Fokker 50 - Limitations

GENERAL LIMITATIONS
Minimum crew
Cockpit:

Two pilots

Maximum number of passenger seats

Sixty-two (62)
Maximum operating altitudes
Maximum operating pressure altitude:
25.000 feet
Maximum take-off and landing pressure altitude: 8.000 feet
Maximum and minimum operating temperatures
Maximum:
Minimum:

ISA +35C
Minus 54C (all altitudes)

Runway slope limits

Take-off and landing:

2% up to 2% down

Manoeuvring load limits

Flaps up:
Flaps down:

+2.5 G to -1.0 G
+2.0 G to 0.0 G

The positive G limits the angle of bank in turns and the severity of pull up manoeuvres.

Instrument colour markings

Normal operating range:
Caution range:
Limit of operation:

Green
Amber
Red



MASS LIMITATIONS
Maximum masses
Maximum masses
Ramp / taxi
Take-off*
Landing*
Zero Fuel

KG
20.865
20.820
19.730
18.600

* May be reduced by performance requirements.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

Center of gravity

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

SPEED LIMITATIONS
All speed limitations in KIAS unless indicated otherwise.
All altitudes mentioned in this section are pressure altitudes.

Maximum operating limit speed (Vmo)

Up to 21.000 feet:
Above 21.000 feet:

224 KIAS
Vmo decreases linearly to reach 206 KIAS at 25.000 feet

The maximum operating speed shall not deliberately be exceeded in any regime of flight
(climb, cruise or descent), except where a higher speed is specifically authorized for test
flight purposes.

Maximum design manoeuvring (Va)

Va:

175 KIAS

Full application of rudder and/or aileron controls, as well as manoeuvres that involve an
angle of attack near the stall should be confined to speeds below Va.
Rough air speed (Vr)
Vr :

165 KIAS

Maximum flap extend speed (Vfe)

5:
10:
15:
20:
25:
35:

180 KIAS
180 KIAS
180 KIAS
160 KIAS
160 KIAS
140 KIAS

Prolonged use of flaps other than for take-off and landing is prohibited.

Maximum landing gear operating speeds (Vlo = Vle)

Extension (Vle):
Operating (Vlo):

170 KIAS
170 KIAS

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

Minimum control speeds (upper limits) (Vmca, Vmcg, Vmcl)

Minimum control speed

Flap setting

KIAS

Vmca

87

Vmca

10

86

Vmca

15

85

Vmcg

80

Vmcg

10

84

Vmcg

15

84

Vmcl

25

90

Vmcl

35

90

Minimum manoeuvring speeds and flap setting

Flap setting

Minimum manoeuvring speed

0
10
20
25

140 KIAS
130 KIAS
120 KIAS
110 KIAS

Bank angle limits

Below minimum manoeuvring speed:
Maximum bank angle:

15
30q

Manoeuvring speed after take-off

Normal manoeuvring speed after take-off:
Flaps extended:
V2 + 10 KIAS
Flaps retracted:
Vfr + 10 KIAS
Climb speeds
If climb speed is reduced to below 140 KIAS a rather pronounced propeller induced airframe
vibration will occur.

Window heat unserviceable speed limitation

If the window heat is inoperative the speed must be restricted to maximum 180 KIAS at
altitudes below 10.000 ft and TAT below 18qC.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

Stall speeds
FAA stall speed
The stall speed graph below provides FAA stall speeds for low altitudes and at various
flapsettings.
The stall speeds, which largely depend on the flight techniques used to enter the stall, are
obtained under the following conditions:
Aircraft correctly trimmed for straight and level flight at a steady speed 20-40% above the
expected stall speed.
No pre-stall-entry trim changes
Speed reduced by elevator control at approximately 1 knot per second.
Idle thrust
Forward center of gravity position
The FAA stall speed is used to set the legal minima for take-off manoeuvring and landing
speeds.
1 G stall speed
The 1 G stall speed is the speed corresponding to an angle of attack at which Clmax is
reached. At lower speeds the lift becomes less than the aircraft weight and the aircraft
commences to sink. The 1 G stall speeds are slightly higher than the FAA stall speeds.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

WEATHER LIMITATIONS
1.5.1.

Maximum wind velocities (including gusts)

Maximum wind velocities from any direction for which the flight control lock
provides protection.
Maximum demonstrated crosswind component for take-off and landing on a hard
dry runway.
Maximum tailwind component
For CAT II operation the maximum demonstrated wind velocities are:
Total wind

65 Kts

Crosswind component

15 Kts

Tailwind component

10 Kts

33 Kts
10 Kts
20 Kts

Maximum crosswind and tailwind components, against braking action

Coefficient

Braking action

0.40 and above

0.39 - 0.36
0.35 - 0.30
0.29 - 0.26
0.25 and below

5 / good
4 / good/medium
3 / medium
2 / medium/poor
1 / poor

Maximum
crosswind
component
33
25
15
10
5

Maximum tailwind
component
10
7
5
3
0

Operation from contaminated runway

Maximum depth of precipitation on the runway for take-off.
Take-off should not be attempted when more than 12.7 mm of standing water, or depth of
slush or snow equivalent to more than 12.7 mm of water, covers a significant part of the
required field length within the required width of the runway.
Use Route Performance Manual to determine maximum allowed take-off mass and required
take-off speeds.
Crosswind limit with runway width less than 40 meters
If the usable runway width is less than 40 m, the maximum allowed crosswind components
must be reduced according to the table below:
Usable runway width (m)

39

35

30

Crosswind reduction (Kts)

10

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

Maximum door operation limit

Doors
The maximum wind speed, including gusts, for operation of any door is 64 KIAS.
NOTE:

Service doors (3): Above 22 KIAS (incl. gusts) take extreme care, not to
release the door before the completely closed- or open position has been
reached.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

POWER PLANT LIMITATIONS

1.6.1.

Engine and propeller type

Engine:
Propeller:

Pratt & Whitney PW 125 B

Dowty Rotol R352/6 - 123 - F/1
Dowty Rotol R352/6 - 123 - F/2

Engine and propeller limitations

CONDITION

TIME

MAX. TO/GA

10 min

TORQUE
(%) (2)
102

NORMAL TO

10 min

92

Unlimited
Unlimited
5 sec
20 sec

87.5
100
115

MAX. CONT
MAX. CLIMB
MIN. GND IDLE
STARTING
TRANSIENT

ITT
(qC)
800
See
graph
800
800
950
840

For operation with PROP EC fault (overspeed governor):

CONDITION
TIME
TORQUE
ITT
(%)
(qC)
MAX. TO/GA
10 min
96
800
Unlimited
82.5
800
MAX. CONTINOUS
NOTE:

Nh
102.7

RPM (%)
Nl
104.7

Np (1)
100

101.6

101.6

100

102.7
66
103.8

104.7
104.3

100
85
115

Nh
102.7
102.7

RPM (%)
Nl
104
104

Np (1)
106
106

Np fluctuations of +/- 0.5% are allowed relative to 85% and 100%.

Torque fluctuations +/- 2% during take-off roll (at 60KIAS) and climb are
considered acceptable.
Torque fluctuations +/- 1% during cruise are considered acceptable.
Torque split of 6% during cruise is considered acceptable.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

Propeller operating limits

WARNING:

Do not attempt to select ground idle in flight. In case of failure of the flight
idle stop, this would lead to loss of control from which recovery may not be
possible.

To avoid high propeller stresses, stabilised ground operation in the propeller RPM range of
65% to 90% NP is not permitted with the airplane static. Excluded from this limitation is the
use of reverse during ground manoeuvring in engine EC operating mode.

Manual propeller control

When the propeller is manually controlled the speed must be restricted to max. 220 KTAS.
NOTE:

This specific speed limit is expressed in Knots True Air Speed (KTAS)
instead of the usual KIAS!

Oil pressure
Minimum
Normal operating range
Transient Minimum
Maximum

40 Psi
55 65 Psi
40 Psi
100 Psi

Oil temperature
For starting
GND IDLE

Minimum (without preheat)

Minimum
Maximum
Operation above GND IDLE Minimum
Minimum in icing conditions

Maximum, continuous
Maximum, 20 minutes

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- 54qC
- 54qC
+115qC
0qC
+45qC, on both engines for
more than 3 minutes before
take-off. (The 3 minute period
starts when the oil temperature
of both engines is above 45qC)
+115qC
+125qC

Fokker 50 - Limitations

Approved oils
Mobil
Mobil
Castrol
Esso
Exxon
Aeroshell

Jet on II
Jet on 254
5000
Turbo on 2380
Turbo on 2380
Turbine 01 500

Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)

The Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) may be used on the ground only.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

FUEL SYSTEM LIMITATIONS

Approved fuels
Normal Fuels
Kerosene type
High flash point

Type
Jet A, Jet A-1 and military equivalent
JP-5

Alternate Fuels*
Wide-cut fuel

Type
Jet B and military equivalent

NOTE:

* If 'alternate' fuel is used, take-off is not allowed when one or more fuel
pumps are inoperative.

Mixing of fuels
If the fuel consists of a mixture of 'normal' and any amount of alternate fuel, the tanks must
be considered to contain 'alternate' fuel.

Usable fuel tank capacity

Main tank
(including collector tank)

5136 Litres
4160 Kilograms
(at 15qC and 0.81 kg/litre)

Maximum fuel asymmetry

Aircraft mass (kg)

Maximum fuel asymmetry

20820*
19.005 and below

150 kg
500 kg

*Linear interpolation may be applied between 19.005 and 20.820 kg.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

AUTOPILOT LIMITATIONS
En route operation
The minimum altitude with the autopilot engaged shall be deducted from data on altitude lost
during malfunction test as presented in section 3 Emergency Procedures.

Approaches
When using an instrument approach facility, the minimum height to which the autopilot may
be used is 50 feet when coupled to an ILS.
Use of the AP and FD is limited to glide slope elevation angles ranging from 2 up to and
including 4 for approaches with CAT 1 weather limits.
CAT II operations are limited to glideslope elevation angles ranging from 2.5 degrees up to
and including 3 degrees.
Use of touch-control steering
When Touch-Control Steering (TCS) is used the bank angle is limited to 40.

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Fokker 50 - Limitations

MISCELLANEOUS LIMITATIONS
Cabin differential pressure
Maximum differential pressure:
(relief valve setting).
In case of cracked cabin window:

5.7 Psi
4.0 Psi

Maximum bank angle below 500 feet

If a turn is required below 500 feet AGL limit bank angle to 15q.

Communications
During flight below 10.000 feet all communications should be accomplished with headset and
boommike type equipment.

Flap position in icing conditions

In icing conditions flap 35q shall not be selected above 300 feet AAL.

Noise limitations
Compliance with the ICAO Annex 18 Chapter 3 limits has been shown for the following
configurations:
Take-off with flaps 5q
Approach flaps 25q; two engines
Approach flaps 35q; two engines
Electrical limitations
Display selector
GENERATOR
LOAD (%)

LH electric display

RH electric display

GEN 1

GEN 2

Continuous
5 minutes
5 seconds

100
113
150
TRU

LOAD (5)

TRU 1

Continuous
2 minutes
5 seconds

TRU 2
100
133
300

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