If you keep finding your engine in bits, as i do, this might be helpful ~
Originally Posted by IvanK
The CLOD Merlin is overly critical in the climb with Oil and Rad Temps especially in the Spit MKII IMO.
This works for me:
Before start Prop pitch 3 blips back from full fine … will give you 2850 in the climb.
After start Smooth idle Rad Closed till 60C Coolant. (no increase in throttle at all till 60C RAD … thanks Klem))
At 60C Rad Full open.
Get airborne ASAP get to Climb IAS (160 ASAP)
Climb +9/2850 (Spit II) +6/2850 Spit MKI at 160MPH
Eyes on Oil Temp and Rad
Dont exceed 95C Oil, 120 Rad
If Oil temp at 95C Set RPM 2400 (or less) till Oil temp under control (94C is ok)
If Rad temp 120 set Boost +6(Spit MKII) +4 Spit MKI immediately (Aim for max 110C in the climb)
If >120C Rad you WILL get engine damage almost instantly.
if > 95C Oil Temp you most likely will get engine damage.
Oil temp main variable is RPM
Rad Temp main variable is Boost.
Dont exceed 2850RPM at any time.
Using these techniques in a spit MKII you can climb all the way to 17,000ft without issue. With perhaps a single
adjustment to RPM and Boost.
I have flown a lot the spitIIa lately but i have some differences from what posted above… Maybe it was a different patch…
I wait 30ºC oil before taxing
i try to taxy fast (staying on the ground temperatures can get high relly fast)
I fly almost all the flight with rad full open. ( closed it some times tough )
Once in flight i lower boost and pitch below 2800rpm
try to climb with more than 160mph to allow fresh air into the radiator
in combat i go full boost and chek rpm. I keep them around 2800 but for short times (30 seconds) when i’m hanged to the prop i go to 3000rpm without problems….
I try to keep oil and water below 95 and 120
Climbing above 9000ft i have to reduce mixture.
And i try to keep engine cool whenever i can 2600 rpm or less boost 6 or less…
in combat i try to lower pitch whenever i dive…
Following those limits i almost never broke the engine…
Jimmi, actually rereading yours and IvanK post, both seem very similar. Differences are he talks about Rad temp not Oil on start up and really is focusing on the climb rather that combat. I also push it to 3000RPM for short bursts, even WEPs, but maybe shouldn’t.
Anyway, very useful hearing your experience too and CEM is something I’m having to pay attention to.
I am yet to really get my teeth into CLoD but none of this reading inspires me with confidence.
Have any of you managed a proper 2min scramble yet?
Start engine and climb like a homesick angel to 20,000ft? I believe the aim was from the moment the bell rang to takeoff should be under 2mins. Assuming at least 30secs would be wasted donning a parachute, climbing aboard, strapping in, turning on oxygen, connecting mask and donning helmet that leaves 1min 30secs to start the engine and get airborn. As we start in cockpit in CloD is it possible to start up and be away in 1min 30secs without wrecking the engine? What about the following climb with just a few minutes to get to 20,000ft? I suspect in trying to create a ‘realistic’ flight sim they have probably created an unrealistic flight sim.
I will have some more time over the next few weeks and I am looking forward to really getting in to try CloD.
I don’t think there is a ‘warmed up engine’ option like there is in RoF. Therefore additional time is required to get the engine up to operating temps.
I shall try a scramble takeoff and climb to 20,000ft and report back.
Great observation Classic!
In a well done sim (as in reality) it should be possible!
Bell ringing and 2 minutes to take off… yes the mechanics could turn engine on but the time remains the same!
This is a good challenge!
To my mates that uses CloD: let’s try it and report!
Thanks!
As we start in cockpit in CloD is it possible to start up and be away in 1min 30secs without wrecking the engine? What about the following climb with just a few minutes to get to 20,000ft?
On ATAG yesterday evening after a few goes I reckon about 15 - 20 seconds to get the engine started properly and 40 - 60 seconds for everything to be up to temperature but that’s a guess. OTOH, I’m still fumbling my way through it.
Swoop looked like he’d got the set-up for fast climb pretty well dialled in (from my perspective, well below him, struggling to catch up)
Up in 2min and 10secs with rad closed and engine idle. Keeping engine at 20% i could probably get better times need to try it. Was a 10.000ft in 7:43 climbing full power (110% 3000rpm) then cooked my engine
i thnk there are still problems in the fm at high altitude…
As for the realistic the feeling is much much more better than il2…
Managed take off in around 80sec, from mags on ,Oil temps at 20c with rad closed and a clear field ahead. Climbing to 20,000 takes a while longer 160mph at 2700RPM +9 boost with a 250 feet PM climb, full rich mix and temps stays health to around 13,000 (need to double check that) where the power drops off and I started to adjust the mix leaner. Problem I had was the Rad temp started rising from 100 to 110. I tried using mix and prop to reduce this temp but I didn’t sort soon enough and started getting black soot over the windscreen. Reduced throttle to drop temp down to 100 on rads which allowed me to carry on enough to attack a group of high bombers.
Note that above 16,000?? (double check) all aircraft’s power is down due to the unsupported weather module not working yet and needs a rewrite, planned to come in BOM.
After several hours online with Keets last night I found that I was leaning the mixture too much which was causing the engine to overheat, so the trick is to lean it just enough.
