A321 IAE final approach pitch attitude

[Airbus339 129]

Hello,

I've recently flown the IAE A321 after some time (I think it was my first flight with the new 1.31 version) and the pitch attitude during final approach (aircraft fully configured for landing) draw my attention.

I had a pitch of approximately +5°/+6° which gives you little clearance from tailstrike during flare: if you want to make a good landing you have to pull until +7°/+8° during flare which, according to some data I've collected, is only 2° less than the tailstrike angle. 

I saw many videos on YT featuring A321 cockpit landing: as opposed to A319 and A320 they have much less pitch during final approach to indeed prevent tailstrike.

I hope this can be corrected for SP4.

 

[Airbus339 129]

Anyone about this?

[Airbus339 129]

 

Anyone about this?

 

[atav757 19]

Are you at the correct VAPP? / a realistic CG?

[skelsey 103]

I've not got enough FS A321 time to speak with certainty, but the figures quotes don't sound too far off.

 

From http://www.smartcockpit.com/docs/Avoiding_Tailstrikes_by_Airbus.pdf -- the A321 geometry limit at touchdown is 11.2 degrees, with a pitch attitude at touchdown of 6.6 degrees. I'm not sure that I could necessarily fly to .6 of a degree, so call it 7 -- allowing for a flare of 1-2 degrees, a pitch on final of around 5-6 degrees sounds reasonable. The Aerosoft bus may be slightly high, but I don't think it's that bad an effort. If you are concerned, you can always add a couple of knots to Vapp (something real world pilots sometimes do as well, especially in the A321 or when using Flap 3).

 

The A321 is very (over!) long and is prone to tailstrikes if handled roughly, but whilst 3-4 degrees is a slimmer margin than available on the A319 and A320, it's still a fairly significant pull.

[Airbus339 129]

Never heard using FLAP3 with an A321. Will try in the next flight to add a couple of knots at the VAPP

[The Dude 6537]

Flaps3 is a very normal landing setting in the A321, as with the other models in the family. I do not like it but that is a different story.

Do try 3 kts more or so. If you check the MCDU Vls with the PFD Vls you will notice that the MCDU one is too low.

[Nishio 2]

Same problem here,when I flare the A321 with IAE2500 it pitch up to   +6°  and the  FPM is about -250 which is just firm. The vls is 142 and I add it to 147.It cause the GS increase and so as the VS.(CAVOK,120px and with 4klbs fuel left).Sometime it can be +10° from touch down and it scares me a lot.

However, when I fly the A320 and A319 with IAE engine everything goes fine, approach angle is between +2°-+4° and flare angle always below  +4° with very firm landing(-100 around) .

 

PS:What is the critical angle of A321? 

[Airbus339 129]

As written above you have a tailstrike at around 11°. 

Unfortunately, the only way to have a decent pitch at touchdown is to add two or three knots at Vapp.

[The Dude 6537]

1 hour ago, Airbus339 said:

 

Unfortunately, the only way to have a decent pitch at touchdown is to add two or three knots at Vapp.

 

Not unfortunately, it is the same IRL. If the Vls in the PFD is not the same as in the MCDU you should change Vapp to get Vls+5. The AS Airbus has the difference as a normal state altough it would have been nicer to have it vary.