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 FS2000 DOUGLAS DC-6B Super Cloudmaster
        United 1958

 Moving Parts Version 4 5/2001
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This plane features an opening door and airstairs, textured props, and
steerable nose gear.  It is complete with animated landing gear, flaps, 
ailerons, elevators, and rudder.  It also features realistic engine start, 
and FS2000 checklists.

Note:  This aircraft can be used in FS98, but there will be some parts
showing through other parts (bleeds).

Painted by Tom Gibson
All-new plane by Tom Gibson and Harry Follas
Metal textures by Harry Follas

Flight Model by Brian Horsey 

Tom Gibson's comments:

I would like to thank Shoichiro Homma, Rich Boehringer, Dave McQueen,
and Mike Vidal for their help with this project.

I recommend my DC-6 panel for flying this plane realistically.  The
DC-6 IFR panel can be downloaded from the Classic Airliner Page;
http://members.aol.com/TGFltsim/panels.htm.  You will need to change
the panel.cfg file; instructions are in the panel.cfg file.  For night
lighting the gauges, use mkpink, available from www.flightsim.com.

I also recommend the DC-6 Sounds package, by Mike Hambly.  It can be
downloaded from: http://members.aol.com/TGFltsim/sound.htm
You will need to change the plane's sound.cfg file - edit it in 
Notepad; instructions are in the sound.cfg file.

OPENING DOOR

The passenger door will open and airstairs will roll up to the door when you
press the / key.  Press the / key again to close the door for flight.  My latest
DC-6 panel (v5 or later) will do this automatically.

STEERABLE NOSE GEAR

The nose gear will rotate if you move your yoke or joystick (assuming you
have autocoordination ON).

REALISTIC ENGINE START

You may use the latest DC-6 panel to do this realistically; if not:
To start the engines realistically and individually, do this (you must have
Auto Mixtures unchecked in Aircraft/Realism):

1.  Go to spot view (SSSW) or look back at your engines (3 on the numeric
keypad with NumLock on).
2.  Press Ctrl-Shift F1 to change mixtures to Idle Cutoff.
3.  Press E3 to select engine #3.
4.  Press M and then = (on the main keyboard); hold down the = key.
5.  Wait for 6 prop blades to pass by.
6.  Let go of the = key and press Ctrl-Shift F4 (mixture to Full Rich);
engine 3 will start.
7.  Press E4 to select engine #4.
8.  Repeat steps 4-6 to start engine #4.
9.  Repeat steps 3-6 to start engines 2 and 1 (E2 and E1).
10. Normal start sequence is 3-4-2-1.

CHECKLISTS

Included are Before Starting Engines, Starting Engines, Engine Run-up, 
Before Takeoff, Takeoff Data (V speeds), Climb, Cruise, Before Landing, 
and After Landing.  The best spot to stash the checklist is in the upper 
left corner, except on landing.  Then put it on the left edge of the panel 
just above the radar, and just to the left of the flight instruments.  
Enjoy!  Thanks to John Anderson for the checkedit program, which makes 
editing checklists easy (available as chke11.zip from www.flightsim.com).

Installation:

DO NOT USE THE CONVERTER ON THIS PLANE; IT IS ALREADY IN FS2000 FORMAT

[Files]                               belongs in:
dc6bxxx.air : Flight model file.   FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\
dc6bxxx.*af : Texture files.       FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\TEXTURE\
dc6bxxx.mdl.aileron : Model file.          FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\MODEL\
dc6bxxx.mdl : Model file.          FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\MODEL\
aircraft.cfg: Aircraft cfg file.   FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\
chk0.cfg    : Checklist cfg file.  FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\
model.cfg   : Model cfg file.      FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\MODEL\
panel.cfg   : Panel cfg file.      FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\PANEL\
sound.cfg   : Sound cfg file.      FS2000\AIRCRAFT\DC6BXXX\SOUND\

XXX = Airline code.  For the United DC-6B, the code is UAL (DC6BUAL).

Replace [FS2000] in the paths above with the location of your FS2000 
installation (the folder that has fs2000.exe in it).

1.  If you use an unzipper that keeps stored folders intact, just move 
    the DC6BXXX folder (and it's contents) to the FS2000 AIRCRAFT folder.

1a. If not, create all the folders listed above, and move the files 
    into the specified folders.  


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The DC-6 was developed as a faster, larger, and pressurized 
version of the DC-4 which first flew in 1946.  This popular 
airliner was faster than TWA's new 049 Constellation, and 
allowed one-stop transcontinental service in 10 hours.  When 
more powerful P&W R-2800 engines became available, Douglas 
decided to stretch the DC-6 by over 4.5 feet to produce the 
DC-6B.  The first DC-6B flew in February, 1951, and the first 
operator was American Air Lines.  Production of the DC-6B 
reached 288 by the close of the production line in November, 
1958.  Produced in parallel with the DC-7 series, many airlines 
found the DC-6B to be preferable to the DC-7's.  The DC-6A was 
a very similar plane designed especially for freighter service.

The reason for this preference is due to the impressive 
operating statistics of the DC-6B.  It had the best operating 
economics of any large piston airliner of it's time, and 
passengers also appreciated it's quietness, smoothness, and 
general comfort.  Douglas sold more DC-6B's than any other 
civil airliner in the DC-4 to DC-7C series, which indicates 
it's popularity with the public and the airlines.  The virtues 
of the DC-6B have endeared it to many recent operators, and 
several are still flying today.

NOTE: This plane and many other classic airliners can be 
downloaded free from Tom Gibson's Classic Airliner WEB site at - 
http://members.aol.com/TGFltsim/ 

FLYING THE DC-6B

The DC-6 IFR Panel contains an updated HOW TO FLY THE DC-6 file;
use that file if you are using that panel! However, for those without
the panel:

This plane has flight dynamics that make the 
climb and cruise performance more accurate.  Below 
10,000 ft, you can fly without particular worry (monitor 
airspeed on climbs, though).  Any higher, and you will have to 
start using the prop controls (blue squares) to maximize 
performance (above 8-10,000 ft. I find 2300 rpm works well.  
You will not be able to  reach cruise speeds of 260-270 knots TAS at
higher altitudes without adjusting the prop controls. 

Also, adjusting the mixture such that the EGT (exhaust gas 
temp.) is 50 degrees below maximum EGT will also improve 
performance (you will need to turn on Mixture Control in 
Aircraft/Aircraft Settings/Engines/Mixture Control); 50 degrees 
is about two movements of the needle).  I usually end up with a 
setting about halfway down the quadrant at 20,000 feet, with the 
needles hovering about half way up the scale.

Even when you have adjusted the controls properly, when you 
attempt to climb above 8-10,000 ft on the autopilot, you will 
notice your speed begin to drop.  Monitor your Manifold Pressure (MAP)
gauges, and as they drop increase the throttle to keep MAP constant. 
Also, monitor KIAS (Indicated Airspeed, set this in
Options/Preferences/Instrument/Display Indicated Airspeed), and if it
drops much below 140 knots, level out, allow speed to increase, and then
begin climbing again.  This is quite accurate; prop airliners (and many
jets above 25,000 ft) had to climb in steps to eventually reach cruising
altitude, often waiting to become lighter as fuel burned off.  When fully
loaded with fuel, the recommended cruising altitude for a DC-6B was only
15,000 ft; you can climb later as fuel burns off.  Typical cruising
altitudes for long distance DC-6B flights were at 17-24,000 ft.  
At a true airspeed of 260 knots TAS (normal cruise speed), your indicated
airspeed will be around 201 knots KIAS.  

As an example, Dave McQueen sent me a record of a PAA 
Stratocruiser flight from Honolulu to Travis AFB (near San 
Francisco), and the climb steps/time were: 
Alt.    Time
9,000	1126 
11,000	1300 
13,000	1430 
13,000	1600 
15,000	1720 
15,000	1830 
17,000	1930 

Thus he started his final climb from 9,000 ft at 11:30 am, 
stopped climbing at 11,000 (short time), 
stopped climbing at 13,000 (1hr. 30 min.), 
stopped climbing at 15,000 ft (1 hr), 
and didn't get up to 17,000 ft until 7:30 pm!  

DC-6B's had considerably better performance than that; you 
should be able get up to cruising altitude in about a half 
hour, if you adjust your controls every 5 minutes or so for 
maximum performance.  Above 8-10,000 feet you'll need to stop 
climbing when the speed gets below 170 KIAS or so, usually 
every 2-4,000 ft. (odd thousands for heading 0-179 degrees 
(9,000, 11,000, 13,000, etc.), even thousands for heading 
180-359 degrees) (now you know why they carried a flight 
engineer!).  I hope you enjoy the new accuracy, if not you may 
change the Induced Drag Scalar in Options/Design 
Aircraft/Performance (FS5) or ADE98 to 0.12 instead.

The range of around 3,800 miles should be quite doable with 
the plane's current fuel consumption (around 2-600 gallons/hr if prop 
and mixture are set correctly, 4-700 gal/hr without mixture 
control (this will still give almost proper ranges)).   A good 
number for average fuel consumption is 300 gal/hr with mixture 
control, 450 gal/hr without.

For other details and checklists on how to fly the DC-6B, see the file
on the Classic Airliner Page about "How to Fly the DC-6".  Enjoy!

Specifications:  (FS2000 airspeed indicator is calibrated in KNOTS!)

Max cruising Speed: 315 mph (274 knots)
Maximum Speed (Vne): 360 mph (313 knots)
Stall Speed (clean): 100 knots
Stall Speed (full flaps): 90 knots

Initial rate of climb: 1,120 ft/min.
Takeoff distance: 4,500 ft. @ sea level
Landing distance: 3,010 ft.

Empty weight: 54,148 lbs.
Maximum takeoff weight: 103,000 lbs.
Maximum landing weight: 88,200 lbs.

Normal range: 3860 miles

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Now the legal stuff:

COPYRIGHT 2000 BY TOM GIBSON AND HARRY FOLLAS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

THIS AIRPLANE IS THE PROPERTY OF THE AUTHOR, AND CANNOT BE 
RE-SOLD OR PACKAGED WITH ANY PRODUCT FOR SALE, WITHOUT THE 
EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHORS.  THIS IS FREEWARE!!

YOU MAY UPLOAD THIS PLANE TO ANY OTHER SERVER THAT HAS A FREE 
DISTRIBUTION POLICY.  IF THIS PLANE IS UPLOADED TO RESTRICTED 
SERVERS (I.E. COMPUSERVE FSFORUM)(NOT THE AUTHOR'S INTENTION), 
IT MAY BE DOWNLOADED AND UPLOADED TO OTHER SERVERS.  THIS 
NOTICE CONSTITUTES THE AUTHORS' PERMISSION TO DO THIS.  

THIS FILE ARCHIVE MAY NOT BE UPLOADED TO SERVERS THAT HAVE A CHARGE
FOR THEIR USE; IF A VIABLE FREE OPTION IS PROVIDED THIS FILE MAY BE
UPLOADED THERE.

THIS FILE ARCHIVE MUST REMAIN INTACT; YOU MAY NOT REMOVE AND UPLOAD
PARTS OF THIS ARCHIVE.  THIS ENTIRE TEXT FILE MUST BE INCLUDED IN ANY
DISTRIBUTION.  IF YOU REPAINT THE PLANE YOU MUST CREDIT THE ORIGINAL
AUTHORS IN YOUR TEXT FILE AND INCLUDE THIS TEXT FILE.

THE AUTHORS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT YOU MIGHT 
INCUR AS A RESULT OF USING THESE PRODUCTS.  YOU ASSUME THE RISK 
OF USE.

