Wing/Ext Trans switch

[Baz000]

When do you turn the Wing/Ext Trans switch to AUTO from OFF? Every checklist I have read, real NATOPS and ingame HB manual make no mention of this in normal operation. But they do state clearly that for ground operation and take-off this switch should be placed to OFF.

 

However, I find that once in the air the wing and external tanks will not feed the jet and you can starve the engine of fuel while still showing lots of fuel on board.

 

So the question is, is something that should move the Wing/Ext Trans switch to AUTO not happening by itself yet? Or is it a manual action the should do to flip the Wing/Ext Trans switch to AUTO once in the air?

 

Based on what I have read, it seems to me to be something that should happen automatically with several conditional points of activation.

 

1.MASTER TEST switch actuated in INST

2.when either thermistor in cell 2 or 5 is uncovered

3.when DUMP is selected

4.when REFUEL PROBE switch is in ALL EXTD

 

some insight into this would be very helpful to avoid having fuel starvation to my engines with 8k lbs of fuel showing in the fuel totalizer window lol

[Sergeant_Hamlet]

I'm open to correction here, but I'm pretty sure it's to prevent fuel sloshing around in a half-full tank from creating a dangerous imbalance during taxi or takeoff. You probably just switch it back on once you're in the air.

[streakeagle]

I have been searching for clarification on this issue and haven't seen it answered anywhere else, so I am bringing this thread up from the dead. I found the answer in the real F-14 manual which has a verbal RIO challenge/pilot reply takeoff checklist consisting of 17 steps.

Step 2 reads as follows:

RIO challenge: "FUEL TOTAL _________ lbs."

Pilot reply: "NORMAL FEED, AUTO TRANSFER, DUMP OFF, TRANSFER CHECKED,

TOTAL __________, WINGS __________, AFT AND LEFT __________, FORWARD AND RIGHT __________, 

FEED TANKS FULL, BINGO SET __________"

It also says, "For CV operations, steps 1 through 9 may be completed while tied down.

For field operations, steps 1 through 14 should be completed in the warmup area."

To observe "normal feed" and "auto transfer", the WING/EXT TRANS switch would have to be in auto.

Per the above instructions, this condition would have been met before taking the runway or cat and may even be completed before taxiing when on a CV.

The kneeboard I am using does have this takeoff checklist, but it is slightly abbreviated. Also, the checks covered by steps 1 through 9 in the real manual are grayed out as being an unnecessary steps for DCS World. The first line of the kneeboard takeoff checklist is "NORMAL FEED/TOTAL/BINGO", which is a nice short summary of the Step 2 checks, but does not make it obvious that the WING/EXT TRANS switch should be placed in AUTO at this point if not already done so that transfer can be checked. Even the wording of the real manual never explicitly states when the WING/EXT TRANS switch should actually be placed in AUTO, only when it should be verified that it is in auto and working. The best I can decipher from the real takeoff checklist is that it should be done somewhere between the post start checks and the time the takeoff checks are started.

 

[Golo]

On 3/19/2019 at 11:20 PM, Baz000 said:

When do you turn the Wing/Ext Trans switch to AUTO from OFF? Every checklist I have read, real NATOPS and ingame HB manual make no mention of this in normal operation. But they do state clearly that for ground operation and take-off this switch should be placed to OFF.

You may want to recheck, especially the post start pilot procedures.

Basically you switch it OFF to check if fuel probe extension moves it to auto, then switch it OFF again, until you are ready to take off. Than as a part of take off RIO challenge, you switch it to AUTO.  

 

On 3/19/2019 at 11:20 PM, Baz000 said:

However, I find that once in the air the wing and external tanks will not feed the jet and you can starve the engine of fuel while still showing lots of fuel on board.

Yes that is a bug or wip.

 

On 3/19/2019 at 11:20 PM, Baz000 said:

So the question is, is something that should move the Wing/Ext Trans switch to AUTO not happening by itself yet? Or is it a manual action the should do to flip the Wing/Ext Trans switch to AUTO once in the air?

Based on what I have read, it seems to me to be something that should happen automatically with several conditional points of activation.

1.MASTER TEST switch actuated in INST

2.when either thermistor in cell 2 or 5 is uncovered

3.when DUMP is selected

4.when REFUEL PROBE switch is in ALL EXTD

Yes you are correct given those conditions you mention Wing/Ext Trans switch should move to AUTO. Only no. 4 is implemented now afaik.

 

Edit: We already noted it in bug section before

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Golo

[Uxi]

These will mostly not be that relevant unless we ever get system failures where the pumps break and they have fuel but it won't transfer and risk flaming out an engine.  A few stories from that... I think Snort had one and Bio had one, too.