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Old 02-05-2012, 05:18 PM
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Robo. Robo. is offline
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Location: Nottingham, UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FFCW_Urizen View Post
Aircraft Type: Spitfire mk1/1a/2a
System Affected: Fuel Gauge
Description of the Problem:

Currently, the fuel Gauge in the above mentioned Planes isn“t working, showing always full tanks, making very long flights bit of a gamble.
This is not true I am afraid. The fuel gauge is showing only the bottom tank in a Spitfire which is correct for a Mk.IIa model. (it even says so on the instrument!)

The issues regarding the fuel gauges / fuel system in Spitfires are as follows:

Aircraft Type: Spitfire Mk.I, Mk.Ia, Mk.IIa
System Affected: Fuel System
Description of the Problem:

Early Spitfires marks modelled in the sim have had 2 fuel tanks with one fuel cock each:



There were 2 fuel cock levers operating respective fuel cocks:



Left hand side was TOP TANK (48 gallons), right hand side was the BOTTOM TANK (37).

As modelled in game (single fuel cock) is later Mk.V.



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Aircraft Type: Hurricane Mk.I, Spitfire Mk.I, Mk.IIa
System Affected: Fuel System (Fuel gauges)
Description of the Problem:

Fuel gauges are incorrect in both function and appearance.

Hurricanes have a Spitfire's 37 gallon instrument installed:



This is what it should have:



Spitfire Mk.IIa has got the correct instrument (37 gallon) showing the bottom tank only (correctly), but in normal conditions, the gauge should read zero. Reading has been obtained by pressing the button as shown. (Only then, with the button pressed, the needle would move and show the amount of fuel left in the respective tank. It would obviously move back to zero when pilot released the button).





Spitfire Mk.I (and Mk.Ia) did in fact have 2 fuel gauges in this starboard side of the cockpit - one calibrated to 37 gallons for the bottom tank (right hand side), next to it on the left was identical instrument calibrated to 48 gallons. Both operated via button as described above, e.g. reading such as TAIL ON GROUND or LEVEL FLIGHT were identical, scale have had different reading due to different calibration - 0 5 10 15 20 30 40 48 on the top scale (rather that 0 5 10 15 25 30 37) and 0 5 10 20 30 40 48 on the bottom scale (rather than 0 5 10 20 30 37). There was obviously no alloy label above the 37 instrument.

Layout visible here on a early example (iron gunsight and manual gear lever):



Or here, items 72 and 77:



Source:
Spitfire Mk.I pilot notes
Spitfire Mk.II pilot notes
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Last edited by Robo.; 02-06-2012 at 10:00 AM.