Expanding DC-6A/C-118 Fuel Capacity

[jmdriskell 178]

I'm using FSX-SE.  I notice that the PMDG DC-6B aircraft.cfg file contains two definitions for fuel capacity. The 3322 gallon capacity is active, the 5512 gallon capacity is commented out. I think many actual DC-6s/C-118s did hold 5512 gallons of fuel and I've seen discussions about the PMDG version of the DC-6 expanding to 10 tanks which would then allow the increases fuel capacity.

Is it possible to activate the 5512 gallon capacity in the PMDG DC-6 and if so, how? I replaced the 3322 gallon capacity with 5512 in my C-118. The fuel gauges showed the increase. The load manager also showed the increase but when I tweaked a fuel tank window in the load manager, the fuel capacity reverted to 3322. Is there a way around this limitation? Has anyone tried expanding the fuel capacity successfully?

Anybody know if PMDG will update the DC-6 to take advantage of the increased fuel capacity?

Thanks in advance,

Jim Driskell

[randomTOTEN 13]

5512 Gallons is actually 8 tanks, not 10. Surprising the largest fuel capacity doesn't have the larger number of tanks (they made the tanks bigger instead?).

The C-118A was only produced according the FAA with the 8-Tank 5404 Gallon System. Both the DC-6A and DC-6B can be equipped with the 5512 Gallon system according to the FAA.

What flight simulator are you running? I could not get the gauges to show above 3322 levels in FSX.

The PMDG load manager isn't designed for the higher capacity, and as you've noticed will revert to it's own settings when you change fuel in it. Use the default payload screen to set the higher fuel values, and don't touch fuel quantities in the payload manager

In my sim the gauges were frozen until the fuel dropped to quantities appropriate for the 3322 system. Other than those two limitations everything worked fine.

[jmdriskell 178]

I'm runing FSX-SE but I don't know if that has any effect.  I'll make the mods and let your know.

Jim Driskell

[jmdriskell 178]

As a follow on, my fuel gauges correctly record the increased capacity.  Did you copy the fuel capacity definitions from the DC-6B cfg file to the DC-6A cfg file and comment out the original entries?

 

Jim Driskell

[randomTOTEN 13]

I didn't change the fuel quantities for the DC-6A because I wanted to keep that one in a more "modern" configuration (recreate Everts Air Fuel operations). You could try copying the information but I don't know how well that works. (Reading the official forum it looks like that worked for you.. remember it's 5404 not 5504 gallons)

I'll test my fuel gauges in the B again.

Edited May 24, 2020 by randomTOTEN

[randomTOTEN 13]

Now that's really weird, I can't set higher fuel quantities anymore!

Even without touching the settings in the (PMDG) payload manager, as soon as I set 5512 Gallons, the needles rise to the new quantity, then immediately get overriden and set to the last position of the (PMDG) payload manager, even if it's not open. Using SHIFT+Z I can see the fuel quantity get changed back too....

That's a huge bummer.

Edited May 24, 2020 by randomTOTEN

[jmdriskell 178]

Look in \FSX\SimObjects and find the PMDG DC-6B.  Make a copy and then open the aircraft.cfg file for the DC-6B and find the following:

// CONFIG #A --- total 3322 gallons
LeftTip   = -37.63, -42.13, 3.30, 360, 0.0        // MAIN #1
LeftMain  = -37.57, -18.16, 0.95, 508, 0.0        //    #2
RightMain = -37.57,  18.16, 0.95, 508, 0.0        //    #3
RightTip  = -37.63,  42.13, 3.30, 360, 0.0        //    #4
LeftAux   = -38.33, -28.84, 1.90, 431, 0.0        // ALTN #1
Center1   = -38.98, -8.545,-0.40, 362, 0.0        //    #2
Center2   = -38.98,  8.545,-0.40, 362, 0.0        //    #3
RightAux  = -38.33,  28.84, 1.90, 431, 0.0        //    #4

// CONFIG for Serial 43819 and up --- total 5512 gallons
//LeftTip   = -38.33, -42.13, 3.30, 695,  0.0        // MAIN #1
//LeftMain  = -37.57, -18.16, 0.95, 719, 19.0        //    #2
//RightMain = -37.57,  18.16, 0.95, 719, 19.0        //    #3
//RightTip  = -38.33,  42.13, 3.30, 695,  0.0        //    #4
//LeftAux   = -37.63, -28.84, 1.90, 580,  4.0        // ALTN #1
//Center1   = -38.98, -8.545,-0.40, 762,  0.0        //    #2
//Center2   = -38.98,  8.545,-0.40, 762,  0.0        //    #3
//RightAux  = -37.63,  28.84, 1.90, 580,  4.0        //    #4

Copy the second CONFIG into the PMDG DC-6A aircraft.cfg file after making a copy of that file as a backup.  The DC-6A fuel portion of the aircraft.cfg file should look like this:

// CONFIG #A --- total 3322 gallons
//LeftTip   = -37.63, -42.13, 3.30, 360, 0.0        // MAIN #1
//LeftMain  = -37.57, -18.16, 0.95, 508, 0.0        //    #2
//RightMain = -37.57,  18.16, 0.95, 508, 0.0        //    #3
//RightTip  = -37.63,  42.13, 3.30, 360, 0.0        //    #4
//LeftAux   = -38.33, -28.84, 1.90, 431, 0.0        // ALTN #1
//Center1   = -38.98, -8.545,-0.40, 362, 0.0        //    #2
//Center2   = -38.98,  8.545,-0.40, 362, 0.0        //    #3
//RightAux  = -38.33,  28.84, 1.90, 431, 0.0        //    #4

// CONFIG for Serial 43819 and up --- total 5512 gallons
LeftTip   = -38.33, -42.13, 3.30, 695,  0.0        // MAIN #1
LeftMain  = -37.57, -18.16, 0.95, 719, 19.0        //    #2
RightMain = -37.57,  18.16, 0.95, 719, 19.0        //    #3
RightTip  = -38.33,  42.13, 3.30, 695,  0.0        //    #4
LeftAux   = -37.63, -28.84, 1.90, 580,  4.0        // ALTN #1
Center1   = -38.98, -8.545,-0.40, 762,  0.0        //    #2
Center2   = -38.98,  8.545,-0.40, 762,  0.0        //    #3

the "//" comments out the unused portion of the file.  Save the file (I didn't save it the first time so nothing changed) and restart the sim.  You should then see in increased fuel capacity.  It should be stable as long as you don't tweak the fuel settings with the Load Master fuel configuration tool.  Let me know if this works.

Jim Driskell

[jmdriskell 178]

Just wanted to report that the fuel modifications work great.  No problems on a 4+ hr flight from ETAR to EFHK.

 

Jim Driskell

[Barth 9]

Hello!
I'm a bit confused.. Does this modification works with P3D v4? And what exactly should I write in the .cfg? the "CONFIG for Serial 43819 and up --- total 5512 gallons" part?
I'm sorry I'm asking althought you already explained it here quite thoroughly..
Greetings,

Quentin Barthélemy

[rmeier 473]

Quentin,

Jim Driskell's instructions above should be pretty clear. First to answer your question: yes, the modification works in P3D v4 (with the exception of the load manager...fuel has to be set via the P3D menu).

If you look closely at the instructions above, the two slash marks "//" at the start of each line indicate what is actively read in the cfg file. If the slash marks are not present, that is the actively read cfg configuration. (Hence, when the two slash marks are present, the configuration is not read.)

Rob

[Barth 9]

Aaaaah I got it... Thank you for your patience and explanation!

Barth

[Barth 9]

Hello again!
So, finally I tried, copied the section "
// CONFIG for Serial 43819 and up --- total 5512 gallons
" in the .cfg of both the DCA and the DCB, but it doesn't seem to work :
The gauges jumps back to the original position of 3322 Gal.
I went through the P3D fuel manager, and I actually can select a much higher fuel load, but it reverses immediately after selecting it...
What do I do wrong?
(Why is PMDG not helping/updating..?)

Thank you!

Barth

Edited November 6, 2020 by Barth

[randomTOTEN 13]

Yeah that's the same experience I have in FSX Barth.

[jmdriskell 178]

Don't use the fuel manager.  It will revert the fuel quantities to the old smaller values.  If you have to set the fuel amount use direct entry in the the fuel window.  I mentioned this to PMDG but they are busy with other projects so there is no time frame for a fix to the DC-6/C-118.

 

Jim Driskell