bbrz

One problem in landing the DCS F-15 is the missing ground effect which means you need to flare the DCS F-15 to a higher pitch attitude than you need to flare the real F-15. Another problem is the wrong ILS GS indication when more the 4NM out and the fact that the GS becomes alive way too late. Even if you are well below the GS the FD issues a full 'fly down' command when more than 4NM out. If you are below GS, at 4NM (which is way too late) the FD GS bar suddenly becomes alive and flips to a full 'fly up' command.

1. More than half the total hours you have IRL, I've flown Level-D sims ;) It's new to me that Level-D sims have very accurate flight modelling. I don't think that I need to quote e.g. the MCAS drama. Most Level-D sims are rather bad at the edge of the performance envelope. As you have written, they are good for type ratings and emergency procedures, but they are much more procedure trainers than highly accurate flight sims. 2. You have a link or example when flutter occurs on the F/A-18 during normal ops 'at the edge of the envelope'? 3. A go/no-go decision in DCS doesn't make much sense if you are designing a mission where everyone is staying on ground ;) That said, DCS does a remarkable realistic job when e.g. flying an approach in bad weather conditions with a a low ceiling, turbulence and rain, better than every other sim IMO. 4. I disagree that it is a 'bad habit' to use stick pressure instead of trim. IMO you have to use stick pressure first to achieve the required attitude, then you trim away the stick pressure. 5. I know the F-16 FBW, thanx. The point I'm trying to make is, that of all the 'missing effects' I severely doubt that the basic F-16 behavior will be one of them. Btw, I don't know how you can determine if wingflex on the DCS F/A-18 isn't correctly simulated and what precise effect it has in the real F/A-18.

But even with the 'Russian' (or in the West called 'decelerated') approach you need to arrive at the threshold with the correct speed/AoA corresponding with the actual weight.

1. Sure. 22 is just for the minimum approach speed. Since you have to flare, AoA will increase during the flare, but again, 22 is the highest AoA you should fly. Any higher AoA will lead to buffeting during the approach and most likely result in a tail strike at touchdown. 2. Why? You can fly the approach e.g. at 15 units as well, but the speed will be higher and the pitch attitude lower. 3. Never seen this weird indication discrepancy except in this video.

1. The 22 units are for the correct approach speed/AoA, not the flare. That said, 22 units is the lowest speed / highest AoA for approach and as you have noticed, during the flare you are rather close to a tail strike. 1. The RW manual says 20-22 units for approach. The faster you fly, the more energy is left for the flare, pitch control is a bit better at higher speed as well. No need to fly exactly at 22 units. 2. Just checked and I didn't notice any difference between the HUD digital, HUD scale and gauge AoA values. During the approach all three are e.g. indicating 20 units.

Funny, I never noticed this on the A320, 767 etc I used to fly IRL. Rudder yes, but elevator, never.

+1 Btw, I don't agree with sk000tch. Even (most) Level-D sims are far less sophisticated than they should be and many of the items he's complaining about aren't simulated in such sims either. I certainly do see wingflex, luckily flutter isn't simulated since it doesn't occur on the real F/A-18 either AFAIK, and I strongly disagree with his (incomplete?) advice concerning trim!

That's what I've wrote about the trim tabs, but I'm not seeing anything even remotely similar to you rudder movement and it's not clear to me what you are doing or trying to prove.

Interesting. In more than 40 years I've never seen hydraulically powered elevators to be moved by the wind IRL.

Doesn't look like a bug to me. Applying full power you need to apply quite a bit a left rudder to keep her straight, as expected. With increasing speed the rudder trim tab starts to take effect and pushes the rudder a bit to the left, which decreases the need to manually apply left rudder. At higher speeds in the takeoff run you don't need to apply any rudder at all and if you accelerate further you need to apply right rudder. Except for the intitial trim tab & prop wash caused rudder movement, I don't notice any movement on its own at all. The only bug seems to be the adjustable trim tab in the menu that still has no effect.

Ah, ok. Just watched an E airshow and it was definitely much less impressive than a C airshow routine. Do you have a link for a better performance/video for the E? @Flaming Squirrel, thanx for the HU :)

If you look at the LE flap position you will notice that AoA is actually very low and the estimated speed is at least 200-250kts, most likely even higher.

Seriously? This hair-raising comment makes any further reply to your posts (at least in this thread) useless.

Just tested. Looking at the joystick axis display, the stab deflection on the flight controls display and the actual aircraft response, I don't notice any delay. Neither with the flaps in auto/half/down and the gear up/down. What joystick curve do you use?

Game mode enabled?

Just tried to fly the initial part of the Finnish sequence and didn't notice a significant difference, let alone uber-sluggishness. Taking off with approx 75% internal fuel (to match the acceleration rate on take off), using the same full aft stick after 7sec, results in the same rotation speed/time. Selecting the gear up, flaps auto and accelerate for the same 13sec at ~10deg pitch attitude results in ~300kts at the start of the pull up. Climb at around 70° pitch attitude for 8sec and starting the push over at ~290kts. Time to level flight 4-5sec (depending on the speed at the start of the push over).

Please, this is an aircraft and it performs maneuvers, there are no 'moves' or 'cool moves'! Btw, you still didn't explain how you got to the no negative G conclusion.

Each to his own. I've tried Track IR many years ago and VR a short while ago, nothing comes (acceptable) close to RW flying (or at least a level-d sim) Can't imagine flying without the ability to e.g. read my approach plates and can't get used to the low rez scenery/VC either.

The slower you get, the more difficult it is to keep the nose up. Hence you don't need the speedbrake immediately at/after touchdown.

? 3sec after touchdown the speedbrakes extends...

Yes, more than 2-3sec. When do you reduce thrust to idle? If you e.g. touch down at idle thrust, speed will reduce rather quick and the nose will drop faster as well. The speed brake does induce a slight pitch up moment in the sim. Maintain a 8deg pitch attitude at e.g. 120kts (maintain both) and extend the speed brake. The pitch attitude will start to increase.

R U sure? Have you checked the pitch rate?

IRL altimeter setting isn't a HOTAS function either, but reading about this problems it's just one more reason for me why I wouldn't even think about VR ;)

Why don't you use the default key-combo? Setting the altimeter takes only a few seconds with this method.

Aerobraking works for me with full and half flaps (it is easier with half flaps). Don't forget that extending the airbrake also helps keeping the nose up. Sink rate at touchdown must be minimal as well. Clean with about 1000lbs fuel I can keep the nosewheel clear off the runway until ~100kts.