Author Topic: Question about flying bombers... (Read 362 times)

Esme · « **on:** April 22, 2002, 01:39:57 PM »

all!

Hi, I'm fairly new to Aces High, though I've had a couple of years in a different sim. One of the things I like about AH compared to my previous experience is having two engine controls to mess with (not to mention switchable fuel tanks, woohoo!).

My question is this - can anyone point me in the direction of good data about how (precisely) MP affects speed and fuel consumption (ie: more mp = higher speed and fuel consumption isnt adequate; how does, say, 75% of max MP compare to 100% in terms of max speed attained and rate of fuel use?). Oh - and am I correct that at the moment RPM changes only affect the amount of thrust obtained, they dont affect the fuel use rate in AH?

Yes, I know: I COULD go and do a lot of testing and find this out myself, but am a bit pressed for time at the moment (syill dealing with financial year end, here! :-} )

Oh, and if anyone's wondering why I want data like that, it's so I can get the best performance from planes I fly - the more efficiently I can use fuel, the further and/or faster I can get teh job done...

Esme

Furious · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2002, 05:11:23 PM »

Yes RPM is tied to fuel consumption.

I do not know of anywhere that you can find definitive fuel economy settings.

If you do the testing post here for all of us.

F.

Makofan · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2002, 10:48:08 PM »

Hey esme - welcome aboard!

bikekil · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2002, 01:01:55 AM »

For some reason in some fighters RPM setting have no impact on fuel consumption (FunkedUp tested it some time ago). It's overally a good inea to reduce MAN (PSI) setting to increase "range" or your plane.

Esme · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2002, 01:02:08 AM »

Furious, I know RPMs SHOULD be tied to fuel consumption somewhat - in RL they are - but I've seen no evidence of it yet (running a 109s engine with 25% fuel at max everything and again at max MP and 75% max rpm. Nada difference. Of course, I might have simply been unlucky and found a pair of settings that give about the same result in AH, but methinks that unlikely. Also the speed obtained with reduced RPM didnt match RL either).

Thanks for the welcome, Makofan - and all who've been so friendly in the arenas!

Esme

Ghosth · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2002, 09:43:28 AM »

Esme the easiest place to test would be for you to host a H2H session. That gives you full control of the arena, includeing the fuel burn multi.

10x multi & a stopwatch should shorten the testing time considerably.

Ohhh & welcome to AH

Esme · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2002, 02:07:11 PM »

Thanks for the tip, Ghosth .. now I need to go read on how to host games... :-} (chuckle...) Must admit, I DO miss being able to set an exact percentage fuel load - 10% was nice, made the maths easy, and the test flight shorter, whilst still giving accurate answers.

Can anyone tell me how to contact FunkedUp so I can ask them about the testing they did, please?

Esme (esmers in AH)

popeye · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2002, 03:22:22 PM »

Welcome to AH.

With the current maps in the MA, you can run full throttle all the time in bombers, and not run out of fuel, for most sorties. (I understand the Bf-110 has a shorter range than most.) The only decision is how much fuel to load to get where you're going.

Makofan · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2002, 03:26:56 PM »

esme

funkedup@raf303.org

PS

I was ran-ma in WB's (303 Polish)

Esme · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2002, 05:09:18 PM »

Makofan, thanks! :-)

Popeye - I'm a DEDICATED bomber pilot. I'm CO of a unit representing one of the few LW bomber units that saw service all the way from Poland in 1939 to the final collapse in 1945, and we enjoy flying in as realistic a way as possible, given the game limitations (and within reason).

The Bf110 is a fighter, not a bomber, by the way!

Probably the term used of me by most fighter types would be "a bit of a nut" :-) I'm not the type to simply head in the direction of the target and go; even in the MA I sometimes fly deep raids solo and think about things like how can I misdirect the enemy, avoid enemy fighters, find cloud, etc.

Having enough fuel, or even more than enough isnt the point. I want to KNOW how much is the LEAST fuel I need to carry in order to carry out the raid, so that I can get best performance out of my bomber. Then I add a safety margin, and thats how much fuel I want to carry (wish one could use smaller increments than 25%... ah well :-} ). This is the bomber equivalent of fighter types talking about best cornering speeds, etc. - we look at fuel, endurance, range, load speed, alt.

But my unit's main raison d'etre is to take part in organised games. That could involve serious flight planning, so we know exactly when we'll be where and at what altitude, allowing margin for possible winds, etc. (Did this many a time in WB, and flew planned routes (planned on paper using accurate data, that is; first time we few em for real was when we went into combat), to time, without use of GPS map, using paper maps and pilotage, and landed with the calculated amount of fuel left. ) Hence why I need accurate data.
Trust me - it IS useful :-)

Esme
CO, Kampfgeschwader 2 "Holzhammer"

(Did I mention working out how much fuel is in each tank in case a tank gets hit and leaks? )