Drop tanks: unfair advantage?

[sling322]

 

Originally posted by Ripsnort:
LOL, now flying with less than a full tank is "Gaming"...I believe I've heard it all now.  

I was gonna post something similar here Rip, but I have decided to just give  Gatt a 9.5 for originality and go on my way.

[outlaw]

I like the pic sancho........

I take 100% fuel in my stang at all times as one of it's biggest advantages to flying it is it's ability to run why limit this to lo fuel status     I only use DT's on long haul mission's like fighter sweeps over bishrook HQ  


outlaw 332nd fg

[SOB]

hehehe...you guys are too damned funny sometimes    While I am sorry that your Italian plane didn't have drop tanks, why should I have to suffer because of it?  If you don't like it, fly another plane?  If you don't want to fly another plane, then live with it.  All planes here have strong points and weak points.

My fuel loadout for fighting in the P51B is almost always 50%, and if I'm flying to a field that's gonna eat that up, I take 50% plus drop tanks.  If I'm JABOing, it's usually 75%, no tanks.


SOB

[SFRT - Frenchy]

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A P47 with 50% fuel still feels heavier than a P51 with 75% fuel, as far as I'm concerned.
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Just putting more confusion in a non sense thread... and I enjoy it.  

...Sancho hehehe WTG!  

------------------
Olivier "Frenchy" Raunier
   http://www.jump.net/~cs3" TARGET=_blank>63rd FS, 56th FG
"Zemke's Wolfpack"
You may want to fly above this red light, Olivier "Frenchy" Raunier while flight instructing on short final runway 04 KMLB.

[This message has been edited by SFRT - Frenchy (edited 04-24-2001).]

[Otter]

 

Originally posted by SOB:
hehehe...you guys are too damned funny sometimes    While I am sorry that your Italian plane didn't have drop tanks, why should I have to suffer because of it?  If you don't like it, fly another plane?  If you don't want to fly another plane, then live with it.  All planes here have strong points and weak points.

My fuel loadout for fighting in the P51B is almost always 50%, and if I'm flying to a field that's gonna eat that up, I take 50% plus drop tanks.  If I'm JABOing, it's usually 75%, no tanks.


SOB

So, it is not true as I have been told, that in the MA fuel use is accelerated and not an indicator of historical flight times?

Right now I am too lazy to go calculate the actual flight time for a YAK on 100% fuel, but I doubt it was only 25 minutes.



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Otter

[Bodhi]

Hey all, just my 2 cents for what it is worth, but most pilots in WW2 did use their fuel loads efficiently.  Some aircraft, like the mustang and Hog, are not within CG if they maneuver with full internal tanks.  So IMHO quit whining and learn counter tactics is all.  Cripes taking away drop tanks takes away the fun, and forcing fuel loads is a bit of a childish, "I wanna winn all the time ploy!"  Almost as bad as whining about HO's, that is about as ignorant too.

[SOB]

 

Originally posted by Otter:
So, it is not true as I have been told, that in the MA fuel use is accelerated and not an indicator of historical flight times?

Right now I am too lazy to go calculate the actual flight time for a YAK on 100% fuel, but I doubt it was only 25 minutes.

Laziness is a quality we share    Since the distances flown in the main are so much shorter than in RealLife™, there's a multiplier on fuel consumption.  I don't know what it is tho', and I'm too lazy to bother finding out.  I just fly and see how far my fuel ends up taking me...after a few sorties, you get a good sense for what load you need to take.


SOB

[Toad]

Don't get me wrong. I really don't care what you do in the game. It's your $30, fly what you like, like what you fly...don't worry about the other guy.

What DOES make me chuckle is the "selective reality" mode many of our more famous posters adopt.  

...and no, this isn't pointed at anyone specifically...it's a general comment.

[CavemanJ]

 

Originally posted by AKSeaWulfe:
Hey guys! Look at that! He's using the 4 gun loadout on the Pony instead of the 6 gun loadout! He's gaming the gun loadout!!!!
   
-SW

Ahhhh hell, I'm busted

 

[darling]

When I flew Hogs, I invariably took 75% + 1 or 2 DTs, depending on flight time/mission type. Now when I fly the Pony, I always take 100% fuel, except when on long escorts, when I take DTs also. If I take DTs, I burn off the AUX tank before the DTs, since the AUX offests the pony's center of gravity. This is a tactic that was employed in real life by 8th AF pilots in the P51. Taking DT and 25% is just plain silly on the other hand IMHO. Aren't people planning on getting home?

Regards
Darling

[Lephturn]

Looks like my question above was ignored.  I'll ask it again.

How is 25% plus a drop tank any different than 50% Internal?  The weight distribution in many cases is better with the internal when you get to the fight.  The external tank creates more drag and hurts climb performance on the way to the fight.

Where is this "unfair advantage" again?  The only advantage I can see to the drop tank is that if you get bounced and have to fight earlier than expected, you can get to a lighter weight easily.  That's a pretty rare situation for the most part, and a very minor benefit.

------------------
Sean "Lephturn" Conrad - Aces High Chief Trainer

A proud member of the mighty Flying Pigs
http://www.flyingpigs.com

Check out Lephturn's Aerodrome for AH articles and training info!

[darling]

 

Originally posted by Lephturn:


How is 25% plus a drop tank any different than 50% Internal?  The weight distribution in many cases is better with the internal when you get to the fight.  The external tank creates more drag and hurts climb performance on the way to the fight.

Where is this "unfair advantage" again?  The only advantage I can see to the drop tank is that if you get bounced and have to fight earlier than expected, you can get to a lighter weight easily.  That's a pretty rare situation for the most part, and a very minor benefit.

I think the major advantage, as described above is the feeling that people have that they are at safe weight when they dump DTs. I generally feel that this has to do with the planes with the big 97/137(?) gallon tanks on the US planes. I found that trying to maneuver in a hog with 100% fuel is sluggish, starting to improve at 50-60% Main. Thus I took 1 DT, for climb to 18-20k. Then dump the empty DT. Then I aim my fuel load to be around 60% when I get to target, taking what is neccesary internally or an extra DT.

Darling

[whels1]

Lepht,

if u have 25% and DTs if u get jumped anytime
between full DTs and empty u can drop the added weight and instantly be at 25% fuel to fight, where if u take 50% fuel and jumped ur screwed cause there isnt a switch to
dump fuel  

i like DTs so i can wep climb and not overuse
main fuel, since DTs are relativly small portion of ur fuel load.

whels
 

Originally posted by Lephturn:

Looks like my question above was ignored.  I'll ask it again.

How is 25% plus a drop tank any different than 50% Internal?  The weight distribution in many cases is better with the internal when you get to the fight.  The external tank creates more drag and hurts climb performance on the way to the fight.

Where is this "unfair advantage" again?  The only advantage I can see to the drop tank is that if you get bounced and have to fight earlier than expected, you can get to a lighter weight easily.  That's a pretty rare situation for the most part, and a very minor benefit.

[1776]

PERK DROP TANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kirin]

That brings me to the question if drag from the DT-mount (ETC whatever on 190/109) is modeled??? I mean the clean mount - after you dropped DT...  

[This message has been edited by Kirin (edited 04-26-2001).]