Robin_Hood

RET is Rockeye - Thermally protected, not Retarded, in this instance ;) So, the CBU-99. Yes, EFUZ has to be OFF (used to be the reverse). Also, yes you can use VT (always set HOF to 1500, it is for symbology and ballistics computing, the actual height of burst is set on the ground - can't be changed in DCS), but you have a second option, by using PRI for the MFUZ, you will have the CBU-99 burst 1.2 seconds after release. It is good to have the flexibility. PS: the VT is actually behaving weirdly and bursting 1.2 seconds after passing 1500 ft, instead of at 1500 ft, which causes problems. Thete was a thread about that recently.

1. Connect external power 2. Place the (temporary) switch to RESET and back to NORM (it will stay off if you don't) 3. Hold one of the ground power switch to A or B for 3 seconds or more, any shorter and it will snap back to off 4. Place other ground power switches to A or B as required (no need to hold them now) You can find the list of which systems are powered by which ground power switch on the left side of the cockpit. Note that all B positions also power everything the A position powers. For example, SW1 B position powers everything the SW1 A position does, plus other stuff. If you want to keep it simple and power everything, you can just put every switch to B. Also, I don't see why you would want to turn off you battery ; it will be charged by the external power anyway.

On the contrary. As has been mentionned earlier (with references to the NATOPS), the valve that allow the APU accumulator to be recharged is open with weight-on-wheels (so it should charge on the ground with the right engine running), but closed in flight (so that in the event of a leak in the right hydraulic system, you can keep some pressure for essential systems). To recharge the APU accumulator in flight, you need to hold the HYD ISOL (hydraulic isolation) switch on the left console, which will open the valve temporarily and should clear the caution.

According to the early access manual, the SA format should show the TACAN information on the top left corner (pp.235-236), however this is not the case in-game, as you can see in the two screenshots attached, taken 1 second apart, one showing the HSI confirming the TACAN is working, and the other the SA page with missing TACAN info. So either the manual is wrong or the TACAN data is missing from the SA page. ;) (I did look at every option I found for the SA format to see it it was decluttered or something)

Nothing new on the navigation/INS side of the Hornet as of yet AFAIK (and I don't think it was mentioned in development updates lately either).

I just did some tests in the stable version to confirm what I had seen before: instead of bursting exactly as it passes 1500 ft, the bomb bursts about 1.2 seconds after it passes that height. This means that the actual burst height is extremely dependant on the weapons vertical velocity (and thus, the release profile). I've had bombs burst at anywhere from 530 ft to 1400+ ft depending on whether i did a steep delivery or a level delivery just above HOF. And that's why I will normally use the secondary mode if I want anything but a very tight spread pattern. For the record, currently in the Hornet: EFUZ must be OFF MFUZ on PRI will trigger the FMU-140 secondary option, which is 1.2 seconds after release MFUZ on VT will trigger the FMU-140 primary option, which is some time after passing 1500 ft AGL AFAIK, there should be a backup for the proximity option where if you release under 1500 ft (ie. the sensor never reaches 1500 ft), burst height becomes 300 ft, but in DCS right now it seems to revert to the 1.2 seconds after release.

Yep. For an entirely ground-supported start: External Electrical Power Battery - ON Connect ground power - ON External Power switch - RESET (temporary) then NORM Ground Power 1 - B (held 3 seconds) Ground Power 2, 3, 4 (if desired) - B This give you power to all systems Engine start (ground power is not necessary, though, you can do that on battery) Connect ground air supply Bleed air - OFF (so that the external air isn't going into the other systems) Apply air Engine crank - L or R Throttle L or R - IDLE at 15-20% Repeat for the next engine Bleed air - NORM This should work

After the FCS Reset and before the BIT, there is also a FCS RESET + Paddle switch with flaps in AUTO, although I'm not sure what it does exactly compared to the simple RESET. Also, the FCS BIT is performed with HALF flaps, not AUTO. And FCS BIT should be done with NWS OFF. This is all from the NATOPS. Oh, and in DCS you always get some BLINs that never go away, so I don't think it is really working at the moment (ust tested, I had 246, 270, 344, 375, 574, 604, 5005, 5037, with a GO for the BIT).

The thing is, you're not supposed to refuel with NVGs, that's why it's not an issue IRL. I know it can be somewhat different in the sim and it don't hurt to do it (especially with the probe light sometimes not working, tanker lights sometimes hard to see and monitor-dependant visibility at night).

But lack of correct Mode 4 should usually be enough to classify a contact as hostile. Most of the time IRL, if there's a chance of the same aircraft being on both sides, I'm guessing NCTR (or simply aircraft type) and lack of IFF response would not be enough to declare a hostile (think of a friendly whose IFF isn't working properly). There are other things that can be considered, like point of origin (where does the bogey come from - ie. enemy territory or airbase), use of briefed passage points or corridors... I guess it can all be automated up to some point really, and after that manual declaration is required. I also would like very much to see further refinements in this area for DCS, and having them working with all flyable aircraft (when they're able). ROE matrix for AI would be a great bonus.

Good post here, Notso! And good advice all-around from everyone. Although I'd mention that we currently don't have a working Paveway III at the moment in DCS, with the GBU-24 still not working IIRC (or has it been updated?). And to complete your post a little bit, for those who may not know, the Paveway III can be guided all the way because it uses a finer control algorithm (for lack of a better term), with the control surfaces moving smoothly to make for a precise profile to target. The Paweway II, on the other hand, use "bang-bang" control, in which control surfaces are always maxing out their deflection ; this makes for a more erratic flight profile and more energy loss during the guiding phase, but it is still very reasonably accurate and much less expensive. To prevent the bomb missing because of excessive energy loss early in the flight time, Paveway IIs are normally lased only shortly before impact, typically 10 seconds (and it works pretty well in DCS - of course your bomb should be release reasonably accurately in the first place). Paveway IIs are still the most common out there, they are the GBU-10/12/16. The Paveway III is mostly the GBU-24, with a couple other for limited USAF use (the GBU-27 is a 24 redesigned to fit in the bomb bay of the F-117, and the GBU-28 uses a more powerful penetration warhead).

You can check which radar is in which class in the DCS Early Acces Guide, pages 197-199.

You got a problem right here: Because of how DCS World is currently modeled, those two waypoints will usually not be placed along a true north-south alignment. "True north" in DCS is what you would normally call "Grid north", ie. straight up on the map, and magnetic headings are based upon this (plus the magnetic variation). All aircraft instruments use these two. Actual true north is not normally used in DCS. So I know it sounds like a complete contradiction, but in DCS, True north does not follow constant longitude lines. Here's a little picture to explain what is happening in DCS. Hopefully someday an actual spherical world model can be used, but for now we have to make do with this (one thing it messes up is if you are doing calculations on coordinates).

Well, NATO's ATP-56 (air-to-air refueling procedures) advise the following for F/A-18 A to G): 30,000 ft, 275 KIAS (or Mach .80), so I don't think it's a problem to do AAR at that altitude. As for refueling in the weather, I have read accounts from Vietnam and Desert Storm of that happening.

Functional checkflight procedures in the NATOPS seem to imply the caution comes up with <12° nose up, or <13° nose up with the launch bar extended

Isn't the JSOW supposed to be low-signature, indeed to improve survivability against SAM systems ? I'm not saying it shouldn't be shootable by any air defense system, but I'm wondering if and how it is taken into account vs other other ordnance. In any case, certainly both variants should behave the same.

The CBU-99 HOF is selected on the ground, not in the air. One thing that kinda bothers me though is that the 3D model of both Mk 20 and CBU-99 shows an Mk 339 mechanical fuze, but works like a FMU-140 electrical fuze (confirmed in the DCS manual). For the record, the FMU-140 allows two different pilot options (selectable in-flight): 1. Canister opens at the ground-selected HOF (use MFUZ = VT in DCS, although there is a weird ~1.2 seconds delay), or 2. Canister opens 1.2 seconds after release (use MFUZ = PRI in DCS). Sure, they could give the option of selecting the height of burst on the ground, and do the same with the laser code and the rockets single/ripple (currently in the ME for the latter), and probably a few other things too. As for incomplete features, (A)INS modeling should be on the list too.

I noticed today that the SA-2 is not included in either H1 (old threats) or H2 (new threats). The list in the manual does indeed not include the SA-2, but surely this is an oversight and it should be included in H1 ? It does come up in ALL, HOS, and PRI, though, but its absence from H1/H2 makes it hard to single out from the P-19 search radar usually close by. I've included a track, where I cycle through ALL, H1, H2, HOS and PRI. As an unrelated note, I wonder how the HARM is able to tell a friendly radar from a hostile radar of the same type (same radars in H1-H2 and F1-F2) SA-2_radar_class.trk

And it (as well as Bullseye calls) should be magnetic, although I believe it is currently not the case in DCS.

Also, for the HUD, you can have the pod caged and then spam target designate and you will see the target diamond position get updated each time on the HUD. Can be useful when you know where to point the TGP. Do not forget to uncage the pod when it's looking where you want. Workarounds, really, but we should have the slaving and HUD cue pretty soon.

The nosewheel steering (NWS) button is also the target undesignate button. See if maybe it gets stuck or something, as that would probably make for an instant undesignation. With wings spread and locked, your NWS should go HI only as long as you hold the button, see if it does that. I use NWS all the time, both on the ground and as undesignate, and have no such issue. I do not use the keyboard, but the corresponding button on my Warthog, if that may change something.

Give them time, I think they intended to work some more on the flight model anyway, but their flight model engineer(s) may be already caught up in something else.

The TOO works really great for dropping multiple bombs on two different targets at once. No, you can't use TOO to attack 8 different targets in a single pass, but frankly that is stepping way out of intended employment of TOO.

...and the FCS pages shows what looks to be STAB 13, when it should be at least 16 for a cat shot.

You could also have one waypoint in the general target area, and several pre-planned coordinates for individual DMPIs. The capability to enter pre-planned targets via the mission planner or similar and have them transfered via data cartridge will come later, when ED rolls out the MDC that is in development.