The DC-3 Airways FS2004 DC-4, version 03.

If your Flight Simulator is FS2002, you have selected the wrong download package. Return and try again.

The DC-3 Airways DC-4 is based on update 5 of the FS-Design Berlin DC-4, widely acknowledged to be the best fs9 DC-4 available.

Installing the DCA DC-4 aircraft is simple. But please read the important Aircraft and Flight Notes section which follows the Installation Instructions.  

FEATURES OF THE DCA fs9 DC-4
============================

Custom Instrument Panel and Engine Control Unit (ECU) with many new gauges by Norman Hancock and Dave Bitzer.

The great Connie Radio package by FSDzigns, with permission.

Repaint in DC-3 Airways colors by Ian Richardson, DC3-999.

Props that completely stop when feathered.

Detailed DC-4 checklists and Manual by VP-Technical, John Achor.

Transition Flights by John Achor to acquaint pilots with the DC-4 flight characteristics. 

A flexible fuel-feed system by Dave Bitzer.

Separate Auto-mixture controls for each engine ... by Dave Bitzer and Norman Hancock.
 
Updated and expanded checklists and reference information accessible through the kneeboard.

Three pop-up panels:

	... Engine Start Panel which unobtrusively lays over the main overhead panel.
	... Digital Overlay for those who wish the help of digital readouts.
	... GPS.
	 
You will discover many more features as you fly the DC-3 Airways DC-4.
 

INSTALLATION
============

Filename ... dca_dc4_fs9_v03.zip

1) Close Flight Simulator.

2) Extract the contents of this zip file to a temporary directory. You will find two files:


a. This Readme file.

b. dc4_dca_fs9_v03.exe ... this is the self-executing aircraft file. 

We have included John Achor's Transition Flight package and documentation files in the self-extracting file which will install it in the DCA DC-4 Aircraft Folder. Never again need you wonder where you left the documents and FSN files. In that same location you will also find Norman Hancock's Readme file for the Engine Control Unit (ECU).

3) Double-click on the filename:

	dc4_dca_fs9_v03.exe

The file will begin to self-extract but will stop part way through to allow you to specify where you want to install the aircraft files. If you installed FS2004 in its default location, simply click the "Unzip" button to continue. Wait a few seconds to finish up. And that's it, you're done!

Those who installed FS2004 in an alternate location must browse to that location and then continue the aircraft installation from that point.

If any of the above causes a problem, please post your questions on our Forum.


AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT NOTES
=========================

1) Where do I find my DC-4 in the Flight Simulator Aircraft Listing?

 ... It will appear under:

Manufacturer ... Douglas
Model ... DC-4
Variation ... DCA

2) Where do I find my DC-4 Folder on my Hard Drive?

 ... Here is the default installation path to the fs9 DCA DC-4 Aircraft Folder:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9\Aircraft\DC4_DCA

3) Note that you will find all the needed documentation for this aircraft, transition flight details, and the Readme file for the ECU in the main DC4_DCA Aircraft folder.


FLIGHT NOTES


1) Before you can submit standard DC-4 PIREPS you must satisfy three requirements:

a) Have attained the DCA Rank of Captain.

b) Have completed the three mandatory Transition Flights authored by John Achor ... On completion of those Transition Flights you will receive 32 hours credit of flight time.

c) The DC-4 is a long-range aircraft. Flights flown for credit must be at least 150 NM in distance. It is the pilot's responsibility to determine that runways at the departure and arrival airports are suitable for a DC-4.

2) The DC-4 weighs nearly three times as much as the DC-3. Thus its power settings and flight characteristics will differ substantially from the DC-3. 

Checklists and Reference information available through the kneeboard plus John Achor's technical documentation provides all of the information needed to fly the DC-4 well. Find all of the documentation in the main DC4_DCA Folder.

3) FLAPS

The DC-4 reaction during the raising and lowering of its flaps is likely to surprise you. You must manually control the aircraft's altitude during Flap movement. If you don't:  

The aircraft may balloon upwards by 100 ft or more on lowering flaps.

The aircraft may sink 100 ft or more when raising the flaps.

This can occur even when your altitude is controlled by autopilot.

4) TAKEOFF

Takeoff Flap setting is 15deg, two notches of flaps.

You must set the pitch trim to the indicated Takeoff (TO) reference point. If you fail to do that you will discover that you are racing down the runway in an aircraft that only very reluctantly wants to lift off. 

5) RAISING THE FLAPS AFTER TAKEOFF.

After establishing a positive rate of climb and raising the Gear raise your Flaps to the 10deg. position, a one notch click. Apply some nose-up trim to offset the sinking of the aircraft due to raising the flaps.

When the climb rate is again stable, fully raise the flaps. Again, be prepared to set in some more nose trim to compensate for another sinking reaction.

Keep one eye solidly on the ASI and maintain the recommended climb speed.

6) Flying the Glideslope.

Even though your DC-4 is coupled to the glideslope by autopilot, you must manually compensate for the ballooning when lowering flaps in order to stay on the glideslope. Just add forward yoke pressure to stay on the glideslope whenever you lower flaps.

7) Approach speeds and over the fence speeds. 

These speeds optimally depend on your landing weight. Check the kneeboard or John Achor's Tech documents for the required numbers.

Rigidly adhere to the recommended approach speeds. If your airspeed gets too high you may find yourself floating, and floating, and floating down the runway before the wheels touchdown. That is when you will gain a more fuller understanding of the old Aviation adage that "There is nothing more useless than the runway behind you." 

Likewise, if you allow your airspeed to fall too low you face the very dangerous prospect of stalling with insufficient altitude to recover.

8) Trim controls.

The Pitch Trim is to the left of the ECU. The Aileron Trim is on the front of the ECU. The rudder trim, a massive wheel, is right where it belongs, below the compass and above the instrument panel.

9) MSFS Automixture

You must disable your Flight Simulator Automixture feature for the Automixture controls to work properly. In FS2004, go to Alt-Aircraft-Realism and UNCHECK the box labeled "Enable Automixture."

10) Default to Digital Overlay

Here is the procedure if you want the digital overlay to default to the on condition. Using Notepad, open your DC-4 panel.cfg file, and scroll down to:

[Window02] then change

visible=0 to 

visible=1 and save the Panel.cfg file.

11) Open and Close the Passenger door by pressing the "Shift-E" key combination.

12) Marker Beacon Sound.

Turn the Marker Beacon Sound on and off with a small switch at the lower right corner of the DME. Note that this switch turns green in the sound-on position. Also note, that this switch IS NOT EFFECTIVE unless you first turn on the DME!

CREDITS
=======

Thanks for the very high-quality work and dedication to this project by the DC-3 Airways design team:

Dave Bitzer, DC3-910, for new and modified XML gauge code, for extensive help on the documentation, and for modifications to the aircraft.cfg and air files.

Norman Hancock, Sr.VP, for new and modified gauge bitmaps and for gauge coding.

Ian Richardson, DC3-999, for the FS2002 and FS2004 repaints in DCA colors. Ian also created a new rotating prop bitmap and removed the clutter appended to this aircraft when parked with engines off, such as wheel chocks and pitot tube covers. That clutter would reappear in flight when engine #1 was shut down.

John Achor, Tech VP, author of the Transition Flights and of the Tech Manual. John had the opportunity of starting his work before receiving his DC-4 manual. That's where his experience of 4000 hours of flight time came to fore.

Huge thanks also to the following:

Fleet VP Mark Beaumont for pointing us to the FS-Design Berlin DC-4.

FS-Design Berlin for the basic fs9 DC-4. This was Update 5, filename dc45twa.zip. Base design and textures were by Arik Hohmeyer, FSDS2 rework and Update 5 by Chris Grabow, revised flight dynamics by Guenter Kirschstein, some effects added by Wolfram Beckert, and the TWA livery painting by Dale DeLuca. http://www.fsdesign-berlin.da.ru, fsberlin@gmx.net

Tom Gibson for permission to use gauges from their DC-4 panel in dc4wal.zip. All Propliner fans should visit Tom's "California Classics" website on a regular basis. tgibson@sunstroke.sdsu.edu, http://www.calclassic.com/panels.htm

Jens B. Kristensen for permission to use his DC-4 Panel bitmap, tg_pn_up.zip, on AVSIM.com. DCA modified it to meet our requirements. Jens' work was based on the earlier design of Cesar Carrasco. Jens.B.Kristensen@mail.tele.dk

Ike Slack, DC3-671, for his digital readouts and DC-4 Timer.

Hansjoerg Naegele of FSDZigns for permission to use the Radios and AP from their Connie L049. Hansjoerg also kindly placed all of these radios in a single CAB file for us.
hnfsr@gmx.de

Milton Shupe for permission to use the smoke and flames effects that he authored for the FSDzigns Connie L049. jomas@leaco.net

Bill Lyons of Custom Classics for permission to use smoke effects from his payware Stinson aircraft, although we later decided in favor of the Connie L049 smoke effects.
http://www.windrfters.com

Special thanks also to: 

Reinhard Herrmann and Tom Gibson for their soundset, filename propsound.zip.
http://www.calclassic.com/sound.htm

Bob Betts, DCA Sr. VP, for flight testing some pretty rough early prototypes and catching more than a few items needing attention.


LEGAL STUFF
===========

This is a freeware Aircraft and Panel. Please note that some gauges, bitmaps, sound files, and technical documentation are copyrighted by their authors, which must be respected.

No part of this package, under any circumstances, can be bundled in commercial products of any kind or included in any package that is charged for or sold. 

This aircraft must not be posted to any public archive, such as AVSIM.com or FlightSim.com.

Enjoy this freeeware aircraft at your own risk. Neither DC-3 Airways, its management staff, nor its member-pilots can be held at risk for any problems imagined to be caused by this aircraft.


Charles Wood
DC3-001
April 2005
            









 

                                           











 

 



