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=============== Series: LOST AND FOUND: historic propliner ==============
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Douglas C-54G Skymaster
Registration: NASA 232, ex USAF 45-637, ex NAVY BuNo. 36090
All-new plane by Harry Follas based on DC-6b by Harry Follas and Tom Gibson
Original textures by Tom Gibson
Bare metal textures by Harry Follas, repainted by Hans Hermann
Flight Model by Brian Horsey
Repainted and night light textures added by Hans U. Hermann (Germany)
E-mail: virtual.birds@gmx.de
This plane features textured props, animated passenger door and
airstairs, and steerable nose gear. It is complete with moving landing gear, flaps, ailerons, elevators, and rudder. It also features night light textures with switchable landig lights and realistic engine start.
Installation in FS2002:
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Copy the extracted folder to the \FS2002\aircraft directory using WinZip or similar program making sure the paths option is turned on.
If you are using WinNT/2000/XP, you may have to "repair" the MDL file before you can use it (you'll get an error when you try to load them into FS). The file is mdrepair.zip at SurClaro.
Panel:
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I recommend Tom Gibson's DC-6 IFR 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.
Sound:
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Sounds can be downloaded from SurClaro or the Classic Airliner Page: http://members.aol.com/TGFltsim/sounds.htm.
OPENING DOOR
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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. The latest DC-6 panel (v5 or later) from Tom Gibson will do this automatically.
STEERABLE NOSE GEAR
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The nose gear will rotate if you move your yoke or joystick (assuming you
have autocoordination ON).
REALISTIC ENGINE START
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To start the engines realistically and individually, do this:
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.
Copyright:
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These data in no matter what shape are for private use only and therefore must not be sold either as single items or as parts of an FS-collection. All elements put togehter are Freeware!
Note:
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Naturally, nobody can guarantee that these data will function properly and that no problems will occur along with installation and usage. We ourselves have no problems at all running this aircraft on our system.
Our FS-models are certified as authentic-VIRTUAL-aircrafts when their originals are or were present in the real Aviation's world rectified by photographs or other documents. The main evidence is the registration number of the aircraft. In case we have expressive pictured documents, comparisons of the originals and the FS-models are made with regard to equalness and differences.
In case an FS-model differs significantly from the original, it will not gain a certificate.
In case precise data about the flights of this certificated plane's original are available, those are provided thereafter:
Douglas C-54G Skymaster, Reg. NASA 232, ex USAF 45-637, ex NAVY BuNo. 36090
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Was acquired by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) May 5, 1960 from NASA Langley Research Center, used until April 21, 1969 for support of the Mercury Program. Became NASA 432 at end of 1965, when NASA Headquarters were endorsing a 3-digit Center Code to each Center (GSFC elected to use the 400 series), got civil registration N432NA in 1969, when FAA finally put all NASA aircraft on civil register. Was a designated Program Support aircraft, equipped with a telemetry receiving system, along with airborne photographic capabilities, used as a Mercury Spacecraft Simulator to checkout ground tracking station equipment and train personnel. Transferred to the Wallops Flight Center, Wallops Island, Virginia.
NASA's DOUGLAS C-54 Skymasters
MSN Military Military Civil From To Registration Sequence
Serial Remarks
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18337 C-54B-5-DO 43-17137 DC-4A 02/1960 02/1962 N88937
never assigned a
NASA number, Mercury
Spacecraft Simulator
C-54G 45-637 DC-4A 05/1960 04/1969 NASA 232, NASA 432,
BN 36090 NA432NA, from Langley
Research Center, to
Wallops Flight Center
C-54G 45-529A 06/1960 09/1963 NASA 231
from Langley Research
Center,similar to NASA
232
C-54A-10-DC 42-72239 01/1962 02/1965 N67566
C-54G 45-578. 07/1962 04/1969 NASA 238, NASA 438,
N438NA. To Wallops
Flight Center
C-54G 45-556 09/1964 NASA 27, NASA 427
eventually to Wallops
Flight Center
The Douglas DC-4 was developed under the darkening clouds of World War 2,
and upon USA's entry into the war all DC-4s then on the production line
were requisitioned for the US military. The result was that the 1st DC-4
off the production line flew in 1942 wearing olive drab camoflage as the
C-54 Skymaster.The C-54 admirably fitted into the USAAF's long range
transport role and 1162 were built through the war years.
Post war many surplus C-54s were available for airliner conversion. The type
initially formed the mainstay of most long haul passenger carriers. An additional
78 additional DC-4s were produced by Douglas to new orders. Eventually the
type was replaced by faster, pressurised DC-6s and Constellations. DC-4s
eventually filtered down to third level operators and freight operators.
Canadair DC-4M was a Canadian Licence manufactured version of the DC-4.
The DC-4Ms (C-4s) incorporated duty free British made Rolls Royce Merlin
V12 engines along with DC-6 pressurisation and landing gears. A total of
75 were built for TCA, CP Air, BOAC and the RCAF. None exist in service today.
NOTE: Many other classic airliners can be downloaded free from Tom Gibson's Classic Airliner WEB site at - http://members.aol.com/TGFltsim/
NASA History in Brief
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Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA technology also has been adapted for many non-aerospace uses by the private sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. Perhaps more importantly, exploration of space has taught us to view the Earth, ourselves, and the universe in a new way. While the tremendous technical and scientific accomplishments of NASA demonstrate vividly that humans can achieve previously inconceivable feats, we also are humbled by the realization that Earth is just a tiny "blue marble" in the cosmos.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), located in a Maryland suburb outside of Washington, DC, is home to the Nation's largest organization of combined scientists and engineers dedicated to learning and sharing their knowledge of the Earth, solar system, and Universe. THE MISSION of the Goddard Space Flight Center is to expand knowledge of the Earth and its environment, the solar system and the universe through observations from space. To assure that our nation maintains leadership in this endeavor, we are committed to excellence in scientific investigation, in the development and operation of space systems and in the advancement of essential technologies.
It is named after the father of modern rocket propulsion is the American, Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard. Along with Konstantin Eduordovich Tsiolkovsky of Russia and Hermann Oberth of Germany, Goddard envisioned the exploration of space. A physicist of great insight, Goddard also had an unique genius for invention.
PROJECT MERCURY
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Initiated in 1958, completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific:
- To orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth;
- - To investigate man's ability to function in space;
- - To recover both man and spacecraft safely.
The United States' first manned space flight project was successfully accomplished in a 4 2/3 year period of dynamic activity which saw more than 2,000,000 people from many major government agencies and much of the aerospace industry combine their skills, initiative, and experience into a national effort. In this period, six manned space flights were accomplished as part of a 25-flight program. These manned space flights were accomplished with complete pilot safety and without change to the basic Mercury concepts. It was shown that man can function ably as a pilot-engineer-experimenter without undesirable reactions or deteriorations of normal body functions for periods up to 34 hours of weightless flight. Directing this large and fast moving project required the development of a management structure and operating mode that satisfied the requirement to mold the many different entities into a workable structure.
For a more detailed history have a look at:
http://www.nasa.gov/
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/mercury.html
