P-51 Endurance & fuel tank selections

[Mike Busutil]

Tonight I wanted to do a long endurance flight with the P-51D. I used the mission editor to make a flight plan that would allow me to takeoff from Anapa and fly to the other 21 airports and do a touch and go at each airport ending up back at Anapa...

 

This has a route distance of approx 1,016.5 nm and a range of 395 nm.

 

My configuration was 100% fuel with 2x drop tanks and no weapons. (99% max takeoff weight)

 

After takeoff I switched the fuel selector to the rear fuel tank and was able to fly for approx 1 hour and 15 mins before I lost fuel pressure and had to switch tanks.

 

I then switched to my left wing fuel tank and got fuel pressure back. I then switched my fuel selector to the top left position which reads "RH combat drop tank" and continued flying.

 

A few seconds later my engine died in flight. I had no fuel pressure on either left or right drop tanks.

 

Can anyone tell me why this happened? Why did the drop tanks not have any fuel?

 

PS, This is a hell of a route to fly without an autopilot :D

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by Mike Busutil

[alfredo_laredo]

Electric fuel pump was on?

Did you try changing to an internal tank after you lost pressure?

 

Most probably the fuel pump was off

[Zabuzard]

According to your flight duration you landed at least once. Maybe you broke something in a hard landing. I'd guess the tanks where full and your problem was in the fuel system.

A common problem on takeoff or a not smooth climbing can be overheating of the carburetor. Make sure you operate the radiator doors correctly.

 

Have you taken any 'unnormal' measures to fly such a long path like supercharger to low at high altitudes?

 

Did you fly inverted over ~10s long? This will stop the fuel flow due to negative Gs.

 

A track would be rly nice :D

[Mike Busutil]

Electric fuel pump was on?

Did you try changing to an internal tank after you lost pressure?

 

Most probably the fuel pump was off

 

 

Yes, the fuel pump was on. 100% guarantee.

 

Yes, neither external tanks showed fuel pressure. When the wing tanks were selected the fuel pressure came back.

[Mike Busutil]

According to your flight duration you landed at least once. Maybe you broke something in a hard landing. I'd guess the tanks where full and your problem was in the fuel system.

A common problem on takeoff or a not smooth climbing can be overheating of the carburetor. Make sure you operate the radiator doors correctly.

 

Have you taken any 'unnormal' measures to fly such a long path like supercharger to low at high altitudes?

 

Did you fly inverted over ~10s long? This will stop the fuel flow due to negative Gs.

 

A track would be rly nice :D

 

 

I did at least 5 landings (One at each runway) and none of them were hard.

 

Part of the fun in flying this long duration flight was managing the engine temps throughout the flight. I was watching and managing the temps a never had it in the red.

 

Max altitude was approx 5,000' for the flight. Never flew inverted.

[Zabuzard]

Maybe you had a problem with the carburetor vapor as said because the wing tanks don't have an extra boost pump.

 

Have you enabled random system failures? (some do and forget about it^^)

Edited February 2, 2014 by Zabuza

[Mike Busutil]

I am thinking something on the engine failed besides the temps, this caused the engine to shut down and without the engine running the external tanks did not show any fuel pressure...

 

I will fly this mission again and check the external tank fuel pressure on the ground.