Propliner Flyer Magazine Issue_1

Propliner Flyer Magazine

MAGAZINEMAGAZINE

THE ALL NEW, AMAZING, FAST AND LUXURIOUS PROPLINER MAGAZINE !!

Issue 1

Lockheed L-749 Asia Pacific 1962 Weather Classic spotlight MS-Flight ?

And much more!

Exclusive!! Propliner Manual, part 1

Propliner Flyer Magazine 2


IntroductionIntroduction

Welcome to the all brand new

Propliner Flyer Magazine! I would like to take a quick word on what to expect, not only in this sample issue, but also in the near future. This magazine was born as a stupid attempt of making a fake cover for a screenshot in the calclassic.com forum. Then the even more stupid idea was born to make a propliner oriented magazine, for flightsimulation captains, sometimes not so gracefully called, simmers. A word of caution for the readers; I am not a native English speaker, so my writing might be poor, better said my writings may, or shall be most of the time in error, or the reader can not just plain follow what I try to write. We might need some editors here! Also this issue and the future issues will be setup like this one, with information, some reviews, tips and tricks, and what I can think of. News will probably be way to late to make it before the presses are started. However, if there is something to announce, I wouldnt hesitate.

Now, next is to explain how this is all written down. To mimic a real airplane magazine, we shall refer to the flighsimulator as “our world”, tools to change airplanes as “our mechanics”, and so on. I shall explain when needed. Since the simulation of the propliner world is from the vintage to the pioneer, and then to the classic era, this magazine is in that era style, with a modern look to appeal to the reader a bit more mature. Note also that we will still focus mainly on FS2004, but all simulator versions and of any make will do. But for FS2004 is just the most available and for free, so the main focus will be on that piece of software. Have fun reading, and let me know how good you think this magazine is ! Oh, the magazine is best be viewd with two pages at the screen, selectable in the pdf reader of your choice.

Johan Editor , publisher, or something like that

Colofon, disclaimer and copyright notices: The Propliner FLyer Magazine is a initiative by Johan Dees, and nothing may be reproduced in any form without written approval. This magazine is distributed as freeware, but with restrictions. All third party screenshots, who are been used and made by respected fellow captains at the calclassic forum, is approved by Tom Gibson, owner of the calclassic.com © website on december 5, 2011. Usage and reproduction for this magazine of parts of the 2008 propliner tutorial by FSAviator © is permitted and approved by Tom Gibson on december 5, 2011.. Special thanks goes to Tom, founder and owner of California Classics website at www.calclassic.com Upload of this magazine to fsplanet.com is not permitted, and we suggest to do some research on their practices. Used advertisements are pure for fun, no link to companies. If you want to advertise for real world products, please contact us at jobia at zeelandnet dot nl © 2012 by Johan C Dees. All rights reserved. Please visit us for comments at www.calclassic.com forum.

http://www.calclassic.com


ContentsContents Page 6, L-749 constellation We take a short look into the Lockheed L-749 Constellation created not by Lockheed, but by Mafred Jahn and

his team, starting at page 6

Page 14, Weather in our world Ever wondered about the weather in our world ? Some hints and tips given, starting at page 14

Page 19, Asia Pacific 1962 A big project giving us a lot of coverage of the Pacific region as how it was back in 1962, at page 19

Page 22, Superliners of the world

Page 26, Propliner Tutorial, an Exclusive!

Page 32, Engine 101

Page 34, Airmail

Page 35, What about: Carburetor ice?

Page 38, Lufthansa flies to the east

Page 39, Propliner Flyer Humor

3, Classic Airline Spotlight: Sabena

Page 50, MSFlight

Do you like this magazine? If so, let us know at jobia at zeelandnet dot nl


In early 1947, the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

unveiled the model L-749, a derivative of its L-649

Constellation. The L-749 was to have more fuel

tanks, which was to increase the range of the air-

craft by 1,000 miles. Due to the increased weight

of the aircraft, the landing gear and tires had to be strengthened. Jet stacks were also introduced, in-

creasing the speed of the aircraft by 15 mph (24.14

km/h). These new jet stacks increased the noise of

the engine calling for more insulation. As with the

L-649, ten different layouts of the internal cabin

were possible. The airlines that were originally at-tracted to the L-649 changed their orders to the L-

749. The L-749 was to become the standard versi-

on of the regular Constellation.

The L-749 first flew on March 14, 1947and recei-ved certification that same month. The first L-749

was delivered to Air France on April 18, 1947. Pan

American World Airways received its first L-749 in

June. L-749 service began with Pan Am in June

1947 on their "Round The World" service. The L-749 first entered service with However, 1,200 jobs

were lost at Lockheed in March 1947, making pro-

duction of the aircraft at a near stand-still. A large

order from the United States Air Force for 10 L-

749A aircraft designated the C-121 Constellation,

saved the Constellation program from cancellation.

The United States Navy followed in, ordering two L-

749A aircraft designated the PO-1W Constellation

(later WV-1). It is worth mentioning that the first L-

749A aircraft off the production lines were destined

for the military.

Lockheed started producing the improved model L-

749A in 1949. This new model incorporated a

strengthened fuselage, even further strengthened landing gear and a Plycor floor. This increased the

mass of the aircraft by over 4,000 pounds and in-

creased the MTOW of the aircraft. A slightly rede-

signed engine cowling, and new Curtiss Electric

propellers were also introduced. Besides producti-

on, Lockheed also offered a L-749 to L-749A pro-duction kit. The first civilian customer for the L-

749A was South African Airways, but its largest

customer was Trans World Airlines, which had 26

L-749A aircraft in its fleet. TWA's aircraft would

not be retired until 1967. A cargo version of the L-749A based on the military C-121A was offered,

but no airlines showed any interest, therefore ne-

ver leaving the drawing board. An L-749B turbo-

prop version was even envisaged, but this too ne-

ver left the drawing board, as now reliable engine

was found. Production of the L-749A ended in 1951 to give way to its stretched successor, the L-

1049 Super Constellation. (Wikipedia)

But we already know that, dont we ?

Manfred Jahn

TTHEHE LLOCKHEEDOCKHEED

LL--749 749

CCONSTELLATIONONSTELLATION


Recently the Lockheed Constellation was made

available in our world by the very talented Manfred

Jahn and his team. The version we are briefly looking at in this article is the L-749 variant. First of all, it

has to be said, Manfred and his team did a

wonderfull job to bring us for free his version,

available by links from the calclassic.com website.

Yes, she is free of charge, and is payware quality. Its that good.

When I started with flying in our simulated world, the

big iron of that time

was the Boeing 747,

and I loved it very much. With all its

automation, systems,

a n d a f l i g h t

m a n a g e m e n t

computer, it was like

flying in heaven. Flying as the pro’s

did. After many years

you get the feeling of

been there done that.

There aren’t much more things to learn

and it will become

boring. Even walking

the dog around while

the plane flies itself

was possible. Then, not so long we got the FDzings L049 and it looked like the 747’s grandmother. She

had a lot to get me busy, a lot to learn, and with the

help of the propliner manual by FSAviator it became

much more clear. But study is still mandatory, and

to grasp it all, reading the tutorial again, again and again is needed. I was hooked, en my backdated

world is all I use today.

Then bring in Manfred and his L-749 Connie. She’s

faster, up to date, wonderfull panel, and great

engines who need to be taken care off. To

fly his rendition you

need to reset

yourself, and learn

to fly it again.

If you look at the

above picture, you

can see how big she

really is. Those often

called dolphin shape of the fuselage, and

big props make her

a n i m p o s a n t

appearance. One

blade is just as long as the people

standing next to it,

and is stunning. The

KLM Connie currently stored at the Aviodrome at

Lelystad in the Netherlands doesnt fly much anymore

it seems, but in our world she does every day, thanks to Manfred. I can ramble much longer on how good

she looks, how the fuselage shape looks perfect, with

lots of details and great repaints available. But I

refrain myself a bit of that, there is more to tell. We

take a deeper look into the L-749 in a moment.

The model is in my eyes perfect. I am not a rivet

counter, and if it looks like a Connie, it is a Connie,

at least to me. So I can’t say much more of it. Just

get it and study it as you wish. There are already a

lot of liveries available, so for everyone there is

something in it. Just look at the two big sites for those.

Something other than the visual model are the flight

characteristics, panel and sound. Since I fly from

inside the cockpit, its that what counts for

me, but you may see

t h a t d i f f e r e n t .

Looking at the panel,

shown on the

following pages, we see immediatly how

close it looks to the

real Constellation.

The cockpit is not a

big one, in fact its rather small for such

a big propliner, and

cramped in you

barely see outside

thru those small

windows. Standing in the KLM Connie its showing well. If you ever have the

opportunity to visit a Connie, do it, you will be

amazed.

The panel, and three-dimensional cockpit offered is top quality. The flight engineer console is also there,

and available as popup. You wont need it much

however, the flight engineer is integrated by

clickspots to help our one man show getting in the

air. Very Handy!. Everything Works as it should. We

have the possibility of using a simple autopilot, but the version installed

looks a out of place to

me. A replacement

may be found

e l s e w e r e a n d installed if you like.

The 3D cockpit

handles look a bit

bright in color, but

are the same in the

real airplane. So it looks ok I’ll gues. The

radios are of a

modern variant, so

flying in the early

fifties with these may

seem a bit out of place, but they work

handy. In the 2D

setup one can easily

swap them with whatever you want.

Since I have a seven screen setup, I revamped the

complete panel to fit on my screens, and replaced the

radio with the DC3 stack at this moment, untill

something better comes up.


The upper Photo on this page shows the cockpit of

a real world Constellation, and

just below it, our Connie. Find the differences.

The sounds are included, and are

good. There are easily been

replaced with other and perhaps

better ones. Pick what you like, and enjoy. A nice touch are the

clicks you hear when fiddling

with the knobs, and the voice of

the copilot who announces the

refrence speeds, and announce the gear up and down. Recently

some very good sounds with a low

bass are available and made by

Gary Harper. He has done an

outstanding job. Also for other

propliners he did soundsets, and I suggest you take a look at them,

or should I say an ear?

Now its time we get more serious,

all that talk about how good she looks, but how is the job done ?

We take a look in that now.

After we did our walk around,

added some fuel, we are ready to

start and do a circuit to know her a little bit better. The L-749

comes with a manual covering

the panel and gauges, and flying

notes on how to handle the

engines, start and stopping them. We take a look on how to bring

live in them. The Curtiss Wright Cyclone 2600 HP

R3350’s are big radials. On the next page a drawing

is presented for the later versions

of this marvel of engineering. The final versions reached to 3400 HP

and thats a lot. They became

more and more complex, and

know to fail easily when abused.

To give some insight in those days, when the engines were

new, and the correct usage not

always understood, is this:

“Manifold pressure and RPM are settings that are found through

testing and engineering that

provide the best settings for the

engine/airframe combination.

For both economy of fuel, and

economy of parts. As an example Charlie Thompson was a major

representative for Curtiss

Wright. He once told me that he

was called onto the carpet by

Eddie Rickenbacker for engine failures. There were about ten or

so Eastern Airlines executives

around the table, and Captain

Eddie lit into Charlie for the

engine problems they were

having, after this Rickenbacker said he wanted the responsible

person or persons found and

identified. Charlie responded,

OK sir, You are responsible, You

changed Eastern’s cl imb procedure and your running the

engines too hot, too long. burning up


At this point Mr. Rickenbacker said prove it, a

Constellation was made available and the two of

them got on board and an air crew took off. Mr. Thompson and Mr. Rickenbacker watched the

gauges on the flight engineer panel during climb

out following Eastern’s Climb Procedure. Then

they cooled the airplane, landed took off again and

watched the gauges following the Curtiss Wright/

Lockheed procedure, Yes Fuel flow was up, but so was airspeed, torque, but CHT and Oil Out

temperatures were down. The airplane was

landed. Lunch was served and the policy was

immediately changed.” (bellcobraiv)

Let start the engines. We power up with a ground

electrical powerline, otherwise we will drain the

batteries very quickly. This can be done from the

flight engineer panel. If you are quick you can do

it without, or let your mechanic enhance the

batteries lifespan a bit. (fsuipc comes in handy here). Parking brake set, de-icer boots, anti-icer

off, generator switches off, inverter on, check cowl

flaps open 100%, carburetor air cold, propellers

full rpm, fuel tanks check fuel quantities, fuel

tank selector select takeoff tanks: 1, 2, 3, 4,

mixtures cut off, engine area clear, note oil

temperature. Pffw.

Ready ? Here we go.

Start engine 3 first, throttle lever approximately

1200 rpm (6-8%), engines start selector switch set

to engine 3, start switch engage, rotate prop six

blades, ignition switch engine 3, both, auxiliary fuel pump engine 3 low, prime as required,

mixture lever between idle and lean, hold start

switch until ignition light goes out (maximum 30

seconds). When engine has started, quickly move

it to position auto rich, oil pressure check for rise in pressure, auxiliary fuel pump engine 3, off.

Start engine 4 next. Generator switches on,

ground power off, start engine 2, then 1. Engine

start selector switch set to off. Run engines at

1000-1400 rpm until oil inlet temperature at least

6°C above prestarting temperature and oil pressure is stabilized.

Who said propliners are boring and simple ? When

done right all four engines will come to life. I have

a seperate mixture lever and do not...

Two left pictures are the real engine, and on the left we see a closup of the Manfred Jahn’s Cyclone. See also picture on page 6


use automixture. Simply I want to use my lever, and

have something to fine tune and look after when

flying. When starting this way, you might play a little with it, otherwise the mixture may be too rich.

It sure gives a nice startup this way, with a lot of

smoke. Real or not, its fun, and thats what counts.

The manual supplied with the L-749 has explained it all in depth and reading is encouraged, if not

mandatory.

The other fun part is the takeoff. When fully loaded,

,meaning up to its maximum takeoff weight, its a

handfull to get airborne, and climb.

Once airborne, we retract the gear and accelerate to

120 kts first in a shallow climb at take-off power,

before we can reduce power to METO (maximum

continuous) power. We will want to limit time in take-off power as it is very hard on the engine, and

a maximum of 2 minute is allowed. METO power is

simple to set – first reduce MAP to the end of the

green arc on the gauge face and then reduce RPM to

the end of the green arc as well. This is followed by

a steeper climb at METO power and take-off flaps (60%) above all obstructions. Only then we can

allow the aircraft to accelerate to 130 kts, retract

flaps, accelerate further to 150 kts and establish

climb power. We set MAP and RPM first, then set

the autopilot and change to the FE panel to set details like cowl flap settings. During climb, we will

need to maintain constant engine torque, indicated

by the BMEP gauges (literally ’brake mean effective

pressure’) – adjust throttle to keep it at 151.

We try not to let the airspeed drop below 150 kts – it

will be hard to accelerate back and we probably have to level off. Once climb is established, we can

change to the flight engineer to set details like cowl

flap settings.

At around 8,000 ft, we will notice MAP dropping and

we can adjust throttle settings.

The supercharger drive gear can also be shifted to higher RPM, just like the gear in a car with a

manual gearbox. But around 10,000 ft, we need to

change the superchargers to higher drive speed, the

“blower shift”. To do this we briefly level off, reduce

RPM to avoid straining the engine and shift superchargers to high. The engine is less efficient in

high blower, with a climb power MAP of 33” in high

blower we will only have a BMEP setting of 144, rpm

remains 2300. We will climbing in auto rich

mixture.

Climb and descent rate is legally required to be at

least 500 fpm. Initial rate of climb can be as high as

1000 fpm, though, particularly al lower weights. If

cannot be maintained a 500 fpm climb or descend,

we need to level off and begin the cruise segment.

Our L-749 is fitted with BD-1 engines, capable of

delivering of 2500 hp for up to 2 minutes at sea

level and 2100 hp continuously. There is no ‘one

size fits all’ solution for cruise power for an aircraft of this size and weight. While take-off and climb are

relatively straightforward, choosing the right cruise

power setting is determined by a number of factors.

The plane was designed with long-range operation

in mind, hence the weight of the plane varies

considerably as fuel is burnt off – at a rate of about one ton per hour. A number of basic power settings

are given in the checklist. For short flights this

might be just fine. On short-range flights, flight

segments are usually divided into 1/3 for climb,

cruise and descent each. Even at high load, cruise at FL 140 to 160 is usually possible. If we

(conservatively) estimate climb rate at 500 fpm

average, we need about 30 minutes to reach our

operational ceiling. That means that the ‘short flight

rule’ would apply to any flight up to Lockheed L-749

Constellation Manual 181½ hours. There is no particular need to use elaborate fuel and power

planning for flights of such a short duration or only

slightly longer.

When the Constellation flew regular flights, a real

cook was making dinners. No prefab stuff!


For longer flights, more care must be taken for flight

planning. While we have a large number of options,

these are not random. The basic principles are described in the FSAviator Propliner Tutorial

mentioned above. In brief, we do not want to let

airspeed (and drag) rise, but we want to climb high

into thin air with lower drag, where we get more true

air speed (TAS) for the same indicated air speed (IAS).

Significant headwind needs to be countered by higher cruise power settings and possibly lower cruise levels,

but don’t cruise nose down unless you’re battling a

severe headwind. For flight planning purposes, you

can read TAS from the mouse tooltip of the airspeed

indicator. If you want to estimate TAS at other altitudes, ASI can be roughly estimated as indicating

about 2% less than TAS per 1,000ft of altitude above

sea level. Thus for a given IAS, the True Airspeed is about 2% higher than IAS per 1,000ft of altitude

above sea level.

When flying at 15,000ft with an IAS of 200kt, is

actually flying at 260 kts TAS.

Like similar airliners of the era, the Constellation needs some attention during descent. Power must be

reduced carefully at steps of only 3” MAP per minute.

It will be useful to start the first power reduction a

minute before we actually start descending to allow

the plane to slow down a bit already. Should we start our descent from a high altitude, we will initially need

to adjust throttle more frequently to avoid MAP

increasing instead as we descent into denser air. At

the same time, avoid Mach limit. This will get simpler

once we descend into denser air and below the

engines' critical altitude. We set mixture to “Auto Lean” when you descend, otherwise we will have to re-

set mixture every few minutes. We need to shift

superchargers to low during descent. While we might

not notice a high blower during a normal descent and

landing, we have way too much MAP available in case

of a go-around and it would cause multiple engine failures in exactly the moment when we couldn’t

afford it.

It is even more critical than in the Super

Constellation to arrive at the airfield with the proper speed. We make sure that we are at 130 kts with first

stage of flaps extended (take-off setting) by the time

we reach the initial approach fix. We allow for 3 or 4

minutes level flight at initial approach height in order

to slow down. An airspeed of 150 kts is recommended

for flap extension, max. flap extension speed is 174 kts, but if we are that fast, we will have to retrim

considerably as speed bleeds off. If we are still too

fast, we must enter a holding pattern to allow

airspeed to slow down.

Holding is usually performed in approach configuration – 2100 RPM, 130 kts and 60% flaps. If

fuel is critical or a prolonged holding is expected, we

may use the “Low Cruise / Holding” power settings

instead as given n the Power Table.

The Constellation certainly is a complex aircraft, but it is not particularly difficult to land. We need to keep

speed under control, though. The speeds are listed in

the checklist:

130 kts and 60% flaps on downwind leg,

120 kts, 80% flaps and gear down on base leg, approach speed and 100% flaps once on final

approach at about 200 ft above ground, reference

speed over the threshold (Vat, approach speed minus

10 kts).

The plane usually needs some power all the way to touchdown, but it will float down the runway if

approach speed is too high (extracted from the manual by Manfred Jahn team)

This concludes our brief introduction in a fantastic

aircraft in our backdated world, what fits in exactly. I

suggest you read the supplied manual and fly with a

big smile on your face, the Constellation deserves it,

and Manfred and his team deserves it. Hats off sir!


Check everyday!!

Propliner Flyer Magazine is endorsed by

www.calclassic.comwww.calclassic.com

California Classic Propliners is devoted to the Microsoft Flight Simulator simulation of the propliners flying in California, from the DC-3 to the final glory days before the mid 1970's. Welcome!

News, forums, downloads, tutorials, panels, sounds, scenery and the best propliners in the world


Weather in Weather in our worldour world By Johan DeesBy Johan Dees

In this series of articles we dive a bit deeper in the

inner workings of our world, meaning the simulator of our choice. In our world we have a lot in control,

something our real counterparts don’’t have. We have

the luxuory to refill in the air where and whenever we

want, we can jettison people or cargo where and

whenever we want, and we can even, believe it or not,

change aeroplanes in mid of our flight without passengers even notice it, without harming them, and

without any government organisation penalize us. We

can, do the most amazing landings or takeoff’s without

the FAA ever notice it, without ATC complains. Maybe

someday it will be included, and if so, then I will be one of the first to point them to those dare devils in our

skies, called artificial intelligent captains, who seem to

be directed by Tommy Cooper. Za Za Za. We seem to

have total control of our world. Or don’t we ?

Well, actually sometimes we do not. What did I say ? We do not have total control ? Yes and no. If its weather

related, sometimes we are left wondering, especially we

throw in an extra hand of mother nature, in the shape

of an active sky full of unwanted or wanted, but hard to

find, weather conditions. Luckily, or perhaps not always so luckily, an extra hand to mother nature is

Active Sky. Available at your local dealer. What this

nice extra hand to mother nature does most of us

already know, but for those left in vain, its capable of adding weather as it is in the other world of aviatiors,

so we also have the crap what they have becomming to

hate and love. And its pretty good in it too!

Now here comes the catch, and yes there is always a

catch. Our world have some little issues. Some are big some are small, but annoying as equal.

The weather depiction is overall good, but the winds we

are been thrown into aren’t always matching the other

world pilots expiriences. We have the tendacy to be blown over the place now and then where we shouldn’t,

and that nice gentle rocking is totally absent. Ever

watched footage on that hyper superduper modern

thing called youtube, you can see the cockpit swaying a

little to the left and right while the aeroplane is keeping

track down to the runway. How sweet!

So presented with this you wonder, can we have this

too, if only a little, to enhance the expirience, make our

world nicer and help mother nature a bit ? As someone

will say decades from now, Yes we can! Read on!


First a word of warning. Backup, backup and backup.

It can’t be stressed enough, make backups of your

files before tampering with them.

The first step we need to do is find our FS9.cfg file. A

lot of not so handy computer experts cannot find this

file, but its to that difficult to find. If you use XP you

might already done this, but if not, you can set the

file explorer so that it will show hidden files. Windows has certain folders obscured in a vain attempt to

secure it a bit better, and also offers then the option

to undo this. We can do this by going to tools, in the

upper menu. The you should see something like this,

depending on your version. Windows 7 has more or less the same thing.

Now after we have done this, we can locate our

Documents and Settings folder, and look for the username we use for our login. Inside is a folder

called Applications, then Microsoft, and finally we see

FS9. Inside that one, is our FS9.cfg file. We can open

that with Notepad.

Above is an general example of how it may look.

Now, when we have done that and opened the

configuration file, scroll down untill we see the

weather section. Here all sort of vales are set, but

change them to read as below:

Of course you did made a backup didn’t you ?

Now, the turbulence scale is a personal preference,

since I always found the turbulence to mild. When

using real world weather, downloaded in the sim or by

injecting from a weather engine, one seldom has good turbulence. It can be rough now, and very rough

when stepping outside in a thunderstom, but.. Yes,

but, it isn’t as you know it from before. The

unrealistig blowing away of a big propliner is much

reduced, and feels more controllable, but not by removing to much. Also crosswinds still be enjoyable

but dont feel like a hurricane wind anymore.

[Weather]

WindshieldPrecipitationEffects=1

MinGustTime=5

MaxGustTime=1000

MinGustRampSpeed=1

MaxGustRampSpeed=5

MinVarTime=2

MaxVarTime=500

MinVarRampSpeed=10

MaxVarRampSpeed=75

TurbulenceScale=0.500000


Just try it now, and see and feel the differerence.

Of course setting up weather is mandatory,

otherwise there is no wind nor turbulence to feel. You can use one of the supplied weather themes,

or download realworld weather.

What you should notice that with the wind gusts

the nose will go left and right more politely, a bit

nervous maybe, but no big sways, blowing you out of the sky.

Turbulence

A note on the turbulence setting. If you use FSUIPC registered, you can set turbulence in

clouds and winds. I found with the scalar to 0.5

the options enabled in FSUIPC gives a smooth

ride with now and then a mild bump. Feels real to

me. If you however have it disabled, and use an

external weather program you might set it back to 1.0 or 1.5 to get some turbulence feeling. I dont

now how often Active Sky for example injects

turbulence. If it is only when reported, it again

might be too high. I suggest play with either 0.5, a

value of 1.0 or 1.5 if you like more. Interresting is also to note that in our lightweight propliners 0.5

feels best. In jets, who tend to be heavier and fly

faster, 1.5 might give a nicer effect. Your milage

may vary, so try it out yourself.

Good luck captains.


In this series we take a look at the Asia Pacific 1962

scenery from Mike Stevens, made together with

Wolfgang Gersch, and Tom Gibson. It is a massive

backdate to our world, and there are a lot of airports

touched by Mike. You want to know wich ones ?, take

a look at page 21. There must be anything there that you like!.

The scenery needs some other scenery installed, and

I also recommend the Indochina package to be used,

so a lot of ground is covered. Also Jakarta and

Singapore should be installed seperatly, altough not required, its available, so why not. Including new

landclass and waterclass, also editvoicepack

extensions are included. This could be payware folks.

Mike wrote what he likes in his own creation, and

where we should look for some memorable moments.

Some of the things he liked about the scenery are:

Landing at French Frigate shoals, it's like landing on

a carrier! Watching all the flying boats taking off and

landing and taxiing up to the docks at Faa'a

Seaplane base at the International airport in Tahiti.

Trying to land at the old Harbin, China downtown airport with a twin piston....you have to come in

steep over the buildings, then over the trees and

phone poles and wires, over the fence and then come

to a stop in 3900 feet. Landing at Beijing Capital, taxi

up to the apron and see Mao and his wife and dog

with their limo waiting for you. The constant parade of MATS traffic at Guam and Wake NAS, perhaps

catching JFKs 707. The new Manila terminal, the

fantastic fountain with all the "mushrooms" in front

of it, comparing it to what a dump the old terminal is.

How ugly the old terminal really is/was at Taipei. Trying to get a DC-4 in and out of Bikini Atoll, and

seeing the H-bomb at night over the lagoon. Naha,

Okinawa, and just outside the airbase/airport gate

are all the bars and hookers. Flying the string of

pearls CAAK route Pyongyang-Shenyang-Harbin-

Hailar and on to Chita; or the CAAC route from

Xilinhot-Hohhot-Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou-

Hanoi.

But you have to see it for yourself. There is just way

to much to tell for what we have space for in this

magazine.

In this series we go back to the days when the Dutch left New Gunea in a fictious story of a boy, on its way

back to The Netherlands, in 1962. In 1949, when the

rest of the Dutch East Indies became fully

independent as Indonesia, the Dutch retained

sovereignty over western New Guinea, and took steps to prepare it for independence as a separate country.

Some five thousand teachers were flown there. The

Dutch put an emphasis upon political, business, and

civic skills. Indonesia attempted to invade the region

on 18 December 1961. Following some skirmishes

between Indonesian and Dutch forces, an agreement

was reached and the territory was placed under

United Nations administration in October 1962. It

was subsequently transferred to Indonesia in May 1963. In this athmosphere we meet John, 14 years

old, and on his way to Hollandia. “Bye grandma”, I

said to her when we got out of her car. Mom and me

are going to the Netherlands, never been there.

Grandma will stay here, she is here too long to go

and restart over. She just did’nt want to. Dad had just arrived, he flies with KLM, and this will be one of

the last scheduled flights out. I’ve got a new camera,

and this flight is a nice opportunity to use it! A lot of

people are gathered on the apron. We all got our

tickets, and the bags are being loaded in. Dad comes out of the dispatch office , and I got permission to

run to the front of the aircraft and make some

pictures. “Its a Douglas”, I said to him. He nodded,

and said I should wait a little, they need to refuel her.

Asia pacific 1962

Part 1 By Johan Dees


On the apron I met a man, his name was Tom. He

was from America, and thats a long way from here. I

dont know if he has a longer way to go than me. “Hoi”, I said to him. “You also leave for Holland?”.

The man looked at me and said in English he did’nt

understand what I was saying in Dutch. In my best

English I repeated, and he understood. “Yes, its time

to leave for me. Still a long way

to go tough”. I took another picture, and said “I am going

to Hollandia, and you too ?”.

He laughed at me and said, “of

course, in one plane we all go

the same route”. Stupid me. He continued to tell he lived in

California, but I didnt knew

where that was. It must be

some town in America. He

explained he will go to

Hollandia, and then by boat to Japan. From there on another

ship to his California. “Why on a boat ?”, I asked

curious. “Well son”, he said”, “If I tell you, I have to

kill you”, and he laughed out loud. My mother looked

at me, and ordered me back. No more talking to strangers. But maybe I will speak to him when we are

in the air. Mom asked me to take pictures from our

neighbours who will also flying with us. And that

annoying dog of them. Constanly barking to anyone.

On top of this page you can see grandma her car, the

neighbours and the great shot I took from the

aircraft, the mighty Douglas. “Its a DC3”, said my

dad. “Come on, I show you the cockpit”. I have been there before, but that was years ago. I barely

remember, but now, and with my camera I want to

learn it all!. We climbed on the stairs and went

directly to the cockpit. His copilot was already in

there, checking his papers,

and talking in the radio. “We will soon takeoff

John”, dad said. “We have

a schedule to keep”. I

looked around, and took a

nice picture of the panel. “When we are in the air, I

let you fly a little”, he

promised. I went to my

seat, next to mom and

asked, “What will dad do

w h e n w e a r e i n Hollandia?”. Mom smiled a

lot, and said,”I think I am the luckiest woman in New

Gunea, because he will take us to Hollandia, and

then fly us all the way back to the Netherlands. KLM

offered him a job there, so he will be with us all the time.”. And that was the best news I heard for a

while. That was the reason mom was so happy the

last week!. The stewardess closed up the door of the

aircraft, and yelled to us to buckle up and be quiete,

“the captain has something to say…” (tbc)

Asia pacific 1962


AYLA Lae Airfield Lae Papua New Guinea (Australia)

AYNZ Nadzab Airfield Lae Papua New Guinea (Australia)

AYRB Lakunai Airfield Rabaul Papua New Guinea (Australia)

AYPY Jackson's Field Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

(Australia)

AGGH Henderson Field Honiera (Guadacanal) Solomon Is

ANG Anguir Airstrip Anguir Is Micronesia

BII Bikini Atoll Enyu Marshall Is

N55 Jabor Jaluit Jabor Jaluit Atoll Marshall Is

NCAW Aitutaki Aitutaki Cook Islands

NFFN Nandi Intl Nadi Fiji

NFLB Lauthala Bay Suva Fiji

NFNA Suva Nausouri Fiji

NFNL Lebase Bay Lebase Fiji

NFNM Matei Matei Fiji

NFNR Routuma Routuma Fiji

NFTF Fua'amotu Intl Nuku'alofa Tonga

NGTA Mullinix Field Tarawa Kiribati

NPS Pearl Harbor NAS Honolulu USA

NSFA Faleolo Intl Apia Samoa

NSSB Satapuala Bay Apia Samoa

NSTU Tafuna Intl Pago Pago American

Samoa

NTAA Faaa Papeete, Tahiti French

Polynesia

NTAW Faaa Seaplane Base Papeete,

Tahiti French Polynesia

NTBW Motu Mute Seaplane Base Bora

Bora French Polynesia

NTTB Motu Mute Bora Bora French

Polynesia

NTHW Fare Seaplane Base Huahine

French Polynesia

NTNW Rangiroa Seaplane Base

Rangiroa French Polynesia

NTRW Uturoa Seaplane Base Raiatea

French Polynesia

NTTG Rangiroa Rangiroa French

Polynesia

NTTR Uturoa Raiatea French Polynesia

NTTW Temae Seaplane Base Moorea French Polynesia

NVSS Santo-Pekoa Luganville Vanuatu

NVVV Bauerfield Port Vila Vanuatu

NWWE Moue Des Pins Is New Calidonia

NWWH Nesson Houailou New Calidonia

NWWK Koumac Koumac City New Calidonia

NWWL Ouanaham Lifou New Calidonia

NWWM Magenta Noumea New Calidonia

NWWR La Roche Aero Mare New Calidonia

NWWV Ouloup Ouvea New Calidonia

NWWW Tontouta Field Noumea New Calidonia

PCIS Topham Airfield Canton Is Kiribati

PGRO Rota Rota Is Northern Marianas

PGSN Isley Field Saipan Northern Marianas

PGUA Andersen AFB Guam USA

PGUM Agana Field Agana, Guam USA

PGUW Guam Seaplane Base Agana, Guam USA

PGWT West Tinian Tinian Is Northern Marianas

PHBK Barking Sands NAF Kauai, Hawaii USA

PHFS Tern Is NAF French Frigate Shoals USA

PHJR Barbers Point NAS Capolei, Oahu USA

PJON Johnson Atoll Johnson Is USA

PKMA Enewetak Aux AF Enewetak Atoll Marshall Is

PKMW Majuro Seaplane Base Majuro Atoll Marshall Is

PKWA Bucholz AAF Kwajalein Atoll Marshall Is

PKWW Kwajalein Seaplane Base Kwajalein Atoll Marshall Is

PLCH Christmas Is Christmas Is Kiribati

PMDY Henderson Field Midway Is USA

PTKK Truk Weno Is Micronesia

PTKW Truk Seaplane Base Weno Is Micronesia

PTPW Pohnpei Seaplane Base Pohnpei Is Micronesia

PTRW Koror Seaplane Base Babelthuap Is Micronesia

PTYW Yap Seaplane Base Yap Is Micronesia

PWAK Wake Is NAS Wake Is USA

RCSS Song Shan Taipei Taiwan

RJAM Marcos Is Minama Torishima Japan

RJAW Iwo Jima Field Iwojima Japan

RKJJ Kwangju Field Gwangju Korea

RKNN Gangneung Field Gangneung

Korea

RKPC Chejudo Field Jeju Korea

RKPP Pusan Busan (Pusan) Korea

RKSM Seoul Airbase Seoul Korea

RKSS Kimpo Intl Seoul Korea

RKTN Taegu Airfield Daegu Korea

ROAH Naha Field Okinawa Japan

RPLL Manila Intl Manila Philippines

RPMD Davao Davao Philippines

RPML Cagayan de Oro Cagayan de Oro

Philippines

RPMZ Zamboanga Zamboanga

Philippines

RPUH San Jose San Jose Philippines

RPUY Cauayan Cauayan Philippines

RPVA Tacloban Tacloban Philippines

RPVB Bacolod Bacolod Philippines

RPVI Iloilo Iloilo Philippines

RPVP Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa

Philippines

RPVV Lahug Cebu City Philippines

WABB Mokmer Intl Biak Dutch New

Guinea (Indonesia)

WAJJ Holandia Airfield Holandia

(Jayapura) Dutch New Guinea

(Indonesia)

WMKF Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

YPCC Cocos Field Cocos Is Australia

YPXM Christmas Is Christmas Is Australia

ZBAA Bejing Capital Bejing (Peking) China

ZBHH Kuei Sui Airfield Hohhot China

ZBLA Hailar Airfield Hailar China

ZBXH Xilinhot Xilinhot China

ZGGG Baiyun Guangzhou (Canton) China

ZKCJ Seishin Chongjin North Korea

ZKGS Kaesong Kaesong North Korea

ZKHH Yonpo Airfield Hamhung North Korea

ZKPY Pyongyang Capital Pyongyang North Korea

ZKWS Wonsan Wonsan North Korea

ZMUB Buyant Ukhaa Ulaanbaatar Mongolia

ZSSS Hongqiao Shanghai China

ZYHH Harbin Harbin China

ZYYY Dongta Shenyang China

In the next part of the story we takeoff to Hollandia with John

and his family.

Asia pacific 1962 Airport list


In this series the Propliner Flyer Magazine is proud

to bring you the Propliner 2008 Tutorial written by

FSAviator, real name unknown. The magazine has got the right to publish parts of the tutorial here by Tom

Gibson, and illustrate it. Of course you can read the

tutorial by yourself, but we found that digisting it in

small parts, with illustrations where applicable, is

often better. Also, we like to take this opportunity to bring the tutorial to a wider audience. Not all is

copied, some text is ommited, some text may be

added for further clarification. Please enjoy the old

new tutorial.

This tutorial is not aimed at users of simulators who are still uncertain how to use avionics such as ADF,

VOR and ILS to conduct basic radio navigation of

aircraft. Tutorials concerning use of ADF, VOR and

ILS are available within the 'Learning Center'.

Explanations of modern approach lighting etc., are also available elsewhere. This tutorial explains how to

use vintage and classic era avionics realistically

within the context of commercial propliner operation

in a non radar environment. Unless explicitly stated

everything in this tutorial assumes the nil wind case.

In order to simulate the operation of propliners

realistically, in any era, we need to undertake pre

flight planning. To simulate some early phases of

commercial aviation history we need only a good

tourist map. For others we need to download and study the current real world departure, arrival and

approach procedures for our point of departure and

destination. Most are freely available on the web.

When simulating the operation of a propliner prior to

the 21st century there is little point in 'filing an IFR

plan'. The canned ATC will just try to impose unsafe

radar vectors, unrealistic clearances and unrealistic rates of climb and descent that are not appropriate to

the era being simulated or the aircraft in use. The

canned procedures are never appropriate outside the

U.S. anyway. Within MSFS ATC is more of a

navigation cheat mode than a simulation of real ATC.

Creation of a hand written, or printed, 4D flight plan

to follow is essential. It must be corrected as we fly

along. The difference between estimated time of

arrival (ETA) and actual time of arrival (ATA) is

crucial. We must be able to update our plan as we execute it. If we fail to plan, then we plan to fail. The

usual flight planning tools are not capable of doing

that without error.

We must also learn to issue appropriate ATC

clearances to ourselves. The tutorial will provide guidance as it progresses, but that level of detail can

wait until later. First we need to cover the basics of

propliner flying.

JETLINERS v PROPLINERS The dynamics of jet engines and piston engines are not just dissimilar, they are totally different. Consequently many of the statements in this tutorial

are false when applied to jets. Miles per gallon

achieved in a jet depend on altitude. Any jet has double the fuel economy, and therefore double the

range, at 41,000 feet. It must get up there as fast as

possible, stay up there as long as possible and

therefore plans to descend in a high drag, steep,

power off, dive. This profile is not about saving

Propliner

Flyer Tutorial PART 1

By FSAviator


money. Any jet will run out of fuel as little as half

way to destination if it cruises too low or descends

too soon. Regardless of the velocity it cruises at.

For a jet early climb and late descent are flight

safety requirements. Jet aircraft require a radar

based ATC environment to meet that requirement.

Propliners did not and until commercial jets arrived

ATC, navigation and flight planning was 'procedural'.

Piston engines have neither the benefits nor the

problems of jet engines. They achieve about the

same fuel economy (range) at any altitude. However even though fuel economy varies little the higher

they fly the less air resistance propliners encounter

and the higher the True Air Speed = TAS = velocity

they achieve without any loss of range or economy

of operation. So long as they do not exceed their

current operational ceiling.

The time it takes a propliner to get from A to B

depends mostly on altitude, but unlike a jet the fuel

burned does not. Piston engined aircraft are therefore very inefficient for long range flying.

However the only way to get from A to B in the

minimum time in any aeroplane is to operate it at

its operational ceiling. The operational ceiling

depends on the current weight. We must climb to

the initial operational ceiling and as weight reduces through the flight we must step climb to new higher

operational ceilings.

therefore plans to descend in a high drag, steep,

power off, dive. This profile is not about saving

money. Any jet will run out of fuel as little as half way to destination if it cruises too low or descends

too soon. Regardless of the velocity it cruises at.

For a jet early climb and late descent are flight

safety requirements. Jet aircraft require a radar

based ATC environment to meet that requirement. Propliners did not and until commercial jets arrived

ATC, navigation and flight planning was

'procedural'.

Piston engines have neither the benefits nor the problems of jet engines. They achieve about the

same fuel economy (range) at any altitude. However

even though fuel economy varies little the higher

they fly the less air resistance propliners encounter

and the higher the True Air Speed = TAS = velocity

they achieve without any loss of range or economy of operation. So long as they do not exceed their

current operational ceiling.

The time it takes a propliner to get from A to B

depends mostly on altitude, but unlike a jet the fuel burned does not. Piston engined aircraft are

therefore very inefficient for long range flying.

However the only way to get from A to B in the

minimum time in any aeroplane is to operate it at

its operational ceiling. The operational ceiling depends on the current weight. We must climb to

the initial operational ceiling and as weight reduces

through the flight we must step climb to new higher

operational ceilings.

OPERATIONAL CEILING.

The practical definition of operational ceiling when using a simulator is the maximum level to which the aircraft can climb, *using only climb MAP and rpm*, without the Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) falling below 500 ft/min and without the Indicated Air Speed (IAS) falling below the mandated climb IAS.

During a short haul flight a propliner (or bomber etc) may never reach operational ceiling, and will

never achieve the cruising velocity we see quoted in

references. Cruising velocity can only be achieved at

operational ceiling.

It may take a propliner more than thirty minutes to reach its initial operational ceiling and more than

ten hours to reach final cruising level after several

step climbs. Most MSFS users fail to understand

that they will arrive at destination many hours later

than necessary if they do not sustain operational ceiling throughout the flight.

In a propliner fuel consumption per mile will not

vary significantly with altitude at constant power,

but fuel consumption per hour will. Piston engined

aircraft can cruise slowly at low level without significant fuel penalty if required to do so. Jets

cannot.

DRAG. The lower we fly, the slower we fly, in any aircraft. We are ramming more air molecules and they slow us down (a lot).

Think about what a 34 KIAS wind, called a gale,

does to a tree. The Air Speed Indicator (ASI) is just recording the number of molecules rammed per

second, (collected in the pitot tube), and therefore

displays our profile drag, not our velocity. Whenever

we fly any aircraft we must work hard to maximise

our velocity (TAS) whilst restraining our profile drag (IAS).


Air molecules exert great drag on aeroplanes. Gale

force upon gale force of drag. We must keep the IAS

down and the TAS high by flying as high as possible in the thinnest possible air.

Anyone using a flight simulator needs to understand

that before they can use a flight simulator

realistically, but most simulator users never quite

grasp the difference between drag (IAS) and velocity (TAS). Consequently they end up trying to increase

the wrong one, applying more and more power, at

too low an altitude, achieving ever more nose down

attitudes, as the gales of drag rise out of control due

to the abusive power and abusive fuel burn.

That extra power is there only so that we can climb

into thinner air. It is not there to increase drag (IAS)

at low level

ACCELERATION and DECELERATION

Most MSFS users have never flown an aircraft, but have operated terrestrial vehicles. Everything they have ever learned about terrestrial vehicles leads them to believe that any vehicle is easier to accelerate going downhill than going uphill. The whole point

about aircraft, and the only reason airliners exist, is that aircraft are incredibly easy to accelerate when going uphill and almost impossible to accelerate when going downhill.

If that sounds unlikely then you are bound to be

flying unrealistically.

It takes simulator users, (and many real pilots), a

long time to understand that if a fighter pilot power

dives his fighter from 250 KIAS at 40,000 feet to 400

KIAS at low level he has decelerated from about 500

KTAS to about 400 KTAS. As the fighter pilot dives hard and watches the ASI needle proceed from 250

to 400 he is watching the drag rise, he hears the

wind noise screaming ever louder as he decelerates a

hundred knots in no time at all.

A drag of 400 KIAS at low level ensures that the

fighter is much slower than it is with a drag of 250

KIAS at high level. It's just a lot more drag, so we

hear much more wind noise. Wind noise isn't an

indicator of velocity; it's just an indicator of drag.

IAS isn't an indicator of velocity; it's just an indicator of drag.

Until MSFS users grasp that IAS is drag and TAS is

velocity it is impossible to understand how to plan

the climb and descent of aircraft. It is impossible to flight plan, and it is impossible to understand why

aircraft must follow a 4D flight plan.

In a DC-6B we must take care that the drag does not

rise above 165 KIAS until we have finished

accelerating the aircraft, which will be at least 30 minutes after take off. We must keep the drag low

and point it up hill or it will not accelerate. So long

as we keep going up hill it will accelerate so fast that

we can reduce MAP from 45 inches in the stage 1

climb to just 37 inches in stage 3 climb during the

final stage of the acceleration. We start the

acceleration burning 600 gallons per hour and finish

it burning only 480 gallons per hour. We cannot accelerate a DC-6B by applying 37 inches and

burning only 480 USG/hr at low level. We can only

do it at the top of a long, long hill climb. In an

aeroplane climbing enables acceleration and diving

promotes deceleration. When climbing we need less

and less power to go faster and faster. The aeroplane is the exact opposite of a terrestrial vehicle. That's

the whole point.

Airliners cannot fly fast at low level. They do not

have enough power. To fly fast an airliner must accelerate for as long as possible, and the only way

to accelerate an aircraft, for more than a couple of

minutes, is to point it uphill and keep on going

uphill for as long as possible.

At sea level a drag of 160 KIAS delivers a velocity of 160 KTAS, but after going up hill in a DC-6B at a

drag of about 160 KIAS for 30 minutes we will have

reached about FL160 and we will have accelerated to

a velocity of 205 KTAS. If we departed at max gross

in a DC-6B we will be around our current operational ceiling by then so we will reduce power

further to 31 inches and allow the drag to rise to just

over 180 KIAS allowing the aircraft to accelerate

further to a velocity of 231 KTAS.

To go faster (accelerate) we must step climb again and again as weight reduces hour by hour. Many

hours later we can cruise at 258 KTAS up at FL220,

still with only 182 KIAS of drag. We will have turned

a ten hour flight into a seven hour flight by climbing

and sustaining operational ceiling as weight reduces. Most of the time we will be flying above most of the

weather in smooth air. Whether we can see the

surface will be a matter of chance. How we navigate

will be explained shortly.

To fly at even 231 KTAS at low level we would need to apply abusive power to try to get the drag up to

almost 231 KIAS. The aircraft would be forced nose

down passing a drag of about 190 KIAS and the fuel

burn would be horrendous. We would be trashing

the engines at the same time confusing drag with

velocity, confusing IAS with TAS.

Aeroplanes are not terrestrial vehicles. The closer

they are to sea level the worse they perform. Of

course manufacturers like Cessna provide aircraft

like the C172 with an operational ceiling of a couple of thousand feet or the C182 whose operational

ceiling is a few thousand higher. They are efficient at

low levels.


AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.

MSFS assumes that ATC are using radar in

conjunction with modern era jetliner procedures, and so it assumes that ATC can construct the approach sequence using lateral separation. In the vintage and classic phases of commercial aviation they could not. Approach sequencing was entirely vertical. The first aircraft to badger a clearance out of ATC to the lowest level in the stack (sequence) landed first. All pilots bitched for early descent, but they got a descent clearance based on their number in the stack (approach) sequence anyway. There is always an approach sequence whether or not aircraft are

actually stacking. In real life ATC force aircraft to descend to control

their energy state. Altitude controls energy state and

therefore turn rate. In real life if ATC intend to start

vectoring an aircraft they will force it to descend to

kill its energy state first. The canned ATC in MSFS is too dumb to do this. Because it is too dumb to

control aircraft energy state it vectors aircraft over

huge distances at excessive velocities in huge radius

turns.

Suppose in real life ATC instruct a DC-6B to maintain FL 220 and to reduce drag by ten knots

from 190 KIAS to 180 KIAS. This decelerates the

aircraft by 14 knots from 269 KTAS to 255 KTAS.

But ATC can only tell an aircraft in the cruise to

reduce profile drag (IAS) a fairly small amount before it might become unsafe. Reducing drag also

potentially reduces lift.Instructing the same DC-6B

to increase (drag) to 200 KIAS and descend to FL150

reduces its velocity from 269 KTAS at FL220 to 252

KTAS at FL150. Increasing drag by 10 knots while

power diving 7000 feet with increasing IAS slows the aircraft 17 KTAS. The higher the IAS in a dive, the

more the drag, the steeper the dive, and the faster

the deceleration.

On reaching FL150 the pilot can now be instructed

to reduce (drag) 20 KIAS to 180 KIAS and TAS will fall by a further 25 KTAS to 227 KTAS. The aircraft

will have decelerated 42 KTAS for the 10 KIAS drag

reduction from the original 190 KIAS to 180 KIAS

losing almost 16% of its velocity (TAS) and a quarter

of its energy state. The 16% deceleration and 25% reduced energy state are mostly due to the ATC

mandated descent.

At any bank angle its turn radius will now be 25%

reduced when (RDF or radar) vectored. In real life

ATC will force it much lower and kill its energy state much further before vectoring it hard for approach

sequencing else it will exit the protected airspace of

the airway or terminal area when turning. That's

why terminal ATC airspace has to look like a series

of inverted wedding cake tiers.

The sky is crowded. ATC cannot afford to do most of

the early approach sequencing by dog legging high

velocity aircraft all over the sky. Inbounds are

selectively decelerated by instructing them to

descend in the appropriate sequence. Telling a pilot to reduce altitude and drag at the same time is

stupid. An aircraft can go down and slow down

(reduce TAS) very easily, but it cannot easily go

down and reduce drag (IAS) at the same time. A descent with drag lower than cruise drag would be

very shallow. The pilot needs to target higher drag

than econ cruise IAS to dive steeply to decelerate the

aircraft quickly.

I realise that this is entirely counter intuitive to users of terrestrial vehicles, but to succeed in flight

simulation it is absolutely necessary to understand

that the more we need to decelerate the harder and

further we must dive. It follows that the airliner that

needed to dive hardest and farthest was Concorde. It had to decelerate faster and more than any other

airliner.

In real life a pilot can bitch at ATC for descent in

accordance with his or her airline's fuel saving policy

all they like, but they get clearance according to their position in the approach sequence. At a busy

airport today there are never fewer than thirty

aircraft in the queue for each landing runway, often

there are over fifty. In the classic era more like a

dozen. Either way they are being approach sequenced by ATC before they get descent clearance

from FL 220. When ATC have killed an aircraft's

energy state to their satisfaction they will start to

vector it hard in low radius turns that do not

endanger other aircraft and don't take 2 minutes to

turn 60 degrees.

Given a free hand we will not choose to descend at

more than 700 VSI in a propliner as it will quickly

cause profile drag (IAS) to rise to unsafe values.

Descending at more than 700 VSI we risk exceeding first Mno and then Vno. We will study those

structural limits in detail later. Of course some

propliners have higher drag co-efficients than others

and some are stronger than others. Some run little

risk of exceeding Mno, even when descending at

more than 700 VSI, even in econ cruise power. The DC-6B is pretty slippery and tends to have an energy

state problem that we have to manage with both care

and foresight in order to avoid structural failure.

That's one of the things what makes it so much more

interesting to operate than a jet.

Back in the classic phase of aviation history we

would have been approach sequenced entirely by

when we were given descent clearance, from cruising

level, and to each successive level. Remember we are

not entitled to descent clearance at all. As we fly towards our destination we do not have an approach

clearance. In real life we may have to maintain

cruising level into the stack and make all of our

descent winding down in the hold, round and round

until it is our turn to have approach clearance. For a

DC-3 cruising down at FL100 this would happen frequently, but for a DC-6B up at FL220 hardly ever.

However inbound to a busy airfield we are always in

the ATC approach sequence at least 20 minutes

before we get an approach clearance and normally before top of descent. In real life, when and how

much an airliner descends is not an aircrew

problem, but they can always ask politely if ATC

have forgotten them. ( FSAviator © )


Engine 1-0-1

CHT: Cylinder Head Temperature

The cylinder heads used on the engines that powered

the propliners were forged aluminum. The factory determined a temperature based on

engineering data that the cylinder head should not

exceed in order to insure a long life without

mechanical or structural failure. In addition usually

the master rod cylinders were monitored, as these carried the primary thrust load for the engine, for

each row.

A high indication on a master rod related CHT could

indicate potential Master rod bearing

p r o b l e m s ………………………………………… . . …… . .

METO: Maximum Except Take Off

This is a maximum continuous operational power

setting for engine operations. Once again determined

by engineering and testing at the factory. You don’t

want to live your life flying around at METO power, If

we had to SIM the cost of overhaul and maintenance to get flying hours we would all better understand the

concept ………………………………………….

BMEP: Brake Mean Effective Pressure

This is the pressure during the power stroke of a

reciprocating engine measured in pounds per square

inch. It is used as an indicator of power output by the FE, he could adjust the mixtures to achieve a rise

in BMEP and find best power using that information.

BSFC: Brake Specific Fuel Consumption

Since we are in the neighborhood lets hit the other

indicator of performance. This is the pounds of fuel

burned per hour for each brake horsepower the engines develops……………………………………………...

Brake Horsepower; The total actual

Horsepower delivered to the crankshaft,

This was originally measured on a prony brake and

eventually was measured in test cell and by engine

mounted internal Tourquemeters…………………………

MAP: Manifold Absolute Pressure

Now here is something that Americans have forced

upon the world

The Brits use BOOST Pressure and others use

ATMOSPHERES.

MAP is defined as the absolute pressure of the air inside the induction system. On a non supercharged

engine this can be below atmospheric, as well as on a

supercharged engine that is not producing boost at

lower power levels British Boost pressure gauges

read in PSI and can be converted by adding 14.7 for the standard atmosphere at sea level and multiplying

by 2.04. The reverse of the equation works for the

opposite conversion. (Divide MAP by 2.04 and

subtract 14.7).Manifold pressure and RPM are

settings that are found through testing and

engineering that provide the best settings for the engine/airframe combination. For both economy of

fuel, and economy of parts.


AIR MAIL

Next issue we will publish and answer letters to the

editors. You can send us a mail with your question, story

or just tell us about yourself or the magazine. All names will be kept private if you wish, just tell us, and your email

address will never been shown nor made public or sold.

To contact us write an email to:

Propliner Flyer Magazine Editors

Jobia at zeelandnet dot com

Replace the at with @ and dot with a .

© Propliner Flyer Magazine 2012


What about: Carburetor Icing ?

Carburetor ice occurs due to the effect of fuel

vaporization and the decrease in air pressure in the

venturi, which causes a sharp temperature drop in the carburetor. If water vapor in the air condenses

when the carburetor temperature is at or below

freezing, ice may form on internal surfaces of the

carburetor, including the throttle valve. The reduced

air pressure, as well as the vaporization of fuel,

contributes to the temperature decrease in the

carburetor. Ice generally forms in the vicinity of the

throttle valve and in the venturi throat. This restricts the flow of the fuel/air mixture and reduces power. If

enough ice builds up, the engine may cease to

operate. Carburetor ice is most likely to occur when

temperatures are below 70°F (21°C) and the relative

humidity is above 80 percent. However, due to the sudden cooling that takes place in the carburetor,

icing can occur even with temperatures as high as

100°F (38°C) and humidity as low as 50 percent. This

temperature drop can be as much as 60 to 70°F.

Therefore, at an outside air temperature of 100°F, a

temperature drop of 70°F results in an air temperature in the carburetor of 30°F.

The first indication of carburetor icing in an airplane

with a fixed-pitch propeller is a decrease in engine

r.p.m., which may be followed by engine roughness.

In an airplane with a constant-speed propeller,

carburetor icing usually is indicated by a decrease in manifold pressure, but no reduction in r.p.m.

Propeller pitch is automatically adjusted to

compensate for loss of power. Thus, a constant

r.p.m. is maintained. Although carburetor ice can

occur during any phase of flight, it is particularly

dangerous when using reduced power during a descent. Under certain conditions, carburetor ice

could build unnoticed until you try to add power. To

combat the effects of carburetor ice, engines with

float-type carburetors employ a carburetor heat

system.

Carburetor heat

Carburetor heat is an anti-icing system that preheats the air before it reaches the carburetor. Carburetor

heat is intended to keep the fuel/air mixture above

the freezing temperature to prevent the formation of

carburetor ice. Carburetor heat can be used to melt

ice that has already formed in the carburetor

provided that the accumulation is not too great. The emphasis, however, is on using carburetor heat as a

preventative measure. The carburetor heat should be

checked during the engine runup. When using

carburetor heat, follow the manufacturer´s

recommendations. When conditions are conducive to carburetor icing during flight, periodic checks should

be made to detect its presence. If detected, full

carburetor heat should be applied immediately, and

it should be left in the ON position until you are

certain that all the ice has been removed. If ice is

present, applying partial heat or leaving heat on for an insufficient time might aggravate the situation. In

extreme cases of carburetor icing, even after the ice

has been removed, full carburetor heat should be

used to prevent further ice formation. A carburetor

temperature gauge, if installed, is very useful in determining when to use carburetor heat.

Whenever the throttle is closed during flight, the

engine cools rapidly and vaporization of the fuel is

less complete than if the engine is warm. Also, in this condition, the engine is more susceptible to

carburetor icing. Therefore, if you suspect carburetor

icing conditions and anticipate closed-throttle

operation, adjust the carburetor heat to the full ON

position before closing the throttle, and leave it on during the closed-throttle operation. The heat will aid

in vaporizing the fuel, and help prevent the formation

of carburetor ice. Periodically, open the throttle

smoothly for a few seconds to keep the engine warm,

otherwise the carburetor heater may not provide

enough heat to prevent icing.The use of carburetor heat causes a decrease in engine power, sometimes

up to 15 percent, because the heated air is less dense

than the outside air that had been entering the

engine. This enriches the mixture. When ice is

present in an airplane with a fixed-pitch propeller

and carburetor heat is being used, there is ..


a decrease in r.p.m., followed by a gradual increase

in r.p.m. as the ice melts. The engine also should run

more smoothly after the ice has been removed. If ice is not present, the r.p.m. will decrease, then remain

constant. When carburetor heat is used on an

airplane with a constant-speed propeller, and ice is

present, a decrease in the manifold pressure will be

noticed, followed by a gradual increase. If carburetor

icing is not present, the gradual increase in manifold pressure will not be apparent until the carburetor

heat is turned off.

It is imperative that a pilot recognizes carburetor ice

when it forms during flight. In addition, a loss of

power, altitude, and/or airspeed will occur. These

symptoms may sometimes be accompanied by

vibration or engine roughness. Once a power loss is noticed, immediate action should be taken to

eliminate ice already formed in the carburetor, and to

prevent further ice formation. This is accomplished

by applying full carburetor heat, which will cause a

further reduction in power, and possibly engine roughness as melted ice goes through the engine.

These symptoms may last from 30 seconds to several

minutes, depending on the severity of the icing.

During this period, the pilot must resist the

temptation to decrease the carburetor heat usage.

Carburetor heat must remain in the full-hot position until normal power returns.

Since the use of carburetor heat tends to reduce the

output of the engine and also to increase the

operating temperature, carburetor heat should not be

used when full power is required (as during takeoff)

or during normal engine operation, except to check

for the presence or to remove carburetor ice.

Carburetor air temperature gauge

Some airplanes are equipped with a carburetor air temperature gauge, which is useful in detecting

potential icing conditions. Usually, the face of the

gauge is calibrated in degrees Celsius (°C), with a

yellow arc indicating the carburetor air temperatures

where icing may occur. This yellow arc typically

ranges between -15°C and +5°C (5°F and 41°F). If the air temperature and moisture content of the air are

such that carburetor icing is improbable, the engine

can be operated with the indicator in the yellow

range with no adverse effects. However, if the atmospheric conditions are conducive to carburetor

icing, the indicator must be kept outside the yellow

arc by application of carburetor heat.

Certain carburetor air temperature gauges have a red

radial, which indicates the maximum permissible

carburetor inlet air temperature recommended by the

engine manufacturer; also, a green arc may be

included to indicate the normal operating range.

Outside air temperature gauge

Most airplanes also are equipped with an outside air

temperature (OAT) gauge calibrated in both degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit. It provides the outside or

ambient air temperature for calculating true

airspeed, and also is useful in detecting potential

icing conditions.

Also in our world (MSFS) we can enjoy carb-icing. The default DC3, and a lot of calclassic endorsed aircraft have anti icing equippement

like carburetor heaters.


From our German correspondent: Arne Ziesmann.

Started at the Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel airport on 12

September, a Super-G-Constellation of Deutsche

Lufthansa for its first flight on the new route via

Dusseldorf - Frankfurt - Munich - Istanbul - Beirut -

Baghdad to Tehran.

Twice weekly, the silver birds fly on this route of Lufthansa in both directions.

Thus, Lufthansa will appear again on a track that

already trialling, mail and passenger flights were the

efforts of the old German commercial aviation.

Federal Transport Minister Dr. Seebohm officially

opened the route through his participation on the first flight.

Besides the creation of European air connections

had been the efforts of the old Deutsche Lufthansa

and its predecessor companies in the development of

major air routes to Asia counted. Under this conception, including the establishment

of Russian society Deruluft in 1921 and the Sino-

German Eurasia is due in 1930, have been explored

already in the thirties, the flight routes to the Middle

East and the road there Date. As early as 1924, the Junkers air transport company

"Iran Air" was launched on the two scheduled routes

linking Tehran and Isfahan with the Russian

transport network and the coast (Bushehr).

In 1929, Joachim von Schröder started on a reconnaissance flight to Turkey in order to explore

the possibilities here for a scheduled air traffic.

On 25 October, he flew 11 hours from Berlin to

Istanbul with a Junkers W33.

As a result of this was on the flight after an agreement with the Turkish Ministry of 5th May

1930 of scheduled air mail service on the route

Berlin - Vienna - Budapest - Belgrade - Sofia -

Istanbul opened, were being transported, the first

shipments between Berlin and Vienna at night by

train. A year later, the post already in Breslau was taken

from the aircraft.

In the year 1930 is also a reconnaissance flight to

Baghdad, the Dr. Knauss on 14 November with the

W33 "Balkan" undertook.

Crucial for the further expansion of the route

network to the Middle East was first the expedition

flights to opening the airway to the Far East.

1934 led the old Lufthansa board member, Carl

August Freiherr von Gablenz, such a flight with a Ju-52 over Cairo, Baghdad, Djask, Calcutta, Bangkok,

Canton to Shanghai.

The inclusion of mailflight operations on the route

Berlin - Baghdad on 29 October 1937, its extension

to Tehran on 1 April 1938 and Kabul, including the expansion of the passenger traffic however should be

seen as a direct result of that flight, took the two Ju-

52 over the Pamir Mountains on the way to the Far

East.

Von Gablenz, Untucht and Kirchhoff with the D-

ANOY and Drechsel, von Tettenborn and Penke with the D-AMIP on 24 and 26 August 1937, defeated the

roof of the world.

On the return flight the D-ANOY had to make an

emergency landing, due to an engine defect in the

desert at the oasis of Chota. The crew was captured as a result of the turmoil of a

Chinese partisan general and received back only

after four weeks of captivity to freedom.

Lufthansa flies to the east!


Propliner Flyer

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Classic Airline Spotlight

Sabena World Airlines

The Helicopter Years

1950-1966 From our Correspondent in Belgium: Nikko Yaginuma Classic Airline Spotlight will try to give an insight into some of the airlines which grace our classic skies. This issue will look at Sabena World Airlines of Bel-gium and its helicopter operations, which, at their high

point, served seventeen destinations in four countries.

Sabena World Airlines started their helicopter ser-

vices in 1950 as an experiment, when they ordered 2

Bell 47D-1s for use on internal postal services. The first of these helicopters arrived on July 28 of that

year, followed during the next month by the second

one. From August 21 onwards, the two Bell 47s were

used for postal flights on weekdays, delivering and

collecting mail at several landing sites around Bel-gium. Additionally, the helicopters were used for

proving flights, which gave Sabena the chance to

gather valuable experience on how to exploit a heli-

copter network.

A third Bell 47 was acquired in 1952, and together, the three Bell 47s were involved in the relief operation

following the flood disaster of February 1953 in the

Netherlands. Legend has it that it was a Sabena Bell

47 which did the first reconnaissance flights above

the affected area; in fact, it was a Hiller, albeit flown by a Sabena pilot, with the three Bell 47s joining the

rescue effort later that same day.

After about 1000 postal flights, carrying 166183 kg of

mail, Sabena ceased its postal flights on January 16

1954. The three Bell 47s were put up for disposal, two being sold to Osterman Aero AB of Sweden in

February 1954, and the third to M.A.T.A. of France

one month later. But meanwhile, Sabena had ex-

panded its helicopter operations...

The first scheduled passenger services

On July 2 1953, MS Bastogne arrived in the harbour

of Antwerp with a special cargo, namely the first of an

order of six Sikorsky S-55 helicopters. The Sabena management had decided to purchase these helicop-

ters for use on the short-range passenger network, as

an alternative for fixed-wing operations with DC-3s.

Such operations already existed in the US, where New

York Airways and Chicago Helicopter Airways offered connections between the airports and nearby destina-

tions, and in the UK, BEA was experimenting with

regional helicopter services. But Sabena would be

the first airline to offer international services, its net-

work spreading across Belgium, France, the Nether-

lands and Germany.


During the summer of 1953, two more S-55s arrived,

and after some proving flights, scheduled services

were inaugurated in September. From its two Brus-sels hubs - one at Brussels' Melsbroek Airport, the

other at the Allée Verte/Groendreef heliport some

500 meters from the Brussels North Station - Sa-

bena started services to Lille; to Rotterdam via Ant-

werp; and to Maastricht either direct or via Liège.

One month later, the route Brussels - Liège - Co-logne - Bonn was inaugurated. In the first winter,

this network was served during weekdays only, with

the Maastricht, Bonn, and Lille routes being flown

daily, and the Rotterdam route being flown twice a

day. As a fourth S-55 was delivered to Sabena in 1954, this allowed the company to drastically ex-

pand the frequencies of its services. Starting March

1st 1954, the Maastricht service was expanded into

a second daily Bonn service, and a second daily Lille

service and third daily Rotterdam service were estab-

lished. One month later a further adjustment was made in services, with a separate flight to Cologne

being inaugurated on April 1st 1954. This third

German service followed a slightly different route:

while the two Bonn flights both flag-stopped at Liège

and Maastricht, the Cologne flight only stopped at Maastricht.

During this time, Sabena also did two experimental

flights, one to Paris on December 20th 1953, and

one to London on July 7th 1954, but neither re-

sulted in immediate scheduled services.

In 1955, Sabena received two additional S-55s,

which allowed the company to further expand its network. Starting in the summer of 1955, a new

service was inaugurated from Brussels to Duisburg

and Dortmund. Much like the Cologne/Bonn ser-

vice, Sabena offered two different services: two daily

flights from Brussels via Eindhoven to Duisburg,

and a third flight which included a Duisburg-Dortmund connection. Also during that summer,

Sabena offered a coastal helicopter service. Flown

trice weekly, this connected Brussels with Vlissingen

via Knokke-Zoute: this coastal service also offered

further connections with Sabena's coastal services out of the Knokke-Zoute airport, where a direct DC-3

service to London was offered. However, this service

was short-lived, lasting only until September 3rd

1955.

For the 1956 and 1957 services, the Rotterdam rout-ing was revised. Still trice-daily, a single flight each

week was routed via the airfield at Axel-Terneuzen

rather than Antwerp.

New helicopters and a World Fair

The biggest change came late in 1956, when Sabena

began receiving the first of its Sikorsky S-58C's.

With a larger capacity and higher cruise speed than

the S-55s, these helicopters allowed Sabena to

greatly expand its services, and more specifically to inaugurate one important new route: on March 3rd

1957, the entire fleet of eight newly purchased S-

58Cs left the Brussels city heliport, landing little

over an hour later at the newest


Sabena helicopter destination in Paris. The impor-

tance of this route was only further emphasised by

the fact that Sabena chose to serve this new destina-tion no less than five times a day, two of the services

continuing through Brussels to Rotterdam and Dort-

mund. The six S-55s were sold to the French govern-

ment, and were subsequently used by the French

Army.

1958 was an important year for Sabena, with the

World Fair being held at Brussels. In order to assure

full services on its network, as well as sightseeing

flights around the Fair, Sabena leased additional ca-

pacity in the form of two Vertol V-44B and one West-land Widgeon helicopter. The company also opened a

temporary helicopter base on the World Fair prem-

ises themselves, which was connected with the rest

of the network. While the Vertols were mainly used

for sightseeing flights, they were also used on sched-

uled services between Brussels and Cologne; the Widgeon, with its relatively small capacity, was exclu-

sively used for sightseeing and aerial photography

duties. The special services into the World Fair heli-

port lasted from April 17th until October 19th, the

entire duration of the Fair, after which the services were stopped, the leased helicopters returned to their

respective owners, and the World Fair heliport was

dismantled.

Reducing the fleet

By 1959, the Sabena helicopter services had already

transported over 250000 passengers. However, it

was increasingly becoming clear that the helicopter

services were making substantial losses, for which

the scheduled airline services had to cover. This was punctuated even more by the total number of pas-

sengers carried that year: just 35637 passengers

were carried, the total number being lower than

those of 1957 and 1958. Sabena began considering

replacements of the S-58C: Fairy gave a demonstra-

tion flight with its Rotodyne, flying the prototype on a London - Brussels - Paris - London loop, but the

closest Sabena got to obtaining a replacement was a

trial of the Sikorsky S-62. One was delivered by Si-

korsky for tests on Sabena's passenger network in

June of 1960, and was used by the airline until Feb-ruary 28 1961, when they returned it to Sikorsky.

The airline was not satisfied by the type, and decided

not to purchase the S-62s. However, interest was

expressed in the new, large Vertol 107.

Also during 1960, Sabena started reducing the size of its helicopter fleet. One of its S-58s was sold to Gy-

rafrique in April 1960, and later that month two more

were leased to Elipadana of Italy for the duration of

three months. In September, two S-58s were requisi-

tioned by the Belgian government for use in the

Congo, and in December, one further S-58 was sold to Asahi Helicopters of Japan. This left Sabena with

four of its original eight S-58s. The fleet was even

further reduced in May of 1961, when one of the re-

maining S-58s was lost in a flying accident during an

engine test, luckily without causing injury to the crew. This forced Sabena to use alternative equip-

ment on its network: the flights to Lille were tempo-

rally flown by the company's sole Alouette II.

The situation for Sabena's helicopter network im-

proved in April of 1962, when the two S-58s that had

been used in the Congo were returned to Belgium.

However, by this time, the helicopter network was in

decline. The first destination to go was Antwerp, as Sabena had decided to stop serving the city due to its

proximity to its Brussels hub. The airline had al-

ready stopped its fixed-wing operations into the city's

airport in 1961; October 1st 1962 saw the last heli-

copter services into Antwerp, after which the Brus-

sels-Rotterdam route was flown non-stop.

At this point, though, it was already clear that the

helicopter services were nearing their end. Due to

the independence of Congo and the subsequent trou-

bles there, Sabena had lost a large part of its network and income, and for the first time the airline was in

deep financial trouble, this situation being worsened

by the recent purchase of jet equipment in the form

of Boeing 707-329s and Caravelle 6Ns. As a result,

the decision was made to stop the loss-making heli-

copter operations, and sell the remaining S-58s to the Belgian Air Force. The sale was made in Septem-

ber of 1962, and the decision was made to end the

helicopter services, initially from September 1962

onwards, although this date was later revised to June

30th 1963. As part of the helicopter fleet was already being converted for Air Force use, a much reduced

service was continued over the winter.


An unexpected reprieve

The decision to stop the scheduled helicopter services

was unexpectedly reversed when many of the desti-

nation cities expressed interest to continue these

flights. In order to continue service, two S-58Cs were

leased from Chicago Helicopter Airlines, and later

purchased. In order to cover the loss of capacity on

the network, a number of destinations was dropped.

The helicopter services to Lille and Paris were

scrapped, as were those to Dortmund and Bonn. A

variation on the route to Rotterdam was introduced: Sabena now served the city directly from Brussels, as

well as via Eindhoven. Cologne was served during

weekdays, with flagstops at Maastricht and Liège,

with the service continuing trice weekly to Duisburg.

In this reduced form, the helicopter services were continued until November 1st 1966, when Sabena

decided to cease its helicopter services altogether.

The two remaining S-58Cs were sold to the Belgian

Air Force as VIP aircraft, while the Alouette II was

sold to Israël. Starting from 1968, Sabena intro-

duced an equivalent replacement service: the Com-mon Market Commuter services, flown with light pas-

senger aircraft.

A Colonial Chapter: Sabena helicopters in Congo

In 1951, the Central Government of the Belgian Congo decided to purchase three Westland-Sikorsky

WS51 Dragonfly Mk.1B helicopters, for aerial spray-

ing operations. While not officially part of the Sabena

fleet, these three helicopters were maintained and

flown by Sabena personnel, and used to kill malaria mosquitoes around the Congolese capital of Léopold-

ville. In 1955, these Dragonflies were sold, and three

Sikorsky S-55s were purchased as replacements.

Painted in full Sabena livery minus the titles, these

aircraft were also flown for aerial spraying opera-

tions, although one of them was used during the visit of the Belgian king in 1955. One of the S-55s was

lost in an accident in January of 1958, while the two

remaining aircraft were handed to the Force Publique

in 1960. In 1957, an Alouette II was purchased for

use by the Congolese department of Waterways.

Painted up in a full Sabena livery, the helicopter was

occasionally used for aerial spraying, but it had a

very short career in Congo: in June of 1959, it was

returned to Belgium.

Very little is known about the Congolese service of

the Sabena S-58Cs. In September of 1960, OO-SHG

and OO-SHM were sent to Elisabethville for use by

the Katangese government. Officially registered as

KAT-43 and KAT-44, the two Sikorsky's remained in

Congo until April of 1962, when they were returned

to Belgium and returned to Sabena service.


Polar Service: Sabena's Antarctic Bell 47

One final strange chapter in the history of Sabena's helicopter services was that of their single Bell 47H-

1. Acquired in 1957, it was never intended for use

on the scheduled network: instead, it was purchased

for use by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition for liaison

and reconnaissance purposes, with technical support

provided by the airline. As such, it carried the Sa-bena logo on its tail. Departing for the South Pole in

November 1957, the aircraft served for three years

until it returned to Belgium in 1960. After this it was

stored at Brussels, until it was sold to Osterman Aero

AB of Sweden in 1962. In 2001, the aircraft was put on display at the International Helicopter Museum in

Weston-Super-Mare, after it had been restored to its

Sabena/Belgian Antarctic Expedition colours.

The Fleet Bell 47D-1

OO-UBA Arrived Brussels July 28 1950. Used on postal flights 1950-1954. Registration changed to

OO-SHX July 1953; sold as SE-HAI to Osterman

Aero AB of Sweden in February 1954. W/O India.

OO-UBB Arrived Brussels August 1950. Used on

postal flights 1950-1954. Registration changed to OO-SHY July 1953; sold as SE-HAK to Osterman

Aero AB of Sweden in February 1954. Preserved

Finland.

OO-UBC Arrived Brussels June 21 1952. Used on

postal flights 1952-1954. Registration changed to

OO-SHZ July 1953; sold as F-OAPY to M.A.T.A. of France in March 1954.

Bell 47H-1

OO-SHW Arrived August 21 1957. Used by Belgian

Antarctic Expedition 1957-1960. Stored Brussels 1960-1962. Sold as SE-HBE to Osterman Aero AB of

Sweden 1962. Restored as OO-SHW and exhibited at

International Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-

Mare, UK since 2001.

Westland-Sikorsky WS-51 Mk.1B OO-CWA Arrived Leopoldville May 18 1951. Used

for aerial spraying 1951-1955. Sold Mexico 1955.

Preserved Museu de Bebedouro, Brazil.

OO-CWB Arrived Leopoldville 1952. Used for aerial

spraying 1952-1955. Sold Mexico 1955. WFU Brazil. OO-CWC Arrived Leopoldville 1952. Used for aerial

spraying 1952-1955. Sold Mexico 1955. W/O Brazil.

Sikorsky S-55 OO-SHA Arrived Antwerp July 2 1953. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1953-1956. Sold to Ar-

mée de l'Air (France) 1956. WFU & scrapped.

OO-SHB Arrived Antwerp 1953. Used on scheduled

passenger flights 1953-1956. Sold to Armée de l'Air

(France) 1956. WFU & scrapped. OO-SHC Arrived Antwerp 1953. Used on scheduled


(France) 1956. WFU & scrapped.

OO-SHD Arrived Antwerp 1954. Used on scheduled

passenger flights 1954-1956. Sold to Armée de l'Air (France) 1956. WFU & scrapped.

OO-SHE Arrived Antwerp 1955. Used on scheduled


(France) 1956. WFU & Scrapped.

OO-SHF Arrived Antwerp 1955. Used on scheduled

passenger flights 1955-1956. Sold to Armée de l'Air (France) 1956.

OO-CWE Arrived Leopoldville 1955. Used for aerial

spraying 1955-1958. W/O January 27 1958.

OO-CWF Arrived Leopoldville 1955. Used for aerial

spraying 1955-1960. Handed to Force Publique as S-40 in April 1960. W/O Congo.

OO-CWG Arrived Leopoldville 1955. Used for aerial

spraying 1955-1960. Handed to Force Publique as S

-41 in April 1960. Last seen as Force Aérienne Con-

golaise WT-01.

Sikorsky S-58C

OO-SHG Arrived Brussels October 4 1956. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1956-1960. Damaged in

minor accidents in 1957 and 1960 (both repaired).

Transferred to Congo for operations in Katanga, Sep-tember 27 1960; returned to Belgium December

1962. Sold to Belgian Air Force September 1962 and

registered as B9/OT-ZKI. Converted to HSS-1 stan-

dard 1963; delivered to Koksijde Heli Flight April

1964. W/O September 21 1964.

OO-SHH Arrived Brussels October 4 1956. Used on scheduled passenger flights 1956-1962. Sold to Bel-

gian Air Force September 1962 and registered as

B10/OT-ZKJ. Converted to HSS-1 standard 1963;

delivered to Koksijde Heli Flight May 1963. Retired

Belgian Air Force May 1976; sold D-HAUE to Meravo Luftreederei Fluggesellschaft MBH August 1978.

SOC September 1985; used as spares for D-HAUG.

OO-SHI Arrived Brussels November 1956. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1956-1962. Sold to Bel-


B11/OT-ZKK. Converted to HSS-1 standard 1963; delivered to Koksijde Heli Flight May 1963. Retired

Belgian Air Force June 1976; sold D-HAUF to Meravo

Luftreederei Fluggesellschaft MBH August 1979.

SOC 1980; preserved Sinsheim Museum.

OO-SHK Arrived Brussels November 1956. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1956-1961. W/O Brus-sels May 5 1961.

OO-SHL Arrived Brussels January 1957. Used on



B12/OT-ZKL. Converted to HSS-1 standard 1963;

delivered to Koksijde Heli Flight November 1963.


Retired Belgian Air Force July 1976; sold D-HAUD to

Meravo Luftreederei Fluggesellschaft MBH May 1978.

SOC April 1984; preserved Frankfurt Airport. OO-SHM Arrived Brussels January 1957. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1957-1960. Transferred

to Congo for operations in Katanga, September 27

1960; returned to Belgium December 1962. Sold to

Belgian Air Force September 1962 and registered as

B13/OT-ZKM. Converted to HSS-1 standard 1963; delivered to Koksijde heli Flight October 1963. W/O

October 15 1971.

OO-SHN Arrived Brussels February 1957. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1957-1960. Sold as JA-

7067 to Asahi Helicopters of Japan, December 1 1960.

OO-SHO Arrived Brussels February 1957. Used on

scheduled passenger flights 1957-1960. Sold as F-

OBON to Gyrafrique of France, April 24 1960.

OO-SHP Arrived Brussels June 24 1963, delivered

as N869 (ex-Chicago Helicopter Airways). Used on scheduled passenger flights 1963-1966. Sold to Bel-

gian Air Force December 1967 and registered as

B15/OT-ZKP. Converted to VVIP standard and deliv-

ered to Koksijde Heli Flight January 1969. Retired

Belgian Air Force October 1975; sold D-HAUG to Meravo Luftreederei Fluggesellschaft MBH May 1978.

Airworthy.

OO-SHQ Arrived Brussels June 24 1963, delivered

as N878 (ex-Chicago Helicopter Airways). Used on


gian Air Force December 1967 and registered as B14/OT-ZKN. Converted to VVIP standard and deliv-

ered to Koksijde Heli Flight June 1969. Retired Bel-

gian Air Force August 1976; sold D-HAUC to Meravo

Luftreederei Fluggesellschaft MBH February 1978.

SOC early 1980s, preserved German Army Field Lau-pheim, Germany.

Alouette II

OO-CWH Arrived Leopoldville 1957. Used for anti-

malaria flights 1957. Transferred to Brussels June

1959, registration changed to OO-SHV. Used for medevac flights; also used to fill shortage in capacity

during 1961-1962. Sold to Israël January 12 1968.

Vertol 44A

N74057 Arrived Brussels April 3 1958, on lease from Vertol for passenger flights during World Fair of

1958. Returned to Vertol October 1958. Sold USSR

1960 together with N74056, status unknown.

N74058 Arrived Brussels April 17 1958, on lease

from Vertol for passenger flights during World Fair of

1958. Returned to Vertol October 1958. Preserved Classic Rotors Museum, Ramona, CA.

Westland Widgeon WS51 Mk.2

G-ANLW Arrived Brussels April 1958 on lease from

Westland for passenger flights during World Fair of

1958. Returned to Westland October 1958. Pre-served Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.

Sikorsky S-62

N976 Arrived Brussels May 19 1960, on lease from

Sikorsky for proving flights. Used on scheduled pas-senger services winter 1960-1961 (Brussels - Eindho-

ven & Brussels - Eindhoven - Duisburg - Dortmund).

Returned to Sikorsky February 28 1961. Scrapped

Cape Town 1979.

SABENA Destinations

Antwerp/Deurne (B): served September 1953-

October 1962.

Axel/Terneuzen (NL): Served 1956 - 1957 only as

alternative routing for Brussels-Rotterdam route (weekly single stop either way).

Bonn Römerbadplatz (D): Served October 1953-

June 1963.

Brussels Allée Verte/Groendreef (B): Sabena Heli-

copter Hub, Brussels City Heliport. Served Septem-

ber 1953-November 1966. Brussels Exposition 1958 (B): Brussels Expo tem-

porary Heliport. Served April-October 1958 only,

during World Exposition.

Brussels Melsbroek/Brussels National (B): Sabena

Helicopter Hub, Brussels Airport Heliport. Served

September 1953-November 1966. Dortmund (D): Served 1955-June 1963.

Duisburg And der Aakerfähre (D): Served 1955-

November 1966.

Eindhoven Genneperweg (NL): Served 1955-

November 1966. Knokke/Zoute (B): Served Summer 1955 only.

Köln Venloerstrasse (D): Served October 1953-

November 1966.

Liège Boulevard Frère-Orban (B): Served September

1953-November 1966.

Lille Place des Buisses (F): Served September 1953-June 1963.

London Southbank Heliport (UK): Experimental

flight, July 7 1954 only. No scheduled flights re-

sulted.

Maastricht De Griend (NL): Served September 1953-November 1966.

Paris/Issy-Les-Moulineaux (F): Experimental flight

December 20 1953; scheduled flights March 1957-

June 1963.

Rotterdam Katshoek (NL): Served September 1953-

November 1966. Vlissingen (NL): Served Summer 1955 only.


Recently there was a lot of stirr up at the

flightsimulator forums because the big sites like

AVSIM and FLIGHTSIM where invited in a preview

of the new upcomming and much anticipated new sucessor to FSX, called simply FLIGHT. And there

seem to be a big reason as to why the words

simulator are dropped from the title. It is much

more different than what was released earlier in

any incarnation of the series, started way back in the eighties.

What we have now, and I applied for a beta testing

position, is what some may call a facepalm on the

forehead.

First take a look at the flashy movie they released

on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?

feature=player_embedded&v=5xJImWUdA-E

It looks good isn’t ? Well it might untill you get it

and see for your self.

To me it looks FSX, with some refinements, but it

breathes FSX inside out. Perfomance is a bit better, some claim much better, but in my

expirience it is just a bit better, lets say 25% or so.

Gone is the handy menu on top, in stead we have

the usual game interface, with less setting we are used to, an overall dumbed down interface.

The game is totaly geared to gameplay in stead of

simulation. Yes, its Windows LIVE enabled, and

will rely heavily on DLC, downloaded contanten,

and includes just the bare bones. However soon we all get it for free!. Yes, MS will release it for free,

but to use it a bit you need addons. Only those

from MS at the moment, no 3th party developpers

allowed. What did I say ? None.

Sound seems ok, als scenery looks more dense, but the blurries are still there, and in my setup the

ground behaves as in FS2004. Nice from 2000 feet

and up, but lower it gets worse very rapidly.

No living world, no cars, nor birds, or moving traffic what so ever. I didnt saw them.

There is no way to get old addons in it. The whole

file structure is way smaller and in packs. (PAK) So

its closed.

This all just mean to us no way to adjust it to our

needs.

No 2D panel to find, nor any refrence to it, so I

assume it is non existant, This alone means for

me that it is a no go. A show stopper. I need 2D

panel capability due to my setup with 7 screens. A

lot of homebuild cockpit builders also cannot use it, since the VC is there all the time. Yes, its a VC

only game, not a simulator yet.

Then, there is lot of game element in it, with all

sorts of missions, suitable for casual flyers, but not for the serious simmers like us.

My conclusion is that MS Flight is absolutly cannot

be used for propliner simulation, nor any

simulation and in this form it can be skipped or

igored.

We can luckily stay with FS2004, and upgrade to

FSX if we like, but we will then miss the scenery

addons, and the great performance of FS2004. Also

XPlane 10 is not an option, with its mediocre airfields, lower appeal and smaller design group.

If you look at XP10 then you may like me not

impressed. I wasn’t. It looks not good, worse then

FS2004 to me.

Oh, ORBX and Aerosoft lost interrest in Flight,

they won’t develop for it. This tells us a lot.

FS2004 will live at least again another year!

This guy is what I need now to get it rid of my PC

Johan


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Propliner Flyer Magazine Issue_1

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Transcript of Propliner Flyer Magazine Issue_1