Orient Express discussion Forum

[EHM-2119 Marko]

Okay! Thanks Murray!

[EHM-1001 Robert]

The flight finally appeared on the PP "Lock Flight" screen.

Do not forget to press the UPDATE button in FlightLogger to get the latest database. E042 flight will show up at the bottom of the list when only "Event flights" are selected.

Be prepared, and lets meet up there

[EHM-1883 Matt]

Weirdest thing happened while I was doing the flight. I changed frequency to Calais Tower, and my FS just shut down!:o

Looks like I'll have to do it tomorrow

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Give a shout here Matt and I'll join you in sommat small and SE if I can.

[EHM-0948 Bruno]

Hi mates,

Me, in behalf of the MT team, just wanna tell you good luck to all of you guys!

See you all at Turkey

[EHM-1442 Luis]

Hi
Some shots from Leg01 EGKK-LFAC

Take off from EGKK


Leaving Britain


La France


On Approach Rwy 06




Almost there


Is it possible to update this link on the Flogger?


Comments are wellcome

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Thanks for the reminder Luis, I wanted to let our FLogger dev team know about that error on IVAO PIREP submission.

[EHM-1612 Paolo]

Well, I have really enjoyed the flight, but I am quite scared about flying the Junkers again! The hdg maintainer doesn't work for me, it is quite hard to level it and I spent the whole time with my hand on the joystick trying to fly it properly.
I got 1150 Penalty points (I opened a door while I was flying :] I went overspeed I overpassed 4500fpm (don't ask me how and when because I don't know how it happened)    and I overpassed the 2,5Gs somehow...

[EHM-1883 Matt]

Message original :  EHM-1612 Paolo
Well, I have really enjoyed the flight, but I am quite scared about flying the Junkers again! The hdg maintainer doesn't work for me, it is quite hard to level it and I spent the whole time with my hand on the joystick trying to fly it properly.
I got 1150 Penalty points (I opened a door while I was flying :] I went overspeed I overpassed 4500fpm (don't ask me how and when because I don't know how it happened)    and I overpassed the 2,5Gs somehow...

Re-did the flight today. Winds were still as fierce as last night:]

Maybe you got the G thing because of the winds? We don't notice because we fly the big stuff. Becomes more noticable when you fly a tin bucket;D

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Paolo, this may help for future flights:
1. Heading: get your heading manually, then with the upper right knob set that heading and check that both cards, upper (heading setting) and lower (actual heading) in the window read the same. If you turn the AP with a big difference in headings it will turn very sharply and you will lose altitude very fast.
2. Altitude: there is a fact here: when you turn the AP on, it will maintain the last vertical speed the aircraft was at that moment and, as mentioned above, will also turn to the heading setting. These are two movements the AP will perform at the same time which may cause the aircraft to lose control very easily.
 
So, first get the heading manually and trim the vertical speed you want (rem no more than 3 fps). After those two parameters are constant, then turn the AP on. You will have to turn it off and on sometimes to correct the altitude. Small heading changes can be done with the uppermost right knob too.

As per the speed, it also can go high very fast. I am not 100% sure and someone could clarify this, but I think that the propellers are fixed pitch because the RPMs react to manifold pressure settings. Besides that, they react slow to the changes so you don't see the setting right there but have to wait a little bit before making more changes to avoid oversettings.

It is a very nice plane of course nothing close to modern aircrafts  so one just has to admire those pilots and their magnificent flying machines.

Hope this can help.
Cheers,
Hector

[EHM-2033 Miguel]

Just made the first flight and I gotta say that is a slow plane on landings!! But I love it and it's really fun to fly! :]
Can't wait for the second leg! :8
And many thanks to Hector for the explanation on how to use the autopilot.. I wasn't managing it very well before..

[EHM-1001 Robert]

It was a challenging flight. After I could not use the altitude hold feature of AP, I switched to manual flying.

The propellers have fixed BETA. You can adjust together the thrust with mixture to control proper airspeed and fuel useage. This is also important to not eat all the gas onboard before landing

[EHM-0654 Murray]

And don't leave the engines running at full power for more than a minute or two, you'll burn out the pistons! The HTML checklist for this airplane is really detailed and gives loads of operational things... I suspect this is how Herr Dr. Hoyle managed to fly the flight in under a half hour but burnt fuel up the wazzoo!

[EHM-1442 Luis]

Hi
Hector sayed it all, but if you want more information,
try this link to read about sperry AP......this is for the Dc3, but the sperry AP is similar to the Ju52.

http://www.dc3airways.com/train_top_2004.html

And always remember, it is a plane with a cruise speed about 130mph,...be patient,..don't overheat the engines and take some care on this old lady...(Tante Ju).......lol.....

Practice to trim the aircraft correctly(pitch and throttle) and 'll see the sperry AP working like a charm on altitude and attitude.

About the turbulence and G forces, in my opinion the cause is the weather updates (Winds updates) and I only have success to avoid this with a rigestered fsuipc version.

I have a different problem.....sometimes the engines don't start( Murray mencioned this before in another forum - JU52 help- if i remember it well) and sometimes when the engines starts, I don't have the sperry AP neither the radios working....and when this happens I have to do all the flight by hand (always with the hand on the joystick).... but I think this is some problem in my software installation, because another times everything works all right

Cheers

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Re: starting the engines, follow the checklist to the line and they'll fire right up. One word of warning though, a number of the controls in the virtual cockpit don't work! The fuel valves (yellow and red handles on the throttle quad) are amongst the ones that don't function in the VCockpit, but without them being Aus, you're not going anywhere

Another thing to mention is that the Ju's Sperry is an older model than that we had in the DC3 (for the American Pioneers event), but it does work if you're patient with it.

Finally, don't forget to mix lean during climb to conserve fuel. The engines on the Ju happily run very lean at the sorts of altitudes you'll be flying most of this event at; less burn means less fuel needed, which means less weight/more distance.

[EHM-1612 Paolo]

Thx Hector for your explanation! Unfortunately at the present time I don't have too much time to practice, but I hope I'll be able to manage that sperry AP soon.
Sure is that I'm going to fly the next leg offline and trying to avoid opened doors :]
Hopefully I'll be able to finish the flight without penalties
Thanks again,
Paolo

[EHM-1749 Hector]

I feel lucky for the Ju52 having the Sperry since I sort of know it well. I have been using it since May when I started the around the world flight in a Lockheed L10E Electra similar to the one Amelia Earhart flew in her attempt in 1937. At the beginning it was hard but after you become familiar with the plane it is much easier. Still the one installed in the Electra does´n keep the altitude so I have to keep an eye on it for the entire flight which sometimes is over 9 hours being the hardest one the last from Honolulu to Oakland with 16.
Actually I am stuck at Diego Garcia Islands waiting for the F1 Tour finishes.
The Sperry version in the Ju52 does maintain both heading and altitude as explained above but the aircraft must be fairly trimmed at both pitch and yaw axes. This first flight was very short for us to really fly the aircraft up to her fulliest extent. Let´s wait for the longer ones so we can appreciate the real fun of flying.
Just for the real thing I will always fly VFR direct. No airways, no intersections, no SIDs, no STARS, no ILS, no DME and altitudes not over 5000 wherever it is safe.
See you guys in the air!
BTW, I was supposed to be using a DC-2 in the MTL but as per Murray it was a C172. I saw everyone at Gatwick and Calais as DC-3 or C-47. Would appreciate some hint here.
Hector

[EHM-0654 Murray]

I chose DC-3 because it's of a similar size/shape (and it's in the MTL

[EHM-1500 Jim]

Ah yes, well spotted Murray !! I must also confess i had to accelerate time a bit (did it off line) as the wife was getting a bit annoyed as she had just finished cooking tea when i took off!
Good to be back in the air though and love these old school planes - much more stimulating then the autopilot/FMCs we all get so used to.
Bring on the next leg....

Jim

[EHM-2033 Miguel]

Just made my second leg all the way to Paris and made a quick video with a simple edit of the landing.. Hope you enjoy the video as much as I am enjoying this event!

[EHM-1442 Luis]

Hi
Leg02 - another leg - another ivao adventure....eheheheh

I was doing this leg on IVAO as always.....taxi at LFAC....
'you must contact LFQQ_APP'...'rgr, Old Tante Ju on a VFR flight from LFAC to LFPO, with you.  Stop on the taxiway and ..wait...wait... 'old Tante Ju!!?'.......eheheh ......'Junkers52
 on a VFR flight from LFAC to LFPO, with you'..and...wait...wait....

On IVAE i saw LFFF_CTR was on......and contacted LFFF_CTR...answer ' you must contact LFQQ_APP'......ehehehe

15 minutes later i received clearence to the vfr flight...with taxiways indications, h/points and everything by the book...Controlled on a APP on another airfield, outside from his radar range.

And I was Thinking that on a vfr flight, I only have to send my flight plan, but i was wrong.

Here we go.......hdg 190, at4500ft.....?Please contact LFFF_CTR..' junkers52 on a vfr flight to LFPO, hdg 190 @ 4500ft, with you'......'ok, Sir, continued as filed'.........

Minutes later 'Please contact LFPG_APP, bye'.........
I contacted LFPG_APP and now started the true adventure....eheheheh

'VFR flights are forbidden on Paris, are you able to do a 360º turn?'...eheheh...'yes Sir, i'm abble to do a 360º...do you want it now or later?'.......eheheheh...'Now'.......I disengagged the awsame sperry AP..and start the turn.....maintaining the flight level........When i was almost at hdg 270...the LFPG_APP told me.....'Come back to hdg 180 and change your flight plan to IFR, Climb and maintain FL070
What category are your aircraft?'........Maybe a UFO, I thought, but I answered '3 engines piston aircraft, category medium'........eheheheh

eheheh..Come on Tante Ju....be patient........ehehehe

'No so much trafic at the moment so you follow my vectors to LFPO'..said LFPG_APP......After doing circles around ,flying by hand and writing on the ivao textbox......I was almost without fuel......hmmmm....Solution.....I disconnected from ivao and finished this leg offline.

This was a very challenging leg around Orly and I'm impatiently waiting for the next leg.

Cheers

[EHM-1883 Matt]

Message original :  EHM-1442 Luis
Hi
Leg02 - another leg - another ivao adventure....eheheheh

I was doing this leg on IVAO as always.....taxi at LFAC....
'you must contact LFQQ_APP'...'rgr, Old Tante Ju on a VFR flight from LFAC to LFPO, with you.  Stop on the taxiway and ..wait...wait... 'old Tante Ju!!?'.......eheheh ......'Junkers52
 on a VFR flight from LFAC to LFPO, with you'..and...wait...wait....

On IVAE i saw LFFF_CTR was on......and contacted LFFF_CTR...answer ' you must contact LFQQ_APP'......ehehehe

15 minutes later i received clearence to the vfr flight...with taxiways indications, h/points and everything by the book...Controlled on a APP on another airfield, outside from his radar range.

And I was Thinking that on a vfr flight, I only have to send my flight plan, but i was wrong.

Here we go.......hdg 190, at4500ft.....?Please contact LFFF_CTR..' junkers52 on a vfr flight to LFPO, hdg 190 @ 4500ft, with you'......'ok, Sir, continued as filed'.........

Minutes later 'Please contact LFPG_APP, bye'.........
I contacted LFPG_APP and now started the true adventure....eheheheh

'VFR flights are forbidden on Paris, are you able to do a 360� turn?'...eheheh...'yes Sir, i'm abble to do a 360�...do you want it now or later?'.......eheheheh...'Now'.......I disengagged the awsame sperry AP..and start the turn.....maintaining the flight level........When i was almost at hdg 270...the LFPG_APP told me.....'Come back to hdg 180 and change your flight plan to IFR, Climb and maintain FL070
What category are your aircraft?'........Maybe a UFO, I thought, but I answered '3 engines piston aircraft, category medium'........eheheheh

eheheh..Come on Tante Ju....be patient........ehehehe

'No so much trafic at the moment so you follow my vectors to LFPO'..said LFPG_APP......After doing circles around ,flying by hand and writing on the ivao textbox......I was almost without fuel......hmmmm....Solution.....I disconnected from ivao and finished this leg offline.

This was a very challenging leg around Orly and I'm impatiently waiting for the next leg.

Cheers

Your post is madness:]

I heard all that on IVAO aswell! I was going to fly IVAO tonight, but I wanted to listen to the controller first (in case I have a weird guy) and then all that mess started. When you contacted LFPG_APP I didn't change because I thought that would be the end of the fun. Now I wish I stayed!:]

[EHM-1953 Daniel]

well, you're all enjoying the second leg, whilest i'm just happy that i've made it to calais in time! 4th time i did the flight the computer held up until the prierp was sent! first time i even landed at calais and shut down nicely, and then boom, everything stopped working :s but well, Now i'm at Calais, and have had some unexpected practice with the tante ju next leg tomorow maybe

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Haha, I expected descend just over CDG, but that was a bit late. I had to do a circle. Anyway, it was very interesting to see a so big and crowded airport on duty from 13000 ft

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Pers'n'ly, I flew the second leg yesterday morning and found the ATC to be most excellent (apart from the dodgy Frenglish from CTR and CDG_APP failing to realise I was flying at 9000ft not once but twice - "EHM0654, descend maintain FL110" "sir, I'm at FL90, 9000ft, still...")

I'm glad to be south of Paris, it'll make the rest of the event nice and easy (hopefully...)