Cowl Flaps

[Tupac]

I think that cowl flaps could be a good idea. You could use them to cool off your engine after prolonged WEP use but you would have to take the drag penalty associated with them. They could also be used to slow down fast(er). I know almost all the air cooled engines had them but I did not know that any of the liquid cooled engines had them. I saw this picture that the Flying Heritage collection posted on facebook and it looks like the P40 has cowl flaps.



Anyways, just throwing that out there. Flamesuit on.

[Karnak]

Some liquid cooled aircraft had radiator flaps that could be opened or closed manually, though if the engine got hot they'd open automatically.  They are one of the major drag areas of the Spitfire Mk XIV.

[MAINER]

+1

[AWwrgwy]

Consider it "automatic" now.

I believe this is one of those "just push another button" engine management things that actually do nothing for game play that Hitech has always said he is against.

Need a quote? I'll search if you like.


wrongway

[IrishOne]

Consider it "automatic" now.

I believe this is one of those "just push another button" engine management things that actually do nothing for game play that Hitech has always said he is against.

Need a quote? I'll search if you like.


wrongway

even if it's was automatic it'd still be cool to be able to see the flaps opening and closing.   

[33Vortex]

Oh, the new FHC P40...  

[ImADot]

even if it's was automatic it'd still be cool to be able to see the flaps opening and closing.   

You can see that from the cockpit...of your own plane?

[Traveler]

HiTech is on record as being against anything based in reality as far as engine management is concerned, such as cowl flaps, Engine oil warm up prior to flight, things that would make aircraft operation more complex.

[33Vortex]

HiTech is on record as being against anything based in reality as far as engine management is concerned, such as cowl flaps, Engine oil warm up prior to flight, things that would make aircraft operation more complex.

Since obviously, the sim is not about aircraft operation, but air combat. There are other sims that are all about aircraft operation.

[B-17]

I still give a +1 to cowl flaps-- I always curse myself for using WEP too early, and then having an engine temp of 52375892157209 degrees. And I can never seem to get it to cool down, either-- even when at a 30 degree glide, with RPMs and manifold set to minimum.

[IrishOne]

You can see that from the cockpit...of your own plane?

from a p47, zero, 109, yes.   you can see those from inside your own plane.  probably others too.

[Wiley]

I still give a +1 to cowl flaps-- I always curse myself for using WEP too early, and then having an engine temp of 52375892157209 degrees. And I can never seem to get it to cool down, either-- even when at a 30 degree glide, with RPMs and manifold set to minimum.

In past threads, it`s been said engine off works to cool you better than rpm/manifold minimum.  I find my temp does cool down in between WEP runups, but I tend to fly longer sorties than many.

Wiley.

[thndregg]

Purely on the basis of asthetics, I think it would be fine. As far as actually incorporating it as a manual function in running the engine, I don't think we need to complicate the matter.

[colmbo]

Purely on the basis of asthetics, I think it would be fine. As far as actually incorporating it as a manual function in running the engine, I don't think we need to complicate the matter.

Unless you spawn in the hangar and taxi to the runway or taxi back to the hangar after landing you will never be in a situation where the cowl flaps would be fully open.  Even for takeoff where engine cooling airflow is most critical the cowl flaps are adjusted to a "trail" position (opened slightly).  During climb they will normally be in trail and in cruise they will be closed. Not going to be much to see as eye candy.

[JOACH1M]

In warbirds the cowl flaps popped out when the gear came down...