Dornier328 NWS?

[luftwaffe]

Hi fellow aviators and mighty enigneers:ok:

I have a question regarding the Dornier328TP (I guess the jet works just the same way:confused:) and would indeed appreciate any insight regarding the following case(s). Why is it that the 328 once on the ground, it's directional stability (with or without nose wheel steering) is rather lukewarm? Incidents, accidents and first hand information all around the world basically give testimony to that. Cirrus, Scot, ExpressAir, Seair etc. Any further informations regarding the Cirrus one that departed Berlin bound for Austria (?).

It's a great plane in my opinion, except for the hefty maintenance expenses and the tendency to every now and then getting off the rwy. :ouch:

Any constructive input is more than welcome!!!:ok:

Cheers,

luftwaffe

PS: Boy I would have loved to see the 728 flying and being operated commercially but......the SuperJet just gets too close :}:D:O

[lostman062000]

Good morning fellow aviators... the last reply on this thread was way back in 2009 and I was not a pilot then. Now that I am already a pilot I have encountered several aircraft discrepancies that made me ask myself a question and obviously I was not able to answer myself that is why I am trying to seek help from you guys.

One of the aircraft I am flying is one of the oldest in our inventory, it is equipped with fire extinguishing bottles that was recently found out that is not operational. One of our maintenance personnel accidentally pressed the engine fire button during pre-flight inspection and luckily (unlucky in case of actual engine fire) there were no agent discharge in the engine and only to find out, it was nothing but air. The fire extinguishing bottles was not serviced since the acquisition of the said aircraft. And it was then that I realized that I was flying without fire extinguishing units the whole time.

Now everything in the aircraft was fine and running except for the fire extinguishing bottles. This aircraft never had an incident of engine fire on-flight and on the ground. Do you have any similar experience like this?

[plhought]

The bottles do not discharge into the engine but into the engine nacelle area.

The bottles are charged with Halon 1211 - a clear liquid-to-quickly-gaseous fire-extinguishing agent that leaves no residue once it's discharged into the nacelle. It's not Hollywood with white foam/powder/gas. It's neigh impossible to visually see any evidence of the extinguishing agent on surfaces after it has been discharged. There's discharge discs (part of your walkaround?) that disappear once the bottle's been discharged.

You bottles were probably charged and until your engineer accidentally discharged them - I doubt you were flying around with dead bottles.