AvroLanc

I've been doing a few tests with the new AUTO LOFT mode for JDAM. Track is attached below, it's hopefully concise and to the point. Test sequence: RUN 1. AUTO PP. First drop - attempt PP mode. Conservative Terminal parameters entered for a PP point. Once inside the 'max predictive range' circle, IN RNG appears, shortly followed by IN ZONE. However, no IZLAR shape on HSI despite TERM entered. Pickle button held as release cue passes fpm, but NO DROP. Weapon doesn't come off. BUG? However, system behaves as if it did. FLT timers come up on JDAM page. Which then count down to 0. RUN 2. MAN PP. Second drop - this time PP with MAN mode. Same TERM inputs. This time when inside IN ZONE the pickle button works and bomb drops. Again no IZLAR zone on HSI. Flight timers count down, but the weapon impact is 33 seconds before the timer expires. Possibly incorrect logic here. RUN 3. AUTO TOO. Third drop - TOO with AUTO mode this time. No TERM inputs this time. Slightly rushed but when inside IN ZONE a pickle is successful. However the calculated FLT time is too short. Timer expires well before bomb impact. RUN 4. MAN TOO. Forth drop - Sucessful drop. IN ZONE results in successful release. No IZLAR. However the FLT timer is too long, this time 45s remaining at bomb impact. RUN 5. AUTO TOO. Fifth drop - Reattempt AUTO TOO. Flight time incorrectly expires well before impact. TLDR: AUTO PP mode - weapons don't even release, no IZLAR zone in HSI. How is IN ZONE calculated, as opposed to IN RNG? AUTO TOO mode - release but no IZLAR, despite IN ZONE on HUD. Flight timers lots of errors, sometimes too short, sometimes too long. MAN modes - work, but with limitations of IZLAR calculations and timers as above. JDAM AUTO IZLAR Test.trk

Yeah, my limited testing confirms all that. Not even close to being done. So much missing. Flight times/time to impact all wrong as well. Big disappointment as well. Would be nice to know how complete ED thinks this is. Big WIP still or complete now till 2021.....? Shudders....

Until we get the Malaysian draft export ATFLIR, with all sorts of strange wiggles and squiggles..... Bring on ATFLIR.

Many thanks for the footage. That’s a good find. So OK, it’s real, that’s somethings at least. It differs from the USMC implementation for sure. My guess is that since Marine hornets have software loaded for both Litening and ATFLIR (I believe), the interfaces are designed to have some common functionality between the two. Where the basic export pod functionality is what we have now. Very nice for Spanish skin fans...... Hopefully we’ll see ATFLIR later on. Looks like that’s the case. I imagine finding the correct documentation is the issue. We’ve now got a Spanish pod on a Marine jet with a nice Navy carrier to fly it off. Not the best for immersion.

It’s hold and release Waypoint Increment button , not Sensor Fwd

I think tomorrow will be day of uploading a few track files with reports.....

I’ve only tried PP. Looks like an issue. I’ll play more tomorrow. The patch notes state ‘heading is defined for IZLAR’ - does that mean term parameters are suppose to be working. Kinda implies it.

Yeah, so how’s it calculating IN ZONE. IN ZONE indication appears somewhat dynamically, sometimes straight after IN RNG, sometimes after a delay.

Plus I’ll add that I haven’t actually got AUTO to release a bomb. Holding the pickle and the release cue passes the fpm, and nothing. All my drops in MAN mode as before.

Yep, I agree with all that. So the max range and default to target line disappear correctly. (I’d forgotten that - thanks.) But the trapezoidal shape doesn’t show. I’ve tried entering hdg, angle and velocity for a PP TGT. But nothing. I get the little azimuth line on the target symbol (Not correct terms), but it’s random, doesn’t correlate to inputted impact azimuth. Plus I think that was there before patch. Have you played with flight timers yet and seen hoe accurate they are? or not?

OK, it was either Stores or Az/El. Thanks.

Nope, I've haven't either. I've entered a heading into TERM options. Doesn't make a difference. The normal HSI LAR zones we have already disappear when you enter the IN ZONE region (as per HUD), the actual IZLAR is completely missing. Nothing comes up when IN ZONE. What drives IN ZONE anyway? I thought it should be the terminal parameters. I've noticed that the 'flight time' indication for a dropped bomb is about 20-30s too long too. No instructions to help us along at the moment.

That's got to be a bug. They've obviously been playing around with the AA mode in the dev build and forgot to reset it or something. Just a guess. AA weapon select should bring up stores page on L DDI.

Ah..ok..alright gents, let’s figure it ourselves then. Testing now.

Which sources? Sorry but I have to ask, they should be in the public domain shouldn’t they? Isn’t that a condition of what ED models? I’d be interested in seeing them if you can provide link, because the Hornet we’re gradually getting doesn’t match well with the other open source stuff out there.

Anyone tried the addition of JDAM Auto mode? I’ve had a quick go, but it seems my LAR zones disappear on the HSI when using AUTO. I was expecting a trapezoid shaped IZLAR - In zone LAR - when in auto. It’s in patch notes. Tried entering a terminal heading - is it implemented? Also a possible bug to be uploaded soon - when dropping last JDAM on board the time to impact disappears as the stores page resets. Not very useful. Needs more testing on my part. Would be nice to have an official video or doc on this new feature.

Yeah those things are needed, if we want an accurate FLIR page and HUD. They’ve never been mentioned by ED, and the items in the list for 3rd June don’t include them. Why - don’t know? The additional HUD symbology in particular stands out as a big omission.

I’m open to them sharing the RL reference for this. It just doesn’t match any other marine litening I’ve seen. Oh and no need to get angry, FFS.

But it's not exactly the same as the A10's. It's deliberate. Looks weird. Would love to see the real world reference for this. I don't want to say it, but it looks like ED has made it up.

Yeah, this is very odd. What's the source for this? Not something I've ever seen. I was expecting something akin to med-taha's picture above. Some kind of experimental/early version Litening graphic?

What was the proof exactly? Documentation, or a quote from a pilot? Judging by ED’s usual response to things like this they’ll need more than a third hand verbal account. To be honest, there are now more important functions to get right and implement. HUD designation is the least useful of all the other methods we should have. The related JHMCS cuing is the important ability and it looks like that’s still on the agenda ( for now at least.....).

Yeah, I always thought this too. ED seems dead set that it can’t though. We need to submit documentation or the like that proves this an ability. I’ve got nothing, apart from implied remarks in some docs. Not enough.

ATFLIR doesn’t have it, or need it either. Markpoints, TGT points, a bit of pre planning, and eventually JHMCS A/G are all you’ll need.

I’m pretty sure there should be TREL and TTI on the pod MFD. Unless you know for there shouldn’t be?

See a post from Wags a while back: https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4268260&postcount=23 He quotes additional features to be: ''laser range, freeze, gray scale, adjust declutter, enable reticle toggle, attitude indicator, automatic level and gain controls, correct some of the reticles, INR tracking, offset cursor, new HOTAS functions, and the air-to-air mode.'' My guess is that we'll be getting whatever of those the lastest mini-update didn't mention. I.e freeze, gray scale, adjust declutter, enable reticle toggle, attitude indicator, automatic level and gain controls, correct some of the reticles, INR tracking, and possibly new HOTAS functions? This is somewhat wishful thinking, but it's all we've got to go with at the moment. We surely need a Time to impact indication and a LTD/R indication that flashes. Maybe that's still to come? Hope that helps and proves to be accurate tomorrow.