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Old 30th Mar 2005, 11:26
  #113 (permalink)  
QTG
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 104
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
How about the pilot's eye view then? I fly both 902 and 135 regularly and therefore feel capable of an objective view.

1) There is no doubt in my mind that the 135 cockpit was designed by a designer when the pilot was off sick - just look at the number of knobs and switches, and more importantly, their locations (eg the altimeter setting knob).

2) In controlled training conditions, I have yet to see anyone lose less than 10% Nr when counted down into a practice double engine failure. I would suggest that the situation would be impossible to recover from were it to happen for real. By the way, the landing light goes out as well, and where's the switch to get it back (the shed bus switch)? You guessed it - right at the back of the overhead switch panel.

3) Management of the EFIS and autopilot is done exclusively from the centre console and not from within the pilot's natural field of view - not very sensible for a single pilot IFR aircraft.

4) The 902 cabin is bigger, but overall length is less.

5) You can't argue about the 902's high tail and lack of rotating components at the back - a huge plus for HEMS ops.

You will be gathering that I'm not a huge fan of the 135, and you'd be right, though it has to be said that, when set up to best effect, the toys are more advanced than the 902. However, from a pilot's point of view the 902 is so much more intuitive and simpler to manage - 19 "silver switches" compared to 33 in the 135 (trust me - I've just counted them), and all AP and EFIS controls on the instrument panel.

Having said all that, there are weaknesses. The 135 is much happier hovering out of wind, and if it all went pear shaped down the back end, I think I'd probably find it easier to get a 135 back on the ground in one piece. Also, the T2 "Training mode" is sensational. Finally, and significantly for a man of my advanced years, when the 902 design team were doing "getting in and out of the front", the pilot was on a day off, and the result is catatrophic.

At the end of the day the industry needs competition, and if MD could find a way to put its troubles behind it, ECD would have that in spades.
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