B377 + ASN + Cold weather and engine start

[Mustang]

You're welcome

For what it's worth, I made my own test last night. I dropped my 377 in Greenland, loaded ASN and noted the OAT which was -17°C, and began to try to start my engines (at first I clicked "cold & dark" to ensure the oil temperature dropped to match the ambient temperature). It was a new challenge - I've never tried to start it in such extremes of temperature!

Whilst working on getting #3 and #4 started, I left engine #2 off with the fuel pump on and mixture full rich. The fuel pressure sat at around 15 PSI and never moved in 10-15 mins. So it seems I am unaffected, even with ASN (or maybe I did not wait long enough, but I did not have much time). I was in the 377PG though which is my 'test' aircraft. I didn't want to break my passenger 377 which I try to take care of (In case the aircraft model could make a difference)

To my surprise I got one engine to start with the oil still at -17C! Lots of priming required. But the others needed some warm oil pumping in before they would get going. Ahh, the wonders of Accu-Sim's slight 'randomness' which keeps things interesting!

Martyn

[aaphebus]

Hello Martyn,

I report back after the week-end. I have no issue with the fuel pump. They all work perfectly.
For me the issue is still the same as I described before. I have at best 15 minutes to starts engines in cold weather (temperature under 5°c). After that, no matter if I follow the right procedures or not, the engines are dead (even with oil dilution procedure or injection warm oil). But since I read all the reports in here, I must conclude that the problem is specific to my installation. I can't tell why this is happening but like I said, I can now deal with it. 15 minutes is quite enough to load passengers and start engines with career mode on .
Anyway thanks to you all guys for taking the time to try some tests on your side and care to report bakc here. The good thing is that I learned some interesting things about oil servicing and dilution .

Alain

[Raebo]

I am based @ (CYEG) in northern Alberta Canada and it gets very cold here in the winter. ( -25 to -40 )
I fly a scheduled flight every morning to Hay River NWT (CYHY) so rather than fight every morning with a cold and dark aircraft who's engines are basically frozen, I elected years ago to start my flights already pushed back from the gate with all four engines running thanks to my flight engineer who gets up much earlier than the rest of the flight crew does.
My choice was simple, I have a schedule to follow, so rather than fight with cold engines every morning I am ready to fly upon entering the aircraft.

[kilmer]

I just wanted to pitch in here and say I, too, cannot seem to get the engines started if it is cold out. I tried again today at KOQU. The temperature was 1°C. After landing there two days earlier, I diluted the oil in all engines for a full minute. Upon setting out today, I did not change anything like start up with the plane cold and dark. I did not add fresh oil. As far as I can tell, the fuel pressure is fine. That is to say, the pressure comes up to the point where the lights go out. I primed engine 3 10 times and gave it a shot. it gave a half-hearted attempt and quit. Trying to start automatically with C+E also fails. I do not start engines until the catering, fuel, baggage, and passenger loading has completed. I delay further until after push back (this all with GSX). It seems to me there is a problem here. It started when I switched to ASN for weather.

At any rate, I just really wanted to add another datum in case there is a patch in the offing. With computers being the way they are, if you try to fix it so that engines will start even if it is freezing outside according to ASN, there will probably be difficulties spring up for those not using ASN. I just seems odd to me that, after flying the 377 for years, i suddenly cannot get engines started with the temperature anywhere near freezing. I doubt that was true for the real plane.