Propeller Feathering Key Bindings for Specific Engines

[19//Moach]

I just noticed that strangely enough, there is no Propeller Feathering key bindings for individual engines in the key settings menu.

 

This means one can only feather a prop by first selecting the troublesome engine, then activating the one-key-for-all key for the engine that's selected.

 

 

Now, having just lost an engine, (usually by courtesy of angry bullets, likely to be followed by more of their kind, seeking any remaining live engines aboard) it is not really the most calm and controlled occasion to exercise the Jedi-like peace of mind required to:

 

Unselect the remaining good engine, lest it be feathered as well as the one gone bad;

(relinquishing all power control to fate and fluke, for the time being) 

 

Then to select the bad engine, which requires more than a casual peripheral vision glance to the technochat text 

(as the words "selected" and "unselected" appear very similar in the same color background when nine kinds of hell are blowing up outside)

 

Then, to activate the key to feather that bad propeller.

(as you wrestle badly damaged controls with your other hands)

 

And then, unselect the bad engine, and reselect the good one.

(hoping against hope the thing is still there)

 

 

 

As you can imagine, this worst-case-scenario (or two out of three flights, in MP) can be a little bit intense for any pilot.

 

Feathering a prop is one of those things one does half by muscle memory in such an emergency. However, the current lack of a pair of simple key bindings makes this a non-option, leaving only the cumbersome engine selection procedure depicted in graphic detail above.

 

Of course, for those of us who can afford expensive multi-engine throttle quads in their sim-pits, the problem is really just a mild inconvenience.

 

Yet for mere mortals who commonly have only the one single axis for all engines; This kind of thing can be the difference between a rough ditching and a crater full of flaming junk (coated with a charred, yet suspiciously organic, pinkish goo)

 

 

Wouldn't it be nice, if one could just hit the button which feathers that particular engine and be done with it?  It would make the trip down to the crash site a little bit more user-friendly, at least.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2019 by 19//Moach

[Jaegermeister]

In the case of the P-38, it takes more than 5 keys to feather a prop. It is difficult, but not quite as challenging as it was in real life.

 

Select bad engine.

reduce rpm to make sure it’s the right (correct) one and not both

hit feather switch

shut down bad engine with mixture

select good engine

adjust rpm to compensate 

trim rudder 

resume flight

 

try doing that all blind in VR, and I have all technochat and hud functions disabled except limited icons. The TM Warthog works fine for it. It takes about 5 seconds.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Jaegermeister

[Yogiflight]

On 12/24/2019 at 6:52 AM, 19//Moach said:

Unselect the remaining good engine, lest it be feathered as well as the one gone bad;

(relinquishing all power control to fate and fluke, for the time being) 

 

Then to select the bad engine, which requires more than a casual peripheral vision glance to the technochat text 

(as the words "selected" and "unselected" appear very similar in the same color background when nine kinds of hell are blowing up outside)

You don't have to unselect the working engine. Just select the destroyed one, feather it, close the radiator flaps (or in/outlet flaps) to reduce drag, unselect it, select the remaining engine and try to come back to a friendly base.

[40plus]

I've never had much issue feathering a single prop in VR. Practice makes perfect.....also thoughtful selection of keybindings so you can do it through muscle memory......I get shot down a lot.

[[CPT]Crunch]

Essential, makes it a complete waste for those of us who have multi throttles and dual prop controls, nuts to have to go through an engine selection process just to feather.  A delay like that could cost you your life in the real craft.

[VR-DriftaholiC]

As the title states. Why can I adjust everything individually except prop feathering? Individual prop feathering keybinds for engine 1 and 2 and even 3. It's a pain to have to select engine X then feather prop then select all again. 

[VR-DriftaholiC]

I made a whole new thread before I saw this. But then I also asked for this improvement back when the game was just battle of stalingrad. Hopefully we can finally get this in the game.

[Bremspropeller]

The problem for me is that rather than selecting the engine you're trying to shut down, you have to un-select the good engine, or un-select both and then select the bad engine.

That's too much of a hassle, when you're low, slow, shot-up by flak and got a lot of stuff happening around you.

 

Had my engine killed in a 110 on friday, and guess what, feathered both engines, because the key-binding is too cumbersome.

[Yogiflight]

On 2/10/2020 at 12:53 PM, Bremspropeller said:

The problem for me is that rather than selecting the engine you're trying to shut down, you have to un-select the good engine, or un-select both and then select the bad engine.

I never experienced any difficulty with that. I always only select the damaged engine, feather the prop, close the radiators, then you have to unselect the damaged engine and select the working one. But, definitely there should be keys for both engines to feather them, as for all the other (in fact almost all the other, there are also no keybindings for the water and oil radiator flaps of the 110 divided to the engines) key bindings.