Post by Tom Goodrick on Aug 24, 2008 21:23:48 GMT -5
Making landings is the most significant aspect of being a pilot. You take pride in smooth landings and feel bad about hard landings. Previous versions of FS had the ability to show you your speeds - airspeed and vertical rate - at the moment of touchdown. FS9 did not have this so I made a gauge that does it. It is called the landing gauge and can be downloaded (free) from my web site. (Click the home icon under my name.) (You'll also find many of these aircraft on that site. All downloads are free.) For the past year, I have been copying these values into a spreadsheet along with info on the aircraft, airport, aircraft weight and CG position and some remarks as needed. It works with a variety of aircraft from blimps to jets. As of last night it held 377 landings starting on 08/31/07. Below is a sample of landings with a variety of aircraft. A safe value of FPM is -300 for small aircraft, -500 for large transports.
Aircraft________________KIAS____FPM
Bonanza V35B_________74.07____-164
Beech KA 350__________95.55____-196
Bonanza V35B_________78.97____-91
Cessna 340____________88.13____-171
__"___________________83.42____-83
Baron 58______________89.15____-34
DC-3_________________68.25____-174
___"__________________86.41____-71
___"__________________85.37____-146
___"__________________75.75____-154
Hawker 400____________104.2____-81
___"__________________99.25____-106
Learjet 35______________134.5____-231
___"__________________119.6____-141
Learjet 45______________120.6____-192
Hawker 800____________119.6____-256
Learjet 31A____________114.1____-89
Beech Premier_________110.2____-150
Learjet 45______________112.1___-192
Learjet 60______________110.6___-10
___"__________________121.9____-221
Falcon 50_____________88.2____-186
___"__________________92.03___-186
JetStar III______________115.8___-43
___"__________________116.9___-96
C-133_________________120.0___-113
___"__________________126.5___-321
DC-4__________________81.5____-84
Airbus 340-300_________128.2____-379
Gulfstream III___________102.1____-150
Falcon 900B___________94.13____-116
Westwind 2____________116.9____-231
MU-2b-60______________77.49____-100
C-119_________________110.7____-229
PC-12_________________68.97____-101
DC-6B________________94.7_____-95
Merlin III______________106.1____-66
Cessna 172R__________48.15___-396
___"_________________50.54___-230
Cirrus SR20___________59.84___-226
Cessna 182S__________59.75___-394
___"_________________58.44___-150
Blimp_________________6.18___-66
Gulfstream IV__________118.4___-223
The first rule for good landings is control of airspeed. The airspeed to use on final approach is Vref which is 1.3 times the stall speed with full flaps (or whatever flaps are being used). You should get to this speed by a half mile from the runway and hold it until over the end of the runway. Remember that your main speed control on approach is the pitch control or stick. Holding a little extra back pressure will slow you down. Power should be low but well above idle power until you make you flare when you cut the power.
The next rule for good landings is proper alignment as soon as possible with the runway. make any adjustment required to get the plane positioned on an imaginary line extending back from the middle of the runway. This will often mean pointing the nose a little toward the windy side of the runway, cancelling drift. You do this by simply flying a course that is slightly off from the direction of the runway. You do not hold the rudder deflected while doing this. The plane is directionally stable with the air during this approach. As you flare in a crosswind, you kick the nose in alignment with the centerline just as you are about to touchdown and drop the wing tip into the wind slightly.
In FS we have the ability to select dead calm conditions (Clear Weather) for landing practice. This is very handy. You should do this until very comfortable making landings. This allows you to head straight down the center of the runway from a fair distance out. You should see a sight picture in the windshield that does not move up or down and simply expands as you get closer. I like to turn on the small V that shows on the windshield where the longitudinal axis would intersect the horizon (or close to it.) This helps given the wide variety of panel shapes that we see. During the final approach, try to keep the end of the runway in the same relative position to the small v. If the runway rises steadily, go around and try again. If the runway drops, slow down and descend more steeply.
Full flaps should be used almost all the time when landing. This assures you will land as slowly as possible. The only exception is when the wind is gusting badly. Then you will want less than full flaps and a higher airspeed on final.
If you are flying a simple piston plane, learn to make accurate visual landings, relying on the picture you have of the runway in the windshield. Early panels were sometimes hard to see over during landings. I have adjusted all my panels so you can easily see the runway during the entire approach. If you cannot see it, you cannot land on it. If you are flying a heavy piston twin, a turboprop or a jet, practice first making landings using the ILS as a guide. That does not mean you have to hold it perfectly but keep the crossed lines close to the middle of the ILS gauge (VOR1 tuned to the ILS). after a lot of practice, you'll be able to make landings at runways without an ILS system.
PREPARE FOR LANDINGS
As you start final, the gear should be down and at least one notch of flap should be down, Check that the landing gauge is visible. Work the flaps down and make suitable trim and power adjustments until you get within a half mile of the runway. From that point, no changes should be made except as required to maintain the glideslope and correct airspeed. In a jet the spoiler should be armed so it deploys automatically on main wheel touchdown. (Shift / does this.)
When the main wheels touch hold the attitude for a few seconds and then let the nose wheel down. On a piston plane, start using the brakes when the airspeed reaches 30 KIAS (50 KIAS with a heavy twin). On a turboprop or jet, Be verify that the throttle is fully in idle position as the nose is lowered. Then move the throttle into the reverse thrust position until the airspeed drops to 50 KIAS. Keep rolling to the first exit and then turn off the runway.
Happy Landings!
Aircraft________________KIAS____FPM
Bonanza V35B_________74.07____-164
Beech KA 350__________95.55____-196
Bonanza V35B_________78.97____-91
Cessna 340____________88.13____-171
__"___________________83.42____-83
Baron 58______________89.15____-34
DC-3_________________68.25____-174
___"__________________86.41____-71
___"__________________85.37____-146
___"__________________75.75____-154
Hawker 400____________104.2____-81
___"__________________99.25____-106
Learjet 35______________134.5____-231
___"__________________119.6____-141
Learjet 45______________120.6____-192
Hawker 800____________119.6____-256
Learjet 31A____________114.1____-89
Beech Premier_________110.2____-150
Learjet 45______________112.1___-192
Learjet 60______________110.6___-10
___"__________________121.9____-221
Falcon 50_____________88.2____-186
___"__________________92.03___-186
JetStar III______________115.8___-43
___"__________________116.9___-96
C-133_________________120.0___-113
___"__________________126.5___-321
DC-4__________________81.5____-84
Airbus 340-300_________128.2____-379
Gulfstream III___________102.1____-150
Falcon 900B___________94.13____-116
Westwind 2____________116.9____-231
MU-2b-60______________77.49____-100
C-119_________________110.7____-229
PC-12_________________68.97____-101
DC-6B________________94.7_____-95
Merlin III______________106.1____-66
Cessna 172R__________48.15___-396
___"_________________50.54___-230
Cirrus SR20___________59.84___-226
Cessna 182S__________59.75___-394
___"_________________58.44___-150
Blimp_________________6.18___-66
Gulfstream IV__________118.4___-223
The first rule for good landings is control of airspeed. The airspeed to use on final approach is Vref which is 1.3 times the stall speed with full flaps (or whatever flaps are being used). You should get to this speed by a half mile from the runway and hold it until over the end of the runway. Remember that your main speed control on approach is the pitch control or stick. Holding a little extra back pressure will slow you down. Power should be low but well above idle power until you make you flare when you cut the power.
The next rule for good landings is proper alignment as soon as possible with the runway. make any adjustment required to get the plane positioned on an imaginary line extending back from the middle of the runway. This will often mean pointing the nose a little toward the windy side of the runway, cancelling drift. You do this by simply flying a course that is slightly off from the direction of the runway. You do not hold the rudder deflected while doing this. The plane is directionally stable with the air during this approach. As you flare in a crosswind, you kick the nose in alignment with the centerline just as you are about to touchdown and drop the wing tip into the wind slightly.
In FS we have the ability to select dead calm conditions (Clear Weather) for landing practice. This is very handy. You should do this until very comfortable making landings. This allows you to head straight down the center of the runway from a fair distance out. You should see a sight picture in the windshield that does not move up or down and simply expands as you get closer. I like to turn on the small V that shows on the windshield where the longitudinal axis would intersect the horizon (or close to it.) This helps given the wide variety of panel shapes that we see. During the final approach, try to keep the end of the runway in the same relative position to the small v. If the runway rises steadily, go around and try again. If the runway drops, slow down and descend more steeply.
Full flaps should be used almost all the time when landing. This assures you will land as slowly as possible. The only exception is when the wind is gusting badly. Then you will want less than full flaps and a higher airspeed on final.
If you are flying a simple piston plane, learn to make accurate visual landings, relying on the picture you have of the runway in the windshield. Early panels were sometimes hard to see over during landings. I have adjusted all my panels so you can easily see the runway during the entire approach. If you cannot see it, you cannot land on it. If you are flying a heavy piston twin, a turboprop or a jet, practice first making landings using the ILS as a guide. That does not mean you have to hold it perfectly but keep the crossed lines close to the middle of the ILS gauge (VOR1 tuned to the ILS). after a lot of practice, you'll be able to make landings at runways without an ILS system.
PREPARE FOR LANDINGS
As you start final, the gear should be down and at least one notch of flap should be down, Check that the landing gauge is visible. Work the flaps down and make suitable trim and power adjustments until you get within a half mile of the runway. From that point, no changes should be made except as required to maintain the glideslope and correct airspeed. In a jet the spoiler should be armed so it deploys automatically on main wheel touchdown. (Shift / does this.)
When the main wheels touch hold the attitude for a few seconds and then let the nose wheel down. On a piston plane, start using the brakes when the airspeed reaches 30 KIAS (50 KIAS with a heavy twin). On a turboprop or jet, Be verify that the throttle is fully in idle position as the nose is lowered. Then move the throttle into the reverse thrust position until the airspeed drops to 50 KIAS. Keep rolling to the first exit and then turn off the runway.
Happy Landings!