dot command to dumb excess fuel

[Puma44]

Another wish for the ability to game the game.  *sigh*  First, aircraft didn't just dump fuel.  They horded as much as they could for reasons many players can't seem to grasp. 

May I suggest  for anyone who really thinks that it makes much of a difference, as in thin red line/life or death difference, in the performance of the plane you're in to seriously stop and think about your ability as a player-pilot.  If dumping fuel in you wee little La7 from 75% to 25% keeps you alive... or you *think* it keeps you alive then you're drastically over estimating the ability of an aircraft to compensate for your lack of suckage in terms of ACM's and survivability.

FWIW, I think DT's should not be an option unless 100% fuel is taken, and I think an aircraft's ability to take only 25% should be reconsidered, up it to 50% I say.

Good points.   Out in the real life of flying fighters a pilot can't have too much fuel, unless he's on fire.  Speed is life and having more fuel enables more opportunity for speed.  Fighter pilots will take all the fuel they can carry to include externals.  When it's time to dance, blow the tanks and get on with it. 

[morfiend]

 So you have 2 spits traveling at same speed and alt but 1 has 3/4 of a tank of fuel and the other has 1/2!  which plane has more "E"????



   

[guncrasher]

So you have 2 spits traveling at same speed and alt but 1 has 3/4 of a tank of fuel and the other has 1/2!  which plane has more "E"????



   

well the more fuel you have,the more you can convert to energy. 


semp

[morfiend]

well the more fuel you have,the more you can convert to energy. 


semp

  True but also it has more weight!   However I was being silly and you got the correct answer!   Most dont even consider this.    If your life was on the line you'd want every drop of fuel your crate could carry.

  I fly in the TA mostly,I almost always use full fuel and/or a DT on my plane. I beleive if you learn to handle and fly the plane at or near max weight,you'll think your cheating when you get it down to fighting weight! Since the mains burn fuel twice as fast as the TA you get lighter at a much quicker rate and thus benefit from the pracrice quicker.


   YMMV.



   

[guncrasher]

  True but also it has more weight!   However I was being silly and you got the correct answer!   Most dont even consider this.    If your life was on the line you'd want every drop of fuel your crate could carry.

  I fly in the TA mostly,I almost always use full fuel and/or a DT on my plane. I beleive if you learn to handle and fly the plane at or near max weight,you'll think your cheating when you get it down to fighting weight! Since the mains burn fuel twice as fast as the TA you get lighter at a much quicker rate and thus benefit from the pracrice quicker.


   YMMV.



   

I did notice you were being silly, so I thought i would join in  .


semp

[Karnak]

I believe Saburo Sakai commented on feeling sorry for the Bf109 pilots in the Battle of Britain because they had to focus on fuel so much that they couldn't focus on the fighting.


Puma44,

The problem with DTs is that, on some aircraft, they leave shackles behind that cause drag.  The Mossie loses 4mph off of its top speed due to those shackles still being there after the DTs are gone.

[Puma44]

Puma44,

The problem with DTs is that, on some aircraft, they leave shackles behind that cause drag.  The Mossie loses 4mph off of its top speed due to those shackles still being there after the DTs are gone.

Just like in the real world.  I'm very aware of how external stores are mounted, what's left when the stores are jettisoned, and the minimal drag penalties remaining.  If a pilot is worried about a 4 knot drag penalty to win a fight, he's got much bigger things to worry about.

[BaldEagl]

Doesn't the current .dumbexcessfuel command add drop tanks?

[Karnak]

Just like in the real world.  I'm very aware of how external stores are mounted, what's left when the stores are jettisoned, and the minimal drag penalties remaining.  If a pilot is worried about a 4 knot drag penalty to win a fight, he's got much bigger things to worry about.

It all adds up.  If 4mph doesn't matter, neither does 10mph, nor 25mph and so on.

[SmokinLoon]

It all adds up.  If 4mph doesn't matter, neither does 10mph, nor 25mph and so on.

I disagree.  There are a lot of things that attribute to the success or failure of a plane/mission/fight, and the loss of 4mph of top speed in a Mossi is far different than the loss of 225mph, or even 10.  As it stands, if the Mossi loses 10-20 mph of top speed then a great many more planes can catch it.  The loss of 4 mph is not much to worry about.  Acceleration isn't really affected, nor is turn or roll at least not in a noticeable amount.

I think Puma hit the nail on the head: if a player is so worried about 4 mph or less in loss of top speed they have much bigger things to worry about. I shake my head every time I see some poor kool-aid drinker dumping their rear gun ammo in a 110, etc, because they think it gives them an advantage.  I say if they are in such a tight spot where the 120 lbs of less weight is needed to keep them alive then they should not have been in that situation to begin with.   

[Karnak]

I disagree.  There are a lot of things that attribute to the success or failure of a plane/mission/fight, and the loss of 4mph of top speed in a Mossi is far different than the loss of 225mph, or even 10.  As it stands, if the Mossi loses 10-20 mph of top speed then a great many more planes can catch it.  The loss of 4 mph is not much to worry about.  Acceleration isn't really affected, nor is turn or roll at least not in a noticeable amount.

I think Puma hit the nail on the head: if a player is so worried about 4 mph or less in loss of top speed they have much bigger things to worry about. I shake my head every time I see some poor kool-aid drinker dumping their rear gun ammo in a 110, etc, because they think it gives them an advantage.  I say if they are in such a tight spot where the 120 lbs of less weight is needed to keep them alive then they should not have been in that situation to begin with.   

And what do you gain for the loss of 4mph?  A few fighters can catch you that couldn't before and the margin is narrower between you and others, fine.  For what gain?  Instead of 68 minutes at MIL you now get 80ish?

Thank you, I'll skip the DTs.

[Puma44]

It all adds up.  If 4mph doesn't matter, neither does 10mph, nor 25mph and so on.

Your right.  4 mph doesn't matter unless the pilot has a false sense of security/competency.  Then, if you want to change the argument suit your agenda, add 10 mph, 25mph, and so on to it. Let's add 100 mph to it and you'll have the discussion hands down.  You are talking gaming.  My original post was about how it's done in reality.

[Karnak]

Your right.  4 mph doesn't matter unless the pilot has a false sense of security/competency.  Then, if you want to change the argument suit your agenda, add 10 mph, 25mph, and so on to it. Let's add 100 mph to it and you'll have the discussion hands down.  You are talking gaming.  My original post was about how it's done in reality.

At what point do you think it matters?

My point is that you want your airframe as clean as you can have it unless there is a reason to dirty it up.  There is no reason for a Mossie to carry DTs if it is going to France as it doesn't significantly benefit from them.

[Puma44]

At what point do you think it matters?

My point is that you want your airframe as clean as you can have it unless there is a reason to dirty it up.  There is no reason for a Mossie to carry DTs if it is going to France as it doesn't significantly benefit from them.

Go back and read my original post.  

[Karnak]

Go back and read my original post.  

You said "Fighter pilots will take all the fuel they can carry to include externals."  I am saying that is situational and that if I am not going to get anything useful for the small performance hit then I am not going to take the performance hit.  If I need to fly 600 miles to the target and then back I will, of course, take the DTs.  If I need bombs, I'll take them.  With the internal fuel range of the P-51, P-47N, Mosquito and A6M it just doesn't make sense to take the DT for shorter hops.