roadrabbit

It's NOT a HUD Problem! :smartass: If you are used to simming and flying other aircraft in programs like FSX just using a keyboard, then good luck! If you are new to simming and try and fly the DCS World A-10C with a keyboard, then you are setting yourself up for frustration at best and at worst to fail. Best advice - get a joystick. Any joystick will be better than using the keyboard. :joystick:

For what it's worth - see below:D

:huh: Silly question - have you tried to taxy the aircraft forward on the runway a short distance whilst maintaining exactly on the centre-line? Is the nose-wheel steering green light illuminated whilst doing this? Does the light now still point off at 5 degs to one side? If so, try to taxy the aircraft forwards on the runway, but this time turn to a 45 deg angle to the runway, move to the side of the runway, then turn back to the centre-line and regain the centre-line pointing exactly to the centre of the runway in the far distance. Does the runway light still have an off-set? The results from the above will help to isolate the probelem :D

Anyone who has been to Moscow Sheremetievo or Vnukova airports will agree about bumpy runways. Just like those modelled in DCS world the runways are constructed from rectangular blocks of concrete. These have always spoiled otherwise good landings by civil aircrew - the passengers all think that the landing wasn't so good, but its just the slightly irregular runway surface. :huh:

:smartass: Spot on! As one respondent said earlier, there is a lot going on here. In the real world as each wheel rolls it will get variable friction drag from the wheel itself and the rolling resistance between wheel and runway. Therefore you will always need to control the direction of the aircraft during the take-off roll. Even driving a car you need to continually make steering corrections - see how learners 'steer' when they first start driving. After a while it becomes automatic and the corrections experienced drivers make are generally very small. From some of the previous comments it would appear that some think that all you need to do is point it straight at the beginning of the t/o roll and that should be it - unfortunately this is just not so. If your nosewheel light is pointing off to one side it is a safe bet that your nosewheel is pointing that way too, so start the t/o roll with the light pointing straight too. Also, to counter one engine spooling up faster than the other, open up power as they do in the real world: stand the thrust levers up about 1/3 power, pause 2 to 3 seconds to let power stabilise (big jets like the B747 require longer for their engines to stabilise away from idle - up to 5 to 6 seconds, due to their inertia), then smoothly open up to full power, but DON'T slam them open - again, take about 3 seconds. This will allow the engines to spool up together. You will be surprised how much smoother and more stabilised everything becomes. :thumbup:

Don't we all! :D

:book: Hmmmmm! I think this thread is going in the wrong direction. The engines on the A-10c produce 8,900 pounds of static thrust. The engines on a Boeing 707-400 produce over 75,000 pounds of thrust. If engines produced a torque that made an aircraft yaw (for that is what is being suggested) then aircraft like the B747 would have an even bigger tendency to yaw. But this is not what happens - therefore the explanation cannot be right. My feeling is that what is being experienced is due to incorrect trim for take-off and a degree of over-controlling. My experience on the DCS A-10C means that I set up before take-off as follows: Line up on runway - set 'neutral' trim on the button on the left panel - check the ordinance loaded visually - give a 'blip' left or right on the stick 'coolie hat' to counter any 'visual' drag from the ordinance. Then, advancing the thrust levers to full power as per the manual, use only small amounts of rudder to keep straight (remembering there is a small delay before the effect of any rudder movement). Disengage the NSW early (before 50 knots indicated) because any lack of steering control before the rudders become effective is compensated for by reduced over-controlling by the pilot (me!). This has given me far more stable and controlled take-off runs. When doing formation take-offs I am thus less likely to take out my buddy. He really appreciates this :D

Mostly correct, BUT .......... At take-off the weight of the aircraft must be distributed so that the centre of gravity is within the safe limits (not "off" as quoted) - otherwise the plane would be unflyable. As the fuel is used up during normal flight the consumption (and also the design layout of the fuel tanks) is arranged so that trim stays within this safe range. In large supersonic aircraft like the BAC Concorde there is a complication: during transition to supersonic speed (and back) the centre of lift shifts so much that, in order to keep the aircraft within a safe trim range, fuel has to be pumped between the main tanks and a fuel tank in the fin. The moral here is that an aircraft must always be kept within its safe trim range. Also, what is supporting the aircraft weight at take-off? The landing gear! So it is possible to land at max take-off weight, but the inertia of touching down at normal vertical speed of landing (150 ft/min +/-) will probably overstress the landing gear. The other big problem is stopping, although, as we know, all civil aircraft must be able to stop from max take-off weight having reached the V1 speed. This is usually a point further down a runway than the touch-down point. :smilewink:

Remove Incorrect Needle-head I would like to see the incorrect white needle-head (a white triangle) removed from the centre of the ILS glideslop indicator of the ADI. It obscures the actual glideslope needle which is very annoying. :mad: From other threads I understand this is a bug :megalol:

:thumbup: Both the above replies in this thread contain good tips. My repy was aimed at the very first attempts at landing by those new to DCS and the A-10C, so I was trying to keep it as short as possible. Even so, it kinda runs away with itself ......... :D Incidentally, I have been trying to lower Sochi-Adler runway 06, but without any luck. It stubbornly resists my attempts and the airfield altitude remains as it always was. Funny thing - I have yet to burst a tyre :smilewink: I guess the problem previously reported earlier in this thread is either a bug, or some folks are just not flaring at all??????

It has been famously said: There are no such things as 'stupid' questions - only stupid answers. Luckily there are none in this thread, and few on this forum :D

:D I have tried not to get involved, but ............. When starting out to land any sim a/c, as it has been said elsewhere, take your time and do everything slowly and methodically so that you learn what the effects of each action are, and how to counter them if necessary. Trying to slow down from 300 knots plus close in (< 5 miles) and extend gear, speedbrake and flaps, with the right power settings is beyond most people when learning how to land. As a recommendation to newbies: slow down to 200 kts at 10 miles out at 2,000 feet above airfield level (so check the airield altitude and adjust!) and fly level. You will be below the 3 deg idealised glidepath for the runway. At 8 miles out lower the gear and set 40% speedbrake - adjust power to maintain about 170 knots. At 7 miles out set flaps to MVR - they will extend. With flaps set you should start descending at about 600 ft/min on the idealised glide-path. Continue approach allowing speed to decay slowly to about 140 knots. Adjust power to maintain. The AoA should now be 'in play' and you can now follow its commands. At 1,000 ft above runway (about 3 miles out) select Landing Flaps. This will require an increase in power to counter the incease in drag from the flaps. Maintain 140 knots. The TVV on the HUD should be set on the beginning part of the landing zone (that part of the runway blackened by previous landing aircraft!) throughout this approach. Take note of the visualised part of the runway between the nose of the aircraft and the landing zone. If you have followed accurately up to this point then the landing itself is easy. Just before the grey bit of the runway disappears under the nose, simultaneously close the thrust levers and gently raise the TVV to the far end of the blackened touch-down zone (NOT the end of the runway). This will/should equate to a height of about 10 ft above the runway. Maintain this attitude i.e. do nut pump the stick back and forwards trying for a 'greaser' landing. The aircraft will settle on to the main wheels quite quickly, and once on the ground LOWER THE NOSEWHEEL onto the runway - do NOT just 'let go' or push forward on the stick! This method will give you consistently good landings in the correct touch-down area of the runway. Once the nose-wheel is on the ground, keep straight with the rudder, apply full speed-brake, and apply wheel brakes as recommmended earlier in this thread. Do NOT apply the nose-wheel steering until almost at taxying speed. Once you have mastered this approach you can begin to close in to the airfield on the approach, and make configuration and speed changes a lot tighter. You will also be able to do 'touch-and-go' landings! These latter landings mean more circuits in a given time, so more practice in a given time. After the nose-wheel has touched down, apply 50% power, reduce speedbrake to zero, then reduce flaps to MVR. Once stable, and tracking down the centre-line, apply full power. Rotate in the usual manner, but be aware that some nose-down trim will most likely be required. Enjoy! :pilotfly:

:smilewink: Actually, no he won't. He will know you are both flying in the same direction if you maintain formation. It's just that the 'reading' on his ADI will differ from yours because of the different base reference: yours is magnetic, his is true north. :smartass:

:D Thank you very much! I have been using the wrong charts completely. I have been using the DCS World Airfield Diagrams to which I was pointed. Now I can use the proper approach plates just like I used in a previous life. I learn something new and useful every day - thanks again Leto :thumbup:

:smartass: Forgive me if I am saying what you already know, but historically primary flight instruments are Artificial Horizon, ASI, VSI, altimeter, compass and Turn & Slip indicator. All else is overlay or addition. Thus the compass now can have VOR and ADF needle additions to it, and often will have a CDI display as well. It may have DME readout(s) incorporated, too. It is then called an HSI. The Artificial Horizon can have 'command bars' added to it, as well as ILS information, and it then becomes an ADI. The ILS presentation in the DCS A-10c is halfway between a raw ILS display (one without a course setting facility) and a full 'flight director' display. As has been said elsewhere the yellow bars on the A-10c ADI do not appear to be flight dirctor bars, but are just repeat course and glideslope deviation bars. As has also been said, it is usual to find an aircraft that has a flight director to also be equipped with some sort of basic ILS as a cross reference to check the flight director is not giving erroneous information. On the A-10c this is essentially what you have got, despite the flight director not being modelled as an FD. Finally, to give some kind of answer to your question :D: the CDI is part of the HSI, but not essential to the HSI definition above. Some may disagree with what I have said, but it is what I was taught.

:thumbup: Agreed, but there are some errors. Nalchik, for example, has the ILS down as being for runway 06, instead of runway 24. Also the runway inbound direction for runway 24 is given as 235, whereas if you line up on the runway 24 for take-off you will see that it is actually 228. :book:

Yes - quite right! I don't know how that slipped in (old age, I guess), but the bit before actually states what you have correctly stated. To take it a bit further, in a past life we DID refer to the the inbound instrument approach track (course) to a runway as the "runway QDM", whether it was strictly according to the definition of QDM or not. It was quicker than saying "inbound instrument approach track" ;-)

:lol: Yes - I see what you mean! I had to fly similar in a past life, but never at 14,000 ft altitude. It does say you need two nav receivers working, but it is still a 'fun' missed approach. Interesting note back in DCSW: I did my set-up at Nalchik on runway 24. The published ILS inbound is 235 degs, but when lined up on the runway itself it is 228 degs. :doh: No wonder some of the noobies struggle. I've just this moment done some research and discovered that over Georgia the magnetic declination is 6.1 degs East. If the runway ILS had been given in degs True then the magnetic reading would be 228 degs Magnetic. The charts say that all bearings are in degs magnetic, but is this really so? Or is this just an odd coincidence?

:thumbup: Correct as far as it goes - but it is not the complete picture. Put the aircraft on the ground halfway down an ILS equipped runway but on the edge of the runway, say the left side. Set the OBS on the HSI to the runway course. Displacement from the ILS course deviation indicator (CDI) appears as you would expect - localiser CDI to left means turn left to intercept, CDI to the right turn to the right. If you set the reciprocal to the runway track direction the whole instrument presentation becomes reversed. Try setting it correctly, then change the OBS selector to the reciprocal course. Notice the whole display of the course arrow and the CDI rotate around. Because the aircraft hasn't moved the CDI will not move, but will now show on the other side of the instrument. Thus what you set on the OBS is important - for an ILS you set the course published for the runway. Two pictures of the HSI here would show exactly what I mean. I still don't know how to take a screen shot - any help would be appreciated :music_whistling:

Only by a degree? :smilewink: This, apparently, is a bug within DCS World according to others wiser than me. However, this does reflect what happens in the real world - magnetic variation shifts continuously up from 0 degs per year to +/- 2 to 3 degs per year. This means that a 'given' runway magnetic direction (or 'course' <N America> or 'track' <UK and elsewhere>) can change annually. The runway direction is given corrected to the nearest 10 degs. It is usual to change a runway's official magnetic direction only when the 'rounding' takes it to a different nominal 10 deg mark. Thus a runway with a direction of 274 degs M is called Runway 27, one with a direction of 276 degs M is called Runway 28. Note that Runway 28 can therefore have a real magnetic direction of any where from 275 to 284 degs M. Of course some countries do not change as often as perhaps they should, so the difference between the real runway direction and the published runway direction can sometimes be greater. :cry: To find out the real runway direction the easiest way is to line up for take-off on the runway as accurately as possible (on centre line with nose pointing at middle of runway as far away from the aircraft as possible). Then note your magnetic heading and set it on the 'course' pointer of the HSI. Read off the numbers at top right for the real magnetic direction. :D

:) [ Quote: "Its far more detailed than simply having an alternate listed on the flightplan, and then relying on the FMS to get you there in the event of an emergency. There is little doubt in a fighter pilot's head where he would go in the event of an emergency, and the details of the airfield would have been thoroughly reviewed and briefed."] I take your point, although in my career the briefing was a bit more thorough than perhaps you imply. We also had to divert from anywhere along a route, sometimes up to 14 hours in length, and over what we termed 'desert' (this included the oceans!). This meant that it was impossible to brief for every possible eventuality. The weather could also change dramatically over the period of the flight, thus rendering planned alternates less than useful. Thus at any enforced divert points we wanted a quick means to bring up what the A-10C CDU does in its limited way. Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. I am just exploring those limitations so that I know what I can do, what is possible to do, and what is not possible. Always fun to learn :smartass:

:thumbup: Spot on - but if you experiment with the various airfields in DCS you will find differences of up to 8 degs between runway ID (or 'number') and the actual QDM (just as can happen in the RW). When scanning instruments in cloud (IFR conditions) with wind effects, the difference can be misleading. If there is no wind it's good to have the ILS or TACAN indicator bar 'vertical' when you are 'on track'. It means you should not slide off the correct heading to maintain the desired track. Similarly, when you have a cross-wind effect, the angle between the track indicator and the vertical on the HSI will be the same as the drift angle when on the correct heading. Thus the presentation again makes sense. To make the point completely obvious - you would never want the ILS localiser presentation at 90 degs i.e. from the 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock position. It would make it virtually impossible to use. Try it and see! :D

QDM decoded :huh: With all the other 'Q' codes being flashed around I foolishly assumed ......... The QDM of a runway is the magnetic track direction of the runway. Hence it is what you set on the HSI when doing an ILS approach. Hence my question - if you didn't have the airfield chart with you, how would you know the direction of the runway. Modern RW aircraft have all relevant information stored within the CDU computer, including runway length. Generally a QDM is the magnetic track ('course' in North America!) from the aircraft position to a reference point, usually a radio beacon, airfield or, when doing AAR, to the tanker.

From my RW experience some ILS installations will allow a back-course approach, but NOT all. It will depend on the ground station aerial array for the particular ILS. These can be shielded, as I remember, so that a back-course localiser signal is prevented. Wiser heads please advise :smartass:

:( Using the CDU <Divert> you can get much information for nearest airfields to your position. Included, where available, is the ILS frequency for each airfield runway in DCSW. Why no QDM - or am I missing a trick here?