Reno Air Race Tutorial - No Chance

[Guest robinhutter]

Hi folks,I tried the acceleration RART for a few times now. I have trouble even catching up to the other mustangs without ruining my engine. I even have to waste some 25% of my ADI-fluid before the race starts. After that I count myself lucky if I can finish the race with ADI-fluid left, 90% engine health an the other planes don't overtake me from behind. My engine temperature is at ca. 340 F and my plane can't go any faster than ca. 350 KIAS without ruining the engine.This can't be it! Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong? Am I missing something? - Just to state the obvious: Yes, I have raised my langing gear! :-)Tia,robin

[Guest christian]

Hi RobinI'm glad to see I'm not the only one who sucks at racing. I'd love to hear from someone who figured the racing thing out...Cheers,Christian

[Great Ozzie 101]

Robin,The Leader seems to fly an extended upwind on take-off... so what I did was attempt to join the group on downwind abeam the approach end of Rwy 8. I wouldn't go into a high MAP setting (like 70"+ when the ADI fluid was needed) until well after takeoff and headed downwind climbing to join. I don't remember using any more than 8% of the fluid (to "catch up"). And, fwiw, every time I finished I had a little ADI fluid left over (tho maybe not much!).It just amazes me how much boost one can get from injecting water (well water and methanol) into the cylinders. I mean I have read this technique was used during WWII for boost during takeoff (or war emergency power) but the MAPs these folks are using now (I guess with higher octane fuel)... absolutely incredible!And yeah you gotta keep your engine health up to 100%. Fly out below needed boost... get well on your way to catching up with them then open the ADI and MAP ~150" (maybe slightly lower) then you can pull the back the MAP to below 80" (wherever it's safe to turn off ADI) shut the ADI off and allow your excess airspeed (as it is bleeding off) to catch up with them. Remember if they turn... turn inside them to cut down the distance needed to catch them. So if the Leader turns left while you

[Guest robinhutter]

Hi Rob,thanks for the hints. I will try as soon as I get home. My best laps so far were ca. 400 KIAS which will translate to 460 mph, as far as I see which gives me some hope... ;-) Robin <>

[Guest robinhutter]

Hi Rob, tried your hints. NO WAY! I lost ca. 2 miles on the leading two planes in 6 laps. Absolute maximum speed was 360 KIAS with power at 145", RPM ca. 3100, temperature at 338 deg F, ADI on and health slowly decreasing to 98%, best lap 432 mph (avg. 424). It must be possible to do better than that. Pace is also reminding me at race start that my speed is too low and I should check my systems, but what can I do? I tried opening cowl flaps but that doesn't seem to make any difference on the temperature or engine health. - Get a better engine? Ah, yes, thanks. Good advice. ;-)Robin <>

[Snowfalcon 18]

You guys need to come to Reno and see the real thing. The modeling of Reno in acceleration is pretty good, finally Stead looks like Stead in FS. As for your engine problems don't feel bad. You should have seen the engine parts from Strega and Merlins Magic last year. The last couple of years have not been kind to the mustangs at Reno. The unlimiteds are strung pretty high when they run.

[Great Ozzie 101]

Hey Robin,....Ok I will go back and fly again (as soon as I can; might be a few days) to see if there is something else I did that I can add to the above post to assist but...And it did take a no. of tries to figure out how to make the join. But when I did figure it out, I was joined well before the start. It seems you have to be if you want any hope of beating the others that finish.The times I posted came from the screen that posts at the end of the (practice) race. I have no clue about KIAS or Engine Temp (as all I have time to think about is the pylons, CFIT and keeping the engine at or near 100% health). I can't remember RPM but I think I use the setting the Instructor says to keep below before racing. Cowl flaps I leave closed till the end of the race (when I'll use up the rest of the ADI fluid).I use Max MAP (max point where the engine health starts to decrease then back off a touch so the health comes back up to 100%). This was ~150... I think specifically was somewhere between 146" and 148".Like I said about using F10 view, I had to use that so I could focus on the current pylon and start positioning myself for the next. And I was bloody close to those pylons when going around/past them. I mean they looked awfully big... so what maybe a wingspan or 2 away and maybe at most double their height (that's a WAG for sure but I was close!)You absolutely have to stay close to these pylons. Just as low and tight as you can be. I mean this is about 10 minutes of intense concentration (for me anyway) were you're focus is in one of 2 places... the current pylon or setting up for the next. "Nothing Else Matters" at that point since my MAP is establish. I tried to leave it alone until the last lap when I would punch up the throttle as some decrease in engine health was acceptable. I mean even doing that was a little risky, not so much from the standpoint of blowing an engine, but shifting my attention away from the pylons, where "excess" altitude and distance is going hurt and could negate the benefit of a slightly higher MAP.Btw, I double checked my posted times with what I wrote in the logbook (and it

[Great Ozzie 101]

Hey Robin,I finally got back to the Reno Air Race School and wanted to post pics just to verify what I had said. I could give more "technique tweaks" but what I said is very close to what I did tonite. Besides, if I "told all", you might use that against me if ever we raced online :-P and you could beat me, then I would be so | | | and "u u u u". Look at what I said, and most importantly, heed the School Instructor.First pic shows me about to join (even before #3 is in formation). Second is just prior to the start. Third you can see stats (bad "scene" but note ADI fluid left and other stats).Rob O.

[P-12C 0]

There is some great advice presented in this thread. I got pretty good flying course as much as I did during development, and I don't think I've ever had a 470 lap. That is pretty amazing!When the real racers takeoff for the race, the last one to takeoff doesn't waste any time cutting the corner to catch up with the pack. They will lead way ahead of the pace plane while climbing out and you need to do the same to catch up.Remember that the lap speeds are an average speed around the course, the wider you fly, the lower your average speed will be because you are flying farther to get around.If you allow your engine to be damaged more than 1 or 2% at any time, you will have to back off to regain health and will not complete the race as quickly as you could.We had hoped to support damage from running at such high RPM's but that never made it into the product, so even though the instructor mentions watching your RPMs, you don't have to worry about that. Just run at max RPM.Remember that you are running at over 5000 ft MSL...Lastly, if you are interested in a new challenge and are willing to race on-line (or by yourself on-line) try running more than 10 lap races. There are trucks on the ramp where you can refuel and fill up on ADI. New strategies come into play when you have to make a pitstop.Good luck!

[Great Ozzie 101]

Wow Paul, just "go ahead and make my day!" Man... was quite a compliment to hear you say that, so thanks! Personally, I am way too shy to fly online right now (my "3 point" landing doesn't mean landing on the mains and tailwheel... well it sort of does but...). I *really* need to take Pete Dash Flash out to do just the 4 Fundamentals. But wow... now I have a boost in my confidence to feel like I'd be a worthy competitor. :-DYes with engine damage... I was wondering where the break-even point between damage and 100% MAP was. On that run last nite I did my best to set it as high as possible w/o increasing damage and from that point on forget about it. Also, I left the RPM alone (left it at Max RPM) because it didn't seem to have a bearing on the highest MAP setting I could use.Thanks too for the info.Rob O.

[P-12C 0]

No problem Rob O., you're obviously doing very well and as indicated by the author of this thread it isn't easy. I'm sure it's much more difficult in real-life when it's 130 degrees F in the cockpit and the thermals are bouncing you around like a pinball, not to mention the 30 knot cross-wind so common at Stead in the afternoon!For the ultimate challenge run the race following real-world race rules where you have to pass on the outside so you can see the aircraft you are passing at all times. That get's really difficult (but is possible against the "AI").I'm very glad to hear you are enjoying it and are helping out other people too.I wish we hadn't bundled SP2 with Acceleration as I'm sure more people would be trying it out and enjoying what we created. Live and learn I guess...