Cold engine in a scramble? Chiefie is on charge!

[ATAG_Snapper]

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. :D

Please feel free to discuss here. I will link my "Missing Feature" report in the TF Bugtracker back to this thread. :thumbsup:

Here: http://tfbt.nuvturais.de/issues/581

:salute:

[92 Sqn. Philstyle (QJ-P)]

I support this!

However, if offered to one side, it should be offered to both - and let mission makers decide how it is used.

[ATAG_Snapper]

I support this!

However, if offered to one side, it should be offered to both - and let mission makers decide how it is used.

Absolutely. I didn't see it as a LW issue due to the "start and go" nature of the fuel-injected DB engines, but you're right, of course. The LW mechanics would have been utilized to the utmost efficiency without doubt.

[Artist]

I support this!
Feel free to vote for it in the bugtracker ;- )

[JG4_sKylon]

Hey snapper,

you guys have to start in cold and rainy England while ze Dschermans have their airfields in beautiful and sunny France. I guess it's modeled correctly :D

[ATAG_Snapper]

Hey snapper,

you guys have to start in cold and rainy England while ze Dschermans have their airfields in beautiful and sunny France. I guess it's modeled correctly :D

:-P

LOL :salute:

[ATAG_EvangelusE]

This is one of the options in the difficulty settings for BoS isn't it - pre-warmed engines? Sounds a good idea Snapper but I hate to confess that I rarely warm my engine to the specified temps anyway (unless I am spawning at a rear base that is) and go wheels up as soon as the throttle lets me go full power - never timed it but it doesn't seem long.

I mentioned BoS.....oops!....get me hat and coat! :)

[BOO]

HI

As a MS sidewinder user fixing this will really mess me up. At present the chances of the force feedback engaging are about 1 in 3 for me. Failure to engage mean i have to tab out and then back in. I can tell if its properly engages through the stick shake caused by the cold engine. Without this it has to be done in the air and tested by dropping to about 200mph. What is a concern is that , in the event of a scramble i will be left either without any force or centring until ive done this or worse still, a situation when the stick simply locks into the 10, 2, 5 or 7 o'clock position.

Whether im alone in my experience im not sure but i aint found any help in addressing it to date (USB 2, USB 3, removing certain FF things like cannons).

Perhaps, as i think is the case in bos, a user setting to turn on /off this feature could also be considered? Or a true/false in the conf.ini

Better still, the buggy FF could be fixed full stop them i could fire the cannon in TF5 Beaufighters?

As i understand it, this is the place to raise my concerns and not the bug tracker. If i need to raise in there please can someone tell me.

BTW - i wont be voting against it as the suggestion is a very sound one.

Regards

BOO