A few questions for ACA J41 pilot's

[Shed Driver]

What are they like to fly?

What tends to cause most delays/canceled flights with the aircraft?

Is it true they have some sort of ground spoiler to reduce landing distances?

The flight deck looks a little cramped, is the room for flight bags or do they have to be stored outside the flight deck?

Can they carry 29 pax out of a 4900ft rwy and fly 150-200nm at ISA+15?

What would the TAS and Fuel Flow be at F100, F150 and F200 at ISA+15?

What would a typical operating weight (aircraft+pilots and FA) be?

When are they due to leave the fleet?

Thanks

Shed Driver

 

[zkmayo]

Shed Driver,

Its been a couple years since I flew J41s at ACA but Ill give your ?s a try:

Flying qualities: Flies pretty nice for a Jetstream. Much nicer/more stable/predictable than a 32. Controls are stiff esp in roll, pitch control pretty smooth and balanced. Yaw isnt too bad thx to counterrotating props. Does well in xwind. 35kt xwind limit very high (good). Gear is stiff and hard to get a roller unless rwy is wet. Loud as hell, 1500shp/side geared garrets. Cabin cramped and hot. Its fast for a tp though, mixes well with jets near the airport. Hardest thing--slowing down. Really have to plan descents as it is deceptively slick, esp with samauri shaped prop blades and high torque output even at flight idle. High final flap speed at 140kias. aircraft does not like to slow down and go down. 2nd generation EFIS panel nicer than say a Saab 340.
Needs APU. Aircond is not adequate to cool ac properly. Plane is predictable and overall fun for pilots to fly minus heat and noise.


Cnxld/delayed flts: Loading/w&b is an issue. Lots of bags can put cg out of limits. BOW have come up over the years resulting is less Useful load. If you carry alot of fuel ie you need an
alternate and destination not far away, you will have to bump pax or bags. At MTOW you have to burn 700lbs before you can land which doesnt help things (about 45 mins of flying).
Plane is very electrical and built in GB which is never a good combo (ask any MG or Jaguar owner). Most mx glitches are a result of electrical probs. Engines were very reliable, once started; computers controlling engine start and parameters sometimes acted up. Doesnt like cold snaps/season changes; it seemed all the glitches came out then. In general as the airplane has aged, ac have gotten harder to maintain. But not nearly as hard or as fast as the Dojets.

There is a grnd spoiler system that deploys auto on landing when armed. You take a big preformance hit if theyre deferred so I guess they work. Only for gnd use/no flight spoilers (also like dojet). Beta/reverse seemed much more effective.

The cockpit is cramped but Im a tall guy and never had to complain too much about it. Its cozy without being unbearable. Bags go betwn two pilots on floor under the js. The heat was what got you tired.

29 peps, 150-200mi, ISA+15 4900ft: Yes, the aircraft do that daily. If you dont have to carry enough fuel for a distant alternate, this flight is routine. A close alternate prob wouldnt be too bad/limiting on pax or bags and prob could still take the full load. Prob be landing wt limited or ZFW in this senario.

TAS 10,15,20k ISA +15: These are estimates based upon from what I remember IAS at those alts:
10k: 280TAS, 15K: 290TAS, 20k: 275TAS
Plane really liked 15-17k. Got on speed quickly there, ok fuel burn about 1000 lbs/hr total. Above 20k, its a diff ac. Got to be less than 23k lbs, ice off unless less than say 21k lbs. only good for long flight, twinds and range to go up there.

Typical BOW: 15500 if memory serves me right.

Fleet exit: 17 leave the fleet Jun 3 2004 and the remaining 5 leave Aug 4 2004.

Hope this helps.

PS Some current 41 drivers could give you a more accurate picture but Im not far off.

 

[Propblast]

shed driver,

what zkmayo said is very accurate. esp. maint delays. the acft. doesn't do very well in the rain either.

BOW wt. is generally 15200 - 15350.

In the scenario you provided ZFW would probably be the limiter but it is close. in any case the new pax/bags weights have really thrown a wrench in the works. we used to do 29 pax and 40 bags (more than you could fit in the aft cargo) with the old weights when ZFW limited - now it's more like 29 and 14 if you are lucky. the pax/bag limits on your scenario would be about the same whether it is ZFW or performance because it is so close.

Propblast

P.S. The flight deck is cramped and extremely hot in the summer 9esp. on the left side)

 

[Shed Driver]

Thanks for the info guys.

Just a question about the new passenger weights that have been mentioned, what are/will they be?

Down under is just about to introduce replace our current regulations with a mix of regs from the FAA and JAA so if you guys about to introduce new pax weights our CASA may do the same.

 

[Shed Driver]

Just thought of a few more questions.

Can you gain in-flight access to the the rear baggage compartment and is it fitted with a smoke detector?

Is the underfloor/pod baggage fitted with a smoke detector and or extinguisher?

Can the aircraft accept wheelchair passengers, and if so does it require a special lift?

 

[Herman Bloom]

Can you gain in-flight access to the the rear baggage compartment and is it fitted with a smoke detector?

Why do you need to know this?

Trying not to be paranoid.

 

[medic&cfi]

Can you gain in-flight access to the the rear baggage compartment and is it fitted with a smoke detector?

Well, this just took a strange turn towards the creepy. I too am wondering why someone would be asking this.

 

[Reebo]

Re: J41

the J41 at Trans States are as follows...

MTOW 24,400


MTOW is acually 24.000

 

[Reebo]

Re: Re: J41

the J41 at Trans States are as follows...

MTOW 24,400


MTOW is acually 24.000

Computer issues, should read MTOW is actually 24,000

 

[Shed Driver]

You guys are far to paranoid and obviously have not read my other questions re passenger weights or looked at my previous post regarding regional turboprop aircraft performance. So once more for the paranoid, I work for a company in Australia (that big island south of the equator) currently operating Shorts 360 and who in the future my require a more modern aircraft to replace it, hence my posts.

The reason I asked about the baggage compartments is due to a CASA(our FAA) requiring the following AD to be applied to all passenger carrying aircraft from October this year. The Dash 8-100 is except from this AD due to fact the crew can access the rear baggage compartment to fight a fire if required. If the J41 is the same then it too would be excepted, hence the question. If the pod/underfloor does not have a smoke detector and some means to contain a fire then it would not be able to be used for stowage of bags, hence the question.

Page 1 of 2
Aircraft - General
AD/GENERAL/76
Amdt 1
Class D Cargo Compartments
Re-classification
8/2002
Applicability: All aeroplanes used in commercial operations under CAR(1988) 206 (1) c, above
5700 kgs (12,500lbs) maximum take off weight (type certificated after 1 Jan 1958),
and a Certificate of Airworthiness in the Transport category, with class D category
cargo compartments (as defined by 14 CFR Part 25.857 at Amdt 25-60).
Requirement: All applicable aeroplane class D cargo compartments are to be upgraded to meet
either :
a. Class C cargo compartment design standards for passenger carrying operations,
Or
b. Class E cargo compartment design standards for freight operations.
In meeting this requirement, operators are to ensure that the modifications do not
affect detrimentally the operational capability of the aeroplane in terms of extended
range operations. The design standard of 14 CFR Part 25.858 is the design standard
to be met by modifications incorporated under this directive. Operating standard CFR
121.314 is to be followed until a harmonised Australian operating standard is issued.
Note: FAA Final Rule Docket No 28937, Amdt 25-93 and 121-269 on changes to
CFR Parts 25 and 121 refers.
Compliance: Not later than 7 October 2004.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 8 August 2002.
Background: Investigations into several catastrophic cargo compartment fires in the United States
has concluded that class D cargo compartments were contributory to the loss of
aeroplanes as there was no system to detect the fire until the cargo compartment had
been breached by the fire. This directive retrospectively introduces the new design
requirements to upgrade class D cargo compartments on applicable aeroplanes.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105
CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Aircraft - General
AD/GENERAL/76 Amdt 1 (continued)
This amendment clarifies the applicability of this Directive by exempting smaller
aeroplanes, in harmony with the FAA regulations.
The original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 7 October
1999.
Eugene Paul Holzapfel
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
2 July 2002

In Australia there has only been 1 company that has operated the J41 and that was 10 years ago. That company only operated them for 7 months before returning them to BAE, so there is not much info about the performance and reliability in Australia, hence the reason I posted here. The same goes for other aircraft types, the only 30 seat+ types in operation with regional airlines in Australia are the Dash 8 (about 40-50), Saab (about 25), the EMB120 (about 15) and the Shorts 360 (2).

This message board looked like a good place to find information on regional aircraft without all the crap that is on pprune or airliners.net. Here on this site you can get opinions from pilots flying these regional aircraft in the country that has the largest number of regional aircraft in the world.

For those of you that have provided information thank you, I do have further questions, but I think I will try and find another message board to ask questions.