Istari6

Thanks for posting this! I just started learning the MiG-21 and was encountering the same problem. Question - does the NTTR map have RSBN and PMRG stations, and would those be listed using this workaround above?

Ah, so deferred shading eliminates the problem. Probably why others haven't noticed it as much. I can't afford to run DS on my machine and still get reasonable frame rates, so I'm still working with the older HDR method. Yes, hopefully a moderator can post this in the proper bug thread. I'd copy and paste my initial message over there, but it might help to get the entire thread over to see this is confirmed by others. With 1080tis currently running over $1000, it'll be awhile before I can upgrade from my 1070 and move into the DS era.

I'm flying using the HTC Vive, and I've noticed a strange graphical artifact for some time that is quite distracting. I'd assumed it was a short-term bug, but it continues to persist after multiple updates and I'm wondering if there's something about my setup that I can configure to remove the effect? What's happening is that certain elements of the DCS world are being displayed only to one eye in VR. The two that are most noticeable are tracers and grass in the Caucasus map. When I fire MGs/cannons or take ground fire, if I close one eye I can't see them, while the other eye can. Same with grass objects (clutter), although it might be that one of them is lit and the other isn't lit. The tracers are mildly distracting, but taxiing or viewing the ground in the Caucusus creates a lot of "eyestrain". Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions for a fix? (Note, this is running without Deferred Shading, as I can't get sufficient frame rates for a smooth experience with DS on)

Apologies for being away for a few days, RL situation came up. Appreciate the replies, very interesting information! I had no idea this P-1289 document even existed. I'm looking at it right now, and it's a terrific source for how to put these ideas into action. Going to be doing some further reading there. Based on the comments in this thread, the key seems to be knowing the relevant speed (or speed ranges) at a given altitude and weight combination. That information can be found in the relevant "Dash-1" manual for the aircraft (at least modern American models), correct? Also, AoA is less critical as a target, and should be used more for mananging energy loss efficiently (as in don't use any more AoA than absolutely necessary for the STR desired). The tips on flying heavy also help. I've learned to use the AoA indicator in the F-5 as a measure of how much "reserve" turning ability I have in the jet. When I'm low and slow with a heavy bombload and I'm calculating if I can make that 180 turn in a tight mountain valley for another pass, I now glance down at my AoA indicator to see if I have the "reserve" to pull the nose around or if I'm just going to mush.

I have a similar system, and the key is the VR zoom function. Performance dropped somewhat with the new 2.5 OpenBeta, so I had to drop PD from 1.5-1.6 to 1.2-1.3. Also had to drop MSAA. At those settings, I have VR Zoom mapped to the stick button so I'm regularly zooming in when I need to read a gauge. It works well enough, but I'll be impressed if you're able to run at PD 2.0-2.5 during combat.

I've now flown dozens of hours in the F-5E-3. It's a great module, but I continue to lack the "feel" for optimally performing the aircraft that I'd gained previously with the P-51D and F-86F. I'm continuing to struggle in dogfighting, or turning with a heavily laden aircraft in strike missions. Part of my confusion is over understanding how to optimize AoA in the F-5E. This is the first aircraft I've flown with an AoA gauge, but I'm not understanding the principles of how to maximize the aircraft's performance. Here's what I know: * F-5E is controllable to 27-28 AoA. This is thanks to E model's "shark nose", which increased high AoA controllability versus the older F-5A at max ~24 degrees. * Buffeting starts around 15 AoA, and that point is marked prominently on the gauge. Here's what I DON'T know: * For best sustained turn rate (STR), what AoA do I set? Do I pull to 15 AoA and hold there to achieve the best balance of turn vs energy loss? Or is AoA irrelevant to STR? I'm trying to understand how to turn most efficiently in dogfights and don't understand how AoA is used to fly efficiently. * Is greater lift & greater drag linear as AoA increases? Or is the buffeting at 15 telling me that I really shouldn't go above unless absolutely necessary since drag becomes much greater? Thanks for any advice!

Hello, Flying the Outremer campaign mission #2 last night, I noticed a recurring bug in the F-5E. After refueling and rearming (required for the mission), the afterburners no longer operate. To reproduce: 1. Start mission on runway (not sure if this is necessary, but is how the mission starts) 2. Takeoff and fly, note afterburners work fine on both engines. 3. Land, shut down engines while keeping power on (ground power) 4. Refuel, rearm 5. Restart engines and takeoff. 6. Note that engines no longer go to afterburner, despite repeated cycles of throttles from idle to full power. This is playing under the latest 2.5 Open Beta branch as of 4/3/18. I don't know if this common behavior for others with similar scenarios, but was consistently reproducible last night.

SorelRo - I'm going to be traveling till early next week, will download it next week and give it a shot. BTW - I'm in my 40s. Some of my first memories are of the Iranian Hostage crisis. I clearly remember the Falklands War, and remember talk about the RDF being deployed to the Middle East. You've outlined a really interesting political scenario from that era. Looking forward to trying it out.

SorelRo - totally understand. I've never made a campaign, but I've done similar projects in other areas. The creation of the story is often fun, but the project bogs down when you hit the "grunt work" as you say. The motivation flags when you start the see the same tedious work has to be repeated over and over for many hours, and it's all unpaid :). That's why I'm glad you're considering releasing this in smaller chunks. Plus it can help build buzz and bring more folks aboard for your later chapters. Whatever path you choose, looking forward to trying it out and offering feedback whenever something's ready for the public!

Yes, this ended up being one of my favorite missions because it really forced me to stretch with the skills I'd learned flying the F-5E. I'd never flown a night intercept, never flown without F2 or F10, etc. Was great fun to solve those problems on the fly using what I already knew about the jet. For example, I smiled when I remembered there was a light switch on the backup manual compass. I'd read that in the manual, but never used it. Sure enough, reached over and flipped it on to cross-check my instrument scan as I headed over the Black Sea. Anyway, I had the same questions about the tanks when I started. Without F2, how do I know what I'm carrying? I could look behind me and see the underwing tanks, but was I carrying a centerline "bag" as well? Then on my climb, I realized I could simply try switching on the centerline tank in isolation. Sure enough, I immediately received an EXT TANK EMPTY caution light, so I assumed I wasn't carrying a centerline tank at all. As for the Hercules, I'd assumed that the caution about using radar might be tied into the victory conditions. So I was flying about trying to spot it visually, very difficult with a grey-painted C-130 with just the hint of dawn light. I was lucky and spotted it passing over me, closed in and shot it down and AB home before "other things" could happen. Trying to avoid spoilers here for anyone who hasn't played it yet.

Outstanding! Looking for good F-5E campaigns, and only a few are out there in the DCS User Files. One concern - a 25 mission campaign by a single author is very ambitious. I've seen projects like this falter and run out of steam, and nothing ever gets released. Doing this in your own time is a big commitment and it's much appreciated. Perhaps you could release the campaign in chapters? Polish the first 6 missions, release those as Chapter I, get feedback from the community and then continue the story in Chapter II? Might help with motivation to hear people's responses along the way.

I've experienced the same. Checked crosswinds, throttle settings, rudder bindings. No explanation that I can find. I only started learning the F-5E with 2.5, so not sure how it behaved prior to the OpenBeta. I wasn't sure if this was some obscure aspect of the Tiger II that was modeled, but I couldn't find any explanation. I've learned to live with it. I find that if I accelerate slowly initially (80-90% throttle) there's no effect, then once I'm rolling, I can crank up to full power.

To all, AlaskaGrizzly was able to help out by reviewing my Event logs. The issue had to do with requiring running KBB as as Administrator (under Windows 10). That has solved the problem. Hope this helps others.

AlaskanGrizzly, Appreciate your checking in and offering to help! I am using 1.7.0.1. So I opened DCS World OpenBeta and do not see any folder titled "CaucasusBase" under Modes/terrains. Just "Caucasus", "Normandy" and "Nevada". I tried installing again, and first run I get "DCS World not installed at 'bin\DCS.exe". I click OK, then the regular panel opens. I go to Preferences, select OpenBeta. I confirm it's pointing to the proper folder. On clicking Save, it gives me the "Kneeboard Builder has stopped working" crash. After that, every time I click on the program, it crashes before even loading. The only way to revert the cycle is to delete the installation and start over. I've just saved the events and will forward to the email address provided. Fingers crossed. Snacko - thanks also for your assistance. I wish the answer was in the config files, but let's see if the Event files help AG solve the issue.

I'm playing in VR (HTC Vive), so I was able to do much of the initial startup by feel. I know where the buttons are to get the left engine started, and once it's up and running, you can turn on internal lighting and finish the rest. As for the landing light, I've noticed the same thing in multiple missions. Seems to be a bug with the F-5E module. The landing light cuts out during throttle transitions. I was able to taxi to the runway using the blue taxiway lighting and occasionally slowing to idle. Once you're up and running, it's a cool mission. Definitely keep at it.

So I was lucky and beat the Hercules mission on the first try, but it was pretty stressful. The victory conditions are straightforwards: find the Turkish C-130 and shoot it down. I'll give a hint that the AWACS call that seems to point you towards 345 degrees is confusing. It's not referring to relative bearing from your plane, but instead to the C-130s heading. I thought it didn't sound right and ended up searching someplace else and found the Herk. I'll let you discover that for yourself :).

Strange. There seems to be some trigger that's not firing. I did receive the RTB message previously, but only when one of the Su-24s was able to drop on my base. I still shot them down, but it seems that you have to prevent any damage whatsoever. If you shot both Su-24s down before they could even release, not sure how to explain it. As for other missions, I experienced the same issue with the bugged night mission, but that was a user-created mission. One of the standout experiences I've had so far is the "Hercules" mission that comes with the module. Definitely give that a go.

Imacken - I completed the Airbase Defense mission on my 5th try tonight. Here's what worked for me: * Head-on launch using AIM-9P5s at lead Su-24. First one missed, 2nd one hit. * Order wingman to Engage Bandits after first one is going down, he's bringing up rear and downed the 2nd Su-24 before it could release. * I then orbited and checked Wizard (AWACS), and was told of another group coming in ~290, 28 miles "hot" * Max AB in that direction, spotted two more Su-24s coming in fast. Being down to guns I fired in a pass forcing lead to break, I then maneuvered for guns kill. * Meanwhile my wingman was engaging the leaker in a circle fight, firing ineffectually (since he was also out of AIM-9s) * I turned and cut the corner, entered his engagement and shot down the 4th Su-24. * Received congratulations message saying the airbase was successfully defended, time to RTB. * Final score 210, Mission 100. So it can be done, and seems to require downing only 4 x Su-24s.

Ah, cool idea. What do you use for disabling the aileron limiter? That's what I have currently mapped to the lever on my stick.

I've read the other threads on A/A-1 vs A/A-2 and I understand the general principles. A/A-1 is showing where bullets fired one time of flight ago would be hitting now. A/A-2 is showing where bullets fired now will hit after one time of flight. Got it. What I'm having trouble with is determining how to calculate appropriate lead with A/A-1, particularly since I find I almost always end up using DG mode in turning combats. DG defaults to A/A-1 no matter what I have dialed into the ASG-31. I'm finding I'm often in turning fights with F-5Es or MiG-21s where I have moderate angle off (so I'm looking down on the planform) yet I'm still able to potentially track in a gun solution for a few seconds (more than just a momentary snapshot). In these situations, I just can't seem to get the hang of how far in front to place the pipper. It feels like having radar ranging is almost useless since I'm practically back to eyeballing it and guesstimating lead. Any tips on how to interpret the A/A-1 mode so I know where to put the pipper for accurate shooting? Particularly as I'm starting the first real mission of the BFM campaign (where you face three F-5s in sequence), I need to conserve my 12 sec of ammo.

Imacken - I saw the reply in the other thread, thanks. I just didn't have anything else to add. I don't know the answers, nor do I know how to contact Belsimtek on this particular mission question. Like you, I'm watching to see if anyone else has additional experience with these questions. Cheers.

Imacken - when you say "Lever+JOY_BTN...", I wasn't clear what this means. What is lever?

Thanks all. Good responses. I was using TARGET since mapping the RWR Search button wasn't working when done directly in DCS. By using "Hold" I was able to get it to work on my HOTAS, which is key with the current ALR-87 implementation. I like the idea about setting the Master Arm switch as described. While it's only rarely used, I find the switch cover makes it hard to hit the underlying toggle with the mouse without a lot of contortion to look underneath.

Imacken, Coincidentally, I'm also at the same point in my F-5E learning curve. I just flew the Airbase Defense mission for the first time the other night, and gave it two more attempts last night. My experience is that I CAN overtake the Su-24s in a tail chase after they drop on my airfield, but it's very slow and requires dropping centerline tank, full burner and trimming for level flight. I don't have the precise airspeed numbers, will check later when I fly again tonight. My best result in three attempts so far is a head-on AIM-9P5 launch on both Su-24s to dissuade them. They both pulled off to avoid, and my wingman shot one down before it could drop. The other recovered quickly and bore in for a drop on my airfield, but I chased him down afterwards with guns and killed him ~20 miles out as he raced for home. I like the suggestion about getting a high altitude perch first and then diving on them, although there isn't much time in this mission before they're over the airfield. Will try that tonight. Separate question: Once the two Su-24s are dispatched, I'm instructed to RTB. Wizard (AWACS) is calling clear or very distant targets at 100 mi+. When I check F5, I see four other Su-24s with external ordnance somewhere over the Caucasus mountains. Am I supposed to refuel and rearm and be ready for them or is the mission over after those initial two Su-24s?

Snacko, Thanks for the reply. Here's my KneeboardBuilder.exe Config data: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <configuration> <appSettings> <add key="DpiSetting" value="150" /> <add key="DCSpath" value="C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta" /> <add key="SavedGamesPath" value="C:\Users\XXXX\Saved Games" /> <add key="PriorVersion" value="False" /> <add key="PriorComponents" value="False" /> <add key="AllowUpdate" value="True" /> <add key="Notifications" value="True" /> <add key="DCSVersion" value="OpenBeta" /> <add key="KeepClear" value="False" /> <add key="Mig21KeepClear" value="False" /> <add key="Mig21DefaultKneeboard" value="False" /> <add key="LiteMode" value="False" /> <add key="DCSexeVersion" value="2.5.0.14304" /> </appSettings> </configuration> I did try cutting and pasting the supportedRunTime lines from your Beta example, still crashes on starting. Any other ideas?