P51 Engine blows immediately after taking off

I have recently been having this problem where the p51's engine will blow directly after takeoff. I cant even get ten feet off the ground and it just blows.

It only seems to happen after I cold start it but I'm not doing anything differently than what I've always done but I'm only now having these problems. The only thing I notice is that the coolant temp is over the red but again I'm starting it the same way I've always done it and unless something has changed the temp must have always been that way before.

If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them because this is super annoying, thanks.

P51 blown engine.trk

Try shutting off all the cooling system on left panel after starting "Before Taxi"

and turn the cooling back on after 3 min or so. I heard/read somewhere that some folks have to do this kind of reset to get the cooling system to work.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=99465&highlight=overheat

From SOBEK -moderator

There was a bug where the regulator would only start to work once you put the switch to manual and back to auto. If the regulator is undamaged and the switches are in auto, there should be no reason for you to worry about temperatures unless you are flying very slow at high power.

hope this helps;)

Thank you tusler I will definitely try and see if that works.

It happened to me, too. I was told to keep manifold pressure at 41 and rmp at 2700 after lift off. Since doing this I have not had any blown engine. This means that in a dog fight where you constantly manipulating those controls you really, really have to watch the gauges hence why I love this sim. Enjoy.

I tried again and still had a blown engine but then I changed the season to fall instead of spring and was able to successfully take off. I don't know if I just got lucky or if a 5 degree difference was what did it.

I will keep on messing with it but for now maybe I'll just fly in cooler climates lol.

Here is what I do.

1.) Start the aircraft normally and ensure the prop/RPM lever is all the way forward.

2.) Taxi to runway.

3.) Pull the prop/RPM lever back a bit, just a little bit though.

4.) While holding the brakes, bring your manifold pressure up (SLOWLY) to about 40 on the gauge and release the brake when ready.

6.) Right after take-off, bring your prop/RPM lever back enough so that the RPM needle is in the green and make sure your manifold pressure is at about 40 to 45.

You should have no trouble with those settings, don't EVER push the throttle all the way forward during takeoff or cruise, it will seize your engine.

What statremike said. Go *easy* on the throttle.

Always manually open the radiators prior to take off and keep them in manual until you have built airspeed, this is sound advice. Else the actuators can't keep up with the sudden change in heat that is introduced and you might run the engine hot during start.

I keep the cooling open until I am leveling out the trim after take off, Take off settings for the mustang really depend on weight of the aircraft,

If fully loaded I use 3000RPM, 45" of manifold pressure and combat flaps, anything less and I do the same with no flaps. If I am on a clean aircraft with only 50% or so fuel then I will take off at 2700RPM 45" of manifold pressure.

If you have a clean aircraft you can have a very very smooth take off with cruise settings, 2400RPM and 35" of pressure.

During flight if I am doing aerobatics and fast maneuvers then I keep a steady 2700RPM and 45" of pressure which is considered "Max continuous" However if I am transitioning to another airfield then I go to the standard cruise of 2400RPM and 35" of pressure.

After takeoff I reduce the RPM to my desired setting within 20-30 seconds of being airborne and close the cooling at the same time.

Hope that helps

3.) Pull the prop/RPM lever back a bit, just a little bit though.

 

4.) While holding the brakes, bring your manifold pressure up (SLOWLY) to about 40 on the gauge and release the brake when ready.

 

6.) Right after take-off, bring your prop/RPM lever back enough so that the RPM needle is in the green and make sure your manifold pressure is at about 40 to 45.

 

You should have no trouble with those settings, don't EVER push the throttle all the way forward during takeoff or cruise, it will seize your engine.

While this may work, it's definitely against everything I've read and practice regularly. I had my own issues with overheating in the beginning, especially coolant temp, but there is no reason not to have the RPM (P lever) full forward on takeoff. Three things will save you from overheating.. #1 put coolant doors full open (Hold the coolant switch to open for about 30 seconds) right after start up. You can flip it back to AUTO after takeoff if you like. #2 When you start rolling down down the runway use a smooth manifold pressure increase (Throttle) You do not have to go above 50 inches. #3 Once airborne bring the RPM lever back to 2700 to take some strain off the engine. #4 And the most important... keep your speed up. 170 mph is a good climb out speed but try not to go below this. If you have speed/decent air hitting the radiator you should not overheat or seize unless you are rough on the controls. Always smooth transitions with throttle and RPM.

I promise you this will keep you trouble free... until the enemy arrives. :)

EDIT: I said 3 things will save you... but listed 4. I had to expand it a bit.

I only can add that following Merlin-27 recomendations you can use full 61 3000 but gradually applied for smoother TO and sufficient airspeed for effective cooling at full power.

 

Immediately start to taxy after engine starting not exceeding 1000 rpm (1500-1600 to start rolling). IN this case the coolant temperature will be ideal to start.

I can confirm that this is the method I use and works beautifully :-)

Difficult to use the same in another simulator and the best p51 available for it... In DCS works like a charm also because ground friction / drag is a lot more realistic overall...

I'm glad I found this thread. Although it is quite old, it gave me a better understanding of managing the Mustang's engine.

I took note of the "Go *easy* on the throttle." I've been way to aggressive with the throttle which would cause the engine to seize.

I came here to post about a similar issue.. ony with me I can barely make it to the runway and my engine just shuts off.. and I cannot get it restarted.. If I didn't know better I would think I was starved for fuel or something.

I came here to post about a similar issue.. ony with me I can barely make it to the runway and my engine just shuts off.. and I cannot get it restarted.. If I didn't know better I would think I was starved for fuel or something.

I've done perhaps twenty startups (@ ~25 degrees C) & takeoffs in the last two weeks, and I only had an engine failure once, at any point in my flights. The one time I took off immediately after starting, without a proper warmup, I had an engine failure shortly after takeoff. Are you warming up in the manner described in the sim manual?

Make sure you turn the starter off after the engine starts up! That got me every time until I figured it out.

Happy flying! :pilotfly:

Thanks guys i will check that out.. I am still perfecting my stick setup as well. Maybe I didn't let the engine warm up enough... I will also checjk that starter switch.. although I thought it was spring loaded.

I haven't had a bang or a seize in quite some time. Last night i had an engine shutdown gradually on take off. As I was applying power quickly yet smoothly, power dropped off and then it died all together.

I'm sure I didn't let it warm enough.

My routine is to:

Start engine

Verify take off settings

Taxi to runway when oil is above 35 deg, at about 1200-1400 rpm surges as needed to keep rolling

Once I'm lined-up and ready to roll, I check to see that temps are not much above 40, if above 40 at all. I apply power initially to 30". It drops a tad once it reaches that. Then I move throttle toward full at an even rate, with the first inch or so being slower than the remainder of the travel.

It gets me airborne quickly if I don't trip the pony with bad inputs.... and I don't ever junk an engine. Last night was me trying to catch up with the 4 GOOD pilots that left ahead of me. As it was, rushing things left me WAAAAaaayyyyyyy behind... :(

I always take off at 61 / 3000 like the manual says. Never had the engine quit. Of course I've warmed it up first.

I will also checjk that starter switch.. although I thought it was spring loaded.

It is, but you can get it to "stick." With my current startup procedure, I intentionally make it "stick" because, IRL, I have two hands, but in the sim, I only have one mouse cursor. So, I click & hold the starter switch, then (still holding the mouse button) I move my cursor to the magnetoes, and I right click. This frees up my cursor while keeping the starter depressed. I now can (left) click the magnetos after the "sixth propeller" passes my gunsight. As soon as the engine starts (using this startup procedure, at this ambient temperature, it's always the second attempt for me, no exceptions), I click the starter to "unstick" it.

You may be accidentally getting the starter "stuck" without realizing it; that's one of many possibilities. As Sithspawn said, a track could help us figure out the cause(s) of your problem.

My routine is to:

Start engine

Verify take off settings

Taxi to runway when oil is above 35 deg, at about 1200-1400 rpm surges as needed to keep rolling

 

Once I'm lined-up and ready to roll, I check to see that temps are not much above 40, if above 40 at all. I apply power initially to 30". It drops a tad once it reaches that. Then I move throttle toward full at an even rate, with the first inch or so being slower than the remainder of the travel.

This is much too cold. The (sim) manual says that you should stay below 1300 RPM until you're at 40 deg oil. So 40 deg is the minimum you want to be at, not the maximum. You don't want to be taking off at 40 deg, much less below that. I've been taking off at about 60 to 70 degrees (I start taxiing at 40 and I do a proper run-up check before takeoff, which warms it up quite a bit). This may still be too cold, despite the coolant passing the redline on a 61" takeoff; one of the problems with some of these birds was that you could easily end up with the coolant too hot and the oil too cold.

A couple of patches ago I did a couple of "torture tests", taking off full power from the taxiways immediately, with no warmups whatsoever. The engine didn't seem to be bothered and kept on ticking as usual. Maybe this aspect has been improved lately?

While we're at it, Echo, Bearcat, how do You prime the engine nowadays? I've stumbled upon a problem, described in a thread here...

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=143538

... which got no replies, though I can't believe I'm the only person noticing it :D.

A couple of patches ago I did a couple of "torture tests", taking off full power from the taxiways immediately, with no warmups whatsoever. The engine didn't seem to be bothered and kept on ticking as usual. Maybe this aspect has been improved lately?

Hmm. If they changed it, it would have had to been in the last month or so, because my engine-failure-from-not-warming-up was two or three weeks ago. However, it's likely that we're both overlooking variables.

While we're at it, Echo, Bearcat, how do You prime the engine nowadays? I've stumbled upon a problem, described in a thread here...

I do exactly as the DCS: P-51D manual recommends. Five seconds before first attempt (mags wait 'till six blades), one second before second attempt (mags still on from before, manual vague on this point), no oil dilution. Works for me, every time, at 74 degrees C ambient.

Regarding that thread: yes, I have noticed that the engine "likes" fuel being "given" while the starter is turning. Both your "prime while turning" trick and my old "flip the mixture back and forth" trick start the engine more quickly & reliably than the "proper" procedure.

Flipping the mixture back and forth while the starter was turning was such an easy way to start the engine (first try every time, if you don't screw up badly), that I suspect this method is exploiting a flaw in the simulation, and that it isn't something that would work in a real P-51. This is why I stopped doing it and started using a more true-to-life method.

I haven't had a bang or a seize in quite some time. Last night i had an engine shutdown gradually on take off. As I was applying power quickly yet smoothly, power dropped off and then it died all together.

 

I'm sure I didn't let it warm enough.

 

My routine is to:

Start engine

Verify take off settings

Taxi to runway when oil is above 35 deg, at about 1200-1400 rpm surges as needed to keep rolling

 

Once I'm lined-up and ready to roll, I check to see that temps are not much above 40, if above 40 at all. I apply power initially to 30". It drops a tad once it reaches that. Then I move throttle toward full at an even rate, with the first inch or so being slower than the remainder of the travel.

 

It gets me airborne quickly if I don't trip the pony with bad inputs.... and I don't ever junk an engine. Last night was me trying to catch up with the 4 GOOD pilots that left ahead of me. As it was, rushing things left me WAAAAaaayyyyyyy behind... :(

This was exactly what happened to me... I haven't been back in there but I will try it out again this morning.

Here's a track of my last flight, recorded today. Startup, checks, takeoff, & landing. I was sloppy in a few things (in particular, I forgot to check my amps on my runup), but you get the idea. This is a typical example of where my temperatures are at, at each point during my touch & goes (although I only made one landing this time). The startup is exactly how I usually do it. Ambient temperature is 24 degrees C; there is a slight crosswind with gusts.

A few things to note: I'm very careful to not allow my oil pressure to exceed the redline during startup and warmup. I don't know much about engines, so I don't know how much this matters. Also, I do exceed the coolant temp redline on takeoff; I always have this problem. However, engine operation always seems to be unaffected by this--I've never had a problem with the engine running poorly as a result (even half an hour to an hour later), as long as I throttle back to max continuous as soon as I'm a few hundred feet up, as I do in this replay (and on every other takeoff).

I've had perhaps two dozen flight sessions in the last month. Usually, I do three touch & goes per session and then end the mission; however, I've had several longer flights, both medium-altitude (~20,000 ft.) and low-altitude (<1000 ft.) cross-country ones. No engine failures--other than that one time I mentioned before, when I failed to warm up at all, but simply executed a "YOLO takeoff" across the taxiway. That did result in an engine failure, a few seconds after takeoff (which I thoroughly deserved).

If you still struggle with engine failures, take note of my temperatures (especially oil) when I begin taxiing, before & after my pre-takeoff run-up check, and so on. Note what I do with the radiators (fully open on the ground & during takeoff, in auto shortly after takeoff). Try to replicate the key points I've mentioned in this post (including the oil pressure, at least at first).

the clockwise-spin approach.trk