Ok, not sure if this has been covered elsewhere but was wondering if anyone had noticed the 737-900ER on the aircraft type evaluation doesn’t show the full amount of seats available, obviously runway length and flight distance are ok and on the performance tool it shows 100% of load being available, so what am I missing?
You are missing a warning symbol in 737-900ER BGW model description. Just open model details and hoover over it(Passenger(max) row).
In other words…
the cabin of a 900ER BGW is big enough for a one class configuration with 215 standard seats. But with 215 passengers your range is limited to a circuit around the airport 
Jan
I thought it was something to do with emergency exits. or is that the 737-900.
Your range is not in fact limited so much as your MGTOW limits you to 187 people and no cargo. You can fly that many people over 3000km before taking any further weight restrictions.
The non ER -900s were limited to 189 by the number of emergency exits I believe.
Hi,
our flying club had a Morane Saulnier like that… it was a four seater, but it’s limited maximum weight allowed you to either fill the fuel tanks or to load 4 people. With 4 people, you could do a circuit around the field
But the Boeing web site states that the 900ER can be equipped with 215 seats in a one class configuration. So perhaps the game for some reason limits the maximum seating.
Jan
I suppose I misspoke when I said MGTOW. The point I was trying to make is that it is not like your flying club’s plane, it is in fact MZFW, or payload restricted. The 737-900ER BGW can only carry 17,830 KG of payload (passengers + cargo). On top of this it can also carry enough fuel to travel 3,180 km. After 3,180 km it becomes MGTOW restricted as payload is traded for additional fuel. While the 737-900ER BGW is certified for 215 passengers, that amount of payload (at least in AS) would exceed a structural limitation of the a/c.
To better compare it in the comparison tool select a seating type which results in less than 187 seats.
Hi,
thanks for your explanation.
Strange… do you know the reason why the payload is restricted ? It seems a bit silly to build a plane that can carry 215 passengers - announce it as such - and then limit the maximum number of passengers. Would it be because they used the structural strength certification of existing 737 types ?
Jan
Personally I can’t think of a logical answer to this, but am glad it has encouraged debate. As a pilot I appreciate that an aircraft can be zfm limited, but to have this number as something that restricts the payload on a short flight is ridiculous. If the 900 ER HGW can take 215pax then why not the BGW?
One logical answer is that the HGW has a stronger under carriage allowing to land with a higher weight.
Hi,
if it was only a matter of landing weight, you could trade fuel for passengers.
Jan
ZFW is usually related to the ability of wing to lift payload, so the wing spar and its connection to the fues. Not sure if there dif between the BGW and HGW is actually structural, or just a matter of paperwork.
Just a guess from me - they say they have space for 215, which for a mainstream airline like BA for example would mena they can put say 189 seats with their typical configs. If they advertise it as 189 seats, someone dumb at BA would think - "hell, it is too small airplane for me as if I use my config it would only fir 170". I know it is very exaggerated, but obviously they advertise the cabin space, not the actual number of passengers it can take to lure mainstram airlines - remeber that Low Cost airlines were not so popular when it was being introduced.
That’s my logic at least.
Hi,
I searched for the 737-900ER type certification. All 737 models are covered by the same certification, with specified data for each sub type. This is what I found:
Maximum Passengers: three exit configurations based on the activation and classification of the Mid-Cabin Emergency Door (MED)
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Two door arrangement with MED de-activated has 189 maximum passenger capacity
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Three door arrangement with MED activated and rated as a Type II exit – 215 maximum passenger capacity
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Three door arrangement with MED activated and rated as a Type I exit – 220 maximum passenger capacity
The document (A16WE) can be checked online, and is the 49th version of the data sheet.
Jan
Good research, so effectively, in the game, the BGW has the two door arrangement. Guess this is something for the new performance system…
Cheers, dropped that link in our (internal) thread dealing with the upcoming aircraft/performance system updates.
Hi,
I don’t operate a one class version and I don’t use the standard seats, so I am happy with the current two door version and limited seating.
It’s just that I was curious about the actual reasons behind the limitation
Jan