AvroLanc

Can someone point out why our F-16 can load 60 flare and 60 Chaff? The F-16 uses 4 ALE-47 buckets just like the Hornet. Each bucket can carry either 30 chaff or 15 flare. So my understanding is that the load should be (commonly) 60 chaff 30 flare. The 60 of each loadout suggests the F-16 is using the smaller cylindrical Flare cartridge that can indeed load 30 in each bucket. Which leads to the question of why ED can model the smaller flare for the Viper but not the Hornet.... Are we sure the Viper loadout is correct? Why?

Yeah fair play. Would be a good solution in the medium term.

This might be an intentional simplification by ED. The DTED and CIB options would require special elevation maps and/or target imagery to be created. As it is the CHART option is the only one that makes sense. Although I’d like to see the proper menu options, perhaps with DTED and CIB showing effectively no map.

+1 Again A little surprised this wasn't part of the announcement anyway. The Link 16 integration must be crucial jump in SA. Can I add 'Datalink Markpoints' too? Which is another new TAD ability. Probably represents a massive increase in ability to share targets.

The A10C is SADL, but can communicate with the Link-16 Network through a 'gateway'. It can receive Link 16 tracks through this gateway, just like a Hornet would. I'm pretty sure it can push data onto the L16 network as well. For example, the A10C can construct and transmit CAS assignments using L16. It can also use VMF for this, although it's line of sight only. I'm not sure exactly how it's all integrated. I.e Is SADL/L16 all one big thing as far as the A10 pilot sees it?, or is it SADL for flight members and L16 for those outside the flight etc.... I think only the National Guard F-16's are SADL (with presumably a similar gateway), and the active AF uses Link16.

Ok yeah, but how much of all the datalink feature will find their way to our sim? Viewing wingman/donors positions and alt, EPLRS symbology, all hookable, SPIable etc. And that’s about it I imagine. What about datalink markpoints? and other TAD features, it’s a shame these haven’t been mentioned.

No, not really. 2020 is (thankfully!) passing rapidly and it would be nice to have some news about the highly anticipated Hornet 2020 features. There’s always going to be ‘new’ news to share with all the upcoming modules and features.

Yep they do, although they also have the GBU-12 DMLGB (Dual mode LGB). Similar but different to the LJDAM. (DMLGB doesn’t extract target coordinates from the laser, it’s just GPS/INS or laser or laser override in terminal phase.)

That’s a shame but any chance of an actual update on Hornets progress along its 2020 roadmap? Two newsletters and not a word on Hornet.

Circles and crosses respectively with the location of flight members/donors and friendly ground forces. With altitude readout for airborne units. They can be hooked/slaved to etc

Why do you need that though? You can simply look at the position you want the pod LOS to go to and press TDC designate.....

All three of your points do exist and hopefully coming in the future. Also, the ability to have -Flight members highlighted in JHMCS -The TUC on SA page highlighted -Some donor members as well I think Very much anticipated features.

Any information forthcoming on the latest progress on the Hornet 2020 roadmap? It’s good to see the F-16 getting a roadmap, but an update on what to expect with Hornet over the next couple of months would be amazing. With the current schedule, only about 5 OB updates left in 2020.

Yep, the problem is...it’s actually understandably worse than the Walleye at any kind of standoff range that the SLAM can give. Walleye sensor/datalink picture is ok at 20nm but pretty crappy at 45nm.

The Man in the loop would be your wingman potentially. It would be very common to have one aircraft as the shooter, and another in the flight as the guidance jet. I don’t think a FAC type set up is appropriate or technically feasible with SLAM, the hardware is quite specific. Think of SLAM being used on night one of the war against high value critical targets. Think EW radars and communication nodes etc. Targets that must be destroyed in order for the rest of the package to get in. In Iraqi Freedom, a total of 3 SLAM-ER were used versus thousands of JDAM/LGB.

SLAM is a weapon that is absolutely reliant on man in the loop terminal guidance. It can’t be used any other way, it was just designed that way. You have to remember that it was designed and developed in the late 80’s using tech from other missile developments. It had a GPS, I just don’t think it’s of sufficient accuracy to be used for the terminal phase. Maybe it’s not tightly integrated into flight control system and can only be good for the enroute phase. It was designed as a very accurate Man in the loop weapon and that’s what it is. I don’t know whether the poor image quality we have will be improved. But again this might be the symptom of using the older Walleye datalink transmitter, from a weapon that has like a 12 nn range..... The upcoming ER variant has more range, and most likely a better quality image/datalink. It’s still man in the loop though. The ATA (Automatic Target Acquisition) version has a IR seeker that can find its own target......think moving ships.....but we’re not getting it. Remember SLAM was designed pre-JDAM. It’s another tool in the set that has specific uses IRL. Standoff, very good precision and real-time bomb damage assessment are the main reasons to use. (JSOW C only uses its IR seeker to match a static scene with it’s pre planned target photo. It’s not capable of automatic target selection, TOO, man in the loop etc. )

Just a quick note to say this has now been fixed.... All working correctly. TTI's correct to the second now for JDAM. Well done ED. Now just need TERM parameters, LP's, Loft Cues, Multiple TGT points etc. Keep up good work.

Not had time to look at your track, but CCRP dive bombing in the A10 has always been wonky. I remember doing tests many many years ago when it came out (so 2010-11). The CCRP dive drops always dropped long. Only reliable impacts were from level flight. CCIP doesn't suffer, at least it didn't.... Pretty sure this is an error in implementation, but it's been almost 10 years and counting.

Yeah I see what you mean on the slewing issue. My first watch of your track slewed perfectly ok, 2nd and 3rd replay didn't slew at all. I took control, and still no slew. I've not seen this before. I generally use WE in the datalink mode. It's one of the things that makes WE (and SLAM) stand out from JDAM / LGB etc. Pretty fun employing them, good for instant BDA. Otherwise it's a historical curiosity, although widely used in it's day. Nice to have around for variety. Generally I found WE to be one of the more bug free weapons when it was introduced and still is now. Maybe try a different mission for a fresh start. For trimming, it's not too difficult. anticipate the roll and it will need about 3-4 seconds of aileron trim as a start. See what it gives you. Even so there's plenty of time to guide it in using DL, although harder when evading SAMs!

Isn’t there a bug/mis-implementation where the fuse activates 1.5s after 1500ft? It seems to be using a mix up between the two fuze types. The older mech fuze (MK339? From memory)is time based. It has PRI and OPT, which burst 1.5s and 4.0s after release respectively. Those options are available on our stores page. The radar fuse (forgotten name) has the VT options. But it seems ED has messed it up in that the 1.5s timer also applies to the radar height. Pretty confident it shouldn’t. The model viewer has CBU with both types of fuze 3D modelled already, maybe one day we’ll get to chose the fuze in the loadout screen?

Range was definitely the issue though in your first post. I think Master Arm has to be on to uncage Walleye. Presumably this is correct......? Press and hold CRAB to re-cage. Always been that way. Don’t know what that stands for though.

Yep. Repeat it with a WPDSG near the target. DESG first, then uncage. Edit: Bear in mind that when slaved to a TGT point, the seeker can't be slewed (similar to IR Mavs), to slew you need to undesignate, which then dumps the IN RNG information. I'm sure this is a mis-implementation.

I've not had a problem with Walleye at all. Max range is closer to 10-12 nm at approx 20000ft. Only times I've had a short is when target wasn't locked properly. Edit: Looking at the track - there's a big possibility you're not in range. Try designating the target and waiting for TTMR to time out / IN RNG. Also, you active paused, do you think that might mess with guidance logic?

Yep, been this way since 2010. Maybe a relook for A10C version II? ED?

Have you got a stable install you can do some testing on? I have, will do today if there’s time.