Is it just me, or does the C-46 Commando

[OBIO]

fuselage look a lot like a Morey Eel? I fired up the C-46 by Libardo Guzman García (C46GA.zip on Flightsim.com, along with C46GAfix.zip). And the very first thing I thought, after thinking how incredibly well done the modeling was) was the fact that the plane looked like a freaking Morey Eel. I have been toying with the idea of painting a P-40 up like a Great White Shark (Dark Grey upper surfaces, whitish lower sufaces, big black eye and some HUGE teeth), so it would only seen natural to do up a C-46 Morey Eel to go with it.

OBIO

[ckissling]

Don't forget the music from "JAWS" on the CD player. How good is the
panel in that C-46, close to real or not?
ckissling

[OBIO]

How close to real is the panel....I honestly have no idea. I have never seen a real C-46 panel, have never seen a real aircraft panel. I can tell you that the panel looks a lot better than the door of the last gas station bathroom I visited, but can not give you any degree of certainty beyond that.

The panel, and the VC, are quite nice. As is the rest of the package, though I did use Lawdog's F8F sound pack to better reflect the Pratt and Whitney R-2800.

OBIO

[Willy]

The panel in the C-46 was done from pics of several C-46 cockpits from WWII era to modern which remarkably none were alike. So it's kind of a mixture of them all. Also the guy that did it, it was his first attempt at a panel so go easy on him.

[OBIO]

Willy

I have nothing bad to say about the C-46...nothing! The plane is stellar! Panel, VC, exterior modeling, animations. Superb craftsmanship end to end. And knowing that this was the guy's FIRST plane...boggles my mind more than a bit.

At some point I am going to paint the Commando up like a freaking Morey Eel just for the fun of it.

OBIO

[PeteHam]

I prefer a more modern cockpit ... like this panel from a Buffalo Airways C-46 Commando C-FAVO

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Buffalo-Airways/Curtiss-C-46D-Commando/0264575/L/&tbl=&photo_nr=12&sok=&sort=&prev_id=0272692&next_id=0187093

Pete.

[Willy]

Actually it was a joint effort between several people. Libar Guzman did the basic 3d model and offered it up to the folks over at California Classics to finish up. One guy finished up the model, another did the flight model, the panel by another, etc. It was a fun project to be involved in.

http://www.calclassic.com/commando.htm

[Alain_F355]

I use the soundset from the Dave Eckert Marauder. I tried the Lawdog sounds but they were to loud for my taste. The model is great, the layout of the VC is good, it gives a good impression of depth and the modelled co-pilot is a nice touch. The only thing I do not like is how unsharp the VC gauges are. It is hard to read some of them, like the heading indicator.

[ckissling]

C-46 panel of China Doll. ckissling

[alexdan]

Really nicely done. Of course its the civil FAA version. No supercharger and 3 bladed Hamilton Std props. Suits the majority.

I prefer the WWII period and redid an authentic C-46A panel for that. 2D only. I mainly still use Lucariny's old .mdl for WWII as I need the Curtiss props.
Still trying to figure out how to properly calibrate the Supercharger in FSX.

I also did a Civil panel for my Everts Alaskan work for the Calclassic version. Neither one is really finished. No project ever is...

The C150 type prop animation in FS is a pain though - completely at odds with starting a R-2800 or better. I like to count blades :kilroy:.

I was hoping A2A with Accusim would bite but thats a faint hope.
Younger interests get the nod, understandably.

Still

Just my two-bits.

Alex

[fliger747]

I see Cliff Everts once in a while.... And see the C-46 flying around with frequency. A really nice paint job I think!

All R 2800's have Superchatrging, what may not be operative is the auxilliary stage, which allows you to shift to low and high blower in a two speed setup. The primary stage (at the start of this is where the fuel is injected) would give up to about 60" at Seal Level and maintain Takeoff power to perhaps 5000' or so. Without water injection something like 54" or so would be max for takeoff. For a plane flown only to 10,000' or so, abandonment of the auxilliary stages would save maintainance and weight.

Cheers: T.

[fliger747]

Yes, the dance used to start the R-2800 would be fun in FS! The A-26 (SOH) at least modeled the inertial type of starter thanks to some various gauge and panel work by Real Old Salt and Doug Dawson.

[alexdan]

Just Flight did a DVD on the C-46 - Everts, Buffalo and Bolivian Operators. Good stuff. Their Everts DC-6 one is a gem also.
The military continued to use the Commando quite a while after WWII, certainly in Korea and later. The 2800-51 was the commonest I think, and did not have ADI. I finally got Graham White's R2800 book. Pricey but worth it.
Both Props and animation are built in the mdl file?

Best

Alex

[Willy]

The FAA required that C-46s used for civil use in the US have the superchargers disconnected as part of the mods to get the aircraft legal in the US. When FS Aviator did the flight model he set the critical alt to 0 to reflect this. If you want the superchargers working, the fix is to set the critical altitude to 7000. This is for FS9 and I'm not sure if it would still be valid for FSX.

[Drzook]

Who's P-40 you going to use? That would look AWESOME! :jump:
Come to think of it I would think that coloration is not too far off from most modern fighters' paintjobs--dark grey up top and whitish undersides.

[OBIO]

Drzook

Been thinking about doing it on Bruce Thorsen's B/C model as it has the best shape of any P-40 variant in my book. Just need to find the plane for FS9...I have it for CFS2, but have not even looked for it for FS9...and such an oversight that is.

OBIO

[TARPSBird]

Obio,
That C-46 is a nice aircraft. I'm surprised how well it flies in FS9 on my old system. :)

[Drzook]

Drzook

Been thinking about doing it on Bruce Thorsen's B/C model as it has the best shape of any P-40 variant in my book. Just need to find the plane for FS9...I have it for CFS2, but have not even looked for it for FS9...and such an oversight that is.

OBIO
That would look nice. :friday:Thorson's P-40 is not too hard to find over at flightsim.com:
FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 Warbirds FS2004 Curtiss Hawk 81
[ Download (http://www.flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=93449) | View (http://www.flightsim.com/zview.php?cm=list&fid=93449) ]
Name: hawk81b.zip (http://www.flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=93449) Size: 20,571,844 Date: 09-30-2005 Downloads: 4,469
http://www.flightsim.com/k/hawk81b.gif FS2004 Curtiss Hawk 81 (P-40/Tomahawk) pursuit aircraft. Complete aircraft package with custom gauges and detail virtual cockpit and custom effects. Fully animated including droppable external fuel tank. Shareware $5.00 U.S. By Bruce Thorson.

[f4fixer]

How close to real is the panel....I honestly have no idea. I have never seen a real C-46 panel, have never seen a real aircraft panel. I can tell you that the panel looks a lot better than the door of the last gas station bathroom I visited, but can not give you any degree of certainty beyond that.

The panel, and the VC, are quite nice. As is the rest of the package, though I did use Lawdog's F8F sound pack to better reflect the Pratt and Whitney R-2800.

OBIO

Hey Fellow Buckeye

May I suggest you take a day trip to Wright Patt USAF Museum in Dayton. Plenty of aircraft to tour. well worth the price of admission(free). Also a trip to the Neil Armstrong museum in Wapak. (not free). that place will be closing on June 1st due to the current budget crunch in Ohio.


don