Nursing a damaged aircraft to safety?

[TinyTim]

Originally Posted by bladeracer

I've never seen any measurable drag from opening the radiator flaps so I don't know if closing them reduces drag at all.

Then it appears you've never been in a race for your life with an enemy AC of very similar top speed chasing you. Like running away in a Fw 190 D from a La-7. Opening and closing rads is a matter of life and death in such a scenario.

In my humble experience, the difference in top speed between open and closed radiators amount to somewhere between 25-30 kph top speed difference.

[Feathered_IV]

Back in the day on Zeke vs Wildcat, I slugged it out with a SBD near Wake Island. In the end the gunner was dead, the plane was a wreck and the guy flying was wounded with a near total black screen. Didn't have the heart to finish him off and ended up flying his wing and talking him down via the hud text to a passable belly landing just short of his base. Everybody on the server cheered by the end of it. Was one of the best moments I had in the game.

[K_Freddie]

Originally Posted by Feathered_IV

Back in the day on Zeke vs Wildcat, I slugged it out with a SBD near Wake Island. In the end the gunner was dead, the plane was a wreck and the guy flying was wounded with a near total black screen. Didn't have the heart to finish him off and ended up flying his wing and talking him down via the hud text to a passable belly landing just short of his base. Everybody on the server cheered by the end of it. Was one of the best moments I had in the game.

Saburo Sakai would be proud of you ...

[K_Freddie]

Originally Posted by TinyTim

Then it appears you've never been in a race for your life with an enemy AC of very similar top speed chasing you. Like running away in a Fw 190 D from a La-7. Opening and closing rads is a matter of life and death in such a scenario.

Long ago when I was a Luftwaffe FW190A9 pilot (Still wouldn't fly anything else) I was set upon by 2 LA7s from above, on a Berlin map.

I just turned away and headed for ground level. I couldn't head direct for my airfield as they would've caught me, so I went on a verrrrrrrry slow turning detour towards my airfied and safety of AAA. It was a 10-15 minute run playing with every lever available.. Prop pitch, trim, radiators. One LA gave up but the other was determined, but I was gaining on him all the time. Not much but enough to stay out of trouble. I made it back to my airfield and that's where the LA's flight ended...

The FW gets you home anytime

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by TinyTim

Then it appears you've never been in a race for your life with an enemy AC of very similar top speed chasing you. Like running away in a Fw 190 D from a La-7. Opening and closing rads is a matter of life and death in such a scenario.

In my humble experience, the difference in top speed between open and closed radiators amount to somewhere between 25-30 kph top speed difference.

Actually, I have experienced that, more times than I can recall - but I can't say I saw any measureable effect from the radiator doors.
Perhaps the enemy were doing the same thing with their rads