VTOL Disco Vollante' Checklist

[CONTROLS]

LOWSPEED RETRACTING LIFT FOILS../
REMOTE VIWER CAM POD T
ENGINE SCOOP AT BELLYSHIFT/E/2
CANOPY/PERSPEXSHIFT/E
GEAR..G
DECELLERATION FLAPSF5 THRU F8


[VTOL FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS]

VTOL Take-Off Checklist
*Thruster Ventricals (Flaps) to full, (F8);
*Pitch set to one notch above neutral;
*Joystick at full back for nose up attitude;

TAKE-OFF TO HOVER SLOW TRANSITION
*Move throttle to  power and then back to 1/3 throttle in a slow motion.  This will put the Disco Vollante into the air at an altitude of 12 feet and then to hover.  
*Retract Landing Chassis;

EXPEDIENT LIFT OFF
*Throttle smoothly in to  to full power, as desired.
*Retract Landing Chassis;
*Begin transition to straight and normal flight by selecting F6 (F-six) in 2 second increments or per desired rate.

Note:  Instantaneously going to F5 from hover will cause a slight drop in alt.  This will cause a ground strike if you are low, depending also upon your speed.  To go to flight transition requires air flow over the lifting body dynamic hull.  This requires 84 knots.  Thus until you are at that rate of speed, at least two notches of VTOL should be in selected status.


Transition to VTOL from normal flight and landings
*Throttle to zero or just abover per desired to initiate decelleration;
*Engage one notch of flaps for desired/added decelleration;
*Note speed decrease and regulate desired approach speed;
*Upon fast landing target range approaches, select two notches of flaps;
*Adjust target landing spot angle of attack for a slightly low angle approach.  A high angle approach will require moderate nose down input.
*Begin incrementally depressing F7 for more flaps.  Do not go to the last selection until you are ready to touch down.
*Because descent is slow, use spoilers in short birps for small quickened drops of roughly 10 feet.  Do not nose up with spoilers on or your craft may try to ground loop similar to a Harrier.
*Use throttle as needed to control your descent at the angle you need to reach your landing target area.  
*Select last notch of flaps with F8 which is the highest hover.  If you are landing on a building top heli-port, select spoiler to fall that last couple of feet.  (Dont worry, you have a good strong little suspension designed just for that).  
*The spoiler will also help you brake on the roof tops in moderate high winds at those altitudes.
*Set brakes;
*Avionics to off;
*Shut down engine;
*Shift/E to open canopy.

[STOL TAKEOFF CHECKLIST]
WITHOUT VTOL
The VTOL version of the Disco Vollante with the latest GE 70x7L engines sport a very good acceleration.  Take offs from flight interaction zones on highways are good when regular takeoffs are desired.  The VTOL version of Disco is slightly different then the standard and jet versions, as the VTOL version has an elaborate flight computer that is ever improving minute inputs in addition to your control input.  Thus, upon takeoff, you will note that the Disco will become airborn instead of at 84 knots.  This is because the flight computer is using slight assistance from the lower Thruster Ventricals.  The same will occur upon landing without VTOL use.  The engines will be utilizing some of the Plenum Cavity thrust to bring the craft in ever so gently.  

Take-off Checklist
*Throttle to full
*Release brakes
*At 65 knots, pull hard back and leap the lifting body into the air
*Again, lower nose pitch for a standard climb
*Raise your landing gear

Landing Checklist
*Throttle to zero, begin deceleration
*Use F7 off and on for air braking
*Approach at 60 to 80 knots
*Extend Landing Chassis at  mile mark
*Maintain 40 plus knots airspeed until safely down

Note:  You may wish to select one to two notches of VTOL (Flaps) for a nice cushioned landing, though the flight computer will automatically produce a slow descent without this feature on.


[VIRTUAL CAM POD VISUALS]
If you would like to try out what the side views and exterior VC would look like thru the eye piece coming from your Virtual Cam Pod, do the following:

*Select Shift/Enter until your visual is a ways outside of the roof of the canopy.
*Now select Control/Enter until you are at the rear edge of the canopy
*Select ( - ) minus symbol twice

Now when you go to the VC, you can see your craft from the remote cam pods view.  Makes it a little fun.  Ever since reading about this in books by Syd Mead, I always wanted to do this to my car, lol).

It is also possible to place this view on a smaller side screen and drag it to the right about where the eyepiece would be.  You can also make the size of the window slightly smaller.



























[SPEEDS]  

TAKE-OFF ROLL
    WITHOUT VTOL.85 KNOTS
    WITH VTOL.4 FEET 
STALL SPEED
WITHOUT VTOL82 KNOTS
WITH VTOL0 KNOTS
CRUISE SPEED..300 KNOTS
VNE SPEED450 KNOTS OR MACH .62
