JBK DC-4 Fuel Question

[Deleted]

I saw the JBK models now upgraded to FSX native, I no longer have the originals but was curious if somebody could check the config file and let me know what is the fuel tank capacity and number for this one.

My reason for asking is a dilemna. I have the Flight Replicas DC-4 and had not given long range flying in it a thought UNTIL I decided to do a swap on the Australia to Vancouver run done by BCPA in the late 1940's. BCPA cross hired the DC-4 from ANA (later Ansett) and started the service via NZ, FIJI, Canton Island, Honolulu then San Franciso then Vancouver. With its low speed to start with I cannot figure out how they did it fuel wise. The leg Canton Island requires 3500 gallons, the FR only had 1800 gallons total but the data from Douglas says 3450, so I changed it to those figures, but there is still not enough fuel to do this, no reserves fixed or variable, so I am stumped as to how they managed to get the 4 with passsengers all that way across the Pacific and back flying that route - a mystery. I know there was a capacity to put aux tanks in the fuselage behind the crew which had no gauges and they had to check in flight, so I guess that is how it was done, long ride with all that fuel sitting in a large tank at the back of your head. Would appreciate the figures from the JBK models if possible.

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

From the JBK C-54A-F folder:

[fuel]
Total 3804 USG of which 3740 USG usable = 22,824lbs
LeftMain=0,-10,0,1002,16
RightMain=0,10,0,1002,16
LeftAux=0,-20,0,900,16
RightAux=0,20,0,900,16

From the DC-4 1009/C-54G folder:

[fuel]
Total 3600 USG of which about 3560 USG usable=21,600lbs
LeftMain=0,-10,0,1000,20
RightMain=0,10,0,1000,20
LeftAux=0,-20,0,800,20
RightAux=0,20,0,800,20

Hope this helps,

[jwh]

I have several ANA DC-4 manuals, both pilot and flight engineer.

In the Loading Information part of the pilot's manual the fuel capacity is as follows:

No.1 & 4 Main 998 Gallons.
No.1 & 4 Aux. 862 Gallons.
No.2 & 3 Main 1016 Gallons.
No.2 & 3 Aux. 724 Gallons.

Which gives a total of 4,200 gallons.

The load charts are dated 1/10/1948.

And I think it would have been rare to have a full load of 44 passengers for the Trans-Pacific flights. I have a passenger list for one trip back to Australia in 1947 with probably under 30 passengers two of which joined the aircraft in Nadi. On the list is Viscount Knollys and Mr. Whitney-Straight who would have been going to Sydney for discussions with QANTAS about purchasing the Avro Tudor.

In the front of the manual there are some hand written notes regarding fuel or the Darwin-Singapore leg of the Air Ceylon service ANA operated.

It states as follows:
Darwin-Singapore (Kallang) 2025 Gallons.
Alternative-Butterworth 475 Gallons.
Reserve 500 Gallons.

Total 3000 Gallons.

This was for Aircraft VP-CBD.

I have flown the DC-4 using this manual to replicate the Air Ceylon service from Sydney to London without any fuel problems but have not done the Pacific in the DC-4, only the L-749 Constellation. It is on my list of flights to do so it will be interesting to see how I go with the fuel.

Hope the figures above may be of some help.

John

[Deleted]

Thanks Tom, John. Interesting all different tank quantities. From high 4200 to 3804 to 3600 to low of 1800 gallons. I guess it was one of those instances where the manufacturer could go up or down depending on what you required for your operation, must have had a flexible wing structure but I do recall the DC-4 had a poor reputation for the tank management controls and their ergonomics. Qantas almost lost a DC-4 enroute to Hong Kong when the engines quit in the middle of the night due to that factor, incorrect fuel tank selection and reselection.

JWH thanks for that additional information re ANA. Yes light loads, BCPA generally only carried about 20 or so bods across the pond in the DC-6.

Well at least Mike Cyul at Flight Replicas generously made clear in the manual for the DC-4 that there were different fuel setups and just change the config file to increase tank quantities, I have done that and it is still well under MTOW which is good, now to do the trip. The Honolulu San Francisco run is going to be a long one too.

[Defender]

Mike,

Possibly worthwhile searching online for the C-54/DC-4 FAA Spec ref A-762. The C-54E/G and DC-4 8 tank versions had the same capacity as your ANA figures, that's 3,600 USG. The A/B/D versions lacked the inner 362 USG cell tanks but had provision for 2x464 USG fuselage tanks. About 50 USG was system (unusable) fuel so you can see where the JBK figures come from.

Bill

[jwh]

After having a closer look at the fuel tables in the ANA manual it would appear that the figures mentioned above are US Gallons. In another table they give the weight of 10 gallons as 60 pounds which would equate to US gallons. The 4,200 US Gallons quoted in the manual would then be adequate for the Canton leg mentioned by Mike.