Spitfire Question
 

Ok, so up until now, I have flown the 109 almost exclusively. Over the last couple of days, I've been flying the spitfire and I've noticed a couple of things and wanted to know if they are known issues or if it is just specific to my set up.

1) On the ground, especially during takeoff, I get really crappy fps. Lots of stutter and etc. This never happens when I takeoff in the 109.

2) It doesn't seem like the spitfire uses any gas. I look at the tank needle and it never moves. Are there multiple tanks and it is reading a tank that is not being drawn from? If so, how do I change tanks on the gauge?

Thanks,

1) I never fly the 109 so for me the fps in the Spitfire are normal is your grass setting to low?
2) The fuel gauge in the Spitfire is a strange thing and does not show any consumption until there is less than 36 gallons of fuel left in all its tanks. During the Spitfire evolution this did change and normally the pilot did have a push button to ask is fuel situation next to the gauge but it does not work in the game.
3) The Spitfire is very sensitive on is ailerons and do not forget like nearly all RAF plane it has rudder trim in flight (nice).
4) Never fly more than 5 minutes at max rev or the engine explode! Survey the engine water temp like a hawk never above 120°.
:-)

Thanks for the reply and the tips on the Spit. That makes sense about the 36 gallons. I guess that I've not been in the air long enough to get down to only 36 gallons left.

I don't know what the fuel consumption rate is on a spitfire, but I bet that if you do start to see the needle move, you'd better be landing soon....

I've noticed that, if a 109 disengages and leaves the combat arena, just let him go, because you ain't going to catch him in a spit.

Only at the moment though...the spitfire is bugged so badly in this patch (1.08)...In real life the Spitfire was faster than the 109 by 7mph...I watched a documentary on the 109 vs Spit...if your interested i will link it to you if you want

I don't recall noticing any difference between the 109 & Spit in regards to fps when taking off.

The spitfire had two tanks, Top and Bottom, the top tank drained into the bottom and the engine fed from the bottom tank. There 'should' be a button somewhere that lets you switch which tank is being displayed on the single guage. I don't think it is modeled in game.

The guage is showing the contents of the bottom tank which is continually being topped up by the top tank. So until the the top tank is emptied the bottom tank is full.


Cheers!

Regarding your FPS issues:

Are you flying on the latest steam version or beta patch?

Reason I ask is if you are on the steam patch the mirror on the spitfire will cause massive FPS loss, especially on the ground. Try turning off the mirror and see if that helps. If you're on the beta, then I don't really know :(

The low fps may be caused by the black smoke due to neg g cutout, I noticed this in certain patch version but I cant remember which version it was, the neg g was over sensitive and happened even when taxiing the Spit.

From the Spitfire V Pilot's Notes: Fuel gauge and button = 20

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...ee308da13d.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...4cb8b53aa7.jpg

.
For fuel consumption do not worry the Spitfire can fly a long time if you manage your rpm's and lean mixture, I think two hours is possible. I never tried! There are 85 gallons of fuel in a full Spitfire MKI or II. But when you reach 5 gallons look for a place to land. One last remark most of the time in the Battle over Britain like the tittle says it you are fighting over Britain your country so no problem...:-P

I did have a look in one of my books and at 14.000 feet with 1700 rpm and 150 mph a Spitfire MKI does have a consumption of 25 gallons per hours so could keep in the air for at least 3 hours.

WRT Fuel quantity indications in the Spit only the bottom tank is a gauged. IRL the Fuel gauge reads 0 and only indicates bottom tank quantity WHEN the push button is pressed and held. As soon as the button is released the needle returns to zero.... source Pilots Operating notes

There is a Youtube clip that has been posted on this forum showing Spitfire I daily flight inspection that illustrates this clearly.

Its incorrectly modelled in CLOD

Top tank 48 gal lower tank 37 gal, totally 85 gal, fuel consumption full power approx 80 gph, cruise regime approx 35 gph. Unlike Hurricane, there is no switch modelled in order to switch the dial to upper tank, hope it will come one day.

Also note that hurrricane has a dial switch and a reserve tank, both left & right are sumped together as main tank in the Hurri, no such design in a Spit.

Ever since Jane's WW2 Fighter showed us nice 3D cocpits of the Spitfire, I have an ever growing feeling that there was a raving madman in Mitchell's team, most intimately involved in designing the instrument panel: Half the instruments are in the impossible places, indicating things in the weirdest possible manner - or not at all as above.

Fuel consumption Spitfire II PNs although they only specify maximum rpm and boost.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...n-page-001.jpg

Later Spitfire PNs were much better at giving fuel consumption for several engine settings: Mk VII and VIII PNs

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...I-page-002.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...I-page-001.jpg

How dare you Sir!

That is a combination of British culture, ingenuity and security intended to prevent foreigners from stealing our aircraft. It is based in the long tradition of Heath-Robinson who, IMHO, should have been Knighted. The obsessively sterile cleaned-up 'modern' cockpit layout has changed the character of an aircraft from a 'she' to an 'it'.

+1

Thanks for the correction. I found my download of the MKII pilot notes from Zeno's page. Works exactly as you say in the MK II

The Mark I manual that came with the game shows the dual guages but once again the button needed to be pressed to read them.

Cheers!

After one of the longest sorties I've flown so far in the game, which took place last night, I can confirm that the Spit's fuel gauge does work.

It follows what a poster above said, re the top tank feeding the bottom tank. I didn't make a note of the duration of the sortie, but by the time I landed back at Manston, I was down to 25 gallons, having taken off with 100% fuel.

I also had a backside like a piece of lead, and was desperate for a cup of tea. Now that's realism! :D

Hi

I gave values from measurement, they actually differ from game to manual. As far as I remember you get 85 gph rich full power and 35 gph lean at cruise 200 TAS (not IAS).

Some really interesting information on this thread; information that I personally think should be included in the manual that comes with the game.

However, I just wanted to point out that the poster that pointed to the mirror as the culprit was absolutely correct. I turned that worthless thing off, and viola, my "on the ground" fps's were fixed straight away.

I am flying with the latest "official" non-beta version.

.
The Spitfire MKI to MKII could at least stay in the air for 3/4 of a hour at max speed and consuption this in the game is more than the time needed to go from Ramsgate to Watchfield going along the coast do you need more?

That's about what I'm getting: 35 gph, lean = 12,000 ft @ 1,700-1,725 rpm, 200-210 mph, radiator shutter half closed coolant 86-90°C oil 82°C.