1% Bombers Overheat immediately!

[ozzy72]

I have a few 1% Bombers from www.avhistory.org and, although great planes all (including the fighters I have), the bombers, particularly the B17 and B29 seem to overheat after only about a minute.

The only way to get off the ground at all, is to open cowl flaps 100% and not use WEP (which you really need to get the speed to lift - and the open cowl flaps do slow you down). Even then sometimes, they will stil be too hot and one will give out.

I was going to post at avhistory, but I really only like to post here. It's the only place I'm interested in talking to people.  ;D

Does anyone:

1. Have the problem also.
2. Know what causes it. (apart from a bad program)
3. Have a reasonably simple fix. (apart from 'player invincible).

Thanks.  ;D

[ozzy72]

Sounds pretty accurate to me Bren. Spitfires had to be got airborne v.quickly after firing up as their engines overheated.
Your best bet is to take a look in the cdp file and check the settings there, or alternatively try a better coolant like beer

Ozzy

[Hagar]

Sounds pretty accurate to me Bren. Spitfires had to be got airborne v.quickly after firing up as their engines overheated.
Your best bet is to take a look in the cdp file and check the settings there, or alternatively try a better coolant like beer

Ozzy

Ozzy. Think you mean the CFG file. Specifically Aircraft.cfg. It's not possible or necessary to edit the CDP.

I know the AvHistory guys have a good reputation & take great efforts over their realism. I'm not convinced that some of these "accurate" flight dynamics are too realistic. I cannot believe those old warbirds were that difficult to fly, especially with the sim on full realism settings.

[ozzy72]

Oops. You're quite right Doug, I do apologise, I'm typing rubbish again! Sorry Steve

Mark

[Professor Brensec]

Thank you people.

Your right about the level of realism, Hagar.

I find some of them very hard to fly (I alwaays use full realism in the Sims - what's the point otherwise - unless you're just learning).

The B17 particularly overheats before you get half way down the runway, unless you have Cowl flaps fully open and don't dare use WEP. Even then, they are o'heating by the time you're airborne. Of course then you loose the power of one or more engines, and then it's goodnight.

I'll have to post in the avhistory forum to see if these things are supposed to be like this.
I wouldn't know where to look in a cgf file........

Thanks.

[kevib1]

Hi Brensec,

We are a friendly bunch that post over on Avhistory and the guys that know are always only too happy to help.

I do have the B17 and can get it off the ground, usually.
As well as cowl flaps you can also play with the prop pitch which will make a lot of difference to the engine temperature. Reducing the pitch (lower %) will enable the engine to spin at higher reves which cools the radial engines plus letting more air in. Once speed increases along the runway it may be possible to increase the pitch to get max speed but I thikn most of the 1% planes give best performance with the pitch set to 80 - 90%.

As Ozzy said, once you have started the engines you need to get the wheels rolling straight away and open the cowl flaps all the way or feather the engines if you are taxiing.

The trick seems to be keeping them cool in the first place. Once they are hot you need a lot a airspeed to cool them down.

I hope this helps, and it's good to see more people flying the 1% planes. In my opinion they are much better to fly than the stock type planes.

Ozzi & Hagar,
I'm interested by your comments that the planes are hard to fly as I find all stock planes are incredibly twitchy and hard to fly as I now almost exclusively fly 1% planes.

Except, of course, for your excellent Korean campaigns Hagar, fantastic work!

[Hagar]

Hi Kev. I've only just spotted this. I have a lot of respect for you guys so keep up the good work.

Having only flown light aircraft for real I'm not qualified to comment on the realism of warbirds. Like you, I never fly the defaults (& rarely anything else in anger these days). I'm no hotshot combat pilot & have always been more interested in the development side of things. I've never played online & our stuff has always been for single player missions. We've always gone for playability & fun rather than absolute realism. This also affects the performance of the AI aircraft.

Thanks for the kind words. Hope you enjoy our work too.

[Professor Brensec]

Thanks for the info, Kev. Welcome to out little 'hidie hole'.

I love the 1% planes from AV. I have quite a collection. As you say, the stock planes do seem to be a bit 'touchy' on the stick. The 1%'s seem to be more gradual in their response.

Not knowing otherwise, I assume this is the way it was. it suits me anyway. It makes for a more challenging dogfight, especially when it's possible to over-stress the plane, which is impossible in the default planes.

Thank you and all the other blokes, for their hard work.

What's the story on 1% for CFS3. I haven't been to the site for a little while. is there a story about 1% planes for CFS3?
I can't play it on my PC, but I am curious for when I can.  ;D

[kevib1]

Hi guys,

Not wishing to give the wrong impression. My involvement with Avhistory and 1% is purely as an enthusiastic user who likes to put the word around whenever possible.



In my opinion the planes make for the best dogfighting due to the need to watch airspeed, and energy by using all the engine controls, plus trim and flaps, even fuel levels and if you get it wrong the plane will brake! It makes for a much greater challenge.
As for more realistic. I have never flown any plane (yet!), let alone these old warbirds so I shall just have to take the word of those who do develope them but they seem to handle more like I would expect.

Any luck getting the B17 in the air yet Brensec?
Did you read the readme files and kneepad notes as these often give the correct plane set up for take off and landing.

[Professor Brensec]

Yep. I read all the notes. There's nothing specific regarding settings for takeoff, other than the 'checksheet'.

I can get it off the ground if I'm on a longer strip (or overshhoot and kill a few people...... )
But it still, to my liking, and what I imagine, overheats far, far too quickly. After all these things had to start up, wait their turn and do a fair amount of taxiing before they could get up. I've seen film of about 20 B29's lined up at Tinian, all with engines running.
So it can't be right, as far as I can see.

Ok, the B17's in Britain and Europe wouldn't have had to queue as much, but still they had a reasonable wait before getting up.

Anyway, It's not the end of the world.

I know what you mean about the trim and sttings etc having to be right. I can't see that they way I can throw the Defaults around could possibly be accurate. But hey, what ever, it's all great as far as I'm concerned.

[Thunderboy]

Hi Prof Brensec- You need to ***Reduce PROP RPM*** in order not to overheat,(Probly 5 or 6 clicks)  in Radial engine A/C!
Cowl flaps provide minimum cooling! you need to have your keyboard setup well for maximum Radial engine control!I dogfight wuite a bit online and off in radials,and when I overheat, hit "Reduce prop rpm immidiate" or whatever its called. Never clonked out yet! Hope this helps!  ::)

[kevib1]

hi all,

Yep, Thunderboy is correct. And that is how the bombers could 'wait' or taxi prior to take off.

Having landed in a multiplayer game I idled on the runway for 5 mins with prop pitch set to 0% (or as close to as is possible) and the engine temp stayed at 80

[Hagar]

Sounds reasonable. I'm not sure if 0% is full fine or full coarse pitch.
In normal circumstances fine pitch is used only for take-off & landing.

[Thunderboy]

My general rule is below 200 kts, knock down the prop 4 clicks or so, and WATCH temp.
I have a new 1% Wildcat Campaign at Sim-Outhouse with a panel CFG in it that puts the 1%Wildcat temp guage where you can plainly see it, if you like fighter missions...

[Professor Brensec]

Thanks for the info. I'm at work now but I'll try it out on mine as soon as I get a chance and report back.

I have the P47 (Razorback), the all green one, and I've never had any temp probs with that, but then I'm usually flat out in that thing.

I don't know alot about variable props. My understanding is that when you reduce prop pitch, you are 'sharpening the angle' and hence, moving less air. This would reduce the load on the engine and reduce temp, obviously.
But why would it be 'recommended' to use low 'angles' or move less air, on takeoff. Isn't this when the prop is at it's less effective?

Oh well, I dunno. I'll give it all a go and hopefully it'll be OK.

Thanks for the invite to fly with you Kev. Where do you do it? Give me the IP and let me know when you're on next and I'll see if I can make it. The time difference can make it a bit difficult, but I'll see how I go.

(I'll have to get used to not 'overstressing' my plane..............lol )

Thanks all.  ;)