Fuel tank fires when out of fuel

[sullie363]

This evening I had a hole put in my main tank.  All the gas drained out and I was out of fuel.  Yes the auxiliary was empty.  Shortly there after, I got a little shot up and my main tank caught on fire.  So, my point is if the tank was devoid of fuel then how could it catch on fire?  

The reason this matters is during the times when you may be within gliding distance of your base.  Having a magical fire would prevent you from landing in most cases since it doesn't take that long for the fire to destroy the plane.

Regardless of hypothetical situations, no fuel = no fire.  It would be like a gun continuing to fire without bullets.  I would appreciate it if this was dealt with.

[Ohio43]

Im guessing even an empty tank has burnable vapors

[Karnak]

For a fire it would need fuel.  Vapor would explode.

It would be bad, maybe worse, but it would not be a sustained fire.

[Jnuk]

yeah i thought that at first too, but wouldnt that be more of a flash than a continued burning?

[sullie363]

Yeah, with just vapors the tank would explode.  Can we have that modeled in HT?

[lasersailor184]

Recent Headlines:  To add further insult to injury, HT made it so that planes that have run out of fuel will explode at first sight of enemy fighter.

[flakbait]

It's either a glitch in the damage model, or ol' HT hasn't figured out how to "turn off" the ability for an empty tank to light up. I'm willing to bet on the latter, since fluid leaks don't stop once the offending container runs outa liquid. But, that's another gripe.



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Flakbait [Delta6]

[TBolt A-10]

give me a second; this is related to this thread...

One time, I was reading a historical account that was written by an Allied fighter pilot, who was chasing down a damaged German fighter.    The black smoke stopped pouring out from the German fighter's engine compartment.  The Allied pilot noticed this and realized that the German pilot had chopped his throttle; forcing the Allied pilot to do the same in order to stay on the bandit's six.

In AH, the smoke never disappears...just like the fire you're all talking about.  I'm with you...it'd be nice to see the smoke and fire disappear at the appropriate times.

(pretty sure that the book was Thunderbolt! by Johnson)

[DaddyAck]

I agree, there does need to be changes made to the damage model.  This whole thing is good, but there is room for more realism.  (HTC you guys still ROCK) Please add more realism

[VWE]

Next time your over water and on fire, ditch or bounce off the water and see what happens to your fire.

[XtrmeJ]

I also think when that when your plane starts to leak fuel from one of your tanks, and it's completely depleted, the leak of fumes should stop as well.

[rshubert]

My old cessna 172 held 21 gallons in each wing tank.  Usable was 18 gallons.  That leaves 6 gallons for the fire when you crash out of fuel.

That's my theory, and I am sticking with it.



shubie

[sullie363]

But in this case there would be a hole in the tank.

[DaddyAck]

I was flying a formation of 17's a while back and took a hit to the number 2 engine.  It proceeded to flame up, so I proceeded to shut down that engine and put my plane into a moderate dive to try and put the flames out.  Roughly at the mid piont of the dive the flames began to go out then boom! I was expolded?!?!
Any thoughts on this?

[sullie363]

If you're plane catches fire, you had better be within 15 seconds of a base or you're dead.  I don't think engines can catch on fire so it was probably a wing tank.