A few Questions about the VC10....

[tombeckett]

Morning chaps,

I've been an anonymous frequenter on these forums for a little while, and seeing as I can't find the answers I'm looking for could think of no where better to ask!

I love using DM's models; to be honest there is nothing else at the minute I am flying in FSX. However, I like to try and operate as close as I can to real world procedures (within the limitations of the sim, of course) and wondered if anybody can tell me, regarding the VC10 only:

1) What is the minimum authorised engagement height for the Autopilot?

2) What was the usual approved method of lateral Autopilot control during cruise when NOT using INS; was it VOR/LOC hold (when in range, obviously) or HDG select to keep the RMI/CDI needles centred?

And please don't kill me, but is there a Trident or 1-11 style VC in the pipeline??

I know DM does this stuff for free, and he's obviously a very busy man with a family to think of, but the VC's he has produced are stunningly good, and it seems a shame that the wonderful Iron Duck is the only one without!

I look forward to the impartment of some wisdom,

Tom Beckett

[ggi]

Hi Tom - unsure about the min alt for autopilot for the VC-10. Friends of mine used to reckon BA would stick them on AP from 400ft and leave them in until short final - but I think that was possibly sour grapes from lesser paid non BA pilots?
Someone here will know for sure.
Nav would be by ADF, VOR, dead reckoning and a combination of all three. Transatlantic crossings would sometimes use the rate of change of the ADF needle at long distance to guesstimate the range from Greenland/Iceland when out of VOR range (most of the flight). Not an exact science.... And must be a dying art nowadays....haha
Everything else you say about the DM aircraft - I agree, great work and nothing around to even come close, not even after all these years!! Superb, but I don't imagine a VC is due anytime if ever
Gary

[tombeckett]

Hi Gary,

Sure sounds like sour grapes to me It might be 400ft nowadays, I seriously doubt it back then though. Trident was 500ft AGL, I can't see it being any lower than that.

I know the 'methods' of navigation, I'm just not sure about which Autopilot lateral mode was recommended (either by Vickers-Armstrong or BA/BOAC) to follow the required course. I've a sneaking suspicion it would have been via HDG select and keep the RMI needle pointing straight up, the same way as Tridents were operated (as the heading bug wasn't driven by the Doppler Nav system - good job, it was pony by all accounts ).

I know the VC for the VC seems like a long shot, and I totally understand - but one can but pray! I wanted to see the VC10 at Cosford but it moved before I had chance, now I've got to wait for my two young lads to be old enough before I can use the excuse of taking them all the way from sunny Birmingham to Brooklands or Duxford to see one

[TSR2]

Hi Tom and welcome aboard.

There will be a VC10 at Cosford soon, just not in civies David definitely wont be doing a VC I'm afraid. He hasn't done any modelling in years now, so I suspect we might have to wait until he retires to see if he gets the inclination again (and that's 25 years or so away)

[Tonks]

Hi Tom,

Re the AP, it can be engaged after the AC is clean, so depending on the flap retraction strategy being used. There were effectively two in day-to-day usage, one where you clean up at 1500ft ago or the Noise Abatement flap retract at 3000 ft ago. The cap could be left in until 200ft agl if doing an auto-ILS or 1000ft agl or other approaches.

If not using an INS for lateral Nav you can use LOC/VOR, but you have to go into HDG as you approach the on-top. You could have used DECCA or LORAN in the old days ( certainly remember the later), or do a star shot (remember that to!) and fly using HDG... of course if you were way north you could use grid nav, but I never understood that. That's why we carried navigators lol...

Hope that is of help...

Tonks