Mid-Air Breakup on every landing attempt

[Monsterfurby]

I have been testing the demo for a while and really would like to purchase this nice piece of software. However, I still have not managed to complete
a single successful flight with FSP.
First of all, allow me to admit that I am a casual FSX player, no flight sim expert. I know my way around and how not to get stuck in the ground at a
90° angle, but would not dare to try this game at maximum realism settings.

Anyhow, out of ten attempted flights, nine ended with my plane breaking up in mid-air during the landing approach. Flaps were centered and still my co
pilot warned me that they were extended. (Or do I have to extend the flaps for the landing approach? I suppose my lack of actual aviation knowledge is
getting the best of me here - and my next business trip to London still several weeks away, for checking the actual practice). The last one ended with
me emergency-landing the plane after a bird strike. Pretty interesting, actually.

Still, the midair-breakup problem somewhat bothers me... does anyone have an Idea what exactly I am doing wrong?

[whiskey-zulu]

Depending on your aircraft, you're supposed to extend flaps (and slats) for take-off and landing. The landing config for a 737 at 140 knots just
about MLW would be flaps at 40 degrees (fully extended); how far you extend flaps during approach does vary according to approach speed, and both vary
according to aircraft weight. The same would be said for take-off; weight determines flap setting and the V-refs (safe stopping speed before you end
up without enough runway to stop; speed at which you rotate the aircraft to take off; and the rotate speed = 10 knots [the minimum climb speed]).

Check your aircraft's kneeboard for reference speeds, and go through the tutorials that are available within flight sim if you want a more in-depth
explanation of what I've said above.

[Cydon Prax]

Hey Furby,

It sounds to me like you're experiencing issues with aircraft speed. The co-pilot wouldn't dare question your judgement about flap
selection unless the aircraft was about to break apart. Don't worry, we've all been there...

To fix this for your future landings, take a look at your airspeed indicator. It should be a round instrunment like this:

Or a digital tape like this (The far left number list):


What's important is to keep that number lower than 220* when on approach. If you go beyond that speed, the flaps will break
apart and your co-pilot will yell at you! The best way to keep the airspeed that low on approach is to idle out your engines, to do a less
steep descent to the airport, to use speedbrakes (Control: / in flight simulator), and lower more flaps to help reduce speed - but never
lower then above the airspeed of 220.

Just a note: The slower you do your approach, the safer your landing will be! You won't land as hard, you won't put your aircraft through as
many G forces, and it will take less time to stop after landing. I hope I could have been help.

*For those professional pilots out there who will correct me and give a far lower speed, remember, I'm trying to help someone
complete successful landings in a simulator. Following pre-calculated approach speeds and VREF +X numbers is beyond and above
what is necessary in this instance, especially in default aircraft.

[whiskey-zulu]

*For those professional pilots out there who will correct me and give a far lower speed, remember, I'm trying to help someone
complete successful landings in a simulator. Following pre-calculated approach speeds and VREF +X numbers is beyond and above
what is necessary in this instance, especially in default aircraft.

Nobody should take offense at that as everyone has a different style of teaching and attacking a problem; whether that way works for the
student/person attacking the problem is another matter, the teacher has to evolve their method to fit that student in that instance.

[DSW334]

Guys. No offence I know you are willing to help Furby. But shouldn't we know first which plane he's flying? Flying a 737, 747 or an MD11
is a whole different ballgame then flying an beech, C172SP with totally different flaps speed...

So Furby.. What kind of plane are we talking about here? Perhaps you don't midn taking a screenshot from within the cockpit when you
get your co-pilot all over you. That way we can look at your panel and see what kind of settings you have and if there is something
incorrect with that..