DaveRindner

In short my AI wingman , never replies, and never follows instructions. UHF is in preset mode with 251 or 305 frequency on channel 1. Communicating through Main UHF I have yet to hear a reply from AI wingman, though the communications, in flight , appear as solid font, indicating that proper radio mode is being used. This perhaps is RTFM, but I am confused in Mirage. Which radio is used for wingmen, which one is for JTAC, and which is for tower. I thought that same radios as in A-10C, and F-5E, but like I said, I get no replies. UHF - communicate with wingmen (251, 305, etc..) frequencies, airborne FAC. V/UHF- ATC/Tower and JTAC. Either on the ground - ground crew. P.S. Does anyone think that Mirage2KC landing are very easy. For me they are very easy , and I was expecting high speed approach, and high AOA on flare for VV of about 1 m/s. Nose is very stable. Mig-21Bis nose dances a quite a bit on final, F-5E also but somewhat less. My approach speed is 250 knots IAS, slowing down to 180 knots IAS at inner marker, 150-160 at threshold depending on weight, touch down, pop chute or just use breaks. With gear down, a 'gun' cross appears on HUD stabilized at TD point. Fly the path marker into cross at landing speed and config, lands fine. No bent gear and no blown tires, assuming those are modeled in M2KC. I guess the simulated FBW is doing its job.

I got M2KC about a week ago. I also have F-5E maybe for 1/2 year. I like Mirage a lot, but I love F-5E. I say get both, but get F-5E first, learn how to fly this figher in WVR first, and air-ground using relatively simple air-ground procedures and tactics. F-5E , IMHO, is the most enjoyable of DCS high fidelity modules. Once you have licked F-5E, transition to Mirage. The avionics are sophisticated, and I am trying to learn them. To manage avionics , sensors, and weapons in Mirage, while learning how to fly and nav, is too much at same time. Mirage feels stiff in flight, and that is due to simulated FBW FCS. It is extremely precise. maybe too precise. Start-up and INS nav systems are most demanding to use, if you don't want to cheat with marker on kneepad, of F10 view. Unfortunately , in my case, Mirage manual start-up is crash prone during INS spin-up. Mirage is fast down low, and climbs crazy, when its clean. In Normandy map with standard day weather (68 deg F) QNH of 29.90, with clean Mirage and 1/2 internal fuel only. At 100 feet AGL, at 70% power, thr aircraft books at 620 knots IAS or faster. Almost speed of sound. DCS, sadly, does not model, or appears not to model, buffeting and turbulence during NOE flight. F-5E , and Mirage both are smooth and stable. Doing 500-550 knots IAS at 100 feet AGL, should buffet and shake aircraft. But I don't see this in any DCS module, and I never ever ever use Game options. I do have an issue with Mirage night time cockpit . Way too dark, IMHO. F-5E cockpit is just right at night. A little detail are mirrors. F-5E, has the best rendered mirrors that don't impact performance. The texture resolution is same as world. In other modules, mirror have this blurry, poorly anti-aliased look, that is irritating. Current DCS has a bug-feature that does not occlude beacon lights, causing very irritating epileptic seizure strobing inside cockpit. This is DCS wide issue. In F-5E it is weak. But in Mirage anti-collision beacon is bright and irritating, especially at night.

Its just a pain in the rear, to reprogramme controls for all the modules I have. A-10C, KA-50, FC3+J11A+SU-25T, Mig-21Bis. F-5E, UH-1H, Av-8B N/A, M2KC.

2.5.2.18736 So both DCS and DCS beta have same revision 18736. So does that mean all updates from now on will apply only to 2.5.2 Stable ?

I am one of those who prefers a detailed study sim. with real world flight model, and systems. The break in period takes me longer, as I have a career to look after. What I would to see from ED and their partners is LOD style flight model for a given AI aircraft. Especially if that AI unit is a type that possesses an PFM. For adversaries far away, from player's flight a simple A-> B transform flight model. As adversary and player get closer prior to merge, advanced or professional flight model takes over. This applies to enemy aircraft engaged by blue team's missiles. PFM is turned on for targeted unit. So a player F/A-18C , or any PFM enabled type,fighting AI SU-27 has a more accurate experience. SU-27 inclose guns range or WVR (less then 10 nm in DCS) AI wpuld use PFM. Farther then 10nm, AI SU-27 would switch standard flight model. Farther then 20nm AI Flanker would use simplest possible model.

I love all the buttons and switches and sliders inside cockpits of DCS: modules. That is on hi fidelity PFM/ASM and detailed working controls. The clutter is pretty. One of my favorite cockpits, not yet in DCS , is Sepecat jaguar. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=gzXEBnmh&id=CA31D39078362183DA17E1C858FDF5959A2C9B62&thid=OIP.gzXEBnmh_IKBFJSnACO_sgHaE8&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fc1.staticflickr.com%2f9%2f8056%2f8128878207_4e2815b3a3_b.jpg&exph=683&expw=1024&q=Sepecat+Jaguar+cockpit&simid=608011713331334063&selectedIndex=5&ajaxhist=0 AV-8B cockpit https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=TY22mIf%2f&id=896BA4C3219AD31CD720A0C57290F3904C38DB57&thid=OIP.TY22mIf_ZbtLAXSFUIpy0QHaHe&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.boeingimages.com%2fDocs%2fBOE%2fMedia%2fTR3_WATERMARKED%2f6%2f3%2f5%2f0%2fBI46645.jpg&exph=1024&expw=1014&q=AV-8B+Night+Attack+cockpit&simid=608053486121651515&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0 Looks insanely complex in real world. Then there is F-35 cockpit. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=mTbgpooW&id=2DDC9C953DAE4CFF8D1C50D6EE3EC2765BD977C0&thid=OIP.mTbgpooW3uvyhkSaC1UF1AHaE_&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F99%2F36%2Fe0%2F9936e0a68a16deebf286449a0b5505d4.jpg&exph=416&expw=618&q=F-35+Instruments&simid=607989495459352149&selectedindex=2&ajaxhist=0 Nice and clean, I thought. Then realized that the side panels of cockpit are covered , for security.

A combat loaded AV-8B with tanks, gunpod, center ECM or LITENING pod, bombs, and two AIM-9Ms, looks about as aerodynamic as a washing machine with jetpipe. How exactly does it stay in air with cold and hot nozzles pointed to the rear? Don't get me wrong, it is a 'pretty' mean looking aircraft

Thank you for the link. If set speed in YT to .5, narrator sounds like Lurch. At .25 Lurch is drunk, and high on weed, LSD, and shrooms at same time.

I taught myself Maya, Houdini, Realflow, Nuke,Arnold, Mantra, Rendrman, liquid/fluid simulation, rigid body dynamics, cloth simulation. Have not conquered crowd simulation yet. I have committed to memory start up for A-10C, UH-1H, F-5E, KA-50, MIG-21. If I can do all that I can conquer startup for Mirage and AV-8B. Now watch me and my big mouth fail epic.

OK, a little better thank you. However snags I am encountering. On page 10Start, after setting the rotaries to ALN and STS, I get no countdown, and ALN light is blinking, and never stops. On page 13Start , IFF rotary is nonfunctional. The rotary is not responding to mouse button clicks, or mouse center rotary. IFF selector is kinda dead. On page 17Start After setting fuel and APU fuel as shown, then pressing Engine Start Switch for 1 second. I get no lightoff. The engine remains cold. The Fuel Cutoff Switch and its cover are not clearly shown, or described. Which way is DISABLED? Is it supposed to be in right-most position or in left-most. This is the kind of missing detail, or incorrectly shown, that I was referring to. I tried it both ways, but nogo on engine start. At this point I Quit mission, then launch mission to try again. Same fail. Tried it 3X. Same result no lightoff. Same fails as described above . The start up slide show is not working in my case. I cannot tell where I fail to perform a step correctly. Up to page17. Very frustrating. But your assistance is appreciated. Thank you.

OK, thank but where does it say that the coordinate displays are windows. All they show are two dashes.

An obvious solution to voice directed tutorial missions, is an error check. If the user makes an error, the voice over would say so "Looks like you made a mistake at setting 'FUNCTION'. Correct and Press Space." Or something similar. Right now, the start up can be hosed up and down, and tutorial is not effected, and user often is unaware that error has been made.

There is a disconnect between instructions and actual user experience. I am at a loss as to how to enter INS coordinates. When I go through procedure, I set the dials, PRESS 2 for N latitude, then try to punch in coordinates on kneeboard, and INS panel does not acknowledge clicks. I press numbers with mouse, but beyond first digit, no numbers are accepted. I do not why, and tutorials provides no explanation. "In case that INS pad refuses to accept numbers, do the following;" This is missing. Blinking ALN button, refuses the press. It is confusing. Whether in Georgia or Nevada, 3/4 of time INS entry procedure crashes M2K and DCS. Thats on the developer. There are other important details as to dials. Maybe it is a French thing, maybe it is just how the 3D cockpit is lit, but many of the rotary dials are difficult to impossible to tell where they are set to. INS selector is excellent example. Is the pointer 'DOWNLINE' or 'UPLINE' . It is is not explained. And in many lighting conditions, it is shaded so flat, that there is no up or down. Trial and error rotation just end with DCS crash! So having a look at at whats going on in M2K during startup is probably warranted. Engine control switches, same thing. ON/OFF can't tell. Follow start up procedure, turn them on(single click on each), then hold START button down for 1 second. Nothing, no engine start, no error message. As I said, there is a disconnect between instruction and actual user experience.

I don't see any white point on the dials. On dials that have a white line, are still confusing, becouse I cannot tell the direction that dial is facing. Rotating a dial places the white line as pointing at two different options. But becouse there is no shading, its all dark, it is impossible to tell what the dial is set too. M2K is the only module I have this problem in. My gamma is set to 2.2, but regardless, engine switches are lost in black. I have no idea which is ON/OFF. Its really bad. What in the bloody heck is goin here. I ask myself. I increase Gamm to MAX 3.5. All I get is pure grey and I still cannot see the switch settings.

The radio radial dials are f'ed seriously. Regardless of how bright I set gamma, I cannot tell the mode that switch is set to. Not at all. Tutor is saying set to M, but I cannot tell as there is no discernible pointer on the dial.

I am sorry but these guided training missions do not work for me. I cannot tell what the switches are set to, the graphics are just not working for me. Pressing buttons , that are specified to be pressed, fails to press when clicked on. RAZBAM needs to review these training material. It is working poorly. Or perhaps I am just a bad student.

The blinking ALN light button that is suppoused to be pressed, according to tutotial, is refusing to be pressed. Clicking on it, does nothing, the light keeps blinking. I bet, as with other tutotials for other systems, outside of DCS, like in my day career, the issue is same. The tutorial leaves out some small minor detail, that is not small an minor, or fails to describe what the feedback of action should be. This has caused innumerable hours of student pain, in so many walks of life.

I dunno , I feel that there is some kind of mental disconnect between myself and M2000 startup tutorials. I am doing the cold start in Nevada. After entering INS cords and its time to enter altitude. Placed Data Selection Knob to ALT. Then I hit a mental block. "Now You can set feet or meters with Left or Right Windows" RIGHT THERE I have zero clue what windows is it referring to. I don't see anything that remotely shows FEET or METERS. Windows what windows? Then instructions fade of the screen as mission waits for you to press SPACE, after entering ALT data, which I cannot do! If I press SPACE it continues, but startup is now wrong. Because the descriptors it uses are not clear!

I do have NTTR. But Training cold start mission is set in Georgia.

MH-53 special ops and rescue . CH-47D "Guns-A-Go-Go", MV-22. NH-90, S-64 Sky Crane/CH-54 Tarhee, MI-26. CH-148/S-92. However , I believe that rescue and heavy lift is not well suited to consumer combat-sim market. Those modules would be training platforms for real world. Attack helicopters is much better AH-64A/D but not E MI-28N AH-1W Eurocopter(Airbus Helicopters) Tiger Agasta Mangusta MI-24VN

F-104. Rocket shaped coffin with a man in it! Womp! Womp! Kelly Johnson was a super-genious of aerospace. So were his designs. Created by super-geniuses, and requiring super talented genius pilots to fly them safely. As Col Rich Graham, a former 9th Reconnaissance Wing CO, and SR-71 pilot, said. In normal planes, pilots's mission and task was the whatever mission he had to do. Fight air-air, drop bombs, etc.. But not in SR-71. With SR-71 a pilot spent 100% of his time, flying the aircraft. The mission came second. F-104, while not as extreme as SR, still required 90% of pilo's attention just to fly it safely. Just like SR it produced super proud orange bag (high altitude flight suit with high vis orange) wearing crews. Unlike SR, F-104 produced dead crews by dozen. In USAF, CFAF, and Luftwaffe. After 104 USAF demanded safer handling supersonic designs. Its weird and wacky, but after mid 1960's, USAF designs did not feature high mach. Except SR-71. Mach numbers have remained pretty constant, if not slower. F-101( remember her), F-4 had 2.2 mach top speed at altitude clean. F-15 is mach 2.2 on a good day. F-16 , when clean in afterburner, at altitude, on a good day, is lucky to break Mach 2. Even though mach 2.2 was design goal. On operation missions, without AB, F-16C and F-15E are subsonic. Maybe 400 to 500 knots top at low altitude, on fence penetration, and approach to target. F/A-22A while it has better performance above 45K on standard day, then F-15C, and SU-27/30/33/35, including MKI. It is not faster, and may in fact be a little slower then SU at 35K but better above 40K. Point is that speed performance has stabilized at Mach 2.2. MIG-31 cannot break 2.4 with weapon load. MIG-25RB has never hit anything above 2.8. -25 would need new engines if it went above M2.5. Russian claim that both are Mach 3 designs are a little 'aspirational'. However MIG-31 can climb to a really high ceiling. It is a natural air breathing Russian platform for ASAT, anti-missile, and anti-HIVAL (i.e. AWACS and VC platforms) missions. F-15A/B specially configured to carry ASAT missile in late 1970's and early 1980's tests, zoom climbed to about 55K-60K ASL for release. F-15E configured for same ASAT mission, as proposed by Boeing, is also claims (unclassified) 55K as operational release . Both had no radar, no gun, and lightened airframe with max G limitation, and reduced fuel. Basically a stripped 'streak' Eagle airframe with single center pylon for ASAT missile. Sorry for getting off the subject. But F-104 is a trigger for me.

As title says. The problem comes early, when it is time to align INS. The voiceover and highlighting is kind of confusing as to what set to what. To make the problem worse, entering INS data causes DCS to crash.

On X-56 I set one of the circle nobs on throttle as nozzle rotation knob, at it seems OK.

Soviets , in their day, made their cockpits very similar. Mig-29, SU-27, Mig-23, Mig-27 had cokpit layouts and avionics in a very similar configuration. A pilot could go from -29 to SU-25 with minimal OCU. Look at Soviet Gen 1 and Gen 2 tactical jets, mig-15, SU-7, SU-9, Mig-17, Mig-19. The cockpits looked identical. I was shocked, but not too much, when RT showed Putin sitting in a TU-22M cockpit, in pilot command seat. The instrument panel, stick and throttle, looked so similar to SU-27 in DCS. Can't be said for Western designs. F-16 pit is different from F-15. AV-8 is very different form others pit. May have some similarity to F/A-18 and A-4. F-4 pilot seat is different from A-10. I think they only commonality is left to right workflow for start up and reverse for shut-down. Electrics ON,comms ON APU ON, Fuel ON, start engines, APU OFF, generators ON, avionics ON, sensors ON, check xmas tree for faults, ejection UNSAFED, canopy close, taxi. THe emergency procedures are also different, somewhat for different types. This is what worries me most. Some emergencies should be muscle memory. Compare F-16C Block 30pit procedures, to Jaguar, and Tornado. Very different. In DCS, compare M2K to AV-8B to F-5E, to F-15C(assuming a future full PFM and ASM with clickable pit).

Thank you for the offer. Perhaps some time. I don't want to waste anyone's time, untill I get out of the noob phase with AV-8BNA. Plus, I am not certain I dig DCS in network mode. For AA and AG, formation flying, its great. But something happens to DCS when landing in network mode. It looks wrong, and feels weird. The aircraft control lacks fine refinement, gear sinks into deck and ground. AG CCIP is less precise, same for cannons. During flight, there would be a snap update of few feet or less. Like the whole aircraft attitude and position , hickups.