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Short flight EZE-GRU with the A330


PMSoares

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Hello Aerosoft team. 

After installing the newest version, this time I decided to make a short-range flight, from Buenos Aires - Ezeiza to Rio de Janeiro - Galeao. Fuel requirements were computed according to Simbrief. My intention was to fly a typical normal flight profile, but this time involving a go-around and diversion to an alternate airport. plane was loaded according to the weight values calculated by simbrief (240 pax plus 20 tons of cargo). Estimated flight time to destination was 02:27. Block fuel was the MFR for this mission - 22000 kg. TOW was 189.8 Tons.  This time I didn't use GSX and the aircraft was loaded accordingly. Takeoff was normal. I used CONF 1+F and was able to position the flap lever in position 1 after engine start, and was also able to retract normally from 1 to 0 after takeoff. I intentionally forgot to turn the packs to ON after takeoff and I got the PACK 1 and PACK 2 ECAM alerts. Manual flight behaviour during climb was essentially the same as I was experiencing using FSUIPC axis calibration. The plane climbed according to the SID profile, meeting all altitude constraints, even some manually inserted after takeoff. Top of Climb was reached exactly on the estimated time (23 min). While the actual burned fuel and actual remaining fuel were very close to the values calculated by simbrief, the FMGS-calculated values were absolutely incorrect. I decided to maintain Mach .80 using a lateral revision and insert the Mach and Start Point, but it kept Mach .808 instead of .80 When this Mach constraint is inserted, it is displayed in the Navigation Display if you use the CSTR EFIS option. Fuel consumption was quite close to the A332 performance tables for the same weight (182 tons ISA).

Some issues I noted during the cruise flight:

 

A- After clearing the Mach Number field, the FMGS speed dropped to zero. Had to continue the flight using M.80 as selected speed. Neat the TOD it came back to normal. 
B- No ECAM memo OUTR FUEL XFR during outer to inner fuel transfer. Outer to inner tank transfer logic should be improved. The outer tanks start the transfer when the inner tank quantity drops below 3500. They stop the transfer when the inner tanks reach 4000 kg. The outer to inner transfer rate should be higher than the aircraft fuel flow. Currently they're barely keeping the inners at the same level, not being able to increase the inner tank fuel quantiy. Only during the descent, as the fuell flow is much lower, the outer tanks are able to fill the inner tanks. 
C- After inserting a FIX INFO radial, when I selected a DIR-TO to the next waypoint, it started a 360 left turn. After selecting another direct to, plane resumed normal flight path.
D- ACARS remains a little bit confused. Sometimes even when I insert the destination ICAO code for the METAR, it displays weather info for either the origin or alternate airport. It's not possible to display more than one airport metar. 

 

After starting the descent, it was noted that the ENABLE ALTN option had disappeared. After re-inserting the ALTN airport again (in the INIT-A page) the Enable ALTN option came back, but disappeared after editing the ALTN F-PLN to include the altn route. The Enable ALTN option should be available during all times. 

After an ILS to runway 11 I started the missed approach procedure right at ILS minimums. The fuel consumption up to that moment was less than 180 kg more than Simbrief's calculations. The aircraft flew the misssed approach procedure with good accuracy. However some issues appeared after the acceleration altitude. 

 

A- I was unable to activated a managed climb. It went from SRS to OP CLB, and thus I had to set all altitude constraints (and there are some in this missed approac procedure) in the FCU alt window. Only after activating the approach phase and then inserting a new CRZ ALT in the PROG Page, I was able to continue a managed climb, something not convenient in such a high workload phase. This should be adressed by the dev team. 

B- At the missed aproach holding fix , I had to insert again the alternate airport in the INIT-A page and then the Enable ALTN became available, however I had to insert the alt route again, including airway and STAR/IFR procedure.  

C- When you change from destination to ALTN airport, the PERF APPR and PERF GO AROUND pages should be cleared from all the data, since you're no longer flying to the airport that had that info (QNH, wind, temp, MDA). Moreover, the PERF GO AROUND page is maintaining the THR red/accel altitudes of the original destination airport. This can cause serious problems if your ALTN airport has a higher elevation that the original destination airport. It's the case in this flight. 

D- The ECAM LDG MEMO appeared at cruise altitude. It should be displayed only below 2000 ft Radio Altimeter. 

E- The ECAM Wheel page remained displayed instead of the CRUISE page. 


The descent went normally and the plane was able to meet all altiutude and speed constraints. However, there's one issue with the managed descent:

The aircraft will try its best to honour  the altitude constraints during the descent. It will adjust its speed within +/- 20 kt from the target descent speed, however if the speed tergat speed is too low, the aircraft will become high on the approach profile. This is specially true after approach phase activation. During the descent, after appr phase activation I found that the aircraft tried to maintain the descent path, ignoring the speed. 

Once again I tried an autoland and the AP disengaged right at touchdown. 

My landing fuel was 3460 Kg, only 280 kg below the planned EFOB at alternate airport, and even this small difference may be credited to a longer STAR than planned. 

Taxi-in and shutdown had no particular issues. 

In conlusion, the plane is absolutely flyable. Minor issues that when adressed will make this a great add-on!

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