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[MrMoonlight]

I've provided an adjusted flight model for Ranwer's and Loku's fantastic Bloch MB.152 (download the original aircraft here: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,30589.0.html)

It offers performance improvements over the original FM and adds features:

- Max RPM of the Gnome-Rhone 14N-25 now 2650 RPM as per actual specs.

- Max horsepower adjusted to reflect actual engine specs.

- RPM now manually controllable (prop pitch control implemented) as on the real aircraft. More efficent cruise possible.

Note that the G+R 14N suffered from overheating problems in real life. The FM reflects this so you'll need to make sure that your cowl flaps (radiator) are at "Position 6" or "Open" during taxi, takeoff and climbout. Once airborne, climb out with your power setting at about 80%-85% with cowl flaps open to prevent overheating. Once you've reached cruising altitude, you can dial it back to 2100-2200 RPM and close your cowl flaps.

This FM was tested with version 4.12.2 in Modact 5.3 and HSFX 7.03, but should be compatible with any version in which this aircraft is functioning properly. Let me know if there are any problems.

Many thanks to Ranwers and Loku for this great plane.

Enjoy your battles over France!


DOWNLOAD: https://www.mediafire.com/download/6f4pj6w583kn7f4/Bloch_MB-152_New_FM.7z


So why do I need this?

After flying a few missions in Poltava's campaign "Fighting the Tide" (which is fantastic, BTW...highly recommended) for the Bloch MB.152, I couldn't help but feel that the aircraft was underperforming.

I mean, I get the fact that the MB.152 was not on par with the Bf-109 in most respects, but its performance in the sim was just ridiculously bad. While taking off in the very first mission of the campaign (with only 40% fuel on board), I not only used up the entire length of the field, but rolled further past a gun emplacement, nearly clipped a herd of cows in the adjacent pasture with my landing gear as I lifted off and barely cleared a row of houses in the town near the airfield once I got airborne. Sure, the Bloch was no star performer, but this was a joke. Performance this bad would have been unacceptable to the Armée de l'Air and it would never have been cleared for service. They would have sent the folks at Bloch back to the drawing boards. Heck, I couldn't even get the thing to start rolling to taxi with less than 60% power. Something was clearly amiss.

I did some extensive research and compared the original FM to the actual specs of the Gnome-Rhone engine installed in the 152. I found that the 14N-25, as installed in the 152, was rated at 1080 hp at 2650 RPM. But...in the sim, the max RPM never exceeds 2200. That's whopping 450 RPM difference. I thought: "No wonder the damn thing can't get off the ground. It's like trying to start a drag race in third gear."

Once I examined the original FM, I found some performance discrepancies which I corrected, tested, tweaked, tested, etc. Another issue was the lack of manual RPM control. The 152 was fitted with a constant speed prop with manual control. So I implemented variable prop pitch for this bird in my revised FM, so that you can adjust your revs to cruise more efficiently at a given power setting. I'd already run out of fuel on a couple of the campaign missions, so I felt this would help with that problem and provide a more historically accurate form of engine management. Of course, the running-out-of-fuel thing is possibly more a result of taking off with only 40% fuel on board (maybe Poltava wrote the missions this way because with the original FM, starting with max fuel would have made takeoff impossible at the airfields he chose to use). Nevertheless, I think the new FM provides a more realsitic experience in the 152...and while it still isn't a match for the Lufwaffe's best, you at least now have a fighting chance.

-Moonlight

[Dreamk]

Running out of fuel was THE problem of the Bloch 151/152/155 - this prevented them to flee to French North Africa at the end of the fighting in June 1940 as they could not cross the Mediterranea, even with a step in Corsica.

[MrMoonlight]

Running out of fuel was THE problem of the Bloch 151/152/155 - this prevented them to flee to French North Africa at the end of the fighting in June 1940 as they could not cross the Mediterranea, even with a step in Corsica.

Heh, yeah...I know.

But still, I've had the engine quit on me on final approach due to fuel starvation twice already in the campaign I'm playing. And this was without any prior fuel tank damage due to combat.

AFAIK, there was no shortage of avgas for the French during the Battle of France (propellers, maybe, but not avgas  ), so why many of the campaign missions start with only 40% fuel leads me to believe that Poltava wanted to make sure the crates could actually get off the ground at the start of the missions (and even then, the departing aircraft still overrun the end of the strip). It stands to reason that if the French actually stationed a certain aircraft type at a particular airfield, then the runway at the airfield would have to be long enough accommodate the aircraft at MTOW...otherwise, the planes would have been stationed somewhere else. And I don't see a problem with adding manual RPM control to the FM when the real aircraft actually had it.

The fact that the strip was still too short for a plane to take off with only 40% fuel on board led me to believe there's a problem with the plane and not the airfield. I compared the FM to the A/C's historical numbers and specs and found a few things that didn't jive ...hence the update. This update was not intended to be a knock on the original creators...everything else about the FM is spot on. I just felt certain aspects of it needed to be tweaked.

-Moonlight

[SAS~Poltava]

Thanks for this update, Mr Moonlight! Badly needed. I like the Bloch, but always found it a challenge to use.

[MrMoonlight]

Thanks for this update, Mr Moonlight! Badly needed. I like the Bloch, but always found it a challenge to use.

No...thank you for the awesome campaign for the 152. Every campaign I've downloaded from you has been loads of fun. Your attention to detail and the atmosphere you create contribute greatly to the immersion factor. You, sir, are "top of the heap" when it comes to mission building.

The whole point of my FM tweak was to make playing your Bloch campaign more realistic and enjoyable while still keeping it a challenge for the player. I hope I've achieved that.

-Moonlight

[SAS~Poltava]

You did. Thank YOU! 

[tbauchot]

Hi Mr Moonlight,

Now I'll be able to fly more serenely on this plane ! Very good job, thank you very much ! 

Tested on DBW and HSFX 7 ... 

[taraboulba]

Hello MrMoonlight,

Thanks a lot for your FM! Taking-off is now possible, and it's a pleasure to fly with this lovely little fighter.

Kind Regards,
Tara.

[sniperton]

Thanks a lot for the new FM, works like a charm in WAW where there's an mb152 file to be replaced, but I cannot figure out how to activate it in HSFX. HSFX 7.0.3 has this plane, so there's no folder for it, and none of the following  options worked:

FILES/mb152
MODS/mb152
MODS/STD/mb152
MODS/VTD/mb152

Where exactly should I put the new FM file? Thanks for any hint in advance, cheers

[Piotrek1]

Hallo sniperton,
I'm not sure if it will work, but please try to put it in a folder <gui> <game>.
Best regards,
Piotrek

[sniperton]

Thanks Piotrek, I copied it to Files/gui/game (where 'buttons' reside), but unfortunately with no avail. 

[Knochenlutscher]

Files is the main folder directory, without,
explicitely, without further Mod directories.
I would create a JSGME entry, as it can be messy fiddle the files
in and out. if that doesn't work, it's not
intended to work. Or try Benitomusos Test FM Mod.
No guarantee, unless someone knows how to do it...