DaveRindner

Watching YT of old'er documentaries on Harrier, it seems that by nature of its design , Harrier, when in hover, wants to fly backwards, so a gentle push forward on stick is needed. Unless landing on a still vessel with helicopter sized aviation deck, or LHA with no headway, I think that hovering and pure 0 kias with zero headwind, those skills are perhaps not critical to good usage of AV-8B in DCS (and perhaps in real world). As long as one can land at 50 knots, without breaking or flipping A/C , in any MET condition, it is good enough , to advance to weapons training. Requiring pure VSTOL is just, IMHO , not critical. As long aviator can take off and land AV-8B like Fieseler Storch (Very short TOL), it is sufficient for combat effectiveness. Pure vertical is really for airshow cuircuit. Operation missions flown with fuel and mission specific stores, use STOL departures and recoveries. I do understand that likely all NATO HarrierII community and respective services , do not agree with that, and push pure vertical T/O and land capability to be qualified and coded. But its unnecessarily increases training time and cost, as well as introducing unnecessary risk into training and operational missions. At 45-50 knots IAS, as long as GW is within limits, there is H20, AV-8B handles nice and safe. On touchdown, with ground speed falling very fast, and nozzles pushed beyond 90 deg. and full toebrakes, AV-8B can stop within 4-5 of its fuselage length. At least it does that in DCS, for our purposes.

OK. Thank you. EFC 1 & 2 are two identical systems for redundancy. Either one should work. I think.

That is definitely good to know. AFAIK, my throttle is totally bottomed on cold start mission. It only gets advanced to IDLE, when engine spool is at 10% . There is a consistency to turbine startups, is that throttle is advanced to IDLE at 10-15% power, except in Mig-21 where it is automatic. I am discounting any FC3 module as computer does everything. F-5E, UH-1H, AV-8B, and M2KC have , not identical, but similar turbine startups as to when advance the throttle to IDLE to introduce fuel into starting turbine. I recall on my self-traiining on UH-1H, how I would end up with flame gouts during startup, and engine fires, when engine start went south. What I am was/am experiencing in AV-8B is that 2/3 or more times the engine start is fine. But on about 1 out of three, when time comes to flick ENG ST to ON, the APU GEN gets flicked OFF and ship remains cold. I always wait after turning APU GEN to ON, for the APU to spinup and start providing power, as MASTER CAUTION and Betty go loud. Maybe there is a time limit of 30 seconds after APU is spinning, before APU fuel is gone. My startup flow is from port-stbd(left to right) DEFC ON EFC POS 1 Oxygen ON Ext Lights ON Throttle cutoff handle DOWN locked Thorttle is at ZERO Nozzle angle UP Jet Pipe Tem Limiter ON Engine Maintenance Sensor record ON. Press one/ fuel pumps ON fuel prop ON SAS (pitch, roll , yaw) ON Battery ON Radios ON Set #2 radio (stbd) to Tower freq. (132.550 at Nellis). Get auth to start engines. Gen ON APU Gen ON . Wait for spinup and Master Caution to go loud and bright. Eng St flick to ON. Wait until turbine spins up to 10% Advance throttle to IDLE. Observe engine RPM and JPT Start turning avionics, sensors, and weapons ON. Don't forget ground seat safety and AFT equipment Bay to ON Set INS to NAV. Who wants to wait 5 minutes for INS spin-up anyway. Its torture in A-10C :) Set MPCD as needed. Set radios as needed. Master Mode to VSTOL NWS to ON or Skid ON (on tarmac) Turn ON flaps Set Flaps to VSTOL 60 deg. Which looks more like 80-90. Test control surfaces Get tower auth to taxi. Taxi to runway At runway departure threshhold, hold toebreaks down. H20 to T/O Nozzles all the way back Power to 100% Release toebreaks At 70-90 knots, depending on grossweight and density altitude, Nozzles to 50-85 deg. as needed for STOL departure. Assuming the A/C has leaped into air at 90 knots retract gear. At 120-150 knots raise flaps to AUTO, Master Mode to NAV, NOZZLES to 15-25% as needed. H20 OFF At 160 NOZZLES to 0 deg. Set course and execute mission flight plan as briefed. On return, shut down in reverse order. When they engine startup works, for me about 2/3 of attempts, the above procedures works great. When engine start fails, I have to quit and restart the mission. I just got new update installed to higher build. So I need to see how that went. Note: I posted this from memory. When starting up I have the PDF start up procedure on #3 panel for verification. So if I missed or mistyped something, my apologies.

Thats was typo on my part. When using LASER, the flashing L is indicated that target is being lased.

I have X-56 Rhino. I map throttle pitch trim wheel as axis to NOZZLE ANGLE. Seems natural. In real Harrier, nozzle angle is not on a HOTAS, but in DCS it can be. However even with angle limiter, I cannot land or takeoff vertically, or hold the A/C in stable hover. For me its a like balancing broom stick in palm of your hand. Hopefully I'll get better with time. I also struggle with mental control inversion. When hovering and doing VSTOL, or trying to, my muscle memory thinks its a helicopter collective. Two skills interfere with each other in my case.

Anyone practice that skill? On ground, I really like the ability of AV-8B to taxi backwards, doing its own pushback. On STOL, vector nozzles all the way to 110 and use 1/3 thrust to use as breaking aid. Cool stuff. In a high G high energy turn, try viffing the nozzles to 85 to 90 with max thrust to push A/C into tighter turn. Don't do that whilein a barell roll. I tried it twice, and both time, if VIFF is done quickly at high bank, the aircraft departs.

Usually, yeah, maybe. But then I see things just don't work as instructed. There are discrepancies between what I experience and tuts I read and watch. So lets take AGM-65E employment. By default on start up -65E laser code is set to 1111. I want to change it , in flight to say 1540 (no it is not my ATM PIN). So in flight, Master mode is A/G set. Master Arm ON set. AGM-65E station select. the LMAV is box highllighted on left MPCD Seeker in UNCAGED Fuze IN (impact nose) press MPCD Left btn1 CODE to enter new code on UFC. So here we have problem, where there is a deviation of my experience form instruction. The CODE highlight DOES NOT stay highlighted. Maybe its a HOTAS problem of it issuing uncommanded function presses, or something else. YT videos clearly show that when CODE btn1 on left display is pressed it is highlighted and stays highlighted until new code is entered. So I cycle from A/G to NAV back to A/G to clear. Sometimes this works sometimes not. I see no pattern. But if under A/G the CODE is not highlighted new laser code entry is not possible. So if I cycle from AG to NAV and back to AG, sometimes CODE highlight remains highlighted. But that is not the end of the issue. I enter new in UFC, 1540, the default code 1111 is still displayed on left MPCD. I press ENT to set. Nothing happens. UFC is cleared, and LMAV code remains 1111. Cycle the system again. Takes a few times becouse CODE highlight box does not stay highlighted. The guy in the tutorial video gets a stable highlight of function, while I do not. If I do get a stable CODE highlight. I try again to enter new laser code. Same problem. I enter code, 1540, press ENT, (also tried it with SVE then ENT), and again nothing happens. LMAV code remains 1111. So I watch the video noting his button presses. Once again code is not being accepted. I am doing exactly what is being instructed, and I get failed results. I see that I am experiencing at certain steps, is different then what is being shown. Have no explanation , and thus not able to find cause. Except I am being told, that it is a user issue. OK, fine, lets leave it at 1111. I bring up TPOD, TDC ON, STBY OFF Master Mode is AG, Mastern ARM is ON. TPOD ARMED Laser mode is LASER. Using TDC I slew TPOD seeker onto nice bright target. Within 5nm , LASER is FIRED. TPOD is showing T is tracking, laser is designating. Uncage -65E . Display showing laser spot within LMAV circle. Fire. Hooray. Missile leaves the rail. And goes off into a random direction. Obviously not homing in to laser spot. There are other obvious discrepancies in tutorials. In a lot of them, especially with this nice British gentleman, he uses AGM-65D (IRMAV). In my arming menus I have E or G. No D. What is further odd, is that in Instant Action/Ready on Ramp mission, the aircraft is armed with D. But in re-arming menu, and in Mission Editor, the Mav D is not available. Only E and G. Perhaps, he modded his AV-8B , or he was using earlier build, or build unavailable to customers. I don't have much of an ego, I am perfectly willing and happy my errors. But I have to see them, and know where I am mistaken. But when I follow instructions to the letter, and get different results, or worse I have inconsistent results (even if fails), I start checking the source material. Right now in AV-8B I am getting somewhat inconsistent performance. The cold start procedure is one such area of consistent procedure yielding inconsistent results. 2 out of 3 times, cold start works just like advertised. But 1 out of 3, I get a fail start, where there is no engine spool. Everything is set, all correct as far as I can see. When ENG ST is switched on, APU GEN is automatically flicked to OFF. Having experienced this dozens of times, I know that for that mission , there is nothing to be done. Redoing the startup process will not work. Mission has to be ended and restarted.

Maybe, probably. OK its me. But still.

I guess I am just not seeing consistency of experience. 1 out three startups, the startup fails. Same process every time, same steps. For startup fail, (1 out 3), the ship is prepared, battery ON, GEN ON, APU GEN ON, fuel pumps ON, Fuel propostioner ON, DEFC ON. Fuel shutoff in DOWN EFC Pos1(or ). In 1 out 3 attepmts, as soon as ENG STR is flipped, APU GEN flips OFF and for this mission, the A/C will never start. Have to quit, and relaunch. Follow same process start up works. I am seeing similar issues with AGMs. Same procedures do nor have same outcomes. That is developer issue. Oh well.

Bombs and rockets, are basically artillery shells delivered by aircraft. They generally have three types fusing options. Standard PD (point detonation) also referred to as NI (nose impact), VT (Variable Time) fuze for above target detonation, and Tail fuzing for delayed detonation for focused lethality and cratering. For MK8X AIR Inflated Ballute and Snakeye retarded bombs we have NI and tail fuzing. But we are missing VT.

In A-10C, Mav screen notifies that mavs are spinning up. They have their internal INS gyros to spin up. Is there a countdown, in AV-8, aside from RDY HUD symbology?

Well I thought I did. I was firing off 65G. The problem returned when I added TPOD. So now, I am unable to UNCAGE 65G. I keep pressing and holding UNCAGE , the STRS has IRMV selected. FUZE is IN(or any non safe setting), MASTER ARM ON. STRS is on left screen. IRMV is highlighted. Station 2 and 6 are selected, MASTER mode is AG. At this point I should be able to UNCAGE IRMV, then Sensor FWD for make 65G my sensor of interes(SOI), lock and fire. But I can't. UNCAGE has no effect. I tried with TPOD in STBY ON and OFF. Tried TPOD TDC ON/OFF. I cannot UNCAGE 65G, and I do not know why! TPOD interfere bug? My procedure is wrong, I am missing a step? It is just RAZ made this kind of confusing and unintuitive. Harder then it needs to be.

H2O injection is Pegasus's thrust booster, same as afterburner, but using different concept. Aside from turning H2O on for either T/O or Land , digital engine control, controls amount of water based on power demand. Is it available in forward flight for speed boost, or energy recovery during ACM. "If A-10 is aircraft built around a gun, then surely AV-8 is aircraft build around an engine."- me

I think I discovered the issue. It appears there is a wacky issue with my X-56 Rhino. I encounter this issue in AV-8B and Mirage, but only in Harrier it is causing issue. Here's what happens. I have all the AV-8B HOTAS , sensors, and some MPCD functions mapped to X56. Irrespective of button that I activate, if there is stick deflection of any amount, W command is issued by control system. Pressing a fire trigger , simutaneously sends Stick trigger (btn 1) and W command. There may even be others I am not aware off. Now in most instances, this does not cause a problem, if it does I do not notice it. However with Sensor switches (on the throttle of X56) it does. It did not affect me, until I got to self-training of Harrier weapons. So the SOI (A-10C term, but it applies to AV-8B) switch, to make left MPCD the active sensor , with carret changing to -65G box, the sensor FWD was not being sent, regardless of how I mapped it. I got all the latest X56 drivers and latest Nvidia GPU drivers. So for whatever reason, for now at least, I cannot have that function on my HOTAS, it has to be a kbd keystroke. This issue is only in AV-8B, and maybe present in Mirage. I suspect , but hope I am wrong, that it has something to do with these exclusion buttons. I feature which I absolutely LOVE, and want in rest of modules. Where a function is off, unless some function is ON. So I mapped that push forward button on X56 throttle body to speed break. When it is forward, harrier air-brake is out, and off when switch in back position. Awesome functionality. I really appreciate everyone's help. Ya'guys are the best! Found this nice doc, though I suspect many here have watched it. Its about Av-8B prior to N/A version. With some interesting factoids. I surprised that with AV-8B, BAE(and UK MOD) lost control of HarrierII development, to Americans. Specifically McDonnel Douglass(now Boeing) and USMC.

Gonna back off and re-group. Sometang is jus' ain right. Gotta love it!

Sensor FWD is what is not functional. It won;t transfer control to IRMV. Just does not work!

I think I know why. Current version won't let me switch from TDC to IRMV. Not certain, becouse this is kind of messed up.

I dunno. Something is just not connecting. I thought that may be uncage is not working. But it is, tests OK in settings, and cages/uncages 65G. HUD reports U uncage. But either the lock is not functioning, or release is not working. Cause nothing, that I see, and follow the instructions, in Docs or in any videos is working. 65G will not fire, will not release. Other weapons are working fine. I do experience, a random odd mis-firing of AIM-9M, when I am in AG master mode and firing Zuni. Part of it , I think is RAZBAM. They make awosome sims. But some of their procedure , as far as user , is just weird.

OK this is BS. Target designation by VVM for G is just plain does not work. I place the VVM over tank, visible plainly in FLIR and i n uncaged G view with FOV . Press designate, and the seeker dances to somewhere else, without rhyme or reason. Either the instruction is incorrect, or my understanding of them is faulty, or something is just not working. Cause I am doing everything shown in YT videos, following the DOCs, and it is not working. The missile will not releae, or tracker will not lock. It is confusing, and I don't have a base from which to take corrective action.

The problem is that even if G tracks , in FOV view, it does not fire. It will NOT release , regardless of what I do!

Uncaged AGM-65G just will not lock on to a clear tank tgt . Just does not do it. At all. E model , without laser designation, is obviously, not usefull. Is this the same AGM-65G that is in A-10C?

What? Can we try again without acronyms please. Thank you.

Uncaged AGM-65E or 65G refuses to lock on. I am at a loss why my AGM-65 refuse to lock on, and fire. Caged or uncaged. Makes no difference.

Good idea! Get really good with flying and landing AV-8B, without interruption of rotary flight. THen re-introduce rotary into back your reputare. To keep the skills. I have to go back to practice Mig-21bis landings. Becouse landing Mig-21 is not 'difficult' or tricky, it just requires certain actions at certain time, with pre-conditions, that require practice. If I land Mig-21bis as I land F-5E, with same speeds, same flare, I will most likely bend the gear. If I land F-5E same as I land A-10C, the touchdown will go well, but I tend to loose control on on the landing roll. So each type has quirks. AV-8B is touchy on taxi speeds. Normal taxi speed where I can turn F-5E, A-10C, or any tricycle, will flip AV-8B on its side. I have a standard for myself, not yet achieved. Combat aside. I should be able to , with no notice, on a whim, get into any of my high fidelity modules (gigitey), and fly it safely, and land in any weather, with any load (gigitey X2) safe for the type. That includes memory only cold starts. In RW, this is a bad idea and is not allowed. KA-50, A-10C, Mig-21bis, UH-1H, M2KC, AV-8B, F-5E. I don't care for WWII types. SU-25T and FC3 are extra credit, until they become high fidelity.

It is a term most often used when training with small arms. Some bad habits can result in trainining scars. Most often, finger on the trigger, when carrying a firearm. My training NCO, fixed this by crushing our trigger finger into the side of mag well or onto safety (M16/M4). Pain seemed to work. With respect to to DCS. When using throttle of my X56 in collective mode, the throttle direction is reversed. After 10 years of DCS and KA-50, I have to fight muscle memory of vertically landing a helicopter vs. vertically landing a Harrier. VT/O is not a problem, nor is conventional or short T/O. Conventional or short Landing is not a problem. Only vertical landing. The ground effect and H20 injection are nicely modeled. Once you bring in AV8 into pre-land stable hover, you have to follow with nice smooth slow, reduction in throttle, until touchdown. How smooth and slow depends on gross weight. I really have to concentrate and resist my arm's desire to push throttle up on touch down. Giggitey!