Lovely airplane, beautiful modeling. I'd love to do a walk around in P3D v4 and check the instrumentation. But..

I've been hesitating to buy so far, because I can't think of how and where I'm going to fly it. If we had historic renditions of airports, it could have a meaning. otherwise I'm afraid I'm going to hangar it after a week.

How do you guys plan to use the DC6?

Cal Classic used to have a set of "period" airports as during the 1940's and 50's for use with their freeware FS9 propliners. It would be interesting if some of these airports were developed for use in P3D. I suppose there would not be a sufficient market - everybody now seems to want the latest modern mega airports for flying modern jet liners.

My virtual airline, United-virtual.com has 208 flights to/from many not often visited airports (for me anyways)! These are original routes flown by United back in the day and are part of our "Classics" program. I will be spending lots of time doing these. It is fantastic that there are 2 UA liveries included in the package. 

Bill Barrette

The DC-6, unlike a lot of other classic propliners, is still in service, at least in Alaska - check out Everts Air Cargo if you want realistic modern-day operations.

It wouldn't be a huge stretch to use it - particularly as a freighter - in other out-of-the-way locations- the Caribbean, South America, Africa, the Australian outback come to mind, among others.

And it makes a nice executive transport - which I believe is how the aircraft that PMDG used as a model was operated (in Namibia).  

If you use it in any of those ways, you'll probably want to stick to secondary airports, which would be realistic, too, since the DC-6 doesn't mix well with high-volume jet traffic, either in the sim or in real life.

Part of what's nice about the DC-6 is that it's based on a contemporary airplane, and it fits better into a modern setting than some of the other flightsim versions.  The A2A Captain of the Ship series (Connie and Stratocruiser) are terrific, but the Captain of the Ship features are modeled after 1940s-1950s passenger mainline operations, so in some respects those work less well in a modern environment..

Of course, it's equally easy to turn off the GPS and fly VOR to VOR using 50s timetables and flightplans (@AviatorMoser - unfortunately not using the Cal Classics period scenery - those were never ported forward from FS9 that I'm aware).  

In all, it's an extremely versatile airplane.

6 hours ago, Daedalus said:

How do you guys plan to use the DC6?

I flew her all over Alaska and made a round trip to Seattle to pick up a couple of seamen before heading to Dutch Harbor.  There are many beautiful and challenging places to visit and the view from the cockpit is mighty nice.

On 7/21/2017 at 8:36 AM, Drumcode said:

Not particularly interested in this one. Did they announce what's next for them? 

 Himmmm, that's tough to guess.. Maybe another Boeing?  

That's all they can, looks like. 

With respect to "pulling to the left or right", how excessive is this in the PMDG DC6? To be honest, this feature of propellor driven aircraft is extremely annoying to me. It's the one aspect of prop planes that I would prefer not to simulate, even though I know that it is realistic.

2 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

With respect to "pulling to the left or right", how excessive is this in the PMDG DC6? To be honest, this feature of propellor driven aircraft is extremely annoying to me. It's the one aspect of prop planes that I would prefer not to simulate, even though I know that it is realistic.

Barely if at all..its a 100000Lb aeroplane and flies like one..think 737 but more pleasant to fly. Its not as rock solid as the A2A stuff quite a bit more agile.

The flight model is almost identical to the xplane version which speaks volumes for how good it is.

If you are used to the xplane version the lighting is not quite as nice but the Afe does a few extra things.

Sounds have been improved a bit as well being more beefy and more 3D not so flat.

Only thing missing is the engine heaters for the -60 at Fairbanks in winter..lol

20 hours ago, Alan_A said:

The DC-6, unlike a lot of other classic propliners, is still in service, at least in Alaska - check out Everts Air Cargo if you want realistic modern-day operations.

Thanks for this info on Everts Air Cargo. I checked their web site, and discovered...

The company’s aircraft include the well known vintage C-46 and DC-6 aircraft which are especially well-suited to the many shorter, unimproved gravel or ice runways in Alaska. The Everts Air Cargo fleet consists of two C-46, eight DC-6,..

Eight DC-6 still in operation and two C-46 as well! Quite an interesting operation. Now I'm wanting to get a good C-46 for P3D. I see Just Flight has one in development?

 

If you like Everts (and it's hard not to), check out YouTube - some good video of the DC-6s and the C-46s too.

EDIT:  Here's a nice one from JustPlanes. 

1 hour ago, AviatorMan said:

I'm wanting to get a good C-46 for P3D. I see Just Flight has one in development?

The C-46 is an Aeroplane Heaven project that JustFlight will publish.  Graphics look very nice - we'll have to see how it flies and how it behaves.  But could be good times for Alaska freightdogging.

BTW, sorry for mangling your display name a few posts up.  There's another member that posts as AviatorMoser and my typing fingers confused the two of you.  Apologies!  

Now back to my DC-6 studies, already in progress... 

There website isnt quite up to date...4 C-46's which i cant wait for either.

 

As a matter of interest, has anyone completed the tutorial flights in the DC6?  And if so, did you find the flight plan file?

 

I've looked everywhere I can think of for it and can't find it to load into P3D V4's flight planner..

 

Graham

9 hours ago, VFRHawk said:

As a matter of interest, has anyone completed the tutorial flights in the DC6?  And if so, did you find the flight plan file?

 

I've looked everywhere I can think of for it and can't find it to load into P3D V4's flight planner..

 

Graham

They goofed - no pln file was included.  

 

Vic

Gah, no wonder I couldn't find it!  Thought I was going mad(der)...

Graham

Quote

I've been hesitating to buy so far, because I can't think of how and where I'm going to fly it

Anywhere with a runway long enough, and parking spots large enough to accommodate it. Simple. Try to get out of this "can only fly real world routes" mentality.