Attention all DC-3 fans !

[boxcar]

.

Have been on the lookout lately for one of those good ole' metal lawn chairs, vintage 50's/60's, to paint flat olive & employ during the coming Earth Tour in this living work of art being augmented so well. With some comfy pads it should work pretty well once it's stiffened up a bit to military standards. Fun too!

Looking good!

.

[Alky]

I wonder if the requirements for a C-47 pilot during the war were that you had to 5'10" or less (?) I can't imagine stuffing my 6'1" frame in behind the yoke of one of those!

[Bomber_12th]

I'll probably always remember the episode of "Ice Pilots" where one of Buffalo's new pilots at the time was considered too tall for the DC-3 cockpit and thus was assigned to the C-46 with its roomier cockpit.

[RyanJames170]

have to remember back then most men were about 5 6 to 5 10 with someone over 6 foot being a tall person so they made most things to fit with people from the time.

[CG_1976]

I stand at 6ft and 3in's and can tell ya it's a PIA getting into the Goon's Bucket. It's all in the matter of ya legs and position. Yep I do mmiss my Yellowknife home and that sweet avgas and roar of Buffalo's DC3's

[Javis]

But hey, let's not get carried away here... :-)

+1


Like has been stated in the opening post of this thread, we're certainly aware of the fact that there are many flightsimmers that love to have a GPS on board, even in vintage aeroplanes, and you can all rest assured that we'll take care of that, certainly as an option. Once the first edition of the VVC is outthere and we still have enough juice left in the batteries we might even think of adding a 'modern' radio set.

Regarding a 'complete package' featuring the v2 external model, Ted's magnificent sound suite, plus the VVC, i'm quite sure we can come to an arrangement about that. Battery condition willing i might have a look into a new set of animated pilot figures to complement the external model.

Afraid only words and no pics about the VVC progress this time around, folks. I simply haven't much new to show yet because i started work on the 'Overhead', aka Electrical panels, which required quite a few days of research, gathering of photo's, thoughts, and tests to begin with. As you know, there are as many different DC-3 'Overheads' as there are DC-3's... The basic OH is setup though ( original 'pre customized' left and right 'eyebrow' electrical panels with magneto switch board in the middle and Radio Compass control unit on the ceiling above it ), now setting up the switches, knobs and other stuff and doing texture tests to suit the legends. Can probabely show you something during the coming week.


Until later,
Jan

[PRB]

I'll probably always remember the episode of "Ice Pilots" where one of Buffalo's new pilots at the time was considered too tall for the DC-3 cockpit and thus was assigned to the C-46 with its roomier cockpit.

I remember that one! I've never been up front in a DC-3, but I have been in up front in a C-46, and I was amazed at how small and cramped it was up there. Perhaps they have more leg room than the Douglas!

I'm so looking forward to this DC-3 VC.

[stansdds]

+1


Like has been stated in the opening post of this thread, we're certainly aware of the fact that there are many flightsimmers that love to have a GPS on board, even in vintage aeroplanes, and you can all rest assured that we'll take care of that, certainly as an option. Once the first edition of the VVC is outthere and we still have enough juice left in the batteries we might even think of adding a 'modern' radio set.

Regarding a 'complete package' featuring the v2 external model, Ted's magnificent sound suite, plus the VVC, i'm quite sure we can come to an arrangement about that. Battery condition willing i might have a look into a new set of animated pilot figures to complement the external model.

Afraid only words and no pics about the VVC progress this time around, folks. I simply haven't much new to show yet because i started work on the 'Overhead', aka Electrical panels, which required quite a few days of research, gathering of photo's, thoughts, and tests to begin with. As you know, there are as many different DC-3 'Overheads' as there are DC-3's... The basic OH is setup though ( original 'pre customized' left and right 'eyebrow' electrical panels with magneto switch board in the middle and Radio Compass control unit on the ceiling above it ), now setting up the switches, knobs and other stuff and doing texture tests to suit the legends. Can probabely show you something during the coming week.


Until later,
Jan

Good news all around!

[CG_1976]

I remember that one! I've never been up front in a DC-3, but I have been in up front in a C-46, and I was amazed at how small and cramped it was up there. Perhaps they have more leg room than the Douglas!

I'm so looking forward to this DC-3 VC.

For a tall person like me and the DC3 I got to sit in. You had to move around a lot. The most frustrating thing is during flights. You need to move ya legs around to keep your blood flowing or it is charlie horse city and pins and needle's errr, no fun bringing in a Goon and bumping a pot hole or snow bumps. Even worse in Arctic cold the pain is.

[Alky]

I just watched an episode of Ice Pilots and Scott Blue, probably the tall guy mentioned here, was the engineer on the Electra and said that he had been for quite a while. I find that odd since the same show was talking about their desperate need for C-46 pilots. Scott was previously a fully qualified C-46 pilot and seemed to like it. I wonder if he had an accident or got in trouble somehow, he's been mysteriously missing for a couple of seasons.

[Javis]

Hey guys,


Could use some help from some of you 'rivet counters' here. Which quartet of crosshead renditions you like best here, the left or the right ?.... :




(this is a close up of the left side electrical panel but this will apply for the main panel as well. Don't mind the ON-OFF legends, still working on that too )

Here's a shot of the left panel so far :




Thanks!
Jan

[big-mike]

Never been a rivet counter,i prefer the right side.
Mike

[Pronto91]

The right side.

[Paul J]

The right. Looks good.

[dvj]

The left side. Older, worn look.

[511Flyer]

Left. Those on the right look too big.

[banjoman1960]

The right.

but a little smaler

cheers
ralf

[PhillRoath]

I, also, prefer the ones on the right.

Really looking forward to this.

[huub vink]

The right side is the right side Jan....

But I could be wrong as I don't consider myself a rivet counter

Cheers,
Huub

[AndyG43]

I just watched an episode of Ice Pilots and Scott Blue, probably the tall guy mentioned here, was the engineer on the Electra and said that he had been for quite a while. I find that odd since the same show was talking about their desperate need for C-46 pilots. Scott was previously a fully qualified C-46 pilot and seemed to like it. I wonder if he had an accident or got in trouble somehow, he's been mysteriously missing for a couple of seasons.

The way I heard it was Scott is " hungry for flying hours to reach his goal of becoming a captain", and he can't accumulate enough hours if he stays solely with the C-46. So nothing sinister, just the opposite by the look of it.

Which quartet of crosshead renditions you like best here, the left or the right ?.....

Jan, as somebody who mainly still flies in FS9 I should probably say the Dark Side. (But the left side looks best)

[Javis]

Going well, gents, keep 'em coming..


Eventually there's a lot of these guys spread all over the cockpit and once the're all there, the're all there...


The difference is that the left quartet is not completely 3D while the right quartet is, that's why the right ones can have spec light added to them while the left ones cannot. Both the left and right crossheads are of exactly the same size. It's the spec light that makes the right ones 'look' bigger.


The amount of spec light can of course be adjusted.


I didn't have in mind to make the crossheads and other screws completely 3D because of the additional poly count but i tried a complete 3D crosshead just for the heck of it and found the additional poly count to be very modest (only 5 poly's more ).


I believe i saw the first complete 3D rendition of screws in the fabulous A2A J3 VC which made my jaw drop onto the floor..




I'll wait a while ( walk my dog Kodi, which is a Welsh Corgi Pembroke ) and then count the left and right votes.


Thanks, guys !


cheers,
Jan

[Alky]

The right is nicer looking, smaller if possible but not a deal breaker. Nice work!

[cavaricooper]

Jan:

I'm going to veer away from the rest and suggest a mixture would be best. Most DC-3s I've seen have been worked on by many people in many parts of the world and the result is a bit of hodge-podge. The uniform painting along with different rivet/screw heads will only (IMHO) only add to the overall realism. In addition, may I again ask about any awareness/use of Google Sketchup in the FS modeling world?

Thanks for your efforts- they are greatly appreciated and admired.

Carl Avari-Cooper

[Adamski_NZ]

Just to be a complete killjoy, I go for the LEFT set. In close-up, the right set looks cleaner/better - but (strangely) when zoomed back and viewed in context of the whole panel, they seem overly bright.

They actually look like two completely different types of screws. LEFT: Philips, japanned (ie. black paint) and RIGHT: Posidrive, chrome.

I suspect the real panels had black painted screw heads (gloss or matt) to minimise reflections/distractions <???>.

Pure supposition though LOL!

Adam.

[flyinggoldfish]

Definitely the right, but you need to tone sown the specular reflections a bit...

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