The wish for +/- keys for radiators is acknowlegded. Personally I would find such step just logical in face of the latest radiator changings.

The main problem is that we only have 8 axis available in DirectX.

The Joystick takes 2.
My throttle are dual, so it takes another 2.
My Pedal takes 1.
My pedal breakes could use 2 if I had axes in surplus.
Pitch takes 1 for each engine (I got dual throttle) =2
So 2 for each radiator would be nice.

I have written a request at Microsofts developer forum but never got an answer *sigh*

As far as I know, the DirectX limit is per device. And IL2 already supports multiple(4 IIRC) controllers.

If this is correct, it shouldn't be a problem unless you have single controller with more than 8 axis.

You could use the temperature guage, if you're not looking at it, why would you want to change the radiator position?

It would be simpler (and historically more accurate) to just know your radiator is fully open rather than fly around watching the gauge trying to work out what it is set too.

Starfire,

Pfeil is correct:- 32 Buttons and 8 Axes per device in DirectX
- IL-2 recognizes 4, but only the first 4 devices

For the buttons of further devices use Autohotkey, for the axes use my YaDeLi

Artist

WTE not having a pop at you btw! It seems that the solution to this problem is for the lever, or whatever's responsible, to be animated in the cockpit, (Open or Closed, kind of thing). This would then permit 'flying by the book', and implementing the +/- keys for control would then be logical and whether the rad is open or shut would be apparent. But it would be some work, given the number of aircraft in the game, for TD to do this. Although the bonus of flying with increased historical accuracy, might tempt them to make the effort. Allied pilots might not appreciate the added workload though!
Are there penalties in game from flying around with rads open aside from drag, like having water and oil too cold fed into a hot engine? The reverse of overheating? I have no idea.

Any bell or whistle that adds to realism is always welcome and applauded.

I never use intermediate radiator settings in fighters though. I am either cruising along with the radiator closed trying to save fuel while on patrol to or from a target or the front, or I have it wide open and am fighting or climbing to the altitude I want to cruise at, so the lack of radiator control never was an issue for me.

Didn't some famous fighter pilot talk about how his missions were long hours of tedium interrupted by second of terror and adrenaline? It is the same for my engine....

Don't forget bombsights, radio frequencies, repeater compass settings, German electric fuses, and throttle control etc. for those using the mouse-wheel ;)

(Once again, I go off on the request for a customizable HUD).

Historically it was forbidden to use take-off power in many aircraft until the oil had reached operating temp. (One nice touch in the Lagg 3 is the engine temp warning light is lit on start-up and stays on until the engine reaches operating temperature)

Over-cooling was a common problem at altitude. Both the p47 and the p38 suffered mechanical failures related to over-cooling. I suspect it was a key factor in the p38 being withdrawn from European operations (the story about lack of cockpit heating giving the pilots cold toes is just silly). The LA5F also had over-cooling issues at one stage.

Note that it is quite possible for the same aircraft to suffer overheat problems under climb at sea level and then have over-cooling issues at altitude.

However I do not think over-cooling is modeled in game.

One issue that actually is modeled in game is the effect on low speed handling of some radiator cowls. A good example in game is the Lagg 3 once again, which wallows about like a pregnant hippo with the rad open at slow speed.