Douglas Aircraft knew it had a winner with the DC-4, since it was obvious that with hundreds of military examples it would become the standard post-war long distance airliner. However, the presence of the Lockheed L-049, which was generating significant orders, led Douglas to decide to develop a stretched and improved version of the DC-4. Since the two major advantages of the L-049 were speed and pressurization, the new DC-6 would be powered by new and powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines, stretched by almost 7 feet over the DC-4, and would be pressurized to allow the plane to fly at fuel-economical high altitude, which also avoided the worst weather. Since this decision was made during WWII, it's not surprising that the actual DC-6 prototype was built to a USAAF requirement, the XC-112. The first flight didn't occur until February 15, 1946, however, and with the end of the war the military had little use for the plane. Douglas quickly converted it into a commercial project, which became the DC-6.
The airlines had seen the potential of the XC-112 long before the war ended, and orders were placed as early as September 1944 for post-war deliveries. American Airlines received the first plane (from it's 50 plane order) in November 1946, with United Air Lines following with it's 20 plane order. However, United had the honor of introducing the DC-6 into scheduled service, on the one-stop US transcontinental route, making the flight in only 10 hours. This compares quite favorably with the 11 hours taken by the L-049 Connie and 14 hours by the DC-4. The DC-6 did have one black mark on it's record; the plane was grounded for 4 months from November 12, 1947 following two internal fuselage fires. The last DC-6 was delivered to Braniff on November 2, 1951, the production line being used instead for the stretched DC-6B, with better economics (although slightly reduced performance). A total of 175 DC-6's were produced, and proved to be very reliable performers. Because of this reliability and ruggedness, many DC-6's are still flying today, mostly in cargo work.
Indicates
I built and painted the plane (or a Tom Gibson/Harry Follas or Tom Gibson/Greg
Pepper collaboration).
Indicates
someone else painted my plane - thanks!
FS2004 Flight model update available!
Exhaust flames and Startup flames/smoke Package by Wayne Tudor available!
To repaint the GMAX DC-6's you can use the Paint kit for GMAX DC-6B's. Contains layered PSD files (usable in both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro) which allow you to place your paint scheme between the bare metal layers and the windows and doors. Makes for fast painting! Note: there are no instructions in the file; follow the detailed instructions in my Repainting Tutorial. For the DC-6's the only change you need to make is shorten the nose textures by 100 pixels (see my existing BMP textures to see how I did this)(19 MB).
FS2004/FS2002/FSX American Airlines DC-6 1963. Greg Pepper
has created a GMAX DC-6B, and I've shortened it to create the DC-6!
Now with wing views and improved cockpit windows and cowl flaps! Here
is Flagship Oakland in the later American radar equipped colors. American
owned 50 DC-6's, and used them throughout their domestic system. Requires
the DC-6 Panel and Prop Sounds.
Last modified on 10/16/07.
FS2004/FSX American Airlines DC-6 1951. Jens Kristensen has taken
his great DC-4 and turned it into an early DC-6! He has painted it into the
first airline to take delivery, American. American owned 50 DC-6's, and
used them throughout their domestic system. Also includes United and Delta liveries.
Comes complete with panel. Thanks Jens! Last updated on 11/7/06. FS2002
version by Tom Gibson and Greg Pepper. Requires the DC-6
Panel and Prop Sounds. Last
modified on 3/17/03. FS2000 version.
Last modified on 9/16/01. FS98 version.
Last modified on 10/8/00.
FS2004/FS2002/FSX
United Air Lines DC-6 1958. I've painted up Greg's and my GMAX DC-6
into the last colors they wore at United, the "jet delivery" colors (although
propliners were painted in this scheme before the DC-8's arrived).
Now with wing views and improved cockpit windows and cowl flaps! Appropriate
to this site, this is the Mainliner California. Requires the
DC-6 Panel and Prop Sounds.
Last modified on 10/16/07. FS2000/FS98 version
by Joe McNulty. Thanks, Joe! Last updated on 12/25/00.
FS2002 Delta Air Lines DC-6. Jim Campisi and Tim Withers have
painted Greg's new DC-6 into the conservative colors of Delta, which used them
throughout the South. They were one of the few US airlines that owned
the DC-6 but not the DC-6B - Delta stepped up to the DC-7 and never looked back.
Before the '7 arrived, though, the trusty DC-6 was used in interchange service
to California too. Thanks Jim and Greg! Last modified on 6/30/03.
FS2000 version. Last modified on 9/16/01.
FS98 version. Last
modified on 10/8/00.
FS2004/FSX
early version by Jens Kristensen. Last updated on 11/7/06.
FS2004
United Air Lines DC-6. Wayne Tudor has painted up the GMAX DC-6 into
the delivery colors for the intial customer, United. UAL first called
them "Mainliner 300", since they cruised at 300 mph. Thanks, Wayne! Textures
only - requires one of the DC-6's above. Last updated on 1/10/05.
FS2000/FS98 version by Harry Follas.
Last updated on 8/20/00.
FS2004/FSX
early version by Jens Kristensen. Last updated on 11/7/06.
FS2004
United Air Lines DC-6. Here is Greg's DC-6 that Wayne Tudor has painted
into the later "white top" version of the classic United Scheme. Thanks!
Textures only - requires one of the DC-6's above. Last
updated on 1/12/05. FS2002 version by Harry
Follas. Last modified on 3/17/03. FS2000
version. Last modified on 9/16/01. FS98
version. Last updated on 12/25/00.
FS2000/FS98 British Commonwealth
Pacific Airlines DC-6. Harry Follas has painted up our new DC-6 into
the colors of BCPA, the first Australian airline to fly to the US. Thanks,
Harry! Last updated on 8/20/00.