andyfoot

Don't know if you've seen these yet, just out AFAIK http://www.simhq.com/_air13/air_450a.html

I know it was announced a few days ago now, but just seen the News page with this http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/index.php?scr=news&news_sid=755&lang=en&end_pos=3

Great job guys, much appreciated and thanks for sharing. Hope you can do the same for the A10C and other future releases.

When I've had oscillations, I've looked down to see I either forgot to engage the Auto pilot modes during start up, or they've disengaged due to damage/landing. Also, if you engaged Route following mode but haven't trimmed yourself properly, that can sometimes cause it. Make sure you have centred your bubble/ball and are flying a steady course before engaging Auto pilot. I think another cause has been if you haven't turned your INS on during start up, it takes a couple of minutes to wind up and stabalise, but I may be wrong on that one.

I occasionally use furniture spray polish on the silver disc and on the underside ring it rubs against. I find it helps, and I haven't used the tie-wrap trick.

You can aim it using the HMS. If you hold the designate button, the gun will track with your head movement (a bit like the Apache Gun, but with limited field). You need to make sure you are in Auto Tracking Mode (not Gun Sight mode) from the switch next to the HMS selector.

btaft, I just looked this up in the manual, and just watched the trim video again. Notice he has Waypoint 1 selected on the PVI panel, which is why his caret didn't change. Route without Task If a navigation task is not selected, meaning that no waypoint, target, or airfield is selected from the Navigation panel, it is possible to engage Route mode to maintain your current flight path. Thus, current flight path parameters like pitch, roll, yaw, and altitude are saved in the navigation system. To engage Route mode without a task, switch off all task buttons on the Navigation panel: Waypoints, Targets, and Airfields. The position of the Desired Heading – Desired Track Angle switch does not influence navigation.  Stabilize the helicopter in level flight with the desired speed.  Engage ROUTE mode by setting the "МАРШРУТ-СНИЖЕНИЕ" (ROUTE – DESCENT) switch on the collective to the ROUTE position and the helicopter will hold current flight parameters and bearing. For changing flight parameters it is necessary to: 1. Press and hold the Trimmer on the cyclic stick. 2. Set new flight input (bearing, pitch and speed). 3. Release the Trimmer button. During such flight, monitor the aircraft‟ position on the ABRIS map and compare the heading information of the HSI and the magnetic compass. According to the flight plan, you may need to switch ADF channels and use the NDB bearing indication.

You need to watch the Trim video (Producers note 10) http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/index.php?end_pos=133&scr=products&lang=en This gives a better understanding of how it works, it is a lot more complicated than your summary above, and if you don't understand it well you will fight the Autopilot more than you fight the enemy. It is time well spent getting to fully understand the different functions and modes. You have to understand how it interfaces with other systems like Route Mode, Auto Turn to Target Mode, Flight Director mode, whether you have selected Direct Heading or Desired Track or the mid postion. Also the Collective Brake, how that affects your trim settings. Experimenting with it is the best way to get to know it, mastering it is very rewarding when you are taking out targets with rockets and guns.

I find it's best to just avoid them altogether. The Ka50 isn't really designed for air to air, and as you've found out it is difficult. You can have success, but you need to be good with the Schval targetting. Don't forget you also have to set to Air to Air mode, and also set Head On aspect if relevant. I find if I can spot them early enough, and they are flying towards me/away from me (ie not across my nose) the Vikhr's are more successful. If they get too close I resort to flying WW2 style fighters using my Gun in bore sight mode and getting up close and personnal. The Ka50 is fast and manoeuvrable, so dogfighting is possible against other helo's, but again it is difficult and I would advise trying to avoid combat with other helo's (armed ones anyway). Another option is to try and lure them towards a friendly SAM site.

Not trying to be pedantic, but you know you have a throttle (either as Port and Stbd Engines, or both engines ganged together) AND you have Collective settings in the in game options menu. Don't make the mistake of setting your HOTAS Throttle to the game options throttle, you need to set your HOTAS throttle as the in game collective. I have an X52 Pro, my throttle is set to Collective (and using the in game tuning, reverse the axis/gradient) and I have one of my rotaries set as ganged throttle (so I adjust the throttle on start up, you rarely have to touch it after that, unless you lose an engine or are high up in the mountains). If it's easier, think of pulling the collective up as pulling you away from the ground.

As I understand it, you can install on more than one PC/Laptop, each will use an activation, but you are only allowed to run one install at a time. So you can't install on several PC's and have a multiplayer game with your family/buddies. Myself, I have it installed on a laptop as I spend a great deal of time away, and I also have it installed on my wife's PC, which is more powerful, and I only play on one at a time.

You can also just open the cockpit door to talk to the Groundcrew without changing radio frequency.

Wombat, the batch file sounds like a good idea, I would appreciate it, thanks.

Is it just my imagination, or has the patch now taken advantage of the CPU affinity trick with XP. I checked by Alt Tabbing out of the game and found both CPU's had their affinity's set to on. I seem to remember my Russian version of the game did, but the English DL version didn't. My game does seem to run smoother on my aging Dell XPS M1710 laptop, so well done to ED on another nice addition.

Artificial Intelligence

Haven't tried backing up my wife, wish I could roll back to a "pre-patched" version though! I might try the backing up Campaign file workaround, thanks fox.

I haven't tried the Ctrl-Alt-Del thing, but that's not the point. I play this for fun, and for a challenge. I love the game to bits, and I've certainly put in some hours/got my moneys' worth. But one of the aspects I enjoyed was as Beers said, "damn you tank... I'll get you next time". I know they are striving for realism, and a balance of enjoyment, but in irl, your wingman would not do some of the stupid things the AI do (like hover over an AA site whilst he lines up for an attack). What makes this game so lasting with me is my determination to complete every mission in the campaign successfully. Sometimes I just refly a mission because I enjoyed it so much. Having to sometimes refly a mission several times also means it takes quite some time to work through a campaign. Having it where I can start a mission and have to exit the game (like HM Wife telling me my meal is getting cold) really sucks when it means I then move onto the next mission. Something for my wishlist in the next patch, then, will be to reinstate the refly option.

Before the patch, you had to achieve a certain amount of success, or achieve certain goals before you could move on to the next mission. This is similar to LOMAC and FC.

Since patching, I can't refly any campaign missions. If I start a mission and either exit straight away, get killed, complete it 100% or 0% or anything in between, I do not have the option to refly the mission. In effect, I don't have to successfully complete a mission before moving onto the next. Is anyone else having this problem? I'm using XP 32bit, I have done a complete reinstal and patch, and I'm still having this issue. If I fly a single mission, I have the option to refly it afterwards.

Have now tried a fresh install after uninstalling. Applied the patch without starting BS. I still have the same problem, I can start a mission, exit without even taking off and 0% complete, but I cannot then refly the mission.

Since I patched the game, when I play the Campaign missions I now only get one chance to play a mission. Regardless of whether I die, complete at 100% or at 0%. This is with the Georgian Oil War, and the Chapter 2 missions. I've tried restarting the Georgian Oil War Campaign, but I still only get one play. This is really annoying as I rarely get a satisfactory result after one attempt (yes I'm that bad, or I'm a perfectionist). It is even more annoying when I get my wingman to Attack My Target, so he hovers over a Vulcan or some other AA whilst he lines up for his attack, this would usually result in his untimely demise, and I would restart a mission. I did initially have some error codes coming up, but found it was my local settings for the "Advanced" Tab with Language for non-Unicode programs. I changed it to UK settings, and re-applied the patch (over the previous patch). This solved the error messages, but hasn't solved the "one shot missions" I use Win XP, 32bit and I haven't modded the game. I have both English and Russian download versions, I uninstalled the Russian version and play the English version. I am in the UK and my local and format settings are UK.

I'm getting similar error messages too.

The addition of the clicking sound was mentioned in the Readme file

A treat for fans of helicopters, a day of programs dedicated to helicopters on Discovery Turbo (UK) tomorrow. I've already seen most of them, the Aircraft Stories on Russian Helicopters has a few minutes on the Black Shark at the end of it (as I remember). There's also a World's Deadliest Aircraft on the A10 on Military History Channel today/tomorrow for any LOMAC fans. Lastly, as mentioned on another thread, is Channel "Five" starting a new series on Air Force Afghanistan today at 20:00.

I programmed it in the SST software as bands, for Mode 1 I have 0-47%, 47-53% Deadzone, and 53-100%, then set the Mouse X Axis 0-47% as "," and 53-100% as "/" ; then the Mouse Y Axis 0-47% as ";" and 53-100% as "." and it works a treat. I use Mode 1 + Pinkie as normal mouse axis (with sensitivity set to max) so I can still move the mouse cursor around to operate cockpit switches, etc, without having to use the mouse. Having Track IR4 also helps with this.