How do you start a Douglas DC-3 cold and dark?

To start a Douglas DC-3 cold and dark in a flight simulator, secure it, select fuel, switch on battery power, set the propellers full fine, build fuel pressure, prime, crank with ignition on, introduce mixture as the engine fires, verify oil pressure, then repeat for the other engine using that model’s checklist.

This Aviation & Real-World Flying answer describes simulator operation, not an approved procedure for a preserved aircraft. Real DC-3 and C-47 variants have different engines, starters and fuel systems; an actual start requires trained crew, the aircraft’s approved checklist and suitable fire cover.

What does “cold and dark” mean on a DC-3 (что такое cold and dark)?

Cold and dark means the engines are stopped, the main electrical power is off and the aircraft’s systems have not been prepared for flight. It does not always mean the simulated engines have cooled to ambient temperature: some add-ons remember engine temperature and fuel state, while simpler aircraft do not.

A runway departure generally loads the DC-3 with its engines running. To practise the complete startup, begin at a parking stand or load a saved state specifically described as cold and dark.

Which procedure should you use for an FSX or MSFS DC-3?

Use the checklist supplied with the exact DC-3 package you have installed because mixture timing, priming and starter controls are not standardised across simulators.

For the stock FSX aircraft, our cockpit manual and checklist for the default FSX DC-3 gives the aircraft-specific control positions. Detailed C-47 and DC-3 add-ons may separately model an inertia starter, booster coil, primer, persistent engine condition and hydraulic lock; simplified models may combine several of those actions into one switch.

For an installed DC-3 in MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024, check the aircraft package, assistance settings and control bindings before assuming an FSX sequence will work unchanged. Our guidance on setting up a parking-stand cold-and-dark flight in MSFS 2020 explains the simulator-level preparation; MSFS 2024 follows the same broad principle, although its interface and individual aircraft packages can differ.

DC-3 cold-and-dark startup sequence

The following Douglas start sequence is a safe simulator baseline; the aircraft’s own checklist takes precedence wherever it specifies a different switch position or order.

1. Secure and configure the aircraft. Set the parking brake or chocks and confirm the landing gear control is down. Put the mixtures at idle cut-off, propeller levers at full fine or high RPM, throttles slightly open, carburettor heat cold and cowl flaps open. Switch off unnecessary electrical loads.
2. Check the saved engine state. Make sure failures have not been enabled and that the add-on is not reporting engine damage. A high-fidelity radial-engine model may require a simulated propeller pull-through or maintenance action after prolonged parking to clear a hydraulic lock. Use its preflight function; handling a real propeller is not a casual or safe substitute.
3. Select a tank containing fuel. Set each fuel selector to the main tank or start tank named by the checklist. Leave crossfeed in its normal position unless the aircraft documentation directs otherwise. A selector pointing at an empty tank is one of the most common reasons a correctly cranking engine never fires.
4. Apply electrical power. Switch on the battery or master and the beacon if modelled. Use external power when the add-on provides it and battery voltage is too low to maintain cranking speed. Leave heavy radio, lighting and heating loads off during the start.
5. Build fuel pressure and prime. Select the engine to be started, operate its booster pump and check for fuel pressure. Apply only the primer quantity appropriate to the model’s temperature and engine state. Our explanation of piston-engine primer use and over-priming covers why a warm engine usually needs less fuel than a genuinely cold radial.
6. Select the starter and ignition. Confirm the propeller area is clear. Choose the correct engine on any starter selector. If an inertia starter is modelled, energise and then engage it as instructed; a simplified aircraft may provide a single start switch.
7. Crank the engine. Set the magnetos to BOTH and operate the booster coil at the point required by the package. Some procedures apply ignition before starter engagement, while others wait until the propeller is turning. Do not assume that the starter switch also controls the magnetos.
8. Introduce mixture when required. In many detailed simulations, move the mixture from idle cut-off to AUTO RICH as the cylinders begin firing. If the supplied checklist calls for AUTO RICH before cranking, follow that procedure instead. Keep the throttle only far enough open for the engine to catch without racing.
9. Release the starter and stabilise. Once the engine runs independently, release the starter and set the checklist’s lowest smooth warm-up RPM. Verify that oil pressure rises promptly and remains inside the marked limits. Shut the simulated engine down if pressure does not appear; increasing RPM is not a remedy.
10. Start the other engine. Repeat the selector, fuel-pressure, priming, ignition and mixture sequence. Bring generators and other electrical loads online in the order specified by the aircraft checklist.

Which DC-3 engine should be started first?

Start the right engine first when the package follows the common right-then-left DC-3 sequence, but use the opposite order if its checklist says so.

The right engine is often started first to suit normal ground servicing and keep the left side clear, not because the radial engines mechanically require that order. A converted C-47, custom systems model or aircraft connected to ground equipment may use a different sequence.

What changes when starting an MSFS DC-3?

An MSFS DC-3 often fails to start because a hardware binding, assistance feature or custom cockpit system is overriding an otherwise correct procedure.

• Mixture axes: a noisy or duplicated hardware axis can pull a virtual mixture lever back to idle cut-off just as the engine fires.
• Magneto and starter bindings: generic commands may act on both engines or the wrong engine while the aircraft expects its cockpit selector to be used.
• Assistance: automated engine management can move fuel, mixture or ignition controls after the pilot has set them.
• Custom systems: some aircraft do not respond fully to generic keyboard commands because their switches are controlled by package-specific logic.
• Loaded state: a parking spawn, saved flight and runway spawn can each load a different combination of fuel selectors, battery state and engine condition.

The default keyboard profile in FSX and MSFS commonly assigns Ctrl+E to automatic engine start. Use it as a diagnostic tool: if automatic start works but the cockpit sequence does not, recheck a missed switch or conflicting binding. If automatic start also fails, inspect the selected fuel tank, failure state, battery power and any package-specific maintenance requirements.

Why does the DC-3 crank but not start?

A DC-3 that cranks normally but never fires is usually missing fuel, prime, ignition or correctly timed mixture rather than suffering a starter fault.

“It didn’t even start”: what should you check first?

If the propeller did not move at all, check electrical power and starter selection before touching the primer or mixture. Extra fuel cannot correct a starter that has not engaged and may flood the engine once cranking begins.

• Confirm that the battery or external-power source is connected and supplying voltage.
• Verify that the starter selector points to the intended engine.
• Use the virtual-cockpit starter to rule out an incorrect keyboard or controller assignment.
• Check whether an inertia starter must be energised before its engage control will work.
• Try automatic engine start once to separate an aircraft-state problem from a manual-sequence error.

How do you clear an over-primed DC-3 engine?

To clear a flooded simulated engine, return the mixture to idle cut-off, switch off the booster pump and crank using the throttle position specified by the aircraft checklist until the excess fuel clears. Observe the model’s starter duty cycle and allow it to cool between attempts.

Do not add more primer after every failed attempt. If repeated starts fail, work through our twin-piston starting and failed-start checks to isolate fuel, ignition, control and engine-specific faults.

What should you check after both DC-3 engines start?

After both engines are running, confirm lubrication, fuel, electrical and hydraulic indications before applying taxi power or switching on the remaining loads.

• Hold the checklist’s smooth warm-up RPM and monitor oil pressure and temperature on both engines.
• Confirm fuel pressure and leave booster pumps in the position required by that aircraft, rather than switching them off automatically.
• Bring each generator online as directed and verify that the battery is charging.
• Check hydraulic or pneumatic pressure if the package models those systems.
• Switch on radios, navigation equipment and lights in stages to avoid a sudden electrical load.
• Keep the cowl flaps open for ground operation unless the checklist specifies otherwise.
• Wait for the required minimum oil-temperature indication before performing a run-up or applying high power to the radial engines.