A few question from a new MD-11 Flyer

[ESzczesniak 128]

I've had the MD-11 for about 4 days now and have a few quick questions. I must admit that I haven't been through every page of the manuals yet, but I have certainly looked and can't find this information.1. Does anyone know what the is the maximum allowable T/O pitch? I'm used to most aircraft (know the Boeings best) being limited to the 13-17 degree range. However the autopilot with hold upwards of 20-22 degrees to maintain V2 and I find that this is about what I need for a mnaul flight. Is this within the safe operations envelope for the MD-11?2. I've been used to flying V2+10 instead of V2 that the autopilot likes. Can I just get the FMS to command this by adding 10 kts to V2 and then entering that on the FMS TO/APPR page under V2 or is there a better way to do this?3. How do I select the transition and STAR on the ground but put the arrival runway in while in the air? I can only find examples entering all of them at the same time in the manuals. The example of what I want to do is: I fly KSFO-KLAX often and know I will be flying the AVE.SADDE6 arrival, but I don't know if I will be arriving 24R or 25L. So I want to be able to enter AVE.SADDE6 on the ramp at SFO. But then I usually don't get my arrival runway until around SYMON, well into the STAR already. So when I go in LAT REV mode for KLAX and select 25L or such, it just puts the whole STAR in a second time after the end of my current flight plan (so on F-PLN I'll see say SYMON through JAVSI, then a discontinuity, then SADDE through JAVSI repeated followed by the selected runway...I just want to add the selected runway to my already built flight plan).4. How common is it to use flaps 50 for landing? Typically my Vref is 155-160 kts and I really wouldn't mind bringing this down a little. I know this is partially a creation of mine since I fly short flights and in order to keep T/O thrust/pitch reasonable typically takeoff with a lot of cargo (since I don't have fuel to use up that weight) and am landing near MLW. Just curious how frequent flaps 50 is used to bring down the speeds. I know on the 737's, flaps 40 tends to be reserved more for high altitude and short field, not sure if it's the same here.Thanks for any help. Eric

[tcas_climb 45]

1. As far as ive learned the maximum pitch at takeoff should not exceed 25*, if that much is even required to maintain V2->V2+15. 2. You COULD do that but what happens if you loose an engine and you cant remember what V2 is? What i normally do, is set the FCP speed bug to V2+10 as a reference and just pitch the plane to keep that speed.3. Just go ahead and select the STAR and INSERT it. Once you are in the air and ready to select the arrival runway, on the FPLN page go down to the LAST waypoint before the destination airport and do the LAT REV from that point and select STAR...then select the arrival runway and then CLR the SEL promt from the STAR, THEN you INSERT....if you fail to CLR the SEL prompt from the STAR then you will end up with a duplicate STAR.4. Well im not sure of how often F50 is used but the disadvantages are that it creates a lot more drag, noise and it only lowers your approach speed by about 3-6 knots. The only reason i use F50 is if i might have to use more than AUTOBRAKE MED (with High decel rate option checked) or when i need a lower deck angle to spot those approach lights on a low visibility approach (and high altitude airports as well)