Residual

Few of our members are seeing this as well.

This is completely dependent on the unit, and the circumstances behind the stencil. For example if you are deployed and don't have access to a machine to cut a stencil, your more likely to mask numbering and lettering by hand. It also depends on who is doing the work. For instance the guys at NAS Jacksonville are civilians hired to do nothing but paint, and they mask by hand because they can actually mask it faster by hand rather than waiting on the cutter to cut stencils, then place them. On the other hand, a unit could just be looking to use a different font all together, which is fairly rare, but could happen. The broken stencil really is not used on aircraft. The only times I have ever used it, or seen it used is on equipment or cases. We had access to stencil kits for those uses, and never taped those freehand. The 2161 gives general information about markings for the F/A-18, but the A1-F18AC-SRM-500 lays out more detail on specific measurements for markings, and how they are to be placed. Generally they are closer toward the front of the intake starting roughly 2 inches aft of the lip of the intake.

Or once SA, and JHMCS is implemented they can use it for exactly what its used for in the jet, as i posted earlier in this thread.

I will do that, but for now, my previous report about engine crank switch is the real reason for this thread.

Im guessing not since they are totally incorrect. I ask how I can provide the information to correct it because I am not going to type, or copy and past 41 pages of information

My report goes much further than the power being on or off. The first thing that stands out as incorrect is the threat lethality rings are not correct. But even in a powered off state, the format is incorrect. To clarify than. Now both images show weight on wheels with systems powered.

I hesitate to post this since so much of the avionics is early access, and I am sure it is on the list to be looked at. However the current format of the EW page is incorrect. In game currently we have this: When the actual format looks like this: I could go much further into detail, but the documentation for the EW format is 62 pages long. I guess one large question I have is how much of this should we attempt to report?

During engine start, the engine crank switch unlatches and returns to the neutral position around 63% N2, but it should happen prior to 61% N2. This is because mechanical failure of the air turbine starter is possible above 62% N2. From the LMM-000 WP22 page 9,and 11. Additionally, the latency on the ENG page of the DDI in its current implementation is far too high. The ENG page in the real aircraft refreshes, and is far more accurate than the IFEI, and is used to monitor engine startup after one engine is online, and testing during maintenance runs. I also attempted to run a standard engine test from the A1-F18AC-270-200 WP 03, but the state of the engines currently are so incorrect that no test was without discrepancies. Even at idle there are numbers out of limits. So along with reporting the previous bugs, I would ask how I could go about providing the information to correct it?

The current panel matches up for a F/A-18D model between F/A-18D 164866 THRU 165687 AFTER F/A-18 AFC 444 listed as legend item 13. The correct panel should be legend 7 which I have outlined since it has the AFC-400 installed which is the HMD mod, as is evident by the HMD knob on the spin mode switch panel.

The standardized USN angled font as you describe is established in the MIL-STD I mentioned above. It goes into detail on how to set it up, what spacing to use, what angles etc, most of your line aircraft will use that, or some modified version of that, which is laid out by hand with tape, and then sprayed. Other fonts can be used, which I will get into shortly in one of your other questions. Its more or less anything goes, within reason. The way it was done when I designed the CAG bird I did was I came up with a concept, and my OIC showed it to the squadron CO who approved it. It depends on the unit, but sometimes CAG birds are designed as part of a contest, some are designed by the pilots, some by maintenance, and some have historical sentiments. Many of them are designed on paper, but when I was doing it, i literally used the F/A-18 that came with FSX acceleration and re-skinned it and took screenshots in 3D to use during the layout. At MCAS Beaufort we had a team of civilians who worked at the paint shop that were amazingly talented at spraying the designs. The paint used on the F/A-18 is very durable, and is actually fairly rough to the touch. It can last years before needing to be repainted. However the aircraft is washed every 7 days while on carrier ops, and 14 days during land ops. Beyond that there are corrosion inspections that are done every 7, 14, 24, 48 days and so on, which are covered in the recurrent inspection publications. All aircraft go through the same inspection / wash cycles, so yes cag birds are no different than line birds. The paint itself is just a MIL-STD aircraft grade paint. Just about everything is stencil painted, but there are areas of certain schemes that must be hand painted. It would be impossible to stencil paint colors that blend together. An example is the top and bottom of the aircraft are different colors. You can see especially near where the Navy / Marines text is near the 64 and 68 door where the colors are blended together almost like a football shape near that text. Every unit, and every group do things slightly different. There are standards used for the most part, but everyone likes to have there own fingerprint so to speak. The only actual standard listed is the one in the MIL-STD-2161C Many stencils are created by hand using a layout ruler, and tape. Believe it or not, this method is alot faster when dealing with numbers and standard text like the modex, buno, or branch markings. Some of the more advanced things use computer generated stencils which are cut onto vinyl stencils, placed on the aircraft, then painted. (This can very by location, but this is how we did it at MCAS Beaufort at the unit I was with) Between colors you generally give a day, or more depending on the paint. It can take 3 - 4 weeks to paint a CAG bird given the sanding, prep, base, stenciling, and shooting everything else like colors, text ect. Absolutely. I used photoshop extensively for the CAG bird i designed. There are some other tools used specifically for the vinyl cutters which I honestly cant recall the name of.

While in the Marines I went to USN paint school, and designed a few paint schemes for the F/A-18 between 2010 and 2014 that are still in use today. You can get alot of information on paint schemes for the 18 by googling MIL-STD-2161C and if you can get your hands on the A1-F18AC-SRM-500. But I would be more than happy to give you any information I have.

It is required that the parking brake be set during alignment.

From NATOPS for CV ops. 44,000 LBS and Below 16 degrees 45,000 - 48,000 LBS 17 degrees 49,000 and above 19 degrees

You are correct, it should function on the ground. The WOW controls the ability to dispense, but most other functionality is available on deck. It is also not required for Mater Arm to be ON for the use of ALE-47, which is found in the same test section. Below is taken from A1-F18AE-760-200: It continues through the testing of programming and selecting of modes, and the use of the WOW box is not until later in the section, and all of those tests are done with weight ON wheels, and only dispensing is tested with simulated weight OFF wheels. I can obviously provide all related information if requested.

I noticed this as well, but simply thought it was an oversight that would be corrected quickly. From the Line Maintenance Manuel section 22 for Engine Operation it states I can also attest that on battery switch to on, the light should be illuminated, and stays illuminated until FCS reset is pressed, and FLAPS OFF caution is removed from the DDI. Then on shutdown roughly 6% N2 the amber FLAPS light illuminates again. I can also say from experience that turning the battery off before getting the amber Flaps indication will cause the trailing edge flaps to raise to the up or trailing position.

In the trailer their are many times that the strobes are not running when they should be since the strobes should be running at all times when the APU or engines are operating, but when they are running they look as close to real world as you could ask them to be. The OP asked about the correctness of the DCS module being developed, not a CF-18, and not one of the 30 in the world modified F/A-18C+ models. So to his question, the F/A-18A/B/C/D inside the united states operated by the US Navy, or US Marines, the strobes are able to be selected in the off position, dim, or bright positions but flash in manner according to the circuitry inside the strobe light power supply, and is not changeable by the pilot or maintenance. I retired from active duty in late 2014, and missed the delivery of the first set of F/A-18C+ models, but it seems very unlikely for them to have upgraded the strobe light system when it has absolutely zero impact on the life, or capability of the aircraft, but instead would cost hundreds of thousands to first modify the aircraft, and then add enough supply of parts to the military supply system to make repairs possible, just to be able to change the sequence of your flashing strobe lights.. But I will absolutely believe it if someone can supply a single document stating a modification of that nature indeed happened.

You can certainly do that on the super hornet, but the legacy hornet they only flash at one interval and are not adjustable.

This is true, but happens at a much higher airspeed based on fuselage bending, where aileron reversal is at a lower airspeed due to outboard wings having more flex. No logic is programmed into the flight control computers in the 18 for the other flight controls in regard to reversal.

I haven't met many people that are aware of aileron reversal. You are correct that at the speed of sound the ailerons no longer move to control roll. I used to use that as a question for my new guys when teaching the maintenance manuals. It happens at the speed of sound.

The flight control system on the F/A-18 is fly by wire, and is controlled by 2 computers with 2 channels per computer for a total of 4 channels. The boxes you see and SV correspond to the status of the servo valves per channel of each of the hydraulic servo cylinders.

The ailerons would be locked in the trailing position. There is a mechanical hydraulic shutoff valve that is closed when the wings are folded, as well as a mechanical lock to keep the ailerons in place (as long as it is not broken on that particular aircraft).

I agree that it is not that dark. I spent my entire career in the Marines working on the F/A-18 and it is not even close to being that dark. I posted pictures from my own camera that is basically identical to what I saw with my own eyes, but it does not seem to matter since the mods have said multiple times now that ED is happy with it the way it is. It will just be an area where a modder will have to make it closer to correct.

It should not be cut off like that. The image is projected onto the closest of the 2 pieces of crystal, which is the full length piece. It should not overlap the projected image.

Since my integrity has been questioned VIA private message, allow me to clarify my statements. My HUD pictures are taken during ground movements, and during an incentive ride I was lucky enough to get. So before now, were not available to anyone I didn't share them with. I make no claim to be or have been a fighter pilot. I am simply a retired US Marine who worked my entire career in the service on the F/A-18 A, A++, C, C+, D. I was also fortunate enough to go to Top Gun in Fallon NV twice and gain qualifications in the F/A-18 E/F, and Growler variants. Since being retired from the USMC, I now hold an airline transport pilot certificate and work flying private jets. I think its silly that I have to divulge personal information to avoid being called a liar, but i suppose that is the era we live in.

Thanks! Those are not available on the net. They came from me.