CRITICAL UI/INPUT BUG (Patch 1.004): Disappearance of Manual Fuel System Bindings & Broken Helper Toggle

[Marcio]

To the IL-2 Development Team,

I am writing to report a severe input regression introduced in Patch 1.004 that directly affects HOTAS users and players who rely on full manual engine and fuel system management.

In Build 1.003, all manual fuel management bindings—specifically Fuel valve (next/switch), Fuel pump (next/switch), and Fuel indicator (switch)—were fully assignable and searchable in the Key Mapping menu.

Following Patch 1.004, these critical manual controls have completely vanished from the Key Mapping assignment list, and searching for them via the search bar returns zero results. Furthermore, testing reveals two critical flaws:

Broken Helper Logic: Under SETTINGS > GAME > CONTROL HELPERS, a new option for Fuel System was added alongside Engine RPM Limiter, Prop Pitch, and Cooling Shutters. However, setting Fuel System to Disabled DOES NOT restore the individual manual valve, pump, and indicator commands to the Key Mapping list.

Forced Automation: The UI currently forces players to use the generic Helper: Fuel system management shortcut (LWin + V), stripping HOTAS users of individual hardware switch assignments (such as separate fuel shutoff valves, auxiliary pump switches, and fuel gauge toggles).

This issue renders dedicated cockpit switch panel setups unusable for realistic fuel management on aircraft like the F-84E and F-86.

Requested Fix:
Please restore the full dictionary index for Fuel valve, Fuel pump, and Fuel indicator in the global Key Mapping list regardless of aircraft profiles, and ensure that turning OFF Fuel System in Control Helpers correctly reinstates all individual manual inputs.

Attached below are comparison screenshots showing Settings > Game before and after Patch 1.004, confirming that disabling the helper does not restore the missing controls.

Respectfully,

Marcio

 

 

 

[Marcio]

Bringing this back up since this functionality was explicitly highlighted in the official patch notes:Patch 1.004 states: 'Added manual control of aircraft fuel systems. Valves and pumps are selected using instrument control commands...'   However, as documented above, the individual keybindings to assign these manual controls to physical HOTAS switches remain completely missing from the controls menu. Disabling the fuel helper still leaves players forced to use a generic shortcut rather than direct hardware inputs.   Hoping the QA team can log this regression for a hotfix so that manual management works as intended.

 

[FuriousMeow]

Those commands are gone, and bringing them back won't do anything since they won't be tied to any in-game action.

Using gauge commands is needed to use manual fuel and have to use HUD as well. 

Hopefully HOTAS map-able commands that don't require the HUD or the commorose will arrive in the near future.

Edited yesterday at 03:01 AM by FuriousMeow

[Marcio]

Hi FuriousMeow,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and clarify the current implementation.

As a long-time flight sim enthusiast who has been flying IL-2 since the original 1C:Maddox Games release back in 2001, my goal is simply to contribute constructive feedback that helps push the simulator's depth even further.

While I understand that the current architecture relies on HUD/commorose gauge commands, forcing HOTAS users to navigate menus or rely on HUD overlays detracts from the immersion of a hardcore simulation. Direct hardware keybindings for valves, pumps, and gauges remain essential for physical switch panels and HOTAS setups.

To expand on this and offer a long-term constructive suggestion — as highlighted by community members like Levadas — implementing clickable cockpits would be a game-changer. Since the 3D cockpit models, switches, and levers are already fully detailed and animated, implementing raycasting/viewpoint collision checks against existing mesh nodes (linking mouse-click vectors to internal animation states/variables) is a straightforward way to allow direct interactive control without cluttering keybindings or forcing HUD menus.

We strongly hope the dev team considers adding dedicated HOTAS-mappable input events in an upcoming hotfix, as well as exploring interactive cockpits for future updates.

Best regards,

Marcio