Pajeezy

So I don't have too much experience with DCS yet, nor do I have real world pilot experience, but my dad is a licensed pilot (smaller aircraft) and I just purchased the P-51D for him for Christmas. It's his (and my) favorite airplane, so I figured he'd get a kick out of it. He plays FSX all the time but isn't too familiar with DCS. I asked him how it was going today after I got off of work and he said that (after a few hours of messing around) he doesn't like it. He says the aircraft is too hard to control and thinks that it's actually not realistic. He claims that the controls are responding, well, not the way he's giving input. For instance, when he's trying to make simple maneuvers, he says the airplane will "flip out" and not do what he's telling it to do. I feel like perhaps (since this isn't FSX and is very realistic) he just isn't doing something right...I did watch him play a little bit and the Mustang does seem to flop around, like a lot, from side to side when trying to keep it straight and level (when giving minor inputs). Are there any settings in the aircraft besides trim to tame it a little bit? I already messed with the joystick settings, changing his pitch, roll and rudder deadzones and curvatures to make it much less unstable, but I guess to no avail. I really don't want him to give up on this, as I believe DCS has done a wonderful job and I think he'd enjoy it exponentially more if we got over this little hump. Any insight would be awesome.

Got it, thanks so much guys! :D

Get these to work together? I own FC3 directly from ED, but I got the DLC from Steam. Is there any sort of cross-compatibility to where I can use all of the DLC I have? Or do I have to purchase them all from the same source?

I've had DCS for a while (FC3 particularly). I'm a pretty big plane buff, but at the same time I'm a big gamer in general as well. I have a plethora of other games I intend to play/want to finish, and I feel like DCS would take a lot of time and commitment to fully enjoy. Also, I'm only currently equipped with a mouse, keyboard, and an old Logitech 3D Pro. I don't have the money to upgrade and probably won't for a while. With my limited equipment and also possible limited amount of play time for the game, should I just put DCS on the shelf? I feel like I'm just not getting the full joy of it without those 2 components. What do you guys do or what's your story on the subject? Thanks.

Once again, thanks everyone for all of the help! I will try to learn and employ all of these tactics. However, a couple more things. I'm not the most hardcore of the flight simmers, so I don't have any of the tech that I can only imagine everyone else uses. For instance, I find looking around quite difficult at times when I'm trying to concentrate on my heading and throttle, especially in combat. I believe I've seen something on what's called TrackIR or something. I just use either my mouse or the top button on my old Logitech 3D Pro. Which brings me to the next problem. My joystick is older and not-so-fancy. Is that really a problem? I have the sensitivities all set and it responds nicely despite the fact that it's not a TM Warthog and I don't have a realistic throttle. So what kind of setup does the average DCS player have/use to make it easier for everything done within the cockpit?

For whatever reason, I really enjoy the MiG-29 and it is possibly my favorite Russian aircraft. I've learned to fly it relatively well and understand how it works. But now my problem is putting all of it into action. Multiplayer servers a lot of fun, so I've been drawn to them, although it is probably not the best decision to start out on. But whether it's single player or multiplayer, I take off from my airport and begin to follow my waypoints. Now I feel like U.S. aircraft (especially the top dog F-15C) have an advantage over the Russian fighters. The Su-27 is one thing, and one that could, I feel, stand up to the Eagle. But the MiG-29 seems severely outmatched in this department. I tend to try and keep my radar off at almost all times, and rely on IRST to be a bit stealthy. But other than that, I'm not sure how else to employ what the MiG has to offer. What altitudes are most effective for seeking out bogies during a CAP? Should I rely on my RWR to find targets using their radar? Should I actually have my own radar on and just constantly turn around seeking targets? What tactics do any Fulcrum pilots employ when facing tough (or any) opposition? Thanks for any help to an aspiring learner :D

From my understanding and in the training videos, TWS mode allows me to track 2 different targets simultaneously via radar lock. As far as Russian aircraft and this mode, all I've seen is people mention the R-77 on the MiG-29S model. Regardless of that though, I've noticed the mode is still there under the BVR mode in the A model while flying it. Could anyone enlighten me as to what it would be used for on the A model if it can't be loaded (to my knowledge) with the R-77?

Thanks a lot folks!! I guess I will just practice at it some more. I love the DCS world, but unfortunately probably not enough to spend hundreds of dollars on a new stick. I'll just adjust the sensitivities and curvatures etc and see how it goes.

That sounds like a great idea. Only problem is that setup is $400...Is there any other way without having to spend a fortune? :(

So I joined up on multiplayer for the first time in a serious way today. Went to an aerobatics server and checked into a MiG-29 (I was the only MiG on the map). Messed around for a while until another MiG pilot showed up. Two more randomly showed up afterward, and we all got together and decided to fly around. I was a bit nervous as I'd never tried formation flying (although I believe I've got the MiG down for the most part). So, lo-and-behold, we get up in the air, and the other 3 guys are perfect in their flight. Tight nice little triangle, while I'm way behind flopping and flailing to match speeds and get in close. Didn't manage to get in close enough one time without hitting them. I tried adjusting trim, I even used my radar to lock onto the lead plane to get an exact speed from him, still didn't help. I found out that it is REALLY tough and I have no idea what I'm doing. Are there really any pointers at all to help me get my footing? Is it my poor setup maybe? I only have an old Logitech 3D PRO joystick and that's it. I'm lost in the wind and need some help. Thanks for any assistance (if there is any to give) in the matter.

I'm sure graphical updates will continue to come in as visual technology gets better and the like, but I mainly speak of the aircraft selection within the world. Do you think it will continue to grow and grow to a plethora of different aircraft to learn and fly? So far what has come out seems pretty random. I understand the Russian influence, but for instance, the Mi-8? Why not the Hind instead? Also, will they do aircraft from other nations besides Russia and US? I don't really see a definitive trend so far, aside from the fact that they don't do anything with more than one person in the cockpit, which makes sense. What's everyone's take? How do you think DCS will be in a few years and what do you hope/think to see?

Thanks a bunch guys! All have been very helpful and not a single "noob" comment :D

Thank you very much for the assistance. All the info has helped vastly. Now I've managed to get up in the air on an easy AI mission consisting of 2 A-10s as my opposition...Using only my R-27Rs to practice with the BVR I can't quite take even these 2 on. First of all, the encyclopedia in the game claims the R-27R has a range of 50 km. When I went up against the A-10s, the BVR didn't give me permission to fire until roughly 11 km away (6.3 nm). Now I can understand maybe the info given in the encyclopedia would be a tiny bit exaggerated, but it's saying I can't fire until they're about to fire AIM-9s at me... I imagine there are factors in this: things like altitude, the fact that the A-10s are somehow able to jam me etc. But could someone help me make some sense out of this extremely short range of what is supposed to be a much longer range weapon?

There is no video tutorial for the MiG-29. Only the downloadable manual, which has nothing on combat.

I was able to use the downloaded version of the manual for most everything else, but it only lists the weapons it can use, not how to use them. By looking at the controls in the options menu I know what I'm switching to, but I don't have any clue how to use them, for example: (2) Beyond Visual Range Mode (3) Close Air Combat Vertical Scan Mode (4) Close Air Combat Bore Mode (5) Close Air Combat HMD Helmet Mode etc etc... How would I go about using these and in what situations? I've honestly only played the A-10 extensively so I don't even have much air-to-air experience to begin with. Thanks for any clarification on the subject.

Cool, I planned on simply using it to hold altitude during waypoints, or perhaps while slewing the maverick over targets so it's not so jumpy. One other thing. This also seems to me like a bug, but, when I switch to Sidewinders with the A-10, the reticle isn't in the middle of the HUD. It's all the way up at the top and somewhat off of the HUD. That can't be normal. Also, in the Instant Action mission for the A-10, I've tried probably five different times yet I am unable to even get a lock on the two Mi-24s floating around the area. I get within .2 NM of them and still no tone. I know the AIM-9 requires some positioning (preferrably behind) for a good lock, but these are helis and I'm gettin nothing. Is it because of the weird positioning of the reticle?

Okay, cool. Thanks for the info. I wonder why that is that it won't go above 80%... Also, as far as waypoints, especially long ones, do people usually use autopilot to keep 'er level and steady? Or would that be kinda cheating? I'm trying to play/learn this game by the book, in as full a simulation mode as I can. So I don't necessarily wanna cut corners.

I've already made a thread here once yesterday, and I apologize and don't want to fill up this forum so I'll try to consolidate everything I can possibly ask into this one thread. I've had Lock On for ages, and never really had the patience to learn it. Well now, hopefully it'll be different this time, as I just purchased FC3. I'm starting with the A-10A as it seems like an easier first option to learn, and it was what I semi-learned in the past. I've gone over every tutorial I can find, and have the basics down (how to use/activate NAV mode/weapons/engines/gear/flaps etc). However, There are a few more advanced things I need to learn/get down before I'm comfortable to fly any sort of full-fledged mission past just messin' around and crashing.. First off, I noticed that when in idle, the A-10 is not at 65% power like in many videos I see and during tutorials for takeoff etc. Instead it's somewhere around 25%. When I use the slider on my joystick for the throttle and set it to full, the fan power only reads 80% and will go no higher. Bug? Problem with my joystick? And speaking of joystick, how should I program mine for the A-10? If it's any help, I'm using a Logitech Extreme3D Pro (probably a crappy joystick, not too familiar with them, but it's what I got). I have the basics already functioning on it, such as cannon fire and weapons release. It has one hat on it, which was by default set to looking around. I have since changed it to set trim based on what others have suggested (however I don't have rudder trim set, and I don't know of its uses). And if I have trim set on it, what should I use for looking around? My mouse seems to do a good job of it, however it's very awkward using my right hand for the joystick and left hand for the mouse. I can make it work unless someone has any other suggestions. Also the rudder pedals are set to twisting the stick left to right. Seems logical, however it's very very sensitive, and I find myself using the rudder pedals accidentally almost every time I touch the stick. Sorry for the long wall of text, I just want to make sure I don't flood this forum with mini-help-needed-posts. TL;DR Help why does A-10 power only go to 80% for me, and how should I program my HOTAS as far as viewing and and anything else for the A-10. (Also, I have gotten used to trim now, but still don't exactly know how to effectively use it)

What about during combat? Say I'm trimmed for my speed and altitude for the steerpoint, but then I veer off in the A-10 and dive for ground targets. Is there any trim involved at this point? Or only at stable flight? If not, what do I do about the trim then?

This seemed like the right place to post this, but let me know if it's not. Okay, so let's say I'm a novice pilot. Now, I have a good idea as to what trim does. However, I need some help on when and how to use it, and what effect it will give me (I'm guessing more stable flight so that the airplane isn't constantly swaying around). Does it have to be adjusted often throughout flight? Or only for speed changes? Altitude? Any and all info/tips would be appreciated.