Airbus 320 Open Climb Query

[leebrensten]

Hi, quick question, flying the other day, from level flight, eg fl 150, was cleared 160, pulled open climb and watched as the machine gave about 70% power and 1000fpm until it captured the altitude. It proceeded to do the same through several 1000 foot stepped climbs. We were then cleared on up a few thousand feet, whereupon it opened up to full climb thrust and climbed away as normal. It may just be me, but I've never seen this before, and I expect the machine to command full climb thrust if open climb is pulled. It was one of our new machines; is this a new feature of 320 software( its actually handy!), or just something I've missed thus far?!

[Thunderbug]

FCOM 1.22.30

Note: If the change is less than 1200 feet in OPEN CLB mode, the aircraft responds with a rate of climb of 1000 ft/min.

The applicable MSNs seem to refer to all our aircraft - even the very old ones

T'Bug

[leebrensten]

Exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!

[Microburst2002]

I have always seen that note in the FCOM, but it could be an old retrofit and maybe very old models don't have that feature.

[Neupielot]

learn something new today.

thanks guys.

[capt. solipsist]

Our oldest is MSN 990 and it does that too

[ironbutt57]

Apparently...it seems...probably...it targets 1min -90 seconds for the selected climb any climb beyond that it goes to full climb thrust, no supporting data, just observations....757/767 acted the same way...

[Speed Freak]

FCOM 1.22.30

Quote:
Note: If the change is less than 1200 feet in OPEN CLB mode, the aircraft responds with a rate of climb of 1000 ft/min.
The applicable MSNs seem to refer to all our aircraft - even the very old ones

we have from msn 45 to 3400 odd msn.....this was read in book and tried on descent of 1000 feet from the rvsm levels in open descent modes...dont recall the msn number but tried 2-3 times...she goes beyond 1000 ft/min...not supposed to..

[Right Way Up]

When I went on the A320/321 in 1999 it was a feature both on IAE and CFM, as it is now for all our CFM 319 & 320s. Quite a useful feature that many are not aware about.

Speedfreak,

Apologies if I have misunderstood your post but the feature only works in the climb not in descent.

[Speed Freak]

Apologies if I have misunderstood your post but the feature only works in the climb not in descent.

i actually didnt know about the climb part, but i knew about the descent part (or i was ill informed) i believed open descent for a thousand feet level change would limit your descent rate to 1000 ft/min as in managed descent. never happened actually but i believe i had read it. i will go back to the book....

[Thunderbug]

There does not seem to be any matching referance to OPEN DES limiting the Rate of Descent.

I reckon the "soft elevator" into the descent and subsequent ALT* wouldn't let the rate of descent rate get too high on a 1000' descent

The FCOM refers to MSN 0039 - 4551, so seem to applies to all models. Our really old ones have gone to a better place , so will not have the opportunity fo some flight testing!