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=============== Series: LOST AND FOUND: historic propliner ==============
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DOUGLAS EC-54D Skymaster
Registration: N82, s/n 10670, (ex USAF AC-54D 42-72565)
Federal Aviation Agency (1959-1967)
(file: dc4faa22.gif)
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:
FAA DOUGLAS EC-54D Skymaster, Reg.Id. N82, s/n10670, ex USAF AC-54D 42-72565
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In 1958 Congress passed the Federal Aviation Act to overcome differences between the CAA and the military over aviation matters. This legislation created a new independent agency, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). The FAA was separated from the Department of Commerce, and assigned the final jurisdiction over civil and military aviation as they participated in the national airspace system.
The new FAA faced many problems with the expanding airspace system, but quickly established itself as a technically-proficient, competent authority on aviation matters. In 1959, the U.S. Army and Navy transferred their flight inspection programs to the FAA. The U.S. Air Force, under the prodding of a 1962 Presidential executive order, developed a new sense of cooperation with the FAA and, with "Operation Friendship," transferred much of its own flight inspection capability to the FAA. This transfer included its fleet of Douglas AC-54s, Douglas AC-47s, and Convair AT-29s for the FAA to perform routine Air Force flight inspection.
The Douglas EC-54D shown here was build in 1944 with the production number 10670 as C-54D and was one of a series of 350 aircrafts [42-72440/72764, 43-17199/17253] with engines P&W R-2000-11, of which 86 aircrafts were designated to the U.S. Navy as R5D-5. It got the USAAF tail-number 42-72565 and later in the fifties it was modified for MATS Air Force Communications Service AFCS as AC-54D for military flight inspection. Because of the 1958 Federal Aviation Act from 1958 it was transferred from U.S. Airforce to FAA in 1962 and redesignated as EC-54D. This EC-54D was one of the last two Douglas Skymasters phased out in 1969. It was sold to an unknown owner and new registered under N8220. Unfortunately more whereabouts are unknown.
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/
The History Of Flight Inspection in the United States
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Flight inspection has long been a vital part of providing a safe airspace system. The concept is almost as old as the airway system itself. Flight inspection in the U.S. began in function, if not yet in form, with the development of an airway system in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The first U.S. flight inspectors flew surplus open-cockpit biplanes, watching over a steadily growing airway system predicated on airway light beacons to provide navigational guidance. The advent of radio navigation brought an increased importance to the flight inspector, as his was the only platform that could evaluate the radio transmitters from where they were used: in the air. With the development of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and the Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR), flight inspection became the essential element in guaranteeing the safety of the system. Flight inspection developed through various government agencies charged with air safety: the Aeronautics Branch, Bureau of Air Commerce, the Civil Aeronautics Agency, and lastely, the current FAA.
Today, FAA flight inspection routinely inspects thousands of navaids and instrument procedures, including ILS, MLS, VOR, DME, TACAN, GPS, NDB, various radars, and airport lighting. Continued advancements in avionics with Flight Management Systems (FMS) combined with GPS positioning and other, new high-tech possibilities for aerospace navigational and landing aids suggest an increasing role for flight inspection in the future. Despite the relentless march of technology, there remains the same need for an airborne evaluation of aviation navigation aids and procedures as was established by the original air mail pilots over seventy-five years ago.
In the mid-1990s, the FAA flight inspection fleet was supplemented by the purchase of a number of new Lear 60s and Challenger 601s, bringing the total FAA flight inspection fleet today to seven Beech 65-C-90/F90, one Beech 200, eighteen Beech BE-300Fs, six British Aerospace BAe-125-800s, six Bombardier Lear 60s, and three Bombardier Challenger 601s, each equipped with an updated AFIS system utilizing GPS-positioning. Also 2 Convair CV-580 and one Boeing 727-25C, presently the biggest bird of the FAA, belongs to the actuall fleet. Additionally, a number of Beechcraft Barons are being employed for regional engineering test programs for new navaid installations with portable flight inspection packages installed as required.
FAA timetable
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1926-1933 Aeronautics Branch
-of the Department of Commerce
1933-1938 Bureau of Air Commerce
-also under the Department of Commerce
1938-1940 Civil Aeronautics Authority
1940-1958 Civil Aeronautics Administration
-under the Department of Commerce
1959-1967 Federal Aviation Agency
1967 through today Federal Aviation Administration (current FAA)
-under the Department of Transportation
For further information look at:
FAA history and Resources
http://www.faa.gov/apa/history/history.htm
The History of Flight Inspection in the United States of America
by Scott Thompson Sacramento Flight Inspection Office
http://avnwww.jccbi.gov/icasc/fh(united_states).html
