Shutting off plane engine to listen for GVs

[Puma44]

This is a technique frequently used in an attempt to locate GVs in game.  In a combat situation this would be a less than ideal thing to do since, there is a chance the engine may not restart.  Additionally, the aircraft is slowly descending and/or airspeed is decaying. Both are a distinct disadvantage in a situation where survival should be the number one goal.

So, when the engine is intentionally shut off,  how about the engine randomly not restarting?

[Dobs]

LOL...wind noise would be quite high....between head gear and wind noise you won't here crap anyway. How about just make it so you don't hear external sounds inside your 2800HP, Turbo charged glass enclosed white noise generator?

[Ack-Ack]

It's really not all that gamey, not sure if it was done by fighter or attack planes but pilots in liaison aircraft (planes like the L-2, Fi156) would shut off the engine and glide in an attempt to hear ground vehicles moving.

[Puma44]

True, but they were also at risk of losing their ride home.

[BuckShot]

It's really not all that gamey, not sure if it was done by fighter or attack planes but pilots in liaison aircraft (planes like the L-2, Fi156) would shut off the engine and glide in an attempt to hear ground vehicles moving.g

It is gamey. Those spotter planes would have been very slow, <75kts. They would have opened the side windows for that too.

Hearing gvs from a fighter at just above stall speed with the canopy open would even be a stretch.

[Oldman731]

It's really not all that gamey, not sure if it was done by fighter or attack planes but pilots in liaison aircraft (planes like the L-2, Fi156) would shut off the engine and glide in an attempt to hear ground vehicles moving.

Other than Henry Fonda's doomed escapade, where have you ever heard of this being done before?

- oldman (just asking..)

[Drano]

It kinda worked for Henry Fonda! Not so well for the guy flyin the plane tho!


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[Drano]

Lol beat me! Great minds!


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[colmbo]

It's really not all that gamey, not sure if it was done by fighter or attack planes but pilots in liaison aircraft (planes like the L-2, Fi156) would shut off the engine and glide in an attempt to hear ground vehicles moving.

I have to wonder if this was ever done -- other than by Hollywood.  I don't know about the Storch but I'm pretty sure the L-2 did not have electric start, if the pilot let the prop stop he's going to have to land to restart since he's probably not high enough to climb out on the strut and prop it while inflight (just in case anyone posts that photo).

For fighters and bombers you can't hear anything outside your airplane.  I've flown the B-17 up within 10' of the tail of the B-24, had an A-10, F-86 and an assortment of propellor aircraft in very close formation without being able to hear them.  You would most likely here gunfire/explosions that were nearby, I've heard shotgun fire on the ground while flying in a helicopter at about 30' altitude while wearing a set of Dave Clarks but then a JetRanger is not nearly as noisy as a piston engine airplane.

[Zimme83]

It of course depend on what plane you are in but as long as the prop is windmilling you can just turn the magnetos off to kill the engine and the engine will (hopefully) start when magnetos is turned back on.

But we dont have any dust clouds or track marks that would give away a tank to an aerial spotter so i guess its about even, this is after all a game.

[Puma44]

It of course depend on what plane you are in but as long as the prop is windmilling you can just turn the magnetos off to kill the engine and the engine will (hopefully) start when magnetos is turned back on.

But we dont have any dust clouds or track marks that would give away a tank to an aerial spotter so i guess its about even, this is after all a game.

"Hopefully" is the objective when intentionally shutting the engine down.  In a combat situation, it doesn't make much survival sense to shut down the only spare engine available.  Doing so would be a high risk vs payoff event.  As such, the same risk should be added into the game. 

[Zimme83]

Why? Its a game. Mechanical failures isnt modeled at all so i see no problem with having the engine starting every time.

[hitech]

It of course depend on what plane you are in but as long as the prop is windmilling you can just turn the magnetos off to kill the engine and the engine will (hopefully) start when magnetos is turned back on.

Thats a bad thing to do,When you turn it back on loud bangs happen in the exhaust. You would simply shut off mixture.

[Zimme83]

Thats a bad thing to do,When you turn it back on loud bangs happen in the exhaust. You would simply shut off mixture.

I dont say its a good idea and i would never even consider turning the engine off in flight, my point was just to show that its possible to turn the engine off and restart it in flight without too much trouble.

[OldNitro]

Explosion of fuel puddled in the exhaust, called a "Key Bang" in the Hot Rod world.
Had one blow the guts completely out of a Big Block Turbo Muffler on my 68 Firebird.

  Sounded like a Howitzer going off under the back of the car,