[redxfred]

Originally Posted by Blackadder

I am a rookie so am taking things easy. I am not using complex engine management and am just trying to learn how to fly properly and take out the biplanes effectively before I go and get involved in the campaigns.

I can fly well enough when I start in mid air for free flight or dogfight mode but my problem comes when I start from the ground.

The same thing happens every time. I take off with flaps down, I then retract the landing gear and hold steady as I start to climb. Then at about 1000 feet (maybe less) my RPM cuts out and I crash into the ground.

I have complex engine management off so I imagine that means that the game is taking care of all the engine cooling and prop pitch settings. The fact that I never run into any engine trouble when starting from the air suggests as well that that is the case.


Any idea why my engine dies like that every time I take off?

You can eliminate the overheat as a cause by selecting "Temperature effect OFF" on the realism menu. A crash after takeoff with a good engine almost has to be a stall. Reducing pitch and increasing airspeed will do the trick.