Fangsout

No, Harrier does not and will not get a HMCS. There are no night attacks left outside of 203, only Radar birds in the fleet, and with 3 squadrons left and 1 more out the door in 2 years there isn't any reason to be bringing additional functionality. Most programs of record can't get new stuff past 5 years to sundown.

So the sim does a fairly decent job of showing how much pilot workload there is in the Harrier but I will say it’s a little harder when you don’t have the aerodynamic forces putting pressure on the stick. That said, AFC Alt Hold should hold level flight when it is engaged. I can’t recall how DCS models this but in the real jet trimming will disengage it. I usually paddle switch it off when I need to make a turn. Sometimes The jet you’re flying that day has AFC that sucks and will disengage on it’s own but I don’t think DCS models this. The key to avoiding unrecognized spatial D is to have a constant scan and good mission cross check time. Don’t get sucked into the pod or any other instruments for too long without looking at the HUD. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Only the day attack has a knob. The Night attacks and Radar birds both have switches. The missing feature that the real jet has is when the switch is activated the UFCP is energized and you can just type the course in that you want.

Correct, when you put it back in stby it goes to the stowed position.

No, there's only one as far as I know. You could theoretically edit it in the jet to be different.

You can also set up an NSEQ string in the jet, but it's usually only done preflight. The jet can hold a bunch of waypoints that we use for everything from runways to targets to points over the ground we use for course rules to get into ranges. So lets say for instance that my usual waypoints for navigation are 1-35, but the special ingress-target-egress routing is 36-45 and emergency diverts are 46-55, I can set them up in the NSEQ string (non sequential as in not 1-55). Also, when I have an NSEQ string, the route shows up visually on the EHSD with a line between the points I've selected. I can manually toggle through the points which is useful if I decide to skip a point, or have it auto sequence. I may not be using the NSEQ string until I FENCE in and descend into LAT and so it isnt clobbering up my display and I can navigate to things not in the NSEQ string. The EHSD gives us time to go to the next point, our command speed time on the UFCP shows us what speed we need to fly to make our TOT, and real time is displayed in the HUD. All of these tools help us to ensure our timing is perfect for our attack.

Exactly. Especially with the addition of Link 16, you can throw down a threat ring over a known pop-up surface to air threat to help you avoid it. A simplified version would be great, however the EHSD and pilot to vehicle interface right now is so rudimentary it would be less useful. One thing I use a lot in the actual plane is that we can throw a course line through the designation and we have a data block that tells you your abeam distance from the courseline. This helps immensely when trying to put the airplane in the right piece of sky to roll in on a target using the weaponeering we did on the ground.

No, carrying the gun and TPOD together is not restricted. In fact it is preferred to have a tpod designation to shoot at rather then trying to find it with your eyeball through the HUD and correct at the last second.

The night attack doesn't have these all of the HOTAS functionality that the radar jet does, buut in the 2+ we use the radar elevation switch to control zoom and the air program switch to fire the laser. All other sensor select switch functions are as described in the chart above except that to get out of TPOD hotas, you double down again. Going forward on the SSS would bring up the LMAV video if you were carrying one.

Yes, overlays are prepared in preflight on our planning computers. The latest software allows us to create overlays in the jet also but it's not something you want to be doing a lot.

NSEQ Navigation The NSEQ function allows us to set up an ingress and egress string to a target that is depicted on the moving map. We set it up on planning computers prior to flight. You can have it set up so that it auto sequences through the waypoints as you fly over them as a workload reducer when you're flying low altitude and mission cross check time is at a premium.

I'm not sure what generation Lightning pod is being modeled in DCS, but on the gen 4 pods we have now, the pod defaults to on with aircraft start. The old school way was a switch on the umbilical in the pylon like you mentioned. That's fine if you have it on 2, 5, or 6 but crawling under to get to the station 4 pylon would be a huge pain for the ordies. We pretty much exclusively carry on station 4 to avoid any asymmetry issues, and carry more bombs. The pod is smart enough to not enter stby mode until the INS is aligned. Until then it does internal checks and alignment.

IRL the pod defaults to on as well. Power can be cycled on the stores page. The pod will get turned off on deck if the outside air temperature is high to prevent overheating, but otherwise it's on and stowed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is a very annoying issue that I've run into as well. FWIW, fleet night attack and radar jets have a toggle switch instead of a knob. The value also displays on the scratch pad when you press the toggle and you can type in the course you want on the UFCP. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And now you see the real life implications of being a jump jet pilot. Lol Operating off of the boat allows us to be expeditionary, but not carry a lot of ordnance. Operating off of 12k’ runways lets us carry a lot, but then all the compromises our airplane makes for V/STOL become for nothing. Bottom line is if you suspect trailing edge damage, I would avoid using the flaps. Split flaps or flaps that don’t program together will induce the rolling moment you described. Something to consider if you’re doing a conventional landing with the flaps turned off/beeped up is that you will be landing really fast. Recommend a straight in and try to not touch down above the tire speed of 180 knots GS. Also jettison any ordnance and dump down to internals to get as light as possible. With no RCS damage, you can also use power nozzle braking to help you stop. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

First thing that would happen in this case, is you would have your wingman check you out for damage. If flying as a single and damage is suspected, you should climb above 10k and perform a controllability check. The procedures for this are in NATOPS (16-3). Based on your findings from doing a controllability check, you would determine what type of landing to do. Any type of RCS damage and your best option is a conventional landing because the RCS is not energized with the nozzles aft.

The information you’re looking for isn’t listed in the NATOPS, it’s in another pub. GBU-12s on ITERs is a legal loadout though. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

AUTO bomb steering line The ASL is slaved to the target designation diamond and is geo stabilized if you can call it that. It runs straight up and down and is not affected by aircraft bank angle. If you were turning toward the target, there would be no ASL until the designation was in the hud field of view. As the target entered the fov you would see the ASL Running through it and then would need to put the VV on the line. As implemented in DCS it’s all sorts of jacked up. It is not a valid release unless the ASL is touching the circle of the VV. The bomb fall line also shows up later than it should. In the AUTO mode you also have loft deliveries which aren’t implemented in DCS. Level drops will also display an estimated time of fall after release. A reflected cue and auto conversion feature would be useless until the ASL works right. Also if I really wanted to nitpick, being in BAUT and using the barometric altimeter as the height above target source is the least accurate way of delivering ordnance. I love flying the DCS harrier for fun, but the avionics is it’s weak point.

Angle of Attack indicator making no sense Slight correction: AOA is the DIFFERENCE between relative airflow and the chord line of the wing. On the HUD attitude will be the difference between the witch’s hat and the artificial horizon. The key to maintaining a stable hover is keeping the witch’s hat at the same point it is when the jet is on deck; Approximately 2*. If your attitude is not at this baseline state, the relative angle of your nozzles to the deck will be different. So with nozzles at 82 which is where the hover stop is, if your witch’s hat is on the horizon your actual nozzle angle would be something more like 80 which will lead to a forward drift. The opposite is true if the witch’s hat is at ~4*. With regards to the AOA readings while jet borne: the way the aoa gauge sensor works is it is a conical shaped piece of metal with holes in it. While jet borne, there is little to no appreciable air going over the sensor so your readings will be inaccurate. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm sure some of this has been covered, correctly or incorrectly, but I don't mind breaking some stuff down barney style for you. 1: There are 4 different types of takeoffs. Conventional, short takeoff (STO), Vertical takeoff (VTO), or the Rolling Vertical takeoff (RVTO). 90% of the time you will do a STO, and at the ship with weapons that's the only option. Conventional takeoffs are there primarily for crosswind limits. Vertical takeoffs are for landing practice mostly. You'll never have the performance with a full bag of gas or weapons to do one. RVTO's are basically an air show item and the fleet does not currently do them. Takeoffs with different loadouts will be determined by the aircraft weight when fully loaded. 2: Aircraft configuration for conventionals is nozzles at 10* (every takeoff starts this way) and auto flaps. The easiest to set up by far. Everything else will be with STO flaps. STOs and the RVTO will also require the STO stop to be set. Everything else as far as set up will be dictated by the VREST computer page. Not currently implemented is the ability to set an NRAS (nozzle rotation speed) or pitch carets (in the proper spot). Instead you'll need to take note in your head the NRAS and know to set the witch's hat at 6* on takeoff. With the witch's hat at 6* you'll have the level flight equivalent of 14 AOA which is why, if it were currently implemented in the game, you would put 14 in for the pitch carets. For vertical T/O's you will again need the performance based on what the VTO page in the VREST section on your AMPCD. Performance is calculated taking into account things like outside air temperature and barometric pressure set in your altimeter. Generally you're gonna need to be lower on fuel. 3: No idea about how DCS handles INS alignment, but in the real jet you would need to have the parking brake set and put the INS knob ( lower center stack ) to Ground. Check the EHSD to verify that alignment is counting down and then continue with your checklist. Near the end of the start checks, you will check the EHSD again to make sure it says OK and then you will put the INS knob to IFA (In flight alignment). This is the shore based procedure. There are other more complicated ways of fixing INS drift in flight if needed but I wont cover those. 4: Reference point 2 for takeoff configuration. You may need water for high performance STOs on takeoff but it should always be off when in wingborne flight. Water will not flow above 250 knots and you should get a water sel light if the switch is still on. Flaps will be in auto after takeoff and remain there until landing. Cruise flaps are rarely used except for tanking and to keep the jet blast from beating up the flaps while on deck. While flying, nozzles will be full aft unless being used to slow down during rendezvous's or emergencies, BFM (very varsity), and during landings. Your takeoff should go like this. take the runway Conduct 1 finger checks Get takeoff clearance Conduct 2 finger checks Conduct your STO Level the wings, center the vane, set the attitude on the pitch carets (6*) nozzle out to 25* Gear - up, flaps - auto Nozzles aft Double check flaps are programmed up and nozzles aft on heads down indicator and in the HUD. NAV master mode. 5: APU translational starts are rarely used except for when hot seating, so dont worry about them. GTS starts are SOP and you follow the NATOPS checklist for those. Several things in the NATOPS checklist aren't implemented in the sim. I have my own flow because the NATOPS checklist is very inefficient, but that's a little more varsity. ANTTP timeline for start and getting out of the line is 10 minutes. The only people who do anything with ground power are the maintainers. You didn't ask, but there are 7 landings too. If you think learning to fly the DCS Harrier is complicated and hard, try flying the real thing! There's a reason they only take the best out of flight school. Hope this clears some stuff up for you.

While in jet-borne flight, your AOA doesnt really matter that much. I'd be more concerned about your attitude denoted by the witch's hat.