Post by volkerboehme on Sept 28, 2008 4:11:10 GMT -5
Hi,
since this plane is suggeted for training missions in FsAviator's tutorial, I decided to post the readme here.
Best regards,
Volker
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Who flew the Goose in real life and what was it used for?
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The Grumman G-21 was both the first Grumman monoplane and their first multi engined aircraft. Designed in 1936 it was closely based on the more numerous Grumman J2F Duck. In fact the hull of the G-21 was really a giant Duck float big enough for people to sit inside. However unlike the J2F it was intended as a civilian executive transport and at first Grumman expected to deliver only a dozen of these very expensive 'air yachts' to assorted tycoons during 1937-38.
The 1937 price was 68,000 USD unfurnished. More than two thirds of the price of a new 24 seat DC-3 with more than double the installed power. These early examples had only four passenger seats. Nine remained in the United States, one was delivered to the media tycoon Lord Beaverbrook in England, and the other two went to the Australian oil company Asiatic Petroleum as VIP transports for use around New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies. All were quickly modified to G-21A standard. This allowed an increase in max gross weight, improved handling on land, and reduced spray at speed on the water. Most importantly the hand wound landing gear which was really little more than beaching gear in the G-21 became hydraulic landing gear which turned the G-21A into a true amphibian.
Thirty more G-21As mostly for civilian use were produced slowly from May 1938 to September 1942. New purchasers within the United States included the Ford Motor Company and Colombia University. One U.S. oil company had a G-21A based in Venezuela from around 1939 onwards. Lord Beaverbrook sold his G-21 and acquired a G-21A. This was subsequently impressed by the RAF and destroyed off Libya in December 1942. Only one airline ever purchased a G-21A direct from Grumman and that was the Dutch colonial airline KNILM. They had two based in the Dutch East Indies. One crashed in 1940 and the other was shot down in January 1942. The German financed Lloyd Aero Boliviano either cancelled their order or a single G-21A, or resold the aircraft in the US before delivery, or were denied delivery.
The RCAF took delivery of one in June 1938 and three more by the end of 1940. I believe these were all based near Ottawa, but the RCAF then purchased or impressed a further ten from U.S. and Canadian civilian owners by the spring of 1942. Some, and later perhaps many, of these were based near Vancouver. Back then American aircraft tended to have a designation but no name. This was the opposite of British Empire practice. The narrow track undercarriage of the G-21A caused it to waddle on the ground and so in the British Empire it became known officially as the Goose. This British Empire designation eventually passed into general use. The Peruvian Air Force was the other military purchaser of the G-21A, taking delivery of four either side of Christmas 1938. One of these Peruvian G-21As would later become N327 featured by Bill Lyons. In 1944 TACA de Venezuela became the third airline to operate the G-21A. I believe they procured the one that had always been based in Caracas and continued to fly it from there; though it seems to have crashed soon afterwards.
The USAAC soon took an interest in these luxury VIP transports and ordered 26 designated OA-9 delivered between November 1938 and October 1939. Like all the early examples these had only four seats in the luxury cabin, but many later served in the air sea rescue role. Operating flying boats and amphibians wasn't something the USAAC were good at and they managed to crash no fewer than eleven of these before December 1941, and then lost two more at Wheeler Field during the attack on Oahu. Post war the USAF designation confusingly became just A-9.
During 1938 the U.S. Navy decided it deserved to have the latest VIP transport aircraft too. They perceived the G-21A to be a 'Twin Duck' and at first gave it the designation J3F. A single J3F served as a VIP transport based at NAS Anacostia from September 1938. Then the USN decided it wasn't a Twin Duck and the designation changed to JRF. So the single J3F-1 was followed by five hardly different USN VIP transports with the designation JRF-1 delivered either side of Christmas 1939. Two civilian G-21As were also impressed by the USN under that designation in 1942. The five JRF-1As delivered around Christmas 1939 had a side hatch which could be used to deploy a target drogue or through which a camera could be used to photograph ships, but they too seem to actually have been employed as yet more VIP US Navy transports until early 1942. Some of these early USN transport variants later passed to the USMC for VIP use.
The seven JRF-2s were air ambulances for the USCG. They were delivered from July 1939 to May 1940. Later they would also find useful employment in the air sea rescue role. One was presented to the Bolivian Air Force in 1942.
The G-21B was a flying boat with no landing gear. Only twelve were built for the Portuguese Navy during 1940 and these were optimised for armed anti smuggling duties aimed at Chinese pirates. These had gun positions fore and aft as well as external bomb racks. They were the only model delivered with guns. They were based in Portuguese China (Macau harbour) until about 1951.
The JRF-3 was the first Goose with de-icing equipment and an autopilot. Three went to the USCG in November 1940 for transport and patrol use in Alaska. Some G-21As including the ex Peruvian N327 were later brought up to JRF-3 standard and the enhanced realism package replicates the JRF-3 with de-icing and autopilot capability.
The JRF-4 was the JRF-2 with external bomb racks for anti submarine patrol. The USN received ten from December 1940. Two civilian G-21As were later impressed and modified to this standard. After the war the survivors passed to the Argentine Navy and Coast Guard who used them into the early 1960s and then sold the lone survivor to the Paraguayan Navy. Yes they actually have a Navy.
The main production variant was the JRF-5. 184 were delivered very slowly to the US Navy between July 1941 and October 1945. It incorporated as standard all the features of all earlier models, including bomb racks. Many of these passed to the USCG after the war taking the designation JRF-5G and served until the mid fifties. Ten were presented to the Brazilian Air Force for anti U boat operations over the Central Atlantic in 1942. Soon after two more were donated to the Cuban Navy to hunt down U boats in the Caribbean. Sixteen were transferred to the RCAF 1944-45 and these served until 1956. Seven were transferred to the RAF at about the same time who immediately passed two of them to the RCAF. The five retained by the RAF were probably based in Trinidad. After the war some USN aircraft were passed to Argentina and again two survivors eventually joined the Paraguayan Navy. At least one was donated to Peru by the USN after the war.
In 1952 up to a dozen passed to the French Navy for combat operations in Vietnam, followed by up to a dozen more in 1954. Some of these became the first gunships to operate against the Viet Minh. After defeat by Ho Chi Minh these two Goose squadrons redeployed to New Caledonia in the Pacific and to Algeria where they flew armed anti smuggling patrols from Algiers (Maison Blanche). Later they flew a diplomatic and naval communication schedule between France, French Morocco and French Senegal (Saint Mandrier - Casablanca - Dakar) until 1961.
When Japan was encouraged by the United States to acquire a 'Maritime Self Defence Force' in 1954 four JRF-5s were donated by the USN to help get Japanese re-armament going.
The JRF-6B was the JRF-5 without bomb racks purchased by Britain under cash and carry arrangements as a maritime navigation trainer for the RAF and subsequently delivered under lend lease arrangements instead. 44 were acquired early in 1942. However five were diverted as extra air sea rescue aircraft for the USAAF to partially make good their losses (becoming OA-9s) and one was donated to the Bolivian Air Force, so the RAF actually operated only 38. Two were transferred to the RCAF in 1944. Initially the RAF based them all in Trinidad. Primarily used as maritime navigation trainers they also served as light transports and in the air sea rescue role.
However in 1943 a handful moved to the UK where they were used by civilian pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary service to collect and return crews who had delivered combat flying boats from factories to operational flying boat bases around the UK coastline. From 1943 a few also served with 24 Squadron RAF as VIP transports. These were based at RAF Hendon in North London. RAF Hendon is now the site of the RAF Museum but no longer an aerodrome. The milk run for these Geese would have been the short haul to Poole Harbour near Bournemouth to feed the BOAC Short Empire shuttle to Shannon. Northolt may be substituted for Hendon in FS9.
To British Empire forces the G-21A with no de icing or autopilot was the Goose I, the bomb carrying JRF-5 was the Goose II and the JRF-6 with de-icing and AP, but no bomb racks, was the Goose IA. The Goose did not serve with the Royal Navy who preferred the Grumman Gosling. None were lost and after the lease terminated in August 1945 all 38 passed to the USN. In 1951 one was sold to the Swedish Air Force taking the designation Grumman Tp81, serving until 1962 in the air ambulance role equipped with skis as necessary.
The designation OA-13A was given to three civilian G-21As impressed in 1942. Two passed to PAA as VIP transports for use in support of US diplomatic operations based in Africa and the Middle East. This made PAA the second airline to operate the Goose, (but in USAAF livery). The other was retained by the USAAF and based at Bolling Field, Laredo, Peru and Brazil for similar duties as the war progressed. The designation OA-13B applied to two G-21As impressed by the USN in 1945, for similar use, though it seems they never actually took delivery due to the ending of the war.
Total Goose production 1937-1945 was just 345 aircraft, only about half of which survived their first ten years of military or naval service. By the mid 1950s military and naval survivors were being sold as surplus to requirements and passing into civilian use. The McKinnon Corporation undertook various conversions to make the floats retractable as in the Catalina and re-engined others with cheap Lycoming engines or expensive turboprops. However most survivors continued to be used as designed retaining Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB2 Wasp Junior engines of pre war design. By 1965 only 82 Geese were still airworthy and all were in civilian hands.
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Who flew the Goose in the Classic Propliner era and where did they fly them?
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Despite its high operating costs and poor payload the following airlines are known to have used the Goose during its second lease of life in the classic propliner era, (1945-1969). During that phase of its life the Goose was closely associated with the west coast of North America, but also operated elsewhere.
Alaska Coastal Airlines
Were based in Juneau flying multiple bus stop coastal routes to Anchorage. They had nine Geese flying these schedules by 1958.
Antilles Air Boats
Was formed in 1964 to fly inter island services using the Goose within the US Virgin Islands but especially between St. Thomas and St.Croix.
Avalon Air Transport
Goose schedule from Long Beach to Catalina Island. Goose complement probably peaked at eight just before the name changed to Catalina Airlines in 1963.
Bahamas Airways
This airline, based in the British Empire, began life as a PAA subsidiary and during that time BA became the fourth airline to operate the Goose. The Geese were retained after it became a BOAC subsidiary and flew from Nassau to all airfields in the Bahamas but especially Abaco Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island and Grand Bahama. Frequent international charters to Florida and less frequently all across the Caribbean. From 1956 BA flew a Goose schedule to Grand Turk via San Salvador Island, Mayaguana and Grand Inagua. The Goose briefly disappeared from Nassau but before the end of the classic era it was reintroduced by Out Island Airways.
BC Airlines
Were based in Vancouver flying scheduled services from towns on both coasts of Vancouver Island to the airfields on the mainland BC coast but especially Powell River and Vancouver acting as local feeder line for Canadian Pacific. They also flew a scheduled service up the west coast of Vancouver Island and a scheduled service up the BC coast. The main aircraft used for these services was the Beaver floatplane, but BC also used two or three Geese for most of the classic era.
BNP Airways
Flew three Geese in competition with BC Airlines over the same network for most of the classic era.
British Guiana Airways
Flew several Geese from its hub at Georgetown to all major domestic towns plus Dominica, Trinidad, St Vincent and Barbados.
Catalina Channel Airways
Goose schedule from Long Beach to Catalina Island in competition with Catalina Airlines.
Ellis Airlines
Were based in Ketchikan flying mostly bus stop routes through Sitka to Juneau but from 1952 Ellis also had an international service to Prince Rupert in British Colombia. Ellis had nine Geese by 1958. After Alaska Coastal and Ellis merged during the classic era they were easily the most prolific operator of the Goose.
Flugfelag Islands (later aka Iceland Airways)
Flew Goose charters from their hub at Reykjavik to anywhere in Iceland. Probably the equal fifth airline operator of the Goose. I suspect that the USN based some JRFs in Iceland and that some were auctioned there as war surplus in 1947.
Kodiak Airways
Flew schedules from Kodiak to Lazy Bay or Karluk or Port Williams plus regional Goose charters. Kodiak had three Geese by 1964.
Laurentian Air Services
Flew Goose charters to riverine and lake shore communities from Ottawa plus a Goose schedule to Saint Jovite.
Loftleidir (later aka Icelandic Airlines)
Based Reykjavik flew an extensive network of Goose services to remote communities from about 1947 until 1952. Probably the equal fifth airline operator of the Goose.
Mackey Airlines
Goose charters from Fort Lauderdale to the Keys and the islands of the Caribbean, but most usually the Bahamas.
Midwest Aviation
Goose charters from Winnipeg to regional lake shore and riverine communities.
Naka Japan Airlines
During the sixties Goose charters to anywhere in Japan from Nagoya, but mostly to the many smaller islands.
Ontario Central Airlines
Main hub at Kenora but also operated from Ball Lake and Red Lake on demand. Goose regional charters and semi regular feeders from Kenora to domestic regional major airports.
Out Island Airways
During the 1960s reintroduced the Goose to Nassau and offered charters to the outer islands of the Bahamas.
Pacific Western Airlines
PWA seems to have become a Goose operator quite late in the classic era, operating a couple in the 1960s after retiring both the Catalina and the Mallard. I think one was probably based in Vancouver flying feeders from the communities along the BC coast and the other in Edmonton serving the communities along the shores of the Great Slave Lake.
Reeve Aleutian Airways
Reeve operated mostly large aircraft but had a single Goose for most of the classic era. I believe it flew mostly charters from Anchorage along the Aleutian chain, but it may well have been based somewhere down the chain.
Southeast Airlines
Goose schedule Miami - Marathon Key - Key West.
Standard Airways
Goose charters from Burbank, probably mostly to Catalina Island.
Western Alaska Airlines
Had several Geese based at Dillingham and King Salmon flying local charters.
A few Geese served with airlines not mentioned above after the classic era.
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How do I simulate these operations within FS9
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Now you know who flew the Goose, and where they flew the Goose, here are a few hints on how to fly the Goose.
The important thing to remember is that we are flying an aircraft from the vintage era before WW2. Certification standards were much lower. Maximum MAP and maximum rpm are available only for 60 seconds. We must not abuse the limited availability of TOGA MAP and rpm from vintage era engines. The engines are also prone to harmonic vibration. We must not allow rpm to drop below 2000 in flight. We must pay particular attention to this when descending with reduced MAP. It is not necessary to run the Wasp Junior engines oversquare, but in flight we must avoid MAP so low that rpm collapses below 2000 (with or without the screws fully fine).
The real engines require manual mixture control. Unless FS9 users have real life experience I strongly recommend that they turn auto mixture ON in the realism screen regardless. There are no cowl flaps to worry about. The landing flaps are quite fragile and although there are two stages the first is almost redundant. Neither can be used in excess of 110 MIAS and neither is normally used for take off due to the risk of exceeding 110 MIAS with flap still extended. Stage 1 flap can be used for short take offs from a dry uniced surface if we have the skill (see later). Use of any flap for landing on water is optional due to possibility of spray damage. The same applies when landing on skis, however great care and skill is required when landing without flap on any land runway (see below).
The gear can, and should be, used as an air brake.
Due to the non retractable floats, lack of gear bay doors, and strut braced tail the co-efficient of drag is quite high so don't expect Beech 18 cruising velocity. On the other hand, provided drag (IAS) is restrained climb is impressive and standard practice is to retard directly from TOGA power to climb power without using METO. More details, cautions and warnings in the Goose_ref.txt handling notes along with fuel planning and cruise yields.
Once it is in flight the Goose is a docile aeroplane with no particular vices. It is fairly easy to take off from, and land on, water. However this self indulgent air yacht was never designed to operate from land and as an amphibian it has problems. The tail down angle is very slight. This makes it easy to see where we are going during ground handling, but it becomes a problem during a runway take off, and a bigger problem during a runway landing.
It isn't really possible to rotate a Goose from a runway. This would just slam the tailwheel back onto the runway. We must only gently encourage it into the air on a short runway and on a long runway we will treat it like a WW2 fighter and leave it to unstick of its own accord. This means that correct take off trim is especially important.
The tailwheel is just about strong enough to protect the chined hull if it is slammed down by over rotation during take off, but it probably won't survive being slammed down first during a runway landing. Consequently landing on a runway requires a lot of skill. The flaps are present mostly to pitch the nose down into the landing attitude for a runway landing on the wheels. The Goose must be landed with little pitch applied, and well in excess of the stalling speed, because it must be landed with a pitch well below the stalling angle.
The Goose was designed long before there was a default or standard glidepath. In the vintage era each aircraft had its own correct glidepath. Approaching a runway the correct glidepath for the Goose is shallow, nose low and fast so that the touchdown is on the mainwheels, not the fragile tailwheel. This means that the Goose makes a poor bushplane unless used to serve riverine and lake shore communities from water, or from somewhere with a long runway and an unobstructed approach.
The flaps provide substantial nose down pitch to assist this process, but at the expense of substantial drag, so it takes plenty of power to hold the shallow glidepath. Approach rpm target is 2200. At low MAP this will require full fine screws. Once the screws are set full fine keep the MAP high enough to sustain at least 2000 rpm. The screws should anyway be set full fine late on final approach in case of go around. Glide approaches with minimal MAP are not a good idea in the Goose. The landing characteristics of the Goose precluded use from aircraft carriers.
The need to fly a shallow powered glidepath over an unobstructed approach was no problem to experienced hydroplane pilots, but it was the opposite of what most landplane pilots of the vintage era were experienced in delivering. The RAF operated lots of flying boats and seaplanes. So did most vintage era navies and coast guards. On the whole the USAAC didn't. I explained the consequence earlier.
So be warned the chined watertight hull will cost many thousands of dollars to repair if we destroy the tailwheel in a tail first runway landing, and I have made it about as difficult to avoid this as I think it probably is in real life, which means that these FD are much less lenient than many FS9 users may be used to. It should not spoil our enjoyment of Bill Lyon's Goose as any accident will occur right at the end of the flight. Bill's sound files don't include expensive_rending_metal.wav so after a runway landing always take a look to see if the hull survived.
If we touchdown on a runway at less than 80 MIAS we risk tail strike. It can be done, but it's a risk. Landing on water won't be a problem, but the technique is the same; and with the gear up of course. When landing on a runway do remember that amphibians don't have a gear warning horn. Before landing (an amphibian) on a runway, get the gear down and the wheel brakes off, BEFORE doing the downwind checks and always include both states in the runway downwind checks.
Never being airborne at less than 80 MIAS also makes it easier to deal with the consequence of engine failure in an aircraft which did not have feathering screws as standard.
Handling on the water and on the ground has been made easier than real life since few users have access to multiple throttles for use in FS9.
I have included reduced octane and adulterated fuel operating criteria in the on screen handling notes for those who wish to experiment with that complexity. The operating range, and combat radius, of the Goose easily exceeds the value invariably quoted in every 'Boys Book of Wonderplanes', but endurance to fuel exhaustion was only around six hours so that it was at best a coastal patrol asset and not a real maritime patrol asset. The Goose was however almost ideally suited for 'Coast Guard' operations including anti smuggling operations and air sea rescue.
If we simulate operation from skis we must keep the gear extended throughout the flight. Retracting skis will rip the hull open. Note however that operation of a Goose from skis was always (and still is) forbidden in Canada. It was commonplace in Alaska, Iceland and Sweden. We won't see the skis in FS9 but we can still use them and practice the correct and difficult procedures for high latitude bush flying.
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INSTALLATION - changes to the original code - integrated use with the Propliner Tutorial
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The virtual cockpit environment supplied by Bill Lyons has been modified to ensure that sightlines are correctly blocked so that glidepath and attitude compliance are evident during the difficult final approach phase to a runway. Use obscuration of the intended point of touchdown to judge glidepath and attitude. Bill's VC environment is suitably atmospheric, and ideal for learning realistic techniques of navigation by visual reference to the scenery, using any tourist map or atlas.
Real Sectional and Terminal Area Charts (TAC) for the United States, including Alaska, but excluding Hawaii, are also available for download from Avsim.com. Due to their size and complexity these are best displayed on a second monitor. The revised cockpit environment and the supplied flight dynamics are fully compatible with operation down to real VFR minima, or to real IFR minima. Most relevant instrument approach charts are available for free download from the relevant regulatory authorities.
The approach and landing characteristics of the Goose are not readily compatible with the mandated glidepath of precision approaches such as ILS, but the Goose makes a good non precision approach instrument trainer and fits very well with the arrival, approach and departure training exercises described in parts 3 and 4 of the Propliner Tutorial. Once you are familiar with the basics of handling the Goose, why not take the a locally based USN JRF Goose for a spin around some realistic instrument training in Maine, including a real instrument approach to a real water runway as explained and illustrated in the Propliner Tutorial?
A late classic era autopilot and modern avionics stack are available (SHIFT + 2). I have replaced the autopilot provided by Bill Lyons as its heading function required a slaved gyro compass although none was provided in his VC.
IMPORTANT - Autopilots that do work correctly in FS9 without a slaved gyro compass are rare. The replacement fully functional classic era autopilot used in this enhanced realism package is by Hans-Joerg Naegele and Jan Visser. It is part of the gauges cab which is a component of the DZN L-049A Constellation package. To fully utilise this enhanced realism package for the Goose it is necessary to download and install the original FS9 DZN L-049A package and then to also COPY (not move) the gauges cab from its panel folder to the FS9 gauges folder. I imagine that anyone interested in this enhanced realism package for the Goose has already installed the DZN Constellation, but may not yet have copied the gauges cab to the FS9 gauges folder to make its content available in other aircraft. This enhanced realism package will work without this step, but it will have no autopilot. No default Microsoft autopilot without an autothrottle is suitable. They all require a slaved gyro compass.
The ILS gauge provided below the radio stack (SHIFT + 2) can be used as a U.S. Army Signal Corps Receiver (SCR) to home Radio Ranges as described in Part 2 of the Propliner Tutorial, or to practice conventional VOR + DME navigation, or VOR/NDB + DME approaches, or indeed ILS approaches. The ADF needle is incorporated within the Radio Magnetic Indicator on the VC main blind flying panel. The full function modern autopilot provided on the pop up will come in useful during instrument training, but should not be needed at most other times. The real Goose only had a Sperry (or similar Lear) autopilot as installed in the default DC-3.
The default trim gauge provided by Bill, but created by Microsoft, is functionally inoperative as the supplied scale does not match the trim wheel motion. I have replaced it with a functional default trim gauge and have also added that gauge to the radio stack.
IMPORTANT - The radio stack must be invoked with SHIFT + 2 from within the VC to trim the Goose for take off.
After that it can be hidden most of the time as we will rarely wish to interact with the canned Microsoft ATC whilst flying a Goose. Of course it can be closed, but a useful tip to remember is that when flying from the VC any and all pop up panels can be grabbed with the mouse and slid down to the bottom of the monitor screen until they just peep above the bottom of the monitor from where they can be grabbed later with the mouse and slid anywhere at any time. That way they do not block our lines of sight whilst we look around the VC or through the side windows of the VC. To get rid of the ugly, out of place, default Microsoft Windows border around the sub panel just right click the sub panel and select the undock option.
When flying the Goose, after undocking it, we will normally slide the modern radio stack down and right so that only the top left corner is visible for grabbing with the mouse when we next need it. For instrument training from within the VC it can instead be slid to the top left of the monitor, and slid up to display only those elements of the sub panel required for the training exercise. Remember too that it can be resized at will with the mouse if it is difficult to read on a particular monitor. If you are not familiar with these flight simulation processes please practice the techniques just described before flying this enhanced realism package, or using it for instrument training.
The real Goose had an avionics sub panel like that in the default DC-3 and I like to fly with the realistic avionics panel unless I intend to simulate use of autopilot, radio ranges, or ILS. The realistic avionics stack is invoked with SHIFT + 4. It is entirely possible to have both the realistic and modern avionics sub panels open in the VC at the same time. They are auto slaved and will update one another. Just undock the realistic avionics sub panel and slide it to bottom left so that only its top right corner is showing for grabbing later. You may wish to resize it with your mouse too. When intending to fly from the VC environment in FS9 it is a good idea to activate, undock, and if you feel the need to resize, all the useful available sub panels and drag them to the very edges of the monitor as part of your start up checks. However the FS9 GPS has such a negative effect on frame rates that most users should invoke it with SHIFT + 3 only when needed and close it afterwards.
As I have explained in the California Classics forum flying boats were navigated over water using RDF which was the original form of GPS. Using GPS to navigate multi crew aircraft over water any time from about 1923 onwards is realistic. Consequently GPS is available via SHIFT + 3. That second seat on the right isn't for a co-pilot. It's for the Navigator who is also the Wireless Operator in real life. Just remember that use of RDF/GPS was forbidden over the United States (Hawaii excluded). Use of point source classic era avionics and procedures was mandatory over the CONUS and so single crew operation of the Goose was standard procedure over land. In the vintage and classic eras the GPS moving map suffered slow update. Accordingly it should be consulted (at most) only once every tenth minute to obtain a position update when flying over water. When flying the Goose over water open and close it accordingly. Make changes of heading no greater then 5 degrees rounded to five degrees every ten minutes or so if the latest GPS update indicates a need to change heading to regain flight plan track during an over water leg.
This enhanced realism update is intended to be used wholly from within Bill's excellent VC environment so I have made the 2D mini panel invisible by default, but it can still be selected with SHIFT + 1, or the FS9 Views menu, or via a right click of the mouse. Those are the only changes to Bill's panel code. Bill's hotspots and invisible effects gauges within his VC all work as described in his original read me which is not repeated in this enhanced realism release and must be retained for hotspot reference.
The Flight Dynamics on the other hand have been written from scratch using the real certification schedules. For convenience the aircraft.cfg supplied retains aliases to Bill's MDL, its offsets, his VC and textures, as I cannot imagine anyone wishing to use a different Goose MDL, VC or textures within FS9.
IMPORTANT - The handling notes, hints and / or checklists supplied by Bill do NOT apply to this enhanced realism release which can only be operated in accordance with the advice above and the supplied step by step on screen handling notes in Goose_ref.txt.
IMPORTANT - Using any ZOOM factor other than 1.0 within MSFS just turns it into a children's game in which every object in the scenery and mesh is distorted and displayed at a false LAT, LON (and glidepath) whilst the gauges continue to point instead to the real LAT, LON (and glidepath) of that scenery object. Everything we need to see to operate the Goose for 99% of the flight is visible by default in the revised VC. The roof panel must be consulted from time to time using a mouse, or a hat switch, or the keyboard to scroll, but we see things where they really are in the outside world, and the real height of things in the outside world only at ZOOM = 1. Never use a ZOOM other than 1.0 in a flight simulator.
IMPORTANT - Back up Bill's original aircraft.cfg by renaming it to aircraft.old. Also rename the original Goose_Ref.htm to Goose_Ref.htm.old. Copy the supplied goose_ref.txt, FSAgoose.air and aircraft.cfg, together with this file, into the Goose folder. They should not then overwrite anything as they will have different file names. Now open the panel folder and back up Bill's panel.cfg by renaming it to panel.old. Copy the supplied panel.cfg into the panel folder.
You are now ready to explore all aspects of the Goose enhanced realism package within FS9 and to explore the places, the routes, the departures, the arrivals and the approaches that it flew in real life, in any real weather, or just to use it to become proficient in instrument flying procedures using the propliner tutorial.
FSAviator 12/06
since this plane is suggeted for training missions in FsAviator's tutorial, I decided to post the readme here.
Best regards,
Volker
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Who flew the Goose in real life and what was it used for?
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The Grumman G-21 was both the first Grumman monoplane and their first multi engined aircraft. Designed in 1936 it was closely based on the more numerous Grumman J2F Duck. In fact the hull of the G-21 was really a giant Duck float big enough for people to sit inside. However unlike the J2F it was intended as a civilian executive transport and at first Grumman expected to deliver only a dozen of these very expensive 'air yachts' to assorted tycoons during 1937-38.
The 1937 price was 68,000 USD unfurnished. More than two thirds of the price of a new 24 seat DC-3 with more than double the installed power. These early examples had only four passenger seats. Nine remained in the United States, one was delivered to the media tycoon Lord Beaverbrook in England, and the other two went to the Australian oil company Asiatic Petroleum as VIP transports for use around New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies. All were quickly modified to G-21A standard. This allowed an increase in max gross weight, improved handling on land, and reduced spray at speed on the water. Most importantly the hand wound landing gear which was really little more than beaching gear in the G-21 became hydraulic landing gear which turned the G-21A into a true amphibian.
Thirty more G-21As mostly for civilian use were produced slowly from May 1938 to September 1942. New purchasers within the United States included the Ford Motor Company and Colombia University. One U.S. oil company had a G-21A based in Venezuela from around 1939 onwards. Lord Beaverbrook sold his G-21 and acquired a G-21A. This was subsequently impressed by the RAF and destroyed off Libya in December 1942. Only one airline ever purchased a G-21A direct from Grumman and that was the Dutch colonial airline KNILM. They had two based in the Dutch East Indies. One crashed in 1940 and the other was shot down in January 1942. The German financed Lloyd Aero Boliviano either cancelled their order or a single G-21A, or resold the aircraft in the US before delivery, or were denied delivery.
The RCAF took delivery of one in June 1938 and three more by the end of 1940. I believe these were all based near Ottawa, but the RCAF then purchased or impressed a further ten from U.S. and Canadian civilian owners by the spring of 1942. Some, and later perhaps many, of these were based near Vancouver. Back then American aircraft tended to have a designation but no name. This was the opposite of British Empire practice. The narrow track undercarriage of the G-21A caused it to waddle on the ground and so in the British Empire it became known officially as the Goose. This British Empire designation eventually passed into general use. The Peruvian Air Force was the other military purchaser of the G-21A, taking delivery of four either side of Christmas 1938. One of these Peruvian G-21As would later become N327 featured by Bill Lyons. In 1944 TACA de Venezuela became the third airline to operate the G-21A. I believe they procured the one that had always been based in Caracas and continued to fly it from there; though it seems to have crashed soon afterwards.
The USAAC soon took an interest in these luxury VIP transports and ordered 26 designated OA-9 delivered between November 1938 and October 1939. Like all the early examples these had only four seats in the luxury cabin, but many later served in the air sea rescue role. Operating flying boats and amphibians wasn't something the USAAC were good at and they managed to crash no fewer than eleven of these before December 1941, and then lost two more at Wheeler Field during the attack on Oahu. Post war the USAF designation confusingly became just A-9.
During 1938 the U.S. Navy decided it deserved to have the latest VIP transport aircraft too. They perceived the G-21A to be a 'Twin Duck' and at first gave it the designation J3F. A single J3F served as a VIP transport based at NAS Anacostia from September 1938. Then the USN decided it wasn't a Twin Duck and the designation changed to JRF. So the single J3F-1 was followed by five hardly different USN VIP transports with the designation JRF-1 delivered either side of Christmas 1939. Two civilian G-21As were also impressed by the USN under that designation in 1942. The five JRF-1As delivered around Christmas 1939 had a side hatch which could be used to deploy a target drogue or through which a camera could be used to photograph ships, but they too seem to actually have been employed as yet more VIP US Navy transports until early 1942. Some of these early USN transport variants later passed to the USMC for VIP use.
The seven JRF-2s were air ambulances for the USCG. They were delivered from July 1939 to May 1940. Later they would also find useful employment in the air sea rescue role. One was presented to the Bolivian Air Force in 1942.
The G-21B was a flying boat with no landing gear. Only twelve were built for the Portuguese Navy during 1940 and these were optimised for armed anti smuggling duties aimed at Chinese pirates. These had gun positions fore and aft as well as external bomb racks. They were the only model delivered with guns. They were based in Portuguese China (Macau harbour) until about 1951.
The JRF-3 was the first Goose with de-icing equipment and an autopilot. Three went to the USCG in November 1940 for transport and patrol use in Alaska. Some G-21As including the ex Peruvian N327 were later brought up to JRF-3 standard and the enhanced realism package replicates the JRF-3 with de-icing and autopilot capability.
The JRF-4 was the JRF-2 with external bomb racks for anti submarine patrol. The USN received ten from December 1940. Two civilian G-21As were later impressed and modified to this standard. After the war the survivors passed to the Argentine Navy and Coast Guard who used them into the early 1960s and then sold the lone survivor to the Paraguayan Navy. Yes they actually have a Navy.
The main production variant was the JRF-5. 184 were delivered very slowly to the US Navy between July 1941 and October 1945. It incorporated as standard all the features of all earlier models, including bomb racks. Many of these passed to the USCG after the war taking the designation JRF-5G and served until the mid fifties. Ten were presented to the Brazilian Air Force for anti U boat operations over the Central Atlantic in 1942. Soon after two more were donated to the Cuban Navy to hunt down U boats in the Caribbean. Sixteen were transferred to the RCAF 1944-45 and these served until 1956. Seven were transferred to the RAF at about the same time who immediately passed two of them to the RCAF. The five retained by the RAF were probably based in Trinidad. After the war some USN aircraft were passed to Argentina and again two survivors eventually joined the Paraguayan Navy. At least one was donated to Peru by the USN after the war.
In 1952 up to a dozen passed to the French Navy for combat operations in Vietnam, followed by up to a dozen more in 1954. Some of these became the first gunships to operate against the Viet Minh. After defeat by Ho Chi Minh these two Goose squadrons redeployed to New Caledonia in the Pacific and to Algeria where they flew armed anti smuggling patrols from Algiers (Maison Blanche). Later they flew a diplomatic and naval communication schedule between France, French Morocco and French Senegal (Saint Mandrier - Casablanca - Dakar) until 1961.
When Japan was encouraged by the United States to acquire a 'Maritime Self Defence Force' in 1954 four JRF-5s were donated by the USN to help get Japanese re-armament going.
The JRF-6B was the JRF-5 without bomb racks purchased by Britain under cash and carry arrangements as a maritime navigation trainer for the RAF and subsequently delivered under lend lease arrangements instead. 44 were acquired early in 1942. However five were diverted as extra air sea rescue aircraft for the USAAF to partially make good their losses (becoming OA-9s) and one was donated to the Bolivian Air Force, so the RAF actually operated only 38. Two were transferred to the RCAF in 1944. Initially the RAF based them all in Trinidad. Primarily used as maritime navigation trainers they also served as light transports and in the air sea rescue role.
However in 1943 a handful moved to the UK where they were used by civilian pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary service to collect and return crews who had delivered combat flying boats from factories to operational flying boat bases around the UK coastline. From 1943 a few also served with 24 Squadron RAF as VIP transports. These were based at RAF Hendon in North London. RAF Hendon is now the site of the RAF Museum but no longer an aerodrome. The milk run for these Geese would have been the short haul to Poole Harbour near Bournemouth to feed the BOAC Short Empire shuttle to Shannon. Northolt may be substituted for Hendon in FS9.
To British Empire forces the G-21A with no de icing or autopilot was the Goose I, the bomb carrying JRF-5 was the Goose II and the JRF-6 with de-icing and AP, but no bomb racks, was the Goose IA. The Goose did not serve with the Royal Navy who preferred the Grumman Gosling. None were lost and after the lease terminated in August 1945 all 38 passed to the USN. In 1951 one was sold to the Swedish Air Force taking the designation Grumman Tp81, serving until 1962 in the air ambulance role equipped with skis as necessary.
The designation OA-13A was given to three civilian G-21As impressed in 1942. Two passed to PAA as VIP transports for use in support of US diplomatic operations based in Africa and the Middle East. This made PAA the second airline to operate the Goose, (but in USAAF livery). The other was retained by the USAAF and based at Bolling Field, Laredo, Peru and Brazil for similar duties as the war progressed. The designation OA-13B applied to two G-21As impressed by the USN in 1945, for similar use, though it seems they never actually took delivery due to the ending of the war.
Total Goose production 1937-1945 was just 345 aircraft, only about half of which survived their first ten years of military or naval service. By the mid 1950s military and naval survivors were being sold as surplus to requirements and passing into civilian use. The McKinnon Corporation undertook various conversions to make the floats retractable as in the Catalina and re-engined others with cheap Lycoming engines or expensive turboprops. However most survivors continued to be used as designed retaining Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB2 Wasp Junior engines of pre war design. By 1965 only 82 Geese were still airworthy and all were in civilian hands.
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Who flew the Goose in the Classic Propliner era and where did they fly them?
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Despite its high operating costs and poor payload the following airlines are known to have used the Goose during its second lease of life in the classic propliner era, (1945-1969). During that phase of its life the Goose was closely associated with the west coast of North America, but also operated elsewhere.
Alaska Coastal Airlines
Were based in Juneau flying multiple bus stop coastal routes to Anchorage. They had nine Geese flying these schedules by 1958.
Antilles Air Boats
Was formed in 1964 to fly inter island services using the Goose within the US Virgin Islands but especially between St. Thomas and St.Croix.
Avalon Air Transport
Goose schedule from Long Beach to Catalina Island. Goose complement probably peaked at eight just before the name changed to Catalina Airlines in 1963.
Bahamas Airways
This airline, based in the British Empire, began life as a PAA subsidiary and during that time BA became the fourth airline to operate the Goose. The Geese were retained after it became a BOAC subsidiary and flew from Nassau to all airfields in the Bahamas but especially Abaco Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island and Grand Bahama. Frequent international charters to Florida and less frequently all across the Caribbean. From 1956 BA flew a Goose schedule to Grand Turk via San Salvador Island, Mayaguana and Grand Inagua. The Goose briefly disappeared from Nassau but before the end of the classic era it was reintroduced by Out Island Airways.
BC Airlines
Were based in Vancouver flying scheduled services from towns on both coasts of Vancouver Island to the airfields on the mainland BC coast but especially Powell River and Vancouver acting as local feeder line for Canadian Pacific. They also flew a scheduled service up the west coast of Vancouver Island and a scheduled service up the BC coast. The main aircraft used for these services was the Beaver floatplane, but BC also used two or three Geese for most of the classic era.
BNP Airways
Flew three Geese in competition with BC Airlines over the same network for most of the classic era.
British Guiana Airways
Flew several Geese from its hub at Georgetown to all major domestic towns plus Dominica, Trinidad, St Vincent and Barbados.
Catalina Channel Airways
Goose schedule from Long Beach to Catalina Island in competition with Catalina Airlines.
Ellis Airlines
Were based in Ketchikan flying mostly bus stop routes through Sitka to Juneau but from 1952 Ellis also had an international service to Prince Rupert in British Colombia. Ellis had nine Geese by 1958. After Alaska Coastal and Ellis merged during the classic era they were easily the most prolific operator of the Goose.
Flugfelag Islands (later aka Iceland Airways)
Flew Goose charters from their hub at Reykjavik to anywhere in Iceland. Probably the equal fifth airline operator of the Goose. I suspect that the USN based some JRFs in Iceland and that some were auctioned there as war surplus in 1947.
Kodiak Airways
Flew schedules from Kodiak to Lazy Bay or Karluk or Port Williams plus regional Goose charters. Kodiak had three Geese by 1964.
Laurentian Air Services
Flew Goose charters to riverine and lake shore communities from Ottawa plus a Goose schedule to Saint Jovite.
Loftleidir (later aka Icelandic Airlines)
Based Reykjavik flew an extensive network of Goose services to remote communities from about 1947 until 1952. Probably the equal fifth airline operator of the Goose.
Mackey Airlines
Goose charters from Fort Lauderdale to the Keys and the islands of the Caribbean, but most usually the Bahamas.
Midwest Aviation
Goose charters from Winnipeg to regional lake shore and riverine communities.
Naka Japan Airlines
During the sixties Goose charters to anywhere in Japan from Nagoya, but mostly to the many smaller islands.
Ontario Central Airlines
Main hub at Kenora but also operated from Ball Lake and Red Lake on demand. Goose regional charters and semi regular feeders from Kenora to domestic regional major airports.
Out Island Airways
During the 1960s reintroduced the Goose to Nassau and offered charters to the outer islands of the Bahamas.
Pacific Western Airlines
PWA seems to have become a Goose operator quite late in the classic era, operating a couple in the 1960s after retiring both the Catalina and the Mallard. I think one was probably based in Vancouver flying feeders from the communities along the BC coast and the other in Edmonton serving the communities along the shores of the Great Slave Lake.
Reeve Aleutian Airways
Reeve operated mostly large aircraft but had a single Goose for most of the classic era. I believe it flew mostly charters from Anchorage along the Aleutian chain, but it may well have been based somewhere down the chain.
Southeast Airlines
Goose schedule Miami - Marathon Key - Key West.
Standard Airways
Goose charters from Burbank, probably mostly to Catalina Island.
Western Alaska Airlines
Had several Geese based at Dillingham and King Salmon flying local charters.
A few Geese served with airlines not mentioned above after the classic era.
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How do I simulate these operations within FS9
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Now you know who flew the Goose, and where they flew the Goose, here are a few hints on how to fly the Goose.
The important thing to remember is that we are flying an aircraft from the vintage era before WW2. Certification standards were much lower. Maximum MAP and maximum rpm are available only for 60 seconds. We must not abuse the limited availability of TOGA MAP and rpm from vintage era engines. The engines are also prone to harmonic vibration. We must not allow rpm to drop below 2000 in flight. We must pay particular attention to this when descending with reduced MAP. It is not necessary to run the Wasp Junior engines oversquare, but in flight we must avoid MAP so low that rpm collapses below 2000 (with or without the screws fully fine).
The real engines require manual mixture control. Unless FS9 users have real life experience I strongly recommend that they turn auto mixture ON in the realism screen regardless. There are no cowl flaps to worry about. The landing flaps are quite fragile and although there are two stages the first is almost redundant. Neither can be used in excess of 110 MIAS and neither is normally used for take off due to the risk of exceeding 110 MIAS with flap still extended. Stage 1 flap can be used for short take offs from a dry uniced surface if we have the skill (see later). Use of any flap for landing on water is optional due to possibility of spray damage. The same applies when landing on skis, however great care and skill is required when landing without flap on any land runway (see below).
The gear can, and should be, used as an air brake.
Due to the non retractable floats, lack of gear bay doors, and strut braced tail the co-efficient of drag is quite high so don't expect Beech 18 cruising velocity. On the other hand, provided drag (IAS) is restrained climb is impressive and standard practice is to retard directly from TOGA power to climb power without using METO. More details, cautions and warnings in the Goose_ref.txt handling notes along with fuel planning and cruise yields.
Once it is in flight the Goose is a docile aeroplane with no particular vices. It is fairly easy to take off from, and land on, water. However this self indulgent air yacht was never designed to operate from land and as an amphibian it has problems. The tail down angle is very slight. This makes it easy to see where we are going during ground handling, but it becomes a problem during a runway take off, and a bigger problem during a runway landing.
It isn't really possible to rotate a Goose from a runway. This would just slam the tailwheel back onto the runway. We must only gently encourage it into the air on a short runway and on a long runway we will treat it like a WW2 fighter and leave it to unstick of its own accord. This means that correct take off trim is especially important.
The tailwheel is just about strong enough to protect the chined hull if it is slammed down by over rotation during take off, but it probably won't survive being slammed down first during a runway landing. Consequently landing on a runway requires a lot of skill. The flaps are present mostly to pitch the nose down into the landing attitude for a runway landing on the wheels. The Goose must be landed with little pitch applied, and well in excess of the stalling speed, because it must be landed with a pitch well below the stalling angle.
The Goose was designed long before there was a default or standard glidepath. In the vintage era each aircraft had its own correct glidepath. Approaching a runway the correct glidepath for the Goose is shallow, nose low and fast so that the touchdown is on the mainwheels, not the fragile tailwheel. This means that the Goose makes a poor bushplane unless used to serve riverine and lake shore communities from water, or from somewhere with a long runway and an unobstructed approach.
The flaps provide substantial nose down pitch to assist this process, but at the expense of substantial drag, so it takes plenty of power to hold the shallow glidepath. Approach rpm target is 2200. At low MAP this will require full fine screws. Once the screws are set full fine keep the MAP high enough to sustain at least 2000 rpm. The screws should anyway be set full fine late on final approach in case of go around. Glide approaches with minimal MAP are not a good idea in the Goose. The landing characteristics of the Goose precluded use from aircraft carriers.
The need to fly a shallow powered glidepath over an unobstructed approach was no problem to experienced hydroplane pilots, but it was the opposite of what most landplane pilots of the vintage era were experienced in delivering. The RAF operated lots of flying boats and seaplanes. So did most vintage era navies and coast guards. On the whole the USAAC didn't. I explained the consequence earlier.
So be warned the chined watertight hull will cost many thousands of dollars to repair if we destroy the tailwheel in a tail first runway landing, and I have made it about as difficult to avoid this as I think it probably is in real life, which means that these FD are much less lenient than many FS9 users may be used to. It should not spoil our enjoyment of Bill Lyon's Goose as any accident will occur right at the end of the flight. Bill's sound files don't include expensive_rending_metal.wav so after a runway landing always take a look to see if the hull survived.
If we touchdown on a runway at less than 80 MIAS we risk tail strike. It can be done, but it's a risk. Landing on water won't be a problem, but the technique is the same; and with the gear up of course. When landing on a runway do remember that amphibians don't have a gear warning horn. Before landing (an amphibian) on a runway, get the gear down and the wheel brakes off, BEFORE doing the downwind checks and always include both states in the runway downwind checks.
Never being airborne at less than 80 MIAS also makes it easier to deal with the consequence of engine failure in an aircraft which did not have feathering screws as standard.
Handling on the water and on the ground has been made easier than real life since few users have access to multiple throttles for use in FS9.
I have included reduced octane and adulterated fuel operating criteria in the on screen handling notes for those who wish to experiment with that complexity. The operating range, and combat radius, of the Goose easily exceeds the value invariably quoted in every 'Boys Book of Wonderplanes', but endurance to fuel exhaustion was only around six hours so that it was at best a coastal patrol asset and not a real maritime patrol asset. The Goose was however almost ideally suited for 'Coast Guard' operations including anti smuggling operations and air sea rescue.
If we simulate operation from skis we must keep the gear extended throughout the flight. Retracting skis will rip the hull open. Note however that operation of a Goose from skis was always (and still is) forbidden in Canada. It was commonplace in Alaska, Iceland and Sweden. We won't see the skis in FS9 but we can still use them and practice the correct and difficult procedures for high latitude bush flying.
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INSTALLATION - changes to the original code - integrated use with the Propliner Tutorial
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The virtual cockpit environment supplied by Bill Lyons has been modified to ensure that sightlines are correctly blocked so that glidepath and attitude compliance are evident during the difficult final approach phase to a runway. Use obscuration of the intended point of touchdown to judge glidepath and attitude. Bill's VC environment is suitably atmospheric, and ideal for learning realistic techniques of navigation by visual reference to the scenery, using any tourist map or atlas.
Real Sectional and Terminal Area Charts (TAC) for the United States, including Alaska, but excluding Hawaii, are also available for download from Avsim.com. Due to their size and complexity these are best displayed on a second monitor. The revised cockpit environment and the supplied flight dynamics are fully compatible with operation down to real VFR minima, or to real IFR minima. Most relevant instrument approach charts are available for free download from the relevant regulatory authorities.
The approach and landing characteristics of the Goose are not readily compatible with the mandated glidepath of precision approaches such as ILS, but the Goose makes a good non precision approach instrument trainer and fits very well with the arrival, approach and departure training exercises described in parts 3 and 4 of the Propliner Tutorial. Once you are familiar with the basics of handling the Goose, why not take the a locally based USN JRF Goose for a spin around some realistic instrument training in Maine, including a real instrument approach to a real water runway as explained and illustrated in the Propliner Tutorial?
A late classic era autopilot and modern avionics stack are available (SHIFT + 2). I have replaced the autopilot provided by Bill Lyons as its heading function required a slaved gyro compass although none was provided in his VC.
IMPORTANT - Autopilots that do work correctly in FS9 without a slaved gyro compass are rare. The replacement fully functional classic era autopilot used in this enhanced realism package is by Hans-Joerg Naegele and Jan Visser. It is part of the gauges cab which is a component of the DZN L-049A Constellation package. To fully utilise this enhanced realism package for the Goose it is necessary to download and install the original FS9 DZN L-049A package and then to also COPY (not move) the gauges cab from its panel folder to the FS9 gauges folder. I imagine that anyone interested in this enhanced realism package for the Goose has already installed the DZN Constellation, but may not yet have copied the gauges cab to the FS9 gauges folder to make its content available in other aircraft. This enhanced realism package will work without this step, but it will have no autopilot. No default Microsoft autopilot without an autothrottle is suitable. They all require a slaved gyro compass.
The ILS gauge provided below the radio stack (SHIFT + 2) can be used as a U.S. Army Signal Corps Receiver (SCR) to home Radio Ranges as described in Part 2 of the Propliner Tutorial, or to practice conventional VOR + DME navigation, or VOR/NDB + DME approaches, or indeed ILS approaches. The ADF needle is incorporated within the Radio Magnetic Indicator on the VC main blind flying panel. The full function modern autopilot provided on the pop up will come in useful during instrument training, but should not be needed at most other times. The real Goose only had a Sperry (or similar Lear) autopilot as installed in the default DC-3.
The default trim gauge provided by Bill, but created by Microsoft, is functionally inoperative as the supplied scale does not match the trim wheel motion. I have replaced it with a functional default trim gauge and have also added that gauge to the radio stack.
IMPORTANT - The radio stack must be invoked with SHIFT + 2 from within the VC to trim the Goose for take off.
After that it can be hidden most of the time as we will rarely wish to interact with the canned Microsoft ATC whilst flying a Goose. Of course it can be closed, but a useful tip to remember is that when flying from the VC any and all pop up panels can be grabbed with the mouse and slid down to the bottom of the monitor screen until they just peep above the bottom of the monitor from where they can be grabbed later with the mouse and slid anywhere at any time. That way they do not block our lines of sight whilst we look around the VC or through the side windows of the VC. To get rid of the ugly, out of place, default Microsoft Windows border around the sub panel just right click the sub panel and select the undock option.
When flying the Goose, after undocking it, we will normally slide the modern radio stack down and right so that only the top left corner is visible for grabbing with the mouse when we next need it. For instrument training from within the VC it can instead be slid to the top left of the monitor, and slid up to display only those elements of the sub panel required for the training exercise. Remember too that it can be resized at will with the mouse if it is difficult to read on a particular monitor. If you are not familiar with these flight simulation processes please practice the techniques just described before flying this enhanced realism package, or using it for instrument training.
The real Goose had an avionics sub panel like that in the default DC-3 and I like to fly with the realistic avionics panel unless I intend to simulate use of autopilot, radio ranges, or ILS. The realistic avionics stack is invoked with SHIFT + 4. It is entirely possible to have both the realistic and modern avionics sub panels open in the VC at the same time. They are auto slaved and will update one another. Just undock the realistic avionics sub panel and slide it to bottom left so that only its top right corner is showing for grabbing later. You may wish to resize it with your mouse too. When intending to fly from the VC environment in FS9 it is a good idea to activate, undock, and if you feel the need to resize, all the useful available sub panels and drag them to the very edges of the monitor as part of your start up checks. However the FS9 GPS has such a negative effect on frame rates that most users should invoke it with SHIFT + 3 only when needed and close it afterwards.
As I have explained in the California Classics forum flying boats were navigated over water using RDF which was the original form of GPS. Using GPS to navigate multi crew aircraft over water any time from about 1923 onwards is realistic. Consequently GPS is available via SHIFT + 3. That second seat on the right isn't for a co-pilot. It's for the Navigator who is also the Wireless Operator in real life. Just remember that use of RDF/GPS was forbidden over the United States (Hawaii excluded). Use of point source classic era avionics and procedures was mandatory over the CONUS and so single crew operation of the Goose was standard procedure over land. In the vintage and classic eras the GPS moving map suffered slow update. Accordingly it should be consulted (at most) only once every tenth minute to obtain a position update when flying over water. When flying the Goose over water open and close it accordingly. Make changes of heading no greater then 5 degrees rounded to five degrees every ten minutes or so if the latest GPS update indicates a need to change heading to regain flight plan track during an over water leg.
This enhanced realism update is intended to be used wholly from within Bill's excellent VC environment so I have made the 2D mini panel invisible by default, but it can still be selected with SHIFT + 1, or the FS9 Views menu, or via a right click of the mouse. Those are the only changes to Bill's panel code. Bill's hotspots and invisible effects gauges within his VC all work as described in his original read me which is not repeated in this enhanced realism release and must be retained for hotspot reference.
The Flight Dynamics on the other hand have been written from scratch using the real certification schedules. For convenience the aircraft.cfg supplied retains aliases to Bill's MDL, its offsets, his VC and textures, as I cannot imagine anyone wishing to use a different Goose MDL, VC or textures within FS9.
IMPORTANT - The handling notes, hints and / or checklists supplied by Bill do NOT apply to this enhanced realism release which can only be operated in accordance with the advice above and the supplied step by step on screen handling notes in Goose_ref.txt.
IMPORTANT - Using any ZOOM factor other than 1.0 within MSFS just turns it into a children's game in which every object in the scenery and mesh is distorted and displayed at a false LAT, LON (and glidepath) whilst the gauges continue to point instead to the real LAT, LON (and glidepath) of that scenery object. Everything we need to see to operate the Goose for 99% of the flight is visible by default in the revised VC. The roof panel must be consulted from time to time using a mouse, or a hat switch, or the keyboard to scroll, but we see things where they really are in the outside world, and the real height of things in the outside world only at ZOOM = 1. Never use a ZOOM other than 1.0 in a flight simulator.
IMPORTANT - Back up Bill's original aircraft.cfg by renaming it to aircraft.old. Also rename the original Goose_Ref.htm to Goose_Ref.htm.old. Copy the supplied goose_ref.txt, FSAgoose.air and aircraft.cfg, together with this file, into the Goose folder. They should not then overwrite anything as they will have different file names. Now open the panel folder and back up Bill's panel.cfg by renaming it to panel.old. Copy the supplied panel.cfg into the panel folder.
You are now ready to explore all aspects of the Goose enhanced realism package within FS9 and to explore the places, the routes, the departures, the arrivals and the approaches that it flew in real life, in any real weather, or just to use it to become proficient in instrument flying procedures using the propliner tutorial.
FSAviator 12/06