P-51 Fuel Leak!

The fabled DCS P-51 - Fuel issue, Sim not Game. Multiplayer. Mission Editor, place aircraft on ramp, select armament, select 70% fuel - Quantity for the mission with a reserve, under total AUW limit. Select the paint scheme, start over for aircraft number 2, 3, 4 etc...

Save Multiplayer mission, lets go fly...

Start up procedure as has worked without fail many times before recent update/s... Engine coughs and dies, spend all afternoon cussing and swearing at the computer, the superb Warthogs, beating the shite out of the keyboard, kicking the dog, sending the kids to bed at 4pm, grunting at the wife... Get online after dinner with yer DCS expert of all planes mate to see what he makes of it, you load up yer mission, he gets in the plane, start up procedure... Same thing, engine coughs, splutters, farts and dies. Swear again,repeatedly, go into mission editor to double check yer work... 70% fuel definitely there for all aircraft, everything as it should be... Reload multiplayer, yer best bud tries again only to exclaim that there is no fuel in any of the tanks, close out the session, restart start it, same issue - No fuel in the tanks.

Obviously a bug.

Made sure the fuel tank selector is at a full tank before reaching this conclusion? Played DCS Dog fight night Friday, +20 players and no one said anything about something like that AFAIK.

Yes he did.

Tengah, could you please attach the relevant mission so that testers can check it in the non-public builds and if necessary report the bug?

68% is max for wing tanks. Anything over and you start filling up the centre tank.

70% =

68% in wings

2% in the centre tank.. which isn't much.

and make sure you select the wing tanks.

The Left and Right Hand Wing Tanks were selected in sequence during start attempts. Even at 2% you would still get engine start and run.

Now I cannot claim to be an expert Mission builder so it could be that my mission is at fault, if so then I do apologise in advance for wasting people's time.

Falcon pls find attached mission and thank you very much for your reply.

P.S. There are many Pony's in the mission, all the team members flying the multiplayer session do have all the skins loaded etc. We all fly off the one hymn sheet as it were.

VAMPIRES P-51 Jolly.miz

Start up procedure as has worked without fail many times before recent update/s...

I agree with you that something obviously has changed with the recent patches, but the P-51 will start up just fine if you open the throttle just a tiny amount. If I remember right, the start-up tutorial has you open up the throttle about one-quarter which is now way, waaaaay too much. Just a teeny-tiny amount will do it now; I've even managed to start the engine with the throttle fully closed. And be Johnny-on-the-spot with that mixture control lever; when you hear the engine catch, put that lever in the Run position immediately. And I do mean, immediately. Your window is about a second long.

I agree with you that something obviously has changed with the recent patches, but the P-51 will start up just fine if you open the throttle just a tiny amount. If I remember right, the start-up tutorial has you open up the throttle about one-quarter which is now way, waaaaay too much. Just a teeny-tiny amount will do it now; I've even managed to start the engine with the throttle fully closed. And be Johnny-on-the-spot with that mixture control lever; when you hear the engine catch, put that lever in the Run position immediately. And I do mean, immediately. Your window is about a second long.

In Multiplayer, seems to depend on whose server I am using, but I usually, now, start with the prop-pitch throttle closed and I start fine. I don't even bother to set the parking brake.

I really like Merlin's server, but using his server, it took me awhile to figure out how to do a ramp cold start. Using the training tutorial's advice the engine will not start for me, first sortie.

I took the Mustang out last night on the 104th's server fully loaded out, 100% guns, 100% fuel, bombs and rockets, beyond the overweight limitation and took-off fine. Once up, it was a bit of work trimming her. I had a long flight to target to burn off the rear tank some.

Our procedure is sound, the throttle is literally cracked open by about an inch. The start up procedure is definitely not the issue, its empty fuel tanks that is.... Pls read the thread to understand the issue at hand.,

Our procedure is sound, the throttle is literally cracked open by about an inch. The start up procedure is definitely not the issue, its empty fuel tanks that is.... Pls read the thread to understand the issue at hand.,

I'm sure your methods are "correct" but DCS has had some interesting quirks from time to time. At one point, and I'm pretty sure it is still the case, starting with 0% throttle is the easiest way to get her up and running. I know it is not the documented "correct practice" but we have helped many many people get away from their frustrations with that notion. And then it may truly be a bug with that loadout... I'm sure someone will try the mission and chime in. I won't be able to try it until later today. Also, no one mentioned temperature... that plays a big part as well along as wind conditions.

The Left and Right Hand Wing Tanks were selected in sequence during start attempts. Even at 2% you would still get engine start and run.

 

Now I cannot claim to be an expert Mission builder so it could be that my mission is at fault, if so then I do apologise in advance for wasting people's time.

 

Falcon pls find attached mission and thank you very much for your reply.

 

P.S. There are many Pony's in the mission, all the team members flying the multiplayer session do have all the skins loaded etc. We all fly off the one hymn sheet as it were.

I just tried the mission. Spawned in the first US plane. Started up and ran like a champ with the left wing tank selected.

I just tried the mission. Spawned in the first US plane. Started up and ran like a champ with the left wing tank selected.

Same here. Started the airplane without problems.

Righto, did you try it in multiplayer or single or from the mission editor?

The temp is 30 degrees, summer. Bit warm but hey its a heat wave :D

Great tip for the closed throttle, will try it. Many thanks.

Please try the mission in multiplayer, when you do I am sure the first time in the P-51 will have fuel, come out and select another aircraft then go in again and you will see all the tanks are empty... O.o

I have never managed to start the 51 on left tank, always had to use Right Tank. O.o There are indeed some strange quirks O.o

Our procedure is sound, the throttle is literally cracked open by about an inch. The start up procedure is definitely not the issue, its empty fuel tanks that is.... Pls read the thread to understand the issue at hand.,

The stream-of-counsciousness made it a bit hard to follow though.

Best option, since you've already posted the mission file, is to post a track that displays this behaviour. Then we can see exactly what happens without having to ask question after question. :)

Righto, did you try it in multiplayer or single or from the mission editor?

 

The temp is 30 degrees, summer. Bit warm but hey its a heat wave :D

 

Great tip for the closed throttle, will try it. Many thanks.

 

Please try the mission in multiplayer, when you do I am sure the first time in the P-51 will have fuel, come out and select another aircraft then go in again and you will see all the tanks are empty... O.o

 

I have never managed to start the 51 on left tank, always had to use Right Tank. O.o There are indeed some strange quirks O.o

I can not reproduce this problem.

Startup is working just fine. Multiplayer or Singleplayer doesn't matter. I tried all the Cold start P-51D... Pls post a track.

Ok let me restart this as I obviously didn't lay my initial post out clearly.

The issue is not in starting the P-51. Can do that no probs.

The problem I and my colleagues noticed is in a Multiplayer Mission where there are several P-51's to choose from in a cold start position.

We experienced this:

The host, always myself, can hop into an aircraft and there is fuel in the tanks, except the aircraft's engine refuses to start off the left tank it had to have the right tank selected.

Then...

When other members of the session came to start their P-51's they noticed that there was no fuel showing on the fuel gauge for any tank selected after the battery was switched on, yes the shut off was in the "On" position, fuel boost "On" etc, procedure followed as per "the book".

Myself, the host, then went back to the briefing screen and selected a P-51, got into the cockpit and sure enough there was no fuel showing in my new aircraft either, for any of the tanks.

However... I have just tested the mission myself just now, in multiplayer, as the host as per normal but with no other session members joining (all still at work, sleeping or doing ... Other... Things O.o) and all the P-51's in the session behaved themselves perfectly. I don't know what to say guys except an apology for posting this thread as it seem's it must be a localized issue, but there is / was a definite problem, we all witnessed it first hand. Perhaps wait until some one else has a similar prob?

As for the Replay Track, I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw it. Half the time it replays me blowing up on the runway or augering in after a perfectly laid down strike even though I fly a terrific mission and land back at base with out so much as a scratch. If the issue shows up the next time we come to fly the mission (we are mostly A-10C orientated and fly the 51 for poops n giggles) I will record and make a movie to show the issue.

Many thanks to ALL of you for your good words and taking the time in replying.

Edit: P.S. Let me add that the guys I fly with are all seasoned DCS aircrew, I am the new guy.