Start the Boeing 247D cold and dark in MSFS with the correct fuel, priming, inertia-starter and radial-engine checks, plus fixes for no-starts.
To start the Wing42 Boeing 247D cold and dark in Microsoft Flight Simulator, secure the aircraft, select fuel, switch on battery power, build fuel pressure, set the propeller and mixture controls, prime one engine, spin its inertia starter, engage it, then repeat for the other engine and check oil pressure immediately.
This procedure is for the Wing42 Boeing 247D add-on, which is the 247D most MSFS pilots mean. It is not interchangeable with the older Boeing 247D package for FSX; its cockpit, clickspots and systems differ.
The aircraft’s systems sequence is broadly the same in MSFS 2020 and a compatible MSFS 2024 installation. If an older package has dead clickspots or missing starter functions after being moved into MSFS 2024, changing the procedure will not solve that compatibility problem.
Set up the Boeing 247D before starting
A correct 247D start begins with fuel pressure, radial-engine checks and the controls positioned for minimum load on the starter.
- Load at a parking position. Set the parking brake or chocks, switch off unnecessary lights and confirm that both propeller areas are clear. If MSFS repeatedly loads aircraft with their engines running, use our MSFS cold-and-dark loading instructions before diagnosing the 247D.
- Check fuel and oil. Confirm that the add-on has usable quantities rather than relying only on the simulator’s general fuel display. Select the normal main-tank feed, open the required fuel shut-off cocks and leave crossfeed closed for a routine start.
- Check for hydraulic lock. If your installed build provides a propeller pull-through or walkaround interaction, use it on both radial engines. A propeller that reaches a hard stop must not be forced with the starter; clear the lock through the aircraft’s maintenance interaction.
- Position the engine controls. Open the cowl flaps, set carburettor heat to cold, put both propellers at low pitch/high RPM and crack the throttle of the engine being started. Leave its mixture at idle cut-off during priming unless the cockpit checklist supplied with your build explicitly calls for rich before cranking.
- Switch on electrical power. Turn on the battery master, but leave generators and avoidable electrical loads off until an engine is stable.
Boeing 247D cold-and-dark start sequence
Start one engine at a time, allowing the inertia starter to reach speed before engaging it with the engine.
- Select the first engine. Use the starter selector or that engine’s dedicated starter controls, depending on the panel fitted by your package build.
- Build fuel pressure. Operate the manual wobble or fuel pump until the fuel-pressure gauge responds and settles in its marked operating range. A full tank does not help if the fuel cock is closed or there is no pressure at the carburettor.
- Prime the cylinders. Use the primer for the selected engine, then lock the primer again. A cold engine needs more priming than a warm one, but avoid relying on a fixed stroke count: residual fuel and ambient temperature affect the result, and over-priming is a common cause of fires and failed starts.
- Energise the inertia starter. Hold the ENERGISE control until the flywheel’s whine becomes high and steady. Do not pulse the control repeatedly or leave it running longer than necessary, because that drains the battery without turning the engine.
- Engage the starter. Set the selected engine’s magnetos to BOTH, operate any separate starting-ignition or booster control fitted, and move directly to ENGAGE. The propeller should now turn.
- Introduce the mixture. As the cylinders begin firing, move the selected mixture smoothly from idle cut-off to rich. Release the starter and booster control as soon as the engine runs continuously.
- Stabilise the engine. Adjust the throttle only enough to maintain a steady low RPM. Confirm that oil pressure rises promptly, fuel pressure remains available and the engine is not leaking, smoking excessively or running roughly.
- Reset and repeat. Return the starter control to neutral, select the other engine and repeat the pressure, priming, energising and engagement sequence. Bring each generator online only after its engine is stable.
Do not race a newly started radial engine. Keep the cowl flaps open and use a modest RPM while the oil warms, then perform the propeller and magneto checks during the normal run-up.
Can I start the Boeing 247D with Ctrl+E?
The MSFS Ctrl+E Engine Auto Start command may start the engines, but it can bypass or mishandle the 247D’s fuel, priming and inertia-starter logic. Use it only when you want an automated start, not as proof that your manual procedure or cockpit configuration is correct.
Why won’t the Boeing 247D engines start?
Most no-starts come from confusing the inertia starter’s energise and engage stages, or from having fuel in the tanks without pressure at the engine.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Starter energiser is silent | Battery off or depleted, incorrect engine selected, or a conflicting control binding | Check the battery master, starter selector and duplicate starter assignments. Repeated energising may require the battery to be restored through the add-on’s service controls. |
| Starter whines but the propeller does not move | The flywheel was energised but not engaged, or the engine is locked | Use ENGAGE once the flywheel is at speed. Stop immediately if the propeller meets a hard lock. |
| Propeller turns but there is no firing | Magnetos off, mixture still at cut-off, fuel cock closed, no fuel pressure or insufficient prime | Verify the selected engine’s complete fuel path, set magnetos to BOTH and reprime sparingly. |
| Engine fires and immediately stops | Mixture was not moved to rich, throttle is fully closed or fuel pressure collapsed | Crack the throttle, move the correct mixture lever to rich and rebuild fuel pressure before trying again. |
| Backfiring, smoke or repeated coughing | Engine flooded by excessive priming | Set mixture to cut-off, turn the magnetos off and clear the engine only if the propeller is free and the aircraft checklist permits cranking. Reset the throttle and use less prime on the next attempt. |
| Engine runs but oil pressure does not rise | Oil-system problem, unsuitable state or add-on failure | Shut that engine down rather than increasing RPM. Check oil quantity and the aircraft’s maintenance state before restarting. |
What should I check after both engines start?
After both engines are running, verify lubrication, charging and stable temperatures before taxiing.
- Both oil-pressure gauges show a prompt, credible rise.
- Fuel pressure remains steady without continuous unnecessary pumping.
- The generators are charging and the battery is not carrying the full electrical load.
- The starter selector is neutral and neither energiser remains active.
- Cowl flaps remain open for ground operation.
- Oil temperature has begun to rise before applying run-up power.
- Propeller, magneto and carburettor-heat checks are completed during run-up rather than immediately after a cold start.