B=29 Nose Gear Breaker

[earl1937]

  would certainly be nice if you could pull a breaker on the nose gear of the 29, because the mains were used as speed brakes on descending! would make controlling speed a lot better on docents.

[bustr]

Is a layman's translation that you used the nose gear as a speed break by being able to extend it at higher speeds than the main gear in the wings?

[Volron]

The other way around, according to how I'm reading it.  Pull the breaker for the nose gear so it would stay in place, while the main gears was used as a speed break.

[earl1937]

The other way around, according to how I'm reading it.  Pull the breaker for the nose gear so it would stay in place, while the main gears was used as a speed break.

You are correct, we could extend them at 225 knots IAS and worked well with controlling descending speed. Of course we could also go full decrease on props and the thing would fall out of the sky in an emergency.

[colmbo]

Of course we could also go full decrease on props and the thing would fall out of the sky in an emergency.

Decrease pitch right?  High RPM?  Did you notice any decrease in engine life doing that.  It has become common practice present day with the big radials to not allow the prop to drive the engine.  Doing so shortens main-bearing life.   (I've got the article around here somewhere about exactly what happens)  Today, since it's not Uncle Sam paying the maintenance bills, normal ops is to keep the RPM pulled back, always operate "over square".  This is done even in the landing pattern, prop RPM isn't increased until in the flare for landing.

[Zimme83]

Its funny how irl flying affects how u fly in game..
Is it only me that feels bad if u dont decrease rpm in cruise and decent? 
And flying at anything but an even number of thousand feet (or 500) is a big no. Its just so wrong to see "3245" or somehing like that on the altimeter...

[earl1937]

Decrease pitch right?  High RPM?  Did you notice any decrease in engine life doing that.  It has become common practice present day with the big radials to not allow the prop to drive the engine.  Doing so shortens main-bearing life.   (I've got the article around here somewhere about exactly what happens)  Today, since it's not Uncle Sam paying the maintenance bills, normal ops is to keep the RPM pulled back, always operate "over square".  This is done even in the landing pattern, prop RPM isn't increased until in the flare for landing.

You make a good point as far as the old "big Iron" engines when! My practice on 3's and DC=6's was the middle marker, when it went off, all prop lever's full forward, in case I had to go around.