Boeing 747 cruises with nose 5 degrees up (normal?)

Hi, I am just learning the 737 and 747 aircraft, so yes, this will be a newbie-ish question. I am using the aircraft that came with FSX when I bought it.

Both of these aircraft tend to cruise with nose 5% up. I don't personally care if the plane likes to fly that attitude. But, I began trying to reduce the pitch angle, because it seemed to me, it was steep enough to be uncomfortable to passengers and crew on a long flight.

Viewing the aircraft from external camera (while not exactly a scientific test) quickly shows the rear windows quite a bit lower than those further toward the front.

So far, I have not found a way to reduce that attitude to "level" without descending.

My question is simple - is that pitch normal?

747 might be the most successful money maker in aviation history- so if they say 5% is fine -- who am I to disagree.

Seems to steep to me.

Yes, it's normal. When any aircraft flies at a slow Indicated Airspeed (IAS) it will, in level flight, be somewhat nose up. With the thin air at higher altitudes, the (IAS) is a relatively low reading for the actual speed it's traveling through the air, and it needs a higher pitch attitude to attain the higher angle of attack needed for slow speed flying.

For more thorough treatment of these two subjects, see the Wikipedia articles:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicated_airspeed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_attack

In real life aircraft do pitch up ever so slightly at cruising altitude but the default FSX aircraft tend to be rather unrealistic and exaggerated in their performance; take the default 747's issue you have for example. I've had flights where the pitch sometimes went above 5 degrees which was simply unrealistic. So the answer is a yes and a no.

The cruise speed for an aircraft like the 747 is usually 490-500 knots, have you tried flying it at that speed above FL300? Weight also plays a factor. You'll want to keep the aircraft's center of gravity within the confines of the aircraft's torso in the Fuel and Weight box. Don't let it go too far back or too far front.

And welcome to FSX! Hope you have many years ahead of fun flying in the sim, I know I did and still am!

The cruise speed for an aircraft like the 747 is usually 490-500 knots

That's True AirSpeed. The airspeed indicator won't show near that, perhaps closer to 250 kts, depending on conditions and altitude. I don't know the actual nose up amount, since I've never tried to measure it, but nose high is normal.

With a given cg position, cruise attitude/ angle of attack required for level flight is a function of gross weight and indicated airspeed / Mach. Do some digging regarding optimum cruise altitude/ speed combinations versus weight. I do not have FS2020 so I am not familiar with that particular model.

If you try to fly at excessive altitude at any given gross weight, the engines are having to put out too much thrust to maintain a given speed, thus really decreasing range.

With a given cg position, cruise attitude/ angle of attack required for level flight is a function of gross weight and indicated airspeed / Mach. Do some digging regarding optimum cruise altitude/ speed combinations versus weight. I do not have FS2020 so I am not familiar with that particular model.

 

Thanks for the reply. Yes, lots of digging. I'm through worrying about the "stews" horsing the food cart up a 5 degree incline. I got worse problems, such as keeping the nose down while trying to land. 747 does not seem to like to slow down.

I'm a little confused about the information on the "flap placard." I have historically thought that information to be the IAS at which it is safe to put the flaps in a particular position. Thinking about it that way has worked for me so far on other planes. However, so far with 737/747 my experience has been- if you wait to slow down to placard speed before moving the flaps - that nose will be pointing at the stars before you get a chance to move the flaps. (with or without speed brake)

LOTS of digging.

But its fun digging :-)

Well I figured out how to land it .... sort of.

pillow soft touchdown but I couldn't stop it.

Again, I do not have 2020 or this 747-8, BUT - is it possible you have a kg vs lbs weight confusion?? Hard to believe, but I see many planes where weight can be in Kilos/ metric tonnes or lbs as options.

What's MSFS 2020 got to do with this thread? This is in the FSX forum. :confused:

Rebrecs: The default aircraft do cruise at 5 degrees nose up. Some 3rd Party aircraft will cruise fairly level.

Well I figured out how to land it .... sort of.

pillow soft touchdown but I couldn't stop it.

 

As the zipper said, autothrottle on is most likely your problem.

As the zipper said, autothrottle on is most likely your problem.

Caught it once, in the zipper! Boy, did it hurt!:D

Do you think he will make it ?

At 420 feet and 180 knots...you are way too fast! Landing speed should be no more than 155 knots. Slow that puppy down! :eek:

Check the fuel first.

No more than 15% or else every calculation about speed is irrelevant.

At 420 feet and 180 knots...you are way too fast! Landing speed should be no more than 155 knots. Slow that puppy down! :eek:

I know. I was very uncomfortable with that myself. However, less than 180 KIAS it would descend or stall depending on what I was trying to do to save it.

I need to be more mindful with the fuel and try to get closer to 450,000 gross on arrival. I have been landing very heavy.