FoghornF16

Yes, this please!

You can actually buy Zinc Chromate primer, in quart, gallon and rattle-can. It's actually not any more expensive than any other paint. But what Spitty said holds true... there is a LOT of variation in the shade and hue based on the paint manufacturer.

Apologies for merging late to this discussion... The benefits of a G-Warmup do not magically dissipate after 2 minutes IRL. You should be good for the rest of the sortie. If I recall correctly, Aerospace Physiology used to teach us that experimentation/testing showed the benefits lasted the day.

IRL

It's not, brother. The jet rolls straight as an arrow on its gear, and if it doesn't you take it back to the chocks and hand it back to maintenance. Crosswind has to get pretty stiff before you'll see a weathervaning tendency on takeoff/landing roll... 5 m/s shouldn't even be noticed, IMO. More like 15+ -ish knot direct cross before you will start seeing significant yawing tendency due to weathervaning.

Deano87, Nope, you have to hold the nose up in that attitude with increasing back-stick pressure as the airspeed rolls off. The nose will naturally drop as you slow around 100 KCAS (with you holding full aft stick like you are trying to rip the stick outta the dash) as the stabilators lose authority and depending on landing weight... a really light jet (air-to-air config and almost outta gas) I've seen the nose stay up until 88-ish, 87-ish KCAS. Donglr, Again, I can't attest to the accuracy of DCS's simulation of the universe. Real-world, aerobraking is NOT to save the wheelbrakes. Per T.O. 1F-16CM-1, Aerobraking is more effective (e.g. reduces speed faster) than wheelbraking above 100 KCAS. Once the nose is down, FULL aft stick (so the stabs are in full deflection to act like giant speedbrakes) and full speedbrake (hold the switch against the springed 'open' position to override to the 60-deg open position) and MODERATE wheelbraking until below 70 KCAS, where the P-pages in the -1 say you can honk on the brakes as hard as you want without fear of heating them up excessively. If DCS doesn't sim that correctly, then obviously do that instead... land and jump on the binders immediately.

"Why would an F-16 student pilot wait for the wing to stall since he knows that the stall AoA is well above any touchdown AoA?" Well, because the F-16 student just got done flying 300-hours worth of training in the T-38, which (when done correctly) does stall at touchdown, believe me. And while the student will know... academically, at zero altitude and zero knots... that the AoA Limit is well above the landing AoA, when they are crossing the threshold for the first time in the F-16 that's not what they remember. "Hands-of-the-Habit-Pattern" take over, because everything else they've done today in their first Viper sortie flies exactly like the T-38. So they try to land it like a T-38. They've had academics on it. The IP prior to the sortie has briefed it until he's blue in the face. But they still do it, because human nature dictates they can't help but do anything else. It provides the IPs an endless source of humor, and to the students' credit by the second attempt they have it wired tight. After all... it is called "training". If they could do it right on the first attempt, we'd call it "proficiency"

Oh boy. I can gas-bag some more. Again, I can't attest to the fidelity of DCS's simulations, cuz while I own DCS Viper... I have only flown it once and said, "I'll put that away until it gets more developed". So modify these Real World techniques for use in DCS. Rudder use on the ground IRL, the rudder is effective down until the airspeed indicator stops indicating @ 50 KCAS. Once the nose falls from the loss of stab authority during the aerobrake (approx. 100 KCAS), rudder-only for directional control until at a safe taxi speed. If a full boot of rudder isn't doing the job, LIGHTLY drag in the outside wheelbrake to maintain runway alignment. Light brake application under 100 KCAS (and all the way up to MAX brake application under 70 KCAS) will not generate enough energy to heat up the brakes to a Hot Brake situation. Again, if DCS sims that properly. Only engage NWS once at a safe taxi speed exiting the runway. -- Foghorn

Retired USAF F16 IP here, now turned civilian-employee test pilot on the same airframe. This could be a 30-page document, but I will try to keep it brief. Caveats & Assumptions: - I assume DCS properly simulates aircraft aerodynamics, which I cannot attest to; - USAF F-16CM, C-Model. NATO birds are lighter, ergo, numbers are different; - NATO standard 9000' runway, w/ 1000' overruns; Procedures & Techniques: Approach at 144 +4 knots per 1000# of stores and fuel. This will give you an 11o AOA approach, which is slightly fast to the T.O. 1F-16CM-1 which states 13o AOA, but is operational standard to keep the lieutenants from dragging the speedbrakes on the pavement (not a joke). You do this by flying the FPM at the top of the AOA Staple in the HUD. Top of the staple is 11o AOA, bottom is 15o AOA. As you come down final, aim the FPM in the middle of the approach-end overrun at 2.5o-3o glide slope. Counter to traditional flying, this is a power-on approach... here you will use POWER to control AOA, and PITCH to control Aimpoint. As you approach the overrun (might just start getting ground rush here, or start a little before ground rush), shift your FPM to the threshold, pause a heartbeat, and then shift the FPM to the horizon and pull power to idle just before you cross the threshold. Arrest your sink rate with stick, pause a heartbeat, and then set the airplane gently onto the runway surface. Yes, you have to manually fly the jet onto the ground (more on that in a moment). You should touchdown in the first 500' of the runway, unless you were landing from a precision approach like an ILS, which will guide you to a 1000' touchdown. Never accept a long touchdown. Power up, take it around and do it again, Lieutenant. Once down, ease the nose up to 15o AOA / FPM at bottom of the staple (no more or you'll drag the speedbrakes) and hold it there (this is an aerobrake), until less than 100 KCAS. The nose should naturally slowly fall until the nose gear touches down as well. Full override on the speedbrakes and hold (if DCS sims that) with full aft stick, and gently test your wheelbrakes to ensure they are working (now... when you have enough time and runway left to throw the hook down and take a cable if they don't). If wheelbrakes check good, then come off them and continue rollout with just full speedbrake & full aft stick until airspeed is less than 70 KCAS, then full wheelbrakes to a stop. Comments: The reason you have to fly the Viper onto the ground is because the F16 wing does not stall as you are landing; the DFLCS keeps rolling more and more LEF and flaperon as the airspeed bleeds off in the flare to keep the wing flying. It is a common (and much mocked) sight at the Luke and Holloman, with the first landing attempts of new F16 B-Course students, to see the D-model floating down the runway for 3000' or more with the tires 2" above the pavement, because the student is waiting for the classic stall of the wing like in the T38... which never comes as runway ticks away. I have landed 10 minutes after takeoff with full air-to-ground ordinance aboard, 2 full bags of gas and an ECM pod on the center, in the rain, on a NATO standard runway... 2000' more than needed. You have PLENTY of runway available, I can attest to that (again, assuming DCS is simming accurately). Fly-By-Wire Flight Control Systems are amazing. But very, very different from what a 'traditional' pilot is used to. Thank you for your time; I hope this helps. P.S. Finally, something I can discuss on here without violating clearances! -- Foghorn

Newcomer here, apologies if this has been asked before... SRS is 'standalone' from TS; is it dependent on DCS/BMS specifically? Can it run standalone for other sims or games? Thank you in advance.