VC

I'm currently using up an entire HAT switch on my joystick just for weapons select functionality. I know you've tried to make it realistic with the options that exist now for binding, but I don't think there's any commercial joystick that has a true Tomcat style weapons select switch, so no matter how you map it to a HAT it's a compromise anyway. And I'm really short on bindings so I'd love to change this to have a single button that just cycles all possible positions of the weapon select switch (and loops). :)

Indeed creative, and worth trying if you have time when setting up a tracking shot. I imagine even wiggling side to side slightly will do it with vertical scan. But like I said if it's really hectic, if I'm going for a 90 degree target aspect short range snapshot, I've decided I prefer the fixed gunsight.

Nope, this is a problem with the pinky wheel on the Thrustmaster TWCS.

OK I worked it out. Automatic manoeuvre flap and slat extension is not bugged, works fine. However, if you assign an axis, like a wheel on your controller, to the DLC/manoeuvre flap axis, it constantly over-rides the position so it looks like the automatic system isn't working. Unassigned the axis, bound buttons to DLC fwd/aft, and everything works fine. Still looks like a bug to me, but at least now I have a workaround!

Yes, OK this does work but since you can't see the scan area sometimes it feels like it doesn't because you're just outside it. Good to know. In any case I feel with snapshots it's awkward getting lock anyway, so I ended up putting the fixed sight on as the funnel doesn't have a proper crosshair.

That's really strange, mine never deploy automatically no matter what AoA I pull. I've set up my controls to quickly use them manually and I don't mind doing this if that's how it's meant to be. I'd just like an answer as to whether this change is deliberate i.e. the real plane works like that, in which case it's fine. Or if it's a bug, in which case when will it be fixed.

With the F-14 as released the slats would extend automatically at a certain AoA, and retract again when AoA decreased. A few patches ago this stopped. It was raised as a bug but not acknowledged as such, and not fixed for multiple patches now. So is this intended behaviour? No automatic slat movement, only manual?

I tried that, I somehow "knew" it should work like you say but it didn't. Started from helmet and vertical scan, locked then lost lock, spammed lock button when the target was back right in the middle of the gun funnel, nothing. This was in a hectic dogfight though. I haven't yet tested in more stable conditions.

Something's bothering me about fighting with guns in the MiG-29. If I have a target locked and switch to guns, everything is fine. If I lose the lock (as you would in a guns dogfight) the sight reverts to funnel and I can't lock again. I need to go to another mode e.g. vertical scan and lock, but this defaults back to missiles selected even if you're not carrying any. So then I have to re-select guns. This is multiple unnecessary clicks in a very tight time frame to get the lock back and therefore the correct aiming aid for the gun. Am I missing something? Can I get the lock back from HUD in gun funnel mode?

I'm curious about how you've optimised your tactics for this given that Jester is lacking some capabilities. For example, had a squad training, fairly easy intercept missions 3x F-14s vs bombers + escorts (total 9 targets). Now, ideally we would fire 3 Phoenixes each and different targets, but all our TWS default to the same target priority so we'd end up hitting targets 1, 2 and 3... 3 times each. I don't think at the moment there's a way to tell Jester to change the target numbering? We ended up all firing in STT at different targets but this is very slow to get all of them. Even that's awkward because TWS only tracks 6, so I can't fire at target 7, 8 or 9 untile 1 through 6 are all down. Would it work better if just one guy fired all his Phoenixes in TWS then the other two waited to see what's left? The problem there is targets stay tracked and prioritised long after they're splashed, so you could still accidentally waste a missile by firing at something that was already going down. How do you approach this kind of engagement without human RIOs?

Any update on when this is being fixed?

Thank you! Need to get back into carrier ops practice ;)

Thanks! Is all this done in landing configuration? Or do I raise the landing gear and retract the flaps for the climb and left turn then deploy them again when downwind?

What's the correct procedure after a bolter (or a touch-and-go for that matter) to get back into the pattern and try landing again?

Yup, I'm satisfied it's realistic, I feel like I learned something. And no doubt the Mustang is a powerful plane, but in the context of late WWII warbirds it's not especially known for power to weight ratio. At least not compared to some planes that were almost defined by it, like the Bf 109. I guess the K-4 is even more of a rocket then?

Maybe :) Anyway back on topic, I tried again with all assists off. Batumi Hot Start instant action mission. No flaps, I took off from the parking spot and cleared the helicopters parked directly in front of me no problem. That's what, an under 200 foot take-off run? This isn't a carrier aircraft! But if the plane is that powerful then I'm cool with that!

Good point, the auto rudder was off but I missed the assist slider. I've set it to 0 now and will try again at some point when I have time. What exactly does the take-off assist do for you? Anton is extremely tempting, but I'm still not sure if I want to get into DCS WWII. Too many modules I want, and with map and asset pack there's a pretty big price wall to entry.

Nice! What I needed to hear.

Thank you gentlemen, I shall have to realign my assumptions. As I said, it's very enjoyable to fly but if it's really meant to be this powerful and lively, bonus! I wasn't so much questioning the FM as trying to understand it. I didn't realise how big a weight change was involved, and I really should have been paying more attention to the MP gauge. 61"!!! Wow, yeah I can see why now. And I wasn't following procedure, just full throttle from standing start so that explains why it felt like a helicopter.

I normally get my WW2 kicks in IL2 BoS but I wanted to try out a warbird in DCS just to get an idea of the feel, see if it's something I might eventually want to get into. So I did some test flights in the free TF-51D (sorry if I'm posting in the wrong sub-forum). Now, I don't want to start an FM war, it's likely my experctations are misplaced. I just want some clarification regarding my first impressions of the plane. The main weirdness from my point of view was a lack of feeling of weight or innertia. The take-off run was so short I was soaring vertically off the runway like a helicopter before I even had time to push the stick forward to lift the tailwheel. Acceleration feels instantaneous. In the air it feels very nice to fly, but floats and bobs and responds instantly like a light aircraft. I know this is a "training" version so it's a bit light, but should an 8,000lb+ plane really feel this toy-like?

I have not, will try next time.

Hmm, so there's no know solution :( Weirdest instance I've had is with a human RIO on my squad trainign server. He could hear both readios but not transmit on either. I could hear only the GCI on both radios but not any of the other pilots, but I could transmit on both.

Sorry if this has been asked before but the F-14 has multiple SRS issues and I can't seem to find this specific one. For me, SRS works fine with the F-14 UHF1 (pilot cockpit radio), but when I ask Jester to tune UHF2 (RIO cockpit radio) I can't hear anyone on that frequency. I can transmit fine on UHF2 and other people hear me, and each-other, as normal. So I don't think I'm hot-micing or blocking, but I can't hear anything back. Same with human RIO regardless of his ICS mic setting. Is this a known bug or is there some setting I'm missing?

Ah fair enough. Yes, that does strongly indicate the problem comes from the physical trigger unit. No, I don't feel confident enough disassembling it, I don't want to break it. I understand the cause so now I can play more carefully around it, I can get it to fire single every time now I know how to press. If it gets worse, eventually I'll just get a new stick, T.16000M is not that expensive and mine is nearly 4 years old.

It's not really practical for me to permanently re-map, partly because I use that button for something else, and partly because it would feel wrong and immersion breaking on an aircraft I know uses the trigger to launch missiles. It might work, if only ED allowed you to assign the same button to multiple functions (no idea why they don't).