Kozality

Hope this doesn't sound insulting for asking, but have you set takeoff trim? I've experienced the same sluggishness on takeoff with a heavy load (16 x M/71, XT, Rb-24s), but this is because my takeoff trim was either not set or too conservative. I usually set this to 5-6 degrees for such a heavy load, then back off on it as I pass 5-600KIAS. If I forget to set it (like I did once last night), then I usually end up having to use most of the runway.

Had this happen again last night. Barely recovered, but not before a few compressor stalls. I'll try going directly to the PC as opposed to the hub.

I absolutely had this happen a few weeks ago. At the time I chalked it up to something weird with my controls, like my USB hub disconnecting and reconnecting or something. It's happened twice to me in my time playing so far.

I tend not to crank too hard in the Viggen since the engine can be subjected to compressor stalls at high AoA. I don't know where this point is exactly, but generally speaking I try not to exceed 15 degrees if I can help it, both for those reasons and because it bleeds off so much speed. I have noticed that the pilot model in the Viggen is such that there's no gradual black or red out like there is in say, the F-5E, so if you pull too many Gs at once, then your screen can go immediately black (with disintegration into a hill usually following. =P ) Is it possible that this is what you're seeing? If not and the aircraft is actually coming apart, then my guess is that you're pulling too sharp an angle and the air frame couldn't handle it. The jet isn't fragile per se, but it is a thin wing and while it does supersonic easily, it's not meant to be a dogfighter. So gentle, low AoA turns are preferred. Hope that helps!

Do you find that the blast damage is effective then? That seems to be the question.

This is really interesting regarding the Rb-05 and -75 (seriously, the references are great) and confirms my suspicions a bit about the latter (that the Rb-75 in Swedish service wasn't really a CAS weapon). But any insight into the M/71? I've seen some people reply that they're having issues with the Mk8* family. Are the M/71s just not used?

I had this happen to me in a Viggen flight last week. I was setting takeoff trim, and it just continued to increase until it went max noseup. Trying to adjust it down sent the trim all the way in the other direction, even after I released the hat. There was no way to keep it in the middle. I've only had it happen once, but it was bloody weird when it did.

Apologies in advance if there's a thread on this elsewhere, I couldn't quite find one. I've been doing low-level attack runs with the AJS-37 using high-drag bombs in CCIP mode and low-drag in DYK mode. In both instances, I feel like the damage done is negligible. Last night I dropped a slick of 16 M/17s over a column of enemy light vehicles (APCs and ZSU-23s) and watched over my shoulder as I had a good shack on the target. And yet the log showed....no kills. Whole path went up in explosions, and nothing. I realize the M/71 is a light bomb (120kg about), but I'd expect to see more of an effect? I was hoping to see some more splash effect but more often than not I only get the occasional damage. Does this sound about right? Thanks!

This is a fantastic thread. I'll add my two cents based on my experience in the F-5E. Regarding the F-14 scenario. You start off on his 6, and if you're quick you simply get a missile off. I never do this anymore (you don't learn anything). Otherwise, he goes vertical, which the F-14 can do in spades. I kept losing these engagements till I figured out the pattern. When the F-14 goes up, keep going level and build up your speed. Track him through the top of your cockpit as he yo-yos around, then turn into him, level. The key is continuing forward so that you're directly underneath and a little past him, and you're effectively hidden. As he yo-yos around, inverting into the turn, you're no longer in his field of view. Perform your best corner turn, careful not to bleed off speed, as you'll need every ounce as he comes screaming back down. Timing is key here. He should be leveling off as you finish your 180, and you're on his 6 again. But careful as he's now probably doing 6-700 knots, and if you're too far out your AIM-9 will never reach him. Stay fast and force him to go up again, and run the same play if you need to, flying past and under him so he can't get the drop on you. But don't chase him up. Otherwise, I find the F-5 works best as a skirmisher, and if you watch on youtube most F-5 pilots operate the same. A map with a solo F-5 is a dead F-5 IMO against anyone with a decent radar, but as part of a larger engagement your adversaries are going to be concerned with anyone else who's pining them with a better radar. Keep yours off and stay low. Your size and good visibility is your advantage, track targets with your RWR and get the drop on enemies who are too busy wondering who's locking them up. If you've got a friendly Eagle driver about, you can work with him to pick up bandits who he's driven to ground with AIM-7 and AIM-120 shots, they've bled energy trying to evade missiles and perfect for an F-5 to collect. Hope that helps!

I wonder how much fun it would actually be in terms of a dogfight though. While Saab made some aerodynamic and performance improvements, nothing was done to the intakes or engine for the most part, and so it would have the same high-AoA restrictions as the AJS37. In some ways I see the JA37 as being similar to the Tornado F3: Decent long-range weapon system, but comprised up close.

I haven't had those, but I did have a few times where the reverse thrust didn't engage despite having the handle pulled. Don't know much more than that. When I notice the jet accelerating instead of decelerating, I take off again and go around.

I haven't experienced this exact thing, but I encountered something very similar just a few nights ago. I was flying 107th, and was putting in my flight plan. As a check, I switch to AKT POS, and began cycling through my waypoints as a sanity check (my handwriting is atrocious and I once put in a latitude coordinate as 47 degrees without thinking.) I'm watching the distances increment up as well as the fuel need estimate needles, all the way back to base. Then, I hit LS, and now my fuel need is at 100, and does not reset. I go through again, reenter L1 and L2, and still, no go. Estimate is not completely borked. I need to do some testing with this some more, but my take away is that the estimate needle can be confused at times. Question for you. After you erase, do you still enter "9099" before entering the rest of your flightplan? I was of the understanding that doing so basically sets your current "LS". Hope this helps.

Adding my +1. I can scarcely tell a difference between "obstacle avoidance" and "normal" modes anymore.

I was thinking of this post when I came across this:" And against the Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale? Gripen is a bit of an unknown quantity against modern air superiority machines because it takes a fundamentally different approach to survivability. Whilst in traditional DACT exercises, Typhoon pilots have often referred to the Gripen as ‘cannon-fodder’ due to its inferior thrust-to-weight ratio, speed, agility and armament, in the few cases where the Gripen has ‘come to play’ with its full electronic warfare capabilities, it has given Typhoons very nasty shocks. Against the Su-35S, Gripen would rely on the cutting edge EW capabilities which Saab builds the Gripen (especially the new E/F) around to hide the aircraft from the sensors of the Russian jets in much the same way as the Raptor relies on x-band stealth. These EW capabilities are so highly classified that there is simply no way to assess their effectiveness in the public domain. Having said that, RAF pilots who I have talked to with experience of the Saab fighter’s EW teeth first hand say that the ability of the aircraft to get alarmingly close without detection thanks entirely to EW is very impressive." From: https://hushkit.net/2016/03/17/su-35-versus-typhoon-analysis-from-rusis-justin-bronk/

I happen to work with a gentleman who used to be a test pilot engineer on among other things, the A-10B (yes, you heard me right), and when I mentioned this aspect of the Viggen, he was immediately familiar of doing similar on that era's aircraft. He talked of doing up mission plans on Sun Microsystems workstations, dumping to tape, and carrying them out to the plane. To QuiGon's point though, mastering the CK37 to make a flightplan is essential. If you bind the Viggen's number pad to your own along the with "LS" key, "Input/Output" switch, and a few others, you can enter in coordinates and other information really quickly. I keep a small steno notepad at my desk to scratch down coordinates in the F10 map, then mash them all into the computer. Takes a few extra minutes of prep, but totally doable. QFE can be calculated since the altitude is given. Here's a tutorial on QFE and how to calculate it in MP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEovtSLiUsgAnd here's entering coordinates in MP: Hope this helps!

I'm gonna take an educated guess and say that this might have to do with the fact that there's still a potential F-14 operator out there who might benefit from that knowledge :smilewink:.