Top Cat Users Guide

************************************************************************************
*EDDF25L/G*FLAPS25*TOGA/FLEX*FRANKFURT/MAIN*
************************************************************************************
:ALLWEIGHTSINKILOGRAMS(KG)NOTFOROPERATIONALUSE:
::
:ELEVATION=362(FT):MD11/CF680C2D1F:OBSTACLESDIST/HGT:
:SLOPE=+0.00(%):DATED13AUG200906:27UTC::
:T.O.R.A.=2850(M)::OBS(A)4250M/66FT:
:T.O.D.A.=2910(M):AIRCONDPACKSON::
:A.S.D.A.=2850(M):ANTIICEOFF::
:LENGTH=4000(M):RUNWAYCONDDRY::
:WIDTH=45(M):QNH=1013.25HPA::
::::
:ENGINEOUTDEPARTURE(EOSID)::
:CLIMBSTRAIGHTAHEADTO1900FT.TURNLEFTTORID(D112.20)CLIMBINGTO4000FT:
:ANDHOLD(246/R).:
:::::::
:TEMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:
:C:10KTS:+0KTS:+10KTS:+20KTS:+30KTS:
:::::::
:10:260671FIELD:277040FIELD:282884FIELD:288785FIELD:290000CLIMB:
::135166172:160173177:173174179:175175181:176176181:
:::::::
:+0:256318FIELD:272003FIELD:277588FIELD:283195FIELD:289367FIELD:
::135164172:158171176:171173178:175175180:176176182:
:::::::
::135163171:157169176:170171177:173173179:175175181:
:::::::
::134161171:155167175:167169177:172172178:174174180:
:::::::
Edition1.18
::133160169:151165174:164167175:169169177:172172178:
:::::::
::129158166:149163172:162165173:167167174:169169175:
:::::::
:+50:219852FIELD:234169FIELD:238320FIELD:242510FIELD:244213CLIMB:
::124154163:146160168:158162169:164164171:164164172:
:::::::
:+56*:213129FIELD:226873FIELD:230942CLIMB:230942CLIMB:230942CLIMB:
::124152162:146159166:158160167:160160167:160160167:
:::::::
:+58*:211170FIELD:224665FIELD:226519CLIMB:226519CLIMB:226519CLIMB:
::124152162:145159165:156159166:159159166:159159166:
:::::::
Writtenby
:+60*:209140FIELD:222096CLIMB:222096CLIMB:222096CLIMB:222096CLIMB:
::124152161:144157165:154157165:157157165:157157165:
RichardMcDonaldWoods
:::::::
:*=EXCEEDSRWYENVTEMPLIMIT:RWYENVTEMPLIMIT=+50C:
ChristianGrill
::RWYASSTEMPLIMIT=+60C:
:PRESSURECORRECTION:::::
JudithBlaschegg
:+1HPA:+200KG:+207KG:+219KG:+122KG:+63KG:
:1HPA:305KG:320KG:336KG:351KG:358KG:
:::::::
:MAXBRAKERELEASEWEIGHTMUSTNOTEXCEEDMAXCERTTAKEOFFWEIGHTOF285990KG:
::
TOPCAT
TakeOffandLanding
PerformanceCalculationTool
UsersGuide
TOPCATUsersGuide
TakeOffandLandingPerformanceCalculationTool
1.18
Intentionallyleftblank
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TableofContents
Chapter1Introduction&Installation ....................................................... 7
Introduction......................................................................................................9
WhyTOPCAT?.......................................................................................................9
SystemRequirements..........................................................................................10
Installation..........................................................................................................10
Support&Updates..............................................................................................11
Chapter2Configuration ........................................................................ 13
License.................................................................................................................15
Airport&RunwayDatabase...............................................................................16
AircraftTypes......................................................................................................17
PassengerandBaggageWeights........................................................................18
ACARSConfiguration...........................................................................................19
EmailConfiguration.............................................................................................20
Configuration......................................................................................................21
Chapter3AircraftTakeOffandLanding ................................................. 23
TakeOff..........................................................................................................25
Powersettings.....................................................................................................25
Speedrequired....................................................................................................26
Landing............................................................................................................28
Powersettings.....................................................................................................28
Speedrequired....................................................................................................29
Chapter4TheTOPCATprogram ............................................................. 31
TheTOPCATmenu...........................................................................................33
Filemenu.............................................................................................................33
Optionsmenu......................................................................................................33
Helpmenu...........................................................................................................33
TOPCATtoolbar...................................................................................................34
Aircraft............................................................................................................35
Add/modifyaircraft.............................................................................................36
3
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
AircraftSetup......................................................................................................36
MicrosoftFlightSimulatoraircraft.cfgfile......................................................38
UnitsofMeasurement........................................................................................38
AircraftConfiguration.........................................................................................39
Weights...............................................................................................................39
W&B(Weight&Balance)...............................................................................41
Aircraft................................................................................................................41
TripData.............................................................................................................41
Tripdistance........................................................................................................42
DestinationAlternates........................................................................................43
WeightLimits......................................................................................................43
PassengerLoad...................................................................................................43
CargoLoad..........................................................................................................44
FuelLoad.............................................................................................................44
Payloaddistribution............................................................................................45
Other/Remarks....................................................................................................45
Weight&BalanceSummary...............................................................................46
Loadsheet............................................................................................................46
ExporttoFlightSim[ulator].................................................................................47
Savetoaircraft.cfgfile........................................................................................48
SendviaFSUIPC/WideClient..............................................................................48
Browse.................................................................................................................48
TakeOff..........................................................................................................49
Aircraft................................................................................................................49
Airport&Runway................................................................................................50
Conditions...........................................................................................................52
Configuration......................................................................................................52
TemporaryRunwayShortening...........................................................................53
InoperativeItems................................................................................................53
TakeOffPerformanceCalculation......................................................................53
IndividualRunwayTable(IRT).............................................................................55
Landing............................................................................................................56
Aircraft................................................................................................................56
Airport&Runway................................................................................................56
4
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Conditions...........................................................................................................57
Configuration......................................................................................................58
CalculationMethod.............................................................................................58
TemporaryRunwayShortening...........................................................................59
InoperativeItems................................................................................................59
LandingPerformanceCalculation.......................................................................60
TLR(TakeOff&LandingReport)......................................................................61
TakeOff&LandingReportSetup........................................................................62
Weather..........................................................................................................63
ACARSNetwork...............................................................................................65
ReceivedMessages.............................................................................................65
SendMessage.....................................................................................................66
Editor..............................................................................................................67
Chapter5AcknowledgmentsandThanks ............................................... 69
AcknowledgmentsandThanks............................................................................71
Copyright.............................................................................................................71
Chapter6Annex ................................................................................... 73
SampleLoadsheet............................................................................................75
SampleTakeOffReport...................................................................................76
SampleLandingReport....................................................................................77
TakeOffandLandingReportDescription.......................................................78
ReportHeader.....................................................................................................78
PlannedData(TakeOff).....................................................................................78
Full/ReducedThrustTakeOff..............................................................................79
SpecialEngineFailureTakeOffProcedures(EOSID)...........................................81
PlannedData(Landing).......................................................................................81
DispatchLandingLimits......................................................................................82
RequiredLandingDistance..................................................................................83
AutobrakeLandingDistance...............................................................................84
SampleIndividualRunwayTable(IRT)..............................................................86
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Chapter1
Introduction&Installation
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Introduction
TheTOPCATprogramisforusewithflightsimulationsoftwareonly.
Itshallnotbeusedinanyconnectionwithrealworldflying.
TOPCATisahighlyrealistic,easytouseplanningtoolforallseriousflightsimulator
enthusiasts.Itbringsintoasingleapplicationallofthecalculationsrequiredtoplan
forsafeandrepeatableTakeOffsandlandings.
TOPCAT will provide you, the captain, with Load Sheets, TakeOff and Landing
PerformanceDatareportsincludingallrelevantspeeds(V1,VRandV2),deratedand
assumed temperatures and limiting weights (field limit, obstacle limit, climb limit,
brakeenergylimitandtirespeedlimit).
Intherealairlineworld,DispatchDepartmentsareresponsiblefortheissueofload
sheets to captains. This is usually performed immediately after closing the flight to
any additional passengers and freight. Load sheets can be either a sheet of paper
carriedtotheflightdeckbyaloadmaster,orprintedontheflightdeckprinter.
Ifyouareflyingforavirtualairlinethatoperatesadispatchoperation,thentheymay
choosetobetheusersofTOPCATandyouwillthenreceivetheloadsheetdirectly
onto to your flight deck printer via ACARS. See Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers ACARS
system(http://www.hoppie.nl/acars).
If you are flying on your own or your virtual airline does not support a dispatch
operation,thenyouwillbetheuserofTOPCATonyour(virtual)flightdeck.
WhyTOPCAT?
Inreadingthetextbelowabouttakingoffandlanding,youshouldbeaskingyourself
Withallthesevariables,howcanIknowthespeedsandweightsatwhichITakeOff
and land safely each and every time? Well, as you will know shortly, calculating
thesespeedsisnotasimplematter.
Luckily TOPCAT is here to help you set the speeds and weights at which these
manoeuvrescanbesafelyexecuted.
9
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
SystemRequirements
MicrosoftWindows95,98,ME,2000,XP,VistaorWindows7
Pentium2Processorwith256MBRAMormore
Screenresolutionof965x650pixelormore
15MBharddiscspace
CDROMdrive*
InternetConnection*(forproductactivation)
95/98/ME
2000
XP
VISTA
Windows7
(32&64bit)
*boxedversiononly
Installation
TOPCAT comes as a Microsoft Windows 32 bit executable installation package
including an uninstall function. Execute the installer file and follow the instructions
onthescreen.
BeforeinstallingTOPCATreadtheEndUserLicenseAgreement(EULA)carefully.
10
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Support&Updates
Thelatestprogramupdatescanbefoundathttp://www.topcatsim.com
Auserforumisavailableathttp://www.topcatsim.com/forum
Forfurtherquestionscontactsupport@topcatsim.com
11
TOPCATUsersGuide
12
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Chapter2
Configuration
13
TOPCATUsersGuide
14
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
License
TheSoftwareLicensetabshowsdetailedinformationaboutyourTOPCATlicenseand
enablesyoutoprinttheEndUserLicenseAgreement(EULA),ifrequired.
TheEnterlicensecodebuttonisusedtoactivatetheproduct.
BuyLicenseislinkedtotheTOPCAThomepageandshowsinformationonhow
topurchasealicense.
Remove license will deactivate the software to allow installation on another

device.
15
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Airport&RunwayDatabase
This tab shows detailed information and modification dates of the Airport and
RunwayDatabaseinstalled.
TobackupwholeorpartofyourdatabaseusetheBackupdatabutton.
TheRestoredatabuttonisusedtorestorethesedata.
Install database can be used to install a new database, overwriting your
existingone.
16
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
AircraftTypes
The Aircraft Types tab shows all aircraft types currently installed in TOPCAT along
withitsversionnumberandreleasedate.
UsetheDeletetypebuttontopermanentlyremoveanaircrafttype.
InstallnewtypetoaddanaircrafttypetoTOPCAT.
17
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
PassengerandBaggageWeights
Tocalculatetheweightofthepassengers,weneedtoknowtheirstandardweights.
Thesenormallyvarydependingonwhetheryoursisacharteredorscheduledflight.
Youcanmanuallyalterthestandardweightsforadults,childrenandinfants,
orpressResettoreverttoICAOstandardweights.
Standard baggage weight for domestic, international or intercontinental

flightscanalsobeset.
18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
ACARSConfiguration
For using the ACARS client you need a Logon Code provided by Jeroen
Hoppenbrouwers(http://hoppie.nl/acars).
EnableACARSNetworktoestablishacontinuousconnectionbetweenTOPCAT
andtheACARSServer.
TheCallsignisyourstationsidentification.
UsedefaultserverwillchangetheACARSserveraddresstoadefaultvalue.
Test Connection will make a connection test to the ACARS server with the
logoncredentialsprovided.
19
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
EmailConfiguration
TOPCAThasabuiltinEmailclient,enablingyoutosendreports(Loadsheets,Runway
Tables,etc.)directlyfromTOPCATtoanyvalidemailaddress.
For using this Email client you need to state your SMTP server address and
your email address. Some servers require authentication. Enter your
usernameandyouremailpassword.
TestEmailwilltestyouraccountsettingsbysendinganemailwiththelogon
credentialsprovided.Ifyoureceiveatestmessageinyouremailaccount,the
testwassuccessful.
20
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Configuration
The Configuration tab allows adjusting some basic options in TOPCAT. Installed
Versionshowsthecurrentlyinstalledprogramversionincludingreleasedate.
ChoosetheAutomaticallycheckforupdatesatprogramstartbox,ifdesiredor
Checknowtolookforrecentprogramupdates(requiresinternetconnection).
Use the Automatic runway selection feature to let TOPCAT determine the
mostfavourablerunwaydependingonactualwindconditions.
Select Show METAR and TAF on weather update to bring up the full METAR
andTAFwhenusingtheupdatefunctionontheTakeOffandLandingtab.
Standardtaxitimedefinesthedefaulttimerequiredtotaxifromyourparking
positiontotheTakeOffrunway.
21
TOPCATUsersGuide
22
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Chapter3
AircraftTakeOffandLanding
23
TOPCATUsersGuide
24
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TakeOff
Between flights, aircraft must make safe TakeOffs and landings. As captain, you
mustprepareforeachtoensureyourpassengerssafety.
TakeOff is the phase of flight in which an aircraft goes through a transition from
movingalongtheground(taxiing)toflyingintheair,usuallyonarunway.
Image1Capt.CarlAvariCoopertakingoffinaBoeing747400ofBritishAirways
VirtualatLondonHeathrow
Powersettings
Largetransportcategory(airliner)aircraftwillusuallyuseaderatedpowerTakeOff,
wherelessthanfullpowerisapplied,withunneededpowerheldinreserveincase
ofemergency.
Theaircraftispermittedtoacceleratetorotationspeed(alsoreferredtoasVr).
The term rotation is used because the aircraft pivots around the axis of its main
landing gear while still on the ground, usually due to manipulation of the flight
controlstomakethischangeinaircraftattitude.
25
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Thenoseisraisedtoanominal5to20noseuppitchattitudetoincreaseliftfrom
thewingsandeffectliftoff.
Fixedwing aircraft designed for highspeed operation (such as commercial jet
aircraft) have difficulty generating enough lift at the (comparatively) low speeds
encounteredduringTakeOff.Thesearethereforefittedwithhighliftdevices,often
including slats and usually flaps, which increase the camber of the wing, making it
more effective at low speed, thus creating more lift. These are deployed from the
wingpriortoTakeOff,andretractedduringtheclimb.Theycanalsobedeployedat
othertimes,suchaspriortolanding.
The speeds needed for TakeOff are relative to the motion of the air (indicated air
speed).AheadwindwillreducethegroundspeedneededforTakeOff,asthereisa
greaterflowofairoverthewings.Atailwindwillincreasethegroundspeedneeded
forTakeOff,asthereislessflowofairoverthewings.Strongtailwindscanmakeit
impossiblefortheaircraft,giventhelengthoftherunway,toattainsufficientmotion
relativetothemotionoftheairtomakeasafeTakeOff.
TypicalTakeOffairspeedsforjetlinersareinthe130155knotrange(150180mph,
250290km/h)TheTakeOffspeedisdirectlyproportionaltotheaircraftweight;the
heaviertheweight,thegreaterthespeedneeded.
Speedrequired
TheTakeOffspeedrequiredvariesaccordingtofactorssuchasairdensity,aircraft
grossweight,andaircraftconfiguration(flapand/orslatposition,asapplicable).Air
density, in turn, is affected by factors such as field elevation and air temperature.
Thisrelationshipbetweentemperature,altitude,andairdensitycanbeexpressedas
adensityaltitude,orthealtitudeintheInternationalStandardAtmosphereatwhich
theairdensitywouldbeequaltotheactualairdensity.
Pilotsoflargemultiengineaircraftcalculateadecisionspeed(V1)foreachTakeOff
thatdictatesactiontobetakenincaseanenginefails.
This speed is determined not only by the above factors affecting TakeOff
performance,butbythelengthoftherunwayandanypeculiarconditions,suchas
26
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
obstaclesofftheendoftherunway.BelowV1,theTakeOffisaborted;atorabove
V1TakeOffmustbecontinued.
The rotation speed (Vr) for transport category aircraft is computed such that after
rotation is initiated the aircraft is in the liftoff attitude and at the liftoff speed.
Then,thesafeclimbspeed(V2)isreached.Thisspeedmustbemaintainedtomeet
performancetargetsforrateofclimbandangleofclimb.
27
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Landing
Landingisthelastpartofaflight,whereanaircraftreturnstotheground.Aircraft
usually land at an airport on a firm runway, generally constructed of asphalt
concrete,gravelorgrass,butspeciallyequippedaircraftareabletolandonwater,
snoworice.
Image2Capt.CarlAvariCooperlandingaBoeing747400ofBritishAirwaysVirtualat
LondonHeathrow
Powersettings
For aircraft, landing is generally accomplished by gradually tapering down airspeed
andlift.Thefirstlandingphaseistheflare,wheretherateofdescentwillbereduced
byadoptinganoseupattitude.
Theattitudeishelduntiltheundercarriagetouchesthegroundandthecontrolsare
eitherhelduntilallwheelstouchthegroundorgentlyadjusted(ofteninthecaseof
taildraggers)toensurethenosewheelortailwheellightlytouchestherunway.
28
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Largetransportcategory(airliner)aircraftarelandedby"flyingtheairplaneontothe
runway."Theairspeedandattitudeoftheplaneareadjustedforlanding.
The airspeed is kept well above stall speed and a constant rate of descent is
maintained. Just before landing the descent rate is significantly reduced (Flare)
causingalighttouchdown.
Usually spoilers (sometimes called "lift dumpers") are immediately deployed to
dramatically reduce the lift and transfer the aircraft's weight to its wheels, where
mechanical braking can take effect. Reverse thrust is used by many jet aircraft to
helpslowdownjustaftertouchdown.
Speedrequired
Inairlinersthespeedatwhichanaircraftlandsisusuallycarefullycalculated.Being
ofagreatmass,airlinerstaketimetoaltertheirdescentprofileandspeed.Landing
speedmust,ofcourse,besafelyabovethestallingspeed,butslowenoughforthe
aircraft to land at the touchdown point and give sufficient ground roll distance in
whichtosafelydeceleratepriortorunwayturnoff.
Factorssuchascrosswind,wherethepilotwilluseacrablandingorasliplanding,
will cause pilots to land slightly faster and sometimes with different attitudes to
ensureproperhandlingandsafetyoftheplane.Otherfactorsaffectingaparticular
landingmightincludesomeorallofthefollowing:
Theplanesizeandconfiguration,particularlythedeploymentofflapsandslats
toincreaseliftandthusreducethestallingspeedoftheaircraft.
Winddirectionandstrength.YouwillnormallyTakeOffandlandintowindto
minimisethegroundspeedrequiredforsafeflight.
Landing weight. During flight, you will have burnt off an amount of fuel.
Therefore,onlanding,theaircraftwillweigh(considerably)lessthanatTake
Off.Alandingspeedcanusefullytakeaccountofthisdropinweighttorequire
alowerspeed.
Runwaylengthandslopewillaffectwhetherarunwaymaybeconsideredsafe
for landing. Landing on a downhill runway will require a greater stopping
29
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
distancethanlandingonanuphillone.Thedeploymentofspoilersandwheel
brakes on the ground must be able to reduce the aircraft to taxiing speed
beforeturningfromtherunway.
Runway altitude affects your landing speed quite dramatically. Air becomes
lessdensewithaltitudeandthereforeyourwingswillprovidelesslift.Youwill
havetosetahigherlandingspeedataltitudethanatsealevel.
Airtemperatureaffectsyourlandingspeedasittoobecomeslessdensewith
risingtemperature.
Onacoldday,airpressurewilltendtobehigherthanonawarmday.Ahigher
air pressure will provide more lift from your wings thus reducing the speed
requiredforlanding.
There are many factors in performing successful landings. Professional pilots have
extensivetraining,experienceandcertificationonthetypesofplanestheyareflying.
30
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Chapter4
TheTOPCATprogram
31
TOPCATUsersGuide
32
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TheTOPCATmenu
Filemenu
The File menu options Aircraft, Weight & Balance, TakeOff, Landing, TakeOff &
Landing Report (TLR), Weather Briefing, ACARS Network and Airport & Runway
Editor. These are the same functions as described under separate headings for the
programtabsbelow.
Optionsmenu
OptionsenableyoutoConfigureTOPCATtomeetyourpersonalneeds.
Helpmenu
The Help menu item has the options Enter License Code, Users Guide (pdf), Visit
homepage,ProgramUpdatesandAboutTOPCAT.
33
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TOPCATtoolbar
ThemainTOPCATwindowshowstentabsrespectivelylabeled:
Aircraft
<F1> Setupyouraircraftweights,configurationandthrustpolicies.
W&B
<F2> Weight&Balance:Setuppassenger,cargoandfuelloadforyour
flight. Produce a Loadsheetand export the results toMicrosoft
FlightSimulator.
TakeOff
<F3> PlanyourTakeOffundervariousconditions.LetTOPCAToptimize
flapsandthrustsettingsforagivenrunway.
Landing
<F4> Planyourlandingundervariousconditions.TOPCATwillgiveyou
landing distances for different brake settings and inoperative
items.
TLR
<F5> TakeOff and Landing Report: Create your individual TakeOff
and/orLandingReportfordesiredrunwaysanddefinedweather
conditions.
Weather
<F6> DownloadweatherfromNOAA,IVAO,VATSIMorActiveSky.
ACARS
<F7> Send and receive messages via Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers ACARS
Network (only shown if ACARS client is enabled in configuration
menu).
Editor
<F8> Addandmodifyairportsandrunways.
Config
<F10> ConfigureTOPCATtomeetyourpersonalrequirements.
Exit
<ALT+F4>
ShutdownTOPCAT.
Eachofthesetabsisdescribedindetailbelow.
34
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Aircraft
Eachaircraftthatyouflywillhaveitsownuniquecharacteristics.Eachcharacteristic
canaffecttheaircraftsTakeOffandlandingperformance.
The aircraft database allows you to specify these characteristics. This can be
particularlyusefulifyouflyforavirtualairlinewhichmaintainsafleetofaircraft,and
youplanflightsinanumberofthem.
Youmayalsowishtoexperimentbyvaryingaircraftcharacteristicstoseetheeffects
thesevariancesmayhaveonTakeOffandlandingperformance.YoucanAdd,Edit,
Duplicate,DeleteandDeleteAllaircraftdatabaserecords.
Additionally,youcanPrintandSave(Backup)yourexistingaircraftdatabaseorLoad
apreviouslysavedaircraftdatabase.
35
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
All of the aircraft currently in the Aircraft Database are shown in the Aircraft
Databasewindow.IntheAircraftDetailswindowareshownthedetailsoftheaircraft
highlightedintheAircraftDatabasewindow.
Add/modifyaircraft
AircraftSetup
All aircraft have to be registered, and the registration mark must be prominently
displayedontheaircraftsothatairtrafficcontrollerscanidentifythem.
To Add an aircraft, you must specify the Aircraft Registration. The registration
consists of a prefix and up to six characters. The prefix is usually one or two
characters followed by a hyphen and define a country registration (for example N
5678;NstandsforUnitedStates).
36
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TakeOffThrustpolicyrequiresyoutochoosewhethertoAllowDeRatedTakeOffs,
toAllowAssumedTemperature/FlexTakeOff,andtoallowaCombinationofboth.
Thehigherthethrustavailablefromtheengine,theshortertherunwaycanbe,or
thegreatertheaircraftpayloadcanbe.Thisaffectswhichairportsanaircraftcanbe
operatedfrom,andtheeconomicsofoperation.
As an alternative to payload, a higher thrust rating allows more fuel load to be
carriedintotheair,soextendingrangeofoperation.
Thesetradeoffsbetweenavailablethrust,runwaylength,aircraftweightandrange
may need to be assessed for each flight, and is part of a commercial pilots
preparationpriortoTakeOff.
AnaircraftmayTakeOffwithlessthanmaximumTakeOffthrusttoreducewearon
theengineandextenditslife.Thisisusuallytermeda'derated'TakeOff,andisused
toreduceenginemaintenancecosts.
Derated TakeOff is a technique used by pilots to set a preprogrammed, reduced
thrust setting for TakeOff. TOPCAT will know of the current meteorological
conditions, the aircraft weight and the length of the runway. It will be able to
recommendwhichderatedTakeOffthrustsetting,ornone,thatyoushoulduse.
AnalternativetoaDeratedTakeOffistheAssumed/FlexTemperatureTakeOff.
ForaDeratedTakeOff,wediscussedhowthecurrentmeteorologicalconditionsare
usedinthecalculationofTakeOffthrust.Asambienttemperaturerises,sotheair
reducesindensity.Andlowerdensityairwillprovidea lowerliftforagiventhrust
setting.
But if there is runway length to spare at a given airplane weight and ambient
temperature, it may be appropriate to tell the FMS that the assumed ambient
temperatureishigherthanitactuallyiscurrently.Theeffectofthisistocausethe
aircraft to set a lower TakeOff thrust and thus use some of the extra runway
available.
ChecktheAllowcombinationofbothcheckboxifyouwishTOPCATtocombineboth
Derated TakeOff and Assumed Temperature calculations in calculating
recommendedTakeOffthrustsettings.
37
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
UncheckallthreecheckboxesifyouwanttoexecutefullpowerTakeOffsonly.
Youwillreceiveerrormessagesifappropriatethrustsettingsforyourcurrentaircraft
weight,ambientconditionsandrunwaynominationwillnotresultinasafeTakeOff.
Yourvirtualairlinemayhavestandardoperatingproceduresforderated/assumed
temperatureTakeOffs.
MicrosoftFlightSimulatoraircraft.cfgfile
Use the Browse button to set the location of a Microsoft Flight Simulator
aircraft.cfg file linked to this TOPCAT aircraft. This file may also be a network
location, so TOPCAT may be running on a computer different than the computer
runningFlightSimulator(e.g.Laptop).
Linkinganaircraft.cfgfiletoyourTOPCATaircraftallowsyoutoeasilyupdatethisfile
withpassengerandcargoloadsdefinedintheW&B(WeightandBalance)module
ofTOPCAT.
UnitsofMeasurement
TheUnitsofMeasurementfieldallowsyoutochoosewhetheryourcalculationswill
beexpressedinkilogramsorpounds.Thelengthsfieldmustbesetforrunwaylength
to be expressed in either meters (m) or in feet (ft). Runway charts always show
lengthsinbothunits.
Currentairfieldairpressurecanbeexpressedashectopascalsorinchesofmercury.
Hectopascal (symbol hPa) is an SI unit, the international system of units now
recommendedforallscientificpurposes.Inchesofmercury(symbolinHg)isanolder
methodofmeasuringairpressure,andisstillwidelyusedinNorthAmerica.
FuelquantitycaneitherbeshowninLitersorGallons.
UsetheMetricorImperialbuttontoswitchbetweenunits.Europeanairlinestendto
use the metric system, the United States of America the avoirdupois (imperial)
system.
YoumustbepreparedtouseonesystemofpressuremeasurementforTakeOffand
theotherforlanding,particularlyifyouareflyinganintercontinentalleg.
38
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
AircraftConfiguration
Anaircraft,sayaBoeing747400,canbeconfiguredformanydifferentnumbersof
passenger seats, cargo capacities and fuel capacities. Airlines choose different
aircraftconfigurationstosuittheirmarketplaces.
TOPCAT comes with a set of standard Configurations, tailored to specific Flight
Simulator AddOns. For a given Aircraft Configuration, TOPCAT will set a maximum
number of Passenger Seats available, the maximum Cargo Capacity and maximum
FuelCapacity.
AsampleconfigurationwouldbeF16C85Y230meaningthatthereare16FirstClass
seats,85BusinessClassseats,and230EconomyClassseatsinstalled.
Finally you may set the aircrafts SELCAL Code or press the Random button to
generatearandomvalue.
Selcal,orSelectiveCallingasitismorecorrectlyknown,isanautomaticrecognition
systemthatisoperatedbyatwotonesignal.TheequipmentisconnectedtotheHF
radiosonaircraftandmonitorsforacallevenwhenthesquelchisturnedup,andthe
pilotscanhearnothing.
Use the Remarks section to add additional aircraft information for easier
differentiation.
Weights
For TakeOff calculations you require an accurate calculation of the aircrafts Take
Offweight(seeWeight&Balancesection).AnaircraftsTakeOffweightiscalculated
byaddingfuelweightandpayloadtoitsDryOperatingWeight.DryOperatingWeight
plus payload is called ZeroFuel Weight. Zero FuelWeight plus fuel weight is the
aircraftsTakeOffWeight.
AnaircraftsZeroFuelWeight(ZFW)mustnotexceeditsMaximumZeroFuel
Weight.(MZFW)
An aircrafts TakeOff Weight (TOW) must not exceed its Maximum TakeOff
Weight(MTOW).
39
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
AnaircraftsLandingWeight(LDW)mustnotnormallybeallowedtoexceedits
MaximumLandingWeight(MLDW).
Onsomeaircrafttypesfuelmaybejettisonedifanurgentlandingisrequired
sothatitsweightcanbereducedtolowerthanthemaximumlandingweight.
In an emergency, a landing may be attempted at above the maximum fuel
weight but damage may be caused to the aircraft as a result. TOPCAT will
informyouaccordingly,ifanoverweightlandingisplanned.
An aircrafts Dry Operating Weight (DOW), Maximum ZeroFuel Weight (MZFW),
Maximum TakeOff Weight (MTOW) and Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) are
specified in the Weights section in either kilograms or pounds as specified in the
UnitsofMeasurementssection(seeabove).
Once all of the Aircraft Setup fields have been specified, press Save to store the
new/alteredaircraftinthedatabase.
Use the Defaults button to reset the values to those from the original database
record.PressCanceltoabandontheadd/changeprocess.
40
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
W&B(Weight&Balance)
TheW&B(Weight&Balance)windowwillenableyoutospecifytheloadingandits
distributionoftheaircraftforthisflight.
You will specify the Trip Data, check the Weight Limits being used, and set the
Passenger,CargoandFuelLoads.
Whencompleted,youmayrequestaLoadSheet.
Aircraft
TheaircraftboxremindsyouoftheRegistration,AircraftandEngineTypeandUnits
forthisTrip.
TripData
EnteryourFlightNumberintheFlightNr.Field(e.g.KLM123orDLH987)
41
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
EnteryourdepartureairportsICAOorIATAidentifierintheFromfield.
EnteryourarrivalairportsICAOorIATAidentifierintheTofield.
Eachofthesefieldshasadropdownbox(labelledasadownarrow)toenableyouto
searchforanairfieldwhoseICAOorIATAcodeyoudonotknow.
ClickingeitherofthesearrowswillpresentyouwiththeAirportSearchwindow.Into
theSearchforbox,enteratleast3charactersofairportidentifierornameandthen
presstheSearchbutton.
Youwillbepresentedwithalistofmatchingairports,showingallairportsmatching
yoursearchcriteria.ChoosetheairportyouwishandpresstheSelectbutton.Your
chosenairportcodewillnowappearintheairportfieldfromwhichyoucame.
PressingCancelwillreturnyoutotheLoadingwindowwithoutselectinganairport.
Tripdistance
Once you have entered a valid departure and a destination airport, the estimated
tripdistanceandestimatedenroutetime(EET)isshown.
Note: The estimated trip distance is the great circle distance between
departureanddestinationplus15%or300NM,whicheverisless.
42
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Thetripdistancecanbeadjustedasnecessary,butcanneverbelessthanthegreat
circledistancebetweendepartureanddestinationairport.
PressingtheAutobuttonrevertstotheestimatedtripdistanceasdescribedabove.
Using the Swap button allows you to quickly switch the departure and destination
airportforeitherthereturnflightorforanimmediatereturntodeparture.
DestinationAlternates
Youcanspecifyuptotwodestinationalternateairports.Theseairportsareshownon
theTakeOffandLandingReportandareaddedtotheWeatherbriefing.
Use the Find Alt[er]n[ate] button to automatically determine the closest suitable
alternateairports.
TOPCAT cannot distinguish between civil, military and private airports. Check the
resultsfortheirsuitability.
Note: TOPCAT takes into account runway length, weather and estimated
landing weight for alternate airport determination. Results may differ
fordifferentweatherconditions/landingweights.
WeightLimits
The Weight Limits are set from values for the aircraft recorded in the Aircraft
Database. Max Zero Fuel is inherited from the Aircraft Database and cannot be
changed,butyoucanalterthevaluesofMaxTakeOffandMaxLandingbyentering
differentnumericvalues,bypressingMaxtosetthembacktomaximumstructural
limits.
PassengerLoad
ChoosebetweenScheduledandCharterintheTypeofFlightbox.Thiswillalterthe
passengerweightsassetintheTOPCATConfigurationdialog.
EnterthenumberofAdults,ChildrenandInfants.TheirTotalweightisthenshown.
YouwillbewarnedifyoutrytoexceedthePassengerSeatsvaluethatyouenteredin
theConfigurationduringAircraftSetup(seeabove).
43
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
UsetheRandombuttontorandomlysetpassengerloadorusetheslidercontrolto
quicklysetapassengerload.
CargoLoad
Choose between Domestic, International and Intercontinental in the Type of Flight
box.ThiswillalterthestandardbaggageweightperpassengerassetintheTOPCAT
Configurationdialog.
You can enter your own value for Baggage weight if the Use Standard Baggage
Weight check box (lock symbol) is unchecked; otherwise it will be set from the
BaggagevaluefromStandardWeights(seeabove).
SetthevaluesforCargo,MailandOthermanually.TheirTotalweightisthenshown.
YouwillbewarnedifyoutrytoexceedtheCargoCapacityvaluethatyouenteredin
theConfigurationduringAircraftSetup(seeabove).
Use the Random button to randomly set cargo load or use the slider control to
quicklysetacargoload.
FuelLoad
SetFuelonBoardtotheweightoffuelyouwillhaveonboardatchocksaway.Fuel
quantityexpressedinLiterorGallonsisshowninthelinebelow.
From this will be subtracted the expected weight of fuel that will be burnt as Taxi
Fuelduringtheminutesoftaxithatyouenter,givingtheplannedweightoffuelin
yourtanksatTakeOff.
Again, from this figure is subtracted the planned weight of fuel to be burnt during
yourtrip(TripFuel),givingaplannedLandingWeight.
UsetheEstimatebuttontoletTOPCATestimatetherequiredfuelrequirementsfor
thistrip.Fuelcalculationisbasedon:
Trip distance between departure and destination airport as indicated in the
Distfield
FlightfromDestinationtoanAlternateairportinadistanceof150NM
44
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Fueltoholdfor30minutesoverheadAlternateairport
This calculation does not relief the PilotinCommand from an accurate flight
planning,butgivesaroughoverviewoftherequiredamountoffueltobecarriedfor
thisflight.
Payloaddistribution
TOPCAT allows you to distribute passengers and cargo loads into different
compartments and holds. Varying payload distribution will change the airplanes
CenterofGravity(CoG)andMeanAerodynamicChord(MAC).
The Auto Distribute button distributes passenger and cargo load evenly in all
compartmentsandholds.
TheMACmustbewithinthemanufacturerslimitsforTakeOff(TOW),landing(LDW)
andfortheaircraftszerofuelweight(ZFW).Youmightneedtoloadballasttobring
theMACtocertifiedlimits.
Other/Remarks
EnteryournameorinitialsinthePrep[aredby]field.
EnterthenameofthecaptaininthePIC(PilotinCommand)field.
45
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Rmk (Remarks) allows you to add important notes or information to the

Loadsheet.
Weight&BalanceSummary
At the foot of Weight & Balance Summary is a message area where you will be
advised of Underload or Overload amounts. You should be able to explain the
Underloadamountwhenasked.YoumustavoidallOverloadsasthesewilladversely
affecttheairplanesabilitytoTakeOffandflyyourplannedroutesafely.
To the right the calculated position of the Center of Gravity (CoG) relative to the
Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) and the Stabilizer Trim settings for TakeOff are
shown.
Use theSet Zero Fuel Weight button to override load figures and manually enter a
ZeroFuelWeight(ZFW).
Note:ThiswilldisableMeanAerodynamicChord(MAC)andtrimcalculation.
Loadsheet
BetternottoflyratherthanattempttoTakeOffinanairplanesooverloadedthatit
wont get off the ground. Your airlines booking system should ensure that the
capacitiesarenotexceeded.WhenyouexecuteyourCockpitChecklist,youwillhave
theLoadsheetdetailingyourvariousloadings,andyouwillhavetosignthattheyare
accurate,safeandwithinthemaximumsspecified.
46
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
ThethreebuttonsatthetopoftheLoadsheetdisplayarePrint,Save,Email,ACARS
andClose.
PressingthePrintbuttonwillcauseyourLoadsheettobeprinted.
PressingtheSavebuttonwillenableyoutochooseanameandlocationofa
filecontainingyourLoadsheet.
PressingtheEmailbuttonwillenableyoutosendtheresultsbyemail.
PressingtheACARSbuttonwillenableyoutodeliveranabbreviatedversionof
the Loadsheet via Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers ACARS system directly onto the
flightdeck.
PressingtheClosebuttonwillclosetheLoadsheetwindow.
ExporttoFlightSim[ulator]
UsetheExporttoFlightSim[ulator]buttontodelivertheloadafuelfiguresdirectly
to Microsoft Flight Simulator thus releasing you using load managers or setting
thesefiguresmanually
47
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Savetoaircraft.cfgfile
If a valid aircraft.cfg file is specified in the aircraft properties (Aircraft / Modify /
MicrosoftFlightSimulatoraircraft.cfgfile),TOPCATisabletoupdatethisfilewith
thepayloaddataprovidedintheW&B(Weight&Balance)module.
Afterupdatingtheaircraft.cfgfile,theaircraftmustbereloadedinMicrosoftFlight
Simulatorforthechangestotakeeffect.
Note: Makesurethattheselectedaircraft.cfgfilecorrespondstotheTOPCAT
aircraftconfiguration.Fuelloadsarenormallynotupdated(exceptfor
someAddOnslikeLDS767andPMDG747/MD11).
SendviaFSUIPC/WideClient
SendviaFSUIPC/WideClient(http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html)allowsyouto
inject payload data from the W & B (Weight & Balance) module onthefly into
MicrosoftFlightSimulatorwithoutanyneedtoreloadtheairplane.
Note: SomeAddOns(PMDG747/MD11;forFSXonly)inhibitupdatingoffuel
figuresviaFSUIPC.Inthatcaseyoumustsetthemmanually.
Browse
TheBrowsebuttonallowsyoutoquicklychangetheassignedaircraft.cfgfile.The
changeswillpermanentlybestoredinyouraircraftdatabase.
48
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TakeOff
Setting powerful jet engines to TakeOff thrust is extremely dangerous unless you
have carefully planned both what you want to happen and, perhaps even more
important,whatyouwilldoifthingsstarttogowrong.Beprepared!
DuringthecalculationsforyourTakeOffperformance,youwillspecifytheRunway
fromwhichyouwilltakeoff,theEnvironmentalConditions,youraircraftsTakeOff
ConfigurationandanyRunwayShorteningthatiscurrentlyineffect.
Aircraft
forthisTrip.
49
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Airport&Runway
IntheAirport&Runwaybox,specifyyourdepartureAirportICAOorIATAcodeinthe
samemannerasyoudidduringTripSetup.
ChoosetheTakeOffRunwaythatyouwilluse.Adropdownboxisdisplayedifyou
click the down arrow to list all the available runways including intersections at the
specifiedairport.
ThereminderoftheAirport&Runwayboxwillnowcontainthespecificationofthe
chosen runway. Check to ensure that the runway specification agrees with your
runwaychart.
Heading is the magnetic heading of the runway. Slope is the percentage
gradientoftherunway.A+signifiesthattheTakeOffslopeisuphillanda
signifiesthattheTakeOffslopeisdownhill.
The number of Obstacles in the database for the selected runway. Use the
Detail button for more detailed information (only enabled if at least one
obstacleispresentinthedatabasefortheparticularrunway).
RunwayLengthandWidthareshowninyourchosenmeasurementunit.
50
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
A Clearway is an area beyond the runway, not less than 500 feet wide,
centrallylocatedabouttheextendedcentrelineoftherunway.Theclearwayis
expressedintermsofaclearwayplane,extendingfromtheendoftherunway
withanupwardslopenotexceeding1.25%,abovewhichnoobjectnordoes
anyterrainprotrude.
However,thresholdlightsmayprotrudeabovetheplaneiftheirheightabovetheend
oftherunwayis26inchesorlessandiftheyarelocatedtoeachsideoftherunway.
A Stopway is an area beyond the TakeOff runway, no less wide than the
runway and centred on the extended centreline of the runway, able to
support the airplane during an aborted TakeOff, without causing structural
damage to the airplane, and designated for use in decelerating the airplane
duringanabortedTakeOff
TORA (TakeOff run available) is the runway length declared available and
suitableforthegroundrunofanairplanetakingoff.
TODA (TakeOff distance available) is the TORA plus the length of any
remainingrunwayorclearwaybeyondthefarendoftheTORA.Thefulllength
of TODA may not be usable for all TakeOffs because of obstacles in the
departure area. The usable TODA length is aircraft performance dependent
and must be determined by the aircraft operator before each TakeOff and
requires knowledge of the location of each controlling obstacle in the
departurearea.
ASDA (accelerate/stop distance available) is the runway plus stopway length
declared available and suitable for the acceleration and deceleration of an
airplaneabortingaTakeOff.
Elevationshowstheelevationoftherunwayabovemeansealevel(MSL).
ThewindowatthebottomoftheAirport/RunwayboxshowstheEngineOut
Departure Procedure (EOSID) to be used in case of an engine failure after
TakeOff.
51
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Conditions
IntheConditionsboxareshownWindComponent,Temperature,QNHandRunway
Condition.
Into Wind, you must enter the current magnetic wind direction and speed. For
example, 270/03 indicates that the wind is coming from 270, which is from the
west,at3knots.
Toenterawindgiveninmeterspersecond(mps)addanMafterthewindspeed.
Forexample,360/06Mindicatesthatthewindiscomingfromnorthwith6meters
persecond.Metricwindspeedwillautomaticallybeconvertedtoknots.
TotherightwillbedisplayedtheresultantheadortailwindComponent.Youenter
thecurrentTemperatureintothenextbox.Totherightwillbedisplayedthehighest
outsideairtemperaturepermittedforTakeOff(environmentaltemperaturelimit).
EitherentertheQNHinhectopascalorthealtimetersettingininchesofmercury.
Press the Update button to update weather conditions with the selected weather
source(NOAA,IVAO,VATSIMorActiveSky).ThiswillcauseTOPCATtoautomatically
insertthecurrentwind,temperatureandairportairpressure.
RunwayConditioncanaffectthepavementfrictionqualitiesandthereforestopping
distances in the event of you aborting a TakeOff. Choose the current Runway
Conditionfromtheassociateddropdownbox.
Configuration
TosetTakeOffWeightyoushouldeitherpressAuto[matic]orMax[imum].Pressing
Auto will set your TakeOff weight to that calculated on the Loading page (see
above).PressingMaxwillsetyourTakeOffweighttoMaximumStructuralTakeOff
Weight.
Set Flaps Config[uration] to one of the values contained in the dropdown box.
OptimumwillsetbestflapsforminimumTakeOffthrustrequired.Yourairlinemay
haveoperatingstandardsforthevaluetobeset.
52
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Set Thrust Config[uration] to one of the values contained in the dropdown box.
Optimumwillsetoptimumderateresultinginminimumenginethrust.Again,your
airlinemayhaveoperatingstandardsforthevaluetobeset.
Set Air Conditioning to one of the values presented in the dropdown box. Air
conditionpacksdrainalotofengineenergy,especiallyduringTakeOff.Yourairline
mayhavestandardproceduresthatmandatehowairconditionpacksshouldbeset
forTakeOff.
SelectappropriateAntiIceconfiguration.Antiiceusessignificantamountsofengine
energy so should not be used unless necessary. Ice can very easily form on cold
surfacesandendangeryourTakeOff.
TemporaryRunwayShortening
Temporary runway shortening can be declared for a number of engineering or
environmentalreasons.Theirspecificationwillcausealterationtotheusablerunway
length. NOTAMS (notices to airmen) will be published for an airport if runway
shorteningisineffect
IntheFromRunwayHeadandFromRunwayEndfieldsspecifythedistanceofthe
shortening,ifany.UsetheClearbuttontheresetthesefigurestozero.
InoperativeItems
Forinoperativeitemsofaircraftequipmentthatwillhaveanadverseeffectonyour
TakeOff performance, you have the opportunity to state their inoperability. Press
the Edit button and check each of the inoperable items. For each inoperable item,
you must also execute the appropriate Abnormal Lists to ensure that you take the
requiredactions.ClearAllresetsallmalfunctions.
TakeOffPerformanceCalculation
Pressing the Compute button will cause TOPCAT to calculate the TakeOff
performance. The data are displayed to the bottomright of the TakeOff window.
ThedetailsintheTakeOffwindowshowoutsideairtemperature(OAT)orselected
53
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
temperature(TSel),MaximumTakeOffWeight(MTOW),Limit,V1,VR,V2,Margin
andN1/EPR.
OATshowsthetemperatureyouenteredintheConditionsboxoftheTakeOff
window.
The box below shows a range of Assumed Temperatures (if available)
calculatedbyTOPCAT.
For the OAT, you are given the maximum TakeOff weight for the runway
conditions.
Limitshowsthemostlimitingweightforgivenrunwayconditions.
Codeshowstherestrictinglimit.
V1showsyouarangeofdecisionspeeds.
VRshowsyourrotationspeed.
V2showsyouroneengineoutTakeOffsafetyspeed.
Marginshowstheremainingdistancetotheendoftherunway(orstopway,if
available)incaseofanabortedTakeOffatV1.
N1/EPR is the engines power setting that must be achieved for a successful
TakeOffasplanned.
YoumayrememberthatyousetyourairlinesTakeOffthrustpolicyfortheaircraftin
theAircraftDatabase(seeabove).
54
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
If your airline has authorised the use of assumed/flex temperature TakeOffs, the
rangeoftemperatureslistedintheTSelcolumnshowstheresultofcalculationsby
TOPCATofvaryingambienttemperaturesandtheireffectonTakeOffperformance
fortheaircraft.
The effect of raising the assumed temperature for TakeOff above that of ambient
temperatureistolengthentheTakeOffroll(andthereforetoreducethemargin)by
reducingtheengineN1/EPR.Ineffectyouaretellingtheflightmanagementsystem
to set less TakeOff power at the expense of a longer TakeOff roll without
compromisingontheTakeOffspeed.
This will put less strain on the engines and prolong their service life and increase
reliability. If your airline policy allows, you can select an assumed temperature for
yourTakeOffthatisabovethecurrentOAT.
YouhavenowspecifiedalloftheinformationrequiredforTOPCATtocalculateyour
TakeOffdata.Completeyourcockpitpreparationprocedureusingtheoutputsfrom
thesecalculations.
IndividualRunwayTable(IRT)
Pressing the Runway Table button will cause TOPCAT to generate an Individual
Runway Table (IRT). Before using this function, select the desired Thrust/Flaps
ConfigurationandAirConditioning/AntiIcesetting.
Asinreallifeoperations,thistablecanbeusedtoquicklydetermineyourMaximum
TakeOffWeight(MTOW)andtherespectiveTakeOffspeeds(V1,VR,andV2)ata
specificairportandrunwayatvariouswind,temperatureandpressureconditions.
Andfinally,haveapleasantandSAFEflight!
55
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Landing
Duringthecalculationsforyourlandingperformance,youwillspecifytherunwayon
which you will land, the environmental conditions, your aircraft landing
configuration, the calculation method, any runway shortening that is currently in
effectandanyinoperativeitems.
Aircraft
forthisTrip.
Airport&Runway
IntheAirport&Runwaybox,specifyyourdestinationAirportICAOorIATAcodein
thesamemannerasyoudidduringTakeOff.ChoosetheLandingRunwaythatyou
willuse.
56
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
A dropdown box is displayed if you click the down arrow to list all the available
runwaysatthespecifiedairport.ThereminderoftheAirport&Runwayboxwillnow
contain the specification of the chosen runway. Check to ensure that the runway
specificationagreeswithyourrunwaychart.
Headingisthemagneticheadingoftherunway.Slopeisthepercentagegradientof
therunway.A+signifiesthattheTakeOffslopeisuphillandasignifiesthatthe
TakeOff slope is downhill. Runway Length and Width are shown in your chosen
measurement unit. LDA (landing distance available) is the runway length declared
available and suitable for a landing airplane. Elevation shows the elevation of the
runwayabovemeansealevel(MSL).
Conditions
IntheConditionsboxareshownWindComponent,Temperature,QNHandRunway
Condition.
Into Wind, you must enter the current magnetic wind direction and speed. For
example, 270/03 indicates that the wind is coming from 270, which is from the
west,at3knots.Toenterawindgiveninmeterspersecond(mps)addanMafter
the wind speed. For example, 360/06M indicates that the wind is coming from
northwith6meterspersecond.Metricwindspeedwillautomaticallybeconverted
toknots.
TotherightwillbedisplayedtheresultantheadortailwindComponent.Youenter
thecurrentTemperatureintothenextbox.Totherightwillbedisplayedthehighest
outsideairtemperaturepermittedforlanding(environmentaltemperaturelimit).
EitherentertheQNHinhectopascalorthealtimetersettingininchesofmercury.
Press the Update button to update weather conditions with the selected weather
source(NOAA,IVAO,VATSIMorActiveSky).ThiswillcauseTOPCATtoautomatically
insertthecurrentwind,temperatureandairportairpressure.
RunwayConditioncanaffectthepavementfrictionqualitiesandthereforestopping
distances for landing. Choose the current Runway Condition from the associated
dropdownbox.
57
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Configuration
TosetLandingWeightyoushouldeitherpressAuto[matic]orMax[imum].Pressing
AutowillsetyourlandingweighttothatcalculatedontheW&B(Weight&Balance)
page.
PressingMaxwillsetyourTakeOffweighttoMaximumStructuralLandingWeight.
SetFlapsConfig[uration]tooneofthevaluescontainedinthedropdownbox.Your
airlinemayhaveoperatingstandardsforthevaluetobeset.
Set Air Conditioning to one of the values presented in the dropdown box. Air
conditionpacksdrainalotofengineenergyincaseofagoaround.Yourairlinemay
have standard procedures that mandate how air condition packs should be set for
landing.
SetAntiIceasrequired.Extremecaremustbetakenwhendescendingfromenroute
flightlevels,wherethewingsandfuelmaybecoldsoaked,intowarmerlowerlevels
wherecondensationmayaccumulateasice.
LandingModecanbesetasrequired.Generally,AUTOLANDassumesalatertouch
downpointandincreasesLandingDistanceRequired(LDR).Eachsettingchosenwill
affectthestoppingdistanceoftheaircraftontouchdown.
Ensurethatyouchooseavaluethatcomputestoasafestoppingdistance.
On approach, you will have determined your Approach Speed (VApp). If you have
reasontoincreasethisvalue(e.g.gusts,turbulences,windshear),thensetApproach
SpeedIncrease(kts)bytheamountyouwishtoincreaseit.
CalculationMethod
You have the ability to calculate your landing data at the point of Dispatch and/or
whenInFlight(usuallyduringdescentplanning).
You must ensure that, before making an airport approach, you have used the In
Flight option to calculate your landing data. Your airline Dispatch Department will
normallybetheusersoftheDispatchoption,ifusedatall.
58
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
For landing performance calculations, a Landing Distance Required (LDR) is

established.TheLandingDistanceAvailable(LDA)mustbeequalorgreaterthanthe
LandingDistanceRequired(LDR).
For calculation of the Landing Distance Required (LDR) the following rules usually
apply:
Dispatch(Preflight):Actual,unfactoredlandingdistance(from50feetabove
runway to a complete stop) including malfunctions (if any) with maximum
braking and no approach speed increase factored with 1.67 (jet aircraft) or
1.43(propelleraircraft).
In case of a runway forecasted or reported to be wet or contaminated an
additionalfactorof1.15isapplied.
InFlight:Thehigherof:
o Thedistancecalculatedasabove(Dispatch)
o Actual, unfactored landing distance (from 50 feet above runway to a
complete stop) including malfunctions (if any) with either manual or
automatic braking and approach speed increase (if any) without any
margin.
TemporaryRunwayShortening
You must know, before landing, whetheryour chosen runway has been shortened.
BothyourrunwayapproachchartandNOTAMS(noticestoairmen)willnotifyyouof
runwayshorteningsandtheireffectivedates.
Enter a Landing Distance Reduction value to indicate the shortening. Use the Clear
buttontoresetthisvaluetozero.
InoperativeItems
Forinoperativeitemsofaircraftequipmentthatwillhaveanadverseeffectonyour
landingperformance,youhavetheopportunitytostatetheirinoperability.Pressthe
Editbutton and check eachof the inoperable items. Foreach inoperable item, you
59
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
must also execute the appropriate Abnormal Lists to ensure that you take the
requiredactions.
ClearAllresetsallmalfunctions.
LandingPerformanceCalculation
Havingenteredalloftherequireddata,youcannowpressComputesothatTOPCAT
cancalculateyourLandingData.Youwillreceiveasummaryofyourlandingdataat
the bottom of the Landingwindow showing Performance Limit Weight, Limit Code,
Reference Speed, Approach Speed, Landing Distance Required (LDR), Landing
Distance(Actual)andLandingDistance(Remaining).
If you press Landing Report you will be shown the printable Landing Performance
Report.
Perf[ormance]LimitWeightisthecalculatedmaximumweightatwhichyoucan
safelylandatthecurrentairporttemperatureandairportpressurealtitude.
ReferenceSpeedistheVRefforyourapproach(normally1.3xVS1G)
Approach Speed is the VRef corrected for wind component plus the value of
ApproachSpeedIncreasespecified.
Aspeedincreaseshouldbespecifiedingustyconditionsorwhenwindshears
areexpectedduringapproach.
Landing Distance Required (LDR) is the runway length legally required with
actual Landing Weight at current airport temperature and airport pressure
altitude(seeCalculationMethod).
Landing Distance (Actual) is the unfactored, calculated distance required to
bringtheaircraftfrom50feettoacompletestop
Landing Distance (Remaining) is the Landing Distance Available (LDA) less the
LandingDistance(Actual),i.e.theMargin.
Landinghasbeendescribedasperformingacarefullycontrolledcrash.
60
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TLR(TakeOff&LandingReport)
TheTakeOff&LandingReportbuttonwillallowyoutocalculatethenecessaryTake
Off and/or landing performance data for the airports specified in the From and To
field.
TheTakeOffand/orLandingReportfeatureisespeciallyusefulifacomputerisnot
readily available on the (virtual) flight deck. All required data for TakeOff and
Landing can be assembled in a single document so that no further calculations are
requiredafterwards.
TOPCATallowsyoutoproducesuchreportseitherforTakeOff,Landingorboth.
Note: For a detailed description of the report format see Annex / TakeOff and
LandingReportdescription
61
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TakeOff&LandingReportSetup
Selecttheplannedrunway/intersection,conditionsandplannedweights.Additional
Runwayscanbeselectedontherightside(theplannedrunwayisalwaysincludedin
thereport,evenifnotselectedintheAdditionalRunwaysfield).
ClicktheAll,NoneandFulllengthbuttontoquicklyselecttheneededrunways.Use
theMin[imum]runwaylengthfunctiontofilterrunways/intersectionsdependingon
theirlength.
UsetheWxUpdatebuttontoshowthelatestMETAR/TAFfortheselectedairports.
Weather conditions (Wind, temperature, pressure) are automatically updated, but
canbemanuallyadjustedasrequired.
After selecting the required report options, click Generate to produce the TakeOff
andLandingReport.
62
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Weather
WeatherbriefingscanbeobtainedbypressingtheWeathertab.Selectthedesired
weatherdatasource,thetype(s)ofreportsandanyweatherstation.
Theadditionalaerodromesarelikelytobethoseaerodromesthatyouflynearand
whichyoumayhavetomakeuseofincaseofadiversionoranemergency.
You can specify whether the METAR Source (from the French "message
dobservation mtorologique rgulire pour laviation,") is a format for reporting
weatherinformation)istobefrom:
NOAA(theUSNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration)
63
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
IVAO(InternationalVirtualAviationOrganisation)
VATSIM(theVirtualAirTrafficFlightSimulationNetwork).
ActiveSky(http://www.hifisim.com)
YoucanspecifytheReportTypestobeoneormoreofthefollowingformats:
METAR(actualweather)
TAF/FT(forecastvalidfor24hours)
Pressing the Download button will cause the weather to be downloaded and
presentedasaWeatherBriefing.
Check the Update weather conditions on TakeOff and Landing page option to
automaticallysetweatherconditionsontherespectivetabs.
WeatherdatacanbedirectlysenttoanACARSstationbypressingtheACARSbutton.
64
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
ACARSNetwork
The TOPCAT messaging function uses Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers ACARS system for
information transfer between ground andairborne stations. Before using ACARS, it
mustbesetupinACARSConfiguration.
ReceivedMessages
The Received Messages frame shows all inbox messages with receiving date and
time,senderandmessagetype.Unreadmessagesareshownbold.
MessagetypecaneitherbeTelex(forTelextypemessages)orPosition(forresponse
toaPos[ition]Req[est]).
65
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Note: TheTOPCATACARSclientcanonlyreceiveTelexorPositionmessages.
Othermessagesareignored.
Use the Reply button to reply to a telex message or use the Forward button to
forwardthemessagetoanotherstation.
SendMessage
Enter the identification of the receiving station in the To field or select a station
currently online from the ACARS Stations Online box. Choose the desired message
type(Telex,LoadSheet,TakeOffData,LandingDataorArrivalInformation).
Telex messages are sent directly to the recipient. Messages other than Telex are
storedontheACARSserverforlaterretrievalfromthereceivingstation.
Note: FornonTelexmessagesaCompanyCode,matchingtheCompanyCode
ofthereceivingstationmustbeprovided(e.g.forSTV123theCompany
CodeisSTV).
PressingthePositionbuttonwillreturnamessagewithflightoperationalinformation
oftherecipientlikeposition,altitude,speed,windandtemperature.
Note: OnlyaircraftstationswillrespondtoaPositionRequestmessage.
66
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Editor
PressingtheEditortabprovidesyouwiththeAirport&RunwayEditorwindow.As
thisstates,youcanalter,addand/ordeletetotheexistingdatabaseofairportsand
runways.
For airports, you can specify Airport ICAOand IATA identifier, Name and Elevation.
YoucanspecifywhetheryourLengthsandHeightsareinmetersorfeet.
For runways, you can specify Runway ID (identifier), Elevation, Heading, Slope,
Length, Width, TORA, LDA, Clearway, Stopway, TODA and ASDA. EngineOut
procedures (EOSIDS), Runway Intersections and Obstacles can also be added or
deleted.
PressingSavewillsavethechangesthatyouhavemade.PressingResetwillundothe
changesthatyouhavemadeonthewindowbutnotcommittedtothedatabase.
67
TOPCATUsersGuide
68
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Chapter5
AcknowledgmentsandThanks
69
TOPCATUsersGuide
70
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
AcknowledgmentsandThanks
Without the hard work and cooperating of the following people, our efforts to
developTOPCATwouldnothavebornfruit:
RichardMcDonaldWoodsforthedevelopmentofthismanual.
Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers for help in interfacing TOPCAT with ACARS and with
permissiontoquotefromhisACARSdocumentation.
CarlAvariCooperforkindpermissiontousehisaircraftimages.
JudithBlascheggforsupportingmeadaptingthismanual
DouglasSnowforhistechnicaladviceandsupport
Copyright
ThisdocumentmayonlybeusedinconjunctionwithacopyoftheTOPCATprogram.
The user is not grantedpermission to copy and/or modify thisdocument except in
pursuanceofpersonaluseofthelicensedprogram.
71
TOPCATUsersGuide
72
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Chapter6
Annex
73
TOPCATUsersGuide
74
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
SampleLoadsheet
LOADSHEETCHECKEDAPPROVEDDATETIME
ALLWEIGHTSINKILOGRAMS29JUN090922
...................
REMARKS/PREPAREDBYTHETOPCATTEAM
FROM/TOFLIGHTA/CREGA/CTYPECONFIG
EHAM/KJFKKLM246N12345B767300ER/CF680C2B7FC48Y206
WEIGHTDISTRIBUTION
LOADINCOMPARTMENTS208391/66282/46353/44854/34715/1620
PASSENGER/CABINBAG16929AD/190C/21I/23TTL211+23
TOTALPAYLOAD37768LASTMINUTECHANGES
DRYOPERATINGWEIGHT89358DESTSPECCL/CPT+/WEIGHT
ZEROFUELWEIGHTACTUAL127126MAX130635L
TAKEOFFFUEL48700
TAKEOFFWEIGHTACTUAL175826MAX185066
TRIPFUEL42040
LANDINGWEIGHTACTUAL133786MAX145150
TAXIOUTFUEL200
UNDERLOADBEFOREL.M.C.3509LIMITEDBYZFWLMCTOTAL+/
BALANCING/TRIMCONDITIONS
MACZFW18.36%
MACTOW21.11%STABTRIM:5.3
MACLDW19.56%
MACLIMITSZFWFWD12.88%AFT31.68%
TOWFWD10.50%AFT37.81%
LDWFWD12.04%AFT34.06%
TRIMBYCABINAREA
A14.B69.C62.D66
CAPTAINSINFORMATION/NOTES
STDWEIGHTSUSEDADULT/85CHILD/36INFANT/1
BLOCKFUEL/48900(60557LITER)
LANDGFUEL/6660
TAXITIME10MIN
SELCAL/QSBP
CREATEDWITHTOPCAT2.55.B5(24JUN09)
AIRCRAFTFILEVERSION1.20(23JUN09)
ENDLOADSHEETKLM246EHAMKJFK
75
TOPCATUsersGuide
SampleTakeOffReport
TAKEOFFREPORTFDX345JEDDH
TOPCAT2.5913OCT0910:56Z
A/CN12345B767300ERCF680C2B7F
ALLWEIGHTSINKILOGRAMS
APTPRWYPOATPWINDPQNHPMRTWFLPCONFTHRUSTV1VRV2PTOW
EDDH33+11C040/041028162000FLAPS5DTO+52C151156161161799
RMKSSPEED/FLAPSSCHEDULE:VREF30=157F5=177F1=197UP=217CLEAN=237
RWY/INTOATWINDQNHRWYCONDV1VRV2THRUST/FLAPSCONFIG
REDUCEDDRYOPTFLAPSDTOA/CONA/IOFF
RWY05RWY15RWY23
3250M3666M3250M
DTOHW04DTOTW01DTOTW04
ATN1FLAPS15ATN1FLAPS5ATN1FLAPS5
+5097.0157379O444753+5695.7155143C485459+5097.0157941O485460
+4897.4159656O454854+5496.1158000C495560+4897.4160231O495561
/+4697.8161933O464955/+5296.5162000C515762/+4697.8162521O505662
+4498.3164210O475056+5097.0166000C535964+4498.3164811O515763
+4298.7166487O475157+4897.4170000C556066+4298.7167101O525865
HW/10KT+8200+6626
TW/15KT18771344113259
RWY23/AWRWY33RWY33/IN
3218M3666M3350M
DTOTW04DTOHW01DTOHW01
ATN1FLAPS5ATN1FLAPS5ATN1FLAPS5
+5097.0157426O475460+5695.7155143C495459+5695.7155143C495459
+4897.4159713O485561+5496.1158000C505560+5496.1158000C505560
/+4697.8162001O495662/+5296.5162000C515762/+5296.5162000C515762
+4498.3164288O505763+5097.0166000C535964+5097.0166000C535964
+4298.7166575O515864+4897.4170000C556066+4897.4170000C556066
HW/10KT+661400
TW/15KT1325933728518
************************************************************************************
*MAXTAKEOFFWEIGHTMUSTNOTEXCEEDMAXCERTTAKEOFFWEIGHTOF185066KG*
************************************************************************************
SPECIALENGFAILTAKEOFFPROCEDURES
RWYLENGTH
053250MLTTO'LBE'115.1(054INBD,RT)
153666MAT3.5DME'ALF'115.8LTTO'HAM'113.1(009INBD,RT)
233250MRTTO'HAM'113.1(009INBD,RT)
333666MCLIMBSTRAIGHTAHEADTOGTLCTR(323.0).WHENPASSING2000'TURNRIGHT
TOHAMVORDME(113.10)CLIMBINGTO3000'ANDHOLD(INBD009,RT)
ENDTAKEOFFREPORTFDX345JEDDH
76
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
SampleLandingReport
LANDINGREPORTFDX345JTNCM
A/CN12345B767300ERCF680C2B7F
ALLWEIGHTSINKILOGRAMS
APTPRWYPOATPWINDPQNHPMRLWFLPCONFVREFVAPPPLDW
TNCM09+11C040/041028190000FLAPS30141146138500
RWY/INTOATWINDQNHRWYCONDVREFVAPPFLAPSCONFIG/COND
DISPATCHLIMITSDRYA/CPACKSONA/IOFF
***NORMVIS/LOWVIS***
RWY09RWY10RWY27RWY28
2180MHW022150MHW022180MTW022165MTW02
OATFLAPS30FLAPS30FLAPS30FLAPS30
+15175570F/158477F174293F/156885F170920F/153220F170059F/152569F
+13175570F/158477F174293F/156885F170920F/153220F170059F/152569F
/+11175570F/158477F/174293F/156885F/170920F/153220F/170059F/152569F
+9175570F/158477F174293F/156885F170920F/153220F170059F/152569F
+7175570F/158477F174293F/156885F170920F/153220F170059F/152569F
HW/10KT+3564/+5166+3555/+5023+8214/+10423+8444/+10221
TW/15KT28357/3625929682/3693123707/3100224125/31463
************************************************************************************
*MAXLANDINGWEIGHTMUSTNOTEXCEEDMAXCERTLANDINGWEIGHTOF140614KG*
************************************************************************************
REQUIREDLDGDISTNORMVISFLAPS30A/CPACKSONA/IOFF
***VALIDFORALLRWYSATTNCM.BASEDONNOWIND***
LDWDRYWETCONTAMIN.
1426001726M1985M1985M
1412001712M1969M1969M
1398001697M1952M1952M
/138500/1684M/1936M/1936M
1370001668M1919M1919M
1356001654M1902M1902M
1342001639M1885M1885M
HW/10KT95M110M110M
TW/15KT+404M+464M+464M
AUTOBRAKELDGDISTDRYFLAPS30A/CPACKSONA/IOFF
LDWAUTO1AUTO2AUTO3AUTO4AUTOMAX
1412002714M2222M1911M1599M1288M
1398002687M2201M1893M1586M1278M
/138500/2667M/2184M/1880M/1575M/1270M
1370002643M2164M1864M1562M1261M
1356002620M2146M1849M1550M1252M
1342002598M2128M1834M1539M1244M
HW/10KT0M0M0M0M0M
TW/15KT+526M+434M+366M+297M+206M
ENDLANDINGREPORTFDX345JTNCM13OCT09
77
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TakeOffandLandingReportDescription
TheTakeOffand/orLandingReportfeatureisespeciallyusefulifacomputerisnot
readily available on the (virtual) flight deck. All required data for TakeOff and
Landing can be assembled in a single document so that no further calculations are
requiredafterwards.TOPCATallowsyoutoproducesuchreportseitherforTakeOff,
Landingorboth.
The different data blocks cover variations in atmospheric conditions, different
runways and planned weights. Due to the variety of information on the report, a
recalculationisrarelyrequired.
ReportHeader
Flightnumber
DepartureAirport
TAKEOFFREPORTFDX345JEDDH
Dateandtimethe
reportwasgenerated
A/CN12345B767300ERCF680C2B7F
Aircraftregistration
Aircraftandenginetype
PlannedData(TakeOff)
PlannedRunway
orIntersection
Plannedatmosphericconditions.Thedataisvalidwhen
theactualQNHisnolessthan5hPa(0.15")below
PQNH,i.e.1023inthisexample.
NopenaltyforhigheractualQNH.
TakeoffSpeedsfor
PlannedTakeoffWeight.
APTPRWYPOATPWINDPQNHPMRTWFLPCONFTHRUSTV1VRV2PTOW
EDDH33+11C040/041028162000FLAPS5DTO+52C151156161161799
RMKSANTISKIDINOP
PlannedMaximumRunwayTakeoffWeight
consideringaccelstop/go,climbgradient,
obstacle,tires,etc.Thisdoesnotinclude
restrictivepartsofcruiseorlanding
segments.ItmustbelargerthanPTOW.
PlannedTakeoff
Flapposition,
Thrustsettingand
AssumedTemp
erature.
Remarks:Ifrestrictiveitemsappear,thecalculations
hereandinthefollowingtakeoffdataincludethem.
78
PlannedTakeoffWeight.Based
ontheplannedloadforthe
revenueflight.Thisshouldbe
thesameastheTakeoffWeight
ontheW&Bpage.
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
If actual conditions are the same as Planned Data, then no more calculations are
necessary. However, this rarely occurs. If not, then proceed to the blocks of data
below the Planned Data that correspond to the actual runway, configuration, and
atmosphericconditions.
Ifsomeperformanceconditionschangeduringflightpreparationorwhilethecrewis
taxiing,itcanbehandledbyeitheroftwomethods:
Ifthenewconditions,suchasOATorWind,arecoveredbyoneoftheblocks
of takeoff data, the crew can make a new calculation without reference to
TOPCAT.
However,ifthenewconditionisnotcoveredbyoneoftheblocksoftakeoff
data,anewcalculationisrequired.Inthiscase,thecrewwillrecordthenew
informationintherevisiondatarow.
RWY/INTOATWINDQNHRWYCONDV1VRV2THRUST/FLAPSCONFIG
If the actual QNH is higher than planned, i.e. the air is more dense, then actual
performancewillbebetterthanplannedandnorecalculationisnecessary.
If the actual QNH is lower than planned QNH, i.e. the air is less dense, then
performancewillbedecreased.TOPCATperformanceallowsanactualQNHvariation
of5hPa(0.15"Hg)lowerthanplannedQNHwithoutrequiringarecalculation.
If the QNH variation exceeds this amount, then a recalculation is required. The
takeoffdataprovidedtothepilothasnomethodofadjustmentforthis;therefore,
newperformancenumbersmustbecalculated.
Full/ReducedThrustTakeOff
Thissectionisarunwayanalysisconcept.Ifconditionsvaryfromthatintheplanned
datasection,proceedtothissection.Therearetwopossibletypesofdatasections:
FullThrustandReducedThrust.
79
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Titlebar.Describestheconfigurationforwhichthedataiscalculated.Youmay
haveachoiceofseveralblocksofdata,eachwithuniqueconditions.Ifyoucant
findatitlebarthatmatchesyourconditions,anewcalculationisrequired.
RWY05RWY15
3250M3666M
DTOHW04DTOTW01
ATN1FLAPS15ATN1FLAPS5
+5097.0157379O444753+5695.7155143C485459
+4897.4159656O454854+5496.1158000C495560
/+4697.8161933O464955/+5296.5162000C515762
Plannedrunwayandinter
sectionincludingTakeoff
RunAvailable(TORA)
HWHeadwind(orTWTail
wind)componentinknots
andplannedFlapsconfig
uration.
The/symbolisusedtoindicatethetemperatureforthePlannedTakeoffWeight
(PTOW).Ifconditionschange,makesurethatthePTOWisequalorlowerthanthe
MaximumTakeoffWeight(MTOW)afterapplyingtherespectivecorrections.
MaximumRunwayTakeoffWeight(MRTW)andlimitcode.
Thisnumberincorporatesalllimitsfortakeoff,i.e.accelerate
stop/goobstacle,climbgradient,tires,etc.
Consequently,thereisnoseparate"climblimit"column.
PlannedTakeoff
Thrustsetting
ATAssumedTemp
erature(orOATOutside
AirTemperature)in
degreesCelsius.
Ifdashes()appearfor
agiventemperature,
takeoffisnotpermitted.
Temperaturesarelisted
indescendingorder.
VspeedsforMaximumTakeoffWeight
(V1VRV2).Add100ktsforthreedigit
speeds.VspeedsarebasedonLimiting
Weightshowninthecolumntotheleft.
RWY05RWY15
3250M3666M
DTOHW04DTOTW01
ATN1FLAPS15ATN1FLAPS5
+5097.0157379C444753+56
+4897.4159656C454854+5496.1158000C495560
/+4697.8161933F464955/+5296.5162000C515762
+4498.3164210F475056+5097.0166000C535964
+4298.7166487F475157+4897.4170000C556066
HW/10KT+8200
TW/15KT187713441
WeightcorrectionforindicatedHW
(Headwind)andTW(Tailwind)
component.
CalculatedN1/EPRvaluesforgiven
OATorAT.
Note: Vspeeds are based on Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW). As long as

yourActualTakeoffWeight(ATOW)islower,youcansafelyusethese
speedseveniftheyarehigherthantherequiredspeedsforthisweight.
80
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
SpecialEngineFailureTakeOffProcedures(EOSID)
SPECIALENGFAILTAKEOFFPROCEDURES
RWYLENGTH
053250MLTTO'LBE'115.1(054INBD,RT)
153666MAT3.5DME'ALF'115.8LTTO'HAM'113.1(009INBD,RT)
233250MRTTO'HAM'113.1(009INBD,RT)
333666MCLIMBSTRAIGHTAHEADTOGTLCTR(323.0).WHENPASSING2000'TURNRIGHT
TOHAMVORDME(113.10)CLIMBINGTO3000'ANDHOLD(INBD009,RT)
Most airports will have an engine failure procedure. This procedure has to be
followedincaseofanenginefailureatTakeOff.
TheSpecialDepartureProcedureguaranteeclearingallobstaclesbyatleast35feetif
anenginefailsandV2ismaintainedtotheappropriatealtitude.Theprimaryfunction
of Special Departure Procedures is to address the most critical time of an engine
failure,i.e.shortlyafterliftoffbelow1500'AAE.
Special Departure Procedures are meant to supplement professional knowledge,
good judgment, and common sense; not to replace them. It is not possible to
constructexactproceduresforeveryconceivableengineoutoperation.Therefore,in
any emergency situation, use the PIC emergency authority and total professional
knowledge base to arrive at a solution with the highest probability of a successful
outcome.
If,infact,anenginehasfailedinVMCconditions,continuingthespecialdeparture
procedure track until at least reaching minimum vectoring altitude would be
prudent.However,theaircraftmaydepartfromthespecialdepartureprocedureand
maneuverintoaVFRpatternprovidingterrainclearanceisassured.
PlannedData(Landing)
If actual conditions are the same as Planned Data, then no more calculations are
necessary. However, this rarely occurs. If not, then proceed to the blocks of data
below the Planned Data that correspond to the actual runway, configuration, and
atmosphericconditions.
The Landing Report consists of a Dispatch Limits, Required Landing Distance and a
Autobrake Landing Distance section. Use these data to determine your Maximum
81
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
Landing Weight, legally Required Landing Distance and actual distances using
Autobrakes.
The report allows catering for different runways and conditions, low visibility and
variationsinlandingweights.
PlannedRunway
Plannedatmosphericconditions.Thedataisvalid
whentheactualQNHisnolessthan5hPa(0.15")
belowPQNH,i.e.1023inthisexample.
NopenaltyforhigheractualQNH.
LandingSpeedsforPlanned
LandingWeight.
APTPRWYPOATPWINDPQNHPMRLWFLPCONFVREFVAPPPLDW
TNCM09+11C040/041028190000FLAPS30141146138500
RMKSANTISKIDINOP
PlannedMaximumRunwayLandingWeight
consideringfieldandclimblimits.Thisdoes
notincluderestrictivepartsofcruiseor
TakeOffsegments.Itmustbelargerthan
PLDW.
PlannedLanding
Flapposition
PlannedLandingWeight.Based
ontheplannedloadforthe
revenueflight.Thisshouldbe
thesameastheLandingWeight
ontheW&Bpage.
Remarks:Ifrestrictiveitemsappear,thecalculations
hereandinthefollowinglandingdataincludethem.
DispatchLandingLimits
TheDispatchLandingLimitsectionconsistsofadatablockforeveryrunwayatyour
destination.DataareavailableforNormalVisibility(manuallanding,leftcolumn)and
Low Visibility (autoland, right column). These tables can be used to determine the
maximum landing weight allowed for flight dispatch based on available landing
distanceatthedestination.
Theyarenormallyusedbydispatchonlyfortheplanningphaseoftheflight.These
data are based on touchdown at 1,000 ft (300 m) from the approach end of the
runwayat VREF with heavybraking (reverse thrust is not considered),allowing the
airplanetolandandstopwithin60%(Jet)or70%(Prop)oftheeffectivelengthofthe
runway. Adjustments, e.g. antiskid off, as indicated in the Remarks section, are
included.
82
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
MaximumRunwayLandingWeight(MRLW)andlimitcode.This
numberincorporatesfieldandclimblimitsforlanding.Theleft
columnshowslimitingweightsfornormalvisibility(manual
landing),therightcolumnforlowvisibility(autoland).
PlannedLandingRunway
andLandingDistance
Available(LDA).
PlannedLandingFlap
position
OAT(OutsideAirTemp
erature)indegreesCelsius.
Ifdashes()appearfora
giventemperature,landing
isnotpermitted.
Temperaturesarelistedin
descendingorder.
DISPATCHLIMITSDRYA/CPACKSONA/IOFF
***NORMVIS/LOWVIS***
RWY09RWY10
2180MHW022150MHW02
OATFLAPS30FLAPS30
+15175570F/158477F/
+13175570F/158477F174293F/156885F
/+11175570F/158477F/174293F/156885F
+9175570F/158477F174293F/156885F
+7175570F/158477F174293F/156885F
HW/10KT+3564/+5166+3555/+5023
TW/15KT28357/3625929682/36931
WeightcorrectionforindicatedHW
(Headwind)andTW(Tailwind)
component.
HWHeadwind(orTWTailwind)
componentinknots.
The/symbolisusedtoindicatethetemperatureforthePlannedLandingWeight
(PLDW). If conditions change, make sure that the PLDW is equal or lower than the
MaximumLandingWeight(MLDW)afterapplyingtherespectivecorrections.
RequiredLandingDistance
REQUIREDLDGDISTNORMVISFLAPS30A/CPACKSONA/IOFF
LandingDistancesareprovided
LDWDRYWETCONTAMIN.
foralllevelsofcontamination
1426001726M1985M1985M
availableintheperformancefile.
1412001712M1969M1969M
1398001697M1952M1952M
Required Landing Distances are
/138500/1684M/1936M/1936M
valid for all runways available in
1370001668M1919M1919M
thereport.Distancesincludethe
1356001654M1902M1902M
60%(Jet)or70%(Prop)factor.
1342001639M1885M1885M
HW/10KT95M110M110M
LandingDistancecorrectionfor
TW/15KT+404M+464M+464M
DataareprovidedforthePlannedLandingWeight
(indicatedby/)witharangeofhigher/lower
weightstocoveroperationalweightvariations.
indicatedHW(Headwind)and
TW(Tailwind)component.
ThissectioncanbeusedtoquicklydeterminetheRequiredLandingDistance(RLD)at
a given airport. Calculations are based on the highest elevation and lowest slope
83
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
runway. So these data are conservatively valid for all runways contained in the
report.Distancesallowtheairplanetolandandstopwithin60%(Jet)or70%(Prop)
of the effective length of the runway. Before landing, make sure that the Landing
DistanceAvailable(LDA)ofyourlandingrunwayisgreaterthantheLandingDistance
Required(LDR).
TOPCATperformanceallowsanactualQNHvariationof5hPa(0.15"Hg)lowerthan
plannedQNHwithoutrequiringarecalculation.NopenaltyforhigherQNH.
DataareavailableforNormalVisibility(manuallanding)andLowVisibility(autoland).
The Landing Distance Required (LDR) for the Planned Landing Weight (PLDW) is
markedwitha/.DistancescoveringvariationsinActualLandingWeightaregiven
aboveandbelow.
AutobrakeLandingDistance
LandingDistancesareprovidedforall
Autobrakeoptionsavailableinthe
performancefile.
AutobrakeLandingDistancesarevalidforall
runwayscontainedinthereport.Shownvalues
areactualdistances(withoutmargin).
AUTOBRAKELDGDISTDRYFLAPS30A/CPACKSONA/IOFF
LDWAUTO1AUTO2AUTO3AUTO4AUTOMAX
1412002714M2222M1911M1599M1288M
1398002687M2201M1893M1586M1278M
/138500/2667M/2184M/1880M/1575M/1270M
1370002643M2164M1864M1562M1261M
1356002620M2146M1849M1550M1252M
1342002598M2128M1834M1539M1244M
HW/10KT0M0M0M0M0M
TW/15KT+526M+434M+366M+297M+206M
DataareprovidedforthePlannedLandingWeight
(indicatedby/)witharangeofhigher/lower
weightstocoveroperationalweightvariations.
AutobrakeLandingDistancecorrection
forindicatedHW(Headwind)andTW
(Tailwind)component.
UsetheAutobrakeLandingDistancesectiontoquicklydeterminetheactualdistance
requiredforlandingatagivenairport.Datainclude1,000ft(300m)airdistance.
Calculations are based on the highest elevation and lowest slope runway. So these
dataareconservativelyvalidforallrunwayscontainedinthereport.
84
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
TOPCATperformanceallowsanactualQNHvariationof5hPa(0.15"Hg)lowerthan
plannedQNHwithoutrequiringarecalculation.NopenaltyforhigherQNH.
TheAutobrakeLandingDistanceforthePlannedLandingWeight(PLDW)ismarked
with a /. Distances covering variations in Actual Landing Weight are given above
andbelow.
85
TOPCATUsersGuide
SampleIndividualRunwayTable(IRT)
************************************************************************************
*EDDF25R*FLAPS20*TO1*FRANKFURTMAIN*
************************************************************************************
:ALLWEIGHTSINKILOGRAMS(KG)NOTFOROPERATIONALUSE:
::
:ELEVATION=364(FT):B747400/PW4062:OBSTACLESDIST/HGT:
:SLOPE=0.30(%):DATED11OCT200808:34UTC::
:T.O.R.A.=4000(M)::OBS(A)5220M/48FT:
:T.O.D.A.=4000(M):AIRCONDON:OBS(B)5450M/63FT:
:A.S.D.A.=4000(M):ANTIICEOFF::
:LENGTH=4000(M):RUNWAYCONDDRY::
:WIDTH=60(M):QNH=1013.25HPA::
::::
:ENGINEOUTDEPARTURE(EOSID)::
:CLIMBSTRAIGHTAHEADTO1900FT.TURNLEFTTORID(D112.20)CLIMBINGTO4000FT:
:ANDHOLD(246/R).:
:::::::
:TEMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:WINDCOMP:
:C:15KTS:+0KTS:+10KTS:+20KTS:+30KTS:
:::::::
:20:400304FIELD:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:
::144172180:150172180:151172180:151172180:152172180:
:::::::
:10:394045FIELD:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:
::143170180:150172180:151172180:151172180:152172180:
:::::::
:+0:389781FIELD:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:430000BRAKES:
::142169179:150172180:151172180:151172180:152172180:
:::::::
::140168178:150172180:151172180:151172180:152172180:
:::::::
::138166177:150172180:151172180:151172180:152172180:
:::::::
:+40:348612FIELD:377747CLIMB:377747CLIMB:377747CLIMB:377747CLIMB:
::132160170:148169177:149169177:149169177:150169177:
:::::::
:+50:321634FIELD:342312CLIMB:342312CLIMB:342312CLIMB:342312CLIMB:
::129155163:143161169:144161169:144161169:145161169:
:::::::
:+65*:282543FIELD:283343CLIMB:283343CLIMB:283343CLIMB:283343CLIMB:
::109129144:109129145:109129145:109129145:109129145:
:::::::
:*=EXCEEDSRWYENVTEMPLIMIT:RWYENVTEMPLIMIT=+53C:
::RWYASSTEMPLIMIT=+74C:
:PRESSURECORRECTION:::::
:+10HPA:+966KG:+2760KG:+2760KG:+2760KG:+2760KG:
:10HPA:6064KG:21503KG:22722KG:22722KG:22722KG:
:::::::
:MAXBRAKERELEASEWEIGHTMUSTNOTEXCEEDMAXCERTTAKEOFFWEIGHTOF397005KG:
::
86
1.18
TOPCATUsersGuide
1.18
87
TOPCATUsersGuide
Impressum
ChristianGrill
Aigen259
5350Strobl
AUSTRIA
Phone: +43(0)6502027429
Mail:
grill.christian@flightsimsoft.com
Web:
www.flightsimsoft.com
88
1.18

Top Cat Users Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Top Cat Users Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

************************************************************************************

Remove license will deactivate the software to allow installation on another

Standard baggage weight for domestic, international or intercontinental

flight. Produce a Loadsheetand export the results toMicrosoft

landing distances for different brake settings and inoperative

<F5> TakeOff and Landing Report: Create your individual TakeOff

<F7> Send and receive messages via Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers ACARS

Network (only shown if ACARS client is enabled in configuration

Rmk (Remarks) allows you to add important notes or information to the

For landing performance calculations, a Landing Distance Required (LDR) is

Note: Vspeeds are based on Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW). As long as

You might also like