Caldera

Raptor, Thanks! That makes more sense to me. From my testing in DCS, it appears that a two engine start is identical to a single engine start as far as spin up rate, but I have not timed them. Overall it is faster. More questions I have been wondering about if you have a minute. Are there separate electrically (pneumatic?) and mechanically driven engine oil pumps? I notice that on an initial cold start, that in DCS, the engine oil pressure rises rapidly into the green. This occurs really prior to spin up. This indicates to me that there is a non engine powered oil pump in use. After an in mission repair and engine re-start the oil pressure rise seems to mimic the rotor speed rise. This indicates that an engine driven oil pump is being used. I do not know how closely this relates to the real world. You mentioned a hot start, are you referring to an inflight or ground start? I am clueless as to how well the rotor rotation can be used to re-start or if the APU must be used. Or if it can even be done as I have not tried as of yet... Is there a requirement for a purge prior to a ground hot start? In my experience with natural gas fueled aeroderivative engines in power generation, hot starts can sometimes be unreliable. I believe that the DCS A-10C module requires purge and some cool down for a successful ground hot start. That is my only experience. Caldera

Thanks Guys, I did notice that when using the laser that the indicated range was changing slowly in 1m increments. Going into Hover Mode prior to giving George control helps. Caldera

Sirch, Patience... Practice... I have watched Casmo's video myself (several times) and it helped me allot. Also, I have spent allot of time trying to get good at firing them. But... The whole thing still drove me a bit crazy until I stopped focusing solely on the Rocket Steering Cursor for alignment. Instead, I use the Head Tracker. It doesn't move around, but indicates essentially the direction that the rockets are going to go with one part "helicopter weird flight characteristic offset" and two parts "Kentucky Windage". Don't get me wrong, I still try to slide the Rocket Steering Cursor in to the right place where it needs to be after I have lined up with the Head Tracker. Tracking with my head (TrackIR), using collective, cyclic and rudder felt like learning how to play a drum set. Hands and feet all doing different movements going different directions while brain is going nuts. So I don't do it that way... Generally, much like using tracer fire to correct aim. I fire a salvo and see where they hit. I correct my aim and then fire another salvo, repeating until stuff blows up. I typically fire four to eight rockets at a time for good results. Keep in mind, that you still need to adjust the range using the IHADSS LOS Reticle. I find that holding the Reticle just under my target and allowing the forward movement of the helicopter to move the aiming point up to the correct spot to fire. (Same mostly, as with the gun) I think of the Rocket Steering Cursor as the icing on the cake. Not the cake... All the above goes out the window if a human CPG is present and is picking out targets for you. IMO these rockets, I would guess, work really well in the real world but not so much in DCS, due to how splash damage works. And the fact that real world Infrantry CAS is kind of hard to duplicate in DCS. I have to admit, these things are really allot of fun! Caldera

Nan, BUY them all! The only module that I have regretted buying is the AV-8B Harrier, only because of a personal preference due to how dirty the canopy glass appears. Caldera

The CH-47D is also very hard to kill... Caldera

Hey All, Rooky question here... What actually is used to start the AH-64 engines. Is it an electric or a pneumatic starter? I notice that I can start both engines simultaneously on the APU or on ground electric power. Seems like allot of load either way, but it does work. Caldera

Fred, Yes, I was Re-fueling and Re-arming prior / during the repair. Mostly to save time. Big, The last repair I did it seemed to work correctly. Prior to that it occurred at least twice during one mission, at two different times. I don't actually try / plan to have to repair, but it happens at times... I will see what I can do for a playback. Additionally, I notice that after a repair and subsequent engine restart the oil pressure rise characteristic changes. On the initial cold / first start the oil pressure rapidly goes into the green immediately after hitting the start switch and before the engine has began to really spin up. This makes me think that the oil pump is a DC or AC driven pump. After a repair and subsequent engine restart, the oil pressure stays in the red until after the engine has spun up quite a bit. This makes me think that the oil pump is turbine driven pump. This working as intended? Caldera

Hey All, This is an excellent improvement to the AH-64D! I now see the reasoning and wisdom behind Central Position Trim mode, that now works way better than beyond my belief that it ever once would. It is now very easy and bumpless to go into a IGE or a OGE hover. My formula is first bring it to a hover, while holding the controls I enable Hover Mode and let it settle out. Then activate Force Trim and release the controls. It works very nice. Spot landings got way easier. No more porpoising on my way in trying to control speed and altitude that seem to always fight each other. I just engage Velocity Mode at 7 knots. Again holding the controls, I activate Force Trim after things settle out. After releasing the controls briefly, now I only have to control the altitude with the collective and steering to make really nice landings. I turn off Velocity Mode just prior to touch down. With these improvements I am controlling the aircraft much better vice always managing the PIO, mostly initiated by collective / power changes, which gets fairly tiring after a period of time. Caldera

Hey All, I have been wondering if I have a problem with my hardware, it is a game issue or working as intended. For example, when ever I look at a target in the TEDAC it will will always be sliding to the right. In order to stay on the target I need to slew constantly correcting to the left. This is in SP, with AI George flying from the back seat. I switch to the CPG seat only after establishing a stable hover. I use an XBox controller for slew control. This normal? Caldera

After completing a repair at a FARP: Text reads "Aircraft Repair Finished" Speech says "Hey, what are you doing!" The repair is completed, but the crew makes you think that you did something wrong to interrupt the repair. Caldera

OK... So I figured out what I was doing wrong. I found that I had to lase first and then store the target. Knowledge from the A-10C was goofing me up. There is also a maximum range of a target that can be stored, I am guessing due to the maximum range of the laser. The stored target location always uses the last lased location? Caldera

Hey All, This has happened to me now for the second time and seems random. I have done the same thing before many times with no problems so I am uncertain how I am causing this to happen. I am in the process of bore sighting from the CPG seat. When I activate Alternate Cursor Depress (from HOTAS) I get this screen and the I can't bore sight. The IHADSS just alternates between this screen and the normal IHADSS screen by repeated attempts. A glitch or I am doing something wrong? Caldera

Floyd, I would only slave from the CPG seat. But, I may take the PLT seat to move then jump back to the CPG seat. Fakum, Yes, the target you just saved automatically becomes the ACQ Source. But I can select other targets from the COORD screen, with the same result. No much time, still working on it... Caldera

Hey All, I have been saving targets, so that I can maneuver to a better firing position and then make it is easier to re-acquire the target. What I have noticed is that after saving and then re-slaving to the same target location, even if I don't move at all, then the TADS is not actually returning to the same spot. I have been very careful to zooming in fully and making sure I am exactly on the target spot that I want to save. The target has not moved. I am pretty sure that I have bore sighted the CPG properly prior to taking off. The TADS does not save the target spot and / or does not return to it exactly. Sometimes it is off by quite a bit of distance. This normal? If so, is it because the Apache uses 4 digit MGRS resolution vs the 5 digit resolution of like the A-10C? Thanks in advance, Caldera

I have kind of narrowed this down, but I do not know how to replicate as of yet. This is happening as part of the refuel / rearm process. I just have not figured out the formula that triggers it. I notice it happening in my SP mission that I use for training. I have ALLOT of targets positioned close to a FARP / close to Batumi. So part of this process is running out of missiles, rockets and gun ammo. When that happens I land at the FARP or at Batumi and refuel / rearm. I can do this several times over the course of taking out all the targets. I only use the AI George as the pilot when I am the Gunner to fire Hellfires and the gun. I also fire rockets and the gun with me as Pilot. The AI George does not get to shoot at anything. Caldera

Kharm, 1. A short inverse timer (2-3 seconds?) would start that would count down until the controls are re-centered This one could be variable and adjustable by the player, as you say. 2. When the timer = 0 and the controls are not re-centered then the control would ramp to the trim set point and then release control (AKA Instant Trim) OK, be careful what is wished for I guess. Yes, this would indeed put you back in the Instant Trim mode if the player had not returned the control to center after the timer had run out. It would be almost exactly as if the Instant Trim had been actuated x.xx seconds ago as determined by the inverse timer. I just do not see any way to align the physical control position of the game controller to the actual game trim set point position and prevent the "Instant Trim offset bump" nor prevent the "Central Trim total loss of control" if the player has not re-centered. It is not possible. In all automatic controls, I have found that sooner or later you might need to give control back and let a person deal with the result when things get too far out of whack. Just let them know you are doing it... My goal here is too simply to return control to the player. The end result would be expected, if not exactly the most pleasant or desired, and be very similar to how Instant Trim currently works. 3. A special sound would stay on to indicate that the controls were not re-centered shortly after the timer had started (1-2 seconds?) I would disagree, this one could be the most valuable of all my suggestions and may require no other modification all by itself. How does the player currently know that the controls are not re-centered? There currently is not much feed back at all. The biggy is noticing that you have already lost too much control already and cannot recover. However, if the player simply re-centers within the timer, then there is no sound played at all. It would be transparent when done correctly, but still provide a compromising and effective feed back if not done correctly. This time could also be set as a variable, possibly with a time set longer than the inverse timer it would not sound at all ever or a simply enable disable check on the GUI. 4. Combine the effects of Instant and Central Trim modes for items 1 2 3 above some how so that all control is not ever lost at any time What we all really want other than a full Brunner controls set-up or having an Apache parked in the front yard? Caldera

Thanks for all the replies, a good forum! The problem of course, most people know and ED knows very well, there is almost always a compromise made for a simulation. A big compromise for the Apache is that the our real world joysticks and real world rudder peddles have spring return to center, for the most part, and do not match the real world aircraft controls. If I may quote Casmo, "How I deal with the trimmer...". Casmo, Schoolio64D and Eagle7, may have indicated at one time or another some issue with trimmer. Casmo and Schoolio64D in Apache and Eagle7 in commercial experience. I believe this to be true, forgive me if I am not correct. All are self stated to have real world experience and all have settled on the best compromise. So in my opinion, obtain a true FFB control system or accept the compromise. For my part, I have 000.00% real world experience so I pay attention to those that do. The closest approximation for spring return to center controls seem to me to be most accurately modeled by the Central Trimmer mode. This mode provides a bumpless transfer of the controls just as a true FFB control would do. I think most people naturally use it if they have spring return to center controls. At least they do initially. The biggest problem with Central Trim is that you lose all aircraft control until the control is re-centered. This is because flying instincts take over and the control is not re-centered after trimming. Crashing for an unexplainable reason is not as much fun as just flying around, so people try out Instant Trim. It is also my opinion, that the very best mode is not using force trim at all. But that gets tiresome and I can not use the mouse when doing so. So for compromise, I use both modes simultaneously. I use Instant for cyclic and Central for peddles. Both of these modes have pro's and con's. I think this is a good discussion for minimizing the con's! So how about: A short inverse timer (2-3 seconds?) would start that would count down until the controls are re-centered When the timer = 0 and the controls are not re-centered then the control would ramp to the trim set point and then release control (AKA Instant Trim) A special sound would stay on to indicate that the controls were not re-centered shortly after the timer had started (1-2 seconds?) Combine the effects of Instant and Central Trim modes for items 1 2 3 above some how so that all control is not ever lost at any time Caldera

I was having problems getting the laser to turn on, which for some reason, I occasionally do. Kharm, Cold start SP, I noticed it in the pilot seat. Raptor, I may have, I might have gotten click happy trying to get the dang laser to work. This is not the first time for either. I will check it out, thanks. Caldera

Hey All, Second or third time this has happened. I have 16 missiles loaded and none in inventory. What am I doing wrong and how does one load / reload the onboard FC computers? Caldera

Hey all, I did not read all of the Force Trim topic. It was too large and sadly my attention span is too small. But... I have been thinking about suggesting an additional force trim mode and I was wondering what other thoughts were. This mode would be a modification of Central Position Trimmer Mode. The true weakness of Central Position mode mode is that you can lose all control if you do not re-center. The true strength is an almost bumpless transfer if you do re-center. I have been using Central Position mode for the peddles and using INSTANT TRIM mode for cyclic. The peddles are allot easier to re-center because there are only two positions from center. The two positions are left or right. For the cyclic (joystick) there are four positions from center. Those positions are left, right, forward or back. Just considering the peddles, once trim is set, you only have to go one way to return to center. For example, going in to a hover that I want to maintain for awhile I might push the left peddle and then set the trimmer. The only time can I get really messed up is if the the aircraft continues to rotate to the right. This is because my flight instincts take over... I would instinctively push the pedals more to the left. Because I have not re-centered, the aircraft rotates more to the right so I push more left peddle. My problem gets worse and worse. For the same maneuver, after setting the trim if the aircraft begins to rotate to the left, then instinctively I would add right peddle (release left peddle). I would do so until the rotation stops. I would hardly notice any problem, because in that process I have moved the peddles through the center position to stop the rotation and now have full control. The joystick controlling cyclic seems to add allot more difficulty returning to center if your flight instincts take over. Almost exponential... So my suggestion is a timer control applied to the Central Position mode in the form of another control mode option (EX: Central Trim Time Delay). It would work by doing three things when a new trim set point was made. A short inverse timer (4-6 seconds?) would start that would count down until the controls are re-centered When the timer = 0 and the controls are not re-centered then the control would ramp to the trim set point and then release control A SCAS alarm would sound until the controls were re-centered shortly after the timer had started (2-3 seconds?) I don't want to make a suggestion to ED if there is not any community buy in. Please tell me what you think. Caldera

Eric, Hi! This weapon can be and most often is very accurate. I find that to be so, the laser must stay on and be on target (or very close) the entire time the missile is in flight. The laser, as I described above, was timing out no more than about 3 seconds before impact. And.. Those shots were clear misses. But, they were also fired at near the maximum range of the missile. If I fire at reduced ranges then the laser seems to not time out. The stupid part seemed that if I fired two missiles in salvo, with the first at maximum range, then both missiles would miss. The most common pitfalls for me are: Masking Time out Try flying straight and level at the target until you can get 99.99% accuracy. I am glad you became interested in learning how to use the AGM-65L. Caldera

Jay, The 20 second delay between firing the first and the second missile seems like a lot of time to make up. The TOF still bugs me a little. I can no longer calculate the physics, so I have been pushing the easy button. Eric, The AGM-65L is one of the most potent weapons in DCS for the A-10C. That is why I keep messing with it to some degree. It has a really large blast radius in proportion to some other weapons. You were actually missing by a good margin. This is my DCS ONLY that has no relationship to REAL WORLD WEAPONS data chart: As you can see, it can kill a BTR (BTR-80) that is 50 feet away from the impact center and a T-55 that is 25 feet away. Also notice the large infantry hit and kill radius. That is no small accomplishment if you take a look at how other weapons perform, for example 2000 pound bombs. Caldera

LOL Yeah well... George is the best Apache pilot I have flown with in the game by far, when it comes to a stable hover. Maybe he is also a prankster! I am not touching the burst limit select button until I notice that it is selected to 20. To my knowledge, it was always 10 by default until Open Beta 2.7.12.23362 patch. Just wondering, if it happening to other people? Caldera

OK... So more goofing around. I kept missing my target and I could not explain why. My shots were falling short. For some reason the laser is shutting off prior to impact and the missile misses. I most easily reproduced this by going into a full power 10 degree climb after release. The attached track shows a straight in climb with no turn. Watch the track please. Caldera A-10C AGM-65L 01.trk

Raptor, I do not use George to shoot for me. I will Pilot into a hover then swap to front seat. In a hover is the only time I let George be the Pilot so that I can practice shooting from the front seat. At this moment I am unsure, I just notice that I am shooting 20 round bursts when I did not select this and I had checked earlier or had fired earlier that the gun was set to 10 rounds. So all of the above, I guess. I will see if can pinned it down better. I does happen in both the Pilot and Gunners seat. Does it happen to you? Caldera