PMDG Douglas DC-6

noticed that also plus look how long it is from t/o to meto power. I’m still enjoying flying the Goony bird and the DC6 very much. Its been forty some years since I flew as a flt engineer with the air force,

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It is, unfortunately, another problem with the core fuel system I think ( I don’t think PMDG would have done it deliberately ) - there are other issues too, it generally feels like there was a placeholder system put in & they forgot to redo it properly. If you’re very quick you can start in idle & flick the mixture to rich, but it’s awkward unless you have all the levers bound to hardware & you might as well just start with them there in the first place.

While you’re here - could you crossfeed boost pumps so you didn’t necessarily have to use the correct pump for the engine? I’ve seen a DC-6 startup where they did something like that, only I couldn’t see everything they did. You definitely can’t do that in the PMDG one, but then again if you don’t start it on 12 rotations it won’t start at all, so the startup does seem a bit too picky.

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possibly with the booster pump on one tank on high and the crossfeed valve set to all engines it might work.

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I set #1 fuel selector on main tank and positioned #2,#3,and #4 fuel selectors in the off position and with both crossfeedvalves in the all engine positions and #1 fuel booster pump in the high position was able to start # 3 engine. However engine would not start until I put #3 mixture in the autolean position. I don’t think I would attempted this while flying but I think it would have worked. Did this answer your question. Let me know**

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Oh, so it is possible - I wonder why I couldn’t do it before ( some time ago now ). Was there a C-46 procedure for it? ( presumably one for a failed pump, I guess ).

Edit: success - I suspect I didn’t have the tanks set up properly last time I tried.

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I don’t know a lot about the C46. Are you an ex-military aviator by chance?*

C-46 was the Curtiss Commando developed as a competitor to the DC-3/C-47. It was successful, but apparently a maintenance nightmare, and not as prolific commercially as the DC-3. I’m thinking he didn’t mean C-46, unless that’s a document callout.

The military version of the DC-6 was the C-118/R6D.

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Air America was still flying the C46 while I was stationed in Japan and I saw a few flying while I was in Viet Nam and I believe it had R2800 Engines

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Whoops, late-night brain fade & blurry eyes do not make for rigorous checking! I meant the C-54, which you said you had experience on.

And no, not first-hand military, just a RAF brat here, unless you count a couple of years as a sea cadet :wink:

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They’re still in use :slight_smile:

See Buffalo Airways :smiley:

The C-54 was a DC-4

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This is so, but experience on that type was mentioned & I am making the assumption that there weren’t drastic changes to the fuel system…

Buffalo Air do seem to have a quite amazing collection! their workshops must be a fun place.

Edit: testing out the VOR AP - if you do flick on the GPS & hit the CDI button and then revert to radio gear, the AP will track a VOR radial ( and not wander around, either ). I did it without powering up the GPS also. The AP PID still needs some tuning as it seems to wildly overshoot sometimes, but it’ll at least go straight down a radial now.

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Everts Air Fuel in Alaska is still flying the ‘Maid in Japan’ C-46. She is a beautiful bird.

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yes I have seen that aircraft a few times as well as the other airplanes that they fly.

unable to reverse props on landing flying the dc6. followed normal procedures to no avail. anyone have any ideas?

All throttles idle - flick reverser lever - open throttles - swear at prop sync - - idle throttles - swear at reverser lever - flick stuck reverser lever - add enough taxi power - swear at prop sync again… is that roughly normal procedurre? :smiley:

I’ve no idea what real life normal procedure for that op is, just what PMDG gave us.

no that isn’t sop. I can’t get the reverse lever to arm so that I could use my throttles slowing or stopping the aircraft. in the real world on a short runway that was a disaster and a lot of Hail Marys.

What controller are you using to select reverse? A button?

If so, make sure you set the command to “On Release” in the settings for it (not “On Press” which is the default).

using my mouse as i have in the past.

Have you checked the Prop Reverse Control circuit breakers?

Hang on though, you said you can’t get the lever to arm.

Are you certain your throttles are all being moved fully to idle position? One throttle (or more) being too far off-idle will prevent the reverse lever from moving.

I pretty well automatically do it after all the years spent flying but I’ll check for sure on my next sim flight. thanks for the info.

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