Ta-152 radiator hits

[mechanic]

RE: getting radiator hit from behind.

Very possible when you consider that HTC have modeled splash damage into the game. For instance, a 20mm hit on your wing root may kill your pilot with shrapnel, or, send shrapnel sideways into the radiator - or - send shrapnel sideways into the mechanism of the hub cannon.

[AWwrgwy]

While on the subject, I observed two things:

1. While watching a WWII thing on the History Channel an ex-pilot mentioned that a p-51 can only go about 45 minutes with a radiator hit before the engine seizes up.

2. While coming in for landing with a blown radiator and engine off. I decided to turn on my p-51’s engine just before touching down. I did this just in case I needed a quick burst of power was needed to reach the runway. While in full idle I noticed my engine temp. gauge moved from low to high about the same rate as if my engine were in full throttle.

I wonder if the engine temp modeling needs a little upgrade. Coming from an engineering background and have taken a thermodynamics course (study of heat and power transfers). I would believe the engine temp is modeled incorrectly in two areas:

1.   The engine temp. gauge seems to rise the same no matter what the engine throttle is set to.
2.   The engine temp. gauge seems to follow a linear heat rise instead of exponential. As an engine gets hotter it would radiate heat at higher rate than at a lower temp., thereby, slowing the temp. gauge rise as the engine gets hotter. However, heat does transfer at a linear rate with regards to delta T (difference in temperature between two objects or mass).

I suggest, for a rough example only, the engine temp. gauge should do the following with the loss of liquid coolant. Note: this is just a guestamate.

Proposed engine temp gauge rise rate with no liquid coolant and at full throttle (degrees C):
From   90 to 100  = 0.5 minutes
From 100 to 110  = 1.25 minutes
From 110 to 120  = 2.5 minutes
From 120 to 130  =  4.0 minutes

Proposed engine temp gauge rise rate with no liquid coolant and at full idle (degrees C):
From   90 to 100  = 1 minutes
From 100 to 110  = 3 minutes
From 110 to 120  = 5 minutes
From 120 to 130  = 8 minutes

The only way I've heard of a P-51 surviving more than a few minutes IRL with a radiator hit was to constantly pump the carburetor priming pump, I believe it looked like a choke, in order for the engine to run rich and cool enough to keep the engine from seizing.

The pilot would wear through his glove and into the palm of his hand doing this.

If you watch the temp gauge and have the altitude to glide and cool down, you can still get pretty far with a dry radiator.



wrongway

[smoe]

The first thing to do its to find out is if this is accurate.  I personally have no idea.  Perhaps HiTech only models huge gaping holes in the radiator that leak out all the fluid in seconds.  And the guy on the HC experienced a radiator hit but still had fluid for 45 minutes thanks to it being a small hole.  

Yes, that was something the pilot did not go into detail about. What struck me was the pilot’s use of the wording “only 45 minutes.”

However, most planes (if not all) did have an oil cooler. This would take a little heat out of an engine. My guess would be engines begin freezing up only after the oil breaks down from operating at high temperatures.

[BuckP]

RE: getting radiator hit from behind.

Very possible when you consider that HTC have modeled splash damage into the game. For instance, a 20mm hit on your wing root may kill your pilot with shrapnel, or, send shrapnel sideways into the radiator - or - send shrapnel sideways into the mechanism of the hub cannon.

Of course that is possible, it's partly why the Ta-152 is so deadly to bombers (any plane really).  Again however, what I don't understand is why the radiator gets hit nearly 100% of the time upon taking some pings from any weapon (sans the .45 pistol).

[mechanic]

I understand that, I don't have an answer as I have little experience in the 152.

[icepac]

Jumo 213 was indeed installed in more than a few JU88s.

[Ruah]

Sometimes it may seem like the hit is coming from behind, but in truth you are flying through a stream of bullets - and the front end of the airplane is what gets hit first.

But overall yah, sometimes is just borked.