Doing a Spitfire Mk. XIV career in BoN and the total distance of the planned route exceeds the Spitfire’s range even at full tank

[Enceladus828]

I’m doing a Spitfire Mk. XIV BoN career, No. 322 RAF squadron, based out of Blackbushe airfield and on a few occasions the total distance of the planned route for the sortie exceeds the Spitfire’s maximum range. For example, I was doing a Free Hunt mission which would take the group of Sptifires from Blackbushe, across the English Channel, to south of Cherbourg, France and back; there was close to full tanks of fuel for my airplane. We orbited for a few minutes before heading back to base. Halfway across the Channel I ran out of fuel. Even if fuel tanks were full and we didn’t orbit, I still would have ran out of fuel long before getting back to base.

[sevenless]

Yep. That´s why we need drop-tanks. Rather sooner than later. Hope the get that intergrated within the next weeks.

 

 

 

[Aurora_Stealth]

Yep, and just to add to that - the Spitfire Mk XIV's Griffon engine is a particularly thirsty beast... even at cruise speeds and even more when comparing combat/max power compared to several of its contemporaries. It uses a pressure assisted carburettor, so not really benefitting from a direct fuel injection which otherwise helps make a large capacity/displacement engine like the DB605 and DB603 somewhat more economical than would otherwise be... by being more accurate in regulating fuel flow. The huge radiators and extra weight on the XIV increases fuel consumption which affects its range and endurance regardless of the power settings vis-e-vis the Mark IX.

 

I believe modifications were made IRL to the XIV to add (yet another) internal fuel tank in the rear fuselage to compensate... in addition to the wing tanks used in the standard XIV. But we don't have that in IL-2, yet. Actually, we may receive it with the upcoming collectors aircraft.. the later XIV with Bubbletop Teardrop canopy but I suspect that will be available only very late in the war's timeline.

 

So yeah, even if you can get close to that distance without a drop tank.. you'd probably need to be at an optimal cruise altitude and no time spent loitering, forming up unless its en-route to/from the target. Even at lower power settings that's fuel/time you can't afford to lose... so the only real solution is to have drop tanks, you'll need that flexibility once you make contact with the enemy (which you will do more often in IL-2 than likely happened IRL in 1944 over Normandy) and that means higher power settings will be used more readily which compromises you even more.

 

In either case, its quite a stretch to do a mission like that on internal fuel in any short ranged fighter.

Edited September 14, 2022 by Aurora_Stealth

[Gingerwelsh]

14 hours ago, Enceladus said:

I’m doing a Spitfire Mk. XIV BoN career, No. 322 RAF squadron, based out of Blackbushe airfield and on a few occasions the total distance of the planned route for the sortie exceeds the Spitfire’s maximum range. For example, I was doing a Free Hunt mission which would take the group of Sptifires from Blackbushe, across the English Channel, to south of Cherbourg, France and back; there was close to full tanks of fuel for my airplane. We orbited for a few minutes before heading back to base. Halfway across the Channel I ran out of fuel. Even if fuel tanks were full and we didn’t orbit, I still would have ran out of fuel long before getting back to base.

 

Assuming you T/O from runway, you start with 91% fuel, good for about 410 miles at 240 mph..

The round trip is 312 miles plus T/O and loiter.

Any combat will dramatically eat into this, leaving you with fumes to get home.

The solution is 90 gal drop tank, which we dont have, or do what I do and start in the air with that same 91% fuel and assume you got there at the French coast, after dropping that ghost tank.

 

..

[sevenless]

2 hours ago, Gingerwelsh said:

 or do what I do and start in the air with that same 91% fuel and assume you got there at the French coast, after dropping that ghost tank.

 

Yep. That is the only workaround until we get drop-tanks.

[LukeFF]

For the time being, I can reset the Spitfire XIV's fuel load to 100%. The ~90% default fuel load is meant to simulate fuel burn that would have occurred during engine warmup and taxi to the runway. It's worked alright for Rhineland, but obviously for Normandy, not as much. ? That's why I've not yet touched the 109's fuel load - 400 liters is barely enough/insufficient for some missions on the Rhineland map.

 

Once drop tanks are implemented we can probably apply a blanket 90% fuel load for all planes. 

[PhilthySpud]

…or fly at LRC power.