It's amazing how easily the DC-3 can "get away from you" on final and rollout, considering how slow it is...
Rule #1: if you are above 90 KIAS on final, you will very likely overshoot. It won't nose over if you jam on the brakes (as the real one might, depending on the load); it will just keep rolling.
It's a very honest airplane: if you are slowed just right, she'll settle down perfectly. But if you are too hot, you will be tempted to force it on, and you will be punished for that as she bounces and decides to float and drift with a great reluctance to be steered in a nearly-stalled condition. Touch down at no more than 70 KIAS!!!
If you're still learning to fly that one, try going into Aircraft>Fuel and Payload and lightening it up a little; makes learning to stop it a little easier. And yes, saving a practice approach is a great idea...
It will also give you very good STOL landing performance (for a plane that size) at any weight, as long as you religiously stick with the correct speeds and prop/throttle settings. I have landed the default DC3 at Courchevel... with a full load. It was built for taking off and landing just about anywhere.
On approach:
1st notch of flaps: 140KIAS (real DC3 pilots claim it's OK to crack them at much higher speeds, so consider that first 10 degrees to be an air brake)
Gear: 125 KIAS. Get it down early, then add a little power to maintain 120KIAS at the most... this is when you start trying to fly it as slow as possible. Another notch of flaps will help.
Props should be not quite at full pitch (about 2000 rpm), but you may need more if you're having trouble holding TPA.
Final: 90 KIAS max, less for short-field...but you MUST try to start slowing to at least 70 as you descend. If you touch down at 90 knots you will bounce and float, etc.
I have found that at gross (and more!) and full flaps, it won't stall above 50 KIAS, but stay above 60 for better control. 75 KIAS over the fence; land on the mains at 55-70. This plane is not a happy 3-pointer; land flat on the mains and just wait, holding neutral elevator.
Tailwheel should be locked (it's under the throttle quadrant), cowl flaps still closed from cruise, and as you pull power over the threshold, props to full pitch (they won't reverse and you don't need to modify them so they do- the DC3 is a pussycat after a little practice).
Ctrl+Enter will push your seat
back, not up. You need to move "eyepoint" up to see over the nose on rollout and taxiing... whatver button or key you assign (I use the second hat on my X45 stick for eyepoint moving- up/down, left/right).
To control yaw on rollout with the tailwheel locked, hold full rudder and tap brakes; you should see "Differential Brakes" displayed... wit until the airspeed drops below 40 KIAS though; or the rudder could give you too much yaw. Even after you unlock the tailwheel to exit the runway, the DC3 needs diff. braking and diff. power ("E" then 1 or 2 allows you to control only one engine at a time; "E", then 1 and 2 gets them back in sync) for steering.
the tailwheel is free-castering; it will not respond to rudder input.
Again, this is easy after a little practice. Cowl flaps open, props full pitch, short bursts of power.
There is a nice patch that greatly improves handling of the default DC3, but I highly recommend paying a little for the MAAM-Sim package; it's much, much better.
by siemerh » Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:58 pm 
Seems pilot in those times have a good skills, I have try that swordfish and the plane EAT all the runway..LOL ending out of the airport ;D tough plane 
Thats why Jakemaster like it soo much, Its a chalenge ,The rudder pedals won't work either as the extra 300 ::)
