Im trying out an idea and was wondering what you guys thought. I put in a 128t fuel tank in my Engineered Clipper and with a full tank I get about 31ly jump range with a max range of roughly 700 ly before needing to refuel. Now I was thinking about doing this for Neutron jumping and being a Fuel Rat for the upcoming DW2 Expedition. Good idea? Or too much?
Engineers Is it worth maxing out the fuel tank?
- Thread starter HazardousMatt
- Start date
I remember when I first got my iClipper (EiLF's Coronation). It overheated so much during fuel scooping that I put in a class-7 fuel tank so I could take it to a CG.
There's only one particular instance where I'd find an extra fuel tank useful: If I had to take a short-range ship like a Fer-de-Lance long distance to the Pleiades, and I wasn't confident that a fuel scoop could carry it through that band of brown dwarfs and T-Tauri stars you hit on the way out there.
Otherwise, a good fuel scoop is adequate for carrying most medium ranged ships and an extra tank would just be extra weight that limits your jump range.
Otherwise, a good fuel scoop is adequate for carrying most medium ranged ships and an extra tank would just be extra weight that limits your jump range.
But don't you guys think it would be more beneficial to be able to move around the sun without scooping and jumping as soon as your FSD cools down? And you could hit multiple neutron stars without worrying about refuelling too.
Not particularly. On a long distance explorer, I reserve the largest slot for the fuel scoop. By the time I've rounded the star to align for the next jump, I've finished scooping fuel a couple seconds ago.
Never, ever put extra fuel tank if you are not a Fuel Rat. And if you're a Fuel Rat, put no more than 50% of your main fuel tank (e.g. if you have 32 tons - put 16, and so on).
By carrying extra fuel without the ability to dump it (and there is no such ability in ED), you destroy your jump range. Remember that 1 (one) extra lightyear equals FOUR when you use neutron boost.
By carrying extra fuel without the ability to dump it (and there is no such ability in ED), you destroy your jump range. Remember that 1 (one) extra lightyear equals FOUR when you use neutron boost.
It depends on what you favor between time, concentration, risk, and total distance.
To avoid generalization, here are the principles I think of around this :
– As long as you don't overheat too much too often (and it can happen in the clipper), using the highest slot size for fuel scoop favors time and distance.
– Some ships use a lot % of their tank in a few jumps (FDL, Corvette...) ; those become really more comfortable with tanks even if it's only for travelling.
– Having tanks reduces jump range and total distance / time. It won't make you Elite Explorer slower nor that much poorer in the end.
– Having a tank can give you more time between scoops, and less risk to accident because of distraction or else, and can let you scoop more on the easier stars and less on the painful/risky ones... not sure you in the end lose more time.
I actually made the travel to Sag A* with a fuel scoop in my Asp, and found it way more comfortable this way (and less stressful).
It let me visit not only refuel stars (KFOGBAM) on the way without worrying at all.
128t may actually be a bit overkill for you alone though (every few jumps, there's an easy star to replenish), and for long range expeditions it might be actually be significant (with a quick look at EDShipyard, it seems like 3+LY jump range, may be a 32t or so on the clipper base 16t could be enough without costing so much jump range).
It would be cool though for being a fuel rat I guess (don't forget the limpets). And thanks for thinking to be useful to other commanders.
To avoid generalization, here are the principles I think of around this :
– As long as you don't overheat too much too often (and it can happen in the clipper), using the highest slot size for fuel scoop favors time and distance.
– Some ships use a lot % of their tank in a few jumps (FDL, Corvette...) ; those become really more comfortable with tanks even if it's only for travelling.
– Having tanks reduces jump range and total distance / time. It won't make you Elite Explorer slower nor that much poorer in the end.
– Having a tank can give you more time between scoops, and less risk to accident because of distraction or else, and can let you scoop more on the easier stars and less on the painful/risky ones... not sure you in the end lose more time.
I actually made the travel to Sag A* with a fuel scoop in my Asp, and found it way more comfortable this way (and less stressful).
It let me visit not only refuel stars (KFOGBAM) on the way without worrying at all.
128t may actually be a bit overkill for you alone though (every few jumps, there's an easy star to replenish), and for long range expeditions it might be actually be significant (with a quick look at EDShipyard, it seems like 3+LY jump range, may be a 32t or so on the clipper base 16t could be enough without costing so much jump range).
It would be cool though for being a fuel rat I guess (don't forget the limpets). And thanks for thinking to be useful to other commanders.
So hear me out guys and gals. I've since changed over to my Python due to the more internals. I can carry both fuel limpets and repair limpets in the Python, Clipper I had to choose one or the other.
So with the Python I slapped on an extra 64t tank a long with a 6A fuel scoop totalling 96t in fuel. My jump range with maxed 5A FSD and with 10 limpets is around 35.2ly. My total distance on 96t of fuel is around 680ly. To go 1055ly (just an example) equals 33 jumps. Now with this much fuel I can easily jump in quickly move around the star and jump by the time my FSD cools down. That's exactly 45 seconds per jump. To go 33 jumps that equals 24 minutes and about 45 seconds. Now with this trip I would need to refuel at least once from empty because I can go 680ly. According to Coriolis it takes 1 minute and 49 seconds to refuel 96t. Which is approximately 26 minutes and 39 seconds total time to go 1055ly with a 96t tank of fuel.
Now if I were to drop that 64t extra tank my jump range is now 39ly and that equals 29 jumps to go the same 1055ly according to the galaxy map. So if I were to refuel buckyball style, jump, refuel while moving around star, cool down heat build up, charge FSD. That is roughly 1 minute per jump if I'm on my game and consistent with the Python. That equals approximately 29 minutes to go 1055ly and I would HAVE to make each jump by 1 minute while refuelling around the star which means total concentration.
26 and half minutes with big tank.
29 minutes of white knuckling.
Just a thought.
So with the Python I slapped on an extra 64t tank a long with a 6A fuel scoop totalling 96t in fuel. My jump range with maxed 5A FSD and with 10 limpets is around 35.2ly. My total distance on 96t of fuel is around 680ly. To go 1055ly (just an example) equals 33 jumps. Now with this much fuel I can easily jump in quickly move around the star and jump by the time my FSD cools down. That's exactly 45 seconds per jump. To go 33 jumps that equals 24 minutes and about 45 seconds. Now with this trip I would need to refuel at least once from empty because I can go 680ly. According to Coriolis it takes 1 minute and 49 seconds to refuel 96t. Which is approximately 26 minutes and 39 seconds total time to go 1055ly with a 96t tank of fuel.
Now if I were to drop that 64t extra tank my jump range is now 39ly and that equals 29 jumps to go the same 1055ly according to the galaxy map. So if I were to refuel buckyball style, jump, refuel while moving around star, cool down heat build up, charge FSD. That is roughly 1 minute per jump if I'm on my game and consistent with the Python. That equals approximately 29 minutes to go 1055ly and I would HAVE to make each jump by 1 minute while refuelling around the star which means total concentration.
26 and half minutes with big tank.
29 minutes of white knuckling.
Just a thought.
If you have doubts about refueling by star effectively, then by all means install a fuel tank. On my end, fuel scooping is as routine as docking at a station. There's little to no white knuckling on my part. So the time savings having an extra tank imparts are negligible compared to the added weight's effects on my jump range.
well if you have a rail gun engineer to use fuel as ammo you can
PA's get Plasma Slug special too.