Thanks to Kurt Rook,
kaprook@hotmail.com, DC-3 Airways has a
Weight & Balance Program to further enhance the realism when flying our
DC-3s.
Once you have downloaded and installed the Weight & Balance program,
wbcv2[1].zip, you must enter the correct DC-3 data for proper operation.
The DC-3 data needed to run the Weight & Balance Program is in the table
below. Data for both the Passenger and the Cargo Configurations is given.
Setup the Weight & Balance information before you select N1776 or Jan
Visser's TDM DC-3 Freighter (and ideally before starting FS2002) as the
changes are made in the aircraft.cfg file. Weight changes can not be made in
the aircraft.cfg file while it is open by FS2002, other than amount of fuel
on board (under the aircraft/fuel drop down menu).
These Passenger and Cargo Operation figures were developed in consultation
with Chip Jones. They are based on information and figures contained in the
Weight & Balance chapter of the QuebecAir DC-3 Manual.
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MTOW: 26200# (passenger operation)
26900# (cargo operation)
ZFW: 19100# (IFR equipped; includes crew of 3 - Pilot, FO, Stewardess;
trapped fuel, oil; emergency equipment)
Fuel weight: 4825# for 804 US Gallons
3240# for 540 US Gallons
Passengers
Only - N1776 14 seats - 170# per average passenger
Section 1 6 seats
Section 2 4 seats
Section 3 4 seats
Passengers &
Cargo or
Cargo only: 2900# (with 14 passengers on board) baggage and freight parcels
2675# (with 804 gallons of fuel and no passengers) baggage and freight
parcels
4260# (with 540 gallons of fuel and no passengers) baggage and freight
parcels
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The Maximum Fuel Weight in this set-up panel assumes 540 gallons.
Pilots should never takeoff with less than 200 gallons of fuel on board
N1776.
Pilots must adjust passengers, fuel, and/or cargo weights to avoid exceeding
the MTOW (Maximum Take-Off Weight).
Just vary the amounts of fuel, number of passenger weight in each
compartment, and weight of parcels carried and pilots should experience
different takeoff and flight dynamics. As fuel diminishes, flight dynamics
also change (but usually requires long flights to experience sufficient fuel
usage).
I seldom load over 540 gallons of fuel, which allow for more cargo weight
(i.e.: more money per flight). This amount of fuel should easily cover most
flights on the DC-3 Airways Routes list. (DC-3 burns about 93 gallons per
hour - 3 hours of operation with 200 gallons in reserve)
Hopefully these figures will help Gooney Pilots enjoy the Weight & Balance
program and add another degree of realism to both flight preparation and
operation.
Kurtis Rook
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Thanks again to Kurtis Rook for sending us the Weight & Balance Program, as
well as providing the required data for its proper use.