Advice on engine management in dogfight?

Hi guys, can anyone shed some light on why I may be blowing out my engine in a dogfight?

I try and keep RPM 2200-2500 rpm and boost between 6-8.

I keep blowing my engines though...and my oil temp seems fine and coolant temp seems okay (already learned those lessons). I don't even get any smoke from the engine warning, it just all of a sudden freezes.

Any guidance greatly appreciated.

Thanks Jason

Hi Jason,

What altitude are you finding this happening?

If you are quite high ~18,000ft then it might be because you haven't turned on the fuel pump switch... See Chucks guide, page 30

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-uSpZROuEd3Y1dhWFhKSVpPbms/view

In a dogfight you can easily keep the RPM at 2800-2850 and at 12 boost without worrying about overheating as long as your speed does not fall below 180mph, in which case you need to get your speed back or reduce your boost to 8.

See page 50 of chucks guides regarding engine management.... :D

You can open the radiator covers/flaps instead of leaving on auto.

As stated above, the main thing is keep your airspeed up.

Ok guys thanks. Looks like I have some more studying to do! Thanks for the input

Make sure your not running filtered air to the carb.

There is no reason to run the engine below 3000 RPM in a dogfight. When you aren't trying to save fuel or baby the engine, leave it at 3000. (This includes takeoff and landing)

I heard that low RPM + high boost can actually damage the engine but I don't know for sure if it's true.

There is no reason to run the engine below 3000 RPM in a dogfight. When you aren't trying to save fuel or baby the engine, leave it at 3000. (This includes takeoff and landing)

 

I heard that low RPM + high boost can actually damage the engine but I don't know for sure if it's true.

Yes, I taxied to the airfield with my rpm lever full back and blew the engine before take off :megalol:

I keep the rpm at around 1000/1500 for taxi and 2850 for take off and leave it there, occasionally I dare to go full 3000 in a dogfight however target fixation has taught me to use it sparingly!

Ah....so you guys keep RPM maxed? And just manage throttle?

Ah....so you guys keep RPM maxed? And just manage throttle?

No no no, to get full performance you have to adjust your throttle and rpm.

No no no, to get full performance you have to adjust your throttle and rpm.

I do 90% of the time during a fight......I lower it for landing and keep it at 2800 for just cruising. I also lower it if I find my speed getting down under 180 in a sustained climb. But I just bring it down to lower the temp a bit even if I'm coming out of the climb. I tested and found that I can go about 6 seconds @180- mph vertical with rpm maxed before I start to smoke so I try to keep it under that. It's the only time I really watch it closely. The rest of the time, it's up to 3000. Again, I stress that this is for fighting. I cruise with it at 2800, and land around 2400.

I don't know if that's actually correct or not but it works for me. I too was damaging my engine in every dog fight.

I'm not the top dog or anything but I figure that it may be a general guideline.

I do 90% of the time during a fight......I lower it for landing and keep it at 2800 for just cruising. I also lower it if I find my speed getting down under 180 in a sustained climb. But I just bring it down to lower the temp a bit even if I'm coming out of the climb. I tested and found that I can go about 6 seconds @180- mph vertical with rpm maxed before I start to smoke so I try to keep it under that. It's the only time I really watch it closely. The rest of the time, it's up to 3000. Again, I stress that this is for fighting. I cruise with it at 2800, and land around 2400.

I don't know if that's actually correct or not but it works for me. I too was damaging my engine in every dog fight.

I'm not the top dog or anything but I figure that it may be a general guideline.

Sounds very close to what I do.

When Normandy arrives we will really have to cruise at 6 boost and 2400 rpm to get the distance :)

I have tested going at full throttle and rpm at 3000m and ran out of fuel (~20 mins)before blowing my engine :D that shows just how key the speed is to keeping the engine cool.

The manufacturer has thoughtfully stuck a label on the right side of the cockpit with all the RPM/Boost recommended numbers.

I have a hunch that you are not blowing your engine because of the high RPM setting. If you fly the Spit at high power settings but there is no sufficient speed for cooling, the temps get out of hand very quickly. Even if you do a simple chandelle. So don't be afraid to use high RPM, but watch your coolant temp closely.

thanks for the insight guys...I am now pretty convinced that I am blowing my engine because I am dropping my speed too much and getting too caught up in the small turning fight.

Appreciate the guidance

2650 is the approved rev speed for all but take off and landing. You can use higher for short bursts - it will give more power, but 5 minutes is the limit. Frankly, it is best to keep your engine revs to 2650, and boost to 9 for all but the most dire needs.

The best way to keep your speed up in dogfights is to not bleed the energy in the first place. The extra power you get by red lining the engine is negligible, and costly in terms of the risks it represents.

It is far more likely to get you home if you don't push the engine too hard.

My impression was that reducing RPM decreased max power output which is why you'd want to keep it at full during a dogfight. If you need less than full power, or need to cool the engine, then decrease boost.

That guide is fantastic. Many thanks!

Was in the same case, killing engine really easily - the problem was aggravated by the defaut temp of the mission: 29°C. Of course, the cooling is better at 15°C!!!! (for Great Britain, it was certainly ok, but for Spits sent in Afrika...what a plague of engine management!!!)

Was in the same case, killing engine really easily - the problem was aggravated by the defaut temp of the mission: 29°C. Of course, the cooling is better at 15°C!!!!

Well, other planes are also flying with that temperature, so that equals it.

It also helps to have your radiators most of the time open when you're in combat

Speaking of the radiator flaps, I know you can turn the automatic flaps off, with the switch at the lower left, but the way people have been talking about it, it sounds like there is a way to manually control the flaps, if the automatic is turned off. But how?

Speaking of the radiator flaps, I know you can turn the automatic flaps off, with the switch at the lower left, but the way people have been talking about it, it sounds like there is a way to manually control the flaps, if the automatic is turned off. But how?

I haven't found this either. I think you have the option of fully open, or automatically managed in the IX. There's no manual radiator controls to adjust specific aperture.

Probably this was to prevent over-confident pilots blowing engines....

That's kind of what I was thinking. I'd just never heard directly, and the ED manual doesn't actually state it, IIRC.

I'm thinking that with the Spitfire on the ground ED is actually pretty generous with the cooling. I've heard too many times pilots saying that you really had to get off the ground fairly quickly to get up to a speed which would cool the engine enough to keep it from overheating. This goes doubly, or triply if you landed to refuel and rearm.

I haven't tried out how long it would take to overheat the engine right after start-up if you just remain parked at idle, but I also don't really rush after start-up and never come anywhere close to overheating the engine.

I've also never heard that you should turn the auto-radiator off on the ground to get full cooling, like you should do manually with the oil radiator flap on the P-51D.

You can only turn the automatic control off so the rads open themself, but you can't close them manually

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=179212

There is no reason to run the engine below 3000 RPM in a dogfight. When you aren't trying to save fuel or baby the engine, leave it at 3000. (This includes takeoff and landing)

 

I heard that low RPM + high boost can actually damage the engine but I don't know for sure if it's true.

Depends on the degree. "Low revs and high boost / Brings you safely home to roost" used to be a saying among Spit crews.

Depends on the degree. "Low revs and high boost / Brings you safely home to roost" used to be a saying among Spit crews.

As long as you don't go below minimum rpm for given boost level. High RPM does not cause the overheat itself, the high power output combined with low speed does. The engine is rated for full boost only at 3000RPM. That big engine was put there for combat use, not to shorten the takeoff run, so use it accordingly.

Similar thing was discussed already here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=180324