Having added the shiny new freeware Basler BT-67 (which is excellent by the way) to my Air Hauler fleet. It was time to get it earning its keep, with a flight from Baghdad, Iraq, to Fetesti, Romania, a distance of a little over 1,000 miles, hauling 8,000lbs of cargo. However, things don't always go as smoothly as you think they will...

 

Lining up on Baghdad International's 15R:

 

 

Turning onto the initial reciprocal heading of 312 to set off on the 5 hour flight to Romania at 12,500 feet and roughly 200 knots:

 

 

Over the Syrian desert:

 

 

Over Turkey:

 

 

Leaving the coast of Turkey and heading out over the Black Sea:

 

 

Over the Black Sea, approaching the Danube delta plain on the South East coast of Romania. It was at this point that Air Hauler decided to throw a dual ASI failure at me, with both airspeed indicators jammed on reading 160 knots, so I switched to the co-pilot seat in order to better view the GPS, as I intended to use the GS reading as a makeshift airspeed indicator, since I did not want to overspeed on the descent from 12,500 feet:

 

 

On short final to Fetesti, using the GPS as an ASI to maintain roughly 110 knots, the ASIs still both stubbornly pegged at 160 knots:

 

 

Well, not the best landing ever, but I didn't break anything:

 

 

Taxying in with both busted ASI gauges still reading 160 knots. It cost me ten grand to fix them:

 

 

Al

pitch and power....saves the day

Yup, sure does. Although when you're not that used to flying something, as in this case where I'd only done about four landings prior to this one, it is still kind of experimental.

 

Fortunately, you can slow a DC-3, and even a souped up one, to about 65 mph in ground effect before it will genuinely decide to stop flying, so anywhere between 85 and 70 mph with a wheeler landing is good enough, I certainly wasn't going for a three-point greaser with no ASI and 8,000lbs of cargo and half-full fuel tanks on board! Good, fun stuff.

 

Al

Looking very nice Al !!

Is that your repaint?

 

I haven't downloaded it yet,but judging from these shots,I guess it's a "must have"!!

Nah, that's one of the included paint jobs, of which there are four I think. I spent some time yesterday removing the cheat lines etc from one of the textures to make a blank texture so I could paint it up in my colours, which I in fact did this morning, there's a screenie of that on the FSX thread, nothing special, my livery is supposed to be a fairly low budget operation where they don't go mad with the paint.

 

You should definitely give this bird a try, it is truly excellent, and especially for a freebie. A faster DC-3 with nearly a 2,000 mile range is a fine thing to have in FSX.

 

Al

faster DC-3 with nearly a 2,000 mile range is a fine thing to have in FSX.

 

Due to the physical size and appearance of DC-3, I do not think the new engines will make DC-3 go faster. I think the purpose of new engines will be fuel savings, less pollution, more maneuverability, and better climb rate as well as not to worry about seeing old engines breaking down in middle of flight.

 

Aharon

The Basler BT-67 is capable of going about 50 mph faster than the DC-3.

 

Al

Not a part of the world you see to often, at least in FS, but great shots of your flight and your 160 knot landing. :england-flag:

 

Adam

Chock/Al:

 

The trees in the Romania shots -- those don't look default -- are they part of UT Europe?

Very neat flight plan and shots also!

that is nice

 

nebojsa

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