Help! Keep blowing the engine.

[Rather peeved]

How do i judge boost value? What is it?

[JG53Frankyboy]

small advice, select a plane, enable the mouse icon (F10) and move it around the cockpit and learn what is what in the cockpit.

[Plt Off JRB Meaker]

Originally Posted by JG53Frankyboy

small advice, select a plane, enable the mouse icon (F10) and move it around the cockpit and learn what is what in the cockpit.

Yes,this is top advice,you need understand how the actions you take whilst in you're cockpit effect the behaviour of you're aircraft.

Without this understanding you're just going to go round in circles mentally trying to grasp what's going on with the controls.

Another top tip,that I learnt is don't keep changing aircraft,stick to an aircraft,learn the controls,understand as I mentioned earlier what these controls do and how they affect you're aircraft.

It takes time and patience mate

[NedLynch]

If I may I would have two questions regarding boost and radiator position.

Do I understand it correctly that boost can only be influenced "indirectly" by adjusting throttle and prop pitch (WEP excluded) ?

In combat would it be advisable to leave the radiator(s) fully open or does that cause too much drag and will give you a significant disadvantage, enough of a disadvantage to close them fully or to a degree and live with the risk of blowing your engine/overheating your engine?

I finally did manage to get my Me 109 in free flight to run cool enough ( no more oil on the cockpit window, looks cool though ) but I tend to leave the water radiator fully open and the oil radiator maybe 1/4 open with throttle set to 75% or a little less and playing around with the prop pitch.

It is quite amazing how much speed you can actually get with a trimmed aircraft and the right prop pitch-playing-around (yes that is the professional nomenclature for the procedure) at a rather low throttle setting.

[NedLynch]

Thanks for the advice, I do like a margin of error .

[Ctrl E]

Originally Posted by NedLynch

Thanks for the advice, I do like a margin of error .

thanks all. in the spit and hurri i think i was simply flogging the engine. for cruise now i never have throttle more than three quarters.

anyone know what the max boost the spit can take for how long? as in - if i need to really flog the thing to get max performance to get out of trouble or whatever.

[41Sqn_Banks]

The Merlin III is cleared for +6 1/4 boost for 30 minutes, however you have to keep it blow 2600 RPM. Alway keep an eye on your oil temperature, it must not exeed 90°.

[5-in-50]

Originally Posted by Rather peeved

How do i judge boost value? What is it?

Manifold Pressure, or Boost, is an instrument on the right side of the panel above the RPM gauge. It features a redline that starts around "3" and finishes after "5". "4" is the maximum continuous power setting - ie: running continuously without overheating. You can exceed it, but only for short periods.