747-400F Operating Manual for Fuel Planning

[mcbellette 145]

Hi all, I have been told there is an operating manual or pilots operating handbook or something like that for the freighter and it contains something in it to help with fuel planning. I have looked in every place I can think of but I cannot find it. Being able to plan the amount of fuel I need is the only thing stopping me from using the freighter properly on long-distance flights. Can someone point me in the right direction?I have asked this question in a previous post for nil reply to date.While on this topic, could PMDG please include a purpose-built fuel planner for each of their new products so that we can enter route distance, weights, departure and destination points, etc and hit the calculate button to get the amount of fuel we need to load onboard?Thanks,

[mcbellette 145]

Surely someone knows?

[Sharpedge 0]

Mat,When you install an official version of the Queen it places a user manual in start > programs > PMDG. When you install the official version of the 400F it updates the user manual. I use the tables in the manual to come up with a total fuel figure and then check that against a program I downloaded from avsim. I'm at work now and can't remember the name of it. I only ever run into difficulty with fuel on long flights when I use Active Sky that updates itself throughout the flight. Before I start the flight I would have a look at the average wind direction and strength for my flight level. Now if Active Sky did not download updated weather I will arrive with the intended fuel, if however an update is downloaded, there is a possibility that the wind speed and direction at my flight level is going to change. I have been caught out this way quite a few times.The bottom line is that you should be using the manuals. Us the burn rates to calculate your fuel requirements.Justin

[mcbellette 145]

There's 16 PDF documents in the PMDG folder - which one has these tables and on which page? I have looked through them quickly and can't find it.

[rservice 4]

If you're interested, someone has created a fuel planner for the PMDG 747-400 in excel format. Its available on AVSIM.File name is 744fuelplannerv1.zip.Ron

[Meela 0]

The PDF file you are looking for is in the "...PMDG747400Operating Manual" directory. File name is "02_Cruise_and_Fuel_Planning_747_400_V10.pdf".There is a fuel planning program in the Avsim library written by Pierre Chevallier. Do a search for "fuelplanner747_176824.zip". The install menus are all written in French, but the actual program is in English (but only uses kgs. as units, no lbs. option).Steven

[mcbellette 145]

Thanks, but I really want something for the Freighter version, not the passenger version.

[CF104 0]

>Thanks, but I really want something for the Freighter>version, not the passenger version.The file you need to be looking for is 02_CRUISE_PERFORMANCE_747_400_V10.pdf. Cheers,JohnBoeing 727/737 & Lockheed C-130/L-100 Mechanichttp://www.sstsim.com/images/team/JR.jpgwww.SSTSIM.com