My Boeing 747-400 Ground Speed doesn't increase in FSX.

[autopilot 3]

Hello, Guys!

 

I use built-in Boeing 747-400 of FSX which has come from Microsoft Default in the game.

 

Now problem is that when I take the plane at 37000ft, its ground speed remains at 470knots. But I want speed should be at least 500knots on this height or 500knots on 40,000ft but it doesn't happen. I've tried my best to increase the speed but it doesn't.

 

I use always Autopilot to fly the plane and fly to long routes as well.

 

At flightradar24, I've seen many B747, which remains 495, 500 etc.. on 39000ft height. So my question is that how they do it? Please tell me a method to increase the speed. Additional, when I cross 5000ft altitude, then I make my flaps to Zero by pressing F5 and these remain Zero until destination doesn't come.

 

Now please tell me what to do?

 

Best Regards,

 

AP,

[CoolP 283]

Well you could fly faster (if the plane allows it) but you also have to take into account the winds when we are talking about groundspeed. Could this vital factor be the reason for your question on the commercial planes reaching the higher values?

 

I don't have the typical true airspeed for the 747 in my head, but you should try flying with some tailwind to get closer to e.g. 500kts groundspeed. Mind the different terms.

 

Check out these guys, they are placing (and facing) their 747-400 correctly. :Hypnotized: http://www.groundspeedrecords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=437&Itemid=1760

[xplanery 250]

Yeah like CoolP said winds are a bit factor, tailwind increases your ground speed and headwind decreases it even when your airspeed remains the same. 

[Angels40 17]

Hi A/P,

 

The other points that are important are, how soon do you reach FL370?   I don't know what your Take Off Weight is, but assuming you are flying quite heavy (i.e. over 700K pounds), then are you climbing in steps?   Also, are you loading the required fuel and cargo/pax loads for that type of flight?  If any of these (including the wind strength and direction as mentioned in the other replies) are not factored in, then your ground speed will be lower.   Also, you should be aiming for a .83 to .85 mach cruise speed above FL320.

 

One easy way to know whether any of the above is affecting your GS, is to check your PFD and note whether your aircraft angle of attack is above the 5 deg. line.   I am guessing yours will be between 5 and 8 degrees, which is excessive for the B747 in cruise flight.  I only request an altitude change from ATC, when my AoA falls below 4 deg. and then it's only a request of 1K or 2K increase.

 

Apart from the usual Shift + Z to get your wind direction and speed, I would suggest you download a free tool at http://www.wolfgang-picheta.de/   (you'll need to translate this from German).  This tool is quite useful in many ways (though only use it for changes you need and also know how it will impact your Sim).   In this tool, under Panel.cfg - MFP retrofit, you can install this panel that will give you a host of features, including wind direction/speed and AoA.   I believe, this MFP will self install when you click on it.

 

Hope this helps.

Chris

[AlbertM 32]

Hi autopilot,

your ground speed has absolutely zero relevance to your flight ! Only your KIAS during climb and Mach number once you reached cruise Mach should matter.

So in a 747 your climb speed should be probably 320-330KIAS above 10000ft until you reach your cruise Mach of about .84-.86 in the upper 20s flightlevels and then you will hold your Mach number, while your KIAS will drop again as you gain altitude and will probably as low as 250-260KIAS in the upper 30s flightlevels. The ground speed you will achieve with this depends from your cruise altitude and the speed of the air mass around you. So a stiff head wind might lower your ground speed to 400kts or even lower while a tail wind of the same speed will push you along with much more than 500kts. But this of course will only happen if you fly with real weather and well simulated winds aloft.

 

As you mentioned flaps: Getting your flaps up solely depends on your speed and the aircraft weight and not on your altitude !

 

Cheers

Albert

[autopilot 3]

I tell you one more thing guys! It's a huge problem but hasn't been solved.

 

The Default B747-400 built-in in FSX always fly with a little nose up except all other downloading airplanes. I don't know why on 37000ft, it's nose remains little high and take low. I know I turn flaps to Zero. But If I'll add flaps then speed will start lowering and plane will crash. So why it happens with default B747?

 

You can see this picture enlarge by clicking it. Why it remains as it is on 38000ft? Its nose should be lower. It's steady on 38000ft. It's not going on height or not climbing at this moment.

[mgh 89]

Its nose should be lower.

What angle should it be?

[pschlute 37]

The picture looks pretty normal. Most a/c fly with some nose up. The more your a/c weight the more the nose up pitch will be.

[Angels40 17]

I have already explained this 'nose up' situation you have.   It is true, the B747 does cruise with its nose slightly elevated, probably more so than other airliners, but you should still cruise with minimal 'nose up' (otherwise referred to as angle of attack (AoA)).   If you're at FL370 and the AoA is too high (ie. over 4 or 5 deg.), then you have to consider whether you should even be at that altitude, given your aircraft weight, speed, and prevailing conditions.   Why don't you try cruising at FL320 at Mach .84 and see if your AoA is still excessive.   Only after you burn off fuel, can you then request ATC for a further altitude increase and eventually you could realise your cruise FL370.    And, using flaps at cruise speeds for the purpose of lowering the nose, is not correct and in the real world would guarantee structural damage.

 

If you don't know the amount of degrees your AoA is, then the Flusifix tool I mentioned will help, or else with Cockpit Tool Tips ticked in your Settings, the value can be seen when placing the mouse over the standby Artificial Horizon. 

 

Chris

[ellipirelli 1]

As mentioned before http://www.wolfgang-picheta.de/ is offering a very nice tool called Flusifix wich also fixes the nose problem of the default 747 ...

[NikkiA 7]

IIRC in previous 'why doesn't the default 747 behave like real life' threads, autopilot has stated that he flies with full fuel and fuel consumption turned off, which of course produces problems such as being too heavy at landing, not being able to reach top speed, and climbing to cruise altitude being difficult.

[autopilot 3]

Hi autopilot,

your ground speed has absolutely zero relevance to your flight ! Only your KIAS during climb and Mach number once you reached cruise Mach should matter.

So in a 747 your climb speed should be probably 320-330KIAS above 10000ft until you reach your cruise Mach of about .84-.86 in the upper 20s flightlevels and then you will hold your Mach number, while your KIAS will drop again as you gain altitude and will probably as low as 250-260KIAS in the upper 30s flightlevels. The ground speed you will achieve with this depends from your cruise altitude and the speed of the air mass around you. So a stiff head wind might lower your ground speed to 400kts or even lower while a tail wind of the same speed will push you along with much more than 500kts. But this of course will only happen if you fly with real weather and well simulated winds aloft.

 

As you mentioned flaps: Getting your flaps up solely depends on your speed and the aircraft weight and not on your altitude !

 

Cheers

Albert

 

My one answer is this. I don't climb quickly. My this problem has solved and now I've achieved 507knots due to climbing fast at 38000ft.

 

 

Second is that where to finds Angle of Attack? How to increase and decrease it?

 

Third is that Fuel. How I can find, the flight which I'm going to fly, how much fuel will it take to reach safely on my destination. How to see fuel? after watching fuel, I'll set it according to flight's real distance. So Nose will not be high.

 

Regards,

 

AP.

[CoolP 283]

Mind you that Avsim features a section for the flight school topics. Regarding your question on the angle of attack, the NASA site would be a great and comprehensive source (and saves us some typing ^_^ ). http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/incline.html  It even features a java based sim!

 

Of course, if you start with that phrase, some more will enter the game sooner or later. So this may indeed start a journey, an interesting one for sure. :smile:

 

Good question on the fuel. Well, the basic planning can happen with FSX itself, especially for the default planes. As for receiving realistic results, one would have to look at the legal terms too. Ask Ryanair for example. Just kidding.

[NikkiA 7]

Third is that Fuel. How I can find, the flight which I'm going to fly, how much fuel will it take to reach safely on my destination. How to see fuel? after watching fuel, I'll set it according to flight's real distance. So Nose will not be high.

 

I think you're asking how you can plan out fuel use for a specific journey, if so here:

 

http://fuelplanner.com/

[autopilot 3]

I think you're asking how you can plan out fuel use for a specific journey, if so here:

 

http://fuelplanner.com/

Thanks NikkiA. 

 

 

Last thing guys probably you would not mind. How to see wind direction of the Airport? I mean where the Wind is blowing from? Where is this blowing to? How much its speed is? Is N, W, S, E etc.... So that I can fly in the direction of wind for fast speed.