One of those experiences that remind you why this sim is so good

[Shibbyland]

So I decided to do a free trial of the Mosquito. As good as it is, I own so many modules I'm trying to be a bit more picky about what I buy...but then this happened and I nearly bought it on the spot.

Immediately after take off I get a heap of white smoke out of the #1 engine. No worries I think, here's an opportunity to shut an engine down and try out the asymmetric flying. I bring the #1 throttle back, retrim the aircraft and swing around in my seat to flick the applicable fuel cock off and pull the engine shut off. Here's where it gets interesting...the ergonomics of old aircraft (or lack thereof) and my lack of knowledge of the system. "Left engine, left fuel cock, right? WRONG!!!!"

I've shut down the wrong engine, I now have the aircraft near fully trimmed toward what was supposed to be the live engine but I've reduced power on the #1 engine which is still running. I'm rapidly losing speed and I'm at relatively low altitude. No time to retrim I'll just need to bring up the power and try hold it with the rudder pedal. That merlin is powerful though, no way I can maintain directional control at low speed with full trim toward the dead engine and high power on the live.

Stall, spin, crash...lucky it's a game.

 

I'm reminded of incidents where real world aircraft have ended up in accidents due to incorrect use of fuel feed (or other such error that lead to shutting down the wrong engine). The way this game can bring out the human factor side of flying is awesome.

 

Just for fun though and given we're all into aviation here: Given I've now shut down the wrong engine and there is no hope of maintaining control, what would have been the better action to take instead of trying to wrestle with the aircraft?

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Shibbyland

[razo+r]

The correct procedure for DCS would have been to ignore the smoke as it is bugged. 

 

As for real word, perhaps go idle, properly trim and try flying again, perhaps even trying to turn on the engine again. 

 

And it is actually left fuel cock for left engine. It's just the fact that you turn your head around it's the other way around. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by razo+r

[grafspee]

Smoke disappear after some time in the air.

[Terry Dactil]

The standard way of describing any direction relating to the aircraft structure is with you looking forward (and upright). Left and right relate to the aircraft, not you. 

[rkk01]

On 11/27/2021 at 12:11 PM, Terry Dactil said:

The standard way of describing any direction relating to the aircraft structure is with you looking forward (and upright). Left and right relate to the aircraft, not you. 

Which is why port and starboard are vastly better terms - same applies to boats

[Morat]

But you should buy the module

[JabbyJabara]

On 11/27/2021 at 9:13 PM, Shibbyland said:

So I decided to do a free trial of the Mosquito. As good as it is, I own so many modules I'm trying to be a bit more picky about what I buy...but then this happened and I nearly bought it on the spot.

Immediately after take off I get a heap of white smoke out of the #1 engine. No worries I think, here's an opportunity to shut an engine down and try out the asymmetric flying. I bring the #1 throttle back, retrim the aircraft and swing around in my seat to flick the applicable fuel cock off and pull the engine shut off. Here's where it gets interesting...the ergonomics of old aircraft (or lack thereof) and my lack of knowledge of the system. "Left engine, left fuel cock, right? WRONG!!!!"

I've shut down the wrong engine, I now have the aircraft near fully trimmed toward what was supposed to be the live engine but I've reduced power on the #1 engine which is still running. I'm rapidly losing speed and I'm at relatively low altitude. No time to retrim I'll just need to bring up the power and try hold it with the rudder pedal. That merlin is powerful though, no way I can maintain directional control at low speed with full trim toward the dead engine and high power on the live.

Stall, spin, crash...lucky it's a game.

 

I'm reminded of incidents where real world aircraft have ended up in accidents due to incorrect use of fuel feed (or other such error that lead to shutting down the wrong engine). The way this game can bring out the human factor side of flying is awesome.

 

Just for fun though and given we're all into aviation here: Given I've now shut down the wrong engine and there is no hope of maintaining control, what would have been the better action to take instead of trying to wrestle with the aircraft?

 

 

MEI CFI from Aussieland here, your best bet is not to rush anything like that. Standard procedure for a failure in multiengine is to throw all engine controls forward, Mixture, pitch and Power, gear up, flap up - in this exact order so as to not break engines. When the power comes on the aircraft will swing and thats when you apply rudder to centre the yaw ball or turn coordinator. Whatever leg is doing nothing that is your failed engine - "DEAD LEG, DEAD ENGINE". Even the most woeful underpowered civvie aircraft will maintain height under normal conditions let alone the power of a merlin and the mozzie being made out of wood is even better. So you should have plenty of time to get the aircraft trimmed and work out, what to pull and what not to pull.

Youre dead right in regard to your scenario - many a civil pilot and probably military pilots with early twins have rolled and spun to their death cause of mishandling of a failure. Any number of NTSB reports and the pattern is the same, pilot loses engine, mishandles it, becomes low airspeed high power - typically a go around or take off scenario, cartwheels and crashes. Sometimes the case the engine was perfectly fine and it was starved of fuel or the mixture was too lean.

[Bozon]

I find the Mosquito is not easy to fly on one engine. If the dead engine is the #1 (port) and you cannot feather it, then forget about it, go dead stick and look for a field to ditch in or bail.

I find that the 1st priority is to get the speed up so your rudder will be able to counter the yaw - so point your nose down and slowly add power on the live engine, only then get the dead one feathered ASAP (but it takes a while).

The above is from DCS experience, I have zero experience with real life twins. In DCS I get to practice this a lot since every AAA within 5 miles homes in straight into my engines. Always. By all accounts the Mosquito was considered a very good 1-engine flier for its time - if it is modeled correctly I fear to imagine what a bad 1-engine twin is like…

[Terry Dactil]

You might like to try these tips from real life asymmetric operations ...

To maintain a constant heading:

• Hold about 10 degrees of bank into the good engine. This will reduce the rudder input required.
• Your rudder input is correct when you are not using any aileron input.

I have had no problem in DCS flying the mosquito home with an unfeathered dead engine.

The thing that will kill you, however, is getting too slow in the turns in the landing circuit. Beware!

Edited July 17, 2022 by Terry Dactil

[Morat]

If you're on one engine below 170mph... it's bad news. If you have altitude, dive until you reach 170 and then recover, go to climb power on the good engine and sort your trim out. FEATHER and close the rad on the dead engine.

If you're too low, chop the other throttle and you've got a chance to land the right way up. If you try and fly it out from low speed with lots of power - you'll roll, spin and hit the deck nose first.

If you spin from higher up (easily done on one engine) remember:  Ailerons NEUTRAL and kick full rudder opposite to the spin. If you kick hard and early enough, she'll come right out into a nice smooth dive. Remember 170mph and climb power

Edited October 8, 2022 by Morat

[RodBorza]

On 11/27/2021 at 7:13 AM, Shibbyland said:

So I decided to do a free trial of the Mosquito. As good as it is, I own so many modules I'm trying to be a bit more picky about what I buy...but then this happened and I nearly bought it on the spot.

Immediately after take off I get a heap of white smoke out of the #1 engine. No worries I think, here's an opportunity to shut an engine down and try out the asymmetric flying. I bring the #1 throttle back, retrim the aircraft and swing around in my seat to flick the applicable fuel cock off and pull the engine shut off. Here's where it gets interesting...the ergonomics of old aircraft (or lack thereof) and my lack of knowledge of the system. "Left engine, left fuel cock, right? WRONG!!!!"

I've shut down the wrong engine, I now have the aircraft near fully trimmed toward what was supposed to be the live engine but I've reduced power on the #1 engine which is still running. I'm rapidly losing speed and I'm at relatively low altitude. No time to retrim I'll just need to bring up the power and try hold it with the rudder pedal. That merlin is powerful though, no way I can maintain directional control at low speed with full trim toward the dead engine and high power on the live.

Stall, spin, crash...lucky it's a game.

 

I'm reminded of incidents where real world aircraft have ended up in accidents due to incorrect use of fuel feed (or other such error that lead to shutting down the wrong engine). The way this game can bring out the human factor side of flying is awesome.

 

Just for fun though and given we're all into aviation here: Given I've now shut down the wrong engine and there is no hope of maintaining control, what would have been the better action to take instead of trying to wrestle with the aircraft?

 

 

DCS is an amazing sim. Yeah, it has bugs, many things on the core game do not work. But once you stop to watch it, listen to it, you'll notice that you have in hand is an amazing piece of computer engineering. People tend not to realize it. 

Also, people ask, scream, complain, demand for realism! And then when they get realism they scream, complain and demand for it to be less difficult. DCS, for me at least, conveys this 'realism". Modern jets are very easy to fly, hard to learn the systems. Older airplanes, warbirds included, are hard to learn. No wonder why the numbers of accidents in training were relatively high. Because they are unforgiving. Like you said, you made a stupid mistake, but by the way the aircraft was configured, it became very, very difficult for you to recover it. That's the beauty of this sim, say what you say, but DCS is amazing. 

[Ala13_ManOWar]

10 hours ago, RodBorza said:

Also, people ask, scream, complain, demand for realism! And then when they get realism they scream, complain and demand for it to be less difficult.

  1000% true. People claim for realism until realism slap them in the face. But I personally like it like that, it wouldn't be DCS otherwise.

[Morat]

One more thing - you need to feather before the engine loses oil pressure. So that's a decision to make early!