Curtiss Commando lovers: Eat this!

Wild Bill Kelso

Wild Bill Kelso

Charter Member 2011
Dear folks,
it's BUFFALO time again!

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Nowaday's C-FAVO was delivered to the USAAF in February 1945 (Curtiss c/n 33242, USAAF serial 44-77846).
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_5.html

It later became N9891Z with Capitol Airlines in 1961.
Lufthansa of Germany leased it in March 1964 and Capitol had it returned in November 1969. This is how she looked back then in german colours:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lufthansa-(Capitol-Airways)/Curtiss-C-46D-Commando/1640002/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lufthansa-(Capitol-Airways)/Curtiss-C-46D-Commando/1233642/L/
Note the LUFTHANSA crane she's still wearing on her nose!
Buffalo Airways bought it in June 1994.

In 2003, FAVO suffered a mean accident while taxiing in Yellowknife, having her aft spine broken:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Buffalo-Airways/Curtiss-C-46D-Commando/1048505/L/
It's said this incident occured when it slipped off the runway and in the manouvre of applying power to get the tailwheel back on the runway, the sideway movement of the fully loaded aircraft caused this distorsion.
Utilizing the tail section of an other C-46, N4860V (stripped ex-Nordair derelict hulk at Fairbanks, AK, owned by Everts Air Cargo), she finally made it up to the skies again!
Get more details here:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/yellowknife06.htm

Manuele Villa already did a very nice repaint on BUFFALO's C-FAVO back in 2007.
It's available at Flightsim.com:
http://flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=111107
filename: 46ga_buf.zip
and depicts this aircraft prior to its 2003 accident.

As seen on the marvellous TV show "ICE PILOTS NWT", C-FAVO looks a little different now.
So I decided to do a complete repaint from scratch to get her today's appearance.
Major differences to the pre-2003 outfit are:
- Registration letters on the tail section,
- underwing paint and company lettering,
- cargo door frame paint,
- new shiny ice shield panels.
These panels got riveted to the bow fuselage to protect the fuselage sheets from ice fragments, whirled off the prop. Fitting those protectors was to be seen on one of the "ICE PILOTS NWT" episodes.

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Furthermore, I thought this awesome aircraft could use a new panel...
The VC remained unaltered, except removing its Sperry autopilot, interfering with the MS default AP I applied. Throttle popup window was butchered from the default DC-3. Electric popup has undergone a decent makeover.
This panel isn't intended to represent a certain C-46's panel. During my research, I found out that it seems hard to find two 'Commandos' with the same panel setup. I tried to create a layout of an aircraft operating today with some upgraded avionics.
Feel free to get rid of the modern stuff and mount some 'steam' radios instead!

I made extensive use of Calclassic's outstanding DC-6 gauges (included), created by Ken Mitchell and Tom Gibson, used with Tom's kind permission.

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Different panel bitmaps for 4:3 (above) and 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio (below) included.

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Just uploaded to Flightsim.com and the Outhouse.

Get ready for another Mackenzie River cargo run!

Cheers,
Markus.
 
Marcus!

Thanks for this nice version. My late father was a Hump pilot ... his last mount ... the venerable (and often cursed) CW-20/C-46.

I think I'll go flying!:salute:
 
:salute::salute::salute:Magnificent Markus and thank you. I was thinking about the KBT P-3 VIP model and how that could make a excellent substitute for Buffalo's L-188's in Fs9 as FSX already hogs that one area lol.
 
I found out that it seems hard to find two 'Commandos' with the same panel setup
Click to expand...

One of the problems I had with the panel in the first place. I must have saved a couple dozen pics of different C-46 panels to go by. I eventually went with a couple of old b&w pics from the 40s.
 
Believe it or not Buffalo's Commando's also have different cockpit layouts IRL. One was out back today getting a few new gauges installed and a new GPS. Winter is heck on old birds, but a real nightmare on new birds and GA aircraft.
 
Thanks so much Marcus.My wife used to work for buffalo 20 or so years back.I sure dont miss Yellowknife but do miss the rides in Buffalos old Canso and Norseman .Your paints sure do bring back memories.I love the show Ice pilots but the wife doesnt watch it much as once around was enough for her.
 
Thank you for this kind feedback, guys!

CG_1976 said:
Believe it or not Buffalo's Commando's also have different cockpit layouts IRL.
Click to expand...

Check this very interesting site for GTXW's panel:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/yellowknife06.htm

and here's FAVO:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/yellowknife06-2.htm
(scroll down a bit on both)

As declared above, I allowed some artistic license:
The real cab layout with the obstructive radio stack in the center didn't seem appropriate for my ususal VFR flying. I also wanted an even horizontal upper edge of the glareshield, for any diagonal lines or radiuses end up jagged.
But I couldn't resist to build in as many of those gorgeous DC-6 gauges as possible.
So many instruments to monitor...

I hope you can live with this compromise.

@ westjet:
Yes, I very much enjoyed this show, but I think Joe isn't one of the most pleasant bosses to work with... :d

Cheers,
Markus.
 
Just for reference, here's what a brand new C-46 panel looked like back in 1944.
 
That skin looks terriffic Markus. Just FYI tho, the link to the original model at calclassic goes to avsim, where it's another lost file :(
I did have a C46 ages ago but it had no VC. Is this the same one?
LPXO
 
It's also available at FlightSim. Saw it there earlier today while looking to see if there were any interesting paints popped up for it since the last time I looked.
 
It's here:

FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 Propliners FS2004/FSX Curtiss C-46 Commando
[SIZE=-1][ Download | View ] [/SIZE]
Name: c46ga.zip Size: 26,768,596 Date: 03-23-2007 Downloads: 7,867
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FS2004/FSX Curtiss C-46 Commando. Gmax version 1. Liveries include Flying Tiger, Aerocondor, Aeronotre, Everts Air Fule and USAAF. Also includes bare metal livery to allow for repaints. Includes multiple 2D panel bitmaps and choice of VC with pilot, copilot or no crew. By Libardo Guzman, Greg Pepper and Tom Gibson. (See also C46GAFIX.ZIP)
[/SIZE]
 
Willy said:
Just for reference, here's what a brand new C-46 panel looked like back in 1944.
Click to expand...

Always amazes me to see how non-standard the instrument placements are between WWII-era aircraft. They must not have thought through the value of a standardized instrument scan.
 
adhockey said:
Always amazes me to see how non-standard the instrument placements are between WWII-era aircraft. They must not have thought through the value of a standardized instrument scan.
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I'll venture a guess that the layouts were based more on space and mounting than any sense of order. Most of what I've read indicates that ergonomics and visual referencing weren't even studied until the speed of jets showed some 'science' was necessary. IIRC, the "standard T-layout" became accepted and engineered about 1955 and not required until some time after that in civilian aircraft (look at an older -60's - Bonanza or Beech 18 panel). Even standardized control levers and knobs weren't common until after the war, although some manufacturers did make their own efforts to have common designs.

As accident investigation got more comprehensive it was determined that loss of visual clues & orientation as well as bad ideas like having to look at the quadrant to make sure you grabbed mixture instead of pitch contributed to quite a few "events". When it was discussed a lot of people thought it was 'sissy stuff', but even today I cringe when I see people's computer/chair setups so it's still an uphill battle. There is a tendency to cope rather than change one's own behaviour and "back in the day" pilots and engineers were perhaps a bit too independent.

Rob
 
Hi,

As I understand it the VC gauge quality is built into the virtual VC gauge textures. They are already listed as 1024 x 1024, the largest allowed in FS9.

You might be able to change this line in the panel.cfg file:

pixel_size=1024,1024

to:

pixel_size=2048,2048

if you are using FSX and sharpen them up?

That line is found in the Vcockpit01 section.

For FS9 the VC model itself would need to be changed.

Hope this helps,
 
srgalahad said:
As accident investigation got more comprehensive it was determined that loss of visual clues & orientation as well as bad ideas...
Click to expand...

I recall reading recently that the AI in the Buddy Holly Bonanza wasn't an AI but a different type of instrument that reads the opposite of an AI! If the fairly low time pilot didn't have a lot of time in that particular a/c, they never had a chance when they entered IMC.

Regarding WWII, I wonder how many training and operational accidents could have been prevented had aviation ergonomics reached the point of the T-layout and tactile quadrant knobs. Probably slightly better than the fact that they were also putting low-time 20 year olds at the controls of some fast or over-grossed ships.

Fascinating stuff, IMO. Thanks for sharing.
 
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