Fuel Management in the Hunter and Harrier

[Helmut_AUT]

Hi all

 

I really like the Hawker Hunter 6 and 9, to me they are (in the default SF2E at least) the "last of the gunfighters". F-100D isn't bad either, but I get weird TIR behaviour looking at the lower cockpit instruments, it got an afterburner and Sidewinder-loadout - while the Hunter is a true guns only interceptor.

 

However, contrary to the nice instrumentation you get on F-100D and others, the Hunter only has a "Gallons remaining" counter for internal fuel. No PPH, no indicator for external tanks, no range to waypoint indication.

 

I figure if you take 400 external (which are less efficiently used as the 400 internal) by the time you drop the empty tanks, you have enough to get back home and some reserve. For the 200gal external, if you can get to the target before dropping them, you can at least figure 200gals for the way back and everything else buys you time on station.

 

But if you have to drop external tanks before they are empty, you can never really know how much you used up so far.

 

Or doesn't it matter anyway for the distances in the average SF2E mission? But the combat range is given at around 380nm, and I've seen missions that go further.

 

Similar question for the Harrier - it has a "pound per minute" indication - clear enough - but why does it have two separate fuel counters (Port and Starboard) if seemingly it only has one internal tank with max. 50.000 pounds? The "totalizer" counter shows 50.000 max, yet the two separate fuel gauges also show 50.000 EACH.

 

Cockpit bug in the Harrier?

[+DWCAce]

I'm not at home right now, but I'm think the Harrier cockpit is in KG, not pounds (though, I could be wrong). As far as using external tanks, only a few a/c show how much fuel is remaining in the externals tanks (at least as far as they are modeled in the game). Once you punch those tanks, off, there's only one fuel level that you need to worry about, and that's the internal tank! When I get home in the next day or so, I'll try to get you some more answers.

[+Crusader]

Harrier gauge shows pounds.

Game isnt that sophisticated to use internal port/starboard fueltank systems, thats why the two gauges simply show total remaing (internal) fuel

[Helmut_AUT]

Thanks. But wouldn't it make sense to have each gauge only show half the value? Right now the gauges suggest that 100.000 pound internal are carried.

[Caesar]

Well, a far less elegant solution to find your pounds remaining: multiply the gallons by 6.8 and you've got your approximate weight in fuel. The thing is, I don't know if the game simulates the weight of JP-4, -5, -8, or what; 6.8ppg is JP-5's specific weight, so if it's supposed to be JP-4, the number is 6.36ppg, and -8 is 6.76. So it might take some extra research.

 

Like I said, not elegant, but that might help you ball park it.

[+DWCAce]

Some more info:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=34127