WinterH

As far as I know, no. Although we have pylon lights on the weapons panel, so makes one wonder.

If you mix different rocket types, they won't work. Exceptions are: - S-5 and S-8 together works, but only manual aim is possible - Different types of S-8 works, but again, only manual aiming will be available. With this out of the way, if you carry different S-8 types, how to switch between them? Well you load them under different wings. Like S-8KOM under the left wing and S-8OFP2 under the right wing. Then you can choose which to shoot with rockets left/right/both switch on pilot's weapons control panel.

I think there's also an "enable FFB" setting under general options, did you check that? Also I had to go to FFB tune and click all 3 of the checkboxes there. But it works for me now. My stick is MS FFB2 though.

From what I feel like so far: 1 - Hold Petrovich up (W by default) to order him to align with your sight so that you'll get launch authorization. Advantages: - This is how Mi-24 is generally meant to employ its missiles - Works at more or less any range/altitude - Helicopter will be steady, guiding the missile will be easy and smooth - Missile will fly straight at target, won't go wonky Disadvantages: - You'll be flying towards the target, and any threats around it - Can't be used in any fashion other than "glorious charge towards enemy!", though turning back is usually easy, and Shturm is a fairly fast missile 2 - Throw the "DIAFR OPEN" switch, to the right of the "OBSERVE" switch on the sight control box. This is more or less a launch authorization override. Advantages: - No need to align the helicopter with the sight, you can fire at almost any angle - Therefore, can be used from hover as well - Allows Mi-24 and Shturms to work like traditional attack/anti-tank helos when needed - You can potentially fire multiple missiles in succession from same or relatively same position, whereas the option one will mean you'll have to turn back after every 1-2 missiles Disadvantages: - Missile will dive down pretty heavy for first 150-200ish meters or so, and then you have to bring it up before it hits any obstacles - Can't be used from close ranges, missile will either crash, or overshoot before you can rein it in - Can't be used from low altitudes, missile will crash - Seems guidance is more wonky overall - More susceptible to helicopter's movements, especially from hover as the Hind will usually go wobble-wobble-wobble there, so guiding can be more involved - This may or may not be realistic/intended, it may or may not go away in a future patch 3 - Shoot the missile straight even if the target is below the helicopter's boresight, than bring the missile down. Advantages: - No need to align the helicopter - Missile won't be as suicidal as the option 2 - Can be used from more or less any flight regime too - Apparently used by skilled operators IRL as well - If you are extra very super duper skilled, you may achieve top attacks as well, theoretically Disadvantages - Harder to pull of reliably than either - From closer ranges you'll almost certainly overshoot - You won't be seeing your target for a good bit of time before you bring the sight down again - Reticle's smoothness will depend on how stable the helicopter is, obviously When flying from the pilot seat, and Petrovich is the gunner, 1 is the only opyion. When flying with a good human pilot, 1 is still pretty damn good, but the other options also become attactive depending on siutation. However, I have found option 2 to be a little more prone to desync issues. When Petrovich is pilot and you are operating the sight from gunner seat, I have found options 2 and 3 to be more or less necessary most of the time, especially if you want to keep standoff disntance. One thing I haven't tried yet is launching with the override, then switching it off again after the launch, if that works, maybe it'll make it less wonky in flight.

Hence my calling it "sort of suppression". But more than mobility, I consider it making the units unable to return fire to be worth calling suppression, and not only against infantry. Your rocket salvo from 3.5 kms didn't kill but somewhat dinged that Shilka? Great, now you can attack the trucks and infantry from closer and better accuracy for example.

The gun's trajectory is so flat, gyro sight is usually unnecessary, or actually a distraction. So I'd agree front seat's simple sight being functional would give operator ample opportunity to employ the gun if need be. I personally find fixed sight to be the actual tactically useful way to employ Hind's unguided weaponry, and the CCIP sight to be more of a nice mop-up tool once threats are clear. It can give decently accurate solutions in right conditions, but only at very close ranges, and on fairly flat terrain.

That isn't fully correct actually. There sort of is suppression in DCS. Sort of. If you get a unit's health bar below half, they won't shoot anymore for example. First the movement speed is reduced, then they can't shoot, and then they can't move at all, progressively depending on damage level. It's not ideal yeah, but an attack run that doesn't achieve kills or only get a few, is still achieving things usually, just not immediately visible.

Did you choose a missile slot from the missile selection/power box to the left of the scope? That's what I was forgetting. Though, yes, normally the sight should be pointing right at aircraft boresight to get launch authority, Petrovich forward long while in CBTM mode orders Petrovich to alight the helicopter for launch on where your sight it pointed at. However, with DIAFR. OPEN switch jojo linked above you can override and get authorization from any angle, which I find very helpful when using the missiles with Petrovich as pilot. Just know it'll end up with missile hitting the ground if you are very close to target or really low altitude when using the missiles with that switch up though.

Is it fully normal or intended or not, can't say. But known issues already listed something like "combining multiple weapon types will confuse the system, use preset loadouts, note that is true for real aircraft too".

They more or less always did as far as I recall, at least for a few years I feel like. Not that they can hit much, thankfuly :P. Though caught a direct hit from a BMP-1's main gun a few days ago, so unexpected can happen :))

That photo has been discussed ad nauseum as far as I can recall it is an OPFOR bird used by US Army, and those are mounted by them, and aren't even missiles. And yeah, we will get R-60Ms anyway, which I would overall prefer to Iglas. Especially Igla as it is in DCS right now. More often than not, MANPADS Igla misses a hovering and non-flaring helicopter right now

The thing with terrain masking and Hind's ballistic computer is, if you are unmasking behind something like a hill, and your targets are below your level (which they most likely are), then the computer will be inaccurate. It's ideal when used over mostly level terrain. Did you carry other weapon types besides Shturm + S-8? If so, ballistics computer may have went nuts. Any loadout other than default presets may cause either buggy or realistically broken behavior from what I understand. I had it once when I tried to have both S-8 pods and GUV-8700 gunpod for example.

I have two sticks, one gamepad, and the mouse plugged. They're all fighting for the control of the sight

I prefer this strongly over the Jester myself.

Being able to put markings on the map would be pretty amazing not gonna lie! But I really appreciate it at least draws waypoints from the mission editor.

For me F-14 also never replays right, also the Edge 540 mod. Mi-24 plays right for me up to a certain degree, then decide to randomly take a nosedive. Mi-8 tends to do the same, but after playing right for a longer time usually.

My conclusion: learn judging range and manually shoot a huge salvo from maximum range, and hope for the best. CCIP is decently accurate, but only at ranges that aren't useful against anything that can fight back, so feels like more of a mop-up tool. Perhaps it is due to the nature of the system: just triangulating based on nose attitude and radar altimeter reading. So the ranges it can provide meaningful calculation is limited maybe? Until I get better with it, manual salvo from long range tends to get 1-4 kills with all 80 rockets for now. Terrible huh? Not really, because usually it does suppress by damaging threating units enough so that they can't fire back anymore! Then I move in with gun to mop-up. Even one or two rockets landing in general postcode seems to be enough to get MANPADS dudes (somehow, I feel like they die easier than regular infantry, but maybe wrong). If you get that Shilka, Avenger, or Strela below 50%, they won't be a threat anymore, and rockets does have the range to do so when used manually. Accuracy gets dicey of course, but it's not like they are meant to be a precision weapon anyway This way I can use rockets from 2-4ish kms, while the aiming computer only seems to work from 1km or less.

Hind's tactical utility just climbed up some nothces! Thanks

I think it's been ED's practice for a year or two now, their modules are %20 off as long as they are in early access status.

Transpose mode works if you have Petrovich UI up. But obviously this won't work in multicrew. And not ideal even in single player. But it's there

Flight model really feels good imo. For people looking for character, it oozes that. This is the first helo in DCS where I really have to be mindful of retreating blade stall all the time. Others overall couldn't get fast enough to worry about it most of the time, apart from the Ka-50, which still doesn't need to worry about it too much thanks to coaxial rotor design. It has both Mi-8 and UH-1 kinda feeling to it, but also lots of own character. It gets to 300 km/h before you know it. I am personally having problems remaining somewhat slow, or slowing down when I want to . VRS is also something to be mindful of like the Mi-8. When up to some speed and trimmed nicely, it can be very, very stable as a weapons platform.

Call me weird or whatever, but I want MiG-25PD or PDS + MiG-25RBT + MiG-25BM. (I think look down capability came in PDS after the PD btw, might be wrong, but recall it being that way from some relatively recent reading). Also Su-17M3 or M4, and I'd even be interested in the idea of Su-15. And MiG-27... and Su-24... and, yeah, why not MiG-31 too if possible... Then some Euro goodness like Draken, Jaguar, SEM, Mirage III... then some odd-ball coolness like Kfir and/or Cheetah, and obviously that F-4E Block 58 or at least 53 back in development... EE Lightning, that too, yes...

For me this is what I've been the most excited for in DCS in a long time. This helo is just so iconic, cool, and significant. And it's just the blend of simplicity and "sophistication" I enjoy. Being an ED/former Belsimtek product, I have faith in its realism/authenticity/quality. However, if you define "worth it" more along the lines of "how many kills can it get per sortie and in how high threat environment?" Then I will say that it will not do the things Ka-50 can for example. I personally think it's worth it, but, none of us have tried it yet, and we don't know if it will release in a "seriously ED, what the hell!?!" state like some modules did. However, it doesn't look like that will be the case. And ED said many times since they will do their utmost to avoid those sorts of releases.