QC Fuel Mixture pre-Settings

[OlPaint01 0]

I need some advice...

 

I am playing in QC to hone my fighting skills. I am starting QC at altitude beginning in the classic default merge with the flight of E/A approaching. What I am discovering is that the sim starts me with a fuel mixture way too rich that causes my engine to die before I can hand-adjust it to proper lean setting that flying at altitude requires. (Yes, UncleAl, I have choosen not to enable AutoMixture in WorkShop. I love the immersion of having to worry with remembering to control the fuel mixture as I descend while chasing a fleeing E/A - Oops, why did my engine conk out? Right, adjust the fuel mix, dumbie!) I have programmed a pair of joystick buttons to accomplish the task for lean out or enrich the fuel mixture. I can most always restart the engine by using the starter key (not very realistic) and by entering the 60-70 or so key presses needed to lean out and give me a smooth running engine. The problem is I am so busy trying to restart the engine, I lose altitude and get distracted and the merge opportunity to engage "Fight's On" is lost. This is more a problem at the 15,000 ft elevation. At a lower starting altitude, there is not as great a problem.

 

Can we pre-set the mixture in a .xlm config file to eliminate having to fiddle with the fuel mixture at the start of QC? I don't recall having to worry with this in Phase 2.

 

OlPaint01

[rabu 9]

I need some advice...

 

I am playing in QC to hone my fighting skills. I am starting QC at altitude beginning in the classic default merge with the flight of E/A approaching. What I am discovering is that the sim starts me with a fuel mixture way too rich that causes my engine to die before I can hand-adjust it to proper lean setting that flying at altitude requires. (Yes, UncleAl, I have choosen not to enable AutoMixture in WorkShop. I love the immersion of having to worry with remembering to control the fuel mixture as I descend while chasing a fleeing E/A - Oops, why did my engine conk out? Right, adjust the fuel mix, dumbie!) I have programmed a pair of joystick buttons to accomplish the task for lean out or enrich the fuel mixture. I can most always restart the engine by using the starter key (not very realistic) and by entering the 60-70 or so key presses needed to lean out and give me a smooth running engine. The problem is I am so busy trying to restart the engine, I lose altitude and get distracted and the merge opportunity to engage "Fight's On" is lost. This is more a problem at the 15,000 ft elevation. At a lower starting altitude, there is not as great a problem.

 

Can we pre-set the mixture in a .xlm config file to eliminate having to fiddle with the fuel mixture at the start of QC? I don't recall having to worry with this in Phase 2.

 

OlPaint01

 

Ahh.. I see what you mean, at first I thought.. never mind.. I'm not sure you can set it to auto default to your starting altitude with proper mixture, interesting question. And if the default stttings were changed to a certain altitude, you would probably have a hard time starting at ground level, etc.

 

But if you have it programmed to your stick buttons, it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to adjust it in the 20 seconds of so that you have before the enemy reaches you at the start of QC. As far as remembering to do it.. how about paper post-it slips on your monitor?

[OlPaint01 0]

I just had a couple more thoughts about pre-flight setups...

 

Siggi suggests we should not use AutoTrim if we fly full "Did." We should set trims before takeoff as if the airplane riggers did their job on the ground before take off and never adjust the trim controls while airbourne. This seems pretty staight forward.

 

Bletchley suggests we should not use AutoMixture because the carburators on many of the WWI A/C had no such control devices. We should set mixture for max performance at altitude while on the ground as if the engine mechanics did their job before take off and never touch the mixture adjustment keys while airbourne. But does anyone know how I might enable Parking Brakes "On" to simulate chocks in front of the wheels so I can run up my engine to max RPM and adjusting my engine performance to set that proper RPM on the tach, as Bletchley suggests? RL pilots did this AFAIR after starting their engines. When the pilot was satisfied with the set, chocks away (Parking Brakes "OFF")

 

As I said, Just a Thought...

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 19, 2009 by OlPaint01

[rabu 9]

I just had a couple more thoughts about pre-flight setups...

 

Siggi suggests we should not use AutoTrim if we fly full "Did." We should set trims before takeoff as if the airplane riggers did their job on the ground before take off and never adjust the trim controls while airbourne. This seems pretty staight forward.

 

Bletchley suggests we should not use AutoMixture because the carburators on many of the WWI A/C had no such control devices. We should set mixture for max performance at altitude while on the ground as if the engine mechanics did their job before take off and never touch the mixture adjustment keys while airbourne. But does anyone know how I might enable Parking Brakes "On" to simulate chocks in front of the wheels so I can run up my engine to max RPM and adjusting my engine performance to set that proper RPM on the tach, as Bletchley suggests? RL pilots did this AFAIR after starting their engines. When the pilot was satisfied with the set, chocks away (Parking Brakes "OFF")

 

As I said, Just a Thought...

 

OlPaint01

 

Hay, that's actually a neat idea.. the parking break could be defined as wheel chocks.. I like it.

You would start your engine with the "E" key, and when ready you would have to instruct your crew to remove the chocks by pressing the "B" key ("B" representing Bernard (French), Bardulf (German), Benjamin (British), or Bob (American).

Edited April 19, 2009 by rabu

[OlPaint01 0]

Rabu and UncleAl and maybe Winder too

 

Do you know if the "Wheel Brakes/Parking Brakes" control is hard-coded and completely disabled in OFF:BHaH? Or could I re-enable that control? Wheel Brakes command is 'B' in CFS3 and Parking Brakes is 'Ctrl + Shft + B' in CFS3. I am not even concerned about the Left or Right Wheel Brakes since WWI craft did not have them anyway. I seriously am interested in simulating wheel chokes by associating it with the Parking Brakes command. I think is would be outstanding to be able to run up the engine on the flight-line after 'E' Engine Start but before takeoff to tune the engine RPM to with the mixture controls for maximum altitude as Bletchley suggests. In actuallity the mechanics would have really done this in the hanger the night before the pilot stepped into the cockpit for the morning mission. Then Chokes Away and off we go... Of course, we never touch the Mixture Controls again.

 

BTW, I have taught myself how to restart a flooded engine at high altitude at start of QC and is takes only a few key strokes. I tap the 'Ctrl + S' command to simulate keeping the prop spinning in the slipstream. I hit the 'Ctrl + Shft + F6' to set mixture to Idle Cutoff. Then I tap the 'Ctrl + =' Mixture Increase command repeatly until the engine starts to pick up - then a couple more taps to adjust the mixture for max RPM on the TACH. Usually 10 to 15 taps are all that is needed to get the engine running at full power at 15,000 ft. Easy Peasy...

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 20, 2009 by OlPaint01

[rabu 9]

Rabu and UncleAl and maybe Winder too

 

Do you know if the "Wheel Brakes/Parking Brakes" control is hard-coded and completely disabled in OFF:BHaH? Or could I re-enable that control? Wheel Brakes command is 'B' in CFS3 and Parking Brakes is 'Ctrl + Shft + B' in CFS3. I am not even concerned about the Left or Right Wheel Brakes since WWI craft did not have them anyway. I seriously am interested in simulating wheel chokes by associating it with the Parking Brakes command. I think is would be outstanding to be able to run up the engine on the flight-line after 'E' Engine Start but before takeoff to tune the engine RPM to with the mixture controls for maximum altitude as Bletchley suggests. In actuallity the mechanics would have really done this in the hanger the night before the pilot stepped into the cockpit for the morning mission. Then Chokes Away and off we go... Of course, we never touch the Mixture Controls again.

 

BTW, I have taught myself how to restart a flooded engine at high altitude at start of QC and is takes only a few key strokes. I tap the 'Ctrl + S' command to simulate keeping the prop spinning in the slipstream. I hit the 'Ctrl + Shft + F6' to set mixture to Idle Cutoff. Then I tap the 'Ctrl + =' Mixture Increase command repeatly until the engine starts to pick up - then a couple more taps to adjust the mixture for max RPM on the TACH. Usually 10 to 15 taps are all that is needed to get the engine running at full power at 15,000 ft. Easy Peasy...

 

OlPaint01

 

Ctrl+Shft+B.. I didn't know that. I never flew CFS3 that much. I do think you have a good idea there; I don't think it works in OFF, but might not be hard to turn on if it's just a entry in one of the xml files? I'll bet if you do a search in the xml files for "Break" or "parking" you'll find the entry.

[OlPaint01 0]

Rabu

 

I found the 'Mine.xca' and 'CFS3.xca' files that contain the joystick and rudder pedal devices settings as well as the keyboard commands and the names that they are assigned to in the sim. The files are located in C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder.

 

It appears that both the BRAKES and PARKING_BRAKES have lines in the <Mappings><Device Type="Keyboard"><GameMode Name="Player"> section of both 'Mine.xca' and CFS3.xca files.

.

<Key ID="B" Action="BRAKES"/>

.

.

<Key ID="B" Mod="Control+Shift" Action="PARKING_BRAKES"/>

 

So why wouldn't the Parking Brakes toggle on and off with the Ctrl+Shft+B keystroke? I think I need to look somewhere else to find if the parking brakes can be enabled in each A/C since the keyboard command is definately activated in the keyboard commands list.

 

Can anybody help me understand what is going on here?

 

OlPaint01

[rabu 9]

Rabu

 

I found the 'Mine.xca' and 'CFS3.xca' files that contain the joystick and rudder pedal devices settings as well as the keyboard commands and the names that they are assigned to in the sim. The files are located in C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder.

 

It appears that both the BRAKES and PARKING_BRAKES have lines in the <Mappings><Device Type="Keyboard"><GameMode Name="Player"> section of both 'Mine.xca' and CFS3.xca files.

.

<Key ID="B" Action="BRAKES"/>

.

.

<Key ID="B" Mod="Control+Shift" Action="PARKING_BRAKES"/>

 

So why wouldn't the Parking Brakes toggle on and off with the Ctrl+Shft+B keystroke? I think I need to look somewhere else to find if the parking brakes can be enabled in each A/C since the keyboard command is definately activated in the keyboard commands list.

 

Can anybody help me understand what is going on here?

 

OlPaint01

 

I think you only found the keyboard mapping, not what the mapped command does.. that probably exists in another xml file having to do with planes parking brake, or what ever. I don't think that any one in OFF has been able to actually alter the game engine, so I am pretty sure it is probably a xml setting.

[OlPaint01 0]

I think you only found the keyboard mapping, not what the mapped command does.. that probably exists in another xml file having to do with planes parking brake, or what ever. I don't think that any one in OFF has been able to actually alter the game engine, so I am pretty sure it is probably a xml setting.

I have discovered a DEVICES.xlm file in C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder which also refers to the Key Assignments for the "B" and "Ctrl+Shft+B" key strokes for BRAKES and PARKING_BRAKES commands. But I have failed to find any more files that instruct any kind of actions in the aircraft object when a keyboard control is executed. In the Aircraft directory I do find a variety of files that apparently describe each airplane object in the game but I have no clue how to read the contents other than in a NOTEPAD view or understand what I am look at. I guess enabling PARKING_BRAKES will remain a Pipe Dream...Oh well.

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 22, 2009 by OlPaint01

[rabu 9]

I have discovered a DEVICES.xlm file in C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder which also refers to the Key Assignments for the "B" and "Ctrl+Shft+B" key strokes for BRAKES and PARKING_BRAKES commands. But I have failed to find any more files that instruct some kind of actions in the aircraft when a keyboard control is executed.

 

Hopefully Pol or some one can comment and may have the answer.. sorry I couldn't help more.

[OlPaint01 0]

Rabu

 

How do we engage Pol and Winder into this discussion? Do you suppose they don't consider this idea worth their time?

 

OlPaint01

[rabu 9]

Rabu

 

How do we engage Pol and Winder into this discussion? Do you suppose they don't consider this idea worth their time?

 

OlPaint01

 

They are both really busy, but if this thread gets enough attention they will respond.. they kinda watch for things that seem to be most important to everyone, as they can't satisfy everyone's wishes, unfortunately.

 

I also like the idea of the parking breaks/chocks, but am not seeing any other responses.. Maybe, if you can get some others interested in this as well it will get some attention.

Edited April 22, 2009 by rabu

[Test Pilot 0]

They are both really busy, but if this thread gets enough attention they will respond.. they kinda watch for things that seem to be most important to everyone, as they can't satisfy everyone's wishes, unfortunately.

 

I also like the idea of the parking breaks/chocks, but am not seeing any other responses.. Maybe, if you can get some others interested in this as well it will get some attention.

 

 

I for one would like chocks (aka parking brakes) to be simulated for a run up.

[OlPaint01 0]

Hey Rabu

 

This topic thread started out with me wondering out loud if I could preset Fuel Mixture when starting a QC mission. I was soon able to figure out a work-around.

 

The topic almost immediately morphed into a discussion about how to enable Parking Brakes to simulate Wheel Chokes. I think that is a neat idea. What do you think about we start a fresh topic to generate more interest for converting and enabling a keyboard control for Wheel Chokes by hijacking the Parking Brakes control? Perhaps a few folks who are familiar with aircraft design in CFS3 can make a few suggestions how to get the A/C object to recognize and respond to the "ctrl+shft+B" keystroke that is already a part of the sim.

 

OlPaint01