I think I'm going to have to do another Round the world flight in FS2004. This time it might be done online, so if you are lucky, you might see me in the air, a small white plane flying very fast and high above you, leaving behind a huge contrail. Maybe you might hear a sonic boom.
The plane registration will be F-BTSD, an Air France Concorde.
The flight number / call-sign will be Air France 1492. I'm going to try and smash the real world east-to-west around the world speed record of 23 hours and 13 minutes, achieved in the real world by Air France Concorde F-BTSD.
My previous RTW journey was:
London -> Bahrain
Bahrain -> Singapore
Singapore -> Perth
Perth -> Sydney
Sydney -> Nadi
Nadi -> Honolulu
Honolulu -> Oakland
Oakland -> Houston
Houston -> Nassau
Nassau -> London
And I achieved that in roughly 26.5 flight hours. The task this time is to go around the world, but to do it faster this time. The plan is:
That's nearly 25,200 miles. Won't be starting the flight right away though. ;)
The only thing that might slow the flight down is traffic delays at some airports, depending on how busy things are. Takeoffs are no problem, the flights are timed from the commencement of the take-off roll, but timing finishes once the plane has touched down.
Frank N. O.
09-03-2005, 02:12 AM
Nice, lol I almost thougth it was a trip to the moon :D
The white dot wouldn't that need the paywayre Concorde too see, unless FS chooses a white Cessna livery :D (this happend to my brother with a add-on F16 or Concorde when he flew online in FS98).
I know of a white drop-nose delta-wing superjet that could keep up with you though, just a shame I can't fly it well. Well I wish you the best and for some good fun :wave:
And some of my beloved aviation humour to give you a smile before you install yourself in the Concorde cockpit
Landing Rating Scale:
5. Marvelous, ace. Couldn't do better myself.
4. I've seen better; just can't remember when.
3. Average. I could do better with my eyes closed.
2. You going to log all of those?
1. That wasn't a landing; that was an arrival.
0. Go get the trailer, boys.
-- George Patterson
The Pilot's Prayer
Oh controller, who sits in tower
Hallowed be thy sector.
Thy traffic come, thy instructions be done
On the ground as they are in the air.
Give us this day our radar vectors,
And forgive us our TCA incursions (*)
As we forgive those who cut us off on final.
And lead us not into adverse weather,
But deliver us our clearances.
Roger.
3 most useless things
Altitude above you
Runway behind you
Fuel back at the airport
Foxtrot November Oscar over and out.
P.S. I tried googling and looking at airliners.net but sadly I couldn't find a picture of the special controls Concorde cockpit but I'll keep looking when I get back, I just completed U2 last night.
chris
09-03-2005, 02:33 AM
Nice, lol I almost thougth it was a trip to the moon :D
The white dot wouldn't that need the paywayre Concorde too see, unless FS chooses a white Cessna livery :D (this happend to my brother with a add-on F16 or Concorde when he flew online in FS98).
I know of a white drop-nose delta-wing superjet that could keep up with you though, just a shame I can't fly it well. Well I wish you the best and for some good fun :wave:
And some of my beloved aviation humour to give you a smile before you install yourself in the Concorde cockpit
Foxtrot November Oscar over and out.
P.S. I tried googling and looking at airliners.net but sadly I couldn't find a picture of the special controls Concorde cockpit but I'll keep looking when I get back, I just completed U2 last night.
I know that on Vatsim, I think they have placeholder plane meshes, or something similar. :) With all the practice landings at Kai-tak I've done, landings at any other airport are no drama. :)
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/landing_problem4.jpg
That's a sample of Kai-tak crazyness. ;) Simple landing in Learjets and other small planes, horror landing in big planes. :eek: The landing seen above looks scary, but it was actually just about perfect.
The special controls Concorde - are you referring to my post on SSTSim forums? It seems F-WTSB, the prototype Concorde parked at the Airbus factory was used to prove the joystick style controls famous on modern Airbus planes. I just can't quite imagine how that looks.. I'm used to those familiar black yokes.
The prototype Concordes it seems were used for all kinds of special purposes. G-BBDG was apparently employed by the ministry of defence for testing of radar systems. Delta-Golf was apparently made to fly down at high speed from Norway, and they would try and detect it on long range radar. They were apparently terrified of the prospect of Russian supersonic bombers at the time. ;)
Frank N. O.
09-03-2005, 11:50 AM
Yes I was talking about the SST-forum :) It looks nice so I'll look some more later now I've finished the other job for you.
Very nice landing there, I don't suppose you could give me a file for FS9 that would place a plane in the correct starting position until I can learn to accurately read a chart could you? Now I got my printer (and scanner-photocopier-combo) I can print out charts, although I need to make a kneeboard.
And close off this post, for now, I'll give you some more aviation humour :D
First off one I know you'll like :D
The nicer an aeroplane looks, the better it flies. (Absolutely!And since you think landings are so easy then I wonder if you are saying that from these rules :D
It's a good landing if you can still get the doors open.
---
There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing.
Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
---
Everyone already knows the definition of a 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. But very few know the definition of a 'great' landing.
It's one after which you can use the aeroplane another time.
---
Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man. Landing is the first!
---
If you're ever faced with a forced landing at night, turn on the landing lights to see the landing area. If you don't like what you see, turn' em back off.
---
Advice given to RAF pilots during WWII:
When a prang (crash) seems inevitable, endeavor to strike the softest, cheapest object in the vicinity as slow and gently as possible.
---
A smooth landing is mostly luck; two in a row is all luck; three in a row is prevarication.I can't comment on the last one since I don't know the last word, but I'll look it up after I post it (good idea huh :D).
Frank
Edit: Hey, didn't I use to have a big-screen tv before? Now it says I haven't moved from the couch, have I stepped up in rank or what? :D
Edit2: I just found this videoclip of a german joke-video from somewhere, or maybe a commercial, but it is wild :D
http://www.nearlygood.com/video/jetrace.html
chris
09-04-2005, 04:58 AM
You've moved up in rank. :beer:
Now, for HK, I'll tell you what I do for those practice landings at Kai-tak.
You start on Runway 13, with the plane having about 30% fuel load.
Now lifting off, you want to climb at about 2000ft/min to 6000ft.
While climbing, turn immediately to HDG 240 or 250.
As you intercept Cheung Chau (CH) DVOR on the 270 radial, you want to keep the plane on that radial, so you fly right over CH DVOR.
You want to continue past it until it is 7Nm behind you.
At that point, turn immediately to heading 045, 50 or 055, and have 111.90 tuned in on Nav 1, and intercept 111.90 localiser on the IGS (course/radial 88).
Now you follow it down, and at the Middle Marker, begin the final turn to land on the runway. Turning too early, or too late will result in loss of terrain clearance.
I could also make a "scenario" with a 747 set on the 270 radial of CH DVOR, and you can try it yourself.
chris
09-08-2005, 03:29 AM
No chance to start the flight yet, but I have taken some time to put together a list of Air France round-the-world Concorde charters to go along with the quite good list of BA ones already available:
Quite a lengthy list, and it seems our favourite supersonic bird did quite a roaring trade in the late 1990's on around-the-world charter flights. Keep in mind, these flights usually costed around US$50,000-65,000 per person, so the profits were quite sizeable.
Frank N. O.
09-08-2005, 07:39 AM
You've moved up in rank. :beer:
Now, for HK, I'll tell you what I do for those practice landings at Kai-tak.
You start on Runway 13, with the plane having about 30% fuel load.
Now lifting off, you want to climb at about 2000ft/min to 6000ft.
While climbing, turn immediately to HDG 240 or 250.
As you intercept Cheung Chau (CH) DVOR on the 270 radial, you want to keep the plane on that radial, so you fly right over CH DVOR.
You want to continue past it until it is 7Nm behind you.
At that point, turn immediately to heading 045, 50 or 055, and have 111.90 tuned in on Nav 1, and intercept 111.90 localiser on the IGS (course/radial 88).
Now you follow it down, and at the Middle Marker, begin the final turn to land on the runway. Turning too early, or too late will result in loss of terrain clearance.
I could also make a "scenario" with a 747 set on the 270 radial of CH DVOR, and you can try it yourself.Sorry but despite my attention to post-dates I must've overlooked this :(
The scenario would be great, but what jumbo -400 would be best do you think? The default, MelJet or Project Opensky?
It sounds like you're hard at work, best wishes for a nice flight when you have the time to relax :wave:
Frank
chris
09-08-2005, 10:48 PM
Default is okay, it has a VC.
Meljet and Posky developers seem allergic to VC's. =[ The 2d panels are impossible to use on landings.
All of my favourite FS planes usually have good fully operational VC's on them.
Frank N. O.
09-09-2005, 02:17 AM
Ok thanks, I also think the default VC is fully acceptable.
One question about FS add-ons: Why is it that some planes have the gauges and effects in the main aircraft folder and others need the files moved to the main FS folders? It makes it quite hard to remove the files again after the plane crashes, like Mike Stone's Beechcraft Starship :( I put that plane high on my list of unique planes, together with Pilatus PC-6 Porter, Concorde (of course), Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (that btw is comming out in a new payware version with Sony for the movie "Stealth"), North American XB-70 Valkyrie and the YF-23 Black Widow II (I just love that shape, and the freeware one looks accurate).
Frank
chris
09-10-2005, 11:21 AM
Lisbon to Santo Domingo (3378Nm/6256km) completed in a swift 3 hours 19 minutes. Took off from Lisbon as the sun was rising in the morning, landed in Santo Domingo in darkness. Because you are flying west, you can land "before" you took off.
Had 21 tonne of fuel remaining, and landed at 187kts. Highest altitude achieved was FL572.
Next part of the journey will be from Santo Domingo to Acapulco.
Frank N. O.
09-10-2005, 11:29 AM
Well done, I'll be seeing you when you get back :wave:
But I do have one question if you have the time: This plane requires 3 pilots, how can you perform as all 3 at once?
Frank
chris
09-10-2005, 11:36 AM
Ah, I've got a VFE, a virtual flight engineer in this one. Looks after moving the fuel about, but I'm watchful regardless. ;)
And the inertial navigation system might be old, but it works quite fine, it's nearly set and forget, only some occasional DME updates requiring my attention. And the rest of the time in cruise flight, the Automatic Flight Control System is doing a decent job of flying the plane and sticking to the required speed of Mach 2.02
This was quite a pleasant flight. Since I was in a hurry (I'm going for a record) I tried to stay at Mach 2.02 for as long as possible and do a shorter, more hurried descent. Even my landing was easy, I just used the auto-land function. (yes, the real plane does have that too)
It does get a bit frantic when you are descending in preparation for landing, you are whirling around rotary switches to dial in altitudes, headings, navigation radios to required frequencies, etc.
Frank N. O.
09-10-2005, 12:03 PM
Very nice, but makes you want to have a real sim cockpit with actual switches doesn't it, you know it is possible to make.
Btw do you use rudder pedals? And if so, what kind and do you use double controllers? I tried to turn on my DFP wheel and use the old MS stick for the main controls but the pedals for the rudders (the twist-rudder on the stick is also now broken) but it wouldn't recognize more than one controller!? Did I do something wrong? I am positive FS9 can recognize more than one controller.
Frank
chris
09-10-2005, 12:09 PM
The CH pedals are the best bet. They are about AUD$200 or near that. And the Yoke (an inappropriate Cessna style one) is about AUD$240. Costly but CH makes quality stuff.
It'd indeed be nice to make a real flight deck to go with this, but I have neither the time, space or dedication to do something like that.
I don't know where I'd even source half of the components, like the proper Aircraft Direction Indicator with the Flight Director arms/needles on it, or the correct HSI, or a proper Mach-meter, let alone 3 Delco IV INS units to hack apart and re-program to work with FS. :confused:
Frank N. O.
09-10-2005, 12:15 PM
How about looking here? http://www.simbuild.com/
Edit: It just dawned on me my question may have been misunderstood, I asked what you use to fly with right now, twist-rudder joystick or rudder pedals.
That's about 1950Nm. Won't take too long, and should take much fuel either.
chris
09-29-2005, 09:05 AM
Okay, Santo Domingo to Acapulco done.
Flight started disastrously in nasty thunderstorms. Flight was extremely rough until about 30,000ft. I raced it along to 400kias as soon as possible (at around 9000ft - yes very fast for that altitude - but perfectly safe) and then tried a quick "zoom" climb to about 19,000ft. Thank goodness also for the TURB mode on the autopilot. (makes the electric trimming less sensitive and reactive to turbulence).
Rest of the flight was great. Climbed up to 60,500ft. Arrived in Acapulco in 2 hours and 2 minutes.
Used LAND3 on RWY28 with a weight of 101.49T (including 12.89T fuel left) at a speed of 185kts. Despite the cross-wind, LAND3 autoland touched down exactly on the centre line, and flared ever so smoothly and correctly.
So next is a blast out over the ocean to Honolulu. :)
chris
10-02-2005, 12:48 PM
3h 19min taken from Acapulco to Honolulu in dreadful -54°C conditions. :rolleyes: It took over 1hr just to reach FL500 in this warm weather. :doh:
Still fast though. Sitting on 1150kts most of the way. :) The highest airframe temperature was 121.15°C, slightly alarming, but within the 127°C TMO limit. 3hr 19min was a little longer than I expected, but it was due to the RWY 8L landing, in the opposite direction to where I'm flying. Visual 26L would have been more useful..
But overall, a perfect flight.
Next is Honolulu to Guam. :) (another very long flight)
Frank N. O.
10-02-2005, 12:54 PM
I didn't know the Concorde had thermometers in the structure, cool details, especially for a simulator :cool:
I've had a ton of problems with both graphics-drivers/settings and several of my games so I'm going no-where fast :( XP is really crash-happy atm and I can't help but feel that if it could really remove all those sub-programs for services I don't need or want and provisions made for other MS programs I don't have, like MS Office etc. that XP would run just a little bit better, and use less disc-space.
Btw Chris, do you use FS9 or FS9.1?
And do you use/reccomend updated water/cloud files?
Have fun captain :wave:
Frank
P.S. It might be old but while I was cleaning out old files I didn't need from my hdd I found this saying: The real world are for those that can't handle simulation. ^_^
chris
10-02-2005, 01:01 PM
Yeah, it does have them. Very important detail. If the airframe temperature meets 127 degrees celsius, speed will be limited automatically to prevent that temperature being exceeded. That's usually only a problem in warm conditions.
I'm using FS9.1. I'm also using Fs Sky World 2004 and Active Sky 2004.5 B193 (real weather generation). I'd recommend ActiveSky V though.
chris
10-03-2005, 04:06 PM
Just did the 6100km between Honolulu and Guam in 3hr 1min! :eek: That's very very fast! I haven't previously done that distance so quickly.
Landed on runway 6R at Andersen Air Force Base in heavy fog and rain using the LAND3 autoland function of the AFCS.
chris
10-04-2005, 07:41 AM
Finished Guam to Bangkok in Thailand. I arrived in 2 hours 55 minutes. It was a shorter journey, made longer by the long sub-sonic portion over land near the end.
It also wasn't helped by the fact I hit heavy thunderstorms and huge turbulence on the way in. I had to stay at FL380 for as long as possible, the turbulence at FL340 was truly horrific. At the right moment, the throttles were put to idle, and idle reverse was used and I put the thing in a quick descent down to 12,000ft, and made an average manual landing on RWY 21R.
Hopefully Bangkok to Bahrain will present more stable weather conditions.
chris
10-10-2005, 02:31 AM
Finished Bangkok to Bahrain in 2hr 59min. The distance was 3050.1Nm.
The highest altitude reached was FL545, in ISA -04 conditions near the end of the flight. Landing was on runway 30, in darkness, at 195kts - a by product of poor fuel planning leaving me with 27 tonnes of fuel on landing approach. :eek:
That distance is about 6000km - and it is supersonic the whole entire way, across the barren deserts of Saudi Arabia, then across the Mediterranean Ocean. This will preferably be done at night when there is at least some relief from the scorching day-time temperatures of the Middle East.
Why is that a concern? Well, such scorching temperatures have adverse effects on aircraft, causing engines to run much hotter, reducing power output and in general, reducing aircraft performance. And for Concorde, it may present the TMO limitation before the plane has reached Mach 2.
The other neat thing on this flight plan is that it is nearly straight for the majority of the way, with only some very slight turns. That's good for speed. :D
And so far, we are looking good to break the record.
chris
10-12-2005, 09:24 AM
Bahrain to Lisbon completed in darkness, at night.
During the flight, I had rare ISA -08 conditions, so climb performance was not bad, despite the high fuel load of 88 tonnes. The distance was roughly 3220Nm, and was completed in 3hr 10min.
The landing was on runway 3 at Lisbon airport in driving rain and gusting 12kt swirling winds - a major, and welcome test for the autoland. Right on the limits of the capabilities of that system. It looked for a little while like it was not going to make the runway, but it steadied itself and touched down on the right side of the runway.
It was something to watch, the autopilot fighting the swirling winds.
So that's this world tour finished. I wonder, did I break the record? Something to work out on another day.