1954 Piper Apache 150 for Fs2004
The origins of the PA-23 Apache (one of the first widely available GA twins and Piper's first "Indian") lie in the early postwar Twin Stinson design. Piper acquired the assets of Consolidated Vultee's Stinson Aircraft division in 1948, and inherited a design study for a modern four place light twin. Piper left the design dormant for a few years until 1952 when it built a prototype aircraft, cn 23-01, based on the Stinson design. The low wing four seat twin was powered by 93kW (125hp) engines, had fabric covering, fixed undercarriage and a twin fin tail design. Unsatisfactory flight trials led Piper to substantially redesign cn 23-01, introducing more powerful 110kW (150hp) engines, metal construction, retractable undercarriage and a conventional tail unit. The redesigned twin flew for the first time on March 2 1952. Production deliveries occurred from March 1954.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine make/model: Lycoming O-320-A1A
Horsepower@rpm@altitude: 300@2700@SL
Horsepower For Takeoff: 300
TBO hours: 2200
Fuel Type: 100LL
Propeller type/diameter (in.): CS/76
Landing gear type: Tri/Retr.
Max ramp weight (lbs.): 3800
Gross weight (lbs): 3800
Landing weight (lbs.): 3800
Std. empty weight (lbs.): 2215
Useful load - std. (lbs.): 1585
Payload - full std. fuel (lbs.): 1153
Useable fuel - std. (gals.): 72
Oil capacity (qts.): 8
Wingspan (ft.): 37
Overall length: 27 ft. 1 in.
Height: 9 ft. 6 in.
Wing area (sq. ft.): 208
Wing loading (lbs./sq. ft.): 12.7
Power loading (lbs.): 12.7
Wheel base: 7 ft. 4 in.
Wheel track: 11 ft. 4 in.
Wheel size (in.): 6.00 x 6
Seating capacity: 4
Cabin doors : 1
Cabin width (in.): 48
Cabin height (in.): 50
Baggage capacity (lbs./cu. ft.): 200/25
PERFORMANCE
Cruise speed (knots):
Altitude Speed
75% power: 6,000 140
65% power: 9,000 127
55% power: 12,000 115
Max range (nm):
75% power: 700*
65% power: 813*
55% power: 978*
Fuel consumption (gph):
75% power 18.0
65% power 16.0
55% power 14.0
Estimated endurance
(60%) (hrs.): 6.0
Vs (kts.): 59
Vso (kts.): 51
Best rate of climb, SL (fpm): 1150
Best rate of climb, 8000 ft. (fpm): 600
Service ceiling (ft.): 15,500
Single-engine absolute ceiling (ft.): 5000
Takeoff ground roll (ft.): 1290
Takeoff over 50-ft. obstacle (ft.): 1600
Landing ground roll (ft.): 750
Landing over 50-ft. obstacle (ft.): 1360
* estimated
INSTALLATION:
Installation is a matter of using the included installer to install the aircraft, scenery and related files to your fs2004 installation. PLEASE DO NOT MANUALLY INSTALL AS YOU MIGHT MISS FILES AND BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE RESULTS!
Also please read the rest of this text before booting up the program so you can operate everything as designed!! PLEASE!!..;O))
AIRCRAFT OPERATION:
Please read the Checklists provided where appropriate before operating each aircraft to fully enjoy the included features!
If you desire, the virtual cockpit pan rate can be adjusted in your main fs9.cfg file from the default 400 to 900 which allows much faster more realistic panning using the hat switch. These aircraft have been designed so that full 100% zoom should be used in the Virtual Cockpit. This improves frame rates and gives a nicer view of the world below. I would highly recommend getting the great Active Camera program and setting head latency at 1.0 ! It has literally transformed my flightsimming and I couldn't fly with out it now!!!!! In your new Custom Classics Extras folder there is a revised langauge.dll file in the "NoTxt.zip" that removes the red brake and parking brake texts from the screen to add a little to the realism. Give it a try!
Vitual Cockpit Operation: The virtual cockpit has been designed so that most functions can be accessed with the mouse It helps to have "tooltips" operational to help in their use. Also printing out this text as a reference will make things easier. Most switches are fully clickable as well as the throttles, mixture levers etc. The radio is multi function and easily used by clicking around the knob.
Icing will occur in Winter above 5000ft AGL! Use the DE-ICE switch and it will melt in about 8 seconds.
In addition "hot spots" have been assigned to perform certain functions:
Clicking on the "Sectional Map" brings up the Map Window
Clicking on your Registration Number toggles the ATC Window
Clicking on the right seat brings up the passengers.
Clicking on the door handle opens and closes the door.
Clicking on the parking brake will engage or disengage it.
The abbreviated check list on the panel can be used to fly fine but to see the expanded complete actual version access the Aircraft/Kneeboard/ Checklist and Reference HTMLs. Each item can be checked off by clicking the appropriate boxes. The Apache is an easy to fly solid airplane that will take you anywhere in relative 1950s luxury!
SCENERY:
The scenery is set in 1950s Minnesota near Two Harbors on Beautiful Lake Superior. There are 6 flights included to get you started so that you become familiar with the planes and the area. Try them in order! Your Dairy Farm has a sloping dirt runway with a stubborn mud puddle near the southern end. You can splash water as you go through it. It's deep and if you taxi slowly it will kill your engines! Tuning the ADF to 000 will turn on the runway lights. It is hoped that you will run Autogen at extremely dense to see all the surrounding farms and other structures.
Keyboard Commands. If you do not want to use the mouse in the Vc or Main panel view follow these keyboard commands:
Open Door= Hold down shift and E briefly. Door will open.
Put Passengers On Board= Push the / key...
Full Rich Mixture for Starting= Push Shift and Control and F4
Main Power Bus= Push Shift and M
Lights= Push L key
Start Engine= Hold M and + keys till engine catches or Control-E
Adjust Trim= Use Home and End keys...
Flaps= Use F5 thru F8 keys or flaps buttons on joystick.
Gear=Use G key
CONCLUSION:
We hope you enjoy using these models as much as we did in creating them!! These models were built with FSDS2, the super new building program from Louis Sinclair! We owe a big thank you to Rob Clark for letting us incorporate his neat multi radio gauge into the virtual cockpit views! Also many thanks to Bill Womack for helping with the check lists! Please let us know what you like or don't like about these aircraft so we can direct future efforts toward creating more realistic and enjoyable virtual flying experiences...:o))
Lynn and Bill Lyons
Custom Classic Aircraft
Support Forum at The Old Hangar http://www.theoldhangar.com/