Spitfire Question

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by senseispcc

1)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.

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!

[ATAG_Bliss]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

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

[whoarmongar]

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.

[TynMahn]

Originally Posted by ATAG_Bliss

Regarding your FPS issues:

...the mirror on the spitfire will cause massive FPS loss, especially on the ground. Try turning off the mirror and see if that helps. ...

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.

[senseispcc]

.
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?

[NZtyphoon]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

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!

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

[senseispcc]

.
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...

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.

[IvanK]

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

[Kurfürst]

Originally Posted by IvanK

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

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.

[klem]

Originally Posted by Kurfürst

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.

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'.