did

Ground power used for maintenance AND for fast start. Like on alert 5, get everything align and warm, then start engine when needed. In real life, you can fuel the a/c with engines on. I never seen loading weapon with engines on. DCS is not at all realistic on the time needed to loaded any a/c. Better to have another a/c loaded, ready on ground power with ins, radar and all on, jump in and start both engines. Loading with engines running is a wast of fuel, and loading with power could be explosif, stray voltage and other pleasant unpredicatable outcome.

I wiil answer the original question here. I work for over 25 years on f-18. so where are the switch, check. how to start engines, check. how to use most systems, check. Radar, flight controls, light, APU, seat, look and all ,,,,,, check. Simply, it was easy to learn to fly, land with , all the a/c stuff. I just need to learn the fighter pilot stuff, not easy, but i know i started far from zero.

You know, there a maybe more then 10000 blin code possible ( i have not count theme) that help maintainer, but for pilot, go or no good is just what a pilot need. BFM require fast moving surface, including the stab. Those are big actuator moving at high pressure and high demand. so if these a close to fail, this is when it could happen. but remember, 4 channel, so their are mostly partial fail with no impact to control from the pilot.

I could talk for hours on why and how FCS get degraded. 20 years on first line desanging and 4+ years working on servo fix secound line

I don't think The F-18 have a master Avionic Switch. Could you show me what switch are you looking at?

NWS should go to high gain with folded wing, automaticaly. and the speed of folding is the same with or without flap down, it's an electric motor. On the real a/c at lease,

I work on 30 years+ f-18, and the weathering is spot on. We don't waist time painting or doing cosmetic work. All is done so that it is usable. The airframe is painted as part of the corrosion control program. Sometime all, sometime patching. The cockpit is spot painted to coverup scratch that could affect night vision.

Release i hope, cause i'm not runing OB.

In the RCAF, it's call ugly duck config. Yes the wiring is on the left side. There is connection on the right side, but that was for when the lasing system was a diffrent pod originaly. On the C model , i'm not sure.

F-18 is a dual engine, dual generator and dual hydraulic system a/c. No hydraulic same as no blood, you are capout. Eng right cover all hydaulic, including all secondary system, like anti locking break and break, gun air break etc.... All primary system are cover by both engine but if you loose engine right, you should use hook even on land. Accumulator will give you break, but it is limited. Dual generator fail is survivable with battery but you have limited time, so get down fast. one generator is plenty of juice for the a/c. with no generator and no battery, most of your flight surface are in damper of trail mode except both stab, but good luck landing with no flap, no aileron, no leading edge flap and no rudder. You should stabilized and eject.

I just got the new update and yes it's not as realistic anymore. Goes from zero to max at high speed. There is a transition, even if it's very fast.

I work on the f-18, and compare to f-16 and f-15, the high pitch from the fan is a lot lower. All fighter a subdue from pointing at you, but the f-18 smaller engine make it quieter. And remember that high frequency are traveling less then lower one. I do like the sound of the f-18 when the a/c is breaking on top of us going idle.

Yep, all in maintenance books. There is a Boeing book with all Blin with explanation and most probable cause , but it is not official for maintenance.

The show bird in Canada is the same as any other. no mod done except the paint job. Before a demo, the A/C may need to burn some fuel, but i have not seen this all the time and Don't forget that T/O trim affect the rudders in real life on top of the stab. I need to plan a test flight in DCS to review all sort of point.

One pilot had a flap attach point fail. The flap, still attach to the servo, swing around and got stuck in the v stab. The pilot just got a slight nudge on the stick. He had to land flap up. FCC reported flap servo 4 chan x out.