Engine Controls

[Anaxogoras]

High fidelity engine controls are necessary to accurately represent the different strengths and weaknesses of various aircraft that fought in WW2.  We already model different armaments, different top speeds, different levels of canopy visibility... What's the argument that we should only go so far? 

[Bronk]

High fidelity engine controls are necessary to accurately represent the different strengths and weaknesses of various aircraft that fought in WW2.  We already model different armaments, different top speeds, different levels of canopy visibility... What's the argument that we should only go so far? 

Search, already been covered.

[Anaxogoras]

Search, already been covered.

So?  Just because there have been unconvincing arguments made in the past against high fidelity engine controls doesn't mean it shouldn't be brought up again.

[Motherland]

The thing that most people like about AH is that it's an even balance between hardcore simming and fun. I would rather it more torwards the 'hardcore simming side', with engine controls, but some others don't. We can't all have it the way we want it. Though, if it could be modeled, with an 'on' and 'off' function, and one arena with engine management and one without, that would be great.

[colmbo]

While realistic engine management would be fun I don't see that it would add a lot to the "air combat" side of a game.  Many times games make engine management out to be a whole lot "more" than it is in real life.

If your "bounced" while in cruise flight?  Not a big deal. For any airplane with a constant speed prop (which is nearly all WWII aircraft) all you do is move the prop to high RPM and the mixture to rich..takes all of a couple of seconds to do on a single engine airplane.  Even on a B-17 or B-24 (which I have about 600 hours in) it only takes a moment longer to make power changes.  Engine cooling management?  A glance at the temp gauge then a bump of a lever or switch to adjust cowl flaps is all it takes.

IMO time would be better spent on improving the "damage model" for the engine.  As things are now we run around at 100% power all the time with no worries...real life you can't normally do that without risking damage to the engine.  Make it costly to abuse the engine and "engine management" will occur out of need.

[Anaxogoras]

IMO time would be better spent on improving the "damage model" for the engine.  As things are now we run around at 100% power all the time with no worries...real life you can't normally do that without risking damage to the engine.  Make it costly to abuse the engine and "engine management" will occur out of need.

I would hope that more realistic engine controls would be added at the same time as a better engine damage model.

I also like the idea of engine controls being optional.  Perhaps they would only be required for scenarios and FSO's.  It would be a way to introduce it without all of the whining and teeth-gnashing over greater realism.

[zoozoo]

Ermm Cntrl D?

[Motherland]

Control D brings up the damage list... what does that have to do with anything?

[BnZ]

One could conceivably make an "engine burn-out limiter" that would limit ones use of WEP as it does now, but also have the option of shutting the limiter off and running her wide-open till something blows...kind of like how the stall-limiter works ingame now.

While realistic engine management would be fun I don't see that it would add a lot to the "air combat" side of a game.  Many times games make engine management out to be a whole lot "more" than it is in real life.

If your "bounced" while in cruise flight?  Not a big deal. For any airplane with a constant speed prop (which is nearly all WWII aircraft) all you do is move the prop to high RPM and the mixture to rich..takes all of a couple of seconds to do on a single engine airplane.  Even on a B-17 or B-24 (which I have about 600 hours in) it only takes a moment longer to make power changes.  Engine cooling management?  A glance at the temp gauge then a bump of a lever or switch to adjust cowl flaps is all it takes.

IMO time would be better spent on improving the "damage model" for the engine.  As things are now we run around at 100% power all the time with no worries...real life you can't normally do that without risking damage to the engine.  Make it costly to abuse the engine and "engine management" will occur out of need.