General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board
F-18 Range
SUBS17:
The most you should really get is about 1546Nm if you're clean the Hornet has quite a short range and its funny the afterburners in stage 1 would be economical but at high altitude it probably does make a difference. One thing you can do is make a late descent into the airfield such as a tactical approach(only without the corkscrew) in that way you burn less fuel and through out the descent you're idling just about. A good range to start descent is about 35Nm from 30+ that might help you get a little further. I use it sometimes if I've used too much afterburner in a dogfight(or avoiding SAMs) in Falcon on rtb. While the rest of the guys descend about 40Nm out sometimes I've been known to overtake them doing that.
Flork:
Thanks, good advice SUBS. Yeah, I think I might have discovered a bug. In that 1st AB setting with some tweaking I'm now getting 3000 miles to 0 lbs at altitude. As we speak I'm doing a coast to coast flight. I've looked up the ferry distance myself and you're right on-about 1500 miles is all that should be possible. I've got a buddy who is a RL Hornet pilot, will pick his brain about this next time he's on leave.
Great Ozzie:
Ahahahahahaha
Ok Flork I really appreciate knowing that. Man yes I "think" that is a "bug"... or maybe is just an "enhanced" engine setting for FSX. Man that was a terrific catch! This just goes to show how important it is to pay attention to the aircraft one is flying; what it is actually doing, instead of what one expects it to be doing. You ever think about becoming a test pilot? hehe
I mean going from 1.1M w/FF=14,900lbs/eng to 1.2M in AB w/FF=6400lbs/eng (this was Clear Skies theme @ 1000'MSL)... yes some darn fine fuel efficiency there! And just by dumping it into the tailpipe! "Burner cans! We don't need no stinkin' burner cans!"
Btw I got FF down to 700lbs/hr/eng by going a "little" higher over Hawaii (at lighter weights)... Man what a trip! Dang I would have never crashed short of Alert and could have even gone Direct from Reykjavík!
I tried to figure out a good descent profile, using idle/~68% N2/your enhanced engine setting and combinations of those... nothing I am terribly excited about. I was getting anywhere from 50NM with just 200lbs burned to about 125NM with ~500lbs.
Btw, Christchurch Intl (NZCH) to McMurdo Station (NZPG) is a walk in the park with that 1st Stage AB setting (about 2100NM). I was trying Barnstable Mun. (KHYA on Cape Cod) to Le Bourget (LFPB) but am at a deficit upon reaching cruise altitude and don't know if the burned fuel enroute (weight reduction) and the descent can compensate (it's about 3000NM). HAHA
(Btw shhh don't tell the developer!)
Rob O.
SUBS17:
Reminds of another sim I use where in one version you could fly to the 4 corners of the map on full afterburner without running out of fuel. In the other mod of that sim afterburner only allows a couple of minutes and then you're a flying brick. The reality of the Hornet is it has quite a short range so requires inflight refuelling for big trips. Maybe thats what you guys need is a tanker.
WilliamCall:
Not sure if you guys are aware of this, but you can add additional fuel to the Hornet by updating the [fuel] section in the aircraft.cfg file. I've added an additional fuel tank, simulating carrying an external centerline tank. Of course the visual model isn't correct, but the flight model recognizes the additional fuel. The total fuel on the integrated engine fuel gauge shows the increased fuel as well as the total fuel on the fuel page of the MFD. Unfortunately, the bar graphs at the bottom of the MFD fuel page do not work (indicating the amount of external fuel). Listed below is what I have in the [fuel] section:
[fuel]
//----------Fwd/Aft------L-R------Vert----Capacity---Unusable---
LeftAux = -24.5000, 0.0000, 2.5000, 418,0000, 0.0000 ;Tank 1
LeftMain = -27.0000, 0.0000, 2.5000, 263.0000, 0.0000 ;Tank 2
RightMain = -32.0000, 0.0000, 2.5000, 206.0000, 0.0000 ;Tank 3
RightAux = -36.5000, 0.0000, 2.0000, 532.0000, 0.0000 ;Tank 4
LeftTip = -35.3000, -5.5000, 1.0000, 85.0000, 0.0000 ;Lt Wing
RightTip = -35.3000, 5.5000, 1.0000, 85.0000, 0.0000 ;Rt Wing
Center1 = -35.3000, 0.0000, -1.0000, 330.0000, 0.0000 ;Ext CL
//Center2 = -35.3000, 3.5000, -1.0000, 150.0000, 0.0000 ;Rt Wing
//Center3 = -35.3000, -3.5000, -1.0000, 200.0000, 0.0000 ;Lt Wing
//External1 = -35.3000, 7.0000, -1.0000, 250.0000, 0.0000 ;Rt Wing
//External2 = -35.3000, -7.0000, -1.0000, 300.0000, 0.0000 ;Lt Wing
The X, Y, Z locations of the external tanks are only approximations. I need to do more research t get better coordinates.
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