C-47 update

[bazzar]

Some work-in-progress pics of the cockpit. We now have the pedestal modeled and installed. The shots show the model as renders and as it appears (for the first time) in 4.5. A lot of tweakage required for P3D use of PBR but we are getting there.

 

[Boss86001]

Amazing work!

 

[Alan_A]

 

[YoYo]

Army transport .

 

[bazzar]

Something's different.

Whilst researching material for the exterior model, I kept getting sidetracked by something I noticed about the restored "That's All Brother". The intakes for the engines are not the original type used in and pre-1944.

If you compare the original with the restored version, you will see that "TAB" was fitted with the early 1943 type intakes which are perched right at the cowling mouth. I've included several contemporary shots for comparison. The restored version appears to use the shorter variety aligned with the cowl-flaps. I wonder why?. Engine type difference? Non-availability of original type of intake? Has anyone seen a C-47 in captivity with the old-style intakes? I'm finding quite a few differences as I get into this build. Interesting.

 

[delta_lima]

The clue is in the pic notations.

Those birds were in the Far East / PTO. So I believe that’s a tropical air filter, not unlike the Vokes filters on Hurricanes and other types in the Mediterranean theatre.

They being by far the rarer and likely hardest worked Daks, few likely survived through to restoration.

The only pics I’ve ever seen of those are serving in North Africa, CBI, and PTO. The post war Assam airlines’ Dakotas (likely ex-RAF birds from that theatre) also were thus equipped.

https://postimg.cc/mzPp5BXq
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air..._Transport_Command_C-47_over_the_pyramids.jpg
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/547187423451146156/

Hope this helps.

DL

 

[bazzar]

Thanks for that. So, do we assume she was delivered, for some reason with tropical filters fitted? The known history states that she was delivered not long after being built, her first flight was March 8th 1944 so this is the only possible explanation I guess. Maybe she was intended for tropical use before being assigned to the "D"-Day mission.

 

[delta_lima]

Thanks for that. So, do we assume she was delivered, for some reason with tropical filters fitted? The known history states that she was delivered not long after being built, her first flight was March 8th 1944 so this is the only possible explanation I guess. Maybe she was intended for tropical use before being assigned to the "D"-Day mission.

That’s a reasonable guess.

 

[Bomber_12th]

The guys in charge of the "That's All Brother" restoration were on the hunt for all of the needed parts for those "wide mouth" carburetor intakes, but it is one of the things that just has not panned out yet. It obviously had them during the time of D-Day, but then had them removed at some point afterward (perhaps still in military service, or perhaps in its post-war civilian career).

As illustrated more clearly in the last image, these were additions/addons, with the original, smaller, carb scoops that "That's All Brother" already has, remaining the same. As far as I know there aren't any flying today with these scoops. If you search for images of the XC-47C, there are a lot of good photos of it showing more views of the same scoops.

 

[Bomber_12th]

The other thing they were trying to do for at least a couple years was track down any possible leads on the British-style "hedgehog" flame dampening exhaust stacks that it and some other D-Day C-47's had installed in England.

Also, it was mentioned as recently as this past December that they are still looking for a SCR-717 radome that the aircraft also originally had installed under the belly.

 

[bazzar]

Thanks John. Yes, I have the radome and the hedgehogs but the air intake was eluding me.

 

[AussieMan]

Bazz, a friend of mine who first flew DC-3s/C-47s for Airlines of NSW told me the intakes related to the engine type. Long one was for the P&W twin row radials while the shorter one was for the Wright cyclone engines. Not sure if it helps.

 

[bazzar]

Hi Pat,
There were quite a few different types of intakes for both engine types. The P&Ws had long, short and tropical filters, also dependent on ram air or not. Quite confusing when it comes to a particular single aircraft. An engine change to a late P&W 1830 often meant changes in filtering, oil systems and so on. So, an airframe like "TAB"'s that started life in one specification would have had many upgrades across its life, I am sure. It's when the P&Ws got changed out for Wrights that life gets interesting!

 

[Dimus]

Bazz, a friend of mine who first flew DC-3s/C-47s for Airlines of NSW told me the intakes related to the engine type. Long one was for the P&W twin row radials while the shorter one was for the Wright cyclone engines. Not sure if it helps.

Pat, this is a different kind of intake length difference and indeed has to do with the engine type. This difference is aft of the cowl flaps:

The intake extension Baz is questioning is forward of this point, up to the leading edge of the cowling.

 

[bazzar]

Landing gear gets the treatment. Detailing out the exteriors has now begun.

 

[YoYo]

Nice.
Any skins preview? It would be nice if we will have any desert skin also, maybe from this:

Pegasus Squadron:



IAF:



http://www.vg-photo.com/articles/c47/

 

[bazzar]

We haven't finalised the livery list yet. There will be a British Dakota represented and maybe an Australian one too. Then there's always the paintkit. Being full PBR, that's going to be interesting...

 

[bazzar]

Here's a couple more renders for the Pratt and Whitney fans.

 

[Manschy]

Ho - ly - cow!!!! If only we had the possibility of smelling oil and rubber as well.....that's close to reality!!!!!

 

[bazzar]

Nearly patented "Smell-o-sim". Aerosol puffer loaded with Avgas driven by a servo linked to switch-code in the sim. Didn't go ahead after wife told me to stop being silly.