07-08-2005, 11:35 AM
Go to AVSIM and search for dc10perf.zip.
That's the DC-10 manual. Would be a great place to start.
A few things you need to remember about the DC-10....
1. She's a big bird. She needs a lot of runway and speed to get airborne. The manual link above has a V Chart in it to assist you.
2. As Dan said, she will cruise nose up, but one thing to keep in mind is that she's an old bird too. She was not designed to fly from
London to New York at FL400. Once again, the manual will help you chose the proper altitiude based upon weight. On that route, you'd
probably be in the neighborhood of FL320-FL340.
3. If you have the panel which includes the fuel pumps, make sure you drain the rear center tank first, then use the front center tank until
the level is the same as the wing tanks, then revert back to using all at once. This will help balance your weight out for landing.
I think the reason that everyone is using flaps in excess is because when she does takeoff, the rate of climb will seem very slow in
proportion to your pitch. The flaps can help level you out, but as I keep preaching, check the manual. If you fly it by the numbers in there,
she will do exactly what she is supposed to.
If I remember correctly, the SGA Model comes with a VERY well written "hint book" that goes into a more detail about the points I
discussed as well as many more.
That's the DC-10 manual. Would be a great place to start.
A few things you need to remember about the DC-10....
1. She's a big bird. She needs a lot of runway and speed to get airborne. The manual link above has a V Chart in it to assist you.
2. As Dan said, she will cruise nose up, but one thing to keep in mind is that she's an old bird too. She was not designed to fly from
London to New York at FL400. Once again, the manual will help you chose the proper altitiude based upon weight. On that route, you'd
probably be in the neighborhood of FL320-FL340.
3. If you have the panel which includes the fuel pumps, make sure you drain the rear center tank first, then use the front center tank until
the level is the same as the wing tanks, then revert back to using all at once. This will help balance your weight out for landing.
I think the reason that everyone is using flaps in excess is because when she does takeoff, the rate of climb will seem very slow in
proportion to your pitch. The flaps can help level you out, but as I keep preaching, check the manual. If you fly it by the numbers in there,
she will do exactly what she is supposed to.
If I remember correctly, the SGA Model comes with a VERY well written "hint book" that goes into a more detail about the points I
discussed as well as many more.