B-26 throttle bug

[Brooke]

When you fly a B-26 at 16k altitude, it's like a binary throttle:  full, or middle, with nothing in between.

This doesn't happen at low altitudes.

This isn't my setup being miscalibrated, or my throttle being binary.  I can check the low-level signal from it in the advanced settings.  Also, I get gradual throttle between zero and full in all other planes, and even the B-26 at lower alts.

Makes it hard in scenarios when you want just a little less than full throttle to keep the group in formation.  But you try to reduce throttle by 1 bit and it jumps from 100% to 60% throttle.

[SIK1]

No help with the bug, but I am curious if you tried pulling the rpm back a little to reduce your speed?

 
Sik

[Brooke]

I did, but that gives the same drastic reduction in manifold pressure on first tiny little move of rpm.

[guncrasher]

the b26 is the plane i fly the most, i have taken it up to 30k, well not often but I have never noticed this problem at all. gotta be something interfering on your end.  I"ll test it today, gonna log in a few minutes. 


semp

[guncrasher]

i think it's an illusion or misunderstanding, i can see what you are seeing but if I move my throttle really slow back and forward, it moves in bigger setting than let's say b17. but not out of the ordinary as the b26's moves slower the higher you climb.  i am at 17k right now.  but moving the throttle back it does jump to 50 percent but move it slower back and forth it does correspond to the settings. which is way different that the b17, which i also fly. but not a bug I think.


semp

[guncrasher]

i see what you are seeing but I am at 20k now and the ias is about 200, which is really slow for a bomber at level flight. yeah, small decrease or increase on throttle does show up as big change on rpm.  but I think it's more because of low speed.


semp

[Brooke]

Here's what I see -- no ability to control manifold pressure at 16k alt:



It's nothing to do with low bomber speed, or bad throttle setup.

[Brooke]

By the way, if I enabled scaling on the z axis (for throttle), I can get some graded control at the high end.

Note that I was (and prefer to use, if it works), non-scaled z axis.

I haven't noticed this drastic a nonlinearity in throttle control for any plane but the B-26, and even then, only at higher alts.

[guncrasher]

I see exactly what you are seeing, but also the ias of the b26 is so low that manifold pressure jumps more than anything else.  I think my ias was little over 200.  if I move it back 5 or 10% it manifold does go down to 50, but if I move it slower back and forth it the manifold pressure moves a little slower.

I mostly use the b26 to sink cv's.  at around 6 to 8k ias is more like 282 once I level out and attained full speed.  above 16 not sure, if it get faster than 204.  have never tried it. I tested it at 19k or so.  flew for perhaps 15 minutes and dont recall ias being any higher than 204 or so.  that was with 75% fuel and 4 1k bombs, flew about 4 or 5 sectors, dont remember exactly, think it took me 13, maybe 14 minutes to get it to 17k, after that lost track of time.

think is similar to the bostons with full fuel, I'll climb to 20 or 25k.  on the ground it says 34 minutes worth of fuel, once I get to altitude and level out it says I got something like 32 minutes worth of fuel at full speed.


semp

[Brooke]

My video is at top speed -- 16k, 227 ias, 290 true.

[popeye]

Tested at 16k.  Reducing manifold pressure by one click ( - key) reduced the gauge indicated value AND the fuel GPH usage significantly (44%), but airspeed doesn't change.  So, might as well fly with manifold pressure slightly reduced all the time to extend range with no loss of power.

Since it is altitude dependent, it seems like a "phantom WEP" effect.