[11JUN16] PMDG DC-6 Cloudmaster UPDATED & Other Goodies!

[shamrockflyer 647]

To be clear: this is not a default function.

But its still possible to add the function into the aircraft, unlike FSX or P3D. 

[scandinavian13 5,192]

But its still possible to add the function into the aircraft, unlike FSX or P3D.

 

Possible, sure, but to make it convincing enough, it requires work that is of questionable return.

[vololiberista 205]

Yes I'm aware of this. But XP10 follows modern airport layouts.

In the days of the DC 6 aircraft parked parallel to the terminal. Completely different to modern gates and walkways. So your alternative is either to use the inbuilt sim pushback or an add-on pushback. Or to simulate parking more correctly park on the GA apron instead! It's most likely that a DC 6 flying today would be directed to the GA apron anyway.

[pcartier1960 9]

Amazing update, thank you!

[pryoski 84]

Look I'm not an expert, but the DC 6 feels more *alive* now .. sound's are AWESOME and really add to the immersion.

The whole plane feels a lot more fluid than it did previously and even the taxi feels different; I feel like I'm sitting in this big vibrating crate of nuts & bolts and aluminium, can just about smell the fumes.

I also noticed the slight compression when applying the brakes and I could also *feel* the compression on landing which I couldn't pick previously .. basically she *feels* as I would image how she would feel .. great job PMDG! Thanks again.  :wub:

[sizziano 172]

Very good news. Thanks for the update.

Did you have to quote the whole announcement to say that?

 

No

[Avantime 81]

So your alternative is either to use the inbuilt sim pushback or an add-on pushback. Or to simulate parking more correctly park on the GA apron instead! It's most likely that a DC 6 flying today would be directed to the GA apron anyway.

 

There's no inbuilt pushback or slew mode in XP10, although there are addons like JARDesign's $10 pushback plugin. The gate select feature doesn't tell you which type it is, and a lot of GA parking doesn't have numbers.

 

I was just wondering because the DC-6 has 3D models of the pushback tug and towbar, and IIRC all XP10 payware airliners have their own in-built pushback.

[sizziano 172]

There's no inbuilt pushback or slew mode in XP10, although there are addons like JARDesign's $10 pushback plugin. The gate select feature doesn't tell you which type it is, and a lot of GA parking doesn't have numbers.

 

I was just wondering because the DC-6 has 3D models of the pushback tug and towbar, and IIRC all XP10 payware airliners have their own in-built pushback.

Correct, most do anyways.

[Eirik 0]

I'm just going to say it...Wow.

 

Longtime customer here, and the thing I'm hoping that people notice is the number of major issues that needed to be fixed on release. Almost none. The plane could be flown without these, unlike some other companies releases where the purchaser was effectively the beta team, if not the alpha! This was polished from the start with relatively minor polishes needed here and there.

 

The AFE is awesome in its execution as it allows those of us who are planning to utilize the flight engineer because that was procedure. But there is the option to use for some things and not others or even not at all. That is a first.

 

The start procedure I've seen discussed... While I am all about realism as well, I can't think of a reasonable way to accomplish what is needed to pull this off. In addition, the suggestions that have been made to just click more buttons to make it start doesn't increase realism. If there could be a reasonable suggestion made that increases realism I'm sure it would be considered.

 

Parking at the airport or pushing back. Watching operations with the Evertt's Air Cargo here in Alaska really drives home that tugs are used to pull the bird around, while pushing back... not so much. I realize I'm talking about a cargo plane, and you are thinking a passenger plane, but hear me out

 

1. Door placement. Remember this was designed in the 1940's. There were no "jetways" or "Jet bridges" yet. And as the article states, they weren't develped until sometime in the late 1950's. See this article http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2016/02/24/jet-bridge-jetway/80806044/ and especially notice the first photo. That looks like it could be A United DC6, an notice how it is perpendicular to the building. Look at the other planes too, looks more like pit row at Indy. Notice how when the jetway was built, the aircraft's door placement along with the wing placement required a different operations procedure than planes designed later.

 

2. Realism. If we are being realistic, you are going to see almost 0 mainline operations of a DC6 in 2016. We have them running cargo here in Alaska, an there are a few in use in South America and Africa, but they aren't pulling up to modern jetways. So if we are striving for realism, it is likely the early to mid 1950's when we sim with this bird. So we would use procedures common to the era, and photos show these plane's fuselages, parallel to the building and perpendicular to the entrance.

 

3. Modern day airports. Most airports have areas to park away from the terminal building that can be used for this purpose. I've done this in real life as a passenger at Anchorage, Seattle, Salt Lake, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. Almost always going to a prop plane such as a Dash-8, Saab 340, Cessna Caravan or a Beech 1900. And a range of airlines, American Eagle, Northwest, Delta, Alaska, Horizon, Great Lakes, Grant's Aviation just to name a few. Rarely are any of these guys pushed back, though I remember one that pushed itself using reverse thrust. So modern airports are still useable, we just have to take on a new procedure, 727 or 737 pulls directly to the terminal, DC-6 goes to parking.

 

Thank you PMDG, I am loving this bird, and I'm still flying south along the Pacific coast with it, left Anchorage, Alaska and by using 1-2 hour hops, am now in Panama City, Panama.

 

Eirik Mcferrin

[dbvetter 1]

Amazing....thank you!

 

Signed

Dan Bounds

[Old_As_Dirt 160]

As a new PMDG customer, let me say "I'm impressed"!

 

I have flown flight simulators since back in the early days of nothing but a black background with white lines on, I think, a Commodore 64 or one of it's variants.  I tired of MSFS years ago, because it just didn't seem "real" enough (and then their flop with "Flight" - trying to make it a game instead of a simulator) and was not happy with earlier versions of X-Plane and just got away from the hobby.

 

When X-Plane 10 came out, it looked interesting and I fought through the differences (obviously, I have managed many "differences" over the years with Pro-Logic, Fly, the first through FSX of Microsoft's products, and a few others).  I have been addicted again, this time to X-Plane and while it is not perfect, it is very good.

 

I found that Carenado produced the most convincing general aviation aircraft and started building a fleet and only in the last year and a half have discovered the joys of heavies, through Flight Factor and JAR Designs.

 

Having heard for years the accolades for PMDG, I decided to try the DC-6, even though I am now retired and funds are not what they used to be.  I am very satisfied with the quality of this aircraft and am extremely satisfied with the rapid (and easy) update process.  The engines now have that "throaty" sound that I remember from my days of flying in these radial engine powered aircraft.

 

Thank you PMDG for your attention to detail and for your bold move into the only simulator that is working toward the future.  I hope your efforts prove as profitable for you as they are satisfying to your customers - old and new.

 

John Wingold

[ohsirus 241]

Wow! Great Update and still getting solid FPS! It's amazing what you guys can do when given the chance to work with a modern flight simulation platform! The Chains are Broken!

[vololiberista 205]

Yes, for parking the DC 6 you can forget driving up to a jetway. They wouldn't fit anyway. And, guaranteed upon arrival you would be directed to an apron parking facility of some sort. Perhaps a drive through parking in front of a terminal. But more likely the GA terminal. As stated it wouldn't be in commercial service so certainly here it would be treated as GA or cargo.

So think differently when finding somewhere to park.

[Tabs 2,790]

Did you have to quote the whole announcement to say that?

 

I just removed his quote...

[gnomegemini 7]

Well done. But I like to have a ingame patch ability so I don't have to redownload the whole package.