Let's take a look at the overhead panel! "Hell yeah!", I hear you say. It is after all the nerve center of the aircraft. Nothing goes in the aircraft until you consult the overhead panel first.
Why do you have to open the pneumatic crossfeed valves to de-ice the wings? Exactly what does the AC bus cross-tie switch do? And why do the engines only draw fuel from the center tank when all the fuel booster pumps are on? The key to understanding these and many other aspects of your aircraft is studying the schematic drawings for the various aircraft systems. That may sound a little bit dry, but to help you out I have included a Schematics section in the DC-9 Classic Flight Center that gives you live interactive schematic drawings.
Failure simulation. This is what in my opinion takes the DC-9 Classic, and all other addons that includes such a feature, to the next level. Usually when you simulate a system in an aircraft, you simulate ON or OFF in a normal state. With failure simulation a system can also be simulated ON or OFF in a failed state. While OFF is usually OFF regardless of state, ON and failed at the same time is where it can get really busy real fast on the flight deck.
The DC-9 is equipped with the Sperry SP-50 Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), which is a gyroscopically controlled electromechanical system. The DC-9 is an old school aircraft and the autopilot installed in this aircraft is very much old school too. If you are used to flying with modern autopilots, you will find that this autopilot works a bit differently than the other autopilots you may be familiar with.
Just recently came across an article on the Internet that detailed the differences between the various DC-9 models, as well as the MD-80 series, the MD-90 and B717. I thought it was a very interesting article and I wanted to share it with you.
Radio navigation is the name of the game when you are flying a DC-9. Radio navigation, like all new things in life, can be difficult to understand at first. But once you have mastered it, it becomes second nature and you will have a much better mental picture of where you are, where you are going, and how to get there.
What exactly is radio navigation? In short, radio navigation is the art of locating your position on the earth by use of radio waves. Radio waves can be used to find direction (bearing), distance (ranging) and also velocity to or from a station.
With so many aircraft designs flying around, why choose to develop a DC-9 for FSX? It’s a cool aircraft! What more do you need?! Well, actually the logic behind choosing to develop the DC-9 goes a bit deeper than that. I will try to explain.