Was the 737-200 really such a rocket?

[jimhalinda]

I have long been a fan of the FFX/Vistaliners 737-200. However there is one thing that never seemed right: it seems grossly overpowered.

While trying it out the other day with my new Saitek yoke and throttle, I noticed that maintaining 250 knots below 10000 feet in level flight could be done just barely above idle power! That just doesn't seem right. Also, maintaining cruise speed at alititude seemed to require less than 50% throttle. (And yes, this only happens on this aircraft, so I'm sure it isn't my hardware). By the way, this was with about 35% fuel and the default passenger load.

Can this be right? Everybody seems to enjoy this model but I've never heard anyone ask about this aspect of its flight dynamics.

Any comments appreciated,

Jim

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

We had those suckers here .... for over 30 years .... in fact we've still got 1 in service here now as an overnight domestic freighter .... ZK-NQC.

Our pilots .... and the worldwide industry too .... have always referred to B737-200 as "THE POCKET ROCKET".

There's not a lot it can't do .... and probably even less places it can't get into either .... being sensible of course.

I've heard our pilots state these aircraft had masses of power available .... and being small and agile .... they are/were extremely capable.

By the way, this was with about 35% fuel and the default passenger load.

That's a pretty light load Jim .... and incidently that's precisely along the lines of how I defuel our aircraft when test the landing performance of pre-release HJG FDE (down to 20-25% fuel loading normally whilst maintaining a full payload), so, with that sort of light loading you're undoubtedly going to witness "MORE SPRIGHTLY PERFORMANCE". Just how that compares with the performance/aerodynamics of the realworld B737-200 I can't hazard a guess, but, in relation to speed and altitude .... all jet aircraft do need being carefully flightplanned of course .... especially over shorter routes like most B737-200 usually fly.

Most FS aircraft will go fast under 10,000 FT (including ours) and require less simulated thrust in order to achieve that.

The other thing too is that even the very best FDE is "sometimes" often a mixture of fact and fiction .... given the limitations of various FS versions.

How does the FDE/aircraft perform .... say between the simulated altitudes of FL310 to FL350 in relation to thrust settings for speed achieved etc ?

Mark C
AKL/NZ