PMDG D-6 Should I purchase?

***jmig*** · August 20th, 2021, 05:22

I am not an airliner type of guy. I figure if I can’t loop and roll it, not worth flying. Still, this airplane looks interesting. Since I never do airliners, I have never owned a PMDG product. However, their reputation for quality seems to be good.

I would want it to fly some historical routes and good old steam gauge flying. Yet, I am hesitant. I owned the A2A B-377 and could not handle being a pilot and flight engineer at the same time. I would always burn up one of the engines. I got frustrated and hangered it. I am concerned this might be another A2A B-377.

Those of you who own and fly the airplane, what are your thoughts? How easy is it to learn the systems to a degree where you can plan a route and fly the route without burning up an engine or two?

**paiken** · August 20th, 2021, 05:39

Go ahead and get it. It comes with what they are calling AFE (Automated Flight Engineer). You can easily fly this bird without burning up your engines by assigning the AFE the task of monitoring the engines. There are really helpful YouTube videos showing how everything works. works https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Z...wk2BCoBHzhuaeQ

**jetstreamsky** · August 20th, 2021, 06:43

One of the most satisfying aircraft in the sim. Old school cool to fly with AFE doing the heavy lifting as much as you want it to. Very easy to get into flying straight off with a couple of tutorial flights to get the most out of it.

***ColoKent*** · August 20th, 2021, 08:24

The older I get (just hit 60), the more I love propliners. I own the DC-6 in both P3D and MSFS and love it. Similarly, can't wait for the AH DC-3 to hit MSFS...Now if JF would just convert their F27 over (really not a propliner due to it's turboprop engines), I'd be in nirvana...for a week or so! The systems are not that difficult-- particularly if you switch on the AI Flight Engineer to manage systems for you.

Kent

**keithb77** · August 20th, 2021, 08:55

Yep, get it...practically flown nothing else in MSFS since getting the DC-6 on release.
Easy to fly with the AFE, but still rewarding and with plenty of detail challenges to explore.
Considering the detail and all-round excellence it's a bargain!

***Mr.Mugel*** · August 20th, 2021, 09:23

It does loop and it does roll, tried it.

Jokes aside, the AFE is a great help during take offs and landings, in between I usually do everything myself. In those cases the AFE can also be slightly limited. In example it can´t reengage climb mode after going to cruise. Keeping those engines humming isn't too hard though while flying and it keeps you busy. It does help to read the manuals quite a bit but there is also a very cool series of familiarization clips on Youtube by PMDG.

I was at 53 airframe hours yesterday and it's currently the only thing I fly. Touring nothern America currently, yesterday I went from Rapid City to Sioux Falls South Dakota. Took off in a thunderstorm, climbed out of it and cleared the weather completely to land in blue skies. I plan my flights in Little Navmap and do the navigation with the old radioset (no GPS). By now I'm pretty good at this ILS thing and I'd easily fly her into pretty much any ILS airport blind.

***Dimus*** · August 20th, 2021, 10:41

John, I am exactly like you with airliners. Yet I got this one and do not regret it. The AFE is a great feature and quite fun to follow all the checklists and makes sure you do not break something while you enjoy flying it. The AP is also working well and seems to simulate nicely the old style system. I am flying routes around Greece simulating the old Olympic Airways golden era of the 60s:

***FlameOut*** · August 20th, 2021, 12:46

I'll throw in a couple chips.

I think she is just beautiful.

I also loved that big ol' fat double chinned girl; the A2A Stratocruiser.

Everything the fellas above had said is true.

I fly her with the GNS 430 & the AFE for now until I have more time to get back to the old school navigation .... and starting the engines from cold & dark, like I did with the old cranky Stratocruiser.

**Javis** · August 20th, 2021, 16:50

Originally Posted by jmig

I am not an airliner type of guy.

You WILL be when you buy the PMDG DC-6, mark my words. (mind you, there's a difference between 'airliner- and propliner type of guy'...;-)

I have never owned a PMDG product. However, their reputation for quality seems to be good.

To me that's quite an understatement, Sir. PMDG was, is, and probabely always will be "the pinnacle of FS aircraftmodel design". Again, if you decide to buy the DC-6 you'll see. ;-)

How easy is it to learn the systems to a degree ....

There simply is no degree, John. You don't need to learn 'the systems' (if you don't want to..). One could almost say 'just hop in and fly'. That's the AFE making it extremely easy for you to fly this iconic aeroplane, Grand Old Lady Of The Skies, which, in my view, simply cannot be ignored by any selfrespecting flightsimmer with a heart for historic civil aviation and particularly 'The Golden Years of Airline Transport'.

That's a lot of fanfare and waving banners but, for the third time, once you have the PMDG DC-6 in your hangar you'll know she deserves it 110%.

Btw, i don't have any affiliation with PMDG whatsoever, just a big fan, eventhough my heart doesn't really go out to air/jetliners neither, imagine that. And i just can't thank PMDG enough for making it possible for us to virtually relive those Golden Years of Airline Transport in such extraordinairy magnificent way.

Just saying.

**Javis** · August 20th, 2021, 19:08

On a side note, John, why don't you pour yourself your favourite beverage and take a minute (well, 44 of 'm to be honest..:-) to watch this Propliner extravaganza that took place at Flughafen Hamburg on the 15 and 16th of September 2007. Maybe that'll get your Propliner juices flowing. As an avid aviation lover they must be there somewhere, just need a push in the right direction to get them running.

Special here is some wonderful footage of the, by then, still flying Douglas DC-2, the mother of all Douglas propliners. In sparkling high polish bare-metal KLM "Uiver" colors. With a dutch crew she won the London-Melbourne Handicap race back in 1934. She is owned by the dutch Aviodrome but grounded for many years already. She was the last airworthy DC-2 in the world.

Furthermore featuring many DC-3's, Lusinov Li-2 (Russian DC-3), DC-6A and DC-6B, Noratlas, JU-52, DeHavilland Dove, Antonov AN2, and last but not least the Breitling Lockheed C-121C Super Constellation.

It's not perticularly a 'professional production' but that's just what makes it charming. It is filmed with a love for propliners, no music no narration just the wonderful sounds that these magnificent metal birds of The Past produce.

Counting on the chance you might enjoy it as much as we proplovers do.

https://youtu.be/IObVVvdNYbk

Edit: To top this all off, here is one of the best PMDG DC-6 reviews IMHO. He reviews just about every native MSFS aircraft model that has been released sofar in a very thorough and professional way. Very enjoyable to watch. Not sure if he's a RW pilot but he sure does sound that way.

https://youtu.be/08-i2XEVxcQ

**guzler** · August 20th, 2021, 23:04

Great question that's been on my mind for a while too, for the same reasons. Think I might have to get it after reading this thread!

**Paul K** · August 21st, 2021, 04:00

I'm planning on getting the DC-6 once I've bought MFS, and that will be once my new computer is delivered. For people contemplating buying the model, I think Robert Randazzo's series of tutorials on PMDG's Youtube channel is the best place to start. They are very well done, and I think they serve to allay concerns regarding the aircraft's complexity. From what I can see, the AFE takes the load off you, leaving you to just fly the aircraft. It can be turned off if you wish, and I've seen people on AVSIM talking about flying the DC-6 'hardcore' - i.e. doing everything manually.

Here's the link. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Z...wk2BCoBHzhuaeQ

***jmig*** · August 21st, 2021, 05:02

You guys needs to request commissions for sales.

After reading many of the posts in this thread and watching several of the tutorials, I purchased the aircraft. I even downloaded a cargo livery. Just call me Trash Hauler John.

I did one short flight using the AFE. I have to set the controller settings correctly. I had no manual throttle control. That was fine until final when I could cut the engines.

Personal note: Back in 1970 when I was just starting to fly the T-38 in USAF pilot training, I rented a Cessna 172 to fly home to see my girlfriend for a three-day weekend. I was amazed at how slowly things happened in that Cessna after flying jets. Well, my one DC-6 flight with the AFE was like that. I am so used to doing everything myself. Here I found myself sitting on my hands waiting for things to happen. I am sure it will get better as I learn the airplane.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who posted.

***Mr.Mugel*** · August 21st, 2021, 11:21

Originally Posted by jmig

You guys needs to request commissions for sales.

After reading many of the posts in this thread and watching several of the tutorials, I purchased the aircraft. I even downloaded a cargo livery. Just call me Trash Hauler John.

I did one short flight using the AFE. I have to set the controller settings correctly. I had no manual throttle control. That was fine until final when I could cut the engines.

Personal note: Back in 1970 when I was just starting to fly the T-38 in USAF pilot training, I rented a Cessna 172 to fly home to see my girlfriend for a three-day weekend. I was amazed at how slowly things happened in that Cessna after flying jets. Well, my one DC-6 flight with the AFE was like that. I am so used to doing everything myself. Here I found myself sitting on my hands waiting for things to happen. I am sure it will get better as I learn the airplane.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who posted.

Good thing is that you can slowly start taking over when you´re ready for it. For example during cruise or final climb stages you can start taking command of the engines, etc.

Cool thing about the DC-6 cockpit is that you can reach most things easily from the pilots viewpoint.

And in the environment of MSFS I also enjoy taking in all the landscape, there is literally a whole world to explore. And the live weather can make it really interesting too. Still at points I add an audiobook in the background, usually with aviation or engineering background.

**TeiscoDelRay** · August 23rd, 2021, 12:29

Best of the best,,,,and soon a DC 3 and hopefully soon an A2A Connie.

**StormILM** · August 23rd, 2021, 13:04

After the fact, it's a big YES! I had the model in P3Dv4 and missed it more than any other model. It's a work of art and nicely priced for FS2020. PMDG did a fantastic job and it flies nearly exactly like the former version, perhaps even better. I wish my late Dad was still around (the Gent in my profile photo), I wouldn't be able to pry him away from this model, He'd be flying the USAF MATS version or the Independence.

**robcap** · August 24th, 2021, 00:44

I love this plane.
At the moment I'm making a tour flying south from Amsterdam, landing at every capital cities airport on the way down. I pllan the flights in Little Nav Map, which helps in finding beacons and airport info.
Last sunday I landed at Nouakchott International Airport - Oumtounsy in Mauretanie, which is a dirtstrip with ILS in MSFS. My guess is that the dirt strip part is not correct😉.
Great flights, mostly along the Atlantic coast. Fantastic sights crossing the Atlas mountains in Marocco.
I mostly use the EFE's help, do a manual start up and run up. Love to fly VOR to VOR in the old (non GPS) setup, monitoring course untill the VOR radio kicks in. Flying the plane on autopilot is working great, descending and intercepting the ILS a challenge.
As I said, I love it.