Flight Manuals

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I am very interested in the flight manuals from a few different aircraft. Specifically, older US and Western aircraft, for example F-4 Phantom II, F-102/F-106, F-104, F-5 etc.

I am uploading flight manuals to this site as I get the time. I have quite a few Russian ones, but not much Western stuff.

 

[Dilbert]

I already purchased numerous flight manuals from eflightmanuals.

First of all, they are very touchy about their "copyright" (which is today apparently defined as scanning in the work of others?), and install some kind of copy-protection on their CDs. When they detect copies of "their" manuals being passed around the web, they get angry, file cease-and-desist orders, and increase the copy protection.

And all over nothing, because second of all, I don't personally find their manuals very educational anyway. This is because (a) the manuals are "Dash-1", that contain no avionics or weapons information - only how to fly the plane, as if it were a commuter aircraft, and emergency procedures for the pilot. The good stuff is all in Dash-34 manuals that are often not secret, but "official use only" - i.e. even in the rare case you can find someone to sell you a copy, they'll want to see proof you are an American citizen.

and (b) because the manuals they have for sale, at least for modern aircraft, all seem to be quite old and outdated. I have the Harrier, F-18, F-15, etc. and didn't find very much in them to quench my thirst.

In general, I've felt far better educated by the free stuff on the web.

My 2c...

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Re: Flight Manuals

I thought that for older planes, the manuals were more informative. The F-8 Crusader manual has a nice section on the radar and IRST for example.

 

[firstfleet]

I already purchased numerous flight manuals from eflightmanuals.

This is because (a) the manuals are "Dash-1", that contain no avionics or weapons information - only how to fly the plane, as if it were a commuter aircraft, and emergency procedures for the pilot. The good stuff is all in Dash-34 manuals that are often not secret, but "official use only" - i.e. even in the rare case you can find someone to sell you a copy, they'll want to see proof you are an American citizen.

and (b) because the manuals they have for sale, at least for modern aircraft, all seem to be quite old and outdated.
My 2c...

An interesting point of view. As one who spent more than twelve years in seven different USAF aircraft, I submit that the Dash One is a terribly (word chosen deliberately) important document. It is not simply a how-to for a commuter airplane, but a distillation of manufacturer information leavened with many years of operational experience in the type. As one who crewed in transport and bomber aircraft, the Dash One provides critical information on not just "how to fly the airplane" but how to inspect it, operate it and the systems of the aircraft. The major difference between aircraft with only one or two crewmembers and those with larger crews is that the larger aircraft have more people to deal with operation, including emergencies. In the fast-movers, the pilot and maybe one other have to keep it largely in their heads to deal with everything. The Dash One is updated by a variety of inputs, both from the top down and from suggestions and experiences of the crew members.

As one example, a C-133 crew departed Chateauroux AB, France one dark and rainy night in about 1962. Climbing out in DS weather, on instruments, the airplane went into a departure stall, with the right roll increasing rapidly. According to the copilot, who was a flight examiner administering an aircraft commander upgrade check for the pilot in the left seat, he was "doing everything right," but the stall was progressing fast. Finally, the FE dropped full flaps, something not covered in the Dash One but which seemed the right thing to do. That stopped the process, the wings began to come level from a rol that had passed 92 degrees and they were able to land at Chateauroux. That incident was soon reflected in a new addition to the emergency procedures of the C-133 Dash One.

Dash Ones are constantly being updated, so there are always old ones being turned in or discarded. Nowadays, I'm told that a lot of the Dash One is now available on line in the airplane, at least in such planes as the C-17. Certainly, there are still paper copies out there. When the resellers get ahold of a copy, it is most likely going to be one that is outdated to some degree.

No, it is not a commuter plane driver's manual!

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I understand what you are saying, and you are correct. However Dilbert and I were hoping for information on weapons systems- Russian flight manuals, and older US ones, include basic information on radars, weapons systems and thier use. Newer ones do not. All this info is in a separate manual, not the Dash 1

 

[Andrew]

If you are still interesting in it, here it is F-104 Flight manual http://www.maxho.com/lj/F104D_flight_manual.pdf