BlueRidgeDx

So, in the CRJ you've never been in HDG mode on an intercept course with APPR mode armed in Green Needles and had the FD fly you onto the LOC? I find that hard to believe. That's kinda the definition of a Flight Director, isn't it?

Scepter, The HOTAS "Pinky switch" must be set to the AFT position in order for you to have full control over your external lights. Look for the key assignment in the HOTAS section of the settings page (I'm at work, so I can't look). EDIT: I re-read your post, and I guess I misunderstood. You want the pinky switch forward, which will black out all your lights.

The passage about pitch damping with the speedbrakes open should be taken to mean: Pitch SAS will automatically apply elevator input to compensate for the natural nose-up tendency that occurs when the speedbrakes are opened.

Localizer antennas are located off the departure end of the runway, not the approach end. So if the depicted position of the localizer is indeed correct, then it would be for Runway 24.

EAC should be armed in the chocks just prior to taxi, so there's no restriction on it being armed for takeoff or landing. The EAC should not function under the following circumstances: HARS mode active on the NMSP GPS ONLY selected in the CDU INS ONLY selected in the CDU unless the EGI has fully aligned (0.8 nm/hr) BLENDED mode accuracy less than equal to a full INS alignment (0.8 nm/hr) Any SAS switch not ON CADC failure SAS/EAC emergency disconnect lever activated I'm not sure if the GPS/INS ONLY conditions are presently modeled or not.

It would be a nice effect. I've seen some video of an F1 racing game that has really impressive rain effects on the windscreen and helmet visor. Alas, flying in freezing rain is not something you should try in an airplane with no anti-ice. That can ruin your whole day.

The 30 minute time limit is due to thermal heating of the GCS when maverick video is on. The time limit is on a "per sortie" basis. As a rule of thumb, it takes twice as long for the electronics to cool down as it took to heat up. Only the D/G/G2 model seekers are cooled, yet they still have the same time limitations due to GCS heating as the rest of the EO/CCD Mavericks. The cryogenic cooling, surprisingly, is not a limiting factor.

Here's a bit of perspective from a Hawg driver on the tactics in play in Europe back in the 80's. In the interest of full disclosure, I shamelessy ripped this off without permission. "We were pretty sure there was going to be a nuclear war but at least we were going to have a ragefest in the Fulda Gap before it started. Most guys were going to get shot down once the balloon went up. That was a fact. Maverick/Gun was the only legit SCL. There was no such thing as CSAR. Get out your compass and start trotting 270. Every squadron and detachment had an overpressurized and hardened SOC with full decon facilities where we expected to live once the balloon went up (don't ask what was going to happen to our families). When you stepped to the jet you went to a HAS. We never flew above 250'AGL unless we were going cross country, climbing up to initial or had an emergency. Guys were down low constantly. We had lots of airplanes (not just A-10s) hit the dirt back then (and not just in Europe). It was considered the cost of doing business based on the threat we were facing."

Yeah, and we could simulate the newest tactics that are sure to win wars, like doing flybys while dropping flares as a "show of force". That'll show 'em!

The 70's could do it as well, and it was a bit more sporty than previous variants for obvious reasons.

Setting the IFFCC Consent Release option to 5 mil doesn't guarantee that you're going to use it. The CR symbology is only displayed when the ballistic solution is off the bottom of the HUD. As long as you fly fast enough, dive steeply enough, or a combination of the two, to prevent the pipper from falling off the bottom of the HUD, you will get normal CCIP symbology and a Manual release. Manual release means that the bombs come off as soon as you press the pickle button. If you're slow, shallow, or a combination of the two, with 5 mil or 3/9 selected, you will get the indications described in my previous post, and you will get a Consent Release. Consent Release means that the bombs come off whenever the IFFCC decides you've met the delivery parameters. You must HOLD the pickle button in order to give IFFCC consent to release the bombs. Your wish is my command. In the attached track, I make three passes on a random airfield target using Mk-82 LDGP's. Pass one is a low, fast, level delivery using standard CCIP. Pass two is a low, fast, level delivery using CCIP 5 mil CR. Note that the symbology and release characteristics are identical to pass one. Pass three is a slow, dive bomb pass using CCIP 5 mil CR. Note the dashed PBIL and Pipper clamped at the bottom of the HUD. Note that upon pressing the pickle button, the HUD changes to Post-Designate CCIP mode. Finally, note that I manually fly the Pipper through the Solution Cue while holding the pickle button down, satisfying the 5 mil release critera and allowing IFFCC to release the bombs. :pilotfly: CCIP CR Demo.trk

Tyger, The video clearly shows a MANUAL release. The Consent Release option was never used, and with a solid PBIL, you had a hot pickle (STS). In order to actually use the 5 mil CR, you need to be at higher altitude, or use a retarded weapon. The calculated sight depression needs to be off the bottom of the HUD, and then you will see the dashed PBIL and a dashed reticle clamped to the outside edge of the HUD FOV. Place the pipper over the DMPI, and press and hold the pickle button to "designate" the target. The symbology will then change to the solid post-designate consent release indications (which looks just like CCRP), with an ASL and Solution Cue. Place the PBRL on the Solution Cue, and supply sufficient G to cause the solution cue to descend the PBRL toward the pipper. In 5 mil, the pipper must be with 5 mils of the Solution Cue (meaning the pipper has to pass inside the small circle), and pass the 3/9 line or the bombs won't come off. In 3/9 mode, the bombs will come off as the pipper passes the 3/9 line of the Solution Cue, regardless of azimuth error. In this case, the 3/9 line is parallel to the bottom edge of the HUD glass.

You should see the amount of crap an A-10 AFAC pilots typically writes on the canopy. It's a lot of data...

I don't know off hand, but I've never seen it in-game either. I'm just guessing, but I suspect that the logic is there, but the obstacle data is not present for the Georgia/Russia map.

It works for me. Remember, the TAAF doesn't simply produce an alert just because you're below the selected altitude. It only warns of an unusual attitude, and only if the TGP is on at least one MFCD. Try this: Set the TAAF in the TGP CTL page to some altitude. Ensure you're below the selected altitude, and note that there is no warning generated. Now, roll the aircraft to at least 75 degrees of bank with the nose below the horizon and note the CHECK ATTITUDE message on both MFCD's, and the flashing WARNING on the HUD. The same thing will happen regardless of bank angle if pitch attitude is greater than 20 degrees nose low.

The Altitude Alert that is set through the UFC is the standard function that provides the "ALTITUDE ALTITUDE" aural warning when penetrating the selected minimum/maximum altitude. It can be based on radar or barometric altitude, as appropriate. The Obstacle Warning Cue (OWC) allows the preselection of a clearance height above known obstacles in the DTSAS database. If an obstacle penetrates the set clearance plane and is within 4km of the aircraft, the OWC will display the OBSTACLE mnemonic on the HUD with a flashing caret to indicate the relative direction of the obstacle. The VMU will also generate an "OBSTACLE" aural alert. In addition, there is the TGP Attitude Advisory Function (TAAF) which will alert you if the aircraft exceeds certain pitch/roll limits and is below a preselected altitude, and serves as a warning of unusual attitudes while the pilot is head-down manipulating the TGP. The TAAF will generate a CHECK ATTITUDE warning on both MFCDs.

The yellow line is the limit speed for gear and/or flaps down. Early A-model airplanes had the flap auto retract function, but the auto-deploy function (when decelerating through the limit speed with the flap handle in MVR or DN), was retrofitted later. Nonetheless, 200 knots is still the limit speed for gear extension, and it provides a cue for flap auto extension/retraction, thus it is retained.

Nice to have you here BBall. Welcome! Edit: And by welcome, I mean you should post more often. ;)

If there are tables in the DCS manual for the FOM figures, go ahead and use those numbers. I didn't have a chance to look. Correct. B1 means Blended mode (GPS/INS mix position) with a FOM of 1. D5 means the DTSAS is tracking and the FOM is 5. Track means the DTSAS has fixed it's position and is "tracking". Search means the DTSAS is trying to determine its position, and until it begins tracking, all DTSAS functions are inhibited.

To the left of the slash is the DTSAS mode and Figure Of Merit (FOM). Possible modes are "D" for Track and "S" for Search. There are also several failure annunciations that could appear here, but I don't know if they're modeled or not...I'll have to check. To the right of the slash is the EGI mode and FOM. Possible modes are "I" for INS, "G" for GPS, "B" for Blended, and "N" for Nav Idle. The FOM is a numerical value from 1 to 9. I don't think there's a public source that states what SEP each number represents, so I won't post it here. But suffice it to say that 1 is "very accurate" and 9 is "very inaccurate"...lol.

To add slightly to GGTharos's answer, The BATA is the IFFCC calculated bullet impact point based the aircraft's estimated altitude above the target and uses the bullet's estimated TOF at the calculated slant range. It appears at the end of the first bullet's TOF anytime the trigger is pressed and the Master Arm is in TRAIN or ARM.

Hey Kenan, Like I said, I'm not going to tell you how to enjoy your simulator. But you are missing an important piece of the puzzle. As Fred is implying, it doesn't matter what your touchdown speed is. The fact that you cross the threshold nearly 25-30 knots fast means that you're floating excessively down the runway while bleeding off airspeed. That's hundreds, if not a thousand or more feet of runway that you could have used to stop the airplane. Not to be a wise-ass, but the airplane in the link below landed "on-speed" too; but as you can see, it didn't end too well. I know it's not a perfect 1:1 analogy, but the point remains the same. A high approach speed combined with the desire to achieve a soft landing results in excessive float, and depending on runway length remaining and aircraft gross weight, the remaining runway may not be sufficient. The proper way to do it is fly the approach speed and/or AoA indexer, and strive for a firm landing in the touchdown zone.

No worries, I'm not here to judge. At the end of the day, DCS is an entertainment title and if you're enjoying it, that's all that matters. No, I haven't had a chance to do that. Primarily because it's very difficult to accurately measure distance in the simulator. I hesitate to use in-game visual "yardsticks" like Runway Centerline Line Markings (RCLM), or other painted distance markers, since I can't independently verify that they are the correct size (my gut tells me they're not). Nontheless, as you're aware, in the real world, all other conditions being equal, an increase in gross weight will result in a longer landing distance. Additionally, anti-skid will provide a significant improvement in landing distance, especially on a wet or contaminated runway. There should also be a significant difference in landing distance when using Kenan's "universal" approach technique as opposed to the real procedure, primarily due to the excess float associated with carrying extra speed down final. Generaly speaking, you can count on a 20% increase in landing distance for each 10% above approach speed (Vref). However, if you intentionally hold the aircraft off the runway during the flare, it becomes a 30% increase in landing distance for each 5% above Vref... Take the following example for the A-10C: Example Conditions: Dry Runway Gross Weight - 30,000lb Calculated Approach Speed - 130kt Air Distance (50ft obstacle) - 1200ft + Landing Roll Distance - 1400ft = Actual Landing Distance - 2600ft Now, suppose we flew the approach and landing using Kenan's technique at 155kt, and instead of a firm touchdown, we hold it off looking to "grease it on": 155kt is an approximately 20% increase in approach speed, so... Actual Landing Distance - 5720ft I don't even want to contemplate what the numbers would be without anti-skid...typically, the penalty factor is 1.75, so landing distance at 155kt with an extended flare and no antiskid would be 10,010ft. Thats at sea level on a standard day!

Just so you know, that's the real procedure in the real jet.

In addition to my rather limited TOLD pdf, which only covers Nellis AFB, another user made a very nice mission planning program that I believe will give you basic TOLD data as well. As mentioned here and elsewhere, the AoA indexer is a great tool, and indeed makes life easier. However, prior to approach the pilot is required to calculate a Final Turn Speed (used during the turn to final), an Approach Speed (used during straight-in final), and a Landing Speed (used at touchdown). The calculation is based on gross weight, and represents the minimum allowable speed for the approach. These minimum speeds must be respected, even if the AoA indexer wants you to fly slower in order to get "on speed". The computation is as follows: The assumed configuration is gear down, full flaps, and speed brakes 40%. The aircraft gross weight is assumed to be 30,000 pounds. The baseline approach speed is 130kt. Add 2kt for each 1,000 pounds over 30,000 pounds. Add 15 knots to the calculated approach speed to determine the Final Turn speed. Subtract 10 knots from the calulated approach speed to determine Landing Speed. For example, at 35,000 pounds, the Final Turn Speed is 155kt, the Approach Speed is 140kt, and the Landing Speed is 130kt.