FS2004 North Central Douglas DC-3

Enhance your collection in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 with this freeware livery inspired by the historic North Central Airlines scheme. Created by Ed Knapp, this texture set pays homage to the classic Douglas DC-3 and accurately captures the airline’s unique design elements. You will need the base freeware model from the Fly Away Simulation library to use these textures.

Visual Overhaul and Notable Characteristics

The included repaint modifies the exterior textures to reflect North Central Airlines’ distinctive appearance on both fuselage sides. The painter has taken great care to align stripes and logos under certain texture limitations, ensuring the closest possible match to the original scheme.

Background on the Aircraft and Airline

Douglas furnished the DC-3 with features that revolutionized 1930s and 1940s commercial aviation. Its performance allowed airlines to operate at a profit by carrying passengers alone, which made it a mainstay for numerous operators worldwide. North Central Airlines, known for regional routes across the Midwestern United States, used classic propliners for dependable short and medium-haul service. This airline’s legacy is now preserved through this authentic repaint.

Installation Guidance

1. Unpack the contents into a temporary folder on your system.
2. Copy the folder named Texture.northcentral into the “Douglas_DC3” directory of your simulator (default path is usually: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9\Aircraft\Douglas_DC3).

Manual Edits in Aircraft Configuration

Open your aircraft.cfg file in the Douglas_DC3 folder. Insert the following lines:

[fltsim.x]
title=Douglas DC-3 North Central
sim=Douglas_DC3
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=northcentral
kb_checklists=Douglas_DC3_check
kb_reference=Douglas_DC3_ref
atc_id=N15598
atc_id_color=
ui_manufacturer=Douglas
ui_type="DC-3
ui_variation="North Central"
description="The Douglas DC-3 revolutionized air transportation and airline service during the 1930s and 1940s. It was a luxury airliner that boasted cabin heat and running water in its on-board lavatory. With the right balance of efficiency, range, speed, and payload, the DC-3 was the first aircraft to earn a profit for its owners just by carrying passengers. The hero of early airlines, a handful of DC-3s are still at work today."

• Replace the x in [fltsim.x] with the correct sequential number to ensure it matches the rest of your configuration entries.

Additional Notes

This texture repaint focuses on accurately reflecting North Central Airlines’ heritage while working within the constraints of the original model’s texture mapping. Minor imperfections may appear around the fuselage sides where alignment poses challenges, but the repaint is otherwise refined for both casual flyers and vintage aircraft enthusiasts.

Since this is only a paint package by Ed Knapp, the original freeware DC-3 model must be installed first. Acquire the base model through the Fly Away Simulation mod listings to complete the setup and fully enjoy this retro airliner.