MONDAY MAIL RUN #15 (The last leg): Reno to San Francisco

[Storm]

This final leg will be in DH-4Bs. We haven't flown these before. Please download from here. This iconic aircraft, designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built initially by Airco, first flew in 1916 and was used as a fighter in World War I. After the war, the US Post Office standardized on the DH-4B for airmail, with a powerful Liberty engine as well as other mods. Most vintage airmail airfield pictures have at least one DH-4B in the shot. Even the 1922 4th of July parade picture from Reno last week showed a DH-4B.

Week 15: Reno, NV to San Francisco, CA via Auburn CA. (Note the original flight did not stop at Auburn; that is just for our convenience.) Depart: KRNO (Reno/Tahoe International). Nearest airport to original 1920s airmail departure. Intermediate stop: KAUN (Auburn Municipal). Arrive: KSFO (San Francisco International). Nearest working airport to original 1920s airmail destination. The original airport was called Marina Field, just 2 nmi from where the Golden Gate Bridge was later built. Aircraft: DH-4Bs only. Please download from here. Flight plan: Maps and light plan details here.

All that remains to commemorate Marina Field is an old plaque on a flag post.
You can see the flag post on Google Street View here.

[Storm]

DH-4 now downloadable! The plane we're aiming to fly is here: http://tinyurl.com/storms-dh4 - Monday Mail Run pilots please install. We still need to do a group test before Monday's flight to check impact on frame rates when there's a whole bunch of us flying it together. Perhaps we can do that after one of the Sunday group flights. Enjoy! :eagerness:

[Coast]

DH-4 now downloadable! The plane we're aiming to fly is here: http://tinyurl.com/storms-dh4 - Monday Mail Run pilots please install. We still need to do a group test before Monday's flight to check impact on frame rates when there's a whole bunch of us flying it together. Perhaps we can do that after one of the Sunday group flights. Enjoy! :eagerness:

Thanks AGAIN Storm for all your hard work. It has literally transformed this flight sim community for me for the better. Very few people can do all the things you can do with such skill and generosity.

-Coast

[Storm]

Flying notes for the DH-4:
http://tinyurl.com/storms-dh4

PERFORMANCE
Sea-level:
Max speed: 1780 rpm, 124 kts (143 mph). Range: 435 nmi. Endurance: 3.49 hours.
75% cruise: 1630 rpm, 113 kts (130 mph). Range: 504 nmi. Endurance: 4.44 hours.

7,000 ft:
Max speed: 1720 rpm, 108 kts (124 mph). Range: 539 nmi. Endurance: 4.51 hours.
75% cruise: 1590 rpm, 98 kts (113 mph). Range: 612 nmi. Endurance: 5.64 hours.

Overspeed: 2000 rpm, 160 kts (184 mph) though the ASI needle stops at 165 mph.

Stall: 39 kts (45 mph) heavy, 34 kts (39 mph) light.
Final approach (Vref): 60 mph heavy load, 50 mph light load. (ASI is in mph.)

GENERAL
The 449 horsepower Liberty V12 engine provides a lot of acceleration, even at full weight.
The rudder is quite large so watch the ball under the compass during turns.
The rudder also helps ground handling, which is good with differential brakes, despite the tail skid.
There is no vertical speed indicator, in line with aircraft of the period, and the altimeter is crude.
There is no magic fuel-air mixture gauge!
The compass is magnetic*, not gyroscopic, so allow for lag when turning or accelerating.
(*It simulates viewing the underside of a magnetic compass card through a forward tilted mirror.)

RECOMMENDED DEPARTURE
Full power with a little right rudder.
Acceleration is rapid.
Tail starts to lift between 45 and 50 mph.
Ease back on the stick at 70 mph.

RECOMMENDED APPROACH
Side-slip bleeds off speed quite well.
Aim for 60 mph on short final.
Side-slip for visibility, right wing down + left rudder, keeping the ASI in view.
Add throttle to control descent rate but careful to add speed as engine is powerful.
Straighten up over the threshold.

RECOMMENDED WEIGHT & BALANCE
Keep your tanks as full as you can (up to 135 gallons) and your cargo heavy (400 lbs of mail).
The engine is so heavy that with lighter loads the CofG goes a long way forward.
Consequently light loads require very gentle ground handling to stop a nose-over.
Flying heavy is fine because the powerful engine gives plenty of acceleration.

RECOMMENDED ABS SETTING
There is no ABS switch provided in the DH-4. This is because:
(a) It wasn't invented until 1929, and
(b) You will nose-over too easily.
If you have ABS assigned on your keyboard, keep it OFF.

LIGHTS
The DH-4 had simple lights consistent with the era.
Therefore note the nav lights bring on the landing lights at the same time.
I have fitted my vintage, yellowy mod to a Shockwave landing light.
If you don't like that, add two slashes ("//") to the front of the relevant line in aircraft.cfg.

WINDSHIELD
The windshield is not fully transparent and catches sunlight and panel lights a little.
This is in the model, not any editable textures, and cannot be changed - sorry.

FRAME RATES
In multiplayer testing with five DH-4s, we have found some detrimental effect on frame rates.
However, it seems better than the WACO, even if not as good as the Orion or the Monomail.
Consequently, though not ideal, it seems OK to fly the DH-4 in a group.

SOUNDS
Engine:
The unmodded sounds were originally for a radial (Vega) rather than a V12 (DH-4) - a big change.
I changed them to Gypsy engine sounds and included some custom edits.
To enjoy a fuller range of sounds, try listening in F11 view occasionally and spooling up.

Aerodynamic:
Wind-in-the-wires, stall and overspeed, tail skid.

EFFECTS
There's new twin exhaust smoke available on the "I" key.

LIVERIES
The red livery is from a 2006 restoration by Glenn Peck.
The green and sandy liveries are fictitious FSX-only by me.
Please see here: http://peckaeroplanerestoration.com/DH-4/dh4.htm

And thank you, Coast, for your kind words!

[Storm]

Flight plan:

KRNO > KAUN:
* Follow I-80 (either very low or high enough to see winding route over trees).

KAUN > Sacramento:
* Follow I-80 till edge of Sacramento.
* Where I-80 breaks off right to orbit Sacramento, go straight on instead.
* Keep Capitol building on right wing, right at cloverleaf, and rejoin I-80.

Sacramento > Oakland:
* Follow I-80.

Oakland > Marina Field:
* Follow Oakland Bay Bridge, bear right along coast toward Golden Gate Bridge.

End flight options:
Option 1: Land on Marina Boulevard south of Marina Field.
Option 2: Continue on to KSFO by retracing along coast, keeping bay on right.

[Coast]

One of the curious things I have found, is how often an image of a DH-4 is encountered on the web related to the early airmail.

For example:

-Coast

[Storm]

Reminder! Bring your DH-4s to KRNO at 9pm ET for the final leg of our transcontinental airmail route. If you haven't downloaded it yet, pick it up here: http://tinyurl.com/storms-dh4

William "Big Bill" Blanchfield in the cockpit of his DeHavilland DH-4 at the Reno Airmail Field.

[Novawing24]

Thank you once again Storm for an outstanding series!

A few pics from the flight!

Safe Skies to all

Novawing24

[Lazerbolt]

Heres a short video from tonights great mail-run flight. Its just some un-edited clips put to music. Enjoy!

[Storm]

Nova: Great screenshots. Thank you! Lazer: Instantly my favorite video! The engine sounds plus the music are WONDERFUL. My cheeks are aching from the constant grin I've had since watching it.

:eagerness:

[Storm]

Frame rate solutions: I've posted the following as a separate file on my OneDrive, in the "Airco DH-4 mail plane" folder of Storm's Vintage Hangar.



!!! FRAME RATE WARNING !!!.txt

FRAME RATE WARNING
Airco DH-4

THE EFFECT
This aircraft causes some reduction of frame rate when flying in multiplayer with a group of other DH-4s.
Frame rates can plunge with several DH-4s present when you are looking in their direction.

WHY IT HAPPENS
It is thought the scalloped wings of the external model cause this, a price the original designer decided to pay for beauty.
Our factory floor mechanics are sorry but they cannot change the airplane to improve this.
They recommend that you are simply aware of this possibility when flying or parking groups of DH-4 together in multiplayer.
They also recommend that you aware of the possible effects of keeping the DH-4 in your hangar.
Please read on for recommendations.

IN YOUR HANGAR
Please remember that you do not have to be flying the DH-4 yourself for this to happen; you only need it installed in your hangar.
The important thing is whether or not you see DH-4s around you.

• In multiplayer, these DH-4s can be:
  • those flown by other people, or
  • substitutions by FSX for planes you do not have in your hangar.
• In single player the effect may be negligible, or at least less noticeable.

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
There is no known direct workaround, but there are several indirect workarounds.

1. When flying the DH-4 yourself with a group of other DH-4s:
   • Space out your airplanes so you no longer have direct visibility of everyone.
     • Flying line abreast formation, rather than line astern, reduces the effect.
     • Flight lead, who has no visibility of the rest of the formation, always experiences reduced effect.
   • Reduce your autogen scenery and/or scenery complexity settings to compensate.
   • Encourage all DH-4 pilots to switch off their smoke and lights.
   
   
2. When NOT flying the DH-4 yourself:
   • Swap it in/out of your main hangar when needed/not needed.
     • This is the strategy employed by Storm, using a "mothball" hangar.
   
   
3. Uninstall it or don't install it in the first place.
   This is a guaranteed permanent fix - but a shame, as the iconic DH-4 is a wonderful plane to fly!

[Coast]

Two screenshots from last night's mail run.

Novawing "caught" flying under the bridge again. Won't he ever learn that you must buzz the tower instead!



Passing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran



-Coast

[Novawing24]

Thank you Storm for all of your work in preparing these flights. It has been a momentus journey from East to West made all the better by the Trivia, the history and the friends.

Here's a little memory video for everyone!

Safe Skies

Novawing24