From the Blenheim IV Pilot's Notes...

[ElAurens]

I received my digital copy of the Blenheim IV (Two Mercury XV engines) Pilot's Notes today.

Very enlightening.

First, Climbing...

"The aeroplane may be climbed in coarse pitch at full throttle (+5lb. Sq. In. boost) if necessary, but this is uneconomical.

(i) Watch the engine temperatures and if these approach the limiting figures, which are only allowed for a comparatively short duration of a climb, the cowling gills should be opened a little. These limits are:

Oil Temperature...................80 C.

Cylinder Head Temperature....210 C (30 minute limit)

The absolute limit of engine speed in level flight (for not more than five minutes) is 2750 rpm at +5lb. boost.

Limits for continuous cruising.

(a) Mixture control NORMAL. 2400 rpm +3.5 lb. boost.

(b) Mixture control WEAK 2400rpm +1.5 lb. boost."


Sure does not sound like the junker we have in the sim does it?

Everything about temperature control of the engines in the sim is whacky.

The real warm up and take off procedure is sort of close to the manual, except of course that you keep the cowl flaps closed on the real aircraft on takeoff and open on warm up. Also our ability to throttle up to taxi should occur much earlier than it does as well.

In short, the Bristol Mercury engines in real life were no more fragile or finicky in their operation than any other air cooled radial. They most certainly were not the fragile egg shells we currently have in game.

I sure hope that luthier and his FM programmer are aware of just how far off they are regarding the air cooled radial engines in the sim.