During the Battle of Britain the front line RAF fighters were always started at 4:30 a.m. by the erks (mechanics). This was to ensure the Hurricanes and Spitfires were properly warmed up, plus any emergency repairs (leaking fluids, engine misfiring, etc) could be attended to in a timely fashion. This is correctly modelled in the Single Player Quick Missions, but this feature is not offered to mission builders in Multiplayer. Imagine RAF pilots having to sit in their Spits and Hurries warming up the cold Merlins during a scramble! Not only would the Chief Mechanic be put on charge, but very likely the Base Commander would be soon replaced once word got out. There is a war on, for Gawd's sake!
This has been a major immersion-killer for me personally, especially when sitting in my virtual cockpit nursing a cold, shuddering Spitfire down the runway while cannon fire is strafing the tarmac behind me!!! This is a feature that I strongly believe should be included as an option to mission builders to employ for all front line RAF fighters. There are numerous accounts of Pilot Officers being awakened and served steaming hot tea in their bunks by their batmen at 4:30 a.m., then listening to the distant sound of Merlins roaring to life as they sat up and sipped. (Sergeant Pilots could bloody well get their own tea down at the Sergeant's Mess.)
For those who prefer a more leisurely pace, starting up your engine and watching the oil and glycol temps rise, well, you can always take off from.......Croyden......I suppose.
Please feel free to discuss here. I will link my "Missing Feature" report in the TF Bugtracker back to this thread.
Here: http://tfbt.nuvturais.de/issues/581
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