pylons

[Flyboy]

Hi,

do planes in AH have permanent pylons or only have them if you load up bombs\ rockets\ drop tanks?
are the pylons modeled?

[Drano]

Some do. For example the P-38 has pylons on the inboard wing sections for hanging bombs or drop tanks. They aren't removable--built in hard points. On most other planes in a "clean" state (without anything hanging) there are no racks installed and so none of the drag associated with them either. If you hang stuff on the plane, the racks associated with that are modeled too. They stay on the plane after you've dropped your ords/tanks and so some drag is applied. Not a ridiculous amount but more than if you took off clean.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[morfiend]

Most the allied rides have wing pylons on all the time,so you only have drag from the bombs.Rocket rails will add drag on most planes,theGerman planes have added drag when taking bombs,rockets or a drop tank,they even have a small amount of drag after the dot is dropped because of the added rack,the TA 152 is the only exception as the rack is part of the airframe.

There may be a couple of exceptions,like the 47M not having wing pylons and possibly a couple of Japanese that only have pylons if you load rods,but rockets always add extra drag!




Darn auto correct,should be droptank,DT. Not dot!!!
   

[wil3ur]

I thought the rocket rails on the 38's still came on/off and added drag.  Just the bombs/DT's are permanent points...?

[Kingpin]

Just the bombs/DT's are permanent points...?

Yes, the bomb/drop-tank hard points on the P-38 series are on the airframe regardless of loadout.  Rockets are another story.

I thought the rocket rails on the 38's still came on/off and added drag.

Interestingly, the 5" rocket "rack" on the 38L, which does look rather lightweight and aerodynamic, does not add any noticeable weight or drag after the rockets are fired.  The rocket tubes on the 38G and 38L do add weight and drag.
 Here are my testing results and parameters for effects of rocket loadouts on the P-38 series:

All aircraft tested at 25% fuel, max ammo load, 5K no WEP

P-38G
IAS          Δ mph    Weight        Δ lbs          State
304 mph   -17        16,118     +1028 lbs    rockets on (6 x 4.5")
314 mph   - 7         15,290     +200 lbs      tubes only (rockets fired)
321 mph                15,090                        clean


P-38J
IAS         Δ mph     Weight        Δ lbs          State
306 mph   -16        16,883     +1028 lbs    rockets on (6 x 4.5")
315 mph   - 7         16,055     +200 lbs      tubes only (rockets fired)
322 mph                15,855                        clean


P-38L 
IAS          Δ mph    Weight        Δ lbs          State
306 mph   -16        17,255     +1400 lbs    rockets on (10 x 5")
322 mph     0         15,855     +0 lbs         racks only (rockets fired)
322 mph                15,855                       clean

[Kingpin]

Dup post