Do you need separate Oil/Water radiator controls?

[=X51=VC_]

Or can I map both to the same set of keys and just open/close them simultaneously? Is there a specific need to control them separately? Do they open at different rates that would cause them to go out of sync if I link them like this?

 

I'm yet to take the plunge to fly a plane that needs full complex engine control (I fly full expert mode but so far only 109s) but the sheer key mapping requirements are giving me a headache. Especially since I fly in VR and can't see my keyboard to quickly find complex button combinations (and I already ran out of buttons on my joystick for other reasons).

 

Thanks!

[Herne]

You should map oil and water separately. I share the water radiator with the outlet cowling. Aircraft in game have one or the other, so I use the same control for both.

 

also be aware that the aircraft with step radiators such as the BF110 and Spitfire will probably need a separate control, especially if you are using an analogue control for the radiator.

[THERION]

I wouldn't map both on the same key/axis - I assigned two axis for oil and water radiators, because the plane types I fly (f.ex. YAK-1, LAGG-3)

seem to have different drag behaviour for oil and water radiators. So for example the oil radiator can be opened fully without noticeable drag,

but for the water radiator it is different. If I open the water radiator half way (40-50%) it behaves quite drag neutral, but when opening it further

more drag increases which can be pretty decisive in situations where you need every speed advantage possible.

 

So, if you want to fly full expert mode anyway, you will need to map those to functions separately.

 

Cheers

[Matt]

Simply keeping the oil cooler fully open works better than putting both on the same axis. There's basically no way to overcool the oil if you regulate the water radiator shutters (or cowling flaps on planes with air cooled engines) and the oil cooler flaps cause very little drag in general. Also this way, you basically only have to monitor the water or cylinder head temperature and can practically ignore the oil temperature gauge.

 

What can be put on the same axis, are oil cooler + inlet cowling flaps (for La-5) and radiator + outlet cooling flaps.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Matt

[Herne]

Simply keeping the oil cooler fully open works better than putting both on the same axis. There's basically no way to overcool the oil if you regulate the water radiator shutters (or cowling flaps on planes with air cooled engines) and the oil cooler flaps cause very little drag in general. Also this way, you basically only have to monitor the water or cylinder head temperature and can practically ignore the oil temperature gauge.

 

What can be put on the same axis, are oil cooler + inlet cowling flaps (for La-5) and radiator + outlet cooling flaps.

 

not sure about oil + inlet on same axis. I'm thinking of the I16

[Matt]

The I-16 is probably the plane i fly the least, so i guess you are right. Works good on the La-5 though.

[=X51=VC_]

Thanks, that makes sense. I'll probably take the planes one at a time and was eyeing up the Yak-1 next, so I'm not looking to optimise for every plane from the start. I guess setting the control once and leaving it alone is good enough with regards to workload in flight.

 

As for steps, I don't have spare axes as in throttle type, I was just planning to use buttons. In that case can I just assign open/close and next/previous notch to same buttons and that would just work for every plane? For the Yak do the radiator controls just work like the Bf 109 flaps (hold button to gradually twist valve)?

[Finkeren]

I would very much advise against keeping the oil cooler fully open on some planes. On the MiG-3 the shutters create serious drag when fully open (we’re talking ~25kph) On the Yak and LaGG it’s less severe, but still noticable.

[Yogiflight]

 

 

I'm yet to take the plunge to fly a plane that needs full complex engine control (I fly full expert mode but so far only 109s) but the sheer key mapping requirements are giving me a headache. Especially since I fly in VR and can't see my keyboard to quickly find complex button combinations (and I already ran out of buttons on my joystick for other reasons).

As long as you fly only the Friedrich and Gustav, you don't need it at all as they both work automatically.

For setting steps on the same button, the Bf110 has four steps for the oil and eight steps for the water cooler flaps, and if you fly the He111, it has four steps for the oilcooler, but sliding water cooler flaps. So there might be difficulties with other aircrafts as well.

[dburne]

I have my oil and water rads on separate axis for the Yak-1, and I adjust them both based on temps. Seems to work ok for me this way, usually the levers for both end up in about the same position.

 

Of course when one or the other takes damage ( those dang bomber gunners), then all bets are off and that can certainly change. I always go by the temps.

Edited December 29, 2017 by dburne

[Warpig]

 

 

Thanks, that makes sense. I'll probably take the planes one at a time and was eyeing up the Yak-1 next, so I'm not looking to optimise for every plane from the start. I guess setting the control once and leaving it alone is good enough with regards to workload in flight.

 

As for steps, I don't have spare axes as in throttle type, I was just planning to use buttons. In that case can I just assign open/close and next/previous notch to same buttons and that would just work for every plane? For the Yak do the radiator controls just work like the Bf 109 flaps (hold button to gradually twist valve)?

Do like this.

 

-Water rads + outlet cowls (no plane shares both of these controls)

-Oil rads

-inlet cowls

 

Inlet cowls are barely used, because they can for the most part be set to 100% and forgot about. So prioritize the first two for your easier to reach controls.

 

With this setup (assigned to button presses, not axes), all planes are covered without conflict of controls. All with just 3 assignments.

 

Example:

 

 

 

not sure about oil + inlet on same axis. I'm thinking of the I16

water rads + outlet cowls works

Edited December 29, 2017 by Warpig

[curiousGamblerr]

If you can, separate them.

 

However, I played with them on the same axis for my first six months in this game and it was fine. You will eventually want to split them tho, so if you have enough axes you might as well do it now.

[=X51=VC_]

Thank you, I found a setup that works for now although haven't mapped the commands for radial engine planes yet (because I don't fly any at the moment).

[Guest deleted@83466]

The myriad array of radiator and other controls specific to each particular aircraft was what led me to look into something called the Custom Control Pad app for the Ipad, which connects to your PC through WiFi and looks to the PC as just another connected Game Controller.  It allows you to set up what is essentially a unique virtual controller for each aircraft, which can include both buttons and virtual axes, and you can label them all.  So like my BF-110 panel that I set up has convenient engine selection logic and buttons for water and oil rads, plus feathering, whereas my La-5 panel has virtual levers for Inlet, Outlet, and Oil.  Also a good place to put things like controls for Lights toggles, Sirens, Canopy Open/Close and miscellaneous stuff like that.  Very convenient and I strongly recommend it to anyone suffering from having too many physical levers on their desktop, that all do a different thing for each separate aircraft, or if you struggle to remember which button or keypress does some command on an aircraft you don't fly very much (like Bomb Salvo, or tell gunners to Engage Ground, etc...)

Edited December 29, 2017 by Iceworm

[Herne]

 

 

water rads + outlet cowls works

 

Yep, see the first post by me in this thread.

[DarKcyde]

The myriad array of radiator and other controls specific to each particular aircraft was what led me to look into something called the Custom Control Pad app for the Ipad, which connects to your PC through WiFi and looks to the PC as just another connected Game Controller.  It allows you to set up what is essentially a unique virtual controller for each aircraft, which can include both buttons and virtual axes, and you can label them all.  So like my BF-110 panel that I set up has convenient engine selection logic and buttons for water and oil rads, plus feathering, whereas my La-5 panel has virtual levers for Inlet, Outlet, and Oil.  Also a good place to put things like controls for Lights toggles, Sirens, Canopy Open/Close and miscellaneous stuff like that.  Very convenient and I strongly recommend it to anyone suffering from having too many physical levers on their desktop, that all do a different thing for each separate aircraft, or if you struggle to remember which button or keypress does some command on an aircraft you don't fly very much (like Bomb Salvo, or tell gunners to Engage Ground, etc...)

That's all perfectly fine, except it's useless in VR.  You can't see the ipad, and only feel smooth glass.  Only thing an Ipad can do in VR is a single button or axis maybe.  /First world problems.

[=X51=VC_]

That's all perfectly fine, except it's useless in VR.  You can't see the ipad, and only feel smooth glass.  Only thing an Ipad can do in VR is a single button or axis maybe.  /First world problems.

 

Yup, first world problems indeed. I actually ended up using the Insert, Home, Pg up/dn etc. block as it's really easy to find by feel, and using right shift to double up on some as that's easy to hit reliably with left pinky while hand is hovering there.

[Warpig]

Yep, see the first post by me in this thread.

I missed that.