New to Sims, engine management, why does my engine fail?

[StankFaust]

I've flown some lesser titles as far as realism goes.  Cut my teeth for an interest in flying machines with Air Warrior 25 years ago or so.

 

Anyway, I love this sim and had a question regarding engine management while fighting.  I usually am seeing this issue with the FW190A3 and the BF109 F2 (I generally fly these the most so that might be why im seeing the effect here more than elsewhere)

 

Im still only doing the instant action single player stuff and typically will set my opponents up to come in waves of 3.

 

So I'm dog fighting one after another.  I imagine that 'time at full power' is what is nuking my engine, but what to do when you're in the middle of a fight?  

 

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks

[ITAF_Airone1989]

Check here:.https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/25993-aircraft-flight-and-technical-specifications-and-operational-details/

 

You can find engine specifications about all aircraft.

 

Talking about bf109 and fw190:

Use "combat power" (orange technochat message) during combat, you can keep it for 30 minutes.

Emergency power (100%) will burn your engine in 1 minute, so keep it just for very special moments

[CountZero]

4 hours ago, StankFaust said:

I've flown some lesser titles as far as realism goes.  Cut my teeth for an interest in flying machines with Air Warrior 25 years ago or so.

 

Anyway, I love this sim and had a question regarding engine management while fighting.  I usually am seeing this issue with the FW190A3 and the BF109 F2 (I generally fly these the most so that might be why im seeing the effect here more than elsewhere)

 

Im still only doing the instant action single player stuff and typically will set my opponents up to come in waves of 3.

 

So I'm dog fighting one after another.  I imagine that 'time at full power' is what is nuking my engine, but what to do when you're in the middle of a fight?  

 

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks

turn on Instrument Panel in Realisam settings, then buged mesages that tell you when your timer is run out will show up.

Also when you used up this 1min limit you need to fly 13min on combat power to recharg this 1 min fully. This mariokart recharg time (totaly non existant in real life) is differant on differant engines, so you basicly never know when your arcade timer is recharged when messages are broken.

System is not realistic at all, if your in battle and pass 1 min you would not stop using max power just so some mehanic dosent have to overhaule your engine 1h soner, engine that would be broken because you would be shot down because you stoped using max power after 1min as some manual say, but it is how it works, and broken tech chat messages make it even wors. Arcade as heck.

Edited December 5, 2021 by CountZero

[Yogiflight]

First, check in the Specifications (you can click on it on top of the Briefing) the times for the power settings you use. Maximum power can be used for 1 minute in the F2, but for 3 minutes in the A3 (when you are flying straight with high speed, the times are higher). When flying the FW 190 A3 you have to keep an eye on the oil temperature. In turn fights the oil temperature goes up quite fast (of course depending on the air temperature), as you use high power, but because of the turning you are flying much slower, which gives your engine less cooling. With fighting against 3 oponents, you might need to cool down your engine between the engagements by flying straight with lower power, before starting the new engagement. The Bf 109 seems to have no issues with temperaures, most likely because of the additional water cooling.

[=FEW=fernando11]

No need to put your agenda to every new player.

Im not sayig you are wrong. Just not imidialty relevant to the question of a new player... mariokart, not realistic etc is not the best thing to say to a new player.

 

That being said. On the fw190 there is a plaque on either the left or right side wall, with the max manifold (ATA) and RPM for each engine setting, and the time you can use it. 

From memory you have 30min combat, 1 min maximum emergency, and about 5 min "low" emergency.

 

You should change a bit the way you fight , the 190 keeps enrgy quite well. You can make a shallow dive until you reach almost max level speed, and then keep it with continous or combat mode. Use low emergency or max combat power for some manouvers or short climb to make a shoot. 85-90% throttle.

 

But all in all, dont compensate overmanouvering with more power. But instead conserve speed and manuver less/more tacticaly.

Imagine the fw190 is a big warhammer. Dont swing it all arround, manouver as little as you need, until you see the hit oportunity, and just then, manouver hard enough to make the shoot.

If you turned 360 or even more horizontaly and didnt manage to hit the enemy, stop, do a shallow dive and get your speed back, once you got it, you can start the ofensive again

[Enceladus828]

This instrument panel provides information about the Radiators, Mixture, etc. and I wish there could be a way to use it (from IL-2 BoS Beta).

 

 

Cheers.

[LukeFF]

14 minutes ago, Enceladus said:

This instrument panel provides information about the Radiators, Mixture, etc. and I wish there could be a way to use it (from IL-2 BoS Beta).

 

 

Cheers.

 

It's called technochat. ?

[Yogiflight]

4 hours ago, =FEW=fernando11 said:

No need to put your agenda to every new player.

?

 

4 hours ago, =FEW=fernando11 said:

That being said. On the fw190 there is a plaque on either the left or right side wall, with the max manifold (ATA) and RPM for each engine setting, and the time you can use it. 

From memory you have 30min combat, 1 min maximum emergency, and about 5 min "low" emergency.

The FW 190 A3 has 1.2 ata continuos power, 1.32 ata climb and combat power (30 min) and 1.42 ata maximium power for 3 min. There simply is no 1 min power setting for any of the A series Focke Wulfs.

Edited December 5, 2021 by Yogiflight

[Enceladus828]

1 hour ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's called technochat. ?

Then I guess we should agree to disagree on this, Luke.

[=FEW=fernando11]

4 hours ago, Yogiflight said:

?

 

The FW 190 A3 has 1.2 ata continuos power, 1.32 ata climb and combat power (30 min) and 1.42 ata maximium power for 3 min. There simply is no 1 min power setting for any of the A series Focke Wulfs.

1.Sorry, it was not meant for you. You must have posted while I was still writing.

 

2.And all the data I said was by memory.

What I meant was, first dont conpensate bad flying habits by using max throttle. And also the 190 maintain speed quite well once you get it, so once you are fast, you dont need %100 throttle all the time, with high combat you will still be fast. And if needed, its almost always better to use slightly less than max emergency power, say %95 instead of %100, so you can keep it for more than 3 min without killing the engine.

[FuriousMeow]

11 hours ago, CountZero said:

turn on Instrument Panel in Realisam settings, then buged mesages that tell you when your timer is run out will show up.

Also when you used up this 1min limit you need to fly 13min on combat power to recharg this 1 min fully. This mariokart recharg time (totaly non existant in real life) is differant on differant engines, so you basicly never know when your arcade timer is recharged when messages are broken.

System is not realistic at all, if your in battle and pass 1 min you would not stop using max power just so some mehanic dosent have to overhaule your engine 1h soner, engine that would be broken because you would be shot down because you stoped using max power after 1min as some manual say, but it is how it works, and broken tech chat messages make it even wors. Arcade as heck.

 

Let's just have all engines run full man, full RPM all day every day. That's totally not arcade. I mean, we already have the magnified aircraft when at reduced scaling (normal cockpit view) because everyone swears they can spot a zit on a bulls ass from 20 miles away. May as well let engines run full tilt 24/7 even though they'd be overhauled after, and then be demoted to the plane for tail end charlie.

 

 

 

 

 

[Yogiflight]

6 hours ago, =FEW=fernando11 said:

1.Sorry, it was not meant for you. You must have posted while I was still writing.

I should have looked at the time, you were posting

 

6 hours ago, =FEW=fernando11 said:

And also the 190 maintain speed quite well once you get it,

Unless you start turning, then it will bleed a lot of speed. So agreed to everything you wrote in your original post, except the times. But I only know them for sure, because the 190 is one of my two favourite aircrafts.

[StankFaust]

8 hours ago, FuriousMeow said:

Let's just have all engines run full man, full RPM all day every day.

 

this is how I fly now which is why I believe my engines keep tanking.  Old flight sims taught a few bad habits and one of them is firewalling the throttle.

[ShamrockOneFive]

1 hour ago, StankFaust said:

 

this is how I fly now which is why I believe my engines keep tanking.  Old flight sims taught a few bad habits and one of them is firewalling the throttle.

 

It takes a bit of time to get sorted with it but once you learn to keep the engine in cruise or combat (depending on the aircraft) at the appropriate time and then jump into that maximum power range for short spurts you'll be doing great with the aircraft. A slight change in thinking from the older titles where you could just run maximum power essentially all of the time.

 

Welcome to the community too!

[StankFaust]

Well, that makes all the difference in the world.  Thanks for the newbie help.

[Eclipse4349]

3 minutes ago, StankFaust said:

Well, that makes all the difference in the world.  Thanks for the newbie help.

Glad you got that part sorted out!  One more thing that might help you:

There is a Specifications tab in the top right corner of your briefing screen, at the top of the mission briefing pane, after you've selected an aircraft.  It will list the operational details, engine limitations, unique features, such as whether it has a tailwheel lock or not, what is and is not automated in the aircraft, how the wheel brakes, flaps, etc. function in that aircraft, operational quirks, and more.  A lot of questions I come across wouldn't be questions if players knew this information existed and/or took a few minutes to read through it. 

 

Hope that helps you out, and welcome! 

[StankFaust]

31 minutes ago, JG51_Eclipse4349 said:

A lot of questions I come across wouldn't be questions if players knew this information existed and/or took a few minutes to read through it

 

It's funny you mention this because I JUST found it when testing the FW190A3 and to your point there is a wealth of information there.

[PatrickAWlson]

@StankFaust In an  interview a German pilot said he flew by ATA (manifold pressure) and not RPM.  I started doing that and it did wonders.  ATA is a very big dial on 109s and 190s so it is easy to monitor.  Keep it within the planes limits.  For 190s 900-1100 mostly, 1200 for combat, 1300 when you really need a quick burst, do not exceed 1400 for anything but the briefest of periods.  Similar for the 109 just different numbers that I don't remember just now.

[Ace_Pilto]

German fighers make plenty of power at lower throttle settings. Just Don't ram it through the firewall all the time and try to stay out of emergency power.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Ace_Pilto

[Yogiflight]

17 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

For 190s 900-1100 mostly, 1200 for combat, 1300 when you really need a quick burst, do not exceed 1400 for anything but the briefest of periods. 

 

17 hours ago, Yogiflight said:

The FW 190 A3 has 1.2 ata continuos power, 1.32 ata climb and combat power (30 min) and 1.42 ata maximium power for 3 min.

These are the power settings for the Focke Wulf. BTW, flying by ata is not that easy with the 190, as there is that big gap between 1-2.8K altitude. Therefore I mostly look for the RPMs. Completely different thing in the 109s, which hold their manifold pressure up to 5.5K.

[PatrickAWlson]

I have not had any engine failure issues flying by ATA with the 190.  Don't think that I have ever burned out an engine.  OTOH I might not be getting best performance either.

[BlitzPig_EL]

I tend to be too conservative with the engines on USAAF aircraft, yet my squadmates in the BlitzPigs always compliment me on my ability to be somewhat competitive in the P40.  They use up their engines too quickly, but I can stay in the fight.  The Hawk 87 is a good handling plane, with sufficient firepower.  It would be a dream with the manifold pressure that was actually used by real pilots, especially at the altitudes we see regularly in the sim.