Boeing 367 Stratofreighter and 377 Stratocruiser - flight models.


INSTALLATION.

This release provides a total of 9 different B367/377 flight models.

The five different types of Stratocruiser actually built ranging from the early Boeing B377-10-26 to the final B377-10-32 can be flown by selecting the appropriate max payload weight in the weight and balance section of the aircraft.cfg within the Stratocruiser folder. Civilian freighter conversions of the original B377s may be selected and flown in the same way.

If you are happy to always fly with the default B377-10-32, which was the final production variant, you do not need to alter the aircraft.cfg inside the Stratocruiser folder.

The Super Stratocruiser has its own folder

The C-97 Stratofreighter has its own folder

The KC-97E tanker has its own folder

The KC-97G tanker has its own folder

Unfortunately FS2002 requires that each and every flight model has the filename aircraft.cfg. Do not allow the aircraft.cfg of one flight model to overwrite another. There are five unique aircraft.cfgs in five folders.

Add an appropriate MDL and at least one appropriate texture to the appropriate folder. If you wish to place more than one texture in a single folder you will have to alias the extra textures from within the appropriate aircraft.cfg.

I recommend that you keep panels and sounds in panel and sound directories and only alias them from within the aircraft folders, but you may of course add the same sounds and panel to each aircraft folder if you have the hard disk space to waste. The only B367/B377 panel with which these FDE are compatible is the one provided by Greg Pepper. If you use an MDL other than an MDL created by Greg Pepper you will need to adjust various parts of each aircraft.cfg to match the eyepoints, contact points, effects locations etc. Do not adjust other data. 


PILOT's HANDLING NOTES

My flight models come with version specific handling notes (*****_ref.txt). These can be printed, but should be used on screen, scrolled item by item as you fly. Do not proceed to the next operating target until you have achieved the current one. The on screen notes are called up by pressing F10 and selecting the reference tab. Any start up, pre take off and shut down checklists you use should be assigned the default ********_check.txt filename and will continue to appear on the checklist tab. 


OPERATING TECHNIQUES

This first generation of long range postwar aircraft were challenging to operate and the following is manadatory reading if you hope to replicate a real world flight in any B367/377.


Firstly the Boeing 377

It is very easy to climb any Stratocruiser to flight levels where it cannot sustain an adequate cruising speed. The (R-4360-TS3B-G) engines cannot be flown continuously in climb power (45.5 inches and 2350 rpm), the maximum for cruise is 41 inches and 2100 rpm.

In the real world the navigator would calculate the earliest time at which it was sensible to step climb another 2000 feet. In FS2002 you will need to use a dynamic technique.

Passing 9000 feet or FL90 reduce rate of climb to 500 VSI with 45.5/2350 set. Monitor your airspeed closely. As soon as your airspeed falls to 175 KIAS level off at the next flight level. You have reached your operational ceiling and cannot climb any higher until you have burned off more fuel.

Accelerate > 190 KIAS in climb power and only then reduce to max cruise power (41/2100). After about 30 minutes you should be able to climb another 2000 feet at 500 VSI using climb power. Assuming you do not have a headwind, keep doing this until you reach FL250 several hours into the flight. Never climb into a headwind unless you need to cross mountains or are required to maintain a minimum cruising level by ATC.

When you level off always accelerate > 190 KIAS in climb power, and only then reduce to max cruise power. If the speed decays through 190 KIAS in max cruise power (41/2100) you have exceeded your operational ceiling. Request a 2000 foot descent from ATC and attempt to establish > 190 KIAS cruise with 41/2100 set at the lower level.

Flying at 190 KIAS is not economical, but until you reach FL250 you want to use up the fuel at high airspeed to allow you to climb higher. Once you reach FL250 you must alter your technique.

Once established in the cruise at FL250, gradually reduce MAP below 41 inches at 2100 rpm to keep speed down to 180 KIAS.  Once you start to exceed 180 KIAS with 38/2100 set you must sustain 38 inches and begin to reduce rpm instead to maintain 180 KIAS. You may run out of fuel on a long flight if you do not manage economical cruise power at FL250 well, and at the earliest opportunity.

180 KIAS will yield about 265 KTAS at FL250. That is the optimum cruise condition, as the pressure cabin cannot withstand higher altitudes, but in a Stratocruiser it will take a very long time to establish this optimum cruise condition.

The Super Stratocruiser with extra fuel as used by PAA has its own flight model, but uses the same handling notes and techniques as the Stratocruiser.


Now the Boeing 367.

The C-97A and  C-97C Boeing 367 Stratofreighters are in effect underweight B377 Stratocruisers with less powerful (R-4360-35A) engines. The same techniques apply. Power settings to be applied are explained in the on screen handling notes (F10/reference). When flown as a freighter or during base transfer treat the KC-97E as a C-97C. There was no C-97B. I have not provided a flight model for the VC-97D flying command post. 

Do not climb the C-97 above FL250.

The KC-97E has its own flight model when flown as a tanker. The (R-4360-35C) engines lack a dry military rating, and climb will be slow. The power settings available and the variations on the B377 climb / operational ceiling techniques are set out in the on screen handling notes. Note especially that sustained climb at medium and high level will be a cruise climb at 100 ft/min as OAT rather than 500 ft/min under IFR. The KC-97E is lighter than the later tankers and does not have the underwing tanks of the KC-97G.

The KC-97F and KC-97G have much more powerful (R-4360-59B) engines with a dry military rating, but they operate at much higher weights. The operating techniques are different but are fully explained in the on screen handling notes. The ability to climb above a level which you can sustain is still a problem, but at higher power settings all round. 
The KC-97F did not have the underwing tanks of the KC-97G, but in effect it just carried more AVTUR and less AVGAS at the same weight when tasked for the same mission. The relevant aircraft.cfg explains how to remove the drag of the underwing tanks from the F.

Ensure that you can fly a long haul mission in the Stratofreighter or the Startocruiser before attempting to fly one of the tankers. The KC-97E is particularly demanding when flown in accordance with the original R-4360-35C engine restrictions, though not as demanding as a B-50D with a full bomb load.

Tankers may climb above FL250 using the power settings in the on screen handling notes, if the aircraft ever becomes light enough to do so. Obviously the highest power settings cannot be achieved at high altitude. If you cannot apply the manifold pressure called for in the handling notes apply full throttle, but remember to throttle back when you descend!

Due to limitations of FS2002 the transfer fuel (AVTUR) is in the left and right wing tanks, whilst the usable fuel (AVGAS) is in the centre (cabin) tank. It is the other way round in real life. When the handling notes call for you to transfer or dump the transfer fuel use the pull down aircraft/fuel menu to remove all the fuel from the left and right (AVTUR) tanks.

FS2002 cannot simulate aircraft with hybrid power so there is no flight model for the jet augmented tankers.

FSAviator June 2003.
