External fuel tanks

[Red Earth]

Can't seem to get these to work. In the fuel screen in the DDI it shows total fuel consistent with an external tank but watching fuel consumption it appears that the internal fuel is the only fuel that is getting used. I ran out of fuel twice now on missions when I still have a total register way above empty.

 

 

When I try the Ext Tanks switches accessed on the left hand panel, seems to have no effect on anything.

 

My questions are; is external fuel functioning yet in this module, and if so what am I doing wrong?

[Tholozor]

External tanks do not feed the internal tanks with weight-on-wheels, unless the tank switches are in the override position. Internal fuel capacity is roughly 10,800lbs. Check the IEFI for total vs. internal fuel count.

 

Do you have a track showing the issue?

Edited January 6, 2020 by Tholozor

[joey45]

Last time I used the Hornet they worked.

[Kang]

It should work all by itself without touching any of the switches once you are in the air.

[Ziptie]

Did you sort this out? I just tried with a single, center line bag - then with triple bags, center line and both inboard wing stations - fuel figures were all as should be. Fuel is fed/siphoned from the external tanks first, then from the onboard tanks once external are exhausted.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Don (callsign Ziptie)

[Red Earth]

Did you sort this out? I just tried with a single, center line bag - then with triple bags, center line and both inboard wing stations - fuel figures were all as should be. Fuel is fed/siphoned from the external tanks first, then from the onboard tanks once external are exhausted.

 

 

I was flying a player created mission with unlimited weapons. If I turn off unlimited weapons in the mission editor under CUSTOM mission options, Ext fuel is used no more problem.

 

Obviously if I'm right it's a bug, unlimited weapon use has nothing to do with ext fuel tank siphon.

 

Check it and tell me I'm wrong!

[Red Earth]

External fuel worked flying this mission yesterday but this evening's sortie back to same problem. So it isn't the unlimited weapons function. Why it would work randomly on one occasion to another is totally beyond me. All I can think of which is rational is a system's failure. I'm going to try my own practice take off and land mission now and see if it's just this particular mission. Problem is I doubt it because I recall experiencing the same issue when first learning the F18 in NTTR, albeit sometime ago now. At the time I put it down it down to the ac still being new and not modelling the fuel use correctly. Obv now that cannot be the case, though why no one else is experiencing the same issue is slightly puzzling too.

 

I should add that i'm using the centerline tank only, not the wing tanks

[AG-51_Razor]

Are you using a HOTAS? If so, do you have any switches mapped for the fuel transfer switches on the left console? If so, do you have that box in the game UI that says something like, "synchronize HOTAS on start up"? If so, have you checked those switches on your HOTAS??

[Red Earth]

Are you using a HOTAS? If so, do you have any switches mapped for the fuel transfer switches on the left console? If so, do you have that box in the game UI that says something like, "synchronize HOTAS on start up"? If so, have you checked those switches on your HOTAS??

 

HOTAS and synched on start-up yes but these switches are not mapped for me in any case. Just use the mouse on the console. This is not the problem but worth raising so thanks.

[Red Earth]

I've attached a bare bones mission file (just a cold start f18 at Kobuleti), to demonstrate my experience of no external center line tank fuel consumption. Can someone test this for me please.

 

I monitor fuel use by navigating to the fuel screen in the left DDI. You'll note that center line fuel tank is not showing though there is text. Why is that? This is not right is it?

 

In any event you'll need to get off the ground to see that nothing changes - internal fuel tanks are emptying when ext fuel should be prioritised.

 

I wondered if someone might take a quick 10 mins to kick up the mission and corroborate my experience of this.

 

If we can confirm it's a bug I can report it.

Caucasus - fuel test.miz

[Ziptie]

I don’t know what you are doing differently - but every time I fly with a bag, it pulls the fuel from there before the internals. Can drop bag(s) without changing total fuel remaining, for example once the top two fuel figures on the IFEI are even, dropping a bag doesn’t “lose fuel”

 

 

Cheers,

 

Don (callsign Ziptie)

[Red Earth]

I don’t know what you are doing differently - but every time I fly with a bag, it pulls the fuel from there before the internals. )

 

Thanks for your response. Would you be kind enough to test the ext fuel in the attached miz file please. Let me know if you can read the external fuel tank and if it's getting used.

 

Thanks

[Ziptie]

Thanks for your response. Would you be kind enough to test the ext fuel in the attached miz file please. Let me know if you can read the external fuel tank and if it's getting used.

 

Thanks

 

I’m quite skeptical about downloading user made missions, so I apologize about now downloading yours. Simple to just jump in a server (or single player mission) and put a centerline bag on - then test. Every single time, the center bag depleted is fuel reserves ahead of the internals being touched.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Don (callsign Ziptie)

[Red Earth]

That's fine I respect your caution. The problem however only occurs in conjunction with the load out (hence the mission). I also have no ext fuel issue without the load out - it works fine for me too.

 

Can I ask kindly if you can rerun and add BRU-33 - GBU-12's as load out along with your center line ext tank please.

 

Appreciate your help

Thanks

[Gierasimov]

Nothing abnormal

 

That's fine I respect your caution. The problem however only occurs in conjunction with the load out (hence the mission). I also have no ext fuel issue without the load out - it works fine for me too.

 

Can I ask kindly if you can rerun and add BRU-33 - GBU-12's as load out along with your center line ext tank please.

 

Appreciate your help

Thanks

 

Hi

 

I tried your mission,

 

Ready to taxi my readings were 13070 T / 10820 I / 2250 CL

Ready for take-off 12860 T / 10610 I / 2250 CL

 

Immediately after weight off wheels, CL started to flow. Within minutes in MAX power, CL was dry like James Bond's martini.

 

I hope it helps.

[Red Earth]

Hi

 

I tried your mission,

 

Ready to taxi my readings were 13070 T / 10820 I / 2250 CL

Ready for take-off 12860 T / 10610 I / 2250 CL

 

Immediately after weight off wheels, CL started to flow. Within minutes in MAX power, CL was dry like James Bond's martini.

 

I hope it helps.

 

 

Thanks Gierasimov for doing this for me - really appreciated!

 

It's got to be some corrupt files on my end - however that's happened though is beyond me.

[Ziptie]

I also tried with the load out you requested. Upon being airborne - same story as above. Worked perfectly as expected. I suspect something on your side, as you stated. Do let us know what resolved it, if you get there. Maybe a repair?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Don (callsign Ziptie)

[Red Earth]

Okay I've discovered the answer to this issue.

 

Pre-start-up procedure includes left and right fire test. Both tests shut off their respective bleed air valves.

 

Once the engines have started this will prevent any transfer of fuel from external fuel tanks. This is actually indicated in the fuel display of the DDI - "LFT BLD" /"RHT BLD".

 

Naturally this can be cleared but only if this is undertaken after both engines have started. I believe ED's tutorial carries out this process after only the right engine has been cranked. It means that the left will remain shut off and no transfer will occur.

 

Of course you wouldn't know this unless you are carrying ext fuel because it has no impact otherwise. Because I wrote out my own F18 checklist based on the ED tutorial, this is essentially the problem - it's out of sequence and my own checklist needs adjusting to accommodate for this!

 

 

Thanks for everyone's responses, with these at least I could eliminate the possibility of a bug and ultimately has led me to a better understanding about the fuel functions.

[VpR81]

Naturally this can be cleared but only if this is undertaken after both engines have started. I believe ED's tutorial carries out this process after only the right engine has been cranked. It means that the left will remain shut off and no transfer will occur.

 

I have always strictly followed ED´s tutorial to open the bleed air valves after the right engine was cranked and IIRC it opens back both "RHT BLD" and "LFT BLD". I have never faced that issue of no external center line tank fuel consumption...

[Tholozor]

External fuel transfer uses bleed air to regulate the pressurizer for external fuel tanks, but only when the WOW sensor is off, the refueling probe is retracted, and either the landing gear handle or hook handle is up. Placing an external fuel control switch to ORIDE will bypass the restrictions on the pressurizer as long as bleed air is available.

 

Rotating the bleed air knob through left and right OFF back to NORM will open all the bleed air valves, regardless if one engine is off.

Edited January 25, 2020 by Tholozor

[Stubbies2003]

Okay I've discovered the answer to this issue.

 

Pre-start-up procedure includes left and right fire test. Both tests shut off their respective bleed air valves.

 

Once the engines have started this will prevent any transfer of fuel from external fuel tanks. This is actually indicated in the fuel display of the DDI - "LFT BLD" /"RHT BLD".

 

Naturally this can be cleared but only if this is undertaken after both engines have started. I believe ED's tutorial carries out this process after only the right engine has been cranked. It means that the left will remain shut off and no transfer will occur.

 

Of course you wouldn't know this unless you are carrying ext fuel because it has no impact otherwise. Because I wrote out my own F18 checklist based on the ED tutorial, this is essentially the problem - it's out of sequence and my own checklist needs adjusting to accommodate for this!

 

 

Thanks for everyone's responses, with these at least I could eliminate the possibility of a bug and ultimately has led me to a better understanding about the fuel functions.

 

 

Yeah as vpbr stated above you should have had right and left engine bleed warnings for them being off after the test. Suggest you pay more attention to your caution and warnings on the left DDI.