1000 hrs & "Random Consistency"

[WB_FlashOver]

“Random Consistency”. Sound like a contradiction? Keep reading…

First off let me say how excited I am to reach this milestone. However, it's a little disturbing to realize just how many hours that is.

I always fly with Detect Crashes and Damage ticked because if you un-tick this you're cheating yourself of the realism. Yes, I have crashes. The last big crash was around 330 AF hours during a very smooth landing at ID19. A very smooth 'belly landing' which required 4 new engines.

After my belly landing I became much more conscientious about my flying. Also, at around 500 air-frame hours I started logging all repairs made to the aircraft. This maintenance record has produced some very interesting data. I will post some snapshots of the document near the end.

What do I mean by “Random Consistency”? After 4 new engines I have noticed several things. The thing that makes it random is how you don’t know if an engine will be a lemon or not until you get few hundred hours on it. What makes it consistent is that the same engine will continue to be a lemon for the rest of its life.

Here are a few other things that lend to the “Random Consistency”. The right engines run warmer than the left engines. 3 and 4 require cowl flaps opened 25% more for take-off than 1 and 2 but I can bring them down to within 5% at cruise. Engines 2 and 3 are lemons. No joke! Engine 3 has had 12 cylinder failures and Eng 2 has had 10. This compares to engines 1 and 4 with only four each. Next, engines 2 and 3 main bearings are 61% & 62% with the other two at 80% +/-.

With detect crashes on you will have times that you taxi, or fly, into invisible objects. I've had many many of these bogus crashes. For these bogus crashes I start my game with a batch file that backs up all my A2A plane data files. I have lost many hours from these bogus crashes after long flights and would have made it to the 1000 hour milestone much sooner with Ignore Crashes ticked but then my real crashes would not have cost me anything.

I will be rebuilding the plane now, engines and airframe. I look forward to logging the maintenance records for the total 1000 hours next go around. Also really looking forward to the Connie to start from scratch.

Here are some screen shots of my maintenance records sheet. NOTE: P=preventative, A=abuse, N=normal wear, C=crash.















My B-17 "Buck-Up Buttercup" is parked at Ventspils International (EVVA) in Latvia. Does anyone know of a reputable mechanic in that area that can do the 1000 hour overhaul?

Cheers
Roger

[Piper_EEWL]

Congratulations on 1000hours Roger! That's great!

I love your maintenance record. I'm keeping one myself for all my Accusim aircraft. It's nice to the trends and wear over time and which part wears more often on which engines etc. I feel like it makes the planes even more alive!

Hope you'll find a good mechanic so you can put the next 1000h on her

Happy flying

[G-BJPS]

Congratulations Roger! An impressive milestone Sir!

LOL! I forgot or didn't realise that you had detect crashes on during our flight from Hawaii to San Francisco, we were all flying within a few feet of each other at some points during that trip!
I just picture the scene, your mate in the 'Merlot Express' moaning that you made him spill his wine as you clipped his wings, and then you dropping into the Pacific in a ball of flames like 'Mother and Country'

I can't believe no one has made a programme or mod yet that prevents those ridiculous invisible crash box accidents whilst taxiing etc on the ground, im sure that would be very welcome by the flightsim community.

Good effort Sir! o7

John.

[boris4356]

Congratulations on reaching 1000 hours Roger! That is the milestone that means the most! The rest are just the gravy on the mashed potatoes.

Bill

[WB_FlashOver]

Thanks Piper, John and Bill.

Yes, it's all gravy for me. Simming is my relaxing "man cave" time. I use that time to try to learn something new and improve my skills or just plain un-wind.

John, detect crashes and damage is always on on our server but detect crashes with other aircraft is off. We've had too many taxiing incidents so we made the change.

Piper, I have a friend that lives near Enstone, UK . He's a clever fellow with some skills with turning wrenches. I might just try to get her back there and we can do it together. You know, the Connie is coming soon so 'Buck-Up Buttercup' may just be parked for some time.

I hope this overhaul will produce 4 quality engines.

Happy flying all and BRING ON THE CONNIE!

[bmbrzmn101]

Congrats on the milestone!! I have nowhere near that on my 17. Maybe just 7-8 hours since I had to do a reinstall a few months ago.

Cheers, Chris.