bonesvf103

You can also switch to ground stabilized display on the TID and estimate the target's course since north will now be oriented to the top. v6, boNes

What about external fuel tanks? I heard somewhere that they don't like you to jettison those when they are empty even though it would help your fuel endurance but the only reason why they didn't like it is because they cost money--well, also probably because they can be reused too. But why haul around empty bags when fuel is critical, right? v6, boNes

Another thing I keep meaning to mention is Jester's inaccurate clock code calls. The only time he calls the bandit in a correct position is if I'm straight and level, otherwise, his calls are lagged and I look where he tells me to and the bandit is already elsewhere, and not just because he flew elsewhere quickly. He just gets so lagged and makes his calls in chronological order it seems. I'll hear about a missed missile long after it had already missed, for example. v6, boNes

I might add also to ignore the E brackets in the Tomcat HUD. It is ratchety and inaccurate, even in real life. RL Tomcat drivers even ignore it. v6, boNes

I know that in the real world alot of aircraft will jettison their unspent Mk82s or other iron dumb bombs before trapping so that live ordnance doesn't get knocked off onto the carrier deck and cause a disaster. But what about if the ordnance was something more, well, pricey? Like a GBU-24 or a GBU-38? Do they still want you to jettison those before trapping? What about missiles? Especially the $1.5 million Phoenix? v6, boNes

In DCS, if there is an E-3, is it also broadcasting in Link 4A? So link 4A is one way and that is from the E-2 to the Tomcat? So the Tomcat can't send anything to the E-2 or an E-3 for that matter? Also in DCS, OK Link-4 is available and you can use it, but how does that help you in the big picture if everyone else is on Link 16? How did they mitigate that in real life when the Tomcat was still flying and had to do so amongst Hornets and Falcons etc? v6, boNes

So I'm trying to figure out the benefits and use of these links. Link 4A goes between fighter/AWACS/etc assets whereas Link4C is only between the Tomcats. The two links can't be communicated on at the same time. So, if two Tomcats are sharing radar contacts with each other on Link 4C, and they want to pass that info to the E-2 or say an F/A-18 nearby, when they switch to Link 4A, do they lose their Link 4C contacts since they can't do A and C at the same time? What if the F/A-18 is on Link 16, how does it get contacts that the Tomcat sees on Link 4? The Hornet has to switch to Link 4A? Why bother with Link 4C between Tomcats if they can get an arguably better picture from the E-2 on Link 4A? What good is any of the data Tomcats or Hawkeyes have/give on Link 4 if everyone else is on Link 16? I'm just a bit confused. Thanks. v6, boNes

When you tell Jester to lock a target, does he by default do it by PDSTT or by PSTT? I'm pretty sure he does by PDSTT but am not entirely sure... v6, boNes

I used to have that problem, but then I found that when I did tell him to track QDES, he would snap back to it just fine. I have done this in the last few days and it still works. So, I guess my only question is, are you sure that you properly designated the target? v6, boNes

Yup, I was just about to come back here to update you all on that when I saw your reply, thanks. So yes if you tell him QDES (or, in my case with AIRIO, "track designation"), he will bring it back. Thing is, I wish he didn't switch to begin with. If in the thick of things he switches and I can't get him to go back to designation on time, then the run was needlessly trashed. I don't know why he would need to switch to begin with. As for the TCS thing, still a problem. Even if you have wingmen nearby to take out the bandit so you can do your run, Jester still switches to the TCS. The only thing I can say further on this is that I noticed that if you drop even though he switched to the TCS and stayed within drop parameters, as long as the target is designated in the LANTIRN the bomb will still hit. You just can't monitor it from the front to make sure you aren't masking. But, it's still annoying that he switches v6, boNes

I would like to voice some concerns with Jester and LANTIRN. Maybe someone knows a fix to this but here are the issues. First, to further the post above about Jester switching to the TCS on a bomb run, whenever I am on a bomb run and then there is an air to air threat nearby--even if it's far enough away to still get the bomb off then defend myself, Jester always seems to abandon the LANTIRN duty and switch to the TCS camera and start looking for bandits. Even if my HUD mode is still in A/G, he will do this. It has ruined alot of bomb runs and it's very annoying especially when he does it when the bandit is still far enough away for me to get the bomb off. After he does this, I have tried to jump into the RIO seat to switch it back to LANTIRN and hope I can get back in the front seat in time to make the drop. But even when I do, he automatically goes back to TCS and screw up the run. He didn't used to do this before. Is there any way he can just stick with LANTIRN unless I go to A/A mode? Next, Jester annoyingly switches to what he thinks is the target. Here's the scenario: I call eyeballs, I place the cursor where I want him to have LANTIRN look, then I hit "A". He slews the LANTIRN over there. Then I jump in the backseat to fine tune the LANTIRN and I hit designate on my HOTAS and get the countdown to drop symbology, etc. I switch back to the front cockpit to make the drop--and Jester has switched the LANTIRN back to where I had hit "A" when I used eyeballs, losing the target that I designated from the back seat. Even if I did eyeballs>A>head control>A then went in the backseat to fine tune then designate, as soon as I go to the front pit he switches back to the "A" designation. It seems the only way I can keep my designation is if I run the LANTIRN completely without him. Then when I switch to the front seat he will keep my designation as he should. So anyway to fix this? Thanks! v6, boNes

OK, must have missed that,but thanks, glad I'm not going crazy. It was weird...at one point the right feed burned out then BOTH my engines shut down. Next, I blacked out. By the time I came to, I was too close to the ground to recover and crashed. Why it would make me black out I don't know since I never touched the O2 switch or was experiencing G (I was in straight and level flight). Odd. v6, boNes

I've noticed as of late that my FWD & R fuel runs out quickly and the aft & L one does not. ANy reason why it's not feeding equally? The cover is down on the fuel feed switch. v6, boNes

I would like to add a request that has just come up recently. Can we have Jester NOT switch us out of LANTIRN to the AXX-1 when hostile air is nearby? It didn't used to happen before, but I've noticed lately that it does. Just yesterday I was in hot with only 5 seconds left to drop the bomb and a bandit who was not close enough to be an immediate threat came around and Jester immediately switched the LANTIRN to the AXX-1 and trashed my drop. I dropped anyway and luckily the bomb still shacked the target, but it could have been worse and it has been. Sometimes, as the pilot, you are willing to take that extra second or two to make the drop and ignore the bandit until you've finished your run, but this Jester behavior doesn't allow for that. Thanks, v6, boNes

OK here is another one. I had Jester select Paveways, even told him to select the stations for it as a safeguard, then he talked me onto the target. When he said to pickle, I did...but nothing happened. Everything checked out---master arm on, weapon selector switch on off, A/G selected, ORD in HUD, etc. I noticed in the ACM panel, the indicators for what weapon station was selected were all blank--no checkermarks. I jumped into Jester's seat...and he had all the correct stations selected. He also had the proper GBU showing in the drum, and it matched that shown in the bottom center of the LANTIRN display. I also hadn't taken an battle damage or hard manuvering. So, what gives? v6, boNes

Well, when I launch, I immediately try to get 1000 ft below the target ASAP to minimize that so not a problem. Perhaps but it seems like 30000+ is the agreed best altitude for best loft so I guess again I just have to get the feel of things with all factors considered. v6, boNes

Well, I was being factious actually... I see your point there! I was being facetious but I see what you're saying. All I was getting at was that if a missile is supposed to be a long rang missile, shouldn't it be? 22 nm is not really long range. I'd say the missile is more "long range compatible/ready." But semantics aside... Understood. So, when a target is how low do you get how close? That's what I'm trying to get the feel for, and ultimately, how to decide how to set myself up to emply in the best way possible. v6, boNes

I did a few tests in the Devil's Edge mission. 30000 ft shooting at targets at below 10000 at 30 nm. 50% kill ratio, but I finished them off with Sparrow and Sidewinder. Will do more checking. v6, boNes Thanks. I actually have both books, will look it up. I also eas listening to the F-14 Tomcast about it and there were some points of interest there too. Thing is, if I'm waiting until 22nm to fire...well, for one, what was the point of having a Phoenix then (now wonder they were pushing the AMRAAM so much, haha!) and also, now I am nealy in the bandit's kill zone for his missiles. Seems like getting in close like that defeats the purpose of having a long range missile. v6, boNes

Really great discussion, and a great question about the missile beaming itself. I'll play around with this and see what happens and post back. v6, boNes

Thanks. OK, but then at what range/alt should I fire? If I'm at say 30 nm at 30,000 ft and he's at 5000 ft, that's a huge volume of air to have to fly through with the air densities throughout than say if you were at 20 nm at 30,000 ft (or maybe better at 20 nm at 20000 ft). I saw that even HB remarked in a situation like this that that is 25000 feet down through air that gets denser and denser that the missile has to fly through and doesn't help its PK. Also, would the Phoenix know that it doesn't have to loft as high if it was fired say with the bandit at 5000 ft and you at 10000 ft with only 20 nm between you? It seems as if if it goes all the way up to 30000 then back down, it's wasting alot fo energy going all the way up then losing it all the way down than if it only lofted up a little bit then came down again. Of course that would mean it's doing it in more dense air in the latter case than the former. v6, boNes

So usually you want to fly high (30,000+) to employ Phoenix. But what if the target is down low such as 5000 AGL or below? That's 25000 ft of altitude and thicker air for the Phoenix to fly through to hit. So what is the best way to employ Phoenix? I was thinking get in close, so at least the horizontal distance is not so bad...but then how close is close? 20 nm? Thoughts? v6, boNes

800 ft level in the initial into the break. Remain level until established in the downwind then when established on downwind, descend to 600 ft. v6, boNes

He does, but for air to air. Even if I cycle the HUD mode switch for air to ground, he still in the back has changed the camera to TCS--not that I expected changing mu HUD mode will do anything, but who knows? On the plus side I was 4 for 4 for non-assigned targets with the LANTIRN and Jester at my last test...so thanks again! v6, boNes

You know, you're right. I think I've just forgotten that I DID used to do that nuance. I tried hitting A as you described and whilst doing it, it did kind of seem familiar to me. IN any case it worked, and so thanks for reminding me! Now the only thing now is I've noticed that if I'm on a bomb run and there are enemy air nearby, Jester switches over to the TCS. I can't get him to switch back even if I jump in back and switch it myself, he'll switch it back. This is a problem because I could be say 5 seconds from drop then he'll switch it, even if my wingmen are on the bandit, or if the bandit is far enough away that I could get a bomb dropped before he actually can get a shot on me. Kind of annoying. Anyway, thanks again! v6, boNes

Thanks. I've never had to do that before for it to work, but maybe that's one of the things that changed. I'll give it a try and report back. v6, boNes