What's a C-47, What's a DC-3?

[OldAirmail]

I have the FSX Douglas C-47 Skytrain Package V2, and added the Douglas C-47 Skytrain V2 HD Textures to it.



To my way of thinking, this is now an American Airlines, passenger carrying, DC-3. Or is it really still a C-47?



BTW -this plane has had a purplish tint even on FSX.

I like the plane, and I REALLY like the cockpit. But is there a way to, easily, get rid of the tint?

I might even consider a payware, so long as it had a modern cockpit.

I tried aliasing the cockpit to another DC-3, with no luck.

I tried it with Addit! Pro For Prepar3D, but had the same problem; it didn't appear in the selection list

[Merlin0859]

Strange I went in and looked at this plane in FSX. I'm not getting the purplish tint. Could it be a graphic setting on your end? Just a thought.

[OldAirmail]

Well, it must have to do with my video card, and maybe with Prprar3d enhancing the coloration.


I have a bare bones FSX that I installed about a week ago.

When I put that aircraft in FSX there is only the slightest of tinges.

I also note that, although polished metal skins are more reflective in version 3 than they were in V2.5, the aircraft is more reflective in FSX.

This is the only aircraft to reflect pink, though, so the aircraft it's self is different in some way.



Anyone have a solution for getting another plane to display the VC from this one?

Likewise, any payware, with a modern cockpit?

[wifesaysno]

To your DC-3 vs C-47 question, one difference I believe is the C-47 had the big cargo door like this while the DC-3 just had a passenger door...however, DC-3 production was actually not that numerous or long thanks to WW2 and Douglas switching it all to C-47s (comparatively).

[Merlin0859]

This is the Manfred Jahn plane , correct? Have you tried his C-117 or Basler 67? Essentially they are the same high quality airplane. The C-117 has a slightly longer range I think. The Basler is just a turbine DC-3. I have all 3 and they're great airplanes and use the same VC. Except some turbine gauges in the Basler. The official nickname to the C-117 was the Super DC-3. It was somewhat faster as well.

[ViperPilot]

OAM,

Some other things that make your ship a C-47...

-- The Astroglobe behind the UHF Antenna wouldn't be on a DC-3.

-- The Tail Cone is missing on your Gooney; that was where the Glider Tow Cable hookup was located.

-- The Cargo Door was mentioned earlier.

Alan

[OldAirmail]

One of the original questions should be rephrased - In real life, when a C-47 was converted to a passenger aircraft was it re-designated a DC-3?

If so, is it the use that changes its' descriptor?

Did the PA announce "Eastern Air Lines, C-47, departing at gate 2 in thirty minutes"? Or were they all considered DC-3s (except to the mechanics, of course).




I'd like to collect at least some of the repaints of the DC-3/C-47 made between 1936-1950, as flown by commercial airlines such as American Airlines, , Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, etc.


As to the Basler BT-67, although not a traditional (radial) DC-3, it would be great if there were more repaints available even if they were generic (non-commercial airlines).

I can't see flying this over the Great Lakes or Las Vegas.


This is from a Feb. 2015 post.

[Flying Trucker]

Wonderful shot...

Douglas DC3...Civilian Designation
Douglas C47...American Military Designation (United States Army Air Force)
Dakota...British Commonwealth Military Designation

[Daube]

Concerning the purple tint of the metallic repaint, this could be due to a global environment addon that you had installed, or that is embedded in the archive of that plane.
To make the metallic planes more reflective, I have downloaded and installed the famous freeware archive alternate_globalenvtest.zip made by BananaBob (Rob Rivera).
These are two simple files (one for the reflection, and one for the chrome reflectivity) to drop in the main "texture" folder of the sim (FSX or P3D). And it changes the rendering of all planes that use the "standard" default envmap for their metallic reflections.

However, I have also downloaded a more recent addon of the same type, made by somebody else (sorry, I don't remember), and I quickly uninstalled it because it was producing this pink reflection that I didn't like at all. I went back to the one by BananaBob.

Also, some planes will have these files directly embedded in their \texture.*\ folders, so the sim will use that one instead of the default one. You might want to investigate about this as well.

[garymbuska]

The C-47 and the DC-3 were the true work horses of the military and you can still find quite a few of these still flying as cargo aircraft. I am not aware of any of them used as passenger planes.
I even flew in one when I was in the navy going from one base to the other it is really wired flying backwards thou.
I think both of these air craft were originally designed for use by the military as both cargo and passenger aircraft and later came in to use by a few airlines and private companies.
There used to be a fleet of them at KDAB(Daytona Beach Florida) but I am not sure if they are still there as that was several years ago.
As for the texture problem like others have stated you more than likely have something installed that has altered the textures.
Even if you were to install new textures you still may have the same problem. You need to find what it is you changed and remove or the other alternative is to uninstall and reinstall FSX and every knows that can be a pain in the behind.

[G.K.]

A piece of trivia:

As a passenger aircraft the DC-3 gets a mention in Raymond Chandlers "The Long Goodbye" as does the "Connie"

"Nobody from LA wants to ride a DC-3 over mountains when he can take a Connie and make it in seven hours to Mexico City"


The DC-3 is a favourite. I don't normally use military aircraft but the C-47 is an exception.

[ViperPilot]

One reason the DC-3 line was eventually shut down was due to so many surplus C-47's out there. The majority of them were converted to DC-3 standard.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbW265nZmMw[/youtube]

Alan

[papituwall]

Well, it must have to do with my video card, and maybe with Prprar3d enhancing the coloration.
....

Anyone have a solution for getting another plane to display the VC from this one?

Likewise, any payware, with a modern cockpit?

1-You can install this VC in the default FSX DC-3 and you'll get lots of textures for it but this is not a simple aliasing process. I have searched in the forum but I have been unable of finding a tutorial.
I have my own guide but I need to translate it into english. I you want it, I can post a translation.

2-A payware one is the Just Flight DC3 Legends of flight. It has DC3 with two Wright an P&W engines, C47 and AC47.
The panel is not modern but has an ILS and IMO not as good as Manfred's one.

http://forums.simviation.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=167532

[Flacke]

to my way of thinking, this is now an American Airlines, passenger carrying, DC-3. Or is it really still a C-47?


BTW -this plane has had a purplish tint even on FSX.

I like the plane, and I REALLY like the cockpit. But is there a way to, easily, get rid of the tint?

I might even consider a payware, so long as it had a modern cockpit.

I tried aliasing the cockpit to another DC-3, with no luck.

I tried it with Addit! Pro For Prepar3D, but had the same problem; it didn't appear in the selection list[/quote]

Hello OldAir, the purple tint may simply be coming from your Monitor settings. In order to get the "shiny aluminum" look, it may be pulling a bit too much purple tint. If you turn your tint down just a bit that may cure it.
The airplane in your photo. would be a DC-3 due to the American Airlines passenger airliner colors/logos.
Douglas designed the DC-3 in the mid 1930's as a mainline fast Trans-Continental Airliner. When the War started the US Military took control of civil-owned DC-3's and converted them to C-47 specs. [ Cargo, Model 47] for War service. After the War many of them went back to their airlines and were converted back to DC-3's even if they kept their cargo doors and Astro-Domes .
Years ago I flew some DC-3's up North as Co-Pilot. The ones I flew were DC-3's that had been converted back from C-47 specs. The DC-3 is the kind of airplane that really gets into your heart if you spend some cold, noisy, drafty nights droning along in them for hours and hours at "moderate" speeds that were considered blazing fast in 1936 days. It is a superb instrument platform as it is very solid on the controls and once its trimmed out it takes a lot to disturb it. Even turbulence doesn't do much to it and it returns to its trim quite quickly. Approachs are rock-solid and everything happens slowly so you have a lot of time to correct alt. and headings etc.
There are still some DC-3's flying Scheduled Passenger trips in the North and other places in the world. Most DC-3's and C-47's are relegated to Cargo work due to their sparse creature comforts.
By the way, I love that little Concrete Washington airstrip. I have been in there a few times in Helicopters and a D.H. Turbine-Beaver conversion. We also drive through that area sometimes just for the great scenery. The Helicopters were great for up-close-and-personal flights around Mt. Baker. I really enjoy watching the hikers and skiers. They stop and wave at the Helo and so do the boaters down on the lake. Nice spot, and close to Burlington and Mt. Vernon etc. etc.

[OldAirmail]

Thanks everyone for thoughts and tips.

In war and in peace, the DC-3, regardless of designation, or minor modification, made a significant change in out world.

Flight simulations are an exercise in unrestricted imagination. We fly what we want, where, when, and how we want.

With no slight to the military, I doubt that I could have become an Army Air Corp pilot. But I could pretend that I was an airliner pilot in a big bird like the DC-3.

The DC-3 and it's updated Basler BT-67 version are two of my favorite BIG aircraft. One for it's history, and one for taking the DC-3 just about as far as it can go.



For what it's worth, a few Wiki quotes.

According to Wiki:
"American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from Newark, N.J. and Chicago, IL. Early U.S. airlines like American, United, TWA and Eastern ordered over 400 DC-3s."

The question about the C-47 conversions relates to this Wiki line:
"Thousands of surplus C-47s, previously operated by several air forces, were converted for civilian use after the war and became the standard equipment of almost all the world's airlines, remaining in frontline service for many years."

The "Super DC-3" sounds like a super idea, but sometimes better simply isn't good enough:
"Douglas developed an improved version, the Super DC-3, with more engine power, greater cargo capacity and a different wing, but with all the bargain-priced surplus aircraft available, they did not sell well in the civil aviation market. Only five were delivered, three of them to Capital Airlines."

How good was the DC-3"
"A number of aircraft companies attempted to design a "DC-3 replacement" over the next three decades but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability and economy of the DC-3. It remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s"



Back to work

This is what I'm talking about.


No problem here at all!

BTW -Looking at the cockpit "glass" in this picture you can get at least the slightest hint of how much the glass reflections have improved in P3d V3. Of course, in the sim, the reflections are even better.


Garymbuska, having switched over to Prepar3d V3 recently, I have almost no add-ons, other than a few Orbx sceneries.

Daube, I tracked down those files. Unfortunately, it made no difference.

Papituwall, simple aliasing the cockpit sure didn't work. The info is out there on how to do it, but I'll hold off on that for a bit. DC-3 - Legends of Flight looks much better than I had though it might.


I've spent about three hours looking at options.

DC-3 - Legends of Flight is one option, learning the correct way to aliasing the cockpit is another (possibly here).

One of the things that I'm tired of seeing over and over, is the same old C-47 cockpit in most of the passenger planes.


BUT! There is something MUCH better coming down the pike - Manfred's DC-3 gets authentic VVC !

I haven't read much more than a small number of posts, but this sounds exciting!