PMDG Douglas DC-6

I did some more testing yesterday and found something similar - the eccentric engine performance, in my case a too-high setting on Engine 3, happens after the AFE cracks the throttles during the before-start flow. That seems to cause a mismatch between the VC throttles and the hardware throttles. When I was able to match my hardware throttles to the setting for 1000 RPM - which I did by going into the Windows calibration routine and reading raw data - the engine start was normal. I’ve passed that along to PMDG, and asked if they can try to provide a bigger range for the idle setting.

In practice, I can now manage the startup by setting the first engine - Number 3 - to 1000 RPM right after start, then matching the hardware throttles to that.

I’ll try your method too and see if a dead zone helps.

The Aeroplane Heaven DC-3 for P3D was quite nice. If I recall correctly, they offered a bundle - you could buy either version or buy both at a discount.

I have personal ties to the Manfred Jahn freeware version since I logged a lot of time in it and got to help out on it a little (I’m the voice of the final approach controller in the GCA module) but it won’t be coming to MSFS as far as I’m aware.

Robert Randazzo recently confirmed that PMDG wants to do a DC-3 as their next vanity project. Makes sense given he owns Clipper Tabitha May. But given their backlog, I wouldn’t expect that one for a year or two.

@BostonJeremy77 - the Flight Replicas DC-4 was (and is) really good. Had flight dynamics by Bernt Stolle, so the in-flight behavior was top-notch. Is Flight Replicas doing any MSFS work? Hadn’t seen any mention of it but might have missed it. The nice thing about a DC-4 is that it’s got some of the same capabilities as a Six but with less to worry about.

If we’re talking Douglas, I wouldn’t mind the Aerosoft DC-8 at some point either.

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Haven’t heard anything about Flight Replicas working on MSFS. :frowning:

I think it’s only a matter of time until there is a DC-3.

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It’s hard - maybe impossible - for solo developers to make the move to MSFS. Too much work and too many differences for it to be practical or worthwhile.

An option - if you’re flying a modern DC-6, you can always operate it as if it was a DC-4, below 10,000 feet, like the ones in those Aero Dinosaur films where they’ve disabled the pressurization system and high blowers to save on maintenance. Not an exact match… but a similar experience.

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Agree - I’m sure we’ll get the Aeroplane Heaven one this year, and the PMDG one next year or the year after.

I had to change the end point only minimally and still have an idle of about 750rpm with warm oil.
It would be good if there was an option to calibrate the throttle axis like on the CRJ from Aerosoft.

yes I mostly fly freight because I can see the cargo as opposed to the invisible passengers :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I’m definitely a boxes-in-the-back kind of flyer. They don’t talk back.

In the Caribbean years ago, I got to know a cruise ship captain who missed his old life in tankers, for exactly that reason.

By the way, I’m sorry we got crosswise yesterday. I think it was a language problem. Didn’t mean to single you out and what I should have said was, “One doesn’t want to be at 100 knots.” But that sounds pretentious in English, so I typically fall back on “You don’t…” instead. Not a criticism of you personally, though I can see why you took it that way. Apologies.

We’re a small community of DC-6 pilots - hope we can find a way to stick together.

Happy flights!

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Does anyone know how to disable PMDG DC-6 AI static aircraft? I love to fly this aircraft as solo, but it seems that the DC-6s now replace A320neos and storm all parking gates at airport terminals.

A study level DC-3 / C-47 is my dreamed aircraft for MSFS. If Aeroplane Heaven and PMDG produce them, I would buy both the first minute.

I really like the approach of PMDG about realism and radial engine management.
I have logged almost 50 hours in PMDG DC-6 and I have not yet suffered any kind of engine problem. This is a very complex aircraft and you just cannot fly it like a Cessna or like a modern Boeing.
I needed to read the full manual, watch all the tutorial videos in some cases twice and conduct my flight carefully.
One very important thing mentioned in all videos and manuals is the throttle management and I think here is where most people may have problems. See how „fast/slow“ the AFE moves the throttles when for instance going to take off power. That is the speed we should move those big high powered engines throttles.
When you climb monitor temperatures, when you descent monitor temperatures, when you are in cruise monitor temperatures.
Carefully manage your boosters and take care of those engines, they will take care of you. If you do not manage them properly…there should be consequences.
Having the challenge of managing realistic big radial engines is one of the most atractive features of this simulation for me.

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Follow the instructions here:
https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/pmdg-dc-6-cloudmaster-forum/138481-04jul21-possible-ctd-or-fps-loss-due-to-misconfigured-3rd-party-liveries

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She is a magnificent machine!

I’ve been having a blast with her! :grinning:

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MSFS PMDG DC-6 Update Available via PMDG OC. Go get yours as soon as you have Sim Update 5 installed. Enjoy!

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And when you go to update your plane and you go into the updater and it’s empty, and you say “Holy Cow!, what’s going on?? It was working fine before.” And then after going to the forum for help and then you remember, (maybe cause you’re getting older?) that you emptied your Community folder for the update… “Oh, yeah :roll_eyes:

Am I the only numb skull?

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Has anyone experienced any difference of the Framerate? Whereas I get around 10 to 15 FPS more in any other Plane, I have the same stuttery 30 FPS experience with the DC 6.
Or is it that the plane is just very poorly optimized?

Yeah the performance remains the same on my rig.
I have a bug… a wildly spinning knob on my nav gps… and no ATC sound after using another plane after the DC 6.

I am hoping for a HF from Asobo this week. When that arrives I’m sure PMDG will update again.

Meanwhile, just click the spinning knob and continue on. It’s a known issue on the PMDG forum.

Hopefully performance will improve further after Asobo’s HF.

I’m having the weirdest problems with her after all the updates.

The power just drops out (batteries are on etc.) Then the fuel disappears. I can actually see the tablet running down from 4000 to 0. Then the engines cut out… also the gear and flaps aren’t handled by Jim properly anymore.

This whole SU5 is giving me an ulcer…

Edit: reinstalled… engine repair didn’t work… I had the AI pilot destroy the engines and crash the plane in a forest, during a previous flight, so I guess I was flying a wreck… working properly now…