Regional Turboprop (AT72-class)
A heavy regional turboprop: slow, stable and demanding on the approach.
The Regional Turboprop approximates the twin-engine airliner that connects small cities. It is high-winged, heavy and quiet in the cockpit, with a cruise well below a jet's but a lot of authority at low speed.
Because it is heavy, everything happens slowly: it takes time to start a turn, time to stop turning and time to stop on the runway. It teaches the planning that airline flying is about.
Flying it well is mostly about not rushing. Make one change, let the aircraft settle, then judge it. Most mistakes on this aircraft come from changing two things at once.
Key Numbers
- Role: regional turboprop
- Approximates: AT72
- Unlocks at: level 6
- Maximum takeoff mass: 22,800 kg
- Stall, landing configuration: 93 kt
- Stall, clean: 119 kt
- Flaps may be used below: 150 kt
- Normal operating limit: 228 kt
- Never exceed: 250 kt
- Rotate at about: 145 kt
- Approach at about: 120 kt
Speeds are indicated airspeed in knots as the simulator models them; the real type is only the thing this aircraft approximates.
How It Flies
- Plan every change two steps ahead: a turn, a descent or a speed change all lag.
- Keep the approach speed disciplined. Too slow and the sink rate grows quickly, too fast and you float down the runway.
- After touchdown, lower the nose and brake smoothly. Use the whole runway if you need it.
- Turn with bank and back pressure together, and roll out early enough to line up with the runway, because the turn takes time to settle.
- Watch the sink rate on the approach. A heavy aircraft sinks faster than it looks, so add power before the sink becomes a problem, not after.
What To Practise
- Fly a regional hop between two airports 150 nautical miles apart and land with the right speed on the first try.
- Practise a stabilised final from 1,500 feet: fixed speed, fixed descent, no corrections below 500 feet.
- Use Minimize for a long leg with the radio on, then come back and land by hand.
- Fly a level turn of 90 degrees, then roll out on a heading you chose before you started the turn.