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Zeppelin Staaken L Riesenseeflugzeug - Helmsman's Handling Notes
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SUMMARY.
This aircraft has four 267hp Mercedes D.IVa engines which are normally aspirated but throttle gated. The throttle gating will be imposed on you by the flight dynamics supplied. In real life the pilot moved the throttle from gate to gate as the aicraft climbed ensuring that the engines did not produce more than 267hp. The Mercedes is rated at 1300 metres.
After consultation with the navigator, (who is the aircraft captain), adjust gross weight, fuel and payload using the weight and balance schedule of aircraft.cfg.
Lateral control is heavy and inadequate. Two helmsmen are required at all times to hold a turn.
ACHTUNG! - This aircraft is trimmed before flight by the senior airframe rigger who adjusts the incidence of the tailplane to compensate for variable load so that the aircraft is trimmed neutral with zero fuel loaded.
In flight this aircraft is trimmed by a member of the crew who pumps fuel between eight fuel tanks arranged fore and aft making the aircraft tail or nose heavy in the process. He also selects which tank will supply which engine. The FDE provide front, central and rear tanks between which you can move fuel using the fuel menu if you wish to experiment with fuel trimming. Alternatively in these FDE it possible to trim the aircraft in the usual way, but the effect is slow and weak compared to elevator trim.
With nearly full, or nearly empty tanks, the aircraft has to be trimmed using the throttle alone just like a Gotha.
Read Important.txt before flight
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Take Off:
RETRACT WATER RUDDERS
Trim for climb (remove forward fuel)
Line up INTO WIND (set wind using WX menu)
Slowly apply FULL THROTTLE
(in the real world throttle to first gate)
Maintain course with RUDDER
Allow aircraft to rise of own accord
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Climb:
FULL THROTTLE
Trim by fuel
Climb rate will increase until rated altitude when real throttles could be advanced to final gate
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Expedited climb:
and
Climb above Service Ceiling:
FULL THROTTLE
Apply back pressure to the helm to achieve Vx = 85-90 KPh
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Cruise:
REDUCE THROTTLE
until altimeter is steady
Trim by fuel
Typical cruise 95 Kph IAS
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Descent:
SLOWLY REDUCE THROTTLE
until aircraft settles at required rate of descent
Trim with remaining fuel
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Expedited Descent:
CLOSE THROTTLE
Apply forward pressure on helm
until aircraft settles at required rate of descent
ACHTUNG! - Avoid structural failure at 150 Kph
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Approach:
CIRCUITS are FORBIDDEN
Always plan your departure to permit landing in daylight
At all times plan a straight in approach exactly into wind
It may be necessary to APPLY FORWARD PRESSURE TO THE HELM throughout the approach
ACHTUNG! - Avoid stall at 80 Kph
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Landing:
Descend =< 100 ft/min
Allow aircraft to descend into the water
Do not flare
AIRSPEED always => 85 Kph
In a perfect landing the fuselage will be level with the surface at touchdown (AoA = incidence = 6 degrees)
FIRM CONTACT - CLOSE THROTTLES
MAINTAIN COURSE with RUDDER
< 20 Kph Extend Water rudders
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Carb Heat:
Wired ON
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GENERAL:
AUTOMIXTURE must be ON to simulate these airship engines
AEROBATICS are PROHIBITED
This aircraft may lead a formation, but must not attempt to formate.
Vne = 150 Kph
Vs = 80 Kph
The G limits are very low but low pitch authority and low Vne make them irrelevant.
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NOTE: This aircraft's real-world handling notes have been modified for use with FS 2002
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