Nations:
USA - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Germany - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
USSR - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
British - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Japan - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Italy - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Jets - All Nations (6.0 - 9.3) - Air RB - Performance Guide:
Jets - All Nations (6.0 - 9.3) - Air RB - Performance Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Air RB - Map Temperature Guide:
Air RB - Map Temperature Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Air RB - Game Mechanics Guide:
Air RB - Game Mechanics Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Manual Engine Control / MEC - Guide:
Manual Engine Control / MEC - Guide - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
Air RB Performance Guide - Master Thread:
Air RB Performance Guide - Master Thread: - Game Discussion / Realistic Battle - War Thunder — official forum
– I recommend reading Air RB - Game Mechanics Guide before reading this, it is foundational to this guide: –
This guide will be in two sections as follows:
– Section 1: Which will be mapping of controls and key bindings.
– Section 2: Basic and advanced MEC setups.
Engine Controls Mode / MEC Keybinds Setup:
Before we can do anything we need to bind Engine Controls to keys to be able to activate MEC. To do this you first have to turn on Full Real Controls to be able to see it. Dont worry, once you set it up under Full Real Controls it will carry over to all the other control modes when you switch it back so you can still use it (Figure #1)
For Prop pitch, Oil Radiator, Water Radiator and Fuel Mixture make sure to change relative Control boxes highlighted in box 1 and 2. Box 2 (relative control sensitivity) is how fast it will increase or decrease (Figure #2)
To make it easier to view controls, every function group has a specific color That correspond to the number pad below (Figure #3)
– Figure #1:
– Figure #2:
– Figure #3:
– Engine Ignition - Num Del:
Switched from “I” to prevent accidental engine shutdown when typing in chat.
– Engine Controls Mode:
Before you can access MEC you have to activate it. The following key when pressed will toggle AEC to MEC. I pushed again it will toggle back to AEC.
(Toggle AEC/MEC): - Num 0
– Propeller Pitch Controls:
For planes that do not support Auto Prop Pitch Control, the prop pitch will automatically set to 50% which is not very effective, prior testing is recommended. If the plane has automatic Prop Pitch control, you will have to first turn that off by pressing Num 7 before you can manually increase/decrease it. Bind them similar to how you bind radiator keys regarding (1) Relative control and (2) Relative control sensitivity.
Auto Prop Pitch - NUM 7
Lower Prop Pitch - Num 8
Increase Prop Pitch - Num 9
– Oil Radiator Controls:
Oil Radiator Controls allow you to close the oil radiator flaps and decrease drag. If the plane has automatic radiator control, you will have to first turn that off by pressing Num 4 before you can manually close/open it.
Auto Radiator - Num 4
Close Radiator - Num 5
Open Radiator - Num 6
– Water Radiator Controls:
Water Radiator Controls allow you to close the water radiator flaps and decrease drag. If the plane has automatic radiator control, you will have to first turn that off by pressing Num 1 before you can manually close/open it.
Auto Radiator - Num 1
Close Radiator - Num 2
Open Radiator - Num 3
– Supercharger Controls:
Planes with Super Charger gears will cycle through Super Charger gears sequentially. At which altitude you should switch gears varies between aircraft.
Switch Supercharger Gear - Num Enter
– Fuel Mixture Controls:
There are very few planes that use mixture. If binding mixture keys It might just be easier to use a shift modifier for the following keys as to not accidentally hit them while going for prop pitch or bind them somewhere else where you can’t accidentally hit them. Bind them similar to how you bind radiator keys regarding (1) Relative control and (2) Relative control sensitivity. (Key binds below are under yellow, but I didn’t want to be that guy who uses yellow text on a white background)
Reset Mixture - -
Lower Mixture - /
Increase Mixture - *
– Turbocharger Controls:
I’d recommend you don’t use it…
Basic and Advance MEC setups:
I’m going to start breaking down the individual components the simplest way possible. There will be a basic and advanced section for the following. Use basic to get the benefits of MEC with the least amount of effort, advanced will be more granular and scalable depending on your comfort level.
I’ve also made a chart/guide that has MEC settings for most fighters in game linked here and at the top of this guide that take the guess work out of using MEC:
– Prop Pitch:
(Basic:)
Getting started try to pick a plane with Auto prop pitch (PropAuto) or 100% prop pitch (Prop100) in the chart. Prop pitch should be mostly set and forget while you’re learning MEC
(Advanced:)
What does this do, how do I use it? In Air RB Prop pitch can be used for the following depending on the aircraft, we are going to use 90% prop pitch (Prop90) as the primary example:
90% prop pitch usually creates half as much heat or less as 100% prop pitch requiring much less radiator. This can make an otherwise unflyable plane due to overheating flyable again.
90% can increase top speed at the expense of some acceleration/climb rate.
90% prop pitch will also usually lower the ceiling and super charger gear shifts by a few hundred meters.
– Radiators:
(Basic:)
There is usually two parts to radiators, an Oil / Water each with their own setting. Logically each one cools the respective part of the engine. Radiators should be mostly set and forget while you’re learning MEC. Even after you get comfortable with adjusting radiators you’ll probably set and forget it at start of the match.
(Advanced:)
Syncing your radiators (oil and water). What does that mean? In most cases, there is a minimal difference in the needed values for cooling each part. For example, the Bf 109 F-4 needs a minimum of 23/21% (oil/water) to keep the engine cool at around 270-280kph.
However, bumping that to one number of 24/24% (Rad24/24) makes things a little simpler at the cost of less than 1kph per hour top speed. You’ll, notice that is actually the number in the Air RB performance guide. Managing one number for both radiators instead of two makes a surprising difference.
I’ve included more advanced MEC settings deeper in the Air RB performance guide and even those are simplified.
*setting one key to open both oil and water radiators and another to close both oil and water radiators complements this syncing.
– Super Charger Gear shifts:
(Basic:)
This is probably the part of MEC that does require some attention to in game but just like driving a stick shift in a car you get used to it. The easiest way to describe these is think like they are gears on a car except instead of shifting up as you go faster, you shift up as you go higher in altitude and shift down as you come back down in altitude.
There are two different gear shifts, one is for 100% throttle while the other will be for WEP. Both of these settings are in the Air RB performance guide so most of the guess work is done for you.
These gear shifts do not have to be precise, if you forget for 100-200M then switch it late while climbing, it will barely make a noticeable difference.
If just getting started with MEC I suggest a plane with no supercharger gears. Combining this with a plane with Auto or 100% pitch, no super charger gears and you just created a situation where you can use MEC with set and forget settings at the start of the match and not have to manage anything in flight.
(Advanced:)
The radiator values given in the chart are for 280kph ias. Without getting into the technical reasons, as you go faster that altitude where the Super Charger shift should happen goes up.
*A simple way to optimize the shifts is as follows (applies to both 100% throttle and WEP:
Over 300kph add another 100M to shift up
Over 400kph add another 100M for a total of 200M added to shift up.
Over 500kph add another 100M for a total of 300M added to shift up
Normally using the F4U-1A with WEP engaged and traveling 280Kph or slower the super charger shift up would be 300M. Using the above rule of thumb and using the F4U-1A with WEP engaged and traveling at 501kph the super charger shift up would be 600M. This is the lowest altitude optimally to shift up Supercharger gear. The same applies to down shifting, so descending while traveling over 500kph you would want to shift gears at also 600M instead of 300M
*The other rule of thumb that makes things easier is to Shift up late / Shift down early. Remember You can shift late climbing or shift early descending by 100M and it won’t really affect much.
*Try not to engage within 500M above or below where your super charger gear shifts are if possible. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, it’s usually where you have a kind of drop in horsepower (See horsepower drop off chart below). Second, It can be distracting when doing high/low yoyos since your will be constantly thinking about switching gears.
– Mixture:
(Basic:)
In Air RB the default value of 60% or no mixture setting at all is where to leave it. Even if there is a mixture setting its set and forget at the start of the round.
(Advanced:)
I’ve noted in the Air RB performance guide which ones get some sort of horsepower boost from it it but those planes I can count on one hand.
The most notable exception that uses mixture is all the p47s. When using MEC you need to set it to 82% mixture so you get the full horse power especially at lower altitudes. This setting is generally set and forget.
Some planes at higher altitudes will start to sound like choking lawn mower, that’s the indication to cut the Mixture in half, it doesn’t have to be precise.
– Engine hp drop off chart:
