Improved fuel pump sounds
3. Fix: The wheel brakes may be stuck after towing
4. Fix: Improved engines doppler and distance sounds
5. Fix: Damages disabled during replay
6. Fix: Improved the joystick compatibility with the new propeller governor

V2.6.0
1. New: Custom propeller governor

V2.5.1
1. Fix: Corrected the toe brakes algorithm

V2.5.0
1. New: Improved torque effect
2. New: Improved CHT and Oil Temperature algorithm
3. New: Oil temperature tips
4. New: Improved hypoxia effect & algorithm
5. New: Fuel & Oil check in walkaround mode
6. Minor Fixes

V2.4.0
1. New: Spark plugs dynamics:
• The spark plugs get fouled when the engine runs at low RPMs
• The default spark plugs can be replaced with the fine-wire ones
2. New: Hypoxia can now be disabled in the settings panel
3. New: The engine may be damaged by wrong ROP/LOP operations
4. Minor Fixes

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 Reality Expansion Pack
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk

V2.3.0
1. New: Hypoxia simulation
2. New: Oil filter simulation: need to replace it at every oil change
3. New: Oil pump damage simulation
4. New: Fuel filter simulation: need to replace it after TBO
5. New: Vacuum pump casual failure simulation
6. New: More realistic engine priming dynamics
7. New: Improved W&B simulation during flight
8. Fix: Minor bug fixes

V2.2.1
1. Fix: the installer did not apply some changes correctly

V2.2.0
1. New: Simplified installation
2. Fix: The analog and digital fuel flow gauges were not reporting the correct fuel flow under
certain circumstances
3. Fix: Minor fixes

V2.1.0
1. New: Engine pre-heating and winterization kit
2. New: The avionics settings are restored after reloading the airplane
3. New: Better compatibility with other plugins that manage the state of the airplane (such
as X-Bookmark)
4. New: The sounds volume is controlled by the Carenado volume knob
5. New: The lateral menu is dimmed at night
6. Fix: More realistic ground physics
7. Fix: The oil system is now reporting the correct oil quantity
8. Fix: Minor fixes

V2.0.3
1. Fix: The cowl flaps lever cannot be moved using the mouse wheel
2. Fix: The kneeboard images were cutted and not shown correctly

V2.0.2
1. New: Improved cylinders physics
• The CHT temperature is now provided by a custom algorithm
2. New: Improved oil system
• The oil temperature is now provided by a custom algorithm
• The oil temperature and pressure depends also on oil quantity an quality
3. New: Improved touchdown sounds

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4. Minor Fixes

V2.0.1
1. Fix: It was not possible to enter the walkaround mode if the “Cold and Dark” option was
disabled
2. Fix: Typos in the towing tips
3. Fix: The Walkaround checklists were not correctly visible on smaller screens.

V2.0.0
1. New: Custom interactive walkaround and pre-flight procedures.
2. New: Custom airplane towing system
3. New: More advanced engine physics (especially for engine startup)
4. New: More complex damages system for the avionics, the engine and the landing gear
such as:
• Oversquare operation of the engine is not always allowed
• The tire are damaged if the brakes are active on touchdown
5. New: More in-flight tips
6. New: Custom menu that provides an easy access to REP’s features
7. New: Stall buffeting effect (improved if HeadShake 1.5+ is installed)
8. Minor changes to the sounds system
9. Minor changes to the graphics system
10. Bug fixes

V1.0.2
1. New: Correct steering and ground roll physics, especially in cross wind conditions.
2. New: The Weight & Balance tool now predicts the C.G. position at landing.
3. New: HeadShake and REP integration to better simulate the engine vibrations of the
TSIO-520 (Headshake v1.5 or higher required).
4. Fix: Improved compatibility with Saitek products.
5. Fix: Minor fixes.

V1.0.1
1. New: A tip is shown if the pilot is managing the plane’s system in the wrong manner.
2. New: Some failures (such the avionic’s) are behaving in a more realistic way.
3. New: The parasite roll moment incorrectly reproduced by X-Plane is reduced.
4. New: The flooded engine behavior is now more realistic. If flooded, the engine may actually
starts with closed mixture.
5. New: Engine manufacturer and model in the Hangar window.
6. New: Better oil color report in the Hangar window.
7. New: Added the “About” menu.
8. Fix: Sometimes, the joystick mixture axis was not correctly recognized.
9. Fix: Cranking a running engine does not reduce the engine’s RPM anymore.
10. Fix: Cranking a running engine does not cause an avionics failure anymore.

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 Reality Expansion Pack
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11. Fix: The pilot altimeter’s barometer was rendered incorrectly.

12. Fix: The propeller joystick axis was not working as expected.
13. Fix: The oil pressure was too high during flight.
14. Fix: Minor changes to improve performance and correct typos.

V1.0.0
1. Initial Release

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