Chapter 8: Features and Flight in X-Plane Airliner

X-Plane Airliner is one of the spinoffs of the X-Plane 9 app. It is designed to simulate airliners and the relatively long range, instrument-capable flights that they perform. It is by far the most powerful app we have yet released for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Remember that unfamiliar terms used in this section may be found in the glossary.

X-Plane Airliner gives the user control of throttle, flaps, speedbrakes, and trim—much more control than is available in the X-Plane 9 app. Along with the new flight controls, the cockpits of these aircraft are equipped with a full glass EFIS system that displays airspeed, heading, altitude, vertical speed, Mach number, DME, and HSI with localizer and glideslope in the same manner as the real airliners. Additionally, a moving-map glass display gives the user complete situational awareness during flight, just like in real airliners.

Each of X-Plane Airliner’s flight regions are hundreds of square miles in size, with enormous numbers of NAVAIDs and airports. The Southern California region, for instance, spans from San Diego clear up to Edwards Air Force Base, accurately laying out airports and NAVAIDs (such as localizers, VORs, and ILSs) as they are situated in the real world.

These large flying areas combined with a large number of airports and NAVAIDs let the user practice relatively long flights in any weather using glass cockpit EFIS instrumentation with moving maps. The airliners can be flown across the scenic terrain of Southern California in nice weather while enjoying the view, or in hardball IFR conditions using the glass instrumentation to pilot safely through the night.

Note that the autopilot and navigation instruments work as described in Chapter 12.

Aircraft
The following aircraft are included in X-Plane Airliner:
 * Boeing 777
 * Boeing 747
 * Airbus A380
 * Boeing 787
 * McDonnell Douglas MD-88
 * Boeing 737
 * Airbus A320
 * Boeing 757
 * Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde

The Boeing 777 is the standard for modern airliner design and efficiency, while the 747 is a double-decker, four-engine craft, known as the original “Jumbo Jet.”

The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest airplane (nicknamed the Super Jumbo), complete with fly-by-wire controls. It was entered in to service as recently as 2007.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a new carbon-fiber, high-bypass, ultra-efficient airliner due to enter service in late 2010.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and the Boeing 737 are twin-engine, medium-range craft that are (relatively) small. The Airbus A320 is slightly larger than the 737 and was designed to challenge both it and Boeing's 727 on the market. With its narrow body and medium size, the Boeing 757 is of a similar design also.

The iconic Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde is one of two supersonic commercial airliners ever flown. Its ability to cruise at Mach 2 at 60,000 feet allowed it to make the trip from New York to London in under three hours.

Reverse thrust capabilities are available in all of the X-Plane Airliner aircraft. As with other reverse thrust-capable aircraft, the throttle slider in these jets will sit by default about 1/3 of the way up the screen. Drag it to the bottom of the screen to give the aircraft full backward throttle, or drag it to the top of the screen to give it full forward throttle.

Listed below are the approximate takeoff speeds for the aircraft in X-Plane Airliner. Note that it is a good idea to add a few knots to these speeds in order to provide a “speed cushion” that prevents stalling.


 * {| width="400" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"


 * + Approximate Takeoff Speeds
 * Aircraft
 * Approx. Takeoff Speed (knots)
 * Boeing 747
 * 155
 * Boeing 777
 * 140
 * Boeing 737
 * 120
 * Airbus A380
 * 170
 * Boeing 787
 * 150
 * McDonnell Douglas MD-88
 * 120
 * Airbus A320
 * 130
 * Boeing 757
 * 120
 * Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde
 * 190
 * }
 * Airbus A320
 * 130
 * Boeing 757
 * 120
 * Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde
 * 190
 * }
 * Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde
 * 190
 * }

Regions and Airports
X-Plane Airliner includes six flight regions. First is Southern California, which spans America’s West Coast from Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) in the north to Imperial Beach (KNRS), just south of San Diego.

The New York region spans from eastern New Jersey to near the center of New York’s Long Island, including LaGuardia (KLGA).

Also included are:
 * Anchorage, Alaska
 * Seattle-Tacoma area, Washington
 * Chicago, Illinois
 * Miami, Florida

Taking Off and Flying
Flying the aircraft in X-Plane Airliner is quite different from flying, say, the X-Plane 9 craft. The airliners are much, much heavier than the other planes, and thus require a great deal more lift to get off the ground. For pilots who are used to flying, say, the Cirrus Vision from X-Plane 9, these ungainly planes will feel very sluggish.

Let's walk through the flight of X-Plane Airliner's default aircraft, the Boeing 747. We'll begin at the Southern California region's default airport, Ontario International Airport (KONT).

First, tap the BRAKES button to toggle the brakes off (labeled 1 in the image below). Drag the FLAP slider (labeled 2 in the following image) about one third of the way down. Pulling in the flaps like this will provide some extra lift to get the aircraft off the ground more quickly. Next, drag the THROT slider (labeled 3 in the screenshot below) all the way to the top of the screen, thus giving the craft full throttle.


 * [[Image:Airliner_takeoff_mobile.png]]

When the aircraft reaches about 150 knots (as per the airspeed indicator, labeled 4 in the image above), gently tilt the iPhone or iPod back in order to pull the craft's nose off the ground.

Keep climbing at a shallow pitch (say, about 5 degrees) for a few seconds in order to get away from the ground, then gently raise the plane's nose up to about 15 degrees. Tap the GEAR button (labeled 5 in the image above) to toggle the gear up, then bring the FLAP slider back to the top of the screen, as per the screenshot below. Setting the flaps back to neutral like this will minimize the drag on the craft as it climbs.


 * [[Image:Airliner_climb_mobile.png]]

Continue climbing until the desired altitude is reached (as indicated by the altimeter, labeled 1 in the image above). At that point, level the nose off and bring the throttle down to about three quarters of its maximum.

Use the trim control to hold the desired pitch of the nose. For instance, to hold the nose up, drag the TRIM slider down a bit. To hold the nose down, drag the TRIM slider up a bit. This is ergonomically equivalent to using a real trim wheel, which the pilot rolls up to push the nose down, or down to pull the nose up.

In order to maintain control of the 747, be sure to always keep its above 140 knots as an absolute minimum. Holding a more comfortable speed of 170 or 180 knots is desirable.

Now let's discuss landing the 747. Approaches to the runway can be easily practiced by tapping the Final button from the Map screen (found in the Settings menu—see Chapter 2). This will set the plane in the air, lined up with the indicated airport while still a few miles away.

When the desired airport is in sight and the aircraft is lined up with it, it's time to begin the approach in earnest. The key to the approach is to gradually slow the craft down while also gradually descending to the level of the airport.

Ideally, the airplane will have slowed down to just above its stall speed at the point that it touches down. In the 747, this means its speed should be gradually decreasing on the approach so that the instant before it touches down, it is traveling at about 150 knots. In order to slow to this speed, it will be necessary to slowly back the throttle down and pull in full flaps (by dragging the FLAP slider to the bottom of the screen). The speedbrake may also be required—drag it down to decrease the aircraft's speed without affecting the craft’s pitch.

In the descent, pitch the nose downward between 3 and 5 degrees. This will provide a shallow, controlled descent. In the seconds before the aircraft touches down, raise the nose up to about 7 degrees. This will cause the back wheels to touch down first, creating a very smooth landing.

Once flying has been mastered using the manual controls, try flying with the autopilot or landing using an ILS, both of which are described in Chapter 12.