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Drop Tanks?


MagpulOperator

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I am wondering if the drop tanks are feeding yet in the beta. I have the selector switch on the left panel on outboard where they are located but the fuel gauge seems to drop as if its just running on internal tank still. I dont know if the F86 runs the externals out first or if it feeds as a system etc.

 

Any help would be great.

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*** Edit -- I just looked at the thread mentioned by IvanK, and Scrim does appear to be on a similar path. My findings revealed a bigger problem with the fuel system; they are as follows:

 

I am experiencing a bug with the drop tanks. I've tried to reproduce this problem a couple of ways to make sure it's broken, but feel free to correct me If I'm interpreting this incorrectly. Full realism enabled; no unlimited fuel or anything like that.

 

Scenario 1, mid-flight:

 

Started with full fuel and only 2x 200 gal outboard drop tanks on the hardpoints. I flew the plane with “OUTBD ON & JETT” selected on the left fuel/jett panel and attempted to BINGO the aircraft. After approx 1 hour and 20 mins @ 40,000 ft and 0.82 Mach, the Fuel Quantity read "1150" (46% and 15,800 lbs total weight from the loadout menu, alt+').

 

The Sabre would not show a value lower than this.

 

I flew for another 15 minutes and the Fuel Quantity remained the same. I changed the tank selector to "ALL TANKS OFF" and fuel started to burn correctly. At "900" lbs of indicated fuel (~40%, now at 15,550 lbs total weight), I switched it back to “OUTBD ON & JETT” and the fuel quantity gauge started to rise back to "1150"! The loadout menu said I was now at 46% fuel and 15,800 lbs total weight once again. I gained fuel and weight just by moving the selector.

***

 

Scenario 2, ramp:

 

I started with 2x 200 gal outboard tanks and 100% fuel. I requested a clean plane and 10% fuel ("220" lbs of Fuel Quantity, 11,892 lbs total weight from the alt+' menu) from the ground crew.

 

I made sure the fuel/jett selector was set to "ALL TANKS OFF" and I asked for 2x 200 gal outboard tanks; they also topped up the bird to 10% fuel (some was used while idling). With my newly fitted drop tanks and the Fuel Quantity now showing "220" lbs, I moved the selector to “OUTBD ON & JETT” and watched the needle rise to "1150" lbs! I ran the engine on the ground at 2750 rpm for several minutes; I burned no fuel. I moved the selector back to "ALL TANKS OFF" and throttled up with my brakes engaged. The tank drained normally to "900" lbs, at which point I selected "OUTBD ON & JETT”. As expected, the needle went back to "1150" lbs (46% fuel, 15,800 lbs total weight).

 

I have not tried this extensinvely with the "INBD ON" 120 gal tanks, but one test from the ramp yielded the same result, showing "1150" Fuel Quantity and 46% fuel that would not burn.

***

 

My concern started when I noticed that the "OUTBD TANKS EMPTY" lamp never illuminated during long flights. I started to wonder when the fuel system was actually draining from those drop tanks.

 

Hope this helps, I have noticed a couple other things as well but I want to make sure it hasn't already been found. I love the work you guys have done on this plane!


Edited by BachoGrande
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Ext tanks do indeed work. Try flying with internal tanks a bit, once you see a drop in the fuel gauge switch to ext tanks and watch your fuel go up.

 

Here is a previous thread on the matter: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=127812

 

I just did a fairly thorough test (extensive ground run with tanks and time acceleration) and messed with the fuel system noting gauge readings. My conclusions are my opinion, as I haven't read the thorough treatment of the fuel system, only the T.0. 1F-86H-1

 

So, the fuel gauge will go down with the drop tank solenoid valves closed, and just keep going down. If any tanks are selected for feed, it will go down to around 1000 pounds, and then stay there while the drop tanks are fully drained. Turning the tanks on seems to re-fill the main tanks partially, but not fully until the total internal fuel gets down to around 1000.

 

If the outboard tanks are selected and the engine continues to run for long enough with the gauge at 1000 (1306?), eventually the "outboard tanks empty" light will come on properly, and then the gauge will keep going down after the 1000 mark.

 

If any fuel-bearing drop tanks are selected "on" it seems the bleed air will refill the tanks partially, but not to the full 2800 or so pounds.

 

It seems once the wing, rear, and lower cells are empty, the tanks will keep filling the front cell(s).

 

It's interesting how the gauge measures the entire fuel quantity until around the 1000 mark, perhaps there are check valves and transfer pumps which stop fuel going back to the rear and wings, but let the drop-tank fuel in through the front top tank due to the bleed air.

 

So the mechanism is interesting how the quantity doesn't increase back to full after a while, but it does initially.


Edited by sleat
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