Duxford Scenery: thank you Airfield Construction Group (now closed)
This is my favorite among Classic Liveries, if I could afford an aircraft this would be her skin. I started at 10:30 GMT (11:30 Duxford time) when the show flies a Dominie to compare flight caracteristics. First, the Boeing 221A, all hatchs open (maybe a Hudson river ditching precaution?
):
Dominie has shorter take off run & climbs faster, but retracting the gear allows the 221A to catch up with her:
One nice thing about flying windowed (& widowed too
) I can switch aircraft in flight. The Fox Moth is slower than a Dominie (same tails but different aerodinamics) who quickly vanishes into the morning mist...
This is the original Standard Eagle who tried a world flight but crash-landed in Siberia, a Vega 5B. Very long take off run & slow climb rate...
...but smoother aerodinamics allows to catch up & overtake Dominie!
with a DH.88 Comet I can fly circles around Dominie! Same tails again
The classic DC-3 is a heavier aircraft: takes its time for rotating speed at take-off and needs more speed to climb after Dominie, but after gear retract overtakes her easily!
I end this Eagle Saga with the ONLY EXCEPTiON I have in my sims for a 4 engine aircraft: not even the Connie that I like so much (one of my favorite aircraft, the Jaguar XKE of the skies for me) is in my stable. The DH.91 Albatross: when she's just lifting her tail wheel, Dominie is already climbing fast!
After gear retract I start catching up fast & overtake Dominie
So I finish this Eagle flight saga heading back to Duxford. The Control Tower acknowledges my decision:
UPS!! Stopped right at the end of the tarmac!! Next time I better use full flaps
