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That's not all Brother...

bazzar

bazzar

Charter Member 2018
Today, June 6, marks the 75th anniversary of "D" Day.

So, we are announcing our homage to the almighty Douglas C-47 and in particular, "That's all Brother", the C-47
that led the armada of Skytrains across the English Channel to Normandy on that fateful day.

This is perhaps, our most challenging and rewarding project to date. Simply, because we are going all out to provide the
most detailed, Hi-Definition models of this aeroplane,ever produced.

Features will include -

C-47 Military and DC3 Dakota civilian versions with a wide choice of liveries.

Hi Definition modeling in full, accurate detail, down to wire-strand locking wires on components in the cockpit and fully
modelled gauges with correct assemblies and 3D needles and all dials with raised paint markings etc.

Hi Definition PBR textures INSIDE and OUT with highly realistic fabrics, metals and paintwork, ageing and weathering effects.

"On-the fly" configuration panel allows you to change liveries, colours, materials and ageing effects whilst flying.

Although we can't make it for "D" Day, she's on the front burner now and will be available this year.

Currently we are making for P3DV4.4+ ONLY (due to workload on PBR etc.) but depending on demand, we will look at other sims.

We also plan to provide "That's all Brother" in as complete a history as possible from original as in 1944 right through to today's restoration and all the owners in between. Here are a few renders. Interestingly, we are getting in-sim results very close to these.

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Baz-

As an ancient Dakota fan, I am excited to read this. The visuals do indeed look stellar. The MJ C-47’s FDE is phenomenal, and I would please ask you to expound on this one’s? For me- that’s where the rubber meets the road.

God Bless the Greatest Generation, always. I often marvel at their achievements!

Optimistically- Carl

PS- as a HUGE Bucky Pizzarelli fan, I absolutely love your Avatar :)
 
We have a way to go before we start authoring the FDEs but I can assure you that they will match the fidelity of the models. The guitar is one I made a while back from a new (old stock) Hofner neck and a Florentine cut body I had lying around that I had never used. I call it the Frankenhofner. It's a sweet thing.:engel016:
 
Looking forward to seeing how this develops!

The interior on the restored "That's All Brother" is very unique among C-47's flying today, as the CAF went all out on restoring it to as accurately/authentically as possible to the same appearance (all the original hardware, correct paints/colors per part, correct color insulation, etc.) as it and other C-47's had in 1944, including by having the gauges back-mounted. The only caveat is that the Sperry autopilot section of the instrument panel is just a faux panel that covers the modern GPS and avionics installed underneath, that can be put in-place while the aircraft is on display and removed when the aircraft is in operation.

https://scontent-frt3-1.cdninstagra...n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-1.cdninstagram.com
https://i.redd.it/a6w99f6l87y21.jpg
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=c3a476672f82c953f83804a06ec839c3&oe=5D9EF858
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https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn....=cb5acad3a7c2beb469f5db7e81f6f139&oe=5D9C6CB8
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https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=e793653c1f942b7382b9d179faaa935c&oe=5D9427ED
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=648121009cd5e5ac10672b1a7cec77c1&oe=5D8EBA5F
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=545cca5051019cf2a0626b32567f03a4&oe=5D9A6C2A
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https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=574ea99a37a6fa6cabd5860e4e11a1c4&oe=5D81AA06
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https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=0b1f38955fa34b6525f9451aeae2d3e8&oe=5D948CE2
 
Not the greatest of photos, but I have these from 2005. This is how the aircraft looked at the time, then restored as a Vietnam era "Spooky" gunship. The owner at the time knew that it was likely involved in D-Day, but it was restored to honor, as I recall, a friend of the owner who had died in combat in Vietnam. It wasn't too long after this airshow that the owner was trying to sell the aircraft, but there wasn't much in the way of interested buyers, so it ended up being purchased by Basler (turbo conversions). While the aircraft was with Basler, the full history of the aircraft's involvement in D-Day, being the lead aircraft of its element, came to be known, and the Commemorative Air Force acquired the aircraft (trading to Basler one of the C-47's it had previously operated).

It is really something to see the restored aircraft today, compared to the configuration it had in 2005 when I took these photos. The CAF wanted the aircraft returned to absolute completely stock condition, with all of the same hardware it had when it flew on D-Day in 1944. Today, you'll be hard pressed to find any modern antennas on the aircraft, and it is covered, top and bottom, with all of the original wartime antennas it was equipped with. Also, the modern rotating beacon that it had on top of the tail fin back in 2005 is long gone today, replaced with an original tail fin cap. Everything not correct to the way it was in 1944 was replaced or corrected.

Note that back then the aircraft was registered as N88874, where as today it's registered as N47TB.

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That's an impressive set of textures. Good luck with your project! Like others here, I'll be interested to hear more about all the features as they come together - FDE, sounds, crew, other immersion bits and pieces. Keeping track eagerly, in the spirit of, can't have too many Daks.

Speaking of Daks, a detail note - looks like you're using "Dakota" to describe the civilian DC-3. Wasn't that an RAF military designation? Never heard it applied to an airliner, though I might have missed something.

I know, I know... tough crowd! :cool:
 
Yes the RAF dubbed it as Dakota. However the name was used by many airlines, particularly British-based as they took over the ex-military Dakotas.

My first ever flight was on a Cambrian Airways Douglas Dakota. I remember sitting there watching the oil dribble out of the engine cover rivets as we flew to the Channel Islands from Cardiff. You needed mountain climbing experience to get yourself and your luggage to the front seats. On-board catering was in the shape of a sandwich and a cup of tea. On arrival we joined one of those new-fangled Viscounts on the ramp. Ah great days...
 
Thanks for sharing the shots John. I have contacted the owners to see if they can supply us with the history of That's All Brother through its post-war years. We want to provide a complete set of liveries up to present day. I don't know if they will reply but I hope they do. Unless anyone else can spread some light?:engel016:
 
I found this shot trawling the internet. It supposedly depicts an original wartime C-47 which crashed in Russia. I have to say that the colours and details such as the finishes on the control columns etc. are at some variance with the interior of the restored That's All Brother.

The details: Douglas C-47 DL SkyTrain (serial number 42-32892, # 9118) was produced in Long-Beach, California and passed to the US Air force on 24 February 1943.



 

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Yes, Baz, 42-32892 is a great time capsule resource!

I've always thought that after the British named it the "Dakota", that name should have been adopted by the USAAF as well (better name, in my opinion, than "Skytrain").
 
bazzar said:
Yes the RAF dubbed it as Dakota. However the name was used by many airlines, particularly British-based as they took over the ex-military Dakotas.
Click to expand...

Did not know that. Makes sense, though. The Dakota name must have been ubiquitous in the UK after they flooded in during the war, and of course it stuck. In the US, as far as I know, the airliners were mainly known as DC-3s, since that's what called when they went into service (and were heavily publicized). A kind of imprinting in both cases.

Agree with John that Dakota is a great name, and Skytrain isn't (it never actually stuck). The British had a talent for giving American names to American aircraft (Mustang, of course, comes to mind...)

I have wonderful associations with the Skytrain name, but for completely different reasons...
 
Wow, those cockpit shots look great. Looking forward to another C-47!
Here's the paint I did for the MJ version done when I heard the CAF bought it
ss21515
 
We can only hope that AH will consider consulting with Alex Metzger when it's FDE time. The C-47 FDE he did for MJ et al is absolutely superb and amazingly close to reality (within sim limitations) and it would be great if they incentivized him to improve on what is already quite excellent.

Having a "true DC-3" that models all the differences will also be quite wonderful.

This is the release that will finally introduce me to AH... I came very close with the C-46, but this will be a must have... waiting with bated breath to hear more about the flight experience.

Best- C
 
That is really great, AH team! I am looking forward to this.

Sorry, could not resist. This is my bro Tom and me in Oshkosh.


mark%2Btom.jpg
 
The aircraft had a lot of post-war owners:

http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=46794


Some of its previous paint schemes:

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001470559L.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/154191970@N03/34031163570/
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1201154
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/1/56768_1048157998.jpg (this was the last paint scheme it had just before it was restored into the Vietnam gunship configuration/markings)


Note that one of the significant changes that occurred with its recent restoration back to WWII configuration, is that they replaced the post-war nose cone that it had gained after WWII, and sported for a great many years, with one that is now correct to what it had in WWII. The exhaust was also replaced with units that are correct to what it had in WWII, and as mentioned earlier, a number of items were removed from the exterior of the aircraft that had been added to it over the decades following WWII (such as the modern antennas, beacon atop the tail, etc.), and all of the original WWII antennas, astrodome, original tail fin cap, etc. were added back on again.
 
Thankyou Johm. some useful stuff there. Yes we knew about the nosecone. For everyone- Just a point on this one, we will not be producing the same numbers of variants we did in the old Just Flight DC-3. As people will know, there was a massive amount of variation with engine types, rear door configurations, window configurations and so on. This project is basically to honour those that took part in "D" Day , "TAB" in particular, and some of the more common DC-3 airliners. So please don't ask for Basler conversions, modern cockpits and FMCs etc. We have a fairly heavy workload and I need to keep this one tight and move on. So far, the comments and messages we have been receiving, through our Facebook page and other sources have been very encouraging.

One last thing, please don't ask me to comment on the freeware example, we do not compare on principle. Like all of our stuff, if you don't like what you see as we go down this road, remember, nobody is forcing you to change or buy.:engel016:
 
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