external fuel

[bubbel]

I am trying to start the shark with external fuel using the inner external fuel tank switch .Getting no indication lights on the external tanks and my ford and aft are drained when flying .

Starting the mission hot from the ramp my indicator lights are on and the inner external fuel tank switch is working .

Anny suggestions ?

[MTFDarkEagle]

The external pods feed the forward and aft tanks with their own pumps. Try the following:

 

Set your KA on the ramp with about 5-10% fuel (i.e. not much), with external fuel tanks. If you switch the external tank pumps on, you should slowly see the fuel quantity increase on the gauge (note the gauge only indicates internal fuel quantity!)

[AlphaOneSix]

See page 6-83 of the Ka-50 flight manual, item #5 in the bottom picture. That switch must be on. It's the weapon system control switch...

 

"СУО – ОТКЛЮЧЕНО" (Weapon system – OFF) Weapon control system power (WCS)' date=' ON-OFF switch [LSHIFT + LALT + D'] and cover [LCTRL + LSHIFT + LALT + D] Provides power to weapon control system.

 

If you don't feel like looking in the manual, it's the covered switch just to the right of the three ejection system power switches.

[BitMaster]

GAWD, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE GAMING ON THE APPLE MBP RETINA Mid 2012 !! YEAH !!

 

 

CHEERS FOR US ALUMINIUM WARRIORS 1

 

Bit

[AlphaOneSix]

GAWD, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE GAMING ON THE APPLE MBP RETINA Mid 2012 !! YEAH !!

 

 

CHEERS FOR US ALUMINIUM WARRIORS 1

 

Bit

 

I think I'm the only one on the tester's team that plays on a MacbookPro.

[MTFDarkEagle]

See page 6-83 of the Ka-50 flight manual, item #5 in the bottom picture. That switch must be on. It's the weapon system control switch...

 

 

 

If you don't feel like looking in the manual, it's the covered switch just to the right of the three ejection system power switches.

 

So you need the weapons systems control switch on for the external fuel tanks to supply to the internal tanks?

If so, why? Power to the outer pylons perhaps?

[bubbel]

Thanks for the fast reply using the weapon system switch got me going :thumbup:

[AlphaOneSix]

If so, why? Power to the outer pylons perhaps?

 

I believe so, but I am not positive. My understanding is that without the weapon system on, no power goes to the weapon stations, regardless of what's mounted on them. The boost pumps to get the fuel out of the external tanks are inside the external tanks themselves, so they need power from the pylon.

[MTFDarkEagle]

I believe so, but I am not positive. My understanding is that without the weapon system on, no power goes to the weapon stations, regardless of what's mounted on them. The boost pumps to get the fuel out of the external tanks are inside the external tanks themselves, so they need power from the pylon.

 

Makes sense :)

Ta

[seikdel]

This is awesome and enlightening. I don't ever leave the weapons system power off, even when I'm not carrying weapons, but now I have one more tip to add to the troubleshooting repertoire =)

[Raptor9]

Also, one thing to note. Aux tanks on the left wing feed the rear internal fuel tank, and aux tanks on the right wing feed the forward internal tank. When the external tanks are empty, their indicator lights on the overhead panel extinguish. This is useful information if you want to carry just one external aux tank.

 

Another technique you can perform is leveling the fuel tanks between forward and aft. Since there isn't a switch for it, you have to do a little ballet with the boost pumps and the crossfeed covered switch (just aft of the APU fuel shutoff switch). The XFEED switch opens both tanks to both engines, so if your aft tank has fuel in it but your forward tank does not, you use this switch to keep the left engine from flaming out, and vice versa.

 

Normally, the engines draw enough fuel psi from the tanks the boost pumps aren't needed all the time. So, you can use the boost pumps to push higher fuel flow from one internal tank versus the other. To do this, turn off the fuel boost switch of the lower level tank, and open the crossfeed. Since the other tanks fuel boost is still pushing fuel, eventually you will see the indicator needle of that tank drop faster than the other. Once the needles match up, turn the crossfeed off and return the boost pump switches to on.

 

If I'm in a hover or at high-altitude (or starting the engines obviously) I'll have both boost pumps on to be safe, but this process allows you to carry an asymmetric weapons load such as 1 external tank and 1 rocket pod on the inboard pylons. If you properly adjust your loiter airspeed while over the target area, and use the auto-leveling technique, you can easily keep the Shark in the air 2.5 to 3 hours. This is especially useful for FAC(A) missions where you need a long loiter time and don't want to fire pairs of smoke rockets, just singles.

 

There have been times on MP where I was loitering over a kill box marking targets for A-10's, and they will have made two trips from the airfield with weapons and fuel, and I was still the last one to depart the mission area. Just some tools to consider. :)

[BitMaster]

Also, one thing to note. Aux tanks on the left wing feed the rear internal fuel tank, and aux tanks on the right wing feed the forward internal tank. When the external tanks are empty, their indicator lights on the overhead panel extinguish. This is useful information if you want to carry just one external aux tank.

 

Another technique you can perform is leveling the fuel tanks between forward and aft. Since there isn't a switch for it, you have to do a little ballet with the boost pumps and the crossfeed covered switch (just aft of the APU fuel shutoff switch). The XFEED switch opens both tanks to both engines, so if your aft tank has fuel in it but your forward tank does not, you use this switch to keep the left engine from flaming out, and vice versa.

 

Normally, the engines draw enough fuel psi from the tanks the boost pumps aren't needed all the time. So, you can use the boost pumps to push higher fuel flow from one internal tank versus the other. To do this, turn off the fuel boost switch of the lower level tank, and open the crossfeed. Since the other tanks fuel boost is still pushing fuel, eventually you will see the indicator needle of that tank drop faster than the other. Once the needles match up, turn the crossfeed off and return the boost pump switches to on.

 

If I'm in a hover or at high-altitude (or starting the engines obviously) I'll have both boost pumps on to be safe, but this process allows you to carry an asymmetric weapons load such as 1 external tank and 1 rocket pod on the inboard pylons. If you properly adjust your loiter airspeed while over the target area, and use the auto-leveling technique, you can easily keep the Shark in the air 2.5 to 3 hours. This is especially useful for FAC(A) missions where you need a long loiter time and don't want to fire pairs of smoke rockets, just singles.

 

There have been times on MP where I was loitering over a kill box marking targets for A-10's, and they will have made two trips from the airfield with weapons and fuel, and I was still the last one to depart the mission area. Just some tools to consider. :)

 

 

 

Great thread and posts !

 

this answered most of my questions I had regarding how the fuel system should be properly managed to A: change CG B:fly asymmetric C:manage fuel between tanks

 

Hover stability does differ a lot between the max CG limits.

 

Bit

[Raptor9]

The one caveat to that is that since the fuel indicator is a small analog gauge, you'll have to be patient to see a change or trend. On the flip side, if you know you're about to go into an engagement area and will be busy for a while, I would return the fuel system to normal config otherwise you might forget about it for a while, and then 30 min later, you have 300kg in one tank, and 700 in the other.

 

I may or may not have done this myself...:music_whistling:

 

System schematics in the back of the Black Shark manual are useful when figuring out electrical, hydraulic, or fuel system behaviors and such; they might cause your eyes to glaze over after two mins though.