Have 'clear spark plugs' as a manual task in main. hangar?

[Zorg12]

Just a small idea here for the coming patch. The first thing I noticed on my first flight with the Spit was the spark plugs were cleared automatically in the maintenance hangar every time I open the menu. However I would like to click 'clear the spark plugs' myself instead of it happening automatically. If you could have a small button you could click and get some audio feedback. (I like clicking things that make a sound in the menus )

Like I said a very small detail, but I thought about it on my first flight.

[JoeS475]

Unless it was SOP to clean them after every flight, I would absolutely agree to make this a user controlled function! I'd forget all the time making my flights even more hair raising than they already are!

Considering in the BoB they flew multiple times per day, I doubt they got cleaned all the time...

Joe

[Bleddyn]

They are only cleaned if you foul them, usually on landing and not after every flight. Once you get used to not doing it you will rarely see that message. However, I do think it is the only "repair" that is done automatically and changing it to manual would be fine by me.

[Killratio]

Original procedure was to check plug high tension leads and terminal each daily inspection. After 20 hours the plugs were to be checked for correct gap and thoroughly cleaned (disassembled, polish electrodes etc).

I would imagine that in practice plugs were cleaned of oil whenever rough running was evident.

Normal daily inspection did not involve a great deal of "pulling apart", it was mostly inspect, grease, test.

This feature has been under discussion for a while.

regards

Darryl

[Scott - A2A]

It was done this way for technical reasons as well. We are trying to keep our interface to FSX as lean as possible. An analogy would be, to reduce the weight of a race car requires discipline with small reductions in many places, rather than a lot in one place. If you start making exceptions all over the place, before you know it, you have a fat car.

The way your mechanics work is, when you pull the aircraft into the hangar, if some plugs are very fouled, they clean them. The plugs are never 100%, but if they are in fairly clean shape, they won't bother.

So if you see this message, this means you fouled up your plugs to the point where your mechanics had to clean them. So make sure you burn off that stuff before shutting down, and give your mechanics a break!

Scott.

[Skycat]

So make sure you burn off that stuff before shutting down, and give your mechanics a break!

Now I know why my guys look so tired when they're holding down my tail!

[Killratio]

Actually, during the BoB it was not unusual for the Acks to work anything up to 48 hours straight.
I wonder how many guys died through silly mistakes made (by the mechanics or themselves) brought on by exhaustion.....many, I would think.

Darryl