Technically you can use the thrust reversers in flight below RA 10 feet. Its up to the flight crew when to use the thrust reversers.

 

This is a quote from the Aircraft Maintenance Manual:

 

The T/R control system lets you deploy the T/R when the airplane is less than 10 feet (3 meters) from the ground. You give a deploy signal to the control system when you raise a reverse thrust lever.

 

Also there is no need for Engine parameters like N1 or N2 to operate the thrust reversers. You can deploy and stow the reversers even with the engines shutdown. You only need Hydraulic and electrical power to operate the reversers.

Hi Mark!

 

Thanks for the supported clarification from someone who really knows what they are talking about.

 

As far as the F1 first then F2 procedure as proposed by Jamaljé: this never really seemed to make any difference when I tried it. If anything it slowed down the reaction and it still seemed to want to spool N1 all the way down to ground idle (around 29+%) before it would catch into reverse. That is totally a wrong simulation. I am delighted that the procedure that works (deploying in the flair below 10 AGL) is a RW option.

 

And Rostylslav, apparently the Tupulev 154 is using the same procedure, activating the deflectors while in the flair. I still think the levers won't move past Detente 1 until the wheels are down. Correct me on this one, Mark. In the video the pilot didn't accelerate into reverse until the wheels were down. That seems to be the way the NGX is programmed also. One of the earlier posts in this thread from a passenger stating that he never heard reverse thrust until wheels were all down must have thought I was referring to reversing while airborne which is actually possible with the Concorde but never on any equipment I have flown.

To Pull the thrust reverser levers make sure the throttle levers are at the idle position ( against the aft stop) that way you push the F1 button because the A/T system doesn't fully pull back the throttle levers to idle.

 

When pulled (F2) the thrust reverser levers it stops at idle revers (detent 1). to allow the thrust reverser to deploy, When the thrust reverser are fully deployed you are able to fully apply full revers thrust (detent 2). This all has nothing to do with the N1 indication.

What people should bear in mind is that F1 and F2 are only moving the thrust levers. F2 is not an "engage reverse thrust" hotkey. If the levers are well forward of idle in the flare pressing F2 will move the levers towards reverse, but it will take a finite time to get to the reverse range. You must hold F2 down for the movement to continue. However, tapping F1puts the levers to idle instantly. Pressing F2 afterwards moves the levers into reverse and actuates the reverser mechanism immediately.

 

So pressing F1 first should always speed the process up. But you still need to press and hold F2 to get reverse thrust as fast as possible. I can't say I've ever noticed an undue delay in reversed deployment on the NGX. Deployment rates seem realistic to me.

I concur- my experience has been that F1 and then F2 results in realistic reverser deployment....