Stickler

The WSO's "TACAN Channel (xx0x) - [Inc]" binding will only increase the TACAN channel up to xx5x. If the channel needs to be increased beyond xx5x, the mouse has to be used to click the appropriate button. This problem does not exist in the front cockpit.

Slaved and Zero. Please reference the attached track. The behaviour occurs with the AFDS (which I assume you mean by "FD") on or off. If it is on, the aircraft will (violently) move to follow the induced heading changes. This last part is presumably realistic. heading.trk

The TACAN Channel (xx0x) - [Next] and TACAN Channel (xxx0) - [Dec]/[Inc]/[Next] keybinds are missing both for the pilot and the WSO.

The Antenna Stabilization Mode - [Down] and [Up] keybinds skip the "Nor" position.

When left-clicking on the Set Heading Control Knob with the mouse, a "pushing in" animation is triggered as expected. When keeping the left mouse button depressed, the mouse wheel can then be used to move the knob left and right, with the corresponding change in indicated heading. When releasing the left mouse button, however, the knob instantaneously moves to the 2 o'clock position. This movement to the 2 o'clock position does not coincide with a heading adjustment. Subsequent presses and releases of the left mouse button pop the knob in and out as expected, however the 2 o'clock position is "stored" as indicated by the actual knob position. Using the mouse wheel once more to change the heading with the left mouse button depressed now means that an instantaneous and large amount of heading change to the right is initiated, which must be arrested by quickly moving the mouse wheel. To get rid of the new "default" position, it is necessary to move the mouse wheel one notch left or right without depressing the knob. However, after a subsequent heading adjustment, the button pops back to the 2 o'clock position.

According to the RL flight manual, any interruption in electrical power will cause the auxiliary air doors and the speed brakes (if out) to close violently. In the game, with speed brakes and auxiliary air doors extended/open on the ground, switching the generators to OFF will only cause the auxiliary air doors to close. The speed brakes will remain extended.

According to the RL 34-1-1 the FREEZE and TARGET INSERT buttons illuminate when pressed. In the game, these buttons do not illuminate.

In multiplayer, when the pilot presses the oxygen quantity test button, the needle remains at the initial position for the WSO while it decreases for the pilot. The WSO will, however, get the Master Caution light when the front needle drops below 1 liter. This issue seems to be specific to multiplayer with two people in the jet. As a single player, when in the pilot seat and pressing the test button, then switching to the rear seat, one can observe the needle has decreased in the rear seat as well.

Various places in the game and the manual provide different nomenclature regarding CBU-1, CBU-2 and their respective submunitions, including compared to RL documentation, leading to confusion. Loadout/F6/.acmi Debriefing RL bomblet CBU-1A/A BLU-4B Bomblets BLU-3B x 27, HE BLU-4A/B, BLU-4/B CBU-2/A BLU-3 Bomblets BLU-3B x 19, HE BLU-3/B CBU-2B/A BLU-3B Bomblets BLU-3B x 22, HE BLU-3/B First, I have not found a RL reference indicating that the BLU-3 and BLU-3/B were different bomblets. Second, the game manual (Cluster Bombs - Heatblur F-4E Phantom II) states that the CBU-1, CBU-2 are "Dispensers with 19 tubes each loaded with either 27 BLU-4B, 19 BLU-3 or 22 BLU-3B HE bomblets". RL sources (reference bulletpicker.com/pdf/CBU.pdf and the below screenshots from T.O. 1F-4C-34-1-1, 15 MARCH 1970, CHANGE 9 - 26 JANUARY 1973) seem to indicate that the CBU-1A/A has 19 loaded (of 19) tubes with 509 bomblets, the CBU-2/A has 17 loaded (of 19) tubes with 360 bomblets, while the CBU-2B/A has 19 loaded (of 19 tubes) for 409 bomblets. Looking at dcs-lua-datamine/_G/weapons_table/weapons/bombs at master · Quaggles/dcs-lua-datamine · GitHub, I assume "27, 19 or 22" bomblets refers to the number of bomblets that each tube contains in the game. These numbers, multiplied with 19 tubes, result in the approximate RL bomblets for each dispenser. The reference is probably not meant to be to the exact RL number of bomblets in each tube, because that number differed between tubes. Unless someone has RL sources that indicate otherwise, I therefore suggest: to insert the slash where appropriate (e.g. "BLU-4/B" instead of "BLU-4B"), to rename the BLU-3 to "BLU-3/B", to rename the "BLU-3B" ejected from the CBU-1A/A as per the debriefing screen to "BLU-4A/B" or "BLU-4/B", to make it clear, at least in the manual, that "27, 19 or 22" bomblets refer to the number of bomblets in each tube in the game, whereas that number IRL was not the same for all tubes.

The chute opened in all cases.

For reasons I have not been able to reproduce, LUU-2B paraflares when released from the F-4E sometimes descend at a rate of around 540 ft/min, at other times at a rate of around 30 ft/min. The correct RL descent rate is 8.3 ft/s or 500 ft/min (luu_2c-b.pdf (alliantaction.org)). I have not tried other aircraft. Please find attached a track, an .acmi recording of the actual flight, and an .acmi recording of the track. Note the descent rates as follows: 30 ft/min 540 ft/min 540 ft/min 30 ft/min 540 ft/min 30 ft/min in the live flight, but 540 ft/min in the track, so there seem to be two layers of randomness at play. LUU-2B.trk LUU-2B (live).acmi LUU-2B (track).acmi

Another aspect to add here: The bombing calculator does not at this time seem to take into account the different drag of submunitions compared to their canister. Witness the CBU-87. A calculated release solution for DIRECT bombing - if taking AoA into account as above - will be highly accurate with an airburst altitude of 300 ft, but the submunitions will fall short of the calculated sight setting with an airburst altitude of 3000 ft. Without being able to categorically prove this, I believe this is the case because at 3000 ft to go, a wrong drag coefficient will have a much larger impact on calculations than with only 300 ft worth of "wrong" drag.

Thanks for the clarification regarding RADAR and WRCS BITs. Just tried the Optical Sight Test again and it does not execute from step 14 onwards (no BIT target displayed in step 18). At step 20, no range is displayed and the reticle does not slowly depress. Can you positively confirm these steps work for you? Also, at step 11, the reticle does not jump to the left as described in the text and in the picture, but down and to the left. TACAN test non-functional starting at step 4 b). See the separate thread here: Have not tried the Pave Spike BITs.

Except for the VOR/ILS test and steps 1 through 13 of the Optical Sight Test, none of the BIT checks described in the game manual starting at Built-In-Test Procedures - Heatblur F-4E Phantom II seem to work for me. Since I believe I was rather thorough in going through the checklist, would a confirmation be possible whether these are actually implemented? There is no "under construction" sign in the manual so they should be. TACAN test not working already reported separately since that was the first non-functioning BIT I noticed.

According to the manual (Emergency - Heatblur F-4E Phantom II), WSO pushing his EJECT light causes the pilot's eject light to illuminate. In the game, this does not work. This is correct behaviour as per RL manuals: I suggest to amend the manual accordingly.

Confirmed for the cold start case (did not check hot start or airstart). Regardless of the pilot's throttle movements, the WSO's throttle does not move. Additionally, any throttle movements by the WSO do not cause the physical throttle in the rear cockpit to move, but they do move the pilot's throttle and affect RPM in both cockpits.

Confirming the STBY flag issue which I happened to stumble upon as well. Unfortunately it's not just an aesthetic issue since at night this makes it almost impossible to know if the altimeter is in STBY or RESET (the "STBY" flag shows in both cases, albeit with a slightly different shade).

I would like to add that contrary to what the manual says (Engines - Heatblur F-4E Phantom II), the WSO cannot currently shift the throttles from OFF, but can enter the afterburner range.

Based on further testing, the in-game AoA is approximately 39 mils LESS than the AoA of the real aircraft as taken from the above chart under identical conditions. This is true in the speed range of 400-500 KCAS. With lower speeds, the difference decreases. The difference is most pronounced (around 41 mils) with high gross weights and least pronounced (around 37 mils) with low gross weights. Dive angle seems to have a negligible effect on the difference. Thus, for a one-size-fits-all, easy to apply fix, subtract 40 mils from the AoA obtained from the above chart, then add the result to the sight depression obtained from the bombing calculator to obtain the actual required depression. This is provided you keep your release KCAS in the "usual" range of 400-500 KCAS. Based on the attachments, the ZSL and FRL seem coincide in the F-4E.

I would like to add my own observations here. Reference the following release: Disregarding that the calculated bomb range and TOF are completely off (that's not the concern of this post), note that the calculated required sight depression is 85 mils. This calculation is confirmed by my own bombing calculator (which uses in-game bomb cx values determined from testing) when inputting the same parameters (plus/minus 1 mil). Observe also that the "correct" depression required (see the crater near the reticle) is 69 mils. Release CAS was 425. At release, my G per the F2 view was 0.8, versus a nominal G of 0.68 for a 47° dive angle. As per the correction chart below, this approx. 0.1 G error introduces a sight depression error of approximately 2 mils. For simplicity's sake, I'll ignore it. At the time of release, the aircraft's gross weight was 47717 lbs as per the mission editor (I set unlimited fuel to make sure). As per the below chart, the aircraft's AOA should have been 17,8 mils (rounded 18 mils). To compensate for this AOA, the actual sight setting would have had to be 85 + 18 mils = 103 mils, thus even further from the actually required sight setting. This makes me believe that the simulated F-4E's AOA diverges significantly from the real F-4 at given parameters. Note that if you were to subtract 18 mils from 85 mils, you would approximately get the really required 69 mils, but this is a coincidence based on other tests with different release parameters. It is entirely possible that I'm completely misunderstanding how the above calculations should work, so if anyone spots a flaw in my logic please help me out.

Just to confirm, as soon as the RWR is patched the LAUNCH button functionality will also be implemented? Radar Warning Receiver - Heatblur F-4E Phantom II "In the event a missile launch is detected by way of discrete SAM guidance commands being received, the MISSILE LAUNCH indications in this button (4) will illuminate, and a circle is superimposed around the threat emitter defined as guiding the inbound weapon. Pressing the button while illuminated will provide launch audio through the intercom." If the LAUNCH button is meant to be able to be pressed once the patch is out, I recommend to also add a key binding for that button which currently does not exist.

This is based on multiple attempts dedicated to analysing this specific issue. Re-made the mission to verify it is not something with the .miz and also created different aircraft in the same mission. Tested with reference and non-reference aircraft and obtained more or less the same results every time. Track with reference aircraft attached. To be clear, the 215 KIAS in my OP meant the speed indicated on the ASI. When referencing the F2 view, the "IAS" displayed there at which the flaps move does seem to change somewhat depending (possibly) on altitude. As far as I know (but this might be module-dependent), the "IAS" in the F2 view is actually EAS. This might have something to do with it. In any case, in all tests there was virtually no difference between the accelerating and decelerating case. speedswitch.trk

Depending on the source, the flaps airspeed switch is set at 235±5 knots accelerating and 220±10 knots decelerating, 237±7 knots accelerating and 15±5 knots below accelerating speed (decelerating), approximately 240 knots accelerating and approximately 220 knots decelerating. In the game, the flaps will extend and retract at 215 KIAS accelerating and decelerating.

The "Empty" loadout in the mission editor has a "Weapons" weight of 223 kg/492 lbs. When manually removing all pylons, "Weapons" weight is not zero, but -288 kg/-635 lbs. From this I deduce that some pylons, but not all of them in the same way, are considered as part of aircraft weight. I would appreciate a clarification regarding how pylon weights and drag are being considered in the mission editor and the flight model.

The TACAN test as described in Navigation Test Procedures - Heatblur F-4E Phantom II does not work in that the indications that follow the "Observe the following" cannot be observed. Tested at Kutaisi with an otherwise functioning TACAN.