Zeus67

We will check your observation and if a change is indeed needed we will do it.

Hello folks. It's been a long time since I posted anything. This one is just out. Please be kind. I've been read the riot act for not learning how do a proper attack profile. This is a flight test of the ARBS - LST mode. LST stands for Laser Spot Tracking. The ARBS DMT sensor detects a laser spot and locks and tracks it. You can use guided and unguided weapons with the spot.

I think this will answer your question:

Yes, it has. When you press the switch, chaff and flares will be released as per the selected program.

Thanks for clarifying. BTW, in software development "hard coding" something means that it is written in the code and cannot be changed by the user. Having said that, you are asking if the DCS AV-8B NA HOTAS buttons have multiple functionality. The answer is yes. They do. Just like in the M-2000C. For example in the M-2000C the NWS switch has two functions: With landing gear down, it enables/disables the nose wheel steering. With landing gear up, it starts an IFF interrogation. Same with the AV-8B NA. These are the current HOTAS keybinds available: -- Stick Trigger: Fire Gun/Launch Sidewinder, Sidearm Bomb Pickle: Release Bombs/Launch Rockets or Mavericks/Release Illumination flares. A/A Mode FWD: Sidewinder (Boresight) A/A Mode AFT: Sidewinder (SEAM) A/A Mode DOWN: Gun Trim Pitch DOWN Trim Pitch UP Trim Bank LEFT Trim Bank RIGHT WP Increment/IR MAV Polarity Change (*) Emergency SAAHS Disconnect Sensor Select FWD: INS, IRMV/EOMV (*) Sensor Select AFT: DMT: LST/TV Sensor Select LEFT: MAP Center/Decenter Sensor Select RIGHT: FLIR HUD: On WH/BH/Off Sensor Select DOWN: HUD Rejects/TGP (*) AG Target Undesignate /NWS / FOV Toggle (*) -- Throttle ECM Dispense AFT: Chaff ECM Dispense FWD: Flares ECM Dispense RIGHT: All ECM Dispense LEFT: Mini Jammer Cage/Uncage Toggle Engine Air Start Emergency Flap Retraction COMM FWD: Select COMM 1 COMM AFT: Select COMM 2 Airbrake TOGGLE Airbrake ON Airbrake OFF TDC Up TDC Down TDC Left TDC Right AG Target Designate TDC Action/No Action Toggle Throttle Cutoff (*) Functionality changes based on certain parameters like master modes and selected weapons.

The flight model is being reviewed by a current AV-8B Plus pilot. He is happy with the fm overall but have detailed a few tweaks to engine start. Eventually you will see a video of air refueling.

YOu are correct and it is my fault. I misread the line on the manual about the ASL. No problem. I will fix it ASAP.

This is a test of the AV-8B NA DMT sensor, the camera at the tip of the nose. I'm using it to do precision bombing without using guided munitions, just plain old MK-82s. When the entire system is complete I will do an annotated video to explain everything.

I'll check but I guess it would be restricted to American and NATO aircrafts only since I doubt any Russian based aircraft would have the beacon installed.

No, sorry.

No error. It is that SOP for DMT lock is as follows: 1. You fly towards your target. 2. You set the VVM over your target. 3. Press the LOCK button. System will lock the geographical position of your target. But since you are doing it from long distance, there will be an error over what you thought the target is vs. to where it really is. Even if you use DMT, the zoom factor makes it a bit difficult, so the lock spot many times will be off target by a small value. 4. If the lock spot is off target, you use TDC to move the spot where the target is. That's it. Of course, you can also use the TDC to select the target from the DMT without having to point the aircraft towards it. But that is not the recommended practice. Why? Probably because it distracts you from flying the aircraft and can create a target fixation problem, specially if you are attacking heavily defended targets. The recommended way, you get a quick target lock and can update position as required by using TDC and HUD. You don't need the DMT video but it can be used for fine tuning the lock with a quick glance. No need to go heads down.

It has something akin to it. It is called Beacon Radar. It was first implemented on the A-7. It is an active interrogator, when active it will send an interrogation signal that will be answered by similarly equipped aircraft. In the A-7, the results were displayed in the radar screen. Remember that the A-7 could not use its radar for AA. It was a specialized AG radar. There is no public documents on how it works in the AV-8B NA since it is a defensive system so very likely it is heavily classified, but I assume that the Beacon works with the Map and the RWR by showing friendly units in the map and tagging the RWR returns as friendly. So while it won't help you detect enemy aircrafts, it will help you in determining who is friend or foe. The only condition is that the other aircraft must have the same equipment.

Yes. You can always make adjustments to the lock with the TDC. That is called "sweetening" the lock.

I just saw this thread. Thank you very much for your welll wishes. I appreciate them. Thanks.

It works only from missile to DMT not the other way around. The DMT will lock on the sidewinder target, allowing you to see it and identify before shooting it.

I'll try to find the document where I read this.

IIRC the lethality of the AIM-7 was increased when the guidance package was changed from "direct hit" to "get really close". The original AIM-7s were trying to get a hit on the fuselage and their lethality was poor. The guidance was changed from direct hit to get above the fuselage, which combined with the proximity fuse improved the odds of killing a target. It was the same with the original sidewinders, to the point that during oen of the many Indian/Pakistan engagements an unexploded Sidewinder B was lodged in the hull of an Indian Mig. From there the soviets developed their AA-2 Atoll. I'm speaking from memory but I think that the goal moved from hitting the fuselage to getting real close and let the shrapnel do its job.

Well, the DMT can be used in A-A mode to help look for and identify targets at ranges above common visual range. I'm trying to ascertain if it could be used to lock onto AA targets and aid in the interception that way by giving a steering command. As for using a sidewinder for AG, well I think that is not possible in DCS and while it may be possible in RL, I think that the results could be disappointing. The problem is the guidance software. An AA missile does not look for a direct hit but to get real close the its target so that when the warhead detonates, the shrapnel will devastate their unarmored victim. Aircraft have difficulties flying when full of holes. Ground/sea vehicles are mores sturdier. They could survive because the holes are not enough to kill it, and there may not even be any hole if the target is armored. So AG missiles go for full contact impact before detonation.

Take into consideration that the nozzles lever is reversed. The nozzles 0 position is forward an its maximum rotation 99 degrees is fully aft.

This is my flightsim pit. I work here coding and flying our aircrafts. In this case the AV-8BNA. There are a couple of new stuff here: The Logitech G910 keyboard that I just received yesterday and the two XKeys programmable keyboards. XK-60 Keyboard, configured as the AV-8B NA's UFC. Unfortunately I can't still make the top row work in DCS, but the other 40 buttons work like a charm. XK-12 Joystick. I bought this for the joystick. So I can test axis movements with a spring loaded joystick that returns to 0 as soon as you release it. Both XKeys devices are pricey but those were purchased as business expenses. The Logitech G910 was me deciding that I deserve one so I bought it. :) Now I need the pedals but those will wait for a while. My wallet must recover from these purchases.

If you have a lever for the nozzles. No problem.

Images from the latest DMT test. Two remaining issues: TDC and Laser Track. BTW, due to a recent information received all colors were changed to green. The AV-8B NA only uses color for the color map. Everything else is green. It is for easier use with NVGs. I will make a CCRP bombing run video when the TDC is working. A self laser tracking bomb run video will be made when the TGP is fully working. Here is the initial run of the bombing run. The DMT video has been enabled through HOTAS I'm just checking the targets using the video camera. No target selection yet. Turning around. The center of the DMT FOV is the center of the VVM in the HUD. The DMT camera has a sun shutter that will activate when the camera eye is in the vicinity of the sun. Video will be disabled and DMT will enter into the NO VIDEO mode. Target locked and making a bomb run. The camera is locked on the target while I am maneuvering to align with it. DMT enters into NO VIDEO mode when the aircraft flies over the locked target and gimbal limits are reached. The ARBS saves the locked target position so the pilot can fly around and attack if again DMT reenters into VIDEO mode as soon as the camera is within gimbal limits. Since ARBS saved the target position, lock is resumed without pilot interaction.

After reading about that whole TDC mess. I decided that I need all sensors working before I deal with it. So, here it is: The Dual Mode Tracker DMT. One of the integral parts of the Angle Rate Bombing System ARBS. The DMT basically works like an integrated TGP, except that it does not have a laser designator nor FLIR. But it can lock on laser spots and do video target locks. With the DMT, INS, ADC and SMS, all of which are modeled in the DCS aircraft, the ARBS can calculate impact point and do auto weapons release for ALL the weapons the AV-8B NA can carry. The DMT has two main modes: VIDEO and NO VIDEO. In VIDEO mode it will show a 6:1 magnified image to the pilot. It can be shown in any MPCD but if commanded by HOTAS, it will be shown in the right MPCD. When the DMT is not locked on a target, it is slaved to the Velocity Vector. That means that you can use the HUD's VVM to select and lock a target as well as use the **bleep** TDC. Here's a video test of the DMT:

The DMT is just like the litening, except it does not have a laser designator and flir.

The TGP TDC? Not likely. Integration would have gone the other way, for the aircraft recognizing the TGP as a sensor and thus providing direct interaction between it and the aircraft's weapons.