Flying from Queenstown to Alexandra in New Zealand in the Douglas DC-3 in Microsoft Flight Simulator
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- čas přidán 12. 11. 2022
- A quick flight from Queenstown to Alexandra in the Douglas DC-3 "Dakota" in Microsoft Flight Simulator - going through a basic start-up checklist, trying out a different (safer) way of starting the engines, flying to Alexandra, and landing in time for tea and medals.
Here's where you can find the checklist:
ko-fi.com/jonbeckett/shop
#msfs #flightsimulator #douglas #dc3 #dakota #startup #coldanddark #flying #flight #takeoff #landing #aircraft #aeroplanes #legend #40thanniversary #simupdate11 - Hry
When I was a kid, it was my favorite in FSX. And now I enjoy this plane so much in VR. Thanks for the check list.
No problem!
Lived in Gisborne NZ as a kid, I used to watch the Fieldair DC3 coming and going on it's top dressing ops. The sight and sound of this plane will be with me till I die. Beautiful :)
I'm just thinking - I don't think I've ever seen one fly in real life.
@@jonbeckett We have one flying around down here at NZWB all the time :)
Jonathan. Great video. Thanks for sharing. I, like you are learning to flyby this beauty. One thing I have learned is to frequently check the engine temperatures pre and during flight. Also keep boost pumps on while taking off and again during landing.
I had a flight in a DC3 one year at Warbirds over Wanaka, NZWF. Beautiful fine day flying out over the lakes and even got to fly information with a Catalina.
Sounds great!
Lovely flight Thanks. I have been to Queens town several times and your departure over the lake brought back memories. Cromwell, the small town by the second lake has a wonderful winery - Mt difficulty, to be recommended to anyone who visits Queenstown. My old boss flew DC3's in the Berlin airlift, his stories were something to behold!
Very cool!
What a magnificent plane!!
Thanx Jon, you helped me a lot with this beautiful beast of a plane. Im finally able to do a cold start! :)
Great to hear!
Love this plane!!! I didn't know about the tail lock!!! Thanks !!!
It's kind of hidden, isn't it.
Great video . I thought that was a great takeoff, flight and landing. A lot to learn and practice. That’s the joy of MSFS . 👍
I didn't release the tail wheel lock in time though :)
Thanks Jon ! Great video ! What a plane ! I’d love ❤️ to do this route in a real DC-3 ! That scenery ! Wow ! 👍🙏🏻👨✈️
Glad you enjoyed it!
Such a beautiful plane!
It really is!
I really enjoyed that DC-3 trip mate and you greased the landing 👌
I didn't control the aircraft on the runway though. I've since figured out how - I'll record a video about it.
Cheers for this JB. Once I’ve had a few flights in the A310 and mastered it, will be moving onto this.
It's great fun :)
Well done Jonathan, keep it up mate.
Thankyou for your help!
DC3 is such an amazing airplane!
Agreed :)
Thanks for that Mr Beckett. A lot of pilots turn landing lights on when approaching an airfield. Up to you. :)
Yep - hands up - completely forgot :)
Thank you - very inspiring and start up tips.
On takeoff - you should select close view . Default land shows wrong attitude. With your nose up to the sky, you have a better feel for lifting tail. Nudge stick forward when airspeed alive to set correct attitude for TO run.
IMHO TW should be locked during landing and roll out. To avoid the roll out dance. Unlock when speed is low for taxi. Bind a key for TW.
Thanks for the flight!!! Excellent!
Tell you what - you fly it the way that works for you, and I'll fly it the way that seems to work for me :)
@@jonbeckett Agree - Other with problem on takeoff - Try C - close view for taildragger attitude.
And TW lock on landing. With tail high, you have rudder authority. At lower speed , the tail drops down, and no rudder authority. The locked wheel will help you track straight. -
Looking forward to next flight with Autopilot 🙂
Tailwheel lock should stay on until the end of the roll-out after touchdown to prevent ground looping.
Thank you
You're welcome
Nice flight and great landing Jonathon. Just a couple of things if you don't mind me pointing out, cowl flaps should have been closed during your cruise down, and landing lights were not switched on. So many things to remember..
Guilty on both counts :)
I love this plane. I flew it in the simulator from Auckland to Brisbane with 90% payload and 100% fuel. I wasn’t sure what cruising altitude would be appropriate for best fuel economy so I went with 16,000 feet at about 150 knots and arrived with 11% fuel remaining. I feel like 16,000 feet might be too high for an unpressurised cabin though?
Hello Jonathan!
Great video! Learned a lot. Repeated it a few times, while I wrote down the steps you took, which will become "my own" checklist
(You forgot to turn off the Pitot Tube and raise the flaps at the end, but, who's counting?? 😀They will be part of "my" checklist!)
Looking forward to your next videos on the operation of this venerable aircraft!
It's good fun, isn't it :)
I did a flight from Sydney to Auckland, bad weather, night, and only using dead reckoning navigation and the ADF. Also, has to be the old instrument cockpit.
I love radio navigation :)
Although I don't fancy this DC-3 still a video worth watching no matter the topic Spot on :)
Cheers :)
looks good Jon, seems easier than DC-6
There are two switches on the right side I believe, above the windshield, that allows you to open the passenger and baggage doors.
Yep.
Very nice redo
Thank you! Cheers!
Jon rocks !
Hah - wait until you see the mistake I made on landing :)
@@jonbeckett No mistake my friend, little high and fast, I’m not any better (yet)
As and ex-FE, that prop RPM split was sending my OCD into overdrive!
Heh - if you have any guidance about that, would love to hear.
@@jonbeckett There is a list of standard MP & RPM settings in the PDF manual in the aircraft folder...but generally you have both your props operating at the same speed during flight ;)
Lights on under 10,000 feet applies to all aircraft!Good practice to get into.
All civil and general aviation aircraft :)
@@jonbeckett Well I suppose you got me on that one 😂. I really enjoy your content! Keep it up.
Love it, great to fly, be great to get the military variant.
I'm sure the modders will get to work on it :)
@@jonbeckett hope so, I'll do a flying the hump reenactment 👍
Thanks for the startup update. Couple things: the mesh switch is just on/off, right? It only has two positions. This was throwing me off because I thought you would mesh which ever engine you were starting, but apparently you are just turning on mesh; the trouble with the mixture levers automatically moving forward is that they end up out of sync with my physical levers, so I think I'll just stick with the old method; one thing I read in the checklist is that you turn the battery on AFTER you have started the right engine and after turning off ground power; there are two sets of windows on either side - the back one gives you a direct shot to the engine.
Yes - I turned on the battery out of sequence this time. I thought it curious that the mixture levers move on their own too - so it obviously has some interesting simplifications in it's internal programming. Let's see if it gets updated over the next few months.
Thanks, would be nice to get a video on how this autopilot works.
Just did it :)
Three toggle switches bottom rightt of copilot panel operates the doors and chocs
Thankyou!
Hi Jonathan, You have mentioned a “ guide” during your presentation is this a POH / Flt Manual can you advise where the manual is located please, is it part of the aircraft update from the developer ?
It's in the aircraft folder in the packages folder.
@Jonathan Beckett Thank you for the tutorial flight. Where can I find the documentation for this plane? (Alright sorry for the bother, found it :))
Heh - yeah - it's in the installation folder.
I wondering how people are able to land and stop this plane on straight line, i approach on 90 knots and lock the tailwheel.. The plane just skid off itself when it slow down.
Thanks for showing how to hide the yoke! I couldn't find it. I'm having trouble taking off. My plane flips over. It takes me 4-5 attempts. If starting ready to fly on the runway, it shows the elevators at negative 17 trim but i still flip over! You said throttles at 90%? I'll try that. Can't wait for your navigation and autopilot video on this beautiful plane. One bug, in my favor, is the autopilot using my pulldown menu GTN 750. I'm able to set my altitude and fly up to it and it levels off and goes into altitude hold automatically. It shouldn't do that. When I fly my DC-6, I have to use it as pitch up or down and then manually switch to altitude hold at desired altitude.
I can't really comment until I've had some time to play with it myself :)
It was 'flipping' on me as well. Then I stopped pushing the yoke and let the tail come up by itself, that solved it. Worth a try perhaps.
il faut régler votre centre de gravité aux alentours de 19% et votre avion décollera bien mieux. amitiés de France !!!☺
Autopilot options in next flight... +1 !
PS - I looked for a manual - but could not find it...
Is there one - and if so where did they hide it... ?
The manual is in the packages folder. If you go into the "official" aircraft folder (not the community folder), you will find the documentation hidden in the "Resources" subfolder, I seem to remember.
Thank you for all your videos, they always give me a lot of knowledge :-)
a310 with "enhancement addon" is quite demanding for my computer, have you checked the performance of dc-3 with 4k textures?
Yes - this is using it.
@@jonbeckett Ok, thanks.
Hello and good video.,Every time when I use the classic with the autopilot does not maintain altitude and the vertical speed and needle when I want to select in the midle or cero starts to go up and down and does not maintain altitude every 2 minutes I have to keep moving the needle and ATC all the time It tells me that I'm going a few feet higher or lower and the rmp sometimes increases, for example, from 30 to 35 without me selecting it and sometimes it goes from 30 to 25, I installed the mod but it's still wrong,hope they fix because is a very cool airplane thanks!
It won't maintain altitude. That's not what the Sperry Giropilot does. It controls pitch. At a given speed, the aircraft will generate an amount of lift, which will influence pitch, which will then influence speed, which then influences the giropilot - it's a circular problem. That's why you have to keep an eye on it, and keep managing it. It's not automatic. It's NOT an autopilot.
How exactly does the center level/turn indicator work? when the orange line is inside the white oblong oval means your level flight?
I'm going to do a video about autopilot and radio navigation :)
Nice video Jonathan, I have a question , how to config. a 2 propeller on the velocityone?
(a) I don't know what a Velocity One is. (b) you can configure multiple throttles to the same joystick axis in the controller configuration of MSFS.
What about the whole thing of waiting for 15 props to turn to cycle the oil in the cylinders?
Different real-world pilots tell you different numbers of turns :) I imagine in the real world, the pilot knew the engines on his own aeroplane. In the sim - you can get away with letting the electric motors spin the blades for a few seconds.
You forgot to switch on the Inverters on these are important in the real aircraft they convert AC power to DC power for the instruments as i remember i did my apprenticeship on the DC3 many years ago.
You leave the tail wheel locked after landing until ready to taxi.
The sim needed an adjustment and in FS.2 that adjustment is available
and will make landing more realistic..
I could swear I commented that the inverters don't seem to do anything in this version of the aircraft (Aeroplane Heaven aren't known for making the highest fidelity simulated aircraft). Maybe I mentioned it in a later video.
@@jonbeckett Yes, may have missed that one. The Inverter has an auto position that isn't correct it should be on and off.
Sorry for the frequent messaging but I discovered from another reviewer that the plane's balance is off upon takeoff and when I adjusted it, I was able to take off and not flip over. There may be a problem with the enhanced version. Hopefully an update soon. You must be pretty skilled with your controllers. I use the VelocityOne and once the plane starts to flip, I can't control it.
It seems very stable to me ?! I am always mindful however of keeping it stable, and getting the speed up before maneouvering.
@@jonbeckett you’re excellent. Again, thanks for your videos. Always a fun watch and instructive.
I had a similar problem, and it disappeared when I stopped trying to get the tail up on takeoff by pushing the yoke, and in stead let it come up by itself. Might be worth a try!
do you know how or where it would be the switch to turn on the beacon light? I believe if you press L the beacon light and everything else turns on but not sure where the switch for the beacon is in the cockpit.
All the light switches are overhead.
@@jonbeckett maybe so. But I could not for the life of me find the beacon light switch. I found alt H turns it on but there is no dedicated beacon switch in the overhead.
I've been testing this on circuits trying to figure out how to keep this thing straight after landing. Out of 15 landings I've been able to keep the DC3 on the runway a whopping 3 times. Tailwheel locked or not, this plane wants nothing to do with the center line. I've watched several experienced flight simmers have the same problem, but always default to blaming them selves for making a mistake. I'm convinced there is something wrong with how this plane in particular behaves after landing.
I've figured it out - when I get a chance I'll record it.
Why doesn't my mixtures move like yours Jon, are they locked ? Could be bugs still with this aircraft. For example when I start one engine, the other one starts too :)
That sounds a bit odd...
Being new to flight Sims and loving old planes. How do I navigate with this beauty
I just did a video showing how to navigate with it - check my channel.
@@jonbeckett saw that right after I posted this,
So essentially create a flight plane using radio freq. And change stations when applicable?
I tried to steer the DC-3 yesterday. I like to opearte it with the real POH. Vr is apr. 100 knots... It is impossible be for me to stay on the ground for that long. Even if i push the yoke FULLY foward the airplane is in the air at about 70 knots.. dont know what im doing wrong here ... Powersettings are checked aswell. Maybe you have to fully fuel and load it up? Or maybe the performance of the sim is not accurat enough? How is your experience with this?
I've only flown it a few times - I should do some circuits at some point, and film it - to really test how it behaves.
It's because the default trim is incorrect. You MUST adjust nose trim (forward). Very surprised this wasnt raised in either video.
That mesh switch seems wrong, shouldn't it be mesh left and right engine with the centre position being off, same as with the energise switch?
I'm just using the switch as implemented. Perhaps the mesh works in concert with whichever flywheel has been energised ? (that's what's really going on).
@@jonbeckett That makes sense, that way you can't inadvertently get the wrong engine and have a failed start, thanks man
I've noticed that the overhead panel has no generator switches. Are they automatic in this model?
I think there are some gaps in the simulation. It may be that the alternators are integral. The interesting thing to me is there's an inverter switch - which would normally imply that the radios etc shouldn't switch on until the inverter is on - but without a proper book on the aircraft, there's no way of knowing.
Kind of jerky when you were turning around on the ground near the gate. I get a pause when landing sometimes when I touchdown. Don't know if it's a sound bug or what.
MSFS has been having nightmares for the last few days - it's almost certainly down to the world and it's dog stressing the servers.
Ever since I started simming with FSX in the 1990's and with P3d and now MSFS2020 I sometimes get that pause after touchdown. It is a curious thing but annoying.
Haven't seen 1 clean landing on YT with this. Everybody keeps tail wiggling (including myself). Anyone has some tips?
Yes - I've since figured it out (not recorded it yet though) - keep thrust over the tail.
Landed downwind :)
Crosswind, but yeah - not ideal.
The DC3 supposedly has Autopilot to some extent, I want to fly from USA to UK, but it's long, and tiring by hand, any chance of making a video outlining Autopilot? - same with A310, I am finding it hard to navigate and do Autopilot on both planes to do long flights. Any help?
If you check my channel, I've already recorded a video showing how the giropilot works.
@@jonbeckett Any chance of displaying the other DC3 autopilot? there's a more modern one in the commercial DC3s in MFS2020 - I can't set my heading right.
@@captainnathan2621 I'll try and take a look this weekend. It might be a bug - I've seen murmurings about it.
What do you think about SKYSIMULATIONS MD-11?
I think it's over-priced, and looks like it's been converted from P3D. Not great.
i presume that the start up on Xbox Series X is the same
# ...... really great video , ill try it later...
Should be - although getting to the various switches quickly without a mouse might be a challenge.
@@jonbeckett thanks Jonathan luckily i have a wireless mouse and keyboard on my Xbox X so its the same as a PC
How does your navigraph charts UI look like that?
That's the latest version of Navigraph Charts.
Is navigraph worth it
Couldn’t find the checklist doc.
bit.ly/jonbeckett-msfs-checklists
Are the turbo charger and carb heat levers functional ?
That one's up for discussion :) The turbo charger did seem to start accelerating the aircraft at high altitude - I would need to try it properly though. I didn't need carb heat in the flight conditions I've had so far, so can't tell you. I've seen somebody else have engine failure due to carb heat - so I suspect yes.
Supercharger does not work. It says it on the red sign inside cockpit. Carbheat does work.
@@liquidsnake1123 ok missed that, will check it out. Cheers
Just curious, do you stick with Bing maps, or use a mod to switch over to Google?
I've always used the stock scenery from MSFS - the Google mod is awful. Yes, the textures might be better here or there, but they are not matched, don't smoothly join up with one another, and are not colour corrected at all. Microsoft have done a TON of work on theirs, and are continuing to do so.
@@jonbeckett thanks for letting me know.
Do you have a Little Nav Map performance file ? I'd need one, pls
You can make one with one flight - just reset data collection in LNM, do a flight, then copy the data into an aircraft.
@@jonbeckett Might have to create one myself, couldn’t find one, DC-6 too different
Hi! No reductions after takeoff?
I was just fooling around with the aircraft - there were a lot of things I didn't do :)
Speed is MPH :)
I found this plane ✈ so hard to fly lol
It's not too bad once you get used to it :)
PS. I know how to get rid of the controllers. I need to restore original version, as I shouldn't have installed the Garmin GNS 430/530 !
There seems to be 2 versions with classic or retrofit in the title on the liveries choice. Retrofit has the Garmins.
@@wrongway2001 Yeah, took me a whole day to figure out that 😂 It’s like with C414AW, choice of livery will determine your navigation instruments
Is it me or has the sounds of other jets become horrible since the update?
I think it might be you.
I have done one flight in SU11 and I thought “What the hell is that noise ?” And saw there was some turbo prop next to me starting up/shutting down. Was quite a jarring sound that I hadn’t experienced before. I wonder if they have increased the AI activity in airports in the update. ?
@@stephenbull2026 possibly. 🤔 Before the update the other jets sounded like jets. The one in his video didn't even sound good. More like a screeching noise at max level which is what I have been experiencing. Like Microsoft is using an older soundset from the 2000s. Also the sound doesn't fade with distance or direction like it used to. 🤔. I guess I'll just lower the volume of other planes.
It's happened to me too when i do an exterior view of the plane. Jet noises are really loud but there are no jets next to me. The other day I was flying the Cessna 172 at 2,500. I did an exterior view and got a really load jet noise.
@@iamskypunk6797 me too! It can just start or end abruptly with or without jets in the vicinity
Hi Jonathan that’s two really poor approach and landings. Both times 10-15 knots too fast on the approach. Try a stable 80 kts with wheels on at 70 kts. Once both wheels firmly on, raise the flaps. The tail will drop and your life will get much easier. I was a real DC-3 pilot for a short while, but also flew two four engine tail draggers (Hastings and Lancaster). Here’s a snip of an Asymmetric approach from my X-Plane cheapy which should give you the idea. czcams.com/video/ggAUb1NA66A/video.html
Yes - I know they weren't ideal. That's the great thing about simulators though - we get to find out how the plane behaves without any risk :)
It feels very cramped in VR, your face is almost up against the windscreen
It's very cramped in real life. Most of the planes in the sim give a false sense of space in 2D - most planes are MUCH more cramped than they seem on the screen.
@@jonbeckett I know myself that the Cessna 152 and 172 and the Piper Cherokee range certainly are more cramped than the 2D sim gives the impression of. My head would often hit the roof of those when I used to fly
If you have ever been in a DC3/C47 cockpit you would be surprised how cramped it is, there isn't much space between the instrument panel and the bulkhead.
Practice made perfect - will you be changing your startup proceedures on google ?? - there is a P3D C47 imperf on Alex's website
I have already modified the start-up procedure to work this way around.
Nice vid
Do you have a discord link please?
If you visit virtualflight.online there is a link there :)
@@jonbeckett did u not have discord? That's the one I was after
Thank you
You're welcome