Cold start without pre-warmed engine

[Sim]

I noticed that if you unselect the "pre-warmed" engine toggle - the plane will start with slightly pre-warmed engine (you can still see coolant and oil temps are nowhere near 0). And then if you leave the plane for a while just idling (engine off) - the coolant/oil temps will drop even lower. Once this has happened - I couldn't get the engine working no matter how hard I tried.

 

I think it's quite realistic as you would need an external heater to get the plane running in hard winter conditions. But will the game model some sort of airfield communication menu where you can request the engine to be heated again or it's a game over in this case?

[EAF_Paf]

Nice idea!

[Panzerlang]

Did you try starting the motor with a bit of throttle? I had problems sometimes until I made a habit of giving 25% throttle until the motor was running, then I brought it back to about 10%.

[Sim]

Did you try starting the motor with a bit of throttle?

 

Yes, of course.

 

Now that I think about this - it's probably related to repair-refuel-rearm functionality. And I think devs mentioned it's not planned for initial BoS release? Well, maybe in the future

 

[Bando]

Was reading a bit in this document;

http://spitfirevsbf109.com/files/LuftwaffeStalingrad.pdf

 

A Russian captive told the Germans how to start cold engines, as they (the Germans) were baffled by the site of multiple Russian aircraft in the skies while they could not start either one of their aircraft.

The Russian mechanic asked for a few litres of gasoline and poured it into the air intake. The Germans all stepped back in the anticipated blowing up of the engine. The Russian mechanic did not start the engine, but made some revolutions of the prop by hand and basically primed the engine this way. After that he started the engine. Engine came alive with a roar and kept running. There was no explosion. The baffled Germans asked why how this could be. The mechanic answered that the engine oil at those low temps were like mud and needed to be liquified. The petrol (gasoline) liquified it enough for the engine to start, evaporising as soon as the engine got hotter without doing any harm. The only draw back was the lesser lubrication qualities of the engine oil. They had to change the oil in a higher frequency.

Making fires under the engine was also a normal procedure for the Russians. Having a truck with a long pole connected to the drive shaft of the aircraft to prime it prolonged was also done.

 

Another nice feature: The Germans had trouble making the guns work at low temperatures. The Russian mechanic asked for a big amount of boiling water and scrubbed the machine gun mechanism with grease removing substance, so there was no lubrication oil left in the gun. At those low temps, the gun fired flawlessly without the lub oil.

 

Funny stuff.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Bando

[Panzerlang]

 

 

Another nice feature: The Germans had trouble making the guns work at low temperatures. The Russian mechanic asked for a big amount of boiling water and scrubbed the machine gun mechanism with grease removing substance, so there was no lubrication oil left in the gun. At those low temps, the gun fired flawlessly without the lub oil.

 

Funny stuff.

 

Weird, considering all airforces had worked that one out in WW1.

[BlitzPig_EL]

And like all military organizations, they had 20 years to forget everything they learned.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Interesting stuff. I hope we get some type of menu to ask for the engine to be heated. I also wonder is frost on the canopy until it warms up can be modeled.

[Grifter]

It's 15 degrees here in Staunton this morning, but man that picture looks positively frigid Sim!

 

Brrrrr...