"Practice" Emergency Descent

The only two planes that I know of that can use TR's in flight are the DC-8 and a modified Gulfstream that NASA uses for Shuttle Pilot Training. All the planes I have flow have the TR's locked out in flight.

As I remember, the TRs on your Mighty Tri-Motor are not locked out. Early on when some training was still done in flight, reportedly one of Atlanta's finest did an Emerg Descent. He was coming off the -8 where they did open the inboards. He opened the TRs and they almost didn't get them closed.

FWIW, Concorde could reverse the inboards in flight also. It did not have any spoilers.

I have seen in the KC-135 the VSI pegged and later figured we were in excess of 10,000ft/min. Although the 737 is not known for its ability to get down, we experimented in the sim and were able to start from about 35,000ft 40-45 miles from the runway and land. We deviated from normal procedure and tossed out the gear and went 320kts to 3000ft to intercept the ILS but it worked and it was a hip-pocket technique if I ever had a fire on board and wanted to get down quickly.
 
From a fuel savings point of view, the optimum descent profile would have you stay at cruise up until the time you could pull all throttles to idle and then glide all the way to touchdown without touching them again, staying as clean as possible for as long as possible. Of course, nobody does it that efficiently.

I was just out at Honeywell and they are working on a new FMS which is aiming for an 'optimized' descent where there are no level off and you arrive at your intended fix within+_6 seconds.

Delta is working on a program that sends messages to flts enroute to adjust their speeds so that they arrive at 'posts' on the arrivals in such a manner that they spend less time level in the pattern. Doing so will save MILLIONS along with all the 'green stuff'.

But no, an emerg descent is not the most efficient. That would probably be not only an idle descent but also at optimum L/D which ATC is not going to like being so slow.
 
The Concord used to use T/R's in flight. There was a video of them going into JFK on here a while ago and the Captain gave a good explanation of it. I think it was "fairly" common for them but they did have checklist items for it, and the engineer looked pretty busy back there!

Coming late to the game... yes, Concorde could reverse the inboards. I don't think they could use all four and the story was ATC asked Concorde for a quick descent. The Capt said, "Unable." ATC told him to use the reversers. The Capt replied, "They are for me to use to cover MY screw-ups, not yours."
 
I believe i've heard one of the Russian IL-'s had the possibilty's of using the reversers in mid-air at idle reverse.

Maybe the 727'ski ? (cant remember the IL #)
Tupolev 154... bigger, heavier
DSC_8584.jpg


Also, the Brits with their Trident.
TRIDENT_2_BEA.jpg
 
There are now TWO people on my ignore list.

Congrats butt. I don't think anyone will ever exceed your level of ignorance.
 
Wow that all made me laugh...thanks guys.
And no we didn't do VLE. Too slow. MMO to VMO. Boards out in the 20s.
 
The gear stays up in a Lear 40/45 emergency descent. Descend at Mmo/Vmo with the spoilers out. I don't remember the descent rates we saw in the sim.


Lear 40/45 is not a REAL Learjet. Real Learjets have tip tanks. :D

Emergency D in the 20 and 30 series was throttles idle. spoilers extend, gear down, descend MMO till 265KIAS (VLE), then hold 265 all the way down.
 
Real jets have straight-turbojet engines too.....none of this wimpy-sounding bypass-fan crap.... :cwm27::D

Used to love at SDL, with their noise-abate crazy ways there, whenever I'd be preflighting in the early a.m., and a Saberliner 40/60 takes off with the JT-12 turbojets screaming and rattling the house. :cwm27:
 
Lear 40/45 is not a REAL Learjet. Real Learjets have tip tanks. :D

Emergency D in the 20 and 30 series was throttles idle. spoilers extend, gear down, descend MMO till 265KIAS (VLE), then hold 265 all the way down.

Sounds fun! What kind of descent rates would you see with that?
 
Never timed it, but the VSI maxes at 6k or 10k depending on the plane. It's pegged either way.

I only got to fly a jet once... During the ATP Citation familiarization ride. During that ride we had the VSI @ 10000' per minute to make a crossing restriction. It shuddered and shook and we made it. Phil ( the captain) had me call out the altitudes so he could stop the descent at 10000 feet...I really liked that. My current ride is more fun, though.
 
I only got to fly a jet once... During the ATP Citation familiarization ride. During that ride we had the VSI @ 10000' per minute to make a crossing restriction. It shuddered and shook and we made it. Phil ( the captain) had me call out the altitudes so he could stop the descent at 10000 feet...I really liked that. My current ride is more fun, though.



You should try a DC-8 doing inflight reverse at MCT! Now that's some shakin'
 
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