Cutting your engine: Valid tactic or Gaming the Game?

[Anodizer]

So, here I am, lined up perfectly on the tail of this LA in lead pursuit.  Got the angle but have no 20mm left and one of my 50's is hit and not operational.  But I'm close enough to do some damage at least.  So, I'm throttled down, ready for the attempt at an over shoot..
Then suddenly, the LA drops behind as if they ran into something (not a warp).  As he's passing by, I hear his doing the chug chug as it was just shut down, then I hear it start again when he gets behind me..  Luckily I was going faster than him, throttled up, hit wep, and climbed away until a squadie saved my butt just in time.   I've seen this tactic before used in guys mainly with Yaks and never thought much of it until I began to do some research..

In a radial air-cooled engine, the starting process is extremely complicated figuring 10-15 steps before even engaging the starter..  Not to mention they had a phenomena called Hydraulic Lock after the engine was shut down..  Since radial engines use copious amounts of oil, the oil leaks into the cylinders after shut down and needs to be drained before a restart can be attempted.  THIS CANNOT BE DONE WHILE IN THE AIR and requires a mechanic to perform.. 

As far as Liquid cooled in-line or Vee configured engines, I haven't researched that yet.. 

Just wondering what you guys thought..

[Fulmar]

I wouldn't call it gaming the game because the game lacks the realism of engine mechanics.  Gaming the game to me is using a known exploit excessively to achieve success.  We have to draw the line on realism.  If we were to provide the true realism of that raidal air cooled engine, imagine the exponential growth of 2 weekers asking for help on the issue.

[A8balls]

The engine continues to turn while in flight, just like the real thing, when the ignition is turned off. The engine continues to turn negating the oil drainage or any other "dead stop" characteristic of the engine.  The slowing of the plane occurs because the prop is now creating resistance (drag) instead of thrust. Just like in real life. 

[Roundeye]

In real life, radial engines can be shut down and restarted in flight no problem.  On radials, hydraulic lock does not immediately occur on shut down.   It can occur after sitting a while and must be checked for as a precaution, thats why you see the ground crews pulling the blades through before startup...just to check for it. 

As far as game tactic, its not any different than chopping the throttle. (kinda wierd to me to kill it rather than reducing to idle though but to each his own)

[g00b]

Actually your plane has more drag at idle than with the engine turned off. Turning your engine off in a dogfight is just dumb. The only valid tactic is for stealth. Gliding to sneak-attack a buff or GV is always fun.

[spit16nooby]

well i was going to say what goob said while typing on cellphone. so thanks for saving me the time.

[hubsonfire]

Someone from HTC posted about this a few years ago (Pyro, I think?). I believe the verdict was that it was no more effective than just pulling the throttle back to idle. Unrealistic? Sure. Gaming the game? Nope.

[jerkins]

Cutting the engine is a useless tactic and ive never seen it do more than simply chopping throttle.  If someone cuts their engine, im usually ready for an easy kill.

[Rollins]

Hub I think you're right, IIRC Widewing did some testing to prove the same.  No advantage to cutting engine, though I'm sure if you don't know any better you'd sure feel like a hot rod doin' it. 

[Urthona]

One thing to note is that the 'W" and "E" keys are right next to each other on the keyboard.  In the heat of a turn fight I have accidentally killed my engine on several occasions when I intended to retract flaps.

[Roundeye]

Turning your engine off in a dogfight is just dumb. The only valid tactic is for stealth. Gliding to sneak-attack a buff or GV is always fun.

I've heard of engine cutting for that reason, but that is nothing less than exploiting a flaw in the game.  I'm not saying its wrong to do because IMO, someone who is paying their own $14.95 a month can cut engines all they want.

But in the real world, you cannot hear another plane near you.  Your own plane's engine and wind noise is so loud, you couldn't hear a B-29 directly on your 6.  I've flown tight formation with another C-152 and you would not even know it was there unless you looked at it.

As far as sneaking up on GVs, no pilot in his right mind would SHUT DOWN his engine near the ground in the real world.   Thats onehelluva gamble.  It wouldn't be much quieter (if any) than the sound a diving plane with an idling engine makes anyway.

[Spikes]

As far as sneaking up on GVs, no pilot in his right mind would SHUT DOWN his engine near the ground.   Thats onehelluva gamble.  It wouldn't be much quieter (if any) than the sound a diving plane with an idling engine makes anyway.

I shut it down all the time while bombing GVs in my Ar.234. It's a valid tactic. Climb to 5K, and when you see a GV automatically shut off your engine, and start a dive, he'll never hear you coming.

[Roundeye]

I shut it down all the time while bombing GVs in my Ar.234. It's a valid tactic. Climb to 5K, and when you see a GV automatically shut off your engine, and start a dive, he'll never hear you coming.

Fixed my text.  I meant in the real world.  Sure, it works in the game, but would do nothing in real life other than put you in danger.

[g00b]

Can't find the source currently, but I guarentee "glide bombing" was actually used with effectiveness during WWII.

Fixed my text.  I meant in the real world.  Sure, it works in the game, but would do nothing in real life other than put you in danger.

[VansCrew1]

Why cut your engine when you can just reduce throttle?