Fuel Tanks on the BF 110

[nadasero]

Originally Posted by I./Kg40_Night

Hi Foo,

This picture is explaining a lot. There are some small things in your translation which might be confusing. The lights are never flashing. In normal situations they are off and under certain conditions the are on.

I think, that the picture from I./Kg40_Night comes from a 110D with the fat belly (Rumpfwanne). So we have much more tanks to control (Drop tanks, belly, wing-reserve, wing-main)

I'm from Germany to and not a native English speaker, but here is the improved translation (according to my knowledge):

1. As long as the white warning indicators are off, front main tanks contain at least 240 litres.
2. White warning indicators means:
at position I: droptanks are empty!
at position II: Fuselage (belly) tanks are empty!
at position III: back wing-tanks are empty! (lower red warning lights are on for back wing tanks at the same time)
3. in the following switch back to position I. Between white warning indicators and red residue indicator please check tank level.
4. when red residue indicator for main tanks is switched on, the main tank contains fuel for about 10 minutes of flight.


The six drawings mean the following:

° | °
° | ° (I) normal flight position

°\ °
° | ° position only at damaged right/starboard tank

° /°
° | ° position only at damage left/port tank

° | °
° | ° fuel will be taken from droptanks

° | °
° \° (II) fuel will be taken from tanks in the fuselage

° | °
°/ ° (III) fuel will be taken from back tanks


The problem with all the tanks is, that you can not measure how much is in those tanks. So we start with position (I) which means fuel is going to the engines from both main tanks and constantly refilling the main tanks from the drop tanks. If the drop tanks are empty, the fule level in the main tanks drops and when the white lights go on, it's time to drop the tanks. Main tank is on 240l at this time, so you might drop them earlier. After this, we switch to the belly tank (II) which is refilling the main tanks. We don't have a belly tank, so we can skip this step. When the belly tank is empty, the main tanks are starting to drop below the full level and the white warning lights are telling us, that it's time to switch to position (III) for refilling from the reserve wing ranks. Without drop tanks, we start with position (III).

With reserve tanks empty, the white lights tell us, that we are below 240l in the main tanks. We can switch to (I) to stop the pumps. Now we should carefully watch the fuel gauge because the upper red warning lights are a ten minute warning and without fuel we can prove our capabilities as glider pilots.

Interestingly, the manual for the 110C-5 from IvanK is telling us the same, but without the belly tank. If you have drop tanks, you start with constantly refilling from them. When the fuel level in the main tanks drop, you have a clear indication, that the drop tanks are empty. Then you switch to the reserve wing tanks.

For our normal operation, this means everything is much easier. We need just one switch position (which is sadly not available at this moment).

° | °
°/ ° (III) fuel will be taken from back reserve tanks first

This should be OK for the whole flight. We can switch of the reserve pumps if the reserve is empty, but I don't think that there is any effect in the simulation.

We can use the front switch if one of the tanks is damaged. (which is not working correctly at this moment)

By the way, I saw some manuals on ww2aircraft.net.:
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/oth...als-12902.html
There is a big ground crew manual for the 110B with Jumo 210G engines and there are special manuals for special weapons like the "Schräge Musik" and a fixed rear guns, firing on persuing fighters by the pilot with a mirror sight.
You have to register for download and I'm not sure about the copyright situation on this files.

[Foo'bar]

nadasero, with flashing i meant constant flashing, no blinking (dict.leo gave me flash for "leuchten"). Sorry for confusion.

[ATAG_Keller]

Wow, so much great information! You guys are amazing!

[Untamo]

Hmm.. Weird indeed.. I tested the selector again. I have latest (15950) version of the game and I can't get the forward selector to "both" .. only the rear selector has "both" option. Anyone else have this "feature" ?

[Foo'bar]

of course we all have the same

[l3uLLDoZeR]

Yes very helpful..good info and thread! I wondered why I would always lose the right engine when I still had fuel in the left tank after getting shot up. I fly the 110 often...can't beat the 500kg bombs going off on some poor guy warming up his merlin! (sorry, blowing up AI just doesn't give the same satisfaction)

Plus flying around with 4 machine guns and 2 cannons sticking out of a sharks mouth is pretty awesome!!!

I never fly at 100m like some of you in the 110, will give it a try. It climbs like a beast for me...merlins can't keep up. I stay high and BnZ, Tons of right rudder trim and pray that they don't get a pilot kill, haha.
The plane can take a beating from .303's, but that damn AP goes right through the greenhouse! I've flown halfway across the channel with a fire growing and eventually covering the whole right wing, but still landed safely! I want twin mg;s for the blind moron in the back seat, but overall I think its a sweet plane.

I've done more nosedives into the dirt on takeoff with a 110 than all of the other planes combined. Am I retarded or is the grass sticky at 180kph all of a sudden?

[l3uLLDoZeR]

I kinda need 200 kph to fly..with 1,100lbs strapped under my belly and 75% fuel.