Modifications and Textures by Jan Visser from the original design by John Kelley

Flight Dynamics modified by Bill Rambow from the Richard Potts FD,

with additional mods by Roy Chaffin and Ian Ropper

Manual by Bill Rambow

INTRODUCTION

When I finally finished and uploaded my freeware Dual Panel for the DC-3 / R4D / C-47, I intended that my next project would be a repaint of an existing DC-3.  I wanted to duplicate the plane from which I had modeled the panel, the award winning restored 1944 U.S. Navy R4D-6 #50819, flagship of the Mid Atlantic Air Museum of Reading, Pennsylvania.   I'm no aircraft designer, but considered myself a pretty fair plane painter, and I began looking for a suitable Dakota.  Unfortunately, all the so-called C-47's or R4D's I could find were missing one distinctive structural feature which immediately sets them apart from their civilian sisters--the astrodome.  This plexiglas dome atop the fuselage, just aft of the cockpit, was used by the navigator to make star and sun shots with a sextant.  From it, gliders under tow could be observed, and there was a signal light in the dome which told glider pilots when to release the tow line.  As you may have noticed, if you've already tried the panel, I'm a stickler for authenticity, so I began talking to designers about producing new DC-3 models, or modifying an existing one with an astrodome, which I could then paint as #819. 

Then, out of the blue, I received a wonderful e-mail from Jan Visser  who had some very kind things to say about the panel.   I knew Jan's reputation as a top aircraft designer and painter, and a member of the renowned VIP Design Group headed by Kenneth Kerr.  In fact, Jan's KLM bare metal DC-3, produced in early 1997, has long been my favorite "Gooney Bird".  But what Jan said next was a big surprise!

"As it just so happens, I also did the textures for the exact machine you're referring to in the (great!) manual, R4D-6 #50819.  It seems only proper to me to send you this particular machine in the hope you haven't already got an example of it, either freeware or from the VIP Classic Wings CD."

After my initial surprise, the next emotion I experienced was a twinge of disappointment, strange as that may sound.  I had been looking forward to painting the plane myself.   When I loaded the plane, though, all that went out the window.  I was enchanted.  Jan had caught the spirit of #819, even though he'd painted her from one small photo and had not been privileged to see her intimately, as I have.  As I've mentioned, Jan is a master--I think the master of bare metal FS aircraft painters.  Since I couldn't hope to improve on his art, I decided to ask him to work with me. 

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I wrote Jan and presented my request:   Would he be willing to modify the plane to suit my desires?  The plane needed an astrodome, and I wanted the unusual RDF ring antenna under the nose which distinguishes #819 from most of her sister Dakotas.  Then, since the photo from which Jan had worked was a starboard side shot, he'd assumed the normal C-47 type large cargo door should be fitted.  She may have once had one, as some of the panel lines suggest, or perhaps because she was an Admiral's transport, only the normal fold down civilian-type door with built-in steps was installed.  In either case, as with the panel, I wanted to portray the plane as she exists right now.  Jan had already modified John Kelly's original design with Pratt & Whitney engines, so that was one major detail taken care of.  Most other MSFS DC-3's are equipped with Wright Cyclones.  Beyond these changes, anything else Jan could do would be gravy.

Jan was more than willing to take on the project, but there was a problem.  He had granted the rights to this plane to VIP, in gratitude to Kenneth Kerr who had produced the very first DC-3 panel, back in the days of FS-5.  Would Ken allow us the Freeware rights to the plane?  It took some time to get in contact with Ken, and I was on pins and needles until we finally did.  It turned out he was moving to a new town at the time, but our patience was rewarded.   Ken graciously acceded to our request. VIP, Visually Incredible Panels,  has long been a first class operation, and Ken has proven again that he is a classy guy.   My heartfelt thanks to him. 

Jan,  meanwhile, was already immersed in the project.  He had purchased Abacus AF99, which would allow him to exceed the dreaded parts number limitation of Flight Shop, and the same company's Aircraft Animator program, which would allow him to animate moving parts.  I sent him all my exterior digital photos, taken at MAAM and Andrews AFB, and made plans to go back to Reading to shoot more.  Jan set to work and in short order shipped off a test ship.  He was experimenting with a new texture which would reproduce the dulled down metallic look of 819 as she looks in real life.  The original VIP version was a bit too shiny.  He succeeded admirably (perhaps in this case that should be Admiral-ably ;-) as you'll see from the beautiful screen-shots Jan has created.  All of the illustrations of the new R4D in this manual are Jan's, and you will see that he is a modern "Dutch Master" of this medium, as he is with aircraft design and texturing.

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FEATURES

The original designer of this, and virtually all other DC-3's available for FS until the present time is John Kelley.   It was one of the featured aircraft in the Flight Shop collection.   A couple years ago, Jan modified that original model with Pratt & Whitney engine nacelles, oil cooler, exhaust pipes, air intake and many more minor modifications for his original VIP models.  Now, for this extensively redesigned version, using the AF99 and AA programs, Jan has produced what I believe is the finest FS DC-3, anywhere, by anyone. 

Jan's stunning screen captures illustrate some of the unique features of the aircraft.

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So, what's next for Mr. Visser?  Believe it or not, this aircraft  was intended by Jan to be only a temporary, stop-gap creation -- planned obsolescence.  From the beginning, he has been planning to start all over on a completely new, original DC-3 with twelve-point fuselage and engines.  I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait to see what else he has up his sleeve!  Stay tuned. 

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SOUND PACKAGE

Well, there isn't one--yet.  We intend to produce a sound package using actual recordings from R4D #819 for a future upgrade.  As I write this, that plane is awaiting installation of a new number one engine.  Once the new P&W is bolted on, I hope to arrange for a flight with trusty recorder in hand.  Roy has lined up a professional sound engineer to put it together.

In the meantime, I recommend you download and install dc3sndpk.zip by Mike Hambly, or one of the other Freeware packs available.  If you happen to own the VIP Classic Wings CD, Jan Visser has produced a great sound pack for the Dakota which you might want to copy into this plane.

Whatever you decide to do, get rid of the stock Cessna sounds--they just don't do the gallant old girl justice!

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FLIGHT MODEL

The flight model of the VIP R4D NATS aircraft was originally done by John Potts.  Jan Visser modified it to improve handling in the air and while taxiing.  I was delighted to find it didn't have the normal, atrocious roll and yaw characteristics of others I'd flown.  It did not tend to fall out of the sky in a turn, either.  However, I found the roll and pitch rates on the fast side, so I modified them using ADE98, by Ian Donohoe, and made a few more changes to match #819's specs and the panel's requirements.  The instruments in the panel were calibrated by Roy Chaffin, my gauge programming genius partner, to this particular flight model.  If you follow the guidelines for rpm and manifold pressure found on the panel's Power Placard, with mixture settings as directed by the checklist, you should attain correct performance and airspeeds for each phase of flight and everything should be operating in the green.  This plane and this panel were intended for each other.

I used AirEd Version 1.10 by WIlliam M. Roth to make some further modifications to the flight model to improve the handling in the air. In particular, I wanted to make the plane handle more like the heavy transport it is, and less like an overgrown Cessna.  After numerous adjustments, when I was satisfied, Roy Chaffin and Ian Ropper applied their talents to making the model perform properly with the MS Force Feedback Stick.  Roy is very pleased with the outcome, and one of these days I'll have to give that gizmo a try, myself.

So, as you can see, a number of people contributed to the process.  The result is not perfect, mainly because of limitations in the way FS98 handles tail-draggers.  Perhaps FS2000 will allow us to improve on this in the near future.

TAXIING THE R4D

Because of the aforementioned FS limitation, you will probably find taxiing the R4D (or any other FS DC-3) the most challenging aspect of its operation.  It is steerable by using the rudder (on the keyboard, if that is the only option you have) in combination with the brakes.  You will find that rudder pedals make taxiing much easier, and flying much more realistic and pleasurable.  If you don't have them, I highly recommend you get some, or a joystick that has rudder capability.

An initial RPM setting of 1500 will get you moving and turning.  You will need to pay close attention and not allow your speed to get much above 20 knots, though, or you will find steering less effective. Keep your speed within limits by periodically applying the brakes, adjusting the throttle only when absolutely necessary.  If there is no airflow over the rudder, it will not turn.

The use of differential braking can help - apply right brake (F12) for a right turn, or left brake (F11) for a left turn.  Differential throttle may also assist you in turning, keeping a minimum of 1000 RPM on the engine inside the turn and increasing RPM on the outer engine, but this is harder to manage and takes a good deal of coordination and practice.

WARNING:  This and every other DC-3 flight model I have ever tried, including payware, will refuse to turn through even a moderate crosswind while taxiing.   Try a 360 with any wind and you will see what I mean. I recommend you set a shallow ground layer of wind with 0 velocity in the weather menu if you suddenly find the plane seems to be bouncing off an invisible wall while turning.  If anyone can come up with a solution to this quirk, I invite you to join us.  A lot of Goon drivers, including me, would be forever grateful.

TAKEOFF AND CLIMB IN THE R4D

A lot of the modification work focused on takeoff performance.  The original flight model took off much too quickly and climbed way to fast.  Getting the tail to come up earlier has been a struggle which has been only partially won.  Here's the takeoff technique I recommend, adapted to this flight model from the 1944 USAAF Pilot Training Manual (c-47ptm.zip), and the power and speed placards of the actual R4D #819: 

Zero flaps (1/4 for short field operations).

Cowl Flaps to Trail, then Off.

Nose Trim Neutral - Zero On the Trim Scale.

Propellers Full Forward (Fine Pitch) For Full RPM.

Mixture Auto-Rich (Center of Knob at Auto-Rich Index Mark).

Advance the throttle evenly and steadily to 52 Inches of Manifold Pressure.  The advance should take a full five seconds.

As soon as the ASI becomes active, apply some forward yoke until the tail lifts.

Ease to neutral yoke as the nose comes through the horizon and speed increases.

Hold the plane level and accelerate.  Do not allow aircraft to fly itself off early.

At VR of 85 KIAS, rotate smoothly and firmly.

Gear up at indication of positive rate of climb on the VSI.

Hold minimum climb until 105 KIAS (VY - Speed for Best Rate of Climb).

At VY, make first power reduction to 2550 RPM, MP 41 in., Auto-Rich.

At 500' AGL, reduce to Climb Power - 2400 RPM, M.P. 351/2 In., Auto-Rich.

If this particular Dakota seems "hotter" than others you have flown, one, that's because it is.  The reason is that the engines on R4D-6 #819 are Pratt & Whitney R1830-94 Twin Wasps, developing 1350 HP each.  That's a total of 300 horses more than the run-of-the-mill Wright Cyclone or ordinary P&W powered Goon.  The speed and power placards on the panel should be consulted for operating settings and limits.

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CHECKLIST

The installed checklist (as you will know if you bothered to read the original panel manual) was derived from an actual 1944 USAAF Pilots' Training Manual.  Since the first panel release, I've scanned and uploaded the entire 96 page manual.    You can download it from a variety of FS websites under the file name c-47ptm.zip.  This checklist has been reviewed by Russ Strine at MAAM and I've made a few revisions in this version because of his input.

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INSTALLATION

1.  Using WinZip v7.0 or above, unzip wjrdc3V2.zip to a temporary directory of your choice.

2.  Unzip r4dnats14.zip into the FS98 Aircraft Folder.   The panel and checklist are  pre-installed in the aircraft.

3.  Unzip Gauges.zip into the FS98 Gauges Folder. You must have already installed the gauges from wjrdc3dp.zip (Version 1)

4.  Install a sound package of your choice (otherwise you will be hearing only the default Cessna sounds).

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"NATS", the Naval Air Transport Service, operated 586 R4D's on airline type schedules, hauling troops, supplies, mail, and casualties in and out of combat zones, as well as VIP and executive transport roles.

The following was taken from the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's fact sheet on R4D-6 #50819

The Mid Atlantic Air Museum's R4D (the Naval counterpart of the C-47) was built in Kansas City and came off the assembly line in November 1944. The R4D received USN Bureau number 50819 and was immediately assigned to the Naval Air Transport Service, Squadron VR-2, at Norfolk, VA.  819 served in the pool shared by Quonset Point, RI, and Norfolk before being outfitted as an Admiral's ship.  Records indicate the aircraft also served at Olathe, San Diego, Memphis, Barbers Point, and Lakehurst, acquiring only 7000 hours before being retired at the Navy's Litchfield Park storage facility in 1959.  In 1960, the FAA undertook acquisition of 20 R4D's for use as airways facility flight check aircraft.  In this program the FAA outfitted each aircraft in a standardized manner and assigned them to various regions of the United States to perform airway facility flight checks and to check the various beacons and instrument landing systems within the assigned areas.   Carrying registration numbers N60, N68, and later N68AH, 819 performed these duties at Boise, ID and San Francisco, among others, with its last assignment at the FAA's National Aeronautical Facilities Evaluation Center at Atlantic City, NJ.  In 1976, the aircraft was again made surplus and transferred to the USDA at Douglas, AZ for potential use in their screw worm eradication program.  819 remained idle in original FAA condition for nearly four years as the screw worm program was wrapping up in that area.

The museum acquired the R4D in November 1980 for an initial cost of $3000, although much more would need to be spent to get the airplane home, and restored.  Once home, the old paint was removed, while inside the old flight check equipment, radios, and racks, which included a three sided console and a workbench with vise, along with 600 pounds of wiring were removed.  At the same time professional sheet metal specialists went to work to remove two picture windows which had been installed in the forward fuselage and to rebuild the cockpit and forward cabin areas.  Next, the aircraft was cleaned, masked, painted by museum members, all in a ten day period.  Finally the interior was completed in the authentic style of the period including original seats.  An airline style radio package was also installed an disguised under WW II style controls.

With the R4D completed, Mid Atlantic Air Museum attended the 1982 EAA Convention at Oshkosh, where Best Transport Award was bestowed by EAA Warbirds of America.  In 1983, after two years of working restoration the R4D was chosen Grand Champion Warbird, and the Mid Atlantic Air Museum received the Lindbergh Trophy for the effort.  The Museum also received a citation from the Pennsylvania Senate and a Congratulatory letter from the Governor.  In 1991, a full ten years after its restoration, the R4D again received the Best Transport Award from the EAA at Lakeland, Florida.

Today the R4D still serves the museum well as its flagship, having attended and participated in over 175 airshows, carried more than 300 members and transported an estimated 54 tons of Museum PX articles.

www.maam.org     PLEASE JOIN MAAM AND HELP KEEP R4D-6  #50819 FLYING!

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LEGAL NOTICE

Copyright and Distribution
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This aircraft is released as Freeware. Copyright (C) Jan Visser. The included panel and checklist are copyright W.J. Rambow.  As freeware you are permitted to distribute this archive subject to the following conditions:

- The archive must be distributed without modification to the contents of the archive. Redistributing this archive with any files added, removed or modified is prohibited.

- The inclusion of any individual file from this archive in another archive without the prior permission of the author is prohibited. This means, for example, that you may not upload an archive that uses this panel or any of its gauges or include it in it's entirety in a package.

- No charge may be made for this archive or any of its contents.  It must remain Freeware..

- The work of other authors and developers included in this archive is used with their permission, under the conditions they have set forth. They are Freeware and must remain so.  Their original copyrights and conditions apply and may be read in their enclosed docs.

- The authors' rights and wishes concerning this archive must be respected.  Legal action against violators of these provisions will be pursued vigorously.

If you enjoy and appreciate this product, please let us know. We truly would appreciate hearing from users with either compliments or complaints.  We would especially like to hear your own Gooney Bird stories.

Jan Visser    Visair@compuserve.com

Bill Rambow     rambow@erols.com