The maximum number of drop tanks allowed in the air file is two. If the DP file has only one tank and two are set in the air file, all the fuel in the air file left and right drop tank is carried by the aircraft. If the tank is dropped though only one of the drop tank fuel quantity is release in the air file, while the other air file tank quantity remains since only one tank is dropped in the DP. For two drop tanks in the DP to work, both left and right drop tanks have to be in the air file. If a drop tank is missing in the air file, copy the correct section from an existing air file that has the drop tank and past it into the air file you want to use and adjust the entries.
There can be more than two tanks carried at one time and the best way for this is to have the extra tanks configured in the weapons scenery bgl file. For instance for four tanks, two tanks are configured in the bgl. Then the two tanks can be set as one tank in the DP and air file for each side of the aircraft. This is a work around for the air file only being able to be set for two tanks.
There can be two configurations for drop tanks in the DP for one drop tank and a two drop tank payload. This is best set with a bgl file that is for an invisible tank that can be released if only one tank is chosen as payload. Both drop tank lateral positions in the air file should be set to 0 (zero) to avoid lateral out of balance.
This is a sample of a config for a P-47 that has two drop tank payload options in the DP, either one 150 gallon tank under the fuselage or two 108 gallons tanks under the wings. The problem is though is that the lateral position of the left and right drop tanks in the air file should be set to zero to avoid an out of balance condition if the fuselage drop tank option is chosen. This being the case, it may not be desirable to have this configuration as the wing tanks will not have an accurate weight position in the air file. It is just a work around two have more than one payload option to choose from for the drop tanks.
Samples:
DP mount.0 is set for the invisible drop tank bgl. It is offset slightly to the right so that the right drop tank fuel quantity in the air file is released so only the fuel quantity in the left drop tank is left for the center 150 gallon drop tank.
[HARDPOINTS]
mount.0=0.000001,0,0
//Triple Rocket Tube Launchers
mount.1=-3.0936,-0.4685,0.0751
mount.2=3.0936,-0.4685,0.0751
//4.5-inch Rockets
mount.3=-3.0936,-0.61,0.0351
mount.4=3.0936,-0.61,0.0351
mount.5=-3.15,-0.72,0.0351
mount.6=3.15,-0.72,0.0351
mount.7=-3.03,-0.72,0.0351
mount.8=3.03,-0.72,0.0351
//
mount.9=0,-1.285,0.27
mount.10=0,-1.285,0.27
mount.11=-3.57,-0.705,0
mount.12=3.57,-0.705,0
mount.13=-3.57,-0.725,0
mount.14=3.57,-0.725,0
mount.15=-0.000001,-1.275,0.2
mount.16=-3.57,-0.652,-0.12
mount.17=3.57,-0.652,-0.12
[PAYLOADS]
payload.0=%payload_name.0%
payload.1=%payload_name.1%
payload.2=%payload_name.2%
payload.3=%payload_name.3%
payload.4=%payload_name.4%
payload.5=%payload_name.5%
payload.6=%payload_name.6%
payload.7=%payload_name.7%
payload.8=%payload_name.8%
[PAYLOAD.0]
; Payload = Guns Only
[PAYLOAD.1]
; Payload = Long Range - 150 gallons
mount.0=Release_DT_for_correct_fuel, 1, -1
mount.9=wep_pylon_us_cl, 1, -1
mount.15=wep_P47_150gal_drop, 1, -1
[PAYLOAD.2]
; Payload = Extra Long Range - 2 x 108 gallons
mount.16=wep_us_108gal_tank, 1, -1
mount.17=wep_us_108gal_tank, 1, 16
(left empty to skip to payload names in DP)
"payload_name.0"=Guns Only
"payload_name.1"=Guns Only Long Range*
"payload_name.2"=Guns Only Extra Long Range
The air file left tank is set for the 150 gallon for the center tank. The right tank is set for 66 gallons to add 66 to 150 giving total fuel of 216 gallons for two tanks (2 x 108 = 216). Model name option for invisible drop tank: "Release_DT_for_correct_fuel"=*Release this tank for correct fuel qty.
And I'm too lazy to look now - but if so, activating that key might solve the problem.
