Photo: Alec Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The only Boeing with measured column forces: 8.6 lb breakout, up to ~106 lb full aft, a light 13 lb wheel — heavy pitch, light roll, and a violent column shaker.
Sources: Boeing 747-8 documentation; Boeing published data; FAA TCDS A20WE.
The 747-8 Intercontinental is the last and largest 747: four GEnx engines, a stretched upper deck, a new supercritical wing, and nearly a million pounds moving at Mach 0.86. It is flown gently by definition; nothing about 450 tonnes rewards abruptness.
For a simmer the -8 is stately mass. The feel system serves the same role as the 737's but everything is smoothed by sheer size: slower responses, softer textures, longer arcs. The profile's job is weight and calm, punctuated by the few events big enough to shake a 747.
The original 747 of 1969 gambled Boeing's existence on the idea that people would fly in something that big. It defined long-haul travel for four decades and carried more people further than any aircraft before it.
The -8 of 2011 gave the Queen the 787's engine and wing technology. Passenger sales were modest against the twin-engine tide, and the last 747 left Everett in 2023, ending the largest production run in widebody history. The -8I modeled here is the final passenger variant.
Each finding pairs our reading with the evidence it rests on. Fly the type and read something wrong? Every claim links straight to the corrections form.
The -400 AMM rigging values are the only measured Boeing column forces found anywhere: breakout 8.6 lb constant across trim; full-aft column 72–106 lb at trim 5 units, dropping to 40–55 lb at full nose-up trim. The -8 was deliberately designed to fly like the -400.
Wheel rim force runs about 3–5 lb near breakout and 11–19 lb near full throw; Davies reports the 747-100's maximum wheel force as "only 13 pounds". The measured pitch-to-roll ratio is roughly 5–7 : 1 — pitch carries the weight.
Move the column to establish the desired pitch, trim away the force, then relax the column back to centre. The hydraulically powered elevators do not transmit their hinge loads directly to the pilots; instead, an artificial-feel system varies column force using airspeed and stabilizer-position inputs.
Unlike the A320's locked sidestick, Boeing servos move the columns under autopilot — the yoke follows the machine.
The same forceful eccentric-mass column-shaker class as the 737's — unmistakable when it fires.
| Gate | Knots | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VsoStall, landing configuration | 119 | Mid-mass; VREF30 ≈ 155Representative |
| VrRotation | 165 | Representative |
| VyBest rate of climb | 185 | Representative |
| VappApproach | 155 | Representative |
The complete starter profile, in the same order and with the same names as the desktop Tuning page. Highlighted rows cite evidence. Hover a row to see its profile-JSON path.
The final overall output scale applied to everything the model produces, before the device cap.
▲ More: everything (spring, loads, effects) gets stronger together. ▼ Less: everything softens together.
Why here: 95%: nearly full output; the mass must be felt.
Hydraulically boosted with the q-blend as the bellows-and-cam proxy.
The base centring force that pulls the stick back to centre. Every other force stacks on it. Too low and the stick feels limp in normal flight; too high and it fights your hand and masks the smaller cues layered above it.
▲ More: firmer centring that resists your hand at all times. ▼ Less: a limper stick that leans on aerodynamic load alone.
A strong spring with breakout-style deadband — the measured 8.6 lb breakout against a heavy full-throw gradient.
A small neutral zone around centre where the spring stays quiet, so tiny movements at rest don't chatter. Wider is calmer but looser; narrower is more precise but can twitch around centre.
▲ More: a calmer but looser centre with more free play. ▼ Less: a tighter centre that may chatter at rest.
Why here: Small and tight.
How much of the spring survives at a standstill, before airspeed can build any aerodynamic force. A high floor keeps the parked stick firm; a low floor gives the loose, cable-slack feel of a parked light aircraft.
▲ More: a firmer stick while parked and taxiing. ▼ Less: a floppier parked stick that only wakes up with airspeed.
Why here: 45%: marginally softer at the gate than the 737; the -8's feel schedule starts lower.
The sustained pitch load from elevator deflection and airspeed, balanced independently of roll. This is the main lever behind a type's pitch weight. It does not touch aileron, spring, trim, or buffet forces.
▲ More: heavier sustained pitch forces at speed. ▼ Less: a lighter elevator that takes less muscle to hold.
Why here: 90%: heavy pitch through the feel computers.
The sustained roll load from aileron deflection and airspeed, balanced independently of pitch. Together with the elevator load it sets the control-harmony ratio reviewers talk about.
▲ More: heavier roll forces. ▼ Less: lighter, quicker-feeling ailerons.
Device-envelope compensation, not aircraft truth — the measured harmony is light roll, heavy pitch (5–7 : 1). Recorded so a future per-axis-spring engine can model it properly; do not silently flip it and undo the hardware-validated roll-authority work.
A master scale over both sustained axis loads, applied before their independent balance. Profiles normally leave this alone and tune the two axis loads instead.
▲ More: both axes load up harder. ▼ Less: both axes lighten together.
Why here: 22%: a flat engineered schedule; slightly gentler than the 737's.
The indicated airspeed where aerodynamic load reaches its designed full level. It anchors the whole load curve to the aircraft's real speed range: a 172 loads up by 110 knots, a jet much later.
▲ More: loads arrive later; the stick stays light up to a higher speed. ▼ Less: loads arrive earlier and cruise feels heavier.
Why here: 300 kt: high-speed cruise indicated.
How sharply stick load builds with airspeed. 1.0 is linear; about 2.0 matches real aerodynamics, where dynamic pressure grows with the square of speed, so controls are much lighter slow and firm up fast. Felt when holding the stick off centre, not at rest.
▲ More: lighter at low speed with a steeper rise toward cruise. ▼ Less: a more linear build that loads up earlier.
Why here: 1.0: linear feel schedule.
A cap on each steady pitch or roll force before it reaches the device, guarding against slamming or saturating the hardware in strong maneuvers.
▲ More: stronger peak steady forces before clipping. ▼ Less: a gentler ceiling; hard maneuvers flatten out sooner.
Why here: 65%: high but not harsh; the -8 resists smoothly.
For hydraulically-boosted or fly-by-wire types: how much of the raw aerodynamic load actually reaches the pilot's hand. 1.0 is a fully manual control run; lower values model the artificial-feel systems that isolate the pilot from true surface loads.
▲ More: more raw aerodynamic load reaching your hand. ▼ Less: more isolation, closer to pure artificial feel.
Why here: Active on the hydraulic path.
How strongly elevator trim relieves held pitch force and shifts where the stick settles. At 100%, a properly trimmed aircraft needs no held pressure, the trim-away-the-load workflow of real flying.
▲ More: trim removes more of the held pitch force; at 100% full trim zeroes it. ▼ Less: you keep holding force even when trimmed.
Why here: 30%: stabilizer trim carries the airplane; relief is constant companionship.
The same relief for roll trim. Most GA types have no real aileron trim, so this stays at zero; types with roll trim get a matching value.
▲ More: roll trim removes more held roll force. ▼ Less: roll trim does less.
Why here: 9%: present, rarely used.
Extra spring stiffness as positive G rises above 1G: the pull-up loads your arm as well as the wing. Too little and steep turns feel weightless; too much and maneuvering becomes tiring.
▲ More: pull-ups and steep turns stiffen the stick more per g. ▼ Less: g has less effect; maneuvering stays light.
Transports are flown on trim and small column inputs; the per-g curve stays shallow.
Extra centre deadband added at parked and taxi speeds, narrowing away as airflow builds. It keeps the stick calm on the ramp without costing precision in flight.
▲ More: a calmer, looser stick on the ground. ▼ Less: ground handling as precise as flight, and as twitchy.
Why here: 3%: precise even taxiing.
How far through the travel the edge-of-throw spring boost begins. High values leave most of the range linear and put a firm wall only near full deflection.
▲ More: the end-of-travel wall starts later, leaving more linear throw. ▼ Less: the wall begins earlier in the travel.
Why here: Wall from 88%.
How strong that edge-of-travel boost is once triggered: a soft warning versus a hard stop near full throw.
▲ More: a harder stop near full deflection. ▼ Less: a softer edge you can push through.
Why here: Bounded stops.
Rolling surface vibration from wheel speed and surface type: pavement, grass, or gravel under the gear.
▲ More: louder surface texture through the stick. ▼ Less: a smoother taxi.
Why here: 42%: eighteen wheels reading pavement; a low, wide texture unlike any twin's.
Short discrete bumps from expansion joints, ruts, and rough surface, punctuating the continuous rumble.
▲ More: sharper hits from joints and ruts. ▼ Less: softer ground detail.
Why here: 38%: joints arrive as slow heavy swells; the cockpit is sixty feet ahead of the nose gear.
Vibration under brake pressure while rolling. Invisible braking feels wrong; too much makes every stop feel like an anti-skid event.
▲ More: more shudder under braking. ▼ Less: quieter stops.
Why here: 46%: sixteen carbon brakes decelerating a million pounds.
The rapid side-to-side wobble through the roll axis at taxi-rotation speeds, the classic worn-nosegear shimmy this type is or isn't known for.
▲ More: a livelier shimmy on the rollout. ▼ Less: a calmer nosewheel.
Why here: Minimal, as befits the gear.
The fore-aft pull on the pitch axis from acceleration on the ground. The takeoff surge draws the column aft; braking pushes it forward.
▲ More: a stronger fore-aft pull under acceleration and braking. ▼ Less: a subtler surge cue.
Why here: 32%: the strongest surge cue in the fleet; a quarter-million pounds of thrust is unambiguous.
Airframe shake approaching the stall and while the stall warning is active: how loudly this wing announces it is unhappy. Types with a crisp break get modest buffet and let the horn carry the warning.
▲ More: a louder pre-stall shake. ▼ Less: a quieter wing; the horn carries the warning.
Why here: 18%: buffet exists far outside normal operation; the shaker owns the warning.
Airframe shake past the overspeed warning, the airframe's own protest at exceeding Vne/VMO.
▲ More: a harsher protest past the redline. ▼ Less: a gentler overspeed warning.
Why here: 66%: the clacker at M0.90 is a full-airframe event.
Transonic buffet approaching the Mach limit. Meaningful for jets near MMO, zero for pistons and turboprops that never get there.
▲ More: stronger transonic buffet near the Mach limit. ▼ Less: a smoother high-Mach ride.
Why here: 48%: the highest Mach buffet in the fleet; the -8 cruises closest to its transonic edge.
Shake from deployed spoilers or speedbrakes at speed. Zero for types without them.
▲ More: more shake with boards out. ▼ Less: quieter speedbrakes.
Why here: 60%: acres of spoiler panels shake the airframe hard.
Low-frequency airframe vibration with flaps extended into the airflow, in the speed window where they actually work the air.
▲ More: a rougher ride with flaps working the air. ▼ Less: smoother approach flap.
Why here: 34%: vast triple-slotted flaps drumming at approach.
Airframe drumming from retractable gear hanging in the airstream. Zero for fixed-gear types, where the airframe never changes shape.
▲ More: more drumming with the wheels hanging out. ▼ Less: cleaner gear-down flight.
Why here: 34%: five gear trucks in the slipstream.
The dedicated stall stick-shaker buzz, fired by the aircraft's own stall-warning system. Only types with a real shaker get a value; everything else relies on aerodynamic buffet and the horn.
▲ More: a harder stick-shaker buzz. ▼ Less: a subtler shaker.
The certified shaker is the same forceful cue class the 737 renders at 0.90; the old 0.5 undersold it on a damping-heavy profile.
Random shake from short-term G variation in rough air, so bumpy air is felt and not just seen.
▲ More: rough air hits the stick harder. ▼ Less: calmer chop.
Why here: 28%: the smoothest ride in the fleet; the wing loading and span iron out chop.
Rollout vibration while reverse thrust or beta-range props are working. Zero for types without reverse.
▲ More: a rougher rollout under reverse. ▼ Less: quieter reverse.
Why here: 55%: four reversers at rollout, the strongest reverse texture in the fleet.
Continuous powerplant vibration following RPM between idle and full power, the ever-present reminder that something is burning fuel up front.
▲ More: more engine through the stick. ▼ Less: a quieter powerplant.
Why here: 11%: distant fans on a huge airframe.
The one-shot kick when the wheels meet the runway, scaled by sink rate: a greaser whispers, a firm arrival thumps.
▲ More: a harder kick at touchdown. ▼ Less: softer arrivals.
Why here: 95%: the heaviest touchdown in the fleet, arriving on eighteen wheels.
The short shudder of gear extension and retraction in motion. Zero for fixed-gear types.
▲ More: a stronger shudder while the gear cycles. ▼ Less: a subtler gear cue.
Why here: 80%: the gear cycle moves five trucks and takes long seconds; the airframe never hides it.
Continuous vibration only while the sim reports the flap surfaces actually travelling. It follows real actuator motion and failures, not an estimated timer.
▲ More: more vibration while the flap surfaces travel. ▼ Less: quieter flap runs.
Why here: 28%: long mechanical runs felt throughout.
The small airframe settle when flap-surface travel completes, driven by the surface arriving, not the handle command.
▲ More: a firmer settle as flaps reach the notch. ▼ Less: a softer arrival.
Why here: A big machine settling per detent.
The short mechanical click on each flap-handle detent. The handle, not the surfaces.
▲ More: a sharper detent click. ▼ Less: a fainter click.
Why here: 42%: deliberate lever gates.
The sustained pitch-force change from flap drag at airspeed. Extending flaps should change what your hand holds, not just make noise.
▲ More: a bigger stick-load change when the flaps come out. ▼ Less: less trim shift from flap.
Why here: 4%: the feel system and stabilizer trim absorb configuration drag.
The sustained load change from deployed spoilers. Zero for types without them.
▲ More: a bigger load change from the boards. ▼ Less: less.
Why here: 6%: same.
The trim-like load change from gear hanging in the airflow. Zero for fixed-gear types.
▲ More: a bigger load change from the gear. ▼ Less: less.
Why here: 4%: same.
Resistance proportional to the aircraft's pitch rotation rate. It settles the stick after abrupt pitch inputs; zero on both axes turns rate damping off.
▲ More: the stick settles harder against pitch rotation. ▼ Less: less resistance to quick pitch changes.
Why here: 11%: heavy hydraulic damping; the column glides.
The roll-axis counterpart: damping against roll rate to stop post-input wobble.
▲ More: more resistance to roll rate. ▼ Less: a livelier roll axis.
Why here: Matching.
How far autopilot commands may physically move the stick. Kept tiny in MSFS, where a moved axis can read back as pilot input; zero disables following entirely.
▲ More: the autopilot visibly moves your stick further. ▼ Less: a barely perceptible follow.
Why here: 10%: the column flies visibly under autopilot, as Boeings do.
Whether this feature is active in this profile.
Boeing servos visibly back-drive the columns — the opposite of the A320.
How firmly the stick holds the autopilot's commanded position while following is active.
▲ More: a firmer hold on the AP's commanded position. ▼ Less: softer, easy to override.
Why here: A calm firm hold.
Research retune: shaker raised to the certified forceful cue class; the measured light-roll/heavy-pitch harmony documented against the device-envelope roll compensation. Corrected 2026-07-26 after review: the fixed-column-neutral claim now describes the hydraulically powered artificial-feel system (scheduled by airspeed and stabilizer position) rather than a generic adjustable spring, and its source is relabelled as 747-400 technical discussion and Boeing system documentation — the underlying quote is an anonymous forum account, not a named line pilot.
Initial starter baseline.
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No -8-specific force numbers — the -400 AMM data stands in, as Boeing designed; absolute magnitudes remain bench-set against the device envelope.
The fixed column neutral under trim is unmodeled while the trim model couples relief and centering shift — same note as the 737.
Open conversation about flying and tuning the Boeing 747-8, in the community forum. Corrections above go privately to the maintainer; hangar talk is public.