Alan_A

Well, I'm getting nowhere. Engine cranks but won't catch. This happens with and without realistic start. If I set ready to taxi, engines are running fine. So this has to be a problem in my setup - maybe a hardware issue. I don't want to trouble PMDG with a ticket yet, not 'til I've run everything down. Will keep working the problem.

Thanks, Chris - I edited my post to make that clear. Have been enjoying your videos and I'm sure this one will do me some good once I figure out what's getting in the way of my startup.

Perhaps of interest - here a beta tester's video, just posted, showing the startup sequence. Interestingly, the settings here include mixture auto rich and mags on both before the engine is cranked. Unfortunately, I haven't yet managed a successful start using this or any of the other procedures listed in this thread. That's in spite of years of simulated radial time thanks to A2A (full system modeling) and to Manfred Jahn's C-47 (scripted start sequence). I think I'm either missing something completely obvious, or I've got a controller issue. Will try to run it down, but there might be a support ticket in my future. In the meantime, I hope the video is of some help. EDIT: Corrected to clarify that this is not an official PMDG video, per the post below. But comes from an experienced beta tester. Again, hope it's helpful.

Yep. From Jon Proctor's (excellent) book, From Props to Jets... Here are the relevant pages. Delta also gives the air conditioning a shoutout on its DC-6 fleet history page. Oh, and this is fun - the 1948 Delta DC-6 brochure. In all, quite the step forward.

Well, yes and no. They offer more cockpit-equipment choices (though the "modern" Connie requires the use of the default autopilot). But they don't offer a wide range of models and often make quirky choices. There's a good case to be made for the more powerful, longer-range 749 Constellation over the 049. In the case of the T-6, they went with a postwar G model, although the volume of repaints suggest that a wartime D model would have been the more popular choice. And some of us are still waiting for the Mark V Spitfire or the civilian B-17... Of course, I get what you're saying - I'm just pointing out that all developers make choices about what aircraft to model and how to equip it, and they're not always choices we agree with. But given the time and effort involved in development, they have to keep themselves engaged, too. And since we all say we want authenticity, we sometimes have to live with the consequences - like a study airplane with a hodgepodge of equipment on board. Coming from A2A, I'm finding there are things in the DC-6 I need to get used to, like the engine-start sequence (I don't think they've modeled fuel in the primer lines a la A2A though I could be wrong). But I'm liking the differences - like the contemporary avionics, the pax + freighter combo, and above all, Alexander's amazing FDE, which to me is head-and-shoulders above all propliners with FDE not by Alexander... As Jimmy McGill would say, "it's all good, man..."

Fair enough! Can't argue against choices - always a good thing to have.

How about real modern ops?

You know, I realize this is all about preference and taste, so I'm not trying to persuade anyone to think the way I do. But FWIW, I have to say that I really like the fact that the 6 is set up to be a vintage airplane working in modern airspace. Given that FSX and P3D are modern airspace simulators (and that neither has a Cal Classics-style retro option), it's a refreshing change to be able to fly something with the right equipment, and that feels like it's a revenue generator, not an airshow queen or an airplane that's ported in, Twilight-Zone style, from some other era. Am happy to operate it from secondary airports, and in out-of-the-way places. This is a personal thing, and I may well be in the minority. Contributing factor - I have a personal connection, fairly remote but still there, to a noteworthy 1960 airline accident. So for me, nostalgia isn't what it used to be. YMMV, but I wanted to give PMDG my own shout-out for their design choice.

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. 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...

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.

Thanks, understood. I wasn't clear - I was referring to past problems I've had, not to anything specific to the DC-6. Clearly PMDG is handling mixture differently than A2A (in the Connie, Strat and B-17) and the Manfred Jahn team (in the C-47 v3) - in all those cases, Auto Rich, Auto Lean and Cutoff are ranges within an axis. The levers "snap to" the detent when they're within range. Had originally been expecting something similar for the DC-6 but if not, then not. I'll make sure there's no mixture axis in the DC-6 profile.

Ah, that's excellent news. I'm going to give that a try. Have never been able to get FSUIPC to play well using the "send to FS as normal axis" parameters - mixture won't behave properly even on P3D4 default aircraft - so that's really not an option. Does P3D controller import/export allow the use of different controllers (such as yoke and joystick)? Or would that be pushing the limit? OK if so - I agree completely with you about keeping it simple, and if I have to throw a controller overboard, I will. I'll start experimenting with it now. Thanks for opening the door.

Quick question - are you referring to the P3D controller profiles feature, or to changing the axis assignments "by hand" in the P3D buttons/axes page before flying? Reason I ask is that this thread has me thinking again about my ongoing love/hate relationship with FSUIPC - love the custom profiles, hate the wonkiness, especially with high-end add-ons - and if the native controller profiles are now a viable option, I'd think about using them. The last time I checked - a couple of years ago - there were issues with assignments getting lost when switching from one P3D controller profile to another. Wondering if that's still the case. Thanks in advance for any light you can shed.

Same here. Have run both v3 and v4 on Windows 10 - no problems at all.

Ah, in that case the ultrawide probably makes more sense. The advantage of 4K really comes in with big TVs (I'm at 49 inches). At 35 inches it's less clear cut, and I agree the monitor will be easier to work with. Unfortunately I don't know enough to advise you about refresh rate - hope someone more knowledgeable will join the thread.