DSplayer

Heatblur want to make the most realistic simulated F-14 and associated systems. They cannot implement the suggested features listed for the AIM-54C because they have no unclassified and detailed information on that feature which would allow them to implement it properly. Heatblur has high standards for what they want. The new API will bring a bunch of optimizations to how the missiles should track and overall bring new life to all the Phoenix variants. The AWG-9 is mainly 1960s technology. This was the cutting edge stuff at that time but it's just that its no longer cutting edge when you compare them to other aircraft in the DCS arena. A target can disappear for 8 seconds before being X'd out and become extrapolated and then there is the memory modes for those (Track Hold).

Actually, you get absolutely no RWR warning of an active/pitbull warning against AI AIM-54s which is incorrect. Normal human piloted AIM-54s have pitbull warnings.

There are no separate textures for AIM-54As and AIM-54Cs at the moment. There is only the AIM-54C texture.

Also the desync between RIO and Pilot causes some issues as well. When I play the 14 by myself, I never experience dropped tracks unless the target is going into the notch or other but if you're RIOing for someone who doesn't have the best internet in the world or if you're playing on a server that is inadequate, you will experience drop tracks a lot more often than if you're by yourself.

They do receive mid course guidance but it's just the transition between that and active causing all the issues. These problems should be solved with the new API which Heatblur are working on. Maybe expect it in the October OB patch.

The Track Hold button next to the TID does not glow green when pressed compared to the CLSN button to the right of it which does light up. https://imgur.com/a/FBuaZWB

Just from the description I'll probably say that its the old missile API being inadequate and that the AI just made it bite chaff for just long enough for it to do a hard turn and dump all of its speed.

So compensating for own speed means that if a 14 and a target are both closing at 500 knots hot, this means that 500 kts will be the observed target closure rate right? Also, does this effect the notch/MLC filter as well?

Immediately? That probably could mean that they were about to get lost in TWS Manual prior to the missile being shot. I personally haven't had this issue since I usually transition to TWS Auto prior to firing the shot so I can maintain track with the automatic antenna elevation. What could help is maybe marking some targets you don't want to hit as 'Do Not Attack' (if you don't do this already) so the WCS doesn't wing the radar to them to try to pick them up.

Su-30MKK might be off the table

I'm starting a new topic since there was a bit of a discussion of how the PH ACT switch works in DCS currently in the latest feedback post. Currently PH ACT makes it go to a certain point (without any midcourse guidance or loft) and then go active at the target. IRL it would go active but would get guidance commands from the AWG-9 until it could pickup the target with its seeker. What we were discussing was the possibility of this switch or another switch in the RIOpit that allowed for manually sending an active signal to the 54 instead of waiting for the WCS to automatically send the signal at the distance set by the target size switch. One of the points of discussion brought up by @Snappy was from what Ward "Mooch" Carroll said during an interview in June: At this time stamp (1:29:52) he talks about how an enemy enters the beam and how you would make the missile go active to see if you could splash the bandit with the amount of energy it had left. This clip isn't 100% evidence of the existence of this possible feature but it's something.

My flaps still are bound to an axis and the latest patches didn't change anything.

This is actually all AI AIM-54s against human F-14s. On other aircraft you would get a launch warning but not an RWR active missile warning. Overall pretty strange imo since the missiles don't loft either.

Are you starting your engines? He automatically starts the plane up when you start the engines.

There isn’t any midcourse updates which results in rather poor ballistics depending on launch angles and there isn’t any need for you to point your radar at the target after shooting.

PH ACT is kinda similar to the ACM cover but not at the same time. The way with how they implemented it and how DCS works, it goes active after a certain amount of time and goes for the enemy that you fired at. To fire the missile, you can do it in either STT or TWS launch priority.

Hmm. If a bunch of former F-14 RIO's can attest to the existence or usage of a switch that manually sends an active signal to a Phoenix, I (not HB) think that it could get implemented if they get enough info on it.

I think you’re talking about the MSL Options switch that has a PH ACT setting. PH ACT is a prelaunch setting and there isn’t a switch in the back that manually sends an active signal as far as I know.

I'm not 100% knowledgeable on this kinda stuff with the new patch but I know that VoiceAttack now breaks IC. Do you have VoiceAttack installed?

By the way, for anyone that is stumbling across this thread later on when the target aspect thing does work, here's an explanation by Naquaii about how to use the data readout:

I love that you guys were able to get the necessary info on the software tapes with the double line TID but how does one read the target aspect with the info? I understand that the "RT" and "LT" are the data readouts for the aspect but what does the number next to it mean?

Here is some footage of me getting a blinking TTI active indication on an X'd target and then it getting splashed: https://streamable.com/ylzxa4 The missile would go active if the target is roughly around the predicted area but I think the problem you are having could very well be desync or server based. Usually X'd targets never go active anyway and even if they do, the missile is probably out of energy due to inefficient flight paths which mean that you won't get a kill. I'm just saying it's possible and it's not just some magic thing that you only hear about in story tales. -- After rereading the entire thread, I think your position is that the missile should always go active at 8-26 TTI (depending on target size switch position) but from my understanding, the missile goes active off of distance instead of TTI so if there is no target within such distance, the missile doesn't go active. Since X'd targets are generally never close to where the actual target is, the missile never goes to the correct spot to go active.

How many sweeps does the radar make over the area where the target was supposed to be until the target becomes X'd out in TWS modes? Or, more simply, how long does radar contact need to be lost with a target before the AWG-9 considered it lost?

In the promotional film, Phoenixes are fired at 3:24, 3:34, 3:39, and 5:01. A Sparrow is launched at 4:49 and 8:35. A missile that probably (and probably wrong assessment by me) is an AIM-9 is launched at 8:47. Those should be all the missile time stamps. -- Watching this AIM-54C promotional video shows that the 54's motor lights pretty early after being released from the pylon. There is even slowed down footage. Phoenixes are launched at 0:08, 1:06, 1:34, 1:55 (glove pylon launch), 2:02, and 2:17.