Switch625

That panel looks NICE! How are you getting the nice black finish compared to the panels next to it where you can clearly see the 3D printer 'texture'? Are you painting it? using acetone smoothing? Maybe walk us thru what method you've settled on for finishing the text etc for the panels. Thanks, and great work!

Hi guys, I've got a lot of 3D CAD experience, but I don't do software so i have no idea how to use a Git Hub? And i'm only vaguely aware its some sort of version control repository. Can anyone give me some pointers of where i should even start trying to figure this out? I can download individual files and look at them, but for assemblies i need to do a bunch of individual downloads. I'm almost positive this isn't the proper way to use this Git thing! Thanks

Haha... i knew as soon as i wrote it, that someone would point that out. I was trying to use the forum colloquial term, but as you point out thats an inaccurate and possibly misleading term. :thumbup: Also, i breifly checked out the P-825... wow! A tone of awesome info! As mentioned they have an entire timeline sequence for intercept along with info on when to employ etc... I gota get reading!:smartass:

I think this is only useful for a non-maneuvering target. IIRC there's a Jetstream episode where the students run thru this type of intercept, fighting for their gates etc. (I cant remember if the gate numbers are the exact same, but i assume they are.) In that episode they referenced using this in NORAD intercepts of Bear bombers, or to intercept airliners. I think if the bandit is putting his nose on you, then you're into a whole new set of tactics. I'd put my nose on him and close until I'm within fox3 range. at that point its whatever BVR tactics you want to use (f-pole maneuver etc).

Interesting. So what IS affected by the aircraft design? I'm just now starting to get into all the technical BFM theory: rate vs radius fight, Corner speed etc. So i'm still trying to internalize some basic concepts, and this post was quite helpful. Just looking for some more enlightenment!:smilewink:

According to the Bingo Profile charts, descents are all done at: "250 KCAS idle thrust decent". The distance to start decent varies based on weight and drag index.

I'm with you on that one Razor. I'm not seeing how adding mass on your wingtip helps roll rate. The increased rolling moment of inertia should have a negative impact on roll rate. Unless there's some other factor created by the reduced flutter that out weighs ;) the increased inertia? not sure how that would work though. Can anyone confirm that having 120s on the tips helps roll rate?

It’s the basic catch 22 with automated systems. If the reliability is not near 100% then you’ll need to be proficient in the manual mode. Only way to do that is lots of practice in manual mode. So you never end up taking advantage of the automated system. So why even have the system! (This is also what makes me nervous about unleashing self driving cars onto the general public! :()

As Blue said the key advantage in doing it yourself is that you KNOW the model is correct. Almost all components have a dimensioned drawing in their datasheet and once you get the hang of it, it wont take long to model them up. That being said if you're just mucking about with a concept and dont care too much about accuracy, i've found a few decent component models on GrabCAD. I dont personally use F360 so i dont know what file types it supports, but i think most models on grabcad have generic 3D file types you should be able to use?

So tactically speaking when should we use RWS/LTWS vs TWS? Do we start with RWS/LTWS while we're building SA, then switch to TWS when we commit on a group?

Thanks. I've always been suspicious of the quality of the low prices on sites like these. I've read somewhere that for discrete components (eg LEDs) you really need to account for a few duds and test everything. What are your experiences with the quality of the Arduinos? are they "inexpensive" or are they "cheap"?

Wow. I guess i didnt realize how cheap they can be. i was just going off the 'official' Arduino store prices, which i assumed was inflated, but i didnt realize by how much! That certainly shifts the cost-benefit equation! Thanks! :thumbup:

Did you look into making your own custom pcb with arduino and RS485 combined on a single board? Just wondering because you're using a lot of Nanos and building a lot of MAX487 boards. The nanos can get expensive. I know you can reduce the cost of Arduino by building them yourself. Although i'm not really sure by how much and if its worth it, especially if you're ordering custom PCBs. Just curious if you looked at this route at all, and considered time/performance/complexity/cost/size trade offs?

I wonder if you're referring to vernier throttles? Like on cessna where you can push and pull the throttle for coarse adjustments, and then rotate the knob for a finer control?

I’ve been looking at the charts in the A1-F18AC-NFM-200 for some realistic climb profiles. It looks like climbs are performed at a constant KCAS airspeed, then at some altitude transition to constant Mach Number. Ex: Fig 11-23 – Climb Speed Schedule: with a drag index of 75, climb at 425 KCAS until 25,000ft, then climb at Mach .83 From a quick Google search, i found that civilian aircraft do this to avoid exceeding the Mach limit of the airframe (Mmo). https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/35408/what-is-the-reason-for-changing-the-speed-reference-ias-or-mach-number-with-al But surely a supersonic fighter jet wont be in danger of reaching an airframe Mach limit!? Whats going on from an aerodynamics point of view, that makes the switch form constant calibrated airspeed, to constant mach number ideal? Thanks!

Amazing work and fantastic thread! I especially appreciate the quality photos (and plenty of them) that you post. Well lit, well composed, and they really do a great job of showcasing your excellent work! I have a few questions regarding threading 3D printed parts. In general how do you find the quality of threading into printed material? On parts that you frequently remove and re-assemble, are the threads holding up? What size/type of screws do you use? Does your software allow you to change the infill % around the holes for stronger threads?... would this help? Sorry for the barrage of questions. We’re looking at 3D printers at work, and have some concerns regarding the thread quality. Thanks again for you excellent service to the community! :thumbup:

So is this a bug in DCS, or a limitation of a real hornet?

Its my understanding that the CF-18s also have a different suite of radios, including the addition of an ILS. Can anyone confirm this? There's also the often mentioned spot light on the side Any other minor differences that anyone knows of?

OK... now THAT makes more sense to me. Thanks for clearing that up! ... also a quick google image search revealed a number of photos of carrier landings WITH bombs. :music_whistling:

While not landing with bombs kinda makes sense to me, it also seems very wasteful. Even if we're only talking dumb bombs, I would imagine the costs would add up. Are there any numbers published about how many $ of ordinance is just jettisoned? When a bomb is jettisoned, I assume its still dangerous. Does this mean there's hundreds (thousands?) of dangerous bombs just sitting on the ocean floor near conflict areas just waiting or an offshore oil exploration submarine to accidentally set it off? Are there designated areas where pilots are supposed to jettison un-used bombs? or is it just wherever they decide is safe?

I just finished reading this article series. https://fightersweep.com/1539/hornet-vs-viper-part-two/ He mentions that bags can be placed behind the seat in a hornet. Also there appears to be a few small panels... "Behind the seat, there’s a large open area called the “hell hole” where a bag or two can fit next to the 8MM tape recorders, and there are two panels on the side of the jet where bags can be stuffed next to wheel chocks and intake covers"