Just now, jfri said:

Which leads to the question about what are the MSFS planes lacking that A2A have ?

The only aircraft  both in A2A and MFS catalogues is the Spitfire (1 vs 9). The PMDG DC-6 is also very much in the spirit of the A2A Connie and Strat'.

A2A has announced working on a Comanche for MFS then adapting the other aircraft. They seem to have not a snag but a technological hurdle to overcome, that was Scott Gentile's last message, in June I think.

 

55 minutes ago, jfri said:

Do you mean the Aerosoft CRJ 550/700 that is sold in the marketplace for around $60 ?

yes and it does not work untill an Asobo fix and version 0.6 or what ever it will be.

6 hours ago, Nyxx said:

The "Best" = PMDG DC 6

Regarding this plane I saw something nasty and that was modern radio suit with GPS. Which certainly was not in the real thing. From a YT review I got the impression that you can disable the GPS but not the modern radios. Or can I disable those also ?

36 minutes ago, jfri said:

Regarding this plane I saw something nasty and that was modern radio suit with GPS. Which certainly was not in the real thing.

I understand your point, but the fact is that many old time planes (from the 1940s-50s) flying today have undergone similar mods, so the PMDG DC-6 could be considered realistic in that context.

Al

Edited August 3, 20214 yr by ark

56 minutes ago, jfri said:

Regarding this plane I saw something nasty and that was modern radio suit with GPS. Which certainly was not in the real thing. From a YT review I got the impression that you can disable the GPS but not the modern radios. Or can I disable those also ?

You would be surprised. To survive in today's airspace, you require modern avionics and communications. Here is a nice video of a "real" DC-6 with fancy GPSs in it.

 

1 hour ago, ark said:

I understand your point, but the fact is that many old time planes (from the 1940s-50s) flying today have undergone similar mods, so the PMDG DC-6 could be considered realistic in that context.

Al

So if I understand you correctly. If I would like to simulate this plane from 1940-1950 in flight during this time period it would not be possible with the PMDG DC6. If we have an old plane we might want to fly it like it was when it was new.

43 minutes ago, G550flyer said:

You would be surprised. To survive in today's airspace, you require modern avionics and communications. Here is a nice video of a "real" DC-6 with fancy GPSs in it.

 

I am surprised to see that an 70 year old plane is used today. Who does so and why ?

27 minutes ago, jfri said:

I am surprised to see that an 70 year old plane is used today. Who does so and why ?

Cargo operations in places like Alaska.  The PMDG DC-6 was modeled after a real world aircraft with it's mods and upgrades over the  years.  That aircraft has more modern radio suites in it.  Not sure if it has a GPS, though I've seen YouTube vids of them with GPS units in various places like that above video, or one was on top of the glareshield type area right in front of where the rudder trim wheel is on the PMDG plane.  Even if someone made an addon with working versions of those old radios, who knows if the radio and bands that they used are actually in the sim(s) so it might do you no good.  The PMDG DC-6 even has older and newer looking gauges to represent where the aircraft they based it on had gauges replaced when they broke.  So you will see some gauges for instance for fuel level that are nice bright white lettering and clear gauge "glass" and some where the lettering and "glass" is yellowed because they're older.

I'm surprised - I thought the BB BN-2 Islander would have at least one mention, especially after their latest update.. I do not have it yet but now not so sure.

Edited August 4, 20214 yr by tamsini

1 hour ago, jfri said:

So if I understand you correctly. If I would like to simulate this plane from 1940-1950 in flight during this time period it would not be possible with the PMDG DC6.

Correct, if by simulate you mean have it look exactly like it did back in those days.  You can, or course, simply choose not to use the GPS (or turn if off if it has a power switch). As for the radios, I would think they changed quite a bit anyways between the early production DC-6s in 1946 and the later models in 1958 (note PMDG did leave in the old radios on the center pedestal, but they are inop). Bottom line is if you want to use the navigation or communication system provided by the sim, you have to tune in the same sim frequencies regardless of what the radios look like. But you can still 'fly' the DC-6 the old way just by using VORs and ADFs for navigation, etc.

You obviously want a DC-6 simulation that looks and operates much like a DC-6 did during it's production run, nothing wrong with that at all. But I don't think the current PMDG DC-6 can meet that goal 100%, but comes impressively close.

Al

 

Edited August 4, 20214 yr by ark

1 hour ago, jfri said:

I am surprised to see that an 70 year old plane is used today. Who does so and why ?

Evert's Air Cargo and Everts Air Fuel both flew DC6s in regular service up to just a year two back.  Not sure if they still do.

 

 

Edited August 4, 20214 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

1 hour ago, jfri said:

So if I understand you correctly. If I would like to simulate this plane from 1940-1950 in flight during this time period it would not be possible with the PMDG DC6. If we have an old plane we might want to fly it like it was when it was new.

OK not sure why you would want to  ... but to do that you would need to:

• understand celestial navigation and use of a sextant (possible if your into boats in real life I suppose)
• have the sextant window (see below) and a functional sextant modelled in the DC6
• the sim would need to have an accurate ephemeris database which showed the precise position of the stars from any position of the earth at any date between 1940 and 1950 and use that ephemeris to generate the night sky in game

 

DC6 sextant window -

 

 

 

Periscope sextant (from a Boeing 707 circa 1960 )

6 hours ago, jfri said:

I am very likely to sometimes get one of these JF Pipers. But only one. Which leads to the question which one ? I suspect that with regard to quality and realism they are equal. I got the Piper Cherokee from A2A in P3D and a question how does the JF Pipers compare to this ? They are very similar planes.

I would strongly recommend the Warrior II, I have all three, and the Warrior feels lighter and smoother to fly, especial at approach and landings, but it is the slowest of the three, but thats perfect for calm an unstressful VR flights on the countryside.

7 hours ago, jfri said:

I am very likely to sometimes get one of these JF Pipers. But only one. Which leads to the question which one ? I suspect that with regard to quality and realism they are equal. I got the Piper Cherokee from A2A in P3D and a question how does the JF Pipers compare to this ? They are very similar planes.

Basically if you only get one the choice will be between:

• Warrior II - fixed gear, fixed prop very forgiving but slow especially at altitude, not recommended for mountain flying as it struggles above 10,000' but great plane down at more sane altitudes
• Turbo Arrow II/IV retractable gear, constant speed prop, much faster and can eventually get up well over 20,000' nice unit for long trips at altitude but if your mainly doing circuits the Warrior is probably better suited

So depends what you are intending to do with it. if you mainly use something like the TBM for long trips get the Warrior II it is more suited to low and slow and short strips. If your looking for something a bit more universal that is acceptable down low but with a bit of touring capability go for the Turbo Arrow

If you decide to get BOTH buy the turbo first as it gives you a 25% discount on the Warrior.

 

 

Circuit in the Warrior II :

 

Turbo Arrow III at altitude in New Zealand:

 

Circuit in the Turbo Arrow III

 

Edited August 4, 20214 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

The PMDG DC-6 has the option to switch between a GN430 GPS (std Asobo) and Bendix KX155 Nav/Com 2 plus ADF, the GPS is not displayed in the latter case.

It has a Sperry autogyro AP.

It does have the Celestial navigation roof window (and in VR you can stand up, move around and look up out of it 🙂 ). There is a Celestial navigation mod though I haven't tried it.

It gets my vote for best MSFS aircraft 🙂