Robin_Hood

I am pretty sure I could pull up to 14+ Gs in the F/A-18C a few months ago, although I haven't tried again recently. And nothing bad happened.

Interestingly, Jay Stout in his Hornets Over Kuwait seems to differ, saying visual HUD designation were the best (this is 1991): Admittedly, this was with the other FLIR pod. And in case you're wondering if he's talking about CCIP, he talks several times about designating visually, and at lease sometimes makes it clear he's using the AUTO mode: I might add that in the book he often talks about bombing tanks and such one bomb at a time.

No flaps amber light at shutdown Though the manual insists that the battery should not be switched back to off while hydraulic power is still present in the flight controls, and that the FLAPS amber light is the only indication thereof. However, although pumping the controls, I haven't been able to have the light come up after engine shutdown.

I am trying to build my knowledge of the aircraft systems, and have come across a small discrepancy between what the manual says and what happens in DCS. Here's what should happen according to the manual : - when both generators are online (both engines running), the APU should be able to be started (on the ground only I assume ?) - to restart the APU, AUG PULL should be selected first on the Bleed air knob, and then the APU should start (and won't shutdown until AUG PULL is deselected - this part works fine) However, in-game, the reverse happens: - AUG PULL cannot be selected while the APU is off - the APU starts fine, and once the APU switch is in ON, the AUG PULL works also So have I misunderstood the manual or is there something awry here? I am well aware that ECS augmentation is not a very critical function for the DCS module, but, well. Apart from that, most things work quite according to the manual.

A-10C Features: - Ability to change laser code of GBUs in flight (laser codes are set physically on the bombs on the ground, by means of rotary wheels)

I hope this post will be of help and not too confusing. The problem is in the way DCS handles the headings and norths with regard to the map. All headings in the ME are true headings, and aircraft in-game normally display magnetic heading (some have a true heading option as well). However, as of now in DCS, true headings do not correspond with latitudes and longitude. So if you fly heading 360° (true), you will see your longitude change. You could also see it this way: "DCS true north" = RL grid north, and "DCS magnetic north" is based off of "DCS true north" / RL grid north. RL true north is only used in DCS when coordinates are concerned (I like to think of it as "DCS coordinates north"). Usually the issue doesn't matter too much, except when you have to work with coordinates, as you did. Going north along a parallel is not going true north in DCS. And if you want to make calculations on coordinates, this is where it gets bad, as you have to use an estimated correction to bring the grid north that the game gives you (calling in "true north") to real-life true north. The issue also comes to play for exemple in the Mirage 2000C when you want to bomb an offset point using coordinates (you're supposed to tell the system the distance north and south, but you have to use "DCS true north", so you can not use coordinates difference. Just to emphasize again, the difference from 360° in heading you get when you draw a line in the ME following a parallel is not due to magnetic variation. And from one end of the map to another it will change (differently so that the magnetic variation, which also changes) because of the map projection. In the F10 map and in the ME, 360° "DCS true north" is always straight up. I mentionned it already, but aircraft in DCS use "DCS magnetic headings" by default, so yes, they will differ by about 6° (in Caucasus) from the "DCS true heading" you will find on the map and in the ME. Although on some aircraft (F/A-18C and Mirage 2000C come to mind) you can set your HUD and HSI to use true headings (ie. "DCS true headings"). Hope I helped clarify things a little. I wish an update would come that settles all of this in the future.

Speaking about "long-range missile", I can't help pointing out that AMRAAM stands for Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile. Also, I noticed you wrote "miles" as "mls". Don't forget there are two kind of miles, nautical and statute. Nautical miles are always used in aviation, but it is possible that some sources made for the general public may use statute miles instead (for the record, 100 sm = 87 nm, not a huge difference but still). For example, aircraft speed are often reported in the media in mph instead of knots.

Well, it depends on what your waypoint is for. To mark a CAP position, 1 NM is more than precise enough, whereas for a bombs on coordinate delivery, the most precise coordinates possible should be used.

NFM-000 has this to say (section 2.13.4.2.1): So, "aircraft system time", apparently.

Yes, standard rate turns at high speeds require too much of an angle of bank. For the marshal pattern, NATOPS says 6 mins standard. CNATRA CV Procedures publication says 2-minute turns and 1 minute legs are normally use, but the primary goal is to depart at the expected time (within 10 seconds), so adjust your patterns accordingly. An older version also said to keep pattern duration between 4 and 8 minutes. Ex: you have en EAT (Expected Approach Time) of 0350, and arriving on your marshal fix you see it's 0339, meaning you've got to depart in 11 minutes ; you can choose to do one 6-minute pattern then one 5-minute pattern to arrive on time. Personally, I have taken to using a timer or watch, it is quite simple: start your first turn, start timer (or check your watch). Fly your 180 turn and your outbound leg. When the timer reaches half the total desired time for the pattern, turn inbound. Try to be consistent in your flying for the whole pattern. It works really well. And I can simply use 30° AoB turns all the time, and my wingmen are happy :)

Gotcha. Any of those hovering about on the net ? Just curious.

I meant the pipper (reticle), before designation. From my understanding of the explanation in the early access guide, and of the INS HUD update (per the manual). I had no idea the target point was slewable after designation, though, I will try this. Information on weapons systems is still scarce ATM (to me at least).

Do each BLIN code have a specific meaning ? If so, is there a list of the BLIN codes and their meaning somewhere? I keep reading in manuals to check for this or that BLIN code, but I couldn't find a list (I searched NFM-000 and NFM-500).

And for AG, currently you can designate via the HUD. Castle switch forward to assign TDC to the HUD, then a designation pipper should appear on the HUD. It is not currently slewable, but you can use it anyway for AUTO release.

The precise pushbutton, when implemented, should allow us to input coordinates in decimal format (XX° XX.XX' or even XX° XX.XXX'). I think the display should follow suit.

This, with an animated salute synchronized in MP, would be awesome. Maybe when we have the deck crew and all.

Alright, so I know it's not a huge deal, but the look up/look down animation is not synchronized in multiplayer (you can see other players looking right or left, but not up or down). Certainly not a priority, but since the DCS: F/A-18C pilot model has that animation, it might as well be synchronized for a more immersive experience.

You're right, apparently they changed the structure quite a bit in 2.X, and I can no longer find the buildings 3D models. You could still get them from a 1.5 install, at the location I mentionned, though.

Maybe you can find the 3D model in DCS World\Mods\terrains\CaucasusBase\Structures\High\EDM and then add it as a static object (note, there are screenshots of each buildings in CaucasusBase\Structures\Preview

Therefore, pending an improvement of damage modeling, the Sidearm should be made powerful enough to destroy the vehicles. An other way would be to use a script, were the radar goes off if it is damaged even a little bit, but ideally it should not be up to mission editors to compensate for the simulations limitations.

This discussion has gone quite off-topic (although I do appreciate any effort to test and improve the FM). I doubt that the weird peak that I highlighted in the OP is related to other problems (real or supposed) in the FM. I think this spin-off discussion would be better suited in a separate thread, so as to keep from muddling the issues.

Have you made sure you assigned your button to "Magic Select" ? The behaviour you describes fits perfectly with the command "Magic Select, else PCA Select", which is made for those with switches that stay in position, and indeed only stays in Magic as long as the button is pressed.

I highly suspect it is true heading, because most if not all of the editor is in true (airspeed, altitude, headings) ; I don't know this for a fact, though.

There are a lot of ways to measure missile maximum range, that will give vastly different distances. This is why a simple statement of missile range without more information is pretty much useless. You can measure different things, and from different launch configurations. (for example, Wikipedia gives 57 NM range for the AIM-120C ; I wouldn't advise you to shoot at a target that far in DCS !)

$59.99 for the A-10C in beta, October 2010. Compared to the F/A-18C, the A-10C module was derived from an ANG simulator, so it may have kept the price lower also.