New fire extinguisher doesn't work

[9thHunt]

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but I can't seem to use the new fire extinguisher keybinds.

 

I shut down the engine, pull the fuel cut-off for that engine and then hit the keybind for that engine's fire bottle, but the fire doesn't extinguish. Also, I can't find the physical switches in the cockpit to even see if they are working.

 

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Bug: Fire extinguishers do not extinguish fires

 

Can I reproduce it 100%: yes

 

How to reproduce/ description:

 

Step1: have an engine catch fire

Step2: follow the engine fire procedure

 

Result: fire does not extinguish

DCS Version: 2.5.6.50979 Open Beta

[fat creason]

It won't always work in cases where there's too much damage or the conditions aren't right (we mentioned this is the dev update). The buttons are behind the fuel shutoff handles so you can't see them. We're working on a way to make them clickable despite not being able to see them.

[9thHunt]

ok, thanks, I thought it might be something along those lines. I had a pretty big fire going

[JupiterJoe]

I've never seen it work yet and had a lot of fires.  Has anybody? Can't help but feel this is bugged.  I pull out the fuel cut-off for the engine that's ablaze and hear the button clicking when I use the key bind. Nothing.  This system should work when you're on the ground and don't have a fire shouldn't it?  If you activated the system as a 'test', you should see a cloud of fire retardant chemical, thus disabling a perfectly good engine.

Edited December 8, 2020 by JupiterJoe

[draconus]

4 minutes ago, JupiterJoe said:

Can't help but feel this is bugged.

It is!

[JupiterJoe]

2 minutes ago, draconus said:

It is!

Oh, because one of the Devs above seemed to suggest it was working as intended.

Edited December 7, 2020 by JupiterJoe

[draconus]

17 minutes ago, JupiterJoe said:

Oh, because one of the Devs above seemed to suggest it was working as intended.

OK, maybe I and others have not yet met the right conditions.

[Victory205]

FWIW, the retardant is sprayed outside the engine, within the engine compartment. No extinguishing agent goes inside of the engine. The fire warning loops run around the periphery of the engine case. Also, climbing to a half atmosphere or pressure or less, and slowing down will make the extinguishing agent more effective.

 

If the turbine has come apart and is contained, or a burner spray bar has gone divergent, shutting off the fuel is the primary means of solving the problem.

 

[fat creason]

There may also be bugs at play here, but currently other things are higher priority.

[JupiterJoe]

The new clickable areas for the fire-extinguishers work well, but still no actual extinguishing of fires that I've seen.  Anybody got it to work yet?  I'd like to see a video/screenshot if you have.

[The_Tau]

I noticed the same thing. Shouldn't at least the warning lights appear after extinguisher is used that bottle pressure in them is low (as they are used)? Because thats not happening after pressing that button behind engine cut off handle

[PAIDtriot]

On 12/8/2020 at 12:59 PM, Victory205 said:

FWIW, the retardant is sprayed outside the engine, within the engine compartment. No extinguishing agent goes inside of the engine. The fire warning loops run around the periphery of the engine case. Also, climbing to a half atmosphere or pressure or less, and slowing down will make the extinguishing agent more effective.

 

If the turbine has come apart and is contained, or a burner spray bar has gone divergent, shutting off the fuel is the primary means of solving the problem.

 

"Puck" Howe said that the last thing one did after flying an F-14D to it's final resting place (e.g. a museum) was, as the engines were spooling down, to pull the fuel shutoff handles and press the fire extinguishers which would ruin the engines so that they couldn't be used again.

@ 1:29:05. 

[draconus]

7 hours ago, PAIDtriot said:

"Puck" Howe said that the last thing one did after flying an F-14D to it's final resting place (e.g. a museum) was, as the engines were spooling down, to pull the fuel shutoff handles and press the fire extinguishers which would ruin the engines so that they couldn't be used again.

According to this info it'd "ruin" only one of the engines.

[PawlaczGMD]

Not sure if this was updated, but it also feels bugged to me. I had an engine fire, shut it down, and pulled the cutoff handle. The fire didn't go out (external view), it looked like it's coming out of the nozzle. It stayed like this for minutes, maybe 10? Then I found the fire extinguisher button, but it did nothing. I have landed with the fire still going, and it didn't stop after full shutdown. Feels wrong.

[JupiterJoe]

There are a few long-term issues that still need fixing/finishing with the Tomcat, the fire extinguisher system being one of them.  I suspect some stuff will be solved by porting over work done on the F-4.  Improvements to Jester for example.