Revell Airbus A380 New Livery (first flight) 1:144
First large model build for a long long time! Decided to start with the Airbus A380, in 1:144 scale. This beast is 50cm long and over 55cm wide. I’ll be using this to learn some of the techniques for modelling so I will get it horribly wrong in some places but will not rush the project!
This is the box, just opened..
First step was to assemble the cockpit & start putting together the nose-landing gear. Painting not so great on the cockpit – had real problems with the acrylic paint sticking (discovered plastic primer paint a bit later in the project!) 
Fairly pleased with this after painting – looks nice & metallic!
Flying – lesson 14, 12 hours 5 mins
Should really keep this more up to date, time for a brief recap on where I am with the whole flying thing!
Things are easier.. much easier, takeoffs and landings, circuits are very tight, I’ve passed avation law (first exam of seven) and I’m starting on practical navigation exercises.
I’ve kept the same instructor (John Smith) for the past ten lessons, we have a good rapport and he has taught me a lot by letting me make my own silly mistakes in the air & on the ground. Nothing teaches you quicker than AFIS (the person in the control tower – aerodrome flight information service) correcting you when you readback something wrong!
My lessons now go something like this: -
Arrive at airfield, have a quick coffee if I’m early (which I usually am), have 10 minutes with John to discuss the plan of action then he tells me if I need to do a T-check (which is a quick check around the aircraft if it’s been out that day) or an A-check (not sure if that is 100% correct as I’ve only done one but involves checking the fuel for water – there’s a checklist in the plane anyway).
Usually, I head out and start my t-check – there’s a cafe next door to the airfield and I’m concious of loads of people watching me while I’m doing it but I soon forget all about that and get down to business. I start at the front of the plane, checking the nose-wheel for any cracks, damage or lateral movement (wouldn’t want that when landing!) and I generally work my way around the plane, checking every rivet, screw etc. I put the flaps down before I start so I can have a good look to see if they’re operating correctly and if there is any rubbish jammed in there. As I work my way around the plane, I check both ailerons to check the control column is moving to the correct extent and check the elevator for full free & correct movement (and also to see if there is any vertical movement on the hinges – wouldn’t want that to be loose in the air!). I also have a quick look at the oil before I get in, much better to top up before we take off than have to deal with it in the air!
Round the front I check the prop is undamaged/even & the pitot tube & engine cooling intake is clear – again, better to notice these things on the ground!
Once I’m happy that the plane is airworthy (in my very humble opinion), I get strapped in and I’m ready to go!
John usually turns up singing some tune, and patiently waits while I do my (engine) pre-start checks. I’ll elaborate more on these in future but basically like the external checks making sure everything inside the cockpit is reading as it should be and the engine is ready to start. Once I start the engine I do a few power checks to make sure it is running as it should be then it’s time for the first radio call to the tower!
“Wellesbourne information, Golf Whisky Alpha Victor Victor, radio check and taxi for local, two people on board”
Still not great with the readbacks so the next bit may be wrong but they usually respond back with something like: -
“Golf Victor Victor, Wellesbourne information, readibility three – you are quite faint, runway 36 right, hold echo, QNH 1016″
I then have to read back with something like: -
“runway 36 right, hold echo, QNH 1016 Golf Victor Victor”
The runway number is the one we will be taking off from – you can guess this from the wind-sock on the drive in which I always make a note of – take off into wind. The Runway number – 36 – is the one at roughly 360 degrees (i.e. North), the hold echo is a holding point where you have to wait before going on the actual runway, the QNH refers to the setting on the altimeter you need to put in (which is basically a barometer) in millebars and the Golf-Victor-Victor is me!
At this point, I take off the parking brake and get moving to the hold point!
At the hold, I turn the aircraft so it’s pointing into wind and do some proper power checks, ramping the engine up and down, check each magneto (a bit like an alternator on a car, these provide power to the spark plugs) while always checking the temperatures/pressures of the oil & fuel.
I then move to the holding point, listen out & look out to see if anybody is in the circuit (or on final to land!) and make my call to the tower: -
“Golf Victor Victor holding at 36 Alpha ready for departure” (not allowed to say take-off)
The response should be something like (as I have already checked to see if the runway is available)
“Golf Victor Victor, takeoff at your discretion, surface wind 020 5″
(which means the wind is coming from 020 degrees at 5 knots – I have a quick look on the direction indicator which is like a fancy compass and decide if it’s going to affect my takeoff and climb. Anything between 0-10 knots shouldn’t really cause a problem.)
I respond, “Golf Victor Victor” just to let him know I have received his transmission (I don’t have to read back weather information)
There may be other responses of course, there is a massive thick manual on all the radiotelephony stuff I should be learning (which I do read but it trickles in slowly!). The other obvious things are making me wait at the hold while another plane lands or clears the runway or asking me to line up & report while they wait for another plane to clear the runway. It’s common sense, listen to what you’re told and repeat back any instructions!
Anyway, I’m now at the start of the runway, it’s time for one last check on the dials that everything is making sense and I hold down the toe-brakes, push the throttle up to 2000rpm and release the toe-brakes. As soon as the plane starts to move I push full throttle and put some slight pressure on the right-rudder (as the plane yaws left at this stage – there are three reasons for this – I’ll explain another time) to keep the plane in a straight line and at around 65 knots I apply slight back-pressure to the yoke & we’re airbourne!
Quick check on the dials, temperatures & pressures in the green. Everything sounds normal, 300 feet and flaps can go up (I’ll explain flaps another time!). Trim for the climb and we’re flying!
John says next lesson will be solo (flying without him) as long as I get my medical certificate (which says I won’t drop dead in the middle of my next landing). That’s the next plan of action!
FSX Tileproxy – fix for grainy textures
Just popped this here so I remember if I ever reinstall FSX & Tileproxy!
There is a setting in the fsx.cfg file which makes the scenery (and autogen objects) shimmer or look a bit grainy. Removing the MipBias=6 line from fsx.cfg fixes the problem for me (ATI Radeon 1900)