Hi all,

 

I'm reluctant to comment on the DC6 as PMDG haven't finished with the release of the 777 yet, lol. Knew the requests for "when will the DC6 be released" would start soon, but not quite so soon!!

 

Anyway, as I understood Roberts presentation at the Aerosoft get together in Germany a while back, available on youtube somewhere if you look, he said the DC6 would be developed sometime after the 777 but probably before the 747v2...........I think he said it was one of those fun projects that members of the team liked working on, similar to the J4100, as and when time allowed. However one guy had somehow got double booked on both the 777 and DC6, but the 777 had priority as it's development was further on than the DC6.

 

Anyway, I doubt you will hear anything for a good few months yet as the 777 will take up all of PMDG's time for a while and then the guys will probably be off on a well earned break for a bit, I know I would! But one day it will just turn up no doubt!

 

It will be fun to have an old classic of PMDG quality...........I know there is the A2A B377 and the B17, and I fly both which are great fun when I get an urge for props, but another one won't hurt will it.................Will it!!

That's fair enough Kevin but looking at your profile I can see that you were perhaps born a little too late to appreciate pistons!

 

In saying that I too would love a PMDG quality DC-8 - it is the one classic airliner that has never really had much attention from developers in either FS9 or FSX. I use the Captain Sim 707 which isn't bad in terms of eye candy but leaves a little to be desired in terms of systems!

 

Bill

 

You're right, Bill.  I've been around real life pistonliners, but I guess when it comes to flying airliners, I'm a "magenta line" guy.  When I was stationed at MacDill AFB back in the 80's, we had an air freight contractor that flew aircraft parts from base to base using DC-6's and Connies.  I used to think (and still do) what a beautiful sound that was from those four piston engines.  RL piston-driven birds, I'm a fan. From the cockpit, I've been spoiled by the FMC. 

 

I've a special affinity for the DC-8 and 707, as we made many trips across the US and abroad with my parents when I was a kid on the DC-8 and 707.  Passenger compartment always reeked of Jet A and exhaust fumes from the engines.  Sitting in coach, my eyes would water and my head would pound from the stench, but they were still great jets.

 

And then there's all my time on KC-135's...

DC-8....now you're talking Kevin.  I've flown on the combi version (ATI DC-8-62) which has 32 seats in the rear and that was a nice little treat.

 

I miss the sounds of the KC-135A models when I used to work on the flightline.  They'd make your blood boil.

I miss the sounds of the KC-135A models when I used to work on the flightline. They'd make your blood boil.

 

Hi, Chris,

 

Yeah, those were back in the day when man thought he could burn water... referring to the demineralized water injection of the -135's and B-52's.  We had EC-135's out at Wright-Patterson AFB when I was a kid, along with F-4D's from the US Air Force Reserve.  The F-4's would fly over our house on approach and the engines would screech as the variable ramps on the engine inlets would move, and the 135's would leave a ten-mile-long smoke trail in the sky as they took off - and you could still hear them ten miles away.  (I also saw the B-2 prototype flying here years before it officially existed)

 

Funny thing, KDAY has short runways (KDAY is pathetic as an airport considering this is the birthplace of aviation), and yet, I often flew out on Delta as a kid on DC-8's from here to Atlanta to visit family.  Suddenly, the largest thing they have managed around here in the last 15 years are RJ's.  Airport states that the runways are too short for anything else except a 737.  And the pax traffic has dried up to almost nothing in the past ten years.  Sad times.

 

Yeah, I'd be interested in the DC-8 or 707.  But... I'd also be very interested in PMDG doing something they've never tried - a military aircraft, namely the C-17A.  Something you can fly into and out of from basically anywhere in the world.  C-5B or C-141B would be sweet as well while I'm dreaming!  Could you imagine a PMDG B-52H?  Wow. There's a thought. 

I live not far from Travis AFB.  Have to say one turbofan engine that is always a pleasure to hear is the TF39s howling from the C-5s, especially spooling up for takeoff...even better than 777 imho B)

 

Also used to see the ATI DC-8-62 departing from Travis along with other occasional charters such as the Evergreen 747.  I think ATI discontinued their Travis-HNL DC-8 service not too long ago.

 

From the cockpit tho, starting an R2800 can be quite entertaining, such as on this Convair :biggrin:

 

 I am also a huge fan of the CS 737-200, by the way, which, like the 707, I think is a great FSX addon!

 

I don't like the way the CS 737-200 drops out of the sky when banking. It just seems to descend in a sort of "gentle death spiral" if you don't touch the controls. Try that with the PMDG 737NGX, and it will start to increase speed, at which point the nose starts to rise again. I think we all know which one is likely to be more accurate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TleV9fQQdC8

Has PMDG said why they decided to do the DC-6? They complain about MD-11 sales being low and I assume they think selling a DC-6 will end up better than the MD-11. I'm not bashing the DC-6, that will be a cool change of pace and something different, but from a sales point of view I don't see how they are going to get very far with it. Retro planes, in my opinion, don't seem to sell as well as the modern mainline aircraft because everybody wants to fly their VA or their favorite airline. How many airlines are flying the DC-6 these days? With that said, maybe we haven't heard about it very much because either A they want to hype the 777 up, or B they pushed it to the side and aren't focused on it, or C all of the above.

There are two crucial differences betweem DC-6 and MD-11.

 

First: MD-11 was a flagship product, DC-6 is a "filler" product. The cost difference is thus very big.

 

Second: DC-6 is a retro bird. They have their own set of fans, many of those would never thing of buying a modern tubeliner.

 

Also - why it came about? It was said that Henning mentioned he had some contacts to an outfit flying these in Namibia and Robert liked the idea...

I'd say that they pushed the DC-6 aside to be able to work full-time on the 777. I'm sure we'll get an update after the 777 releases.

If memory serves.. warning, it has failed me before so take this with a grain of salt.

 

Capt. Robert owns a DC-6 and it is or was his favorite aircraft or something to that effect. Again, my memory gets fuzzy but I believe that to be why.

 

They, as in RSR, also mentioned that there was talent being utilized on the DC-6 project that wasn't necessarily directly tied to the T7 development. DC-6 development could have been happening all the while. Of course, someone official will eventually let us all know whats going on.

Well... they (PMDG) already said that to do a B787 they would have to have a substantial agreement with Boeing. They have already agreed with Douglas, or in this case, McDonnell-Douglas to build the MD-11. They may have negotiated at that time to do other Douglas aircraft as well, including the DC-6, and maybe (I'm reaching here) the DC-7, -8, -9, and even maybe the DC-10. After all, Douglas and McD were purchased by Lockheed, I think. As a now-defunct company name, perhaps it's easier and cheaper to get the rights to do this.

 

Also, PMDG isn't a gaming sim company. Their business model is such that we (the fly for learning and entertainment but aren't real pilots crowd) are only about 10-15% of their market according to something I read elsewhere. With that being the case, we may not see many out-of-the-mainstream aircraft from PMDG because we aren't their base that they market to. I would be really happy with an RJ from them or even the B717. However, if they develop an Airbus, sadly it will not be part of my fleet because I don't care for the aircraft - any of them.

 

 

After all, Douglas and McD were purchased by Lockheed, I think. As a now-defunct company name, perhaps it's easier and cheaper to get the rights to do this.

 

McDD was actually bought by Boeing.

Douglas was actually purchased by the McDonnell corporation to become McDD and then subsequently McDD was purchased by Boeing.

 

Bill

Hmm...  My bad.  I thought McD was bought by Lockheed, but you are indeed correct.  I withdraw my assumption!