Wags

Hey, everyone. We know that many of you are very anxious to get your hands on this; so, I wanted to give you a little update All primary functions are now in, and internal testing has started. The bones are looking good, and we have a good handle on what needs to be changed/added. Please note that we are simulating the Sniper ATP per OFP 4.2+. We are still on track to release by the end of Q2, which should be June 2025. Naturally, if in test we discover blockers that prevent this, we'll need to work on it further. But for now, things are looking good. Also, given the large number of missions and campaigns that are using the current TGP (LANTIRN/Litening mash-up), we'll keep both around, at least for a while. Wags

Dear all, Over the past 24 hours I've gotten a tremendous number of qualified volunteers. Many thanks! If you have not heard back, we sincerely thank you for your interest and offer to help. We require no additional volunteers at this time. Best wishes, Matt

Dear all, We've reached a milestone developing the new ATC system for DCS, and we now require a small group of miliary ATC to consult with and help provide voice over support. If you are an active or retired military ATC controller and wish to assist, please message me. Best wishes, Wags

Phase 1 Military and Civilian airfields: Allstedt Alt Daber Altes Lager Barth Bindersleben Bitburg Bremen Briest Buchel Celle Cochstedt Damgarten Dessau Fassberg Finow Frankfurt Fritzlar Garza Gatow Giebelstadt Gross Dolln Gross Mohrdorf Gutersloh Hahn Haina Hamburg Hamburg Finkenwerder Hannover Hildesheim Holzdorf Kothen Laage Larz Leipzig Halle Leipzig Mockau Lubeck Mendig Merseburg Neubrandenburg Neuruppin Obermehler Schlotheim Parchim Peenemunde Pferdsfeld Rammstein Schonefeld Sembach Spangdahlem Sperenberg Stendal Tegel Tempelhof Tutor Werneuchen Wiesbaden Wolfsburg Wunstorf Zerbst Zweibrucken Helicopter bases: Fulda Schweinfurt Bückeburg Malwinkel Airfields for small aircraft: Bad Durkheim Bienenfarm Dedelow Gardelegen Gelnhausen Glindbruchkippe Grosse Wiese Hasselfelde Herrenteich Hockenheim Kammermark Langenselbold Luneburg Northeim Ober-Morlen Pinnow Pottschutthohe Rintein Uelzen Uetersen Ummern Verden-Scharnhorst Waldorf Waren Vielist Weser Wumme Wismar Worms Bases: There are 12 military tank ranges with helicopter pads on the map. Of these, four are unique: Bergen-Hohne, Baumholder, Magdeburg, and Ordurf.. There are 55 military personnel with helicopter pads on the map, including GSVG Headquarters. There are 10 radar stations with helicopter pads on the map. Of these, two are unique Grober Feldberg and Brocken Station. Once Phase 1 is complete, a list of airfields, helicopter bases, and other POIs for Phase 2 will be provided.

We are looking forward to it as well. It's been a module I've been wanting to add to DCS for many years. Best wishes, Matt

Tips for Better Supercarrier Missions Since the release of the new plane director functions for DCS: Supercarrier, we’ve noticed that some customers have encountered issues with being unable to get taxi instructions, interrupted taxi instructions, and failed taxi instructions after recovering. While this is still early and a work-in-progress with more tuning to do, we’ve noticed a common set issue that has led to many, not all, of these issues. By understanding how the plane directors work, you can avoid such issues. First and foremost, if you are creating Supercarrier missions, we strongly recommend reading the new chapter in the Supercarrier Guide starting on page 43. This is particularly important to visualize taxi routes for players and AI aircraft in relation to the placement of static objects. https://forum.dcs.world/topic/228670-dcs-supercarrier-mini-updates/#findComment-5554122 Second, as noted in the Supercarrier Guide, the directors taxi aircraft along predetermined routes. If these are blocked, it will result in the deck crew being unable to marshal an aircraft and thereby hold up launch or recovery operations. As such, it is critical that you do not place static objects along these paths. Third, and related, the directors marshal aircraft based on the predetermined routes and available catapults. Blocking a catapult with static objects would also break the marshal operations. Do not place statics along catapults, like 1 and 2. Fourth, note that you will often need to send the Salute command twice. First to alert the deck crew of intention and then a second time to initiate the taxi. Please keep an eye on the notification messages in the center of the screen. Fifth, the deck crew works best in cyclic operations. Meaning, first launching all aircraft, and only after that is done, recovering the launched aircraft. It is best to avoid mixing them. Sixth, for the deck crew to operate correctly, you must check in with carrier ATC and get permission to recover. This allows the ATC to sequence launch and recovery operations and be able to get you on the deck. If you fail to check in with ATC and follow ATC instructions, you are currently notified of your failure by red flares. Will be adjusting how players are notified of uncleared landings. Seventh, once you land and you quickly raise the hook, flaps, and then fold wings, you may need to taxi forward at bit before you direction out of the box. Again, this is the first release of a very complex process that will be tuned with continued feedback. During this period, we hope that you will keep these points in mind for a better Supercarrier experience. Best wishes, Wags

Attached are the missions used for the new plane director instruction video. Nothing fancy. Best wishes, Wags Supercarrier-Video-Cold.miz Supercarrier-Video-Hot.miz Supercarrier-Video-Recovery.miz

With the next update, we will be adding this new Supercarrier feature. To add additional detail for players, and particularly mission builders, we have attached an updated version of the Supercarrier guide that discusses the new director features in greater detail. Best wishes, Wags DCS Supercarrier Operations Guide EN.pdf

Dear CH-47F virtual pilots, Although the DCS: CH-47F has been released, there are certainly important features that will still be added and improved during the Early Access period. To help better understand the status of the project, we’ve created a roadmap to ensure clarity. As with other roadmaps, we will color-code items based on their status: Green – delivered. Blue – in development. Gray – to be developed. Our roadmap features are as follows: First Person Pilots and Crew Models. Additional Paint Schemes for Several Countries. Improvements to the Advanced Flight Control System (AFCS) including automatic turn coordination. Addition of the Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS) Core Functions that include automatic turn coordination, airspeed hold, and pitch attitude stability, and LCT. Longitudinal Cyclic Trim (LCT) actuators that adjust rotor tilt automatically allowing the fuselage to be level, even at high speeds. Differential Air Speed Hold (DASH) allows a more natural cyclic position as airspeed increases. (WIP) Addition of the Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS) Native Functions that include inertial and radar altimeter holds velocity, and position hold. Addition of the Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS) Flight Director Functions provide MFD steering commands to the flight control computers while coupled to those selected cues. NOTE: Native and Flight Director build upon the Core functions and are not independent. Complete main MFD pages and sub-pages where suitable for the simulation. Multi-Crew Gunner Positions. Additional Gunner Weapon Options. More Interactive Training Missions. More Instant Action and Single Missions. Full Manual. Muti-Point Sling Loading. Flight Engineer Sling Load Door. Operation and Look Out from All Non-Cockpit Doors by Flight Engineer. Extended Range Fuel System (ERFS II). Fire Extinguishers. Engine Air Particle Separator (EAPS) system. Kind regards, Wags

Dear all, With the next DCS: AH-64D update, we will be releasing the RMAP mode for the Fire Control Radar (FCR). Due to illness and time limitations, I was unable to create an instruction video for it. My apologies, as it's a very interesting features that a lot of time has gone into. In the meantime, please find attached a section of the DCS: AH-64D Guide pertaining to this new feature. Kind regards, Wags DCS AH-64D FCR RMAP Mode.pdf

OP updated

Dear all, In today's DCS update, HMCS and Maverick bore sighting will be done automatically if starting hot, from runway, or in the air. You will only need to manual boresight these systems when performing a cold start. Kind regards, Wags

OP updated.

OP updated.

DCS: F-16C | Alignment Procedures To further improve the accuracy of the F-16C INS and GPS alignment system, we’ve implemented significant improvements that will later be rolled into other DCS aircraft like the F/A-18C, AH-64D, and A-10C. Proper alignment based on the GPS-era and a normal versus STRD HDG alignment. Proper alignment is critical for accurate navigation, sensor slaving, and weapon accuracy. Known issue: In-Flight Alignment in pre-GPS era requires additional couple of FIXes in addition to the first two OFLY FIX to calculate the velocity properly. These FIXes can be made in any suitable mode: TPOD, FCR, HUD, OFLY, the only requirement is to keep the aircraft at a straight line between the fixes. Of course, the fixes should be done precisely. Once this addressed in a later update, I will create a in-depth instruction video on this topic. GPS-Era / STRD HDG Alignment First, let’s start with the most common form of alignment in DCS, GPS-era using a STRD HDG alignment. This is the simplest, fastest, and most common for single- and multi-player. With power to the avionics systems, set the INS switch to STRD HDG and then set the GPS switch to ON. It’s important that the MIDS switch remains in the OFF position. After about 12 seconds, you’ll see an ALIGN indication on the HUD. You’ll then verify the STRD HDG alignment by going to the DED INS page and check the latitude, longitude, and altitude against your location on the F10 map view. After about 60 seconds, you should be aligned and confirm this by the ADI flags being retracted; HSI showing correct magnetic heading, DME, bearing pointer and CDI deflection; roll and pitch correct on the HUD; and RDY should be flashing on the INS alignment DED page after less than 2 minutes. We can now switch the INS switch from STRD HDG to NAV. On the DED INS alignment page, confirm that GPS TIME is displayed one minute after the GPS switch is set to ON. Note that this may take longer if the aircraft is under cover like a hardened aircraft bunker. As such, it is best to align out of cover. With good GPS TIME, set the MIDS switch from OFF to ON. After alignment with GPS correction, you can expect no more than 40 meters of INS drift. Further, if you zeroize the GPS or are flying a REDFOR Viper, you can expect an INS drift of 100 meters or more. GPS-Era / Normal Alignment A normal alignment is much like the STRD HDG Alignment, but we’ll need to manually enter the aircraft starting location because we’re not using a known, STRD HDG location. To start though, we’ll in the INS switch to NORM and not STRD HDG this time. Then set GPS to ON, verify MIDS to OFF, and wait for ALIGN on the HUD after about 12 seconds. The big difference is now going to the DED INS alignment page and entering the aircraft’s latitude, longitude, and altitude as shown on the F10 map. Once done, we’ll verify ADI, HSI, and HUD as before and wait for the flashing RDY indication on the DED INS alignment page after about 8 minutes. Once flashing, set the INS switch from NORM to NAV and verify GPS TIME indication. With that, set the MIDS switch from OFF to ON. These will be the most common alignment scenarios when performing a cold start. However, you may come across a mission or campaign with a date prior to the GPS era. In that case, we’ll only align based on INS with no GPS correction. Non-GPS Era / STRD HDG Alignment Like the GPS-era, set the INS switch from OFF to STRD HDG and wait for the ALIGN indication on the HUD. Then, verify the DED INS alignment page latitude, longitude, and altitude to the F10 map data and verify ADI, HSI HUD, and wait for the flashing RDY indication. We can now move the INS switch to NAV. Once airborne, you’ll then want to conduct alignment FIX procedures using Overfly, targeting pod, HUD, or FCR to remove accumulated INS drift. Please see the earlier videos on fix taking. Non-GPS Era / Normal HDG Alignment The last weight-on-wheels we’ll look at is doing a normal alignment at a mission date prior to GPS. Set the INS switch from OFF to NORM and wait for the ALIGN indication on the HUD. From the DED INS alignment page, enter the aircraft’s latitude, longitude, and elevation using the F-10 map. Next, verify the DED INS alignment page latitude, longitude, and altitude to the F10 map data and verify ADI, HSI HUD, and wait for the flashing RDY indication after about eight minutes. We can now set the INS switch to NAV. Once airborne, you’ll then want to conduct alignment FIX procedures using Overfly, targeting pod, HUD, or FCR to remove accumulated INS drift. Please see the earlier videos on fix taking. So far, we’ve only been talking about weight-on-wheels alignment procedures. We’ll now shift gears and discuss in-flight alignment. We’ll start with the more common GPS-era procedure. GPS-Era / In-Flight Alignment First, set the INS switch to FLT ALIGN and flight straight and level until the ADI flag is retracted. You’ll see INS FLT ALIGN on the DED and STBY on the HUD. Maintain straight and level flight and enter your compass magnetic heading within 20 seconds on the DED and verify that the pitch ladder is displayed on the HUD. Continue to fly straight and level until the ALIGN is replaced with the maximum G value on the HUD and then return the INS switch to the NAV position. Non-GPS-Era / In-Flight Alignment Last, for an in-flight alignment with no GPS, set the INS switch to FLT ALIGN and fly straight and level until the ADI OFF flag is removed. INS FLT ALIGN should appear on the DED and STBY on the HUD. Fly straight and level and enter your magnetic heading on the DED within 20 seconds while ALIGN appears on the HUD, replacing the maximum G indication. We’ll now perform an OFLY FIX within the next 30 seconds. It is required we perform a second OFLY FIX within two minutes to correctly perform velocity calculations. Keep flying straight and level, and once the maximum G field replaces the ALIGN indication, you are done. For best INS alignment, you may wish to perform an OFLY, HUD, FCR, or TGP alignment every 15 minutes for best possible navigation and acceptable weapon accuracy. Manual Alignment as Backup The manual alignment is a backup alignment designed to provide get-home capability only.

You are very welcome. I look forward to more such videos every couple of weeks, or so. Kind regards, Wags

Dear all, After talking with lee1hy, we've decided that he'll be providing the requested skins, and quite a few more. He does fantastic work that I believe players will enjoy. In the end, we want to provide the best possible F-16C liveries to our customers. After a careful review of the F-16C user file skins, we believe that lee1hy provides outstanding F-16C skins that meet our needs. Further, by using a single source, it greatly streamlines the process. It was my mistake creating this topic prior to carefully reviewing the F-16C user files skins before making this decision. Kind regards, Matt

Dear all, I'd like to add default F-16C skins to several more countries: 1- Norway 2- Egypt 3- Denmark 4- Belgium 5- The Netherlands 6- HAVE GLASS skins for OH, SP, SP, and WW. All submission should be standard gray birds, not "peacock" and fantasy paint schemes. Please feel free to list your skins here if you'd like to be considered. I can offer ED Miles and credit in the newsletter as thanks. Kind regards, Matt

OP updated, C scope also now in work.

Dear all, If I might interject. After not having flown a Case 3 in forever, I tested it in the current, public Open Beta today, and it worked as it should (I was more than a bit sloppy though). I suspect where some folks may be running into problems could be: 1- The mission does not have a Link 4 assignment to the carrier. Press and hold the K key to check. 2- You did not first establish yourself in ATC. 3- You tried to Couple outside of line up and glideslope Tilt limits. I've attached a track to illustrate that it works as designed when performed correctly. Wags ACLS-Test.trk

OP updated.

OP updated

Left on the sight select switch on the collective. Same for pilot and CPG

Without a track or video it’s impossible to know where you are going wrong. But this video should get you started.