Engine startup - what am I doing wrong?

[Diesel_Thunder]

Downloaded the 109 with the trial program, and I'm likely going to buy it. I am struggling with one aspect of this aircraft, and that is starting the engine. I'm sure my ground crew absolutely hates me with how many times I've called them to crank the starter.

 

I'm following the process that I've read in the manual, Chuck's guide, and what I've watched in Wag's video.

 

• Proper circuit breakers on
• Fuel pump set to P1+P2
• Magneto set to M1+2
• Check prop pitch manual mode and then switch to auto
• Radiator set to open (sometimes I leave in auto)
• Advance throttle slightly
• Call ground crew to run the starter
• 5 strokes on the fuel primer (I've also done 8, 10, 12, 16 strokes)
• Feet down on wheel brakes (I have pedals)
• Pull starter handle when ground crew calls "clear"

 

Sometimes it will start and then die when I bring the engine back to idle (don't want to over-rev a cold engine). Only once have I kept it running and I'm not sure what I did right on that attempt. Funnily enough on the one time it started, it died shortly after takeoff (over rev) .

 

I don't have anywhere near this amount of trouble in my other warbirds (P-51 and P-47), and get them started on the first attempt each time I fly them.

 

Here's short track where I try starting it 4 times. It fired on my first attempt and then died after running for a few seconds. It didn't fire at all on the next three attempts. Am I overlooking something, overthinking something, or need to change my technique?

bf109 startup.trk

[GPatricks]

Throttle set to 10%? I made this up, think it works...

Edited June 23, 2021 by GaryR

[grafspee]

I watched your track, i found the issue.

At first start up even if you moved lever to P1+P2 position fuel pumps wont engage.

There is a bug if you use mouse you can move lever too far, it stops visually but it moves further disconnecting fuel pumps.

So you get no fuel pressure with out it you wont start the engine, it may start briefly from priming, but it will die soon after.

Bug was reported by me, confirmed by other users ,but bug is at can not reproduce status right now, probably forgotten already. Bug is reported to ED team so fix will come soon.

This bug has couple variation, you can have no fuel pumps engaged, or you can engage only one by moving lever to P1+P2 position and your engine will starver after engaging MW50.

Edited June 23, 2021 by grafspee

[rforce]

Hi

I think you have no FuelPressure

Try first Magnetos then P1+P2 fully forward like grafspee said

 

@grafspee

you are faster

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by rforce

[Diesel_Thunder]

19 minutes ago, grafspee said:

I watched your track, i found the issue.

At first start up even if you moved lever to P1+P2 position fuel pumps wont engage.

There is a bug if you use mouse you can move lever too far, it stops visually but it moves further disconnecting fuel pumps.

So you get no fuel pressure with out it you wont start the engine, it may start briefly from priming, but it will die soon after.

 

Since I just downloaded this last night, I was unaware of this bug. I imagine that setting one of my Warthog throttle base switches to P1+P2 should prevent the lever from moving too far?

 

@GaryR I like your checklist, thanks for sharing that!

Edited June 23, 2021 by Diesel_Thunder

[grafspee]

1 hour ago, Diesel_Thunder said:

 

Since I just downloaded this last night, I was unaware of this bug. I imagine that setting one of my Warthog throttle base switches to P1+P2 should prevent the lever from moving too far?

 

@GaryR I like your checklist, thanks for sharing that!

 

using key binds to activate p1+p2 should work as far as i know.

[Diesel_Thunder]

Great! I'll try that tonight when I fly.

[Diesel_Thunder]

I'm happy to report, that setting one of my Warthog throttle switches to P1+P2, seems to do the trick. The engine starts each time I try now.

 

@grafspee If I could, I would mark your response as the solution in this thread (I've done it in the A-10C II forum, but don't have that option in this one for some reason). Thanks for the help!

 

 

On an aside, is the warmup RPM for the 109 really 2,000 RPM? If it is, it seems excessive compared to the Jug (do not exceed 1,000 RPM until warmed up) and the Mustang (1,000 - 1,200 RPM).

[grafspee]

6 minutes ago, Diesel_Thunder said:

I'm happy to report, that setting one of my Warthog throttle switches to P1+P2, seems to do the trick. The engine starts each time I try now.

 

@grafspee If I could, I would mark your response as the solution in this thread (I've done it in the A-10C II forum, but don't have that option in this one for some reason). Thanks for the help!

 

 

On an aside, is the warmup RPM for the 109 really 2,000 RPM? If it is, it seems excessive compared to the Jug (do not exceed 1,000 RPM until warmed up) and the Mustang (1,000 - 1,200 RPM).

Btw this is not my solution, i reported this bug first i think but, key bind work around brought someone else.

 

2000rpm looks more like engine run up rpm, i do warm up at 1000rpm, in cold weather i try to not exceed oil pressure limit so max rpm are limited by oil pressure. At sub zero temps this is a problem in K-4 since we have no oil dilution button, at higher temps i do 1000rpm 

Edited June 24, 2021 by grafspee

[Diesel_Thunder]

My gut suspicion was that was too high for a cold engine, thanks for confirming.

 

My initial thoughts with warmup was to treat it like a Mustang with an upside down engine . Doesn't appear that I was too far off with that procedure.