Pretty sure carburetor heat is not modeled in IL-2. Complex engine management isn't quite that advanced in the stock version.


Wheels

O.T: Thanks Wheels, I'll stop worrying about it then, there's enough going on already that i can't keep track of lol. Ordered a Saitek Throttle Quadrant today, should help with managing mixture and prop pitch at least. Well, on we go..


January 5, 1942 14.15 hours
weather: Clear

Yesterday afternoon, as soon as all scrambled pilots were accounted for, I was told to report to 2nd flight's commander: 2e Luitenant Ambrosius. As it appeared, with the losses suffered by our squadron and Luitenant Berg's death, the remainder of 1st and 2nd flight were to merge in one expanded flight and operate under a single command with more planes in the air at the same time.

Dick, I know that what happened today affects you. It affects us all. In fact, the whole squadron as we knew it seized to exist with the loss of Berg. Unfortunately however, the war does not!
As I will be taking over the squadron and 1st flight, you must know there will be some changes, effective immediately.
First of all, these. Ambrosius said as he threw me a set of bars. I like the way you acted instead of re-acted yesterday and the day before. For that I am promoting you to Sergeant-Majoor, Dick.
Second: You will be assigned a wingman whenever the circumstances allow it and together you have permission to operate to your own discretion within the confines of the objective.
Tomorrow you will be leading a flight Majoor, now go get some food in you and take a rest.

Sergeant-Majoor.. Flightleader.. I fear this has more to do with our casualty rate then my courage and flying skills. However, I do like the prospect of making my own mistakes (I'm perfectly capable of doing THAT) and having someone along to back me up when I do.
Sergeant-Majoor... Major “hairy” Dick.. Oh brother, I'll never hear the end of it!
As I made my way to the mess, despite all we lost, I smiled for the first time in days. Feels good, even if because of the irony of it all.

The morning brought the expected jokes and congratulations, and a call from Singapore as well. We were requested to escort some RAF Blenheims up North to go visit a Jap airbase and stir up some trouble. They will fly via Sumatra as the inland routes are thoroughly patrolled by the IJA.
We spend the morning gathering info on the West part of the front. Things look pretty grim. Kuala Lumpur has already fallen to the Japanese advance and Port Swettenham seems to be their next target. That's about where we'll be making landfall today. Whether or not Kuala Lumpur Airbase is operational is unknown at this time. Let's just hope their fighters will be busy farther East.

As word goes around that the bombers are on the way, we make for Flight Ops:
Escort duty for you boys today. RAF Blenheims are going to be missing every possible target in the area, and you have to make sure they can't blame it on the Japanese. The task of protecting the Blenheims is assigned to six Brewsters under the command of Luitenant Ambrosius. Good luck!

Sergeant-Majoor Talen will lead the second flight. Sergeant Wit will fly his wing. Happy hunting to you!

We'll see about that. I'd rather put myself back down on the runway than in harms way. No heroics, still.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMBAT REPORT
Date: 5 January 1942
Time: Take-off: 14:15, Contact: 14:41, Pancake 14:49.
Mission: Strike Escort

FORCES ENGAGED
Own: 6 Brewsters
Lt Ambrosius
Sgt Zeeman
SM de Man
Sgt Jilt

SM Talen
Sgt Wit

Friendly: 6 Hurricanes
Enemy: 10 Zekes

RESULTS
Enemy Losses:
2e Luitenant Ambrosius 2 Kill(s)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Blenheims pass overhead, we take to the skies to meet them. As i roll right i notice that Wit wasn't taking off with me. Instead he waited his turn. Fine with me, if that makes him feel better, he'll have to play catch-up now.




As i climb out, i take a look at the formation overhead. Only six Blenheims with as many Brewsters as well as two three-ship hunting parties made up from our Hurries. They'll be sweeping ahead for fighters while we protect the bombers.



Soon I reach a position over the bombers i'm comfortable in. Wit catches up and we start weaving over the formation.



Crossing the straight of Malaya was uneventful, but as we crossed the coastline, the trailing hurries call out for help, they were jumped by Zekes at low altitude. Wit and I go full throttle to see if we can do anything for them. I suppose i might as well try to live up to Ambrosius' expectations. I am suprised to see the Luitenant do the same though. Guess he favours his own men over the mission.... good man! Well, good for us at least.



As we race to join the battle, i see tracers ripping through the air and landing on one of ours! One of the hurries got hit bad and the pilot jumps. As the plane goes down i realise we are right over the front lines. I hope he lands on the right side!



A zeke pops up from below my sight and i fire, knowing he already past (Stupid! Conserve your ammo!). We are quick to pursue and suddenly a little piece of sky is packed with aircraft as the zekes try to shake us by crossing flightpaths!





I pull hard to keep up with the Zeke (Stupid! Conserve your energy!) My vision blurs but down the tunnel i see the Luitenant coming in fast and spitting bullets. He's right on the mark and the Zeke explodes mid-air.




As i turn around, looking for the other Zeke, my mind goes back to the bombers for a second. What is their position right now, are we behind? Should i get back? By the way, where the heck did those Hurries go?!..
THUNK! I got hit! Instead of taking evasive action, i look around to what happened. Overhead comes a Zeke with a Buffalo in pursuit spitting bullets. Ambrosius? Probably.
At this point i have the energy and as the Zeke climbs, i am able to follow him. It is the Luitenant! This man turns out to be quite the flyboy, he knows his stuff. With the Luitenant more to the side i take a shot at the Zeke as he slows, missed!





As both the Jap and the Luitenant stall out i turn away to set up another pass but my speed doesn't increase at it should. I frantically check my instruments and find my RPM's dropping! That single hit must have been landed in the engine back there when. As i follow the fight with ever increasing distance, the Zeke gets caught in the crossfire from Ambrosius and Zeeman and errupts in a ball of fire.





Wit performs a damage check on my airplane and we agree that i better head back while he teams up with first flight. I turn South when the engine starts to make this grinding noise. Like sitting behind a blender. I calculate that my remaining flying time will probably be very short and try to make Swettenham Airbase. RPM keeps slowly dropping and so is my altitude.




I try to keep my speed up without losing too much altitude, but the ground closes fast. As i cross the sea-arm the engine comes to a grinding stop and the plane starts slipping. I quickly put the nose down and extend my gear and flaps. If I can make it just accross the swampy bit...





Made it over solid ground! Now to put her down gently. I flare too much and the left wings starts dropping. I loosen my grip some to prevent rolling the plane and i slam on the ground! It's a miracle the struts hold up. I bounce back up, stall, left wing scrapes some dirt and then the left gear gives in, throwing me down on the ground in a 180 degree turn. I slide some more backwards, looking at the dust and smoke i cause. Then all goes silent.






I'm just a few hundred meters from the airbase, but there's no sign of help coming my way.. I unstrap myself and crawl out of the cockpit. Apart from some cuts and bruces i should be allright. Now where is that ambulance?

Cool AAR Derk.

A little help on the crash landing. If at all possible don't let the tailwheel hit right away. A three point landing is a sure way to bounce the nose into the turf.
(No clue if that is how it works in the real world but in the IL-2 world landing on the main gear and trying to keep the tailwheel up as long as possible works the best.)

The ntrk's in this download of mine at M4T will explain it much better than I can with text. Even though I am still flying with full power authority in the ntrks the premis on how to land is still valid.
Italian Campaign Update: http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads&file=details&id=4104
The ntrks in my download will work just fine without installing the original Italian campaign files I reference. Just unzip the Italian Campaign Update files onto your desktop and copy the ntrks into your records folder.


Wheels

Love reading these. Can't wait for the next one and hoping for the switch to the Hurrie.

In IL-2, when landing in the rough, try keeping it on one wheel. Any bump will transfer the energy in a rotation around the roll axis and not into the vertical with a pitch up. Landings will be less stressful and ground behaviour more predictable. I know it's "gaming the game", but the story will go on longer.

I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately. I seem to have misplaced my spare time. Can't use my original time though. It's being divided between honey-do's and work atm.

to be continued...

Darn honey-do lists. Doesn't she know that you have people other than her hanging on your every word.


Wheels