Hi everyone.
Me again!
Just after a couple of pointers please regarding the dc3
I’m wondering what the ideal cruise speed should be as it says 184 k on the plane selecting page but when flying on external view the speed indicator goes into yellow around 120 k ? I gather red means the plane stress levels are to high but what does the yellow mean?
Also what should the throttle/rpm be when cruising ideally, or is this depending on conditions? Again on external view there’s green yellow and red, i try to keep it in the green bit but I’m burning through fuel quickly.
If I start a flight on the default 50% fuel I burn throttle this in about an hour or so?
Thanks.
I would recommend using the gauges in the cockpit and not the external/arcade gauges provided by MSFS as I’m not sure if this aircraft is calibrated for those. With that said, check out the following links for some flying notes/tips:
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Douglas DC–3 Flight Notes
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Flying the DC-3 - AOPA
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The airspeed indicator colors are in fact there for a reason. And here red means dead…as many old CFIs would call it. This red line is Vne or never exceed speed. Even in smooth air and without additional stresses critical damage can occur.
The yellow caution range can be used in smooth air and with, as the name implies, cation not to add stress into the fuselage and flight surfaces.
The green range is where you spent most of your flying. The exact speeds for the DC3 you would probably find in the operating handbook. Once your arrive in this class of airplanes it is a good idea to read the documentation. Not to mention….use the flight school within the sim. Most of these basics are explained there.
The gauges in the external view are pretty much useless, after all you fly real airplanes from within the cockpit. There you have a MAP and a RPM gauge for each engine. With appropriate markings to show how the engines are supposed to be used.
Learning to fly a radial engined airplane is a lot more challenging than a jet. For example you do not just close the throttle to decend, leaving the prop to push the engine. In real life you would gradually reduce MAP by 1-1.5“, wait for the speed to reduce and then repeat the process.
For the DC3 I typically fly at 33“ and 2300 RPM when I am in a hurry. And a more sedate 30“ and 2000RPM when time is not so important.
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Thanks for the manual, I’m new to the SIM and still trying to figure all this stuff out.
That’s has everything a beginner needs.
Thanks.
Takeoff: 2550RPM/40psi
once you hit 110 mph reduce power to: 2350RPM/36psi
cruise power: 2050RPM/30psi this will get you about 150/160 mph
landing: 1800-2000 RPM/36psi or less
these are general power settings I feel like the landing numbers are a bit too high at least the manifold pressure I typically have fairly low during the descent
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Thanks for the info. I do normally fly from the cockpit, I think this is one of the reasons I like the Douglas as you have quite a good view from the pilots seat. Sometimes I use external view to take in the sights better.
I prefer the old piston engines to jet engines, I think maybe I have to many assists enabled but the jet planes seem a bit too easy of a flying experience.
Do all the gauges work as I’ve noticed the oil temp is always in the red?
Thanks.
The gauges aren’t great. The Duckworks mod fixes a lot of it, but that’s PC only.
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oil temps will run really high if you run your power and rpm near the upper limits longer than 30 seconds or so. This is why its important to reduce your settings basically as soon as the wheels lift off the ground. Also make sure the cowl flaps are in trail during flight and open on the ground.
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hi, I can fly thyis plane fine in FSX and a few other sims. But in 40th premium NOPE! First issue… take off park brake. Get the green check mark. Cant reach it with the mouse. Use Ctr; num del. But then I throttle up0 and have to do it several times before the plane will actualy move. So finally moving now… I keep the nose down and the SECOND the tail wheel lifts off… she veers fast to the left. Wheel locked or not…doesnt matter. If I give it the tinyest but of right rudder the engine dies and it crashes in the bushs. I cant get to rotate speed. Now the sim says use full trottle but videos say not to but then I never get to V1 I never had runway excurtions in FSX!!! but that is ALL I get in MSFS 40th. Im thinking about trying thar Ducksworth patch but dont know how to9 put stuff in the community folder. But without that… WHY does it do this ? Ive tried everything. HOURS wasted. Lo9ad a different plane… no issues taking off even other taildraggers.
I had the same problem. I had to turn off flight assistance (take off i think) to stop this plane from throttling back and crashing every time. It’s quite hard to control with the keyboard.
I dont use a keyboard but a yoke and peddles. I also have a flight stick set up but hate it.
under assistant options there is only hard medium and easy cabt turn it off???
I can’t access msfs at the moment so I can’t navigate you thru the settings. All I can remember is under flight assists you want to look for assisted take off and disable it.
I think that as soon as you start to veer to the left or right, take off assistant assumes your going to crash and throttles back!
The dc3 is all over the place once the tail wheel leaves the ground. I find lots of rapid little adjustments with the rudder keeps it kind of straight.
If you pull back while accelerating down the runway to keep the tail on the ground it’s a lot easier to control but this isn’t the correct procedure. Would probably rip the tail off in real life.
You might have a conflict if yoke and joystick are both plugged in.Make sure that you don’t have double bindings.
It would be better to put them off. I personally only have ATC on.
Actually with a steerable tailwheel, and an aircraft that blanks out much of the rudder with the fuselage, you actually do keep just a little back pressure on, until you can raise the tail up into the wind to allow that rudder to become active.
You will not break the DC3s back by pulling back too hard, but you may get airborne in an unpredictable manner if you keep the tail planted too long and the wings are actually lifting up…a very likely departure stall scenario.
Pushing the tail up too early and aggressively is also a bad idea….but not as likely with the DC3 as for example with a Super Cub or Pitts.
Tail wheel flying is definitely more challenging than tricycle flying…or better taking off and landing. The rest is obviously pretty much the same😂
I saw a YouTube video where the guy had a floor level view, I cant get that view it seems and I struggle just to get the darn parking break off. Keyboard is scetchy at best, Id like to use the mouse but its blocked by the trim wheel and other stuff. I also cant just click on the tail wheel lock either, its blocked too. Wish I could get that real low down view. I gave up on flying the DC3 in MSFS as no matter what I do she ground loops or just goes right off into the grass. Soon as the tail lifts up and she is on main wheels. Yet I have No issues in FSX or Flight Gear flying them. No idea. So frustrating as its my favorite plane.
By now there are several mods for the original aircraft. And personally there are some things in each of the mods that I do like and some I don’t.
Overall I stayed with the Duckworth mod, because it makes the aircraft feel right for me. I have only flown in the right seat of a C-53 once and held her on course and altitude….no takeoff or landing and no tight maneuvers. So I am hardly an expert on the type.
With that mod, she is still no point and click aircraft and if you do not practice flying her properly, then you might as well forget it.
I would recommend going about it with baby steps. Pick a nice long runway and set up a light wind right down that runway.
Then practice taxiing down the centerline, slowly at first, then increase speed. Eventually you are fast enough to pick up the tail. That is where the dance begins, many small timely corrections. You can see this in almost every video of a DC3 … the rudder is hardly ever still. But if you see full deflections, you can assume something is really going pear shaped.
You can use the same technique for landing. Only now you are going too fast on purpose and land in a fairly flat attitude and then simply keep her on the centerline again.
Then reduce the speed gradually….repeat as necessary until you got the hang of it.
The airplane itself works, barring any controller problems, quite well if you spend the time getting to know it.