First flight with the Dream Fleet B 727

[pegase]

After messing around about an hour in the procedures to start from cold and dark, I could start and go. The frame rate outside was OK but the panels
where refreshed something like each 5 Secs....

I was too curious to fly with this beauty, so I configured her with engine ready to start and tried again. Much better. very nice to fly manually. I
could not get the autopilot operational so it was whole manual from start to arrival.

I could read Omarza telling the yaw dumper had to be on before but... Did not find the yaw dumper (I just located them now on the over head panel)
then I will try again this evening.

However here is the video of the end of this first flight
http://www.nedap.fr/pegase/videos/attF1-727.WMV

[vollmey]

I love the Dreamfleet 727, especially like you said hand flying it.

The Autopilot is simple once you get used to it. One thing I do is have the window open once I start rolling so I just switch on the autopilot
with the heading hold on and the elevator switch active. I usually fly up to 10000ft with 10 - 12 degrees nose up that will keep you right
about 230 - 240 kts indicated with a full load. Through 10000 I'll lower the nose to 5 - 7 degrees nose up and accelerate to 290 - 300kts.
You can look at the engine data on the kneepad and adjust engine pressure according to altitude and temp. and of course that might
alter you climb, especially on a hot day and with a full load.

Wait until you fly an approach with the autopilot, it's beautiful.

Enjoy the 727, I sure do.

[omarza]

Congrats on your first flight with the DF B727... I watched the video ... i actually never watched the B727 on touchdown from outside the cockpit..
think its time I do

I got this article on the web a week or so ago and thought i'll post it for you guys as well as I think it quite interesting on how things are done in
real life in the B727 during a flight...

http://fromtheflightdeck.com/Reviews/727/CAPTLineOps/

then a must read is this link to a true story regarding the B727... quite amazing...

http://fromtheflightdeck.com/Reviews/727/World727/

BTW Pegase... I hope you enjoy the 727

[pegase]

Thanks for your tips guys.

the 727 is ammong my all times icons like the 707 and the Caravelle. And this DreamFleet version is obviously rich of trasure to discover and it will
take me a while. All this complexity in comparizon with the freeware version is at the same time frustrating as lonf as "I don' find" and amazing by
the search and find things one by one.

Still some training necessary before daring to climb some virtual passenger with this plane.

[nem]

Congratulations on getting this beauty.
And, yes, your autopilot didn't work because you didn't have the yaw dampers turned on. Good thing you found them now.

[omarza]

One of the problems starting with the B727 is that a couple of items is a bit different to the checklist now and then. A typical example is the
APU... its correctly modelled but what happened is that there are 2 kinds of APU startup routines for the real B727 depending on the year the B727
were built... sometimes the checklist is for the one BUT the actual routine is for the other... example...

Checklist (for incorrect B727 version)
APU AUTO FIRE SHUTDOWN SWITCH OFF
APU FIRE SWITCH TEST
APU FIRE SWITCH RESET
APU AUTO FIRE SHUTDOWN SWITCH ARMED
APU MASTER SWITCH START
APU FIELD SWITCH CLOSE
APU GEN SWITCH CLOSE
Etc...

Checklist (for correct B727 version)
APU MASTER SWITCH START
APU FIELD SWITCH CLOSE
APU GEN SWITCH CLOSE
APU AUTO FIRE SHUTDOWN SWITCH OFF
APU FIRE SWITCH TEST
APU FIRE SWITCH RESET
APU AUTO FIRE SHUTDOWN SWITCH ARMED
Etc...

If you want to I can give you a list of the deviations on the checklist which might help to speed up the startup process...



Post Edited ( 09-08-05 23:10 )

[pegase]

Thanks to you folks, my second flight went well and with operational autopilot at cruise altitude. Beeing free from the attention to altimeter, It
gave me time during cruise between Budapest and Mulhouse (LFSB is my "fetish" airport) to read more about it and used then the autopilot for the whole
descent and ils approach.

This week end will be dedicated to try a cold dark start with all APU preparation and procedure.

This plane is becoming quite adictive. I am eager to know her enough for FsPassengers flights.

[omarza]

Thanks to you folks, my second flight went well and with operational autopilot at cruise altitude. Beeing free from the attention to altimeter, It
gave me time during cruise between Budapest and Mulhouse (LFSB is my "fetish" airport) to read more about it and used then the autopilot for the whole
descent and ils approach.

Nice... talk about a fetish airport... mine is FAWB (Wonderboom)... whenever I fly outside FsP I use it and try to get almost every aircraft to land
and takeoff there... as I plan to move my airline's main hub there in the next week or so which is weird due to the smallish airport...

Good luck for the weekend and hope it goes well with the C&D startup

[SWAFO]

I've heard very good things about the DF 727. I absolutely LOVED their 737, and wish they would make a version for FS9 (last I heard,
one's in the works). I'll stick with my PMDG 737 now, but would love to see another DF one on the market.

[vollmey]

Brad,

The DF727 is a must buy, you would really enjoy it I'm sure.

[SWAFO]

I'm strictly a 737 captain now. I was never really interested in the 727. If they do release a 737 though, I'll grab it right away!