Constellation fuel tank troubles

[guestairways]

Hi there!

I'm having some troubles about selecting fuel tanks and crossfeeding them, just can't make 'em work

with the default configuration , the engines stop irremediably...

greetings!

[ashaman]

It's only a matter of studying the documents closely. I had your very same problem... up till yesterday, then I cut a little time off and began going through the documentation with the old lady going in background, and making experiments with her on the ground, switching things around and trying not to make the engines stop.

Sadly enough I lack the proper experience and ease with the english language to explain myself further and better on this matter to make you understand me, if I tried explaining how to correctly move the darn levers and how and when starting and stopping the pumps, but believe me, it's far from complex. When you understand how the lever must be moved and when and why, you'll be banging your head on the desk (beware to put the keyboard away first, or you'll wreck it) for not having understood it before. I know I did.

All I can suggest you is to do like I did. Cut yourself a free hour and instead of flying, start FS with the Connie on the apron of a whatever airport. Start her engines and, with the documentation in background (better if on another monitor, for best use) and fool around until you get it.

If I of all people have understood how is done, then anyone can, believe it. ;D

[Randy_Cain]

Hi Guest!

For starters, could you please tell us which model you're asking about. As newer models came out, tanks were added, capacities changed, etc, so we need to know that.

In a nutshell, you take off and land with each engine burning the fuel in the tank behind it. You burn the tip tanks off first (leaving 10-15% for the landing phase-see manual). Then, switch to center tanks and burn those down completely. Then for remainder of the flight, you'll use the main tanks in the wings.

So, that's take off with Crossfeeds closed. Once you burn tip tanks down to ~15%, open crossfeeds and close valves to tip tanks (if you close tank valves before you open the crossfeeds, the engines die.) At this point, you should also change to the "Center" tanks and burn them off before you switch to Main tanks (wing tanks).

For more on planning and specific info, I need to know which model you're flying....for reasons I mentioned above.

A tip, if it's short flight, don't bother loading the "Center" tanks. You probably won't need them anyway. You may be making the mistake of putting only a small amount of fuel in the tip tanks.

Another think you might be doing that will also kill engines is forgetting about having "auto mixture" enabled in options/realism and in the aircraft, forgetting to turn on the fuel pumps for take-off. ...also something the plane can't fly without.

..and once more, knowing which model you're flying would be a help.

Yours,


P.S. I've always had a problem trying to remember which physical tank is which tank #, so I tried to avoid that. (dyslexic I have to remind myself what's where now and again. The diagrams in the manual for the L-049 (FSDzigns) were a BIG help for me.

[guestairways]

thanks for the help!

I'm using Manfred Jahn's L-1049G & H version.

;D Cheers!

[sunny9850]

Hi there,

first step as already indicated....please try and read the documentation that we have included in the package for the airplane.

We did take quite a bit of time to make the system work as it would in the real airplanes (as far as the sim would let us) and documented it step by step and even with pictures.

Mainly because even in the team we had a few incidents with stopped engines due to fuel starvation.

In short however you do need to have the correct pumps switched on with the tank that you plan on drawing from....no pump ...no fuel.

Second the crossfeed needs to be on for the tanks involved.
The direct feed tanks are 1-2-3-4...and they are selected on the main FE panel when their respective lever is forward on the OPEN position. That is I think the default load position and FS does not save any switched position as far as I remember.

For example to draw from tank 5 with engines 1 and 4 you need to:

1. Turn on fuel pump 5 (aux panel accessed via the gaspump symbol)
2. Open #5 Tank Valve (far left lever on the same sub panel below the pump switches)
3. Open Crossfeed for Engine 1 and 4 ( same sub panel levers 2 and 5 counting from the left) by moving the levers to ON or down.
4. Close the direct feed valve for 1 and 4 (on the main FE panel levers 1 and 4 counting from the right) moved all the way down to off.

Right click the check mark icon for the status window and double check your work....it will indicate the current supply tank for the engines.

Since you can not restart above 14000ft.....I would recommend to practice this a few times on the ground with the engines running.

Cheers
Stefan

And again...check the folder Manual for more detailed information how it works. and trust me .... if done right it does work.