While I am not specifically opposed to changing the fuel burn, I still think the real issue is one of execution.
The Allies don't have to blast off at T+0 and fly around in circles at full throttle and make it easy for the Axis to come in at T+55.
I ordered my La-7's to sit on the runway a full 10 minutes with engines off and after takeoff used fuel conservation techniques once airborne.
Another method is to reposition to a base behind the front, refuel and wait/head back to the defense area.
But every frame I see a mad rush to get airborne when it doesn't make sense from a fuel conservation standpoint.
I would also love to see some 100 mile tower only radar in FSO so maybe the fight would move away from designated targets a bit. And it gives the dead guys something interesting to do, playing AWACS for his pals.
Dawger while you were ordering those planes to sit on the runway for 10 minutes...had you taken full account of your own pre-planning or more essentially, the pre-planning of your CIC? It might not make sense from a fuel conversation standpoint but sure as heck it makes sense from a "defending the assets" standpoint.
In the 2nd frame (it was worse in the 1st) a FW190-A8 could have taken off at A4 and dropped a bomb at A13 just 8 minutes later! The A8 is the Axis' slowest ride. In both frames combat could have started at H+4. Yes, I did fly it offline as I'm sure all COs do every week when receiving their orders.
I have pushing for the fuel burn change not because I think that fuel can't be managed in flight effectively, but because there is a "perception" that the VVS planes simply can't make it through an hour with sufficient fuel to fight. That perception clearly extends across both sides in this FSO. It hurts both sides as well as the event.
A simple change in the setup and we can remove the silly perception and get back to jousting in the arena rather than have two sides 30 miles apart avoiding combat for an hour.