747 spoilers/speed brake

Great question! This is a common point of confusion, but I'm here to provide some clarity.

In the 747, or any aircraft for that matter, the terms spoiler and speed brake are often used interchangeably but they have slightly different functions.

Spoilers (devices located on the upper surface of an airplane wing to reduce lift and increase drag) are used to kill the lift on the wings and increase drag which helps in slowing down the aircraft. They can be deployed in flight and on the ground.

Speed brakes (also called dive brakes, used to increase drag and reduce speed), on the other hand, are essentially the same control surfaces but used in a slightly different context. They're deployed during flight to reduce speed without affecting power settings.

So, how do you arm the spoilers in the 747?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, you can follow these steps:

• Ensure your aircraft is in a situation where spoiler arming is appropriate (i.e., preparing for landing).
• Go to the cockpit view (typically the 'F10' key).
• Find the spoiler lever (usually on the throttle quadrant).
• Click and drag the lever to the 'ARM' position.

Remember, the spoilers will then automatically deploy when the aircraft touches down, dramatically reducing lift and aiding in braking.

Note that the same spoiler arming procedure can be applied to modern simulators like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and X-Plane 12, making it a universally applicable process across platforms.

Hope this clears up the confusion between the two terms and how to arm spoilers. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

From my knowledge, that's the best way to approach it.

Safe flights!