Bossspecops

8 hours ago, meloscanlon said:

 

I tend to fly warbirds and general aviation aircraft almost exclusively.  Kit can tell you about an online flight in a DC-9 when he and the other pilots had to jump into helicopters and come rescue me.  My track record in airliners is pretty awful.

 

Hah! What a day THAT was! Melo was trying to join me and my Albion Air Cargo buddies at an airfield somewhere deep in a valley, and his DC 9 didn't manage to find the glide slope. It was the aircraft's fault of course, not Melo's. 

He had to make a forced landing out in the boondocks, and I scrambled a posse of heavy lift choppers to fly and rescue him and his pax. All done very realistically of course, as we always did in Albion. 

8 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

You can find it here on FlightSim.

Goooood..... Embrace the dark side of the force.

 

Cor, a Dragonfly, the first helicopter I ever flew in, sometime in 1959 or 60 when I was a Cadet and still at school. I downloaded it and I'll maybe repaint it as the one I flew in.

That's me ringed in red in  front of the door.

They gave me a second chance after a total screw-up of my first leg, and I was 14 mins late! I've got no probs with you having another go too.

Just keep an eye out for a lumbering Lysander that could be just ahead of you. 

11 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Those I believe are high voltage electrical towers and wires.............I believe the double "roads" are Interstate highways.

AH right, I never thought of the towers and wires, I better keep clear of them!

I'll be time warping back to July for the rest of my Legs anyway.

10 hours ago, AlyMac said:

 

Start and take-off

https://youtu.be/AaUtAcICXPw

 

SERIOUSLY impressive! 

1 hour ago, AlyMac said:

Alastair McLeod - DCA 2550 Charter Captain

X Plane 11 - vanilla ie no add on scenery. AWX DC-3 by Johan van Wyk

Oooh, that Dak looks VERY nice indeed. 

I tried a few test flights with the hefty 150 gall tank hooked up to the Lysander's belly, and it's a bit of a handful at low speeds, maybe because of the extra mass, maybe because it increases the aircraft's moment of inertia, but it certainly pays to hold her down and build up speed a bit before letting those flaps and slats do their thing and hurl her into the air! 

So for Leg 3 I intended to fly with 100% fuel, including the big tank, and not refuel until further along the Rally and see how the performance changes as the fuel burns off. Here's the FSTramp flight plan, planned duration 1 hr 12 minutes.

I also noted that I'd been flying the previous two legs with the season set at July, which was crazy as it's now November, so I switched to the real date and tried for real time here in UK, but by then it was almost dark at KLBO so I time warped back an hour, which allowed me to actually see to start up! Oddly an AI aircraft appeared right alongside me, started up and taxied out, first time I'd seen that happen too.

The wind was from almost due north by then so I taxied off to the nearby threshold and got airborne. This sounds simpler than it was as I totally forgot my own discoveries about the extra tank and had a horrendous time keeping control as she staggered into the air!  Not to mention having to do an almost 180 degree turn to get onto course right after take-off, but I managed it, just.......

The November textures for my FSX install look decidedly barren and unforgiving, and I think I'll warp back to July for further Legs of the Rally. The airfields look weird too, they're much sandier than the surrounding countryside, as you can see below. Most un-realistic to my mind, or they really like that in the US?

With a bit of two-handed dexterity I got my finger over the 'Print Screen' button at the same time as I was turning onto the second sector of the flight, and got this pic which nicely shows the Lysander's decidedly strange wing planform, but it works very well nonetheless.

Then came the second weirdness of these textures. These odd sandy tracks were all over southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, and I thought they must have been roads, but very shortly I came across this....

......which certainly looks like a freeway, but is it? One of them could be a railroad, the grey one most likely, but in my time on the UK railroads they didn't look like that! All very strange.

As I approached the Arkansas stale line I could see this MASSIVE volume of water, and the flight plan said I'd be flying over it for some time, and so it proved. Quite which River or Lake it is I couldn't figure out, but it was most impressive.

To add further confusion to my thoughts over the sandy and grey trackways, the sandy ones seemed to dive UNDER the water at a few points! 

I was making good time by now, keeping within a fighting chance of making an on-time arrival, but I had to juggle the throttle a bit as I turned onto the last westerly sector, and had to keep my eye on the ASI and the Boost Gauge to ensure I didn't jog the over-loose throttle of my Logitech joystick.

I passed close to the south of Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (KXNA) only to see all its lights powered up! That didn't improve my prospects of making a daylight landing at Claremore Regional one bit, but I pressed on regardless.

The sun was definitely going down fast by now and I was sure I was going to be glad of my very  powerful landing lights.

I didn't make the mistake of turning too early this time, not after the almost disaster of my Leg 2 flight, and waited till I was sure I had visual on KGCM, and there was its beacon!  Waiting until a much more sensible time to turn, I got the Lysander slowed down nicely until the flaps and slats deployed, and once again I had a devil of a time keeping her under control. So much so I daren't show pics of the actual landing, it was THAT bad! Nowhere near the centre line and waaaaay down the runway, not to mention a hefty rate of descent too, but as with all landings, 'Anyone one you can walk away from.....' etc. 

A bit more practice is called for I think.............

So here I am parked up in the gloom of Claremore Regional, having burnt 48 gallons of fuel en route but arrived ONE minute late on my prediction, total duration 1 hr 13 mins, V=1. 

My next Leg will be back in July, I found that scenery to be almost depressing.

3 hours ago, Sirrus said:

That's the Shuttleworth aircraft, looks good and sounds better.

I know one of the guys who flies it, Rob Millinship, and Melo met him when he was over here too. 

17 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Day 15, half way through the month.

THREE contestant's completed the route.

Check my math please, came down with a cold and not focusing very well.

And need to get healthy to fly the rest of the route.

jgf, I think on the next challenge you might consider a couple nuns to help with divine guidance along the way! 

I'd consider a nun or two, but I'd be well over gross weight.

I think my total V=3, not 2, actually. I was 3 minutes late on Leg 2.

While I was hanging around at 5K1 prior to flying Leg 2, this old geezer came by on a rickety motor-bike and stopped alongside the Lysander with a look of astonishment on his face. He came right up to me and said 'Hey, is that a Loisaaaander?' in an accent that had NOTHING to do with Illinois! I assured him that it was, and told him what we were doing. He said he used to fly them for the Australian Air Force in WWII and that he '.....had a couple of bits and pieces you might find useful stashed away in my barn......' The spares situation with Lysanders being as they are I assured him that I'd find ANYthing that fitted my aircraft would be very useful, and he promised to '.....bring them by in my ute.....'

(A 'Ute' is what Ozzies call a pickup truck by the way....) 

Later on he did just that, bringing a ladder  and a MASSIVE fuel tank in the back of his ute! Apparently they'd been standard fits for the RAAF Lysanders used in Borneo and Malaya back in the 40s and he just happened to have them to hand................

We reached a suitable financial agreement and now I have more fuel than I know what to do with, an extra 150 gallons no less, plus a retractable ladder so passengers can board easily, as you can see below.

I didn't want to try the new tank on Leg 2 as I'd already sorted out the flight plan with the current fuel loading, but I made a small adjustment for the added weight of the tank. Accordingly I was off the ground at 1237 with an estimated arrival time of 1343, and was soon on course via STL and VIH etc. This time I got my radio nav pretty well on line, only deviating a small amount from the correct path when I neared a beacon.

As I headed west a hefty river came into view, stretching waaaaay out in both directions, all very impressive.

The view to the North....

.....and the view to the south.

Only after looking at a proper map of the US did I realise it was the Mississippi! 

Looking into the southerly distance I could see a socking great bridge, and checking the map again told me it was in St Louis, a pretty hefty city in these parts. Further west it got distinctly more forested, so much so that at one stage ALL I could see were trees, to the horizon!

It was around this point that my sim expired y'day, but it carried on OK today, the FSTramp plan shows my position at that point.

Right in the middle of all that forestation there was that very American icon, the freeway, carving across the tree-scape from east to west.

A little further west I noticed an AI airliner coming toward me on a collision course, but as he was umpteen thousand feet above I wasn't too worried, but he did go clean overhead, the first AI aircraft I'd actually seen on the Rally. I was looking pretty good on my timing so far, running a minute or two early, so I reckoned to back off the throttle somewhat on the last sector.

At this point I'd passed the last VOR, TBN and had started my descent, and I could see Jones Lebanon in the distance, or so I thought.....

I disengaged the auto-pilot and turned onto the approach, but the airfield didn't look right, it only had one runway, and KLBO has two. A quick check with FSTramp proved I'd turned far too early and was landing at 30MO Matzie, about 9-10 miles east of KLBO! I turned tail and got the hell out of there fast, leaving Matzie astern of me!

Picking back up on my plan, I firewalled the throttle as I knew I'd be late now, and was soon headed north of KLBO to land on the 18 runway, and made a reasonable approach, as you can see.

My touch-down wasn't on the centre line very well, unlike some Spitfire pilots I could mention, but I did put her right on the numbers!  

Not surprisingly I was 3 mins late on my ETA, touching down at 1346, totally due to looking out the window and seeing airfields I wasn't supposed to be looking at, but that's life.

So here I am in Missouri with a SOCKING great fuel tank (and a folding ladder....) and I'll try a few test flights with the tank full, just as soon as I can raise a World Bank loan to fil it up! I used 47 galls on this leg, not too bad I thought, but I could have LOTS more to play with now!

For my 2nd attempt at Leg 2 my flight time should be 1 hr 6 min as the wind directions are different and it's a slightly shorter route.

Here we go again.....

Unfortunately that link no longer works as the PDF has been deleted.

Could someone re-post it somewhere useful please, as I'm sure it would solve many repainting problems. 

Regards

Kit

After having my FSX flight suddenly crash to desktop recently, I've downloaded The FSXSave utility in an attempt to prevent that happening again, but it refuses to be installed. 

After clicking on the .exe file it goes away for a short while and then tells me I need SP2 installed first. But I have the Acceleration upgrade installed already, and that apparently includes SP2 as part of the package!

I suspect that FSXSave is looking at an old install of FSX Steam Edition that I used to have on the same PC, but on a different partition, and I've done my best to DE-install the FSX-SE setup already.

How can I tell FSXSave to ONLY look at my current FSX install? 

Regards

Kit

Rats, I started off Leg 2 in fine fashion, adjusted my take-off direction to suit the RW wind, and head off south west at 4500 ft. My radio nav was up to spec. for a change, and I was making good time, with an ETA of 2 minutes ahead of my predicted time, when ZAP! The whole sim shut down for no apparent reason. 

I guess I'll have to start again as I don't have any flight saver software installed, but I soon will have.............. 

Regards

Kit

I'm going to try Leg 2 this evening, or tomorrow morning maybe.

Estimated time is 1 hr 8 min in the Lysander. 

I'm at a large, maybe THE largest, model show in the UK this weekend, and don't really have enough time to fly I'm afraid.

I should do a stage or two Sunday evening or during Monday daytime.

Regards

Kit

1 hour ago, JSMR said:

 Second...I'm in the US...why are there so many Englishman here? Grrr. 
 

Hehehehe, we're all over the place, difficult to avoid us. 

9 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

Plane flies a lot better without those sandbags in the boot, doesn't it?  (Just kidding, with a note of envy - congratulations, Kit!)

 

https://e6bx.com/e6b/

 

Doesn't look like an E6B, but very easy to use.

 

https://www.gleimaviation.com/resources/e6b-flight-computer-instructions/

 

An actual circular slide rule emulator.  Fun and good to practice with if you don't have a physical one (mine's outside in the shed, on top of my 8-track player, I think).

I think the sandbags were in my head on that first flight, certainly felt like it anyway.

I like that E6B on the web, I've mad it a fave site now, and hopefully my wind angles will now be much improved.

Thanks for the link.  

3 hours ago, Sirrus said:

 

The epitaph for those who fell at the Battle of Kohima says:-

   

When you go home, tell them of us, and say,

For their tomorrow, we gave our today.

 

I think this applies to all those who fell in defence of freedom, no matter what nationality, race, or religion.

I for one, say, Thank you for your service. We will remember them.

 

My Uncle was at Kohima, my Mum's sister's husband that is. He was Major in the 3rd Carabiniers, in charge of a unit of M3 Lees.

Ah, I just checked, it was Imphal, not Kohima, sorry. Just down the road a bit though. 

After giving me a chance to have another go at Stage 1, I expect you'll all wished you hadn't when I tell you I hit my 'time-on-target' dead-on the second time around exactly at 1 hr 20 mins. 

I spent some time flight testing the Lysander before re-flying Stage 1 as I mentioned before, and while the speeds were quite logical the fuel burns were ridiculous! As an example, in a 500 fpm climb at 138 kts with a boost of +2 the burn rate was 1455 lb/hr, whereas in the cruise at 144 kts with +1 boost it was 210 lb/hr, much m ore sensible. In the descent at 500 fpm at 128 kts and -3 boost, it was only 73 lbs/hr. I think AlphaSim have their engine figures a little screwy, but I can live with it.

I had to taxi over to the north-south runway as the real world wind was at 300 deg. and with the Lysander's remarkable take-off performance I didn't need to go very far down the runway before turning and getting off as only a Lysander can.  Well, maybe a Scottish Aviation Pioneer would give it a run for its money?

Here I am taxi-ing out, with the canopy open of course....

Turning onto the course for the first VOR, CGT was almost a waste of time as I had to loop around to the south west quite sharply from a north facing take-off, so I set course for EON, using my re-found radio-nav skills, such as they are. With the northerly wind quite strong I was needing a fair amount of off-set in my heading, and I've long forgotten how to use an E6B, and I haven't got a real one anyway. Which reminded me to look for a software version before the next flight.

A close-up of the Lysander, to remind us what a weird shape it is, but it works a treat.  This time I flew a little higher as the cloud base was way up there today, at around 4500 ft, recommended by FSX's flight planner, and before long I was approaching my buddies at BMI again. 

Looking down on them from way up you can just how effective that RAF WWII camouflage was, it's quite difficult to make out the Lysander's distinctive shape against the ground texture.

By this time I was heavily into checking my potential arrival time against my prediction, and I was gaining on my ETA, so backed off the throttle somewhat, and had time to look around. I've been to the US many times (I worked for a company who's HQ was in Minneapolis for 30 yrs) but I've not been to the area I was flying over, and it amazed me just how FLAT it is! In every direction there's not a hill to be seen! These four pics taken from the four axes of the aircraft show just what I mean.

I got a lot closer to KSPI than I did on my first attempt, and got quite a good look at the place, it's pretty impressive I must say.

Pretty soon after that it was time to start my descent, and for a change I managed that quite well, and the ToT looked pretty promising, but with that northerly wind I knew I'd have to swing around and land at Zelmer Memorial from the south, and that would take a little extra time, but with a bit of throttle tweaking I got lined up OK.

I didn't manage to drop it onto the numbers, and had to go a fair way down the runway before touching down, but the Lysander has good brakes and it wasn't really a problem.

Taxying back in I noticed a funny little object just off on the grass there, so taxied over to have a look before realising it was a fuel station! I'd never seen one like that before, and FSX in its wisdom had filled me up to 100% before I noticed! Luckily I'd taken a note of my fuel state just on the approach, so I could say with some accuracy that used just a bit more than y'day at 45 gallons.

A MUCH better performance than my woeful attempt y'day, and I'm quite chuffed at now being up there with my buddy Melo. 

Thanks for the second chance, I promise i won't do it again...........

Regards

Kit

Well thanks gentlemen, I'm very grateful that you'll let me have another, and hopefully better, go at Stage 1.  I've done a couple of extra flight tests to establish the real best climb and descent rates for the Lysander, and best cruise speed too, and measured the fuel burn in all modes as well.

Melo will remember the ENDLESS number of flight tests I did for him while we were sorting out his Spitfire PRXI for an FS version that was so long ago that I can't remember the number of it! My afternoon today was rather similar, but somewhat lower in altitude and less intense. 

I'm still estimating 1 hr 20 mins after the flight tests, but that's with a higher cruise speed, but lower climb and descent rates.

Fingers crossed, again.............

Regards

Kit

Well, I managed to finish Stage 1, but it didn't quite go to plan as I'd forgotten my radio navigation procedures. 

Flying the Lysander I estimated a flight time of 1 hr 20 mins, but was MILES out as I arrived 14 mins late. 

The Tower crew at Lansing were amazed at seeing the Lysander take-off as it only rolled maybe 6-7 fuselage lengths before the wheels were up, but that's what flaps and slats do for you. 

About to start the take-off roll, with all the windows and canopies open of course, it's standard RAF procedures, don't you know? Note the flaps and LE slats deployed, you don't have to worry about using them, they're fully automatic and start deploying as you slow, and retract as you speed up. VERY handy. 

The Lysander has s superb view from that tall cockpit, and the panel's well laid out, and easy to work too.  At this point I was vainly trying to find the BMI beacon on my VOR set, but failed totally and did a complete 360 degree turn wondering just where I was! A bit of dead reckoning came to my aid and I headed off in the correct direction at last.

The BMI Tower guys took this pic as I trundled past, and enquired how long I'd taken to fly it from England. Ruddy cheek!

And in turn I took this  one of them.  

I finally figured out how the VOR worked and headed off correctly, and after a few small wind vector corrections this wonderful sight appeared before me!

Zelmer Memorial in all its glory, and never was a runway more welcome too.

As the Lysander stalls at 35 kts with the flaps down, landing was pretty much a straightforward affair, just a matter of keeping her on the runway centre line and bleeding off the speed. She's a nice aircraft to taxi too with that ultra-high viewpoint, and I parked up, ready for Stage 2.

I used 42 galls of the 120 odd available, and lost a few grey hairs as well, not that I've got THAT many to start off with!

I don't know how to post the log of my flight, I don't even know how to produce it without FSTramp being fully operational, and any hints or tips would be useful in that respect.

I quite enjoyed the flight and I'll try Stage 2 tomorrow with luck, but I'll lose lots of time after that as I've a busy weekend ahead of me, I'll maybe get a Stage flown, but I'll see how it goes.

Regards

Kit

After being persuaded to enter the Rally by Melo, I'm having a go at it.

Flying a WWII Westland Lysander, on the grounds that it stalls at 35 kts so even I can't get into trouble with it, famous last words!

My estimated flight time is 1 hr 20 mins, and I'm almost overhead BMI now, and going quite well.

I took some screenies and they'll be up here soon I hope.

Fingers crossed.

Regards

Kit

8 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Glad you're back and found hope your joystick issue gets resolved.

I run FSX Accel from a SSHD and it really runs smoothly.

It's not to late for your friend to become a late rally entry, hint hint.

I'm the 'friend' that Melo mentioned. 

Returning to flight simming after a 10 yr break or so isn't the easiest of tasks, and flying FSX too when I was a died-in-the-wool FS9 flyer before. I'm waiting for the FSX Acceleration update, without which my nav software won't run, but I may give the Rally a go when that arrives, hopefully tomorrow. Much thanks to my good friend Melo for helping me out, I'd have given up if it wasn't for his help. 

I'm loving reading the flight reports so far. 

Regards

Kit Spackman

aka Bosspecops