Stretch

Agreed. I realize that the Warthog is a new beast to us, and new things tend to scare and anger people ... but even aside from that, something about the way the F-16's HOTAS is set up is just nice. The A-10's HOTAS mappings feel slapped together and haphazard.

Using pdftotext and a diffing tool, I've listed some of the major differences between the beta 1 and beta 2 manuals: Introduction, features list - Removed feature: Online achievement tracking, dynamic campaign, and chat rooms Stores: Added description of the CBU-97 Stores: Discussion of bang-bang guidance Stores: Added description of CBU-105 China hat aft long in AIM-9 mode: Slaves AIM-9 to TGP TISL panel: Added note saying it is not implemented in the sim. Analog altimeter: ELECT/PNEU switch relabeled as functional KY-58: Correct description for RV mode IFF panel: Relabeled as not implemented in the sim. Short explanation of what DTSAS is ... and what a bitball is :) Expanded digital 9-line explanation Increased number of fundamental forces of flight from three to four; give a warm welcome to gravity Explanation of why airbrakes should be half open during landing, and how to use the AOA indexer during landing Added explanation of FLAPS indicator on MAV page Added explanation that slewing the Mav cursors destabilizes them (don't we all know...) Radios - Now explains an "easy tuning" and "realistic" mode for the radios. Easy tuning has the auto-tuning, frequency list, and color coding; realistic does not. Completely rewrote and expanded JTAC explanation Expanded electrical system description Added morse code for punctuation in reference

Does it sound like morse code? If so, you could have your TACAN or ILS audio turned on, and you're hearing the station identifier. Is it loud and medium-pitched? If so, it's probably the stall warning indicator.

Tried it; was fun to try and stay in formation but had to RTB when they just started flying circles around each other burning up their go juice...

Same here as with Bulletstop -- in fact, I suspect many people here initially said "I don't want to plod around in a helicopter" but gave ED the $50 just as a "thank you for existing" kind of thing ... then tried it out and found they loved it. SOOOOO, if you DON'T play BS because you "don't want to plod around in a helicopter," I recommend just buying it anyway ... and maybe trying it out ...

What's the very first switch you hit when you're in the cockpit?

Little known fact: Software development cycles work like party DJs and applause: A party DJ won't start the rock until the audience claps loud enough. "I CAN'T HEEEEEAAAAAAR YOUUUU!!" Likewise, developers usually finish their games within a few days, and just wait for enough people to ask "when's it coming out?" before releasing it.

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE

No one wants to play a bank teller simulator.

... aaaaand most Cessna 172s are IFR-capable.

With a full GPS/INS nav suite, a TGP that can see through clouds, NVG and NVIS lighting, and ILS capability, I disagree.

So some triple-A pockmarked my left wing; I look behind it for a visual inspection and notice I'm trailing a thin white line of wispy smoke, emanating from the middle of my left wing... My first thought was immediately fuel leak, as that stuff can look like white smoke when aerosolized, but my fuel gauge showed no abnormal discrepancy between my left and right wing tanks. I also checked the left engine oil pressure and left hydraulic pressure -- not out of the ordinary. I lost my right engine shortly thereafter thanks to a SAM, and had to limp back to base. I continued to keep an eye on these 3 gauges for the remainder of my egress, but the left engine continued to plug along just fine until I shut it down on the tarmac. Ideas on what happened? Alas, I didn't think to save a track. :(

I'm clinging to my X65F. The HOTAS Warthog doesn't have enough rotaries. :)

Thanks for the advice guys, it's clear to me now how I went so utterly wrong. :) When I get home I'll start up the track and give it a second go.

So when you say "don't use the Shkval", do you mean use the HMD to slew the target reticle, or switch to fixed cannon mode and point your nose at the enemy?

So I managed to get myself into a pretty rare situation; one-vs-one helicopter WVR dogfighting. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRcbjpwTX_k My question is -- any advice? I know a little about fast-mover dogfighting but this was a completely new situation. Anything I did wrong (other than nearly hit the ground due to rotor wash)?

Lucky me, I managed to get one of these inexplicable HUD failures right after starting up the jet. Want to take a crack at explaining this one? Here's the track. HUD failure.trk

I too have had inexplicable HUD failures mid-flight. No warning light, just no HUD. I have obviously checked the IFCC, and in desperate hope, tried doing in-flight realignments or using the HARS.

I thought for fun and games, and a little Google exercise, I'd go through and make a list of the real-world functions of all the buttons, switches, and knobs that are listed as "No Function" in the manual. Fun with manuals! IFF Panel Mode: In EMER, the transponder is turned on and will reply with the emergency transponder code when interrogated (7700 for mode 3). RAD TEST switch: When set to MON, the IFF will monitor its own reply rate. The green TEST light will come on if replies are being sent successfully in a timely fashion. The RAD TEST position is not used. IDENT switch: When moved to IDENT, starts a 25-second identification of position. This will cause the A-10 to illuminate ("bloom") on a radar controller's display, making it easy to identify. When in the MIC position, an ident is transmitted every time the mic is keyed. CODE dial: In A, the M4 code stored in register A is used. In B, the M4 code stored in register B is used. When moved to ZERO, both M4 codes are wiped. Normally the M4 codes are also wiped when the IFF is turned off, unless the CODE dial is in HOLD, in which case they are stored for next powerup. UHF Radio TONE button: Press to transmit a 1,000 KHz tone. Also used in HAVE QUICK word of day (WOD) configuration. MN SQ knob: Sets the squelch for the main receiver (the minimum volume before the radio transmits to the headset). GD SQ knob: Sets the squelch for the guard receiver VHF Radio 2 SQ DIS/TONE switch: Center-loaded. In TONE, transmits a 1,000 KHz tone. In SQ DIS, disables squelching. Secure Voice Panel Mode dial: In OP, scrambles and decodes transmissions. In LD, allows the radio to receives cryptokeys via the fill port. In RV, allows the radio to receive a cryptovariable over-the-air into register 6. DELAY switch: This is either not used, or if it is used, is turned on when the KY-58 is retransmitting. Not sure. TACAN Panel Mode dial: In A/A T/R, provides range and distance information to a reference aircraft (e.g., tanker). Also enables the A-10 to respond to distance interrogations from other aircrafts' TACAN systems. Intercom CALL button: Not used. Environment Panel MAIN AIR SUPPLY switch: When OFF, closes the ECS valve, shutting off engine bleed air, but does not shut off ram air. Cabin air pressure gauge: Self-explanatory. Fuel Panel LINE CHECK button: Checks the integrity of the air refueling pathways before refueling. If there are no problems, the READY light should come on. SIG AMPL switch: In NORM, air refueling actuation and signaling is done normally. In OVERRIDE (used during a failure of the normal refueling sensors), no automatic unlatching occurs; the pilot must manually detach from the tanker. Gear Panel Download Override button: Holding this button down de-energizes the solenoid that holds the landing gear handle in the "down" position when on the ground. TEMS button: Pressing this button records a few seconds of engine data to the data tape. If you start hearing engine gremlins, you press this button so the maintenance folks can sift through the data later to figure out what went wrong. SAS Panel MONITOR TEST switch: When held in the L or R position, simulates a failure in that SAS circuit. CMSP The MENU position of the JMR switch displays a menu of ECM options, largely classified. CMSC UNK button: Displays radars whose type is unknown by the RWR on the scope. RWR <-> screws: Turning these screws adjusts the horizontal and vertical alignment of symbols on the display. In test mode a crosshair is displayed; the technician then rotates these screws to place the crosshair in the center of the scope. Altimeter ELECT/PNEU switch: In ELECT, altimeter data from the CADC is displayed. In the event of CADC failure, the switch can be moved to PNEU, in which case data directly from the pitot tube is used. Accelerometer PUSH TO SET: When pressed, the minimum and maximum G indicators reset to the 1-g position. MFDs CON, SYM, and DSP rockers are explained sufficiently in the manual.

An example of something for which the OPERATION and MECHANICS is classified would be Link16 on the F-16, as that is part of the M3/M4 tapes, the documentation for which is still unreleased.

I'm not a dev but I'd like a crack at proving you wrong. Documentation on the operation of the KY-58 is available online. For example, see this website that explains the operation of its cousin, the KY-57: http://www.prc68.com/I/KY57.shtml Or this one, that explains how to do remote keying operations using RV mode: http://www.tpub.com/content/chhelicopters/TM-1-1520-240-10/css/TM-1-1520-240-10_146.htm What's classified, I'd guess, is how the cryptovariables are used to encode the datastream. Likewise, the operation of a mode-4 IFF transponder is not difficult to derive -- the F-16 has a similar mode-4 transponder and its use is described in the Operator's Handbook: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26400980/F-16C-D-Flight-Manual What *is* classified is how mode-4 is cryptographically secure. And AFAIK the A-10 does not have a mode-5 IFF transponder.

Falcon for Mac (1987), Hellcats over the Pacific, Hellcats: Leyte Gulf, F/A-18 Hornet, A-10 Attack!, A-10 Cuba, Nightmares Over the Pacific ... those were the days. All for Mac, too!

I know the EWS has worlds of functionality beyond what is modeled in the sim. In photographs I've seen of the real deal, I've seen some jammer modes on the left side of the display (XT3, SBY) and some jammer statuses on the right (STBY, REC, SSS, SST, INH) that aren't in the game.

What's back-order mean, exactly? Future beta release? 2.0? DCS: Mudhen? :P

Here's my first attempt. Part 1: Part 2: The only problems with this attempt, that I see, are: - Airspeed got really low during the base-to-final turn (I know, cause of many deaths in real life) - Forgot to lower flaps before takeoff and raise them after W.O.W. - Forgot to engage NWS before taxi (fixed that problem real quick) - Still working out the finer points of the parking brake