FSX-SE Buzz (2nd and Final Part)...KLM ("buzz")...

[P_7878 6,609]

I am following up, in this post, to my earlier account of Ryanair BUZZ (please see my previous post). First of all, I'd mentioned there that there was a "second" plane (besides the PMDG 737NG), that has been also (lately) tugging at my (sim-aviation) instincts, which SIM, I've not touched, since a very long time, if not a year...(I recall, there was a member post on it, here, a few months ago, which had revived it fresh in my mind). That plane/SIM is (BAe-146/Avro-RJ), QW's 2nd (and worthy) offering after their first B757 output. Anyone who is a fan of aviation and aircraft (especially jets), could not have missed notice of this (RW) aircraft. It's anything but conventional, and catches your eyes instantly.

Consider these factors:

1. With its uniquely "stocky" and "solid" build (layman speaking here), and 4 engines, its "oddity" has always fascinated me.
2. It was a (trendsetting) "Regional Jet" long before that term became popular. I learned today that its noise-profile (it was marketed as "Whisperjet") and short field (STOL) performance, made it perfect for difficult and noise-sensitive airports like e.g. London City (BAe/RJ have been regular visitors to EGLC), before London City Airport was even built...(BAe received Certificate of Airworthiness in Feb. 1983, and London City Airport was opened for business in Oct. 1987).
3. Its high-wing configuration combined with short undercarriage (designed to absorb heavy landings), is what gives it, its characteristic appearance. It sports a (high-swept) T-Tail and (reliable) tricycle landing gears (see my images, below).
4. It is powered by four turbofan engines made by Lycoming (now Honeywell). Honeywell currently supplies 65% of all the airliner APUs and is the sole (APU) supplier for B777, A350, B737 MAX etc. So, it's sometimes (jocularly) remarked that 777's APU is same as a modified BAe/RJ engine, and BAe/RJ are powered by "Five APUs".

One of the best ways to know an aircraft is to read the accounts by those who fly them, in RW. So, I read an interesting article, today, by an Avro RJ85 Captain. Here is a statement, I noted, there, that sums it up well for this jet, "...It’s nothing like the Airbus A320 that I used to fly. Not worse, just different. Like going from a Caterham 7 to a Cadillac..."...🙂...I had heard of Caterham 7, but not being too familiar with it, had to look it up a bit...(Noted, prices for the Caterham Seven 360 start at $45,400, the peppier Seven 480 starts at $53,400 with shipping...)...Oh well, for now, I'll then have to defer any thoughts of acquisition,...🙂...

Back to my post: The low-cost-carrier (LCC) airlines (Ryanair/Southwest being two well-known examples) are tough business, no doubt...! History is littered with stories of many (LCC) start-ups and failures, and of course, a few successes too. Anyway, here, in my "Buzz" LCC story, this is the evolution from KLM (buzz) to Ryanair (BUZZ):

KLM (UK/Stansted) --> KLM buzz (UK/Stansted) --> Ryanair Sun (PL/Warsaw) --> Ryanair BUZZ (PL/Warsaw)

KLM (buzz) had started with eight BAe 146-300 aircraft. So, for this post, I've selected the (QW/KLM-buzz) BAe 146-300 flying between two of KLM (buzz)'s historical (key) cities, from Düsseldorf (EDDL) to London Stansted (EGSS), a short distance of ~250 miles, westward across the English Channel. I spent full six (enjoyable/educative) hours, today, with this SIM/plane/flight, including practicing a Tutorial based Cold & Dark start-up, on the ramp at Düsseldorf Airport (see first few shots of start-up). The (QW) BAe146-100/200/300, here, has simulated the GNS-XLS FMS, which is a simplified FMS, compared to the GNLU 910 FMS of the RJ-70/85/100 (QW has included all six models, in the package, the manual states, "...GNLU 910 was a giant leap forward from the older GNS-XLS found on the 146 series, which, as you might remember, gives LNAV but no true VNAV. The GNLU 910 does give VNAV, which actually is a rarity among regional airliners..."). BTW, the RJ85 Captain, I've alluded to, above, had elected to use just the rule-of-thumb (3:1 descent), even in his RJ85 flight, though that plane allows full VNAV. Here is what he states, "I plan the descent by multiplying our cruising height in thousands by three (for instance, from 30,000ft we need ninety track miles). I keep an eye on this and can adjust as necessary: if we get high I can expedite the descent, and if I get low I can add a bit of throttle to reduce the descent rate."...wise words from a Pro...!

However, for this post, I've, for the first time, in the BAe-146, chosen to learn/use the VNAV (FMS) advisory Page guidance. Essentially, starting at (T/D) point, seen on ND shot below, one (manually) adjusts the VS, based on the "Required FPM DN (VS)" that is continuously calculated on the VNAV Page of the GNS-XLS FMS (this was good fun, and, kept me busy, during the descent down to 3000 feet, to my custom WPT (WP1)), please see a close-up image of the (FMS) VNAV page, below). Also, I found interesting, the (unique) Airbrakes that were automatically deployed after touchdown. "Located at the tail cone of the plane, these consist of two mechanical linked pedals, which can be deflected up to 60° from the aircraft’s centerline". On short runways, the combo (Wing Liftspoilers + Tail Airbrakes) is noted to be extremely effective in slowing down the (RW) BAe/RJ aircraft, after touchdown (please see my (virtual) landing screenshots). This flight was certainly quite different from my (previous) B737NG of Ryanair (BUZZ)...more hands-on, more things to do, and more old-fashioned, (should I also say, bit more fun...🙂...). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the set of KLM (buzz) images below, and this account of my (virtual) experiences, with this rather fascinating (SIM) aircraft.

[Finally, I (highly) recommend to you this (3min:32sec) video clip of the last flight of the Avro RJ. Please search for "Last flight of the AVRO. Braathens Regional Airlines/Malmö Aviation". I liked it much (probably because the cockpit looks like mine, here,...🙂...). Seriously, how about the Pilots, at the end of the clip, after disembarking from the plane, getting on that little airport bus, in the middle of the runway...? Yes, that's the way to do it here, who cares about a Jetway, for a jetliner, that had started out as a de Havilland design concept, 70 years ago, back in the 1950s...?]

Thanks for your interest...!! Good Sunday...!

[QW (BAe 146-300), Orbx (England)]

]

[John F 2,422]

Nice presentation. BAe146/Avro-RJ......always has been one of my favorite aircraft in simming. Just love their looks. And so many (past) operators with appealing liveries.

john

Edited April 11, 2021 by John F

[Alaska738 8,407]

Great shots!

[Phantom88 3,287]

Fantastic!! I think I remember "United" flying these in the '80's 

[Treetops45 1,082]

Interesting backgrounder.

I think Just Flight also did the 146/Avro.

I may have both the JF & QW versions, I'll have to have a look in the hangar.

T45

[Treetops45 1,082]

Well I looked in the hangar & it turns out the JF is only good up to P3D v2, & the new Pro, which would run on P3D v4.5, is a bit beyond my budget.

However, I do have the QW!😀

The 146/RJ is an aircraft I would like to see in MSFS.

T45

[P_7878 6,609]

Many thanks, folks, for the comments...!!

 

On 4/11/2021 at 1:07 PM, Phantom88 said:

...I think I remember "United" flying these in the '80's 

Patrick:

Excellent recall of memory...(I thought you may have been paying more attention only to those Contrails of the Fighter Jets...often seen above, in Chicago skies....🙂...)

First of all, I'd missed the United livery, here, but there is indeed an United BAe 146-300 (same model that I've flown in this post) in my current QW Airplane directory. Please see below, if I may show one extra picture of this plane, in the United colors. It's for United Express in the so-called "Battleship Gray“ paint...(RW pictures of this UA BAe can be easily spotted, on-line, by searching for "N616AW United BAe 146-300 images")....

But there is a bit more history, too,...about the 1980s. In late 1980s, Air Wisconsin, as a Code-sharing partner of United Express, operated regular flights from the United hub (ORD/Chicago) using all types of BAe 146 Jets...(probably what you recall...🙂...)...

 

12 hours ago, Treetops45 said:

Well I looked in the hangar & it turns out the JF is only good up to P3D v2, & the new Pro, which would run on P3D v4.5, is a bit beyond my budget.

However, I do have the QW!😀

The 146/RJ is an aircraft I would like to see in MSFS.

T45

T45:

Thanks for your interest..!

And, yes, JF has done BAe 146 -200/300, which I do have, but, the QW package has all the six variants of BAe/Avro. The JF Pro BAe one for P3Dv5 does look a bit pricey...I've been myself dillydallying about the Pro versions of e.g. VC10 and L-1011 for my FSX/SE (I now own the standard versions, but, have not felt "Pro" enough to justify the budget...🙂...)...

I see that you're now (occasionally) also dipping into your P3D sandbox...🙂...why not...? BTW, if you window-shopped the BAe Pro, have you checked out their "In Development" - A300B4 and 747 Classic...they both look quite good...of course, in P3Dv4/5 only...these are all wonderful (classic) planes in our SIM to enjoy, if you're into that kind of stuff, which looks like you're,...(hope you get couple of these, in MSFS, in near future)...

[Finally, folks, I noted today, Airbus "E-Fan X" was a project that would have brought back a modern replica of BAe-146 (do check the images of the E-Fan X, on-line), and a BAe-146 was actually being used as a test-bed for it,...unfortunately, the project fell victim to the pandemic, and got cancelled last year...]

United Express BAe 146-300

Edited April 13, 2021 by P_7878

[Freo 83]

Last flew in one of those in 1980, with Ansett Airlines, Australia. seems a long time ago !

[Treetops45 1,082]

The attached P3D v4.5 shot is a debonair aircraft, [not sure which it is as QW had it as an RJ 85 livery, but I read online that debonair ran about 13 BAE 146 from 1996 to 1999, most of which were BAE 146-200's.]

The streaks are rain drops, [horizontal].

T45

 

 

[Phantom88 3,287]

***Bingo*** That's It!!!😊

[Treetops45 1,082]

BA 146-300 rolling in at Schiphol.

T45

(P3D v4.5)

[P_7878 6,609]

7 hours ago, Treetops45 said:

...I read online that debonair ran about 13 BAE 146 from 1996 to 1999, most of which were BAE 146-200's...

Lovely picture of this BAe livery...!

Yes, you are correct. This (G-DEBF) was actually a BAe 146-200.

Per records, the bird flew first time on 31 May 84, and started living in U.S., been delivered 2 weeks after the first flight, to the U.S. Airline (PSA - Pacific Southwest Airlines), as (N347PS); then, in 1988, switched owner to US Air as (N165US); and then, in 1996, called London (Luton) Airport for home with Debonair (per your picture/G-DEBF)...and, then took BMI colors, in Feb 2000...and so on goes its life-story...(uniforms and registrations change, but it's the same plane all-along...🙂...)...thanks for this nice shot...!!

 

2 hours ago, Phantom88 said:

***Bingo*** That's It!!!😊

Good...! Sometimes...🙂...we need a bit of nudge to recall things from the past....I'm quite used to that myself...🙂...

[P_7878 6,609]

Our posts must have crossed on the way....🙂....nice shot...!!