Engine almost stalls around 19,000 ft

[Kayos]

The engine in the my Spit almost stalls around 19,000 ft every time I get to it.  If I drop a 1000 ft or so it kicks back in.  Do I need to pressurize the fuel tank or what am I missing?

Edited January 17 by Kayos

[Hunter Joker]

1) electric fuel pump is on?
2) if fuel pressure drop You turn the fuel pressure valve?
Managed yesterday to achieve 30k without problem....

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[grafspee]

All you need to do, turn fuel pump on.

Switch is under Elevator trim wheel

Edited January 17 by grafspee

[Kayos]

Thanks guys, I'll try that.

[Istari6]

Is there a reason the fuel pump isn't switched on during normal startup?  It seems that it never shows up on checklists, and a few folks have said you turn it only if planning to climb to higher altitudes.  In the P-51D, you turn on booster pumps as part of startup sequence.  What was different about Spitfire? 

[Nealius]

1 hour ago, Istari6 said:

Is there a reason the fuel pump isn't switched on during normal startup?  It seems that it never shows up on checklists, and a few folks have said you turn it only if planning to climb to higher altitudes.  In the P-51D, you turn on booster pumps as part of startup sequence.  What was different about Spitfire? 

 

The Checklist in Chuck's Guide says to turn on the booster pump after engine start, and I know he gets his info from official documentation; though I don't know which specifically. 

 

I've noticed with the warbirds there is a whole lot of checklist confusion because the original WW2 documentation may omit things that are presumed to be foundational knowledge of the pilot from previous training, and then things get further confused with checklists for surviving airworthy warbirds that will have different procedures to baby the old airframes and/or because modern tweaking has been done to the engines and systems, which do not reflect the reality of the 1940s. 

Edited January 24 by Nealius

[reece146]

I always turn it on immediately after flipping the tanks open - one less this to forget.

[grafspee]

Small tip, If you turn fuel pump on before engine start up you don't need to use handle fuel pump.

I turn on fuel pump for a couple seconds to get fuel pressure but rest of the start up i do with fuel pump off.

Edited January 24 by grafspee

[Istari6]

Huh - interesting.  Agree that the latest Chuck's Guide recommends turning on Fuel Pump after startup.  The checklist above seems to imply it's pre-engine startup.  I could have sworn I read somewhere previously that fuel pump was something you turned on once in flight.  Not critical, just fun to understand how the actual systems worked.  

[Art-J]

^Note it's a check list "before take-off", ie. when the engine is running already. So it's in line with Chuck's Guide.

[grafspee]

4 hours ago, Istari6 said:

Huh - interesting.  Agree that the latest Chuck's Guide recommends turning on Fuel Pump after startup.  The checklist above seems to imply it's pre-engine startup.  I could have sworn I read somewhere previously that fuel pump was something you turned on once in flight.  Not critical, just fun to understand how the actual systems worked.  

 

Don't know how pilot was able to do those tests, i think ground crew had to hold the plane.

[iFoxRomeo]

[Istari6]

Thanks all for the replies. Seems pretty clear the fuel pump is switched on after engine startup.  Interesting that it's different from the P-51D which has the same engine.  There the booster pump is turned on before engine start.  Something about the British arrangement must risk flooding the engine if on during start.  

[grafspee]

same engine, but accessories and fuel system is different.

Priming switch in P-51 is simply electro valve, so it need fuel pressure to actually work. With fuel pump off you will prime nothing.

Edited February 7 by grafspee

[Art-J]

3 hours ago, Istari6 said:

Thanks all for the replies. Seems pretty clear the fuel pump is switched on after engine startup.  Interesting that it's different from the P-51D which has the same engine.  There the booster pump is turned on before engine start.  Something about the British arrangement must risk flooding the engine if on during start.  

 

In DCS Spit you can follow P-51 method as well. As long as you don't touch mixture cut-off control too early, the routine: booster pump -> prime -> crank -> mixture on works too.

Edited February 7 by Art-J

[grafspee]

i don't use handle fuel pump while starting spitfire as well. Flip booster on prime crank, mixture to auto.