Different Engine Variants request

[artik]

Currently one plane can incorporate a single type of engine. If an option to select an engine would be
given it would widen a selection of historical aircraft significantly.

If it is simpler to just "copy-paste" aircraft and call it different name than... ok

Examples:

Bf-109F-2 and Bf-109F-4. Current F-4 variant is 1942 later variant. In 1941, at the beginning of hostilities at Eastern front, the major F model was actually F-2 with significantly weaker engine: 1,159 hp of DB 601N in F-2 versus 1,332 hp DB 601E in F-4.

La-5F and La-5FN differ in the engine M-82F or ASh-82FN - one was built with carburetor and another with fuel injection giving 1700 vs 1850 hp power. What is important is that La-5F is much earlier 1942 variant.

Yak-1 in 1941 variant with M-105PA 1,100 hp, 1x20mm ShVAK and 2 ShKAS vs 1942 variant with M-105PF 1,210 hp with 1x20mm ShVAK and 1x12.7mm UBS - not to mix with Yak-1b with bubble and 105PF.

LaGG-3 type 11 and type 29 with engines M-105PA and M-105PF similarly to Yak-1

Spitfire Vb and Spitfire LF Vb with Merlin 45 and 50M. Spitfire IX and Spitfire LF IXe with Merling 66 and 61 (also today we have one as Spit XVI so less relevant)

I assume there are many more as for example Mosquito with endless variants of Merlin.

In same way use of 150 octane fuel can be implemented in many models giving boost to the existing engines providing better fine tuning of existing models for the relevant theater.

Programming wise I assume it would be basically changing of the engine tables as there are no other aerodynamic changes beside prop and engine output.

It would allow significantly improve the availability of different plane variants per period with minimal software changes.

[Krusty]

There are more than just engine differences there. You have listed full airframe variants, not just engine differences.

Just ask for the 109F-2 and the La-5F instead of asking for different engines for planes that shouldn't get them.

FYI: Hitech cannot model separate engines for one airframe. They're tied directly into the plane and the flight model, and you can't just choose your engine from the hangar. They've said this before when asked about it. So, the answer is just ask for a new variant of the plane you like that HAS that particular setup. Nothing wrong with that.

[artik]

That is why I had written:

If it is simpler to just "copy-paste" aircraft and call it different name than... ok

i.e. if selection of an engine is too complicated, still you can easily provide some new aircraft models.

There are more than just engine differences there. You have listed full airframe variants, not just engine differences.

Depends, do we have 3 airframes of I-16? You can't install ShVAKs on type 24. In fact there are 3 airframes type 24, 28 and 29 but they considered one aircraft. There were some cases were the armament could be indeed replaced but frequently it
is just variants of the airframe.

This or that way the differences I had shown are engine changes. For example I asked for La-5F and not La-5 becuase La-5 has different cockpit. I asked for Yak-1 with 105PA and 105PF and not Yak-1 and Yak-1b that has different cockpit (also we don't have Yak-1 yet ).

Basically what I'm saying - if there are variants of same airframe that differ in engine or engine and very minor changes - add them as it improves historical planeset. And changes of engine while keeping the engines aren't infrequent.

[Karnak]

There are more than just engine differences there. You have listed full airframe variants, not just engine differences.

Just ask for the 109F-2 and the La-5F instead of asking for different engines for planes that shouldn't get them.

FYI: Hitech cannot model separate engines for one airframe. They're tied directly into the plane and the flight model, and you can't just choose your engine from the hangar. They've said this before when asked about it. So, the answer is just ask for a new variant of the plane you like that HAS that particular setup. Nothing wrong with that.

Hey Krusty, how goes it?

I took his request to be to copy the artwork for certain planes, such as the Spit V, and then have the Spit Vb and Spit LF.V as separate aircraft to get around the inability to change engines.  Basically just reusing aircraft art on new flight models.

[Krusty]

Hi Karnak. Things aren't as good as they once were, but they are going.

Well, if that's the case, then maybe I mis-read the request. However, it seems to me that there are more changes than just engines on some of those he listed. Center of gravity, stall performance, weight distribution, even structural durability, would all differ. For example, the 109F-2 would have a much more fragile tail than the standard F-4 we have. They had stiffener plates put on because a couple started shedding their tails under certain circumstances. That's not just cosmetic changes. Overall it may be similar but a lot of the computations that go into determining how something "flies" in this game would all be thrown into flux.

I'm all for it, but it wouldn't be a copy/paste. The flight model, which is most of the effort, would still need to be built from scratch.

[Volron]

I would love it if our F4F-3/4 hybrid would be separated into separate airframes.  I believe there is enough of a difference between the two to warrant it.

[Saxman]

I would love it if our F4F-3/4 hybrid would be separated into separate airframes.  I believe there is enough of a difference between the two to warrant it.

I've been asking for this one for a while. The -3 was a fair bit lighter than the -4, and was the main variant used by the Marine squadrons on Guadalcanal. The 4-gun package on the -4 more accurately makes it an FM-1, NOT an F4F-3.