reported earlier Refueling Bug - Incorrect Fuel Quantity with Drop Tank

[GeoS72]

The Hornet has been plagued with this refuel bug for the longest time. While some may appreciate incorporating new features like the HMD Alignment process, I would greatly appreciate this bug to be addressed. When refueling with 1 (or more) drop tank(s), the aircraft is no longer topped off to a maximum fuel load. The fuel quantity after a refuel with 1 drop tank barely breaks 12,000 lbs. I frequently see a max fuel load of 11,500lbs. The max fuel load with 1 drop tank is 13,000 lbs. So why is there an approx 1,500 lb discrepancy when refueling?

 

See the attached track file which demonstrates this problem.

 

Here are the circumstances:

 

The bug can be seen early in the track file. The jet had about 7,500 lbs at spawn point. I reconfigured the aircraft with AIM-9X on Sta 1 & 9 and left the drop tank on Sta 5. During the rearm/refuel process on the parking apron, the internal fuel load was 9,160 lbs (internal) with 2,240 lbs in the external tank (Sta 5) with a total fuel load of 11,410 lbs. Then, I reconfigured the aircraft by removing the external drop tank on Sta 5. During the 2nd rearm/refuel process, the fuel load increased to 10,780 (internal) and 2,240 (external tank) with a max of 13,030 lbs. The external tank was removed then reinstalled. The resultant fuel load was 10,750 (internal), 2,240 (external tank) and total of 12,990 lbs.

 

Once airborne, dump fuel down to 7,500 lbs then land at Al Minhad with approx 7,300 lbs. I rearmed/refueled the aircraft after taxiing to the parking apron. The fuel quantity after topping off was 10,770 (internal), 820 (external tank) with a total of 11,590 lbs. I then performed another rearm/refuel to remove the drop tank which brought my fuel load down to 10,770 lbs (internal and total). After rearming again, the fuel load read 10,760 (internal), 2,240 (external tank) with a total of 13,000 lbs.

 

This fuel bug is present in Single Player and in Multiplayer. The interim fix is to rearm/refuel twice when landing with a drop tank but that's one royal PITA! The first rearm-refuel involves removing the external tank then the second evolution involves re-installing it.

 

Can ED please fix this bug?

SP-Al Minhad-Incorrect Fuel Qty Drop Tank.trk

[BIGNEWY]

Hi, 

 

this is a known issue with all aircraft, you have to remove the tanks with the rearm screen, and add them again after they have been removed. 

 

Could this be what you are seeing?

 

 

[Svend_Dellepude]

Refueling will stop once max internal capacity has been reached, which means that the lower the internal fuel when asking for a refuel, the more time the externals have to receive fuel thus they will get more.

 

I usually dump the tanks before landing unless i'm very low on fuel.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Svend_Dellepude

[Dragon1-1]

Gee, the taxpayers surely appreciate your careful handling of their dollars/roubles...  

 

That aside, it'd be nice to see that bug nailed to the wall.

[GeoS72]

@BIGNEWY, et al,

 

Thanks for responding. I have not encountered this problem on other aircraft. I primarily fly the Hornet and I'm familiar with the its fuel loads.

 

In a nutshell, you must remove the tank(s) during one rearm/refuel event. Then add the drop tank(s) during a second rearm/refuel event in order to get the correct fuel load.

 

Since this is a known issue then what is the long term solution?

[BIGNEWY]

We have considered a fuel slider for tanks but it is still in early stages and I do not have any ETA currently. 

 

For now the only work around is to do as you state, remove and rearm.

 

thank you

[GeoS72]

@BIGNEWY,

 

That's an interesting concept for refueling drop tanks. Is there also consideration to separate the rearm and refuel functions? I'm sure that I'm preaching to the choir when I say that having to rearm & refuel twice just to get the correct fuel load is a PITA. That process is ever so frustrating when attempting to get back into the fight while on a mission. If one is rushed, then it may also cause 3 refuel/rearm attempts.

 

I am glad to have this bug documented so that others may chime in and create awareness to this very frustrating bug.

[Brass2-1]

While “unrealistic”, and problematic on servers with limited inventory of stores, I habitually jettison tanks prior to landing on MP servers.  Problem solved. 

[GeoS72]

The point to make here is to address this fuel bug instead of releasing less important features, such as HMD alignment procedures. As @BIGNEWY indicated, this fuel bug is a known problem. From my experience with DCS, this bug has been present for at least 2 years.

 

While I applaud ED for focusing on a near-realistic flight sim, I am critical of the development of new features, such as HMD alignments while fuel quantity issues are pushed to the side. I argue that refueling an aircraft is performed far more times than aligning an HMD. Furthermore, this fuel bug has a greater impact on adding to the realism than aligning a new gadget during an aircraft cold start procedure. I'd bet dimes to donuts that the DCS Community will openly sigh in relief once this issue is resolved.

 

So pretty please and with sugar on top...can ED address this known (and old) fuel bug before adding other features to the Hornet?

Edited September 13, 2021 by GeoS72

[BIGNEWY]

This is not a specific aircraft feature / bug, it is a DCS Core issue that effects all aircraft, I can not give any time line for this currently.

This is not a hornet dev team task sorry, but it is reported.

 

thanks

[GeoS72]

@BIGNEWY,

 

Thank you for the reply and the reminder that this bug affects all aircraft. I am disappointed that very little attention and action was given to this previously reported bug. At least this thread accurately documents the fuel bug. I'm certain the ED team has a laundry list of bugs to work on. I ask this one gets moved up on the list because it's been around for far too long.

[GeoS72]

@BIGNEWY,

Any progress made to this long standing bug that affects all aircraft? Talk about a core game problem waiting to be solved.