When to jettison fuel tanks

[coolts]

[F-15 BTW]

 

Now I know that when, in a knife fight, all excess weight is a killer and to dump the tanks straight away, but whilst not directly engaged in combat, when is the best time to drop the tanks?

 

The fuel quantity readouts show external tank quantities in separate readouts but is there a way to set the aircraft to use that fuel first so you can them dump them when empty and still have a full internal tank?

 

Apologies if this is the default behaviour, (and just drop the tanks when this readout reaches zero), as I haven’t really tested this and only thought of it when reading this post about F-15 best practice.

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=54653&page=2

 

ps. There is a switch, (none functioning) below the readouts with settings for tank selection but AFAIK, it worked in Falcon but not FC2.0.

Edited June 3, 2010 by coolts

[GGTharos]

The externals are always used first, so when you dump them you have whatever there was in the internal tanks.

Where do you have an external tank readout anyway?

 

Edit: So you referenced something that works in falcon as if it worked in FC2 ... how about you forget about falcon when asking how things work in FC2 ... causes less confusion.

Edited June 3, 2010 by GGTharos

[EtherealN]

When your total fuel is down to ~13 300 lbs you can drop, since at that point your droptanks are empty.

[coolts]

At work so havent tested in game but this from the manual. Looks like you guys have already answered my question though. Cheers!

 

["Farmers of Georgia, prepare for large metal cylinders to rain from the sky!!"]

 

 

Edit: So you referenced something that works in falcon as if it worked in FC2 ... how about you forget about falcon when asking how things work in FC2 ... causes less confusion.

 

Heh. Now, i'm not starting the whole, "it worked in Falcon" debate here, as I could never go back, just using that as an example of where i had seen that before. Senility requires references!

Edited June 3, 2010 by coolts

[Spetz]

If and when I drive the Eagle, I just keep watch on the fuel status, As soon as the fuel gauge starts ticking away on internal fuel, I drop tanks, or when about to go into combat.

[coolts]

Thats what I was thinking. Once they are empty they are a liability. Now, I wonder if my wingmen will do the same?

[Frederf]

Jettison external tanks if the mission requires it but if possible, bring 'em home! They don't grow on trees.

[EtherealN]

Wingmen do drop tanks if they consider the situation such that they have to. If you are not entering combat you don't necessarily "need" to drop the tanks even though they're empty - they do cost a fair amount of money to produce and if you are on a forward deployment you might not want to force your stockhouse to ask for new ones to be flown from the states all the time. :P

 

Also, note that when the needle on the fuel gauge start moving the external tanks have already been empty for about 1300 pounds of fuel use.

[coolts]

But they don't shield you from R-27ET's either! (My current main cause of early parachute rides)

 

**EDIT** So, if they are empty they aren't much of a hindarance, (obviously they are to some degree, drag and weight, etc), and you would be happy to enter combat WITH tanks on?

 

I guess what i am saying is, "should i drop tanks when entering BVR or wait till its gets dicey and close"?

Edited June 3, 2010 by coolts

[GGTharos]

If you're carrying a single tank and you don't care much about going beyond mach 1.5, you don't need to mind it. In general though I'd just drop tanks if combat starts.

[coolts]

I will try that. My inner nagging doubt says, "you may need that extra fuel in case you need to extend away then re-engage".

Mind you, my inner nagging doubt takes a lot of parachute rides.

[GGTharos]

Your inner nagging doubt should shut up and you should concentrate on accomplishing the task at hand (defeating the bandit OR getting away from him), and THEN deciding if you need to go back to base or if you can still fight ;)

[EtherealN]

I did say "if you are not entering combat". BVR is combat. Drop them, since you may be forced defensive and you don't want to have more drag than necessary when defeating missiles.

 

Rather, what I mean is that if you are flying CAP and it doesn't appear that you are about to be engaged by anyone or anything you can carry the tanks home. In RL you can even refuel into the tanks from a KC-10, meaning less fuel stops on a long CAP or ferry.

[coolts]

Entering combat = The need for a clean profile and minimum weight. Gotcha:smartass:

 

Worry about refuelling and the angry quartermaster once I am back at base ALIVE !