DC-8-71F MXA spoilers.

[betito727]

Hello dear friends of HJG:

First of all, and being it my first message, I want bring you CONGRATULATIONS!! , your models are really the greatest, and you have really gotten to bring a worthly award to the legacy of this Historic Jetliners, which are important aeronautical symbols.

I wrote this message because I have a doubt about how to operate the DC-8´s spoilers, because I´ve never gotten to activate them inflight, in this case, the spoilers just can be activated when armed to the landing and once in ground, but never airborne, and I´ve tried to fix the problem changing panels and reinstalling the model (Mexicana Cargo DC-8-71F), but anyway, nothing have could solve the problem, and it sometimes turns difficult the operation and speed control of the aircraft during the arrival´s indicated speed reductions and approaches.

Somebady can help me to solve the problem please??
THANK YOU!!!

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

You should NEVER .... EVER .... use Spoilers inflight on DC8's.

If you do then the ground will likely jump up and bite you on the bum in a big hurry

There have been at least 2 nasty realworld DC8 accidents over the past 50 years which were caused by accidental inflight deployment of the spoilers.

On DC8's the spoilers may only be armed inflight .... for automatic deployment upon landing.

There is a silent (unmarked/unlabeled) "Spoiler Arm" detente position on our panels which you can mouse click to "ARM" the spoilers .... located around about the center of the Spoiler position on center pedestal sub panel on all our DC8 panels.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Dee Waldron - HJG]

Mark is correct concerning the in-flight use of spoilers being prohibited on all models of the DC-8. And so for realism, I went to a lot of trouble to code the (mostly) correct operation of the spoilers into the model. You will never be able to deploy the spoiler in-flight. Only when the weight is on the wheels will they deploy (either auto deploy or manually).

As for getting the DC-8 to do what you want it to do in-flight...
Welcome to the real world of flying real airplanes!!! ;D
It has been said on this forum by a real DC-8 pilot, that you cannot go down and slow down at the same time in the DC-8! That being said, real world student pilots are taught this phrase very early in their training: "Control airspeed with pitch and control altitude with power."
Practice it! Use it! And finally, live by it!
Have a great flight!

Dee

[johndetrick]

Dee is correct in the use of spoilers in the Jurrassic Jet. Even ATC sometimes forgets this as well. Coming back from BGTL yesterday, the Cleveland Center controller who had cleared us to 9000 ft from 16000 queried us as we leveled briefly at 11000 to slow from 300 kts to 250. Long day yesterday, KWRI to BGTL, then BGTL to KTOL.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Long day yesterday, KWRI to BGTL, then BGTL to KTOL.

I had a long but enjoyable day yesterday too .... KLAX/KMIA .... then KMIA/SKBO.

Early start yesterday at 02:30 .... hotel checkout at 03:30 .... AA checkin at 04:00 for a 06:00 departure .... 4 hours 30mins flying time to MIA (B767-300) where we arrived at around 13:45 local .... had to ¨STUFF AROUND¨at MIA until 17:10 (delayed until 18:00 due to a cabin temperature problem at the gate) .... then 3 hours flying time to BOG (A300-600) where we arrived at around 19:40 local .... finally got home at around 21:30 local.

Preceeding all this was an AKL/LAX sector the previous day .... 11 hours 50 mins flying time (B747-400). I never rest well on layovers. By the time I arrived in BOG I hadn´t slept since early Monaday morning (NZT).

I´m sure I´ll sleep well tonight though as I force myself to adjust to the öther side of the clock¨as well as to the high altitude here .... Bogota DC sits at between 8.500-10,000 FT in places !

Mark C
BOG/CO