R E L E A S E D
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Manual is out.
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I spent a couple of hours in the DCS Jug last night, working on my controller setup, reviewing cold and dark startup, and about an hour exploring English coast on the new Channel map. If you have the time, I really suggest beginning with C&D, because it forces you to become familiar with the office and aircraft systems. The cockpit has had a Heatblur Simulations level of attention to detail and itās not hard to imagine yourself sitting in the real thing, looking around, marveling at all of the switches, knobs, levers, and instruments, until you suddenly wonder where the time has gone.
I would say that it is fairly typical of WW2 warbirds, save the addition of the turbo supercharger boost and intercooler inlet controls. The P-47D-30 incorporates a handy latch that allows you to link the boost lever with the throttle and the intercooler takes minimal attention. So these are not as complicated or cumbersome as they initially sound.
Iāve learned from flying the Jug in the IL2 GB series that the aircraft likes certain settings for normal operations and and another for combat, so the beast is not that hard to master, once youāve learned its happy places. The DCS aircraft seems to be a bit more temperamental as to cowl flap settings, so definitely have that control easy to access. In the IL2 bird, especially in winter, you can spend much more time with them closed. In the new Jug, you will find the engine temps creeping toward 300 degrees rather rapidly once you close the shutters.
The whole experience is really rewarding once you get the big bird up in the air and motoring around the English countryside. The sound set delivers the requisite big lumbering radial sweetness, as you feel the satisfaction of being able to motivate and guide this mass of war machinery to carry out your mission for the day. Likewise, the rest of the aircraftās switches, levers, and various moving parts are delivered in detail for your aural satisfaction. I agree with Lenny Bruce impersonator, Laobiās recommendation, that you admire the undercarriage retraction animation at least once, to understand what detail has been achieved with the DCS Thunderbolt. Itās really amazing.
Speaking of learning the bird, unless you are a legal minor in your jurisdiction or in the company of someone easily offended, I suggest that you have the manual open to the startup sequence while watching Laobiās hilarious short introduction to the Jug. It helps make the mundane palatable and is a good review for returnees or primer for those who are new to the P-47.
An additional outstanding reference is Gregās Automobiles and Aircraft YouTube channel, and in particular his P-47 playlist, that gives an extensively researched history of the design and combat record, especially hard to find, since Republic destroyed most of itās documentation of the aircraft in 1987.
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Nice work chip! I almost pulled the trigger on it for the cockpit sounds alone, from the videos Iāve seen it sounds awesome.
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Aaaand Iām in the hospitalā¦
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Tough luck Maico. I hope that itās not serious.
@Franze told me that the cowl flap temp issue is a known bug so hopefully that will get fixed.
We also found that oil conditions seem to be modeled but there are some quirks in regards to the channel.
In The Channel Single Player, the temperature is stuck at 0Ā°C but we could takeoff soon after startup without issue. In multiplayer, our first go would have engine showing all nominal but producing no power to fly - 150mph at full power (manifold pressure and prop RPM gauges looking nominal) was a stretch. A reload and things were fine. Sometimes oil pressure would skyrocket off the gauge as well.
I worked around it by trying to apply some logic:
- Older motor oils were not as combustion resistant
- Older motor oils were not as stable when thin
Hence, thick oil was needed so as it warmed it would still be thick enough and not burn off too fast.
With that in mind, IF the oil pressure sensor is AFTER the oil pump outlet - cold, thick oil that doesnāt want to move could lead to high pressure.
So remembering that Oil Dilution served to add fuel to the oil to thin it (the fuel evaporates or burns off later) - one of my later tries I ran oil dilution first and saw my oil pressure drop - plus I had power once airborne! Although that doesnāt solve why the gauges showed OK on manifold and RPM - Iād figure they would suffer with the reduced output.
Still some quirks too - if you leave the primer handle unlatched after takeoff, the engine will surge as if you were pumping it. Re-latching it and it returns to silky-smooth immediately.
If you break your landing gear, a repair doesnāt fully fix it. The gear doors can glitch and it becomes de-synced in MP. I also had my gear jam after a repair and then belly landed. A subsequent repair fixed my port gear - the starboard one fixed but then popped back to the broken position as the plane was put back on the ground. I tried to repair again, and waited out the timer by ALT-Tabbing out to Chrome to check Mudspike. While doing so - I heard an engine start and prop break. I ALT-Tab to DCS and my aircraft has moved, my starboard gear is still collapsed and my prop is now broken (fixed on the prior repair alreadyā¦). So it started itself.
Still, an amazing plane to fly. Love it so far!
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Great info Wes. With regards to engine warming, these were my observations. After engine start, I sat there for 20 minutes with the RPM @ 900 waiting for oil temps to rise and pressure drop. I closed the oil cooler flaps and that only minor rise in temp. So, I decided to taxi to the active with oil temp and pressure out of operating levels. Fortunately, after a little nudge, the Jug will happily taxi along at 1000 RPM. Once I got to the runway, even though oil temps had risen, the pressure was still way too high. I just decided to launch that way, thinking it must be bugged. Had a good takeoff roll and rotation and after a few minutes airborne, the oil pressure gauge snapped to the correct indication. So, I assumed that it was a WIP. I should have been able to close the cowl flaps, but found that they had to be around 50% or greater to keep engine temps around 200.
Regardless, Iām sure this stuff will get ironed out and the rest is in pretty good shape.
FYI to new Jug pilots, my first attempt at startup failed, because I didnāt hold the switch in the engaged position long enough after ignition began. I attempted the start sequence over again, but neglected to pump the primer. I did this and on try #3 was successful. So, if you fail on your first attempt, be sure to pump the primer again.
The starter is very FW-190-esque, so if you have flown those it will be familiar - except our 190s get away without priming!
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Hope youāre OK Maico?
@Maico glad you enjoyed it! If you havenāt discovered them already hereās at least two more that compliment that one.
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Nice vids. Made me notice some inconsistency in the IL2 P47, specifically with the turbo overspeed RPM mechanism.
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Yeah, I think that one of Gregās YT channel stated that there is no need to use the turbo below 8k ft, and to do so might even rob you of some power due to mechanical loss when compared to having it off. Still, the USAAC POH and others recommend its latch it to the throttle in short field or heavy loadout situations.
I love that plane!
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I have just started the startup training for the Jug and what a lovely surprise its @bunyap2w1 doing the voice over. I miss his videos so great to hear his voice again 
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Iāve been messing with the Jug and like it so far, though I find it more difficult to land than any of the other warbirds. Probably that massive, heavy nose.