MSFS 707 (Part 2) - Takeoff, Climb to 30k, and ILS Landing

[P_7878]

This is my 2nd (experimental) flight (please also see my previous post), with the MSFS/AH B707 to get to terms with what exists in the current version, for personal use. So, I did a couple of basic tests as below:

1. Flight 1: I take off (in the colors of Lufthansa, part of the (nice) add-on repaint pack, that had prompted me to acquire the base 707 a/c, in the first place) from EDDF Rwy 25R (i.e., in the westward direction, deliberately chosen so, to fly over River Main immediately after lift-off (see shot #5), a river, I've always made it a point to catch sight of from the air and during final approach, on the umpteen occasions, I've landed in Frankfurt in RW). I then climb to 30,000 ft, along the Rwy heading, straight out, with the Autopilot selector knobs, set to "HDG" mode, and adjusting the vertical speed wheel to about 2,000 fpm (see below for one close-up shot (#11) of the pedestal Autopilot panel). There was no issue to reach (this) cruise altitude comfortably, except that my GPS (and some digital displays in the flightdeck) blanked out on my way up (I've been lately seeing this anomaly quite often in my Xbox/MSFS2020, and hope this is fixed in MSFS2024, a big nuisance indeed...though not life-threatening...🙂...)
2. Flight 2: I take off from KLAX Rwy 25R (also westward i.e., towards the Pacific Ocean, just to be safe and away from the (surrounding) inland mountains...🙂.... especially on such an experimental (low altitude) ILS landing test. I've tuned the ILS frequency of (KLAX) ILS Rwy 07L into the pedestal radios, and also into the "basic" Garmin unit... (this GPS feels same as on my Piper Seneca...🙂...we surely need INS units on this a/c for some added realism). There is mention of INS in the a/c instruction manual, and also a place-holder INS is seen in the cockpit (see below), so, hopefully, we'll soon see 2-3 units of decently functional INS instances on this a/c. Anyway, here, I cannot make the a/c follow the ILS PROCEDURE set in the GPS, nor follow any GPS Flight Plan (need to find out what I'm missing...). So, basically, my ILS approach here into KLAX ILS Rwy 07L involved a manual (360 degrees) backward turn over the waters of Pacific, and then capturing the Localizer signal at a reasonable intersect angle. This is aided by the very helpful VFR MAP (see inset), which shows all the approach fixes quite clearly for my (less than optimal) eyes...🙂.... With the Autopilot Selectors set to G/S Mode, there was no issue with Localizer guidance, but due to some reason, the (automated) Glideslope descent brought me down to the ground level, a bit ahead of the Rwy threshold. So, I need to figure it out some more, though I can still land the a/c properly if I take control of the vertical descent manually myself, in the last several hundred feet of altitude.

This LH (D-ABOB) Registration B707 is special, because:

• For the Boeing 707-400 series (manufactured by Boeing in the 1950s and 1960s), the first announced customer was Lufthansa. The -400 variant was used for international flights and is considered a classic and legendary transport plane. The 707-420 was identical to the -320 but fitted with Rolls-Royce Conway 508 turbofans (first such engine application per BOAC 707 requirements; and the "Conway" engine, named after River Conway, in Wales, was the first turbofan jet engine to enter commercial service).

• This Boeing 707-430 Lufthansa (D-ABOB) had a capacity for 179 passengers. This aircraft was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B engines. The Boeing 707-430 was the first commercial jetliner to cross the Atlantic without a stopover, opening the door for the global aviation industry. And to think that now even the baby bus A318 makes it across the Atlantic non-stop...🙂 ... (Actually, the BA A318 cannot get enough fuel onboard in London City Airport to cross the Atlantic, because London City Airport has a relatively short runway. So, it stops in Shannon, Ireland, to refuel, and then, flies across the Atlantic non-stop to New York city). 

  The 707 airliner you see, here, below, was the first to achieve the (same) feat of non-stop crossing of the Atlantic, back in late 1950s, a fact we've now taken for granted...with 70 years of aviation history in between...

Hope you enjoy this collection of images...of the iconic Boeing 707...in a classic airline livery...!

Thanks for viewing...!

Edited October 25 by P_7878

[pmplayer]

Another fine 707 set, and i see a DLH livery.. 😊

So thanks for showing !

cheers 😉

[Alaska738]

Nice set of shots! 😉 

[bernd1151]

Cool shots again of the 707, P_7878! I hope that we also get the older LH livery for this bird 😉

[P_7878]

pmplayer, Will, bernd: Many thanks for the comments...!

[Yes, bernd, that vintage LH color will look lovely on this classic bird ...🙂...I'm looking forward to more repaint packs of this plane, on my Xbox...The first set that prompted me to get this a/c is already quite good...I think...]