Bearfoot

The liveries alone, if nothing else, would have been worth it.

Good discussion here, and great to hear from the experts with real world knowledge! One questions is, why is it the Phoenix was never replaced? Or more specifically, why is there was not a missile with the same long range of the Phoenix to give that critical F-pole advantage? Even if the Soviet bomber threat disappeared having a nice long stick would still have been desirable for the the air superiority role no matter what, no? Was this political? Or some sort of strategic perspective where nobody thought you would need to knock down aircraft from > 40nm away?

Thanks IronMike for doing this! I mentioned this on reddit, and Cobra said you were responsible. Appreciate all the work everyone puts in, ofc, and this is a nice extra touch that allows us to explore the new map in our favorite aircraft immediately. :thumbup:

Thanks for sharing. Here are YT links for those who want to avoid that vile cesspool that is Facebook ("we sell your information while selling YOU disinformation!"):

So, this might seem very obvious, but just to check -- you have asked Jester to tune into the AWACS as host on the datalink after the start, right?

Well, looks like the reconciliation honeymoon is over. Jester is back at his raging self. First two spawns/sorties were great. I even thought, maybe this is going to work out? Third one though ... First two phoenixes fired went off OK.Third one: even as it was off the rails, Jester switches to RWS without announcement or warning. All the contacts were still there, no manouevering/jinking (which was what made it more frrustrating, as these would have been pretty high probability of kills), but Jester refused to switch back (or stay after switching back) to TWS. Oh well ....

I definitely have always had upside down HAFU's on the TID, and never had the impression I was missing any. But I could be wrong --- there's a lot going on, and it's hard to say what the AWACS is seeing and I am not seeing. On the busy servers, I switch of the AWACS calls as the non-stop spamming of contacts from 5 to 500 nm away is a useless distraction.

Ok. So, after a long absence from the Tomcat due to all these problems (which makes things sooooooo frustrating!), I decided to give it a spin last night. Busy multiplayer environment (~30-40 players). You know what? Jester behaved IMPECCABLY. No dropping of contacts. No rabidly refusing to change radar modes. 4 Phoenixes launched in TWS mode, with 3 kills. Respawned and tried again. Less success on my part (3 Phoenixes, 1 kill), but that was due to my lack of skill combined with more skillful evasion of the targets. Jester, however, was not to blame -- did his job perfectly. So tonight, hop into Tomcat again. 2 sorties/respawns, 6 kills. Again, perfect behavior from Jester. A couple of weeks ago, before I gave up on the Tomcat, I would run into one or more of the issues reported in the first post on every spawn (same server). Now this is 4 spawns with no issue, I don't know what's going on. I've not changed my system or run a repair or done anything in between. And, of course, there's been no change in code. So I have no doubt the problem(s) are still there, and I was just luck. But thought I would report it anyway for more complete information. Maybe Jester and I just needed some time apart for us to start treating each other nicely again?

[TL;DR -- the C was an improvement over the A in many respects, and one of the major practical goals of this improvement was to take on cruise missiles. There is no documentation to suggest that it was a worse performer in any respect to the A.] The first part of @Southernbear's post (the move to digital avionics as response to the Iranian issue) is incorrect, but not entirely off base. As given by the reference linked to below: "An increased emphasis was placed on the missile [AIM-54C development] after the Iranian revolution to minimize usefuell of any information about the AIM-54A ..." So the C model development was already in the works, independent of anything going on with Iran, and while there was increased motivation for it, it was not in any way a response to Iran. The most specific statement I've seen of how the C is improved over the A is the ability to take on smaller targets, in particular cruise missiles (see attached excerpts). The second part @Southerber's post is, well, much more difficult to accept/justify/defend. There is absolutely no documentation historical or otherwise that I've seen has indicated that the C was a regression in any level or measure of performance. The biggest problems I've read about with the Phoenix in US service is (initially, until procedures were changed) insufficient training for the ordnance crews, rather than design issues. I've attached screenshots of sources. I do remember watching some documentary where the crew had no idea to how to put the fins on the missile and we saw them going through the manual to try and figure it out. I thought it was very odd at the time. Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I saw that, nor of course should this be taken as reflective of the more general situation with the USN! Of course, all this could be wrong. Would be happy to learn from folks who know better, if so.

So I've noticed a few times when refueling/rearming on the ground after a flight, the external tanks do not get filled. I have to remove the tanks and then go back to the rearming menu to add them again (the full versions not the empty ones). Note that this is only AFTER a flight. The first time around, I add 2x full tanks (not the empty ones), and that works OK. I take off, fly around, do stuff, and land with the tanks empy. In the rearm/refuel menu, simply putting 100% fuel does not refill the tanks. Nor does re-adding the tanks in the menu. As I said, I have to fully cycle the tanks off and then on again. I've noticed this happening in multiplayer on a land airbase, in which the initial spawn was a cold & dark start. Not explored other variations. Does this happen to anyone else?

So, I've updated the original list with a new observation that actually replicates some of the symptoms previous described, but puts a different interpretation on them: This is based on: https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4448873&postcount=1

Interesting report @goAdA. I wonder if I was originally misrepresenting the problem by saying that "all contacts are dropped and then Jester switches to RWS". Maybe what happens is that Jester just switches to RWS after launching for some reason, which would have the same effect? BTW, this and many other problems with the AWG-9/Phoenix system that seem to have emerged or at least revealed themselves since the last patch are discussed here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=282566

Hoping to build one specifically for VR in DCS. Holding off on the GPU till the 3080 becomes widely available (I can make do with a my ancient 1080Ti for now). But would like to get everything else in order. My understanding is DCS runs single-threaded, so I should just go for a system that maximizes single-core performance. So, I am turning to you gurus to point me in the right direction. (1) What chip/MOBO gives me the best single-core performance? (2) Is now a good time to buy ? I am totally out of touch/naive as far as the hardware world goes, so am not sure if, for e.g., a new generation is just around the corner or 3 months away or 6 months away etc.

Just to put this notion to complete rest once and for all ... Got on to a busy MP server tonight. Got up to 40K, mach 1.2. Tracking contact on TWS. Nice and solid, coming in hot. Waited till about 30nm. Then master arm on, got hot tirgger, press the trigger. Just as the 3 second countdown finishes, the radar mode switches to RWS Jester switches the radar to RWS even as the missile is coming off the rails. I mean we go to RWS before I see the missile in front of me. Cannot switch back to TWS for a while (Jester keeps switch back to RWS), but soon after, RWS picks up contacts again, and sure enough, the same contact is in the same place going the same direction. So, no, absolutely not --- this is not the target maneuverin, either consciously in response to the missile (which there was no way he could have detected) or coincidentally. I'm pretty sure that in all other cases I have had the drop-of-contact-on-Phoenix launch it has been co-occuring like this (i.e.if not simultaneously than near enough with the launch to preclude target manouevering.) Also note that both in this case and in many of the others there were numerous contacts being tracked, friendly and otherwise. So if it was target maneuvering causing this, then ALL of them would have had to notched/cranked/changed direction at the same time, immediately/simultaneously/coincidentally as a Phoenix launch. That simply is not a credible conjecture.

These problems occur even with non-maneuvering contacts (as established in either TacView or simply because we can see what the contact is doing through datalink). So, no, this is not it.

Interesting, and thanks for the feedback. I wonder, now that you have established that your setup is issue free when facing AI opponents, if you could run something similar against humans in MP? The speculation above that lag/rubberbanding causing jumps in player position, leading the the logic of the AWG getting really confused seems (to naive me) quite credible and a promising cause. Maybe only players are subject to the same (quantity/quantum) jumps due to lagspikes ?

Both of you folks need to watch this video to get the correct information:

I've added your (2) to the original post list as (9). For (1), I can add that as a separate issue if you think that it is different from the OP (7) above, or if (7) is just a special case of this issue and can be reworded to include both. With regards to your speculation regarding MP rubberbanding/lag --- you could definitely be on to something. I can only remember encountering any of the issues listed here (since the last patch) in MP. So maybe that would explain it?

Thanks for all the extra info folks. I've updated the original post with notes on whether the issue is with human vs AI RIO. I've also added the known (and I believe already-fixed?) issue regarding the MLC for completeness, but maybe I should leave it out?

There are now several threads on radar problems that have emerged since the last patch. Here is a collection of all the threads that specifically mention problems with the radar since 2.5.6.52437: "Jester goes RWS after firing, even if commanded to TWS Only" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=281888 "any news on the broken radar issue?" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=281286 "Jester Starts Mashing Non-Stop on RWS (Or Some Other Radar Mode) Key" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=271431 (this is marked as "RESOLVED", but, as can be seen, it has come back) "F14 Radar Problem after update Openbeta 2.5.6.52437" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=281739 "AWG-9 performance in multiplayer" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=280902 "Jester TWS A issue" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=280110 "Jester stuck in TWS Auto/Dropping locks from TWS to STT" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=282072 "Jester Spamming RWS Right After TWS Phoenix Launch" https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=282888 From one perspective, it makes sense -- as there seem to be multiple issues. From another, though, it makes it difficult to know where to post updates/evidence, as in many cases the problems actually do involve multiple issues. I wonder if it might be useful to pull together all these problems issues into a single "hub" thread and then link to the various other threads? Or maybe just merge the threads? From what I can make out, the problems can be summarized with the following: (?) Not being able to detect contacts that should be detected -- e.g., coming in hot at co-altitude (Human/Jester RIO) Dropping TWS lock IMMEDIATELY after launching Phoenix (Jester RIO only?) Dropping STT lock IMMEDIATELY after launching Phoenix (Jester RIO only) Dropping TWS or STT lock IMMEDIATELY after launching Phoenix AND then switching to RWS (but can be switched back to TWS) (Jester RIO only) Dropping TWS or STT lock IMMEDIATELY after launching Phoenix, switching to RWS AND then refusing to switch back to TWS (though eventually after asking many times, you suddenly can get back to TWS and all seems to work again). (Jester RIO only) Dropping TWS or STT lock IMMEDIATELY after launching Phoenix , switching to RWS, refusing to switch back to TWS AND then Jester continuously spam/mashing keys blocking out all and any attempts to do anything with the radar (requires respawn). (Jester RIO only) Dropping TWS lock IMMEDIATELY after launching Phoenix AND then refusing to leave TWS mode (even after missile is long trashed, cycling through PAL/VSL mode etc.). (Human/Jester RIO; known issue) Faulty MLC filter settings leads to multiple spurious contacts too easily. (Jester RIO only) TWS Launch without Time to Impact being displayed (Jester RIO only) (Alternate interpretation of 4-6 above, based on https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=282888) Switching to RWS immediately after or simultaneous as launching Phoenix (resulting in all TWS tracks being dropped), sometimes followed by refusing to switch back to TWS, and this in turn sometimes followed by mashing the RWS keys. As can be seen, rather than simple independent issues, in many cases they seem to be a complex or perhaps even sequence of connected problems. What is perplexing (and frustrating, I know, to debug) is that the problems are difficult to replicate consistently. I will fly one mission fine, and the next I will get the TWS locks being dropped and Jester going to RWS (but not problems switching back to TWS), while a few missions later I will get the whole nine yards. FWIW, though I've experienced 1 through 7 as well as 9 above since the last patch (all in multiplayer with Jester as RIO). And NOT ONE OF THE ABOVE at all before the last 2.5.6.52437, despite considerably more hours put in. So it is difficult to escape the conclusion that last patch definitely broke something or somethings. For me, right now, I still enjoy the Tomcat for flying, carrier recovery, formation, aerial refueling practice, and BFM. But NOT for BVR engagements or anything that requires use of the AWG-9/Phoenix system (at least when relying on Jester in multiplayer).

THANK YOU for this! I had the reverse issue. Could not add an charlie Hornet to a Tomcat mission. Could not figure it out!

Just reported this in the other thread, about constant mashing keys https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=271431&page=5 but it obviously fits here as well. And maybe fits better. Basically --- dropped lock immediately on firing, and then Jester switches to RWS and refuses to switch to TWS. If you ask him enough times, he begins mashing the keys in anger (which is why I posted it to the other thread, as that was the symptom).

Just updated this thread with a report of a bug return: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=271431&page=5 But mixed in with that are some of the issues we are discussing here -- e.g., immediate drop of lock after launch. Consistently and perpplexing

Unfortunately,it's back. Happened last night three time. Twice it eventually stopped. The other time it did not, I had to respawn. On Multiplayer. What happened the first time is that: (0) I am in TWS mode (1) I locked up a target in STT (Jester: STT enemy ahead) (2) Launched on target in STT (3) Contact IMMEDIATELY dropped and Jester switches to RWS (this, to me, happens consistently enough that I think it is a bug, and there are other reports of this on the bug forum) (4) Try to switch to TWS -- jester I think complies and then immediately switches back (5) Repeat (6) Repeat (7) etc. (8) eventually it is just Jester mashing by himeslef I might have tried going into PAL/VLS to break the cycle sometime between (5) and (8). As I said, it happened two other times. The other times I was not in STT, but launched in TWS and IMMEDIATELY Jester drops the lock and goes to RWS and refuses to return to TWS. I'll try and post a track if I can find where it is saved automatically, though with tracks broken and all, not sure how it will help.

I know multicrew will (eventually) be included, and presumably/hopefully there will be some Jester-like AI for the weapon controller in the front seat when there is only one human player in the back. In the Wags video recently released, he notes that you can also fly in the front seat which is where you operate the antitank weapons from. Would that mean that you can (comfortably/completely) fly the Hind as well as operate all the weapons from the front seat? So no need for AI or a second human?