Douglas DC-3 or C-47 Hydraulics Simulation
DC3HYD
Version 0.10
User's Manual
Jan Cocatre-Zilgien
Program Objectives
The DC-3 has always been fascinating for me, for a variety of reasons, and I can actually wake up from deep sleep just from hearing its twin P&W. There used to be one flying eastbound avove KCMI, slowly, once a week around midnight (not anymore, though). I am a life member of only one organization, as #22 of Friends of The DC-3, based in England.
Screenshot prior to starting left engine
The program DC3HYD.EXE (right-click and "Save Target As") simulates the operation of the landing gear and the flaps of the Douglas DC-3 (C-47), solely based on a couple of Flight Manuals. Cowl flaps and windshield wipers are not modeled (insignificant effect).
System Requirements
The program was written for IBM PC or compatible computers, with an EGA graphics card with 128 kBytes video memory (allowing page-swapping flickerless display), and running Microsoft DOS 2.1 or later DOS (not Windows) operating system.Under Windows, 10 years later, the program still runs, but Windows 3.1 and above does not allow any direct access to the graphics memory; the Windows-controlled screen refresh conflicts with the program-controlled refresh, and as a result, the screen may flicker unbearingly on some machines. I lost the code diskettes during moving, so this cannot be changed....
Also, the program apparently will not run on the latest 32-bit computers...
Q U I C K S T A R T
Wait till it says "Press any key to start engine #1" on top line
Press any key to start left engine
Press [F6] until you reach 2300 RPM
Press [F2] untlil you reach 105 knots
Press [E] to raise gear latch
Press [U] to raise the gear
Flight Manual
Not provided; find them on the Web.Remarks
I have flown only once in a DC-3 and glancing in the cockpit I did not know even where to look for hydraulic pressure, but I am pretty sure the pressure dynamics are way too slow (I can't change the relevant constants anyway).Contact information at the end of the program is obsolete. Use that of cocatrez.net instead. Also, contrary to what is written there, I am not interested anymore in doing a simulation of the whole DC-3.
Program DC3HYD.EXE 0.10 can be copied and distributed without any restrictions, as is.
Keyboard Controls
[F1] Decrease indicated airspeed, down to 65 then 0 knots [F2] Increase indicated airspeed, up to 175 knots [F3] Decrease pitch, down to -15 degrees [F4] Increase pitch, up to +15 degrees [F5] Decrease engine(s) RPM, down to 1000 then 0 RPM [F6] Increase engine(s) RPM, up to 2700 RPM [B] Pushing on brake pedals [1] Left engine shutdown [2] Right engine shutdown [3] Left engine pump failure [4] Right engine pump failure [0] Main manifold burst LANDING GEAR LATCH [E] raisEd [G] sprinG [T] laTched ENGINE PUMP SELECTOR [L] Left [R] Right HAND PUMP BYPASS [O] Open [C] Closed WING FLAPS VALVE [P] uP [A] neutrAl [W] doWn LANDING GEAR VALVE [U] Up [N] Neutral [D] Down HYDRAULIC HAND PUMP [H] Hand pump stroke [Esc] quit program
