Pavlin_33

A bit off topic, but cockpit layouts are something you just get used to. I've been flying red exclusively for 10+ years, and when you put me in a NATO style cockpit, I am completely lost. If you ask me, Soviet style artificial horizont with separate pitch and roll axis is way better, but that's just me. I got used to this style and now I can't unlearn it

I honestly don't understand how come this is not enough. Both manuals (27 & 29) use the word "may", so at least there should be some sort of random probability of this happening, which would re-set once the radar emissions are off.

What I was thinking is: if there's a trustworthy testimony that SPO was working fine, then it's logical to conclude that in cases where it wasn't there was some sort of hardware issue. No one knows better how this thing works than people that have used it. I mean if you ask Yugoslav pilots in '99 about their 29's, where almost none of critical equipment was functional, they would not be a good source for the topic at hand. This however does not mean that Fulcrum is bad, just that it was not maintained.

Great text. Just shows how different RL operations are, especially when it comes to IFF.

It's enough to ask a trusted 29 driver(s) what happened in real life. Going through diagrams trying to figure out how this thing worked can possibly lead to wrong conclusions. If 2 pilots say the same thing, I think this should take precedence over tech diagrams. You forgot to mention schovels and washing machines.

Ah I see. I didn't know they carried fox3 also.

Didn't 16A have only fox 2? 29 has DL, fox 1, HMS, 2 engines... IMHO it beats the 16A version in almost everything except RWR maybe

Dunno, the manual just says that the sensitivity is 150% of max range of the illuminator.

SPO has a maximum detection range of 150% of illuminating radar's max. range. I am guessing that that's for when the signal enters the center of a lobe.

Yes, MiG-29's radar was pecifically developed for WVR with a max detection range of around few kilometers. The 27Rs were designed to be initially guided using M-link, and then they would home in using pilot's eyballs.

True that

I guess in this kind of situation ot would be advisable to ask RL pilots for their input.

Don't feel bad, my voice doesn't sound the best either. Opinions are like asses - everybody has one.

Let me put in your terms: F-15 has a horrible range compared to 777ULR. It's payload is also not good at all and it can't carry any passengers.

Optimal speed at low altitude is M 0.5, as per RL OM.

So you get "nails"? If yes, then assume that you are being targeted. If this helps in any way, that is.

If you fly the 29 in a realistic manner you can get a decent range out of it. Problem is that people that fly DCS judge an aircraft by how long it can fly on full burner, 'cause this is what they do in game. They keep forgeting that real fighter pilots have missions, mission objectives and commanders. And sure Fulcrum might have short legs on a quake server, but this is not what it was designed for. Reminds me of that saying: this cat is a horrible dog, it simply won't bark.

People seem to think that AWACS and GCI in the real world work like in DCS: an all seing eye that gives you an F10 view of the battlefield. In '99 NATO agressiom against FR Yugoslavia, USAF pilots found the (British) AWACS next to useless, as it was giving them erroneous reports and, in their words, was making the entire situation more difficult. Same story on Serbian side with GCI, that was giving reports like: "Blue is comming from the west." No further instructions, no number and type of threat, no height and no speed. Just a one-liner that left the pilots use their imagination and wonder what to do with this information.

I dunno, Eagle looks awful alot like the 25 in layout, down to almost identical air intakes. Do you have some references that back up your statement. I would be grateful.

In this particular encounter, 3 120s were launched in TWS mode. One missed.

Why are people comparing F-15 to Su-27/MiG-29, and not MiG-31? 31's the one with all that fancy stuff like DL, plannar array radar, long range active missiles, warp speed and flying in Bozo-sphere. Eagle was US overreaction to MiG-25, which gave birth to 31. As Einstein once said: "Don't judge a fish by it's abilities to climb trees - it will always look dumb." One thing I wanted to mention: 29 was designed also that it can be transported by train.

Ans yet we have no realistic IFF in any of the modules except JF-17.

If you pick up someone with EOS, come up close and do a VID before you fire. The entire IFF system in DCS is not realistic to begin with. IRL IFF shows you only friendly, while in DCS you are 100% able to tell friend from foe.

Majority of the mentioned 29-B's had no operational RWR in '99.

Added a layer of electrical tape to cams. Works great (for)now.