Mikeck

CBstu, I would really recommend taking the time to learn what the diamonds and junk mean on the screen. I will tell that that launching an AIM-7 at a target 20 miles away is almost always guaranteed to miss, unless the target is hot (headed right at you). Learn to use the circle in the middle and the indicators moving around the edges. Those tell you when you are within the “high probability kill zone” (basically) for the missle. Takes into account all factors. I usually end up launching an AIM-7 about 10 miles away. Maybe hit 40% of the time But look, even if you don’t hit, you are “shaping the battlefield”. My firing that AIm-7, you compel your target to evade. When he evades, he loses Energy and also cannot fire at you. So when you get into Aim-9 range, you are in a better position Don’t give up. Launch later and follow up

You are selecting the Mav screen as your sensor of interest first as mentioned? Is it isn’t selected (diamond in the upper right of the screen) then it won’t slew or fire

Yes, I’ve had trouble with them for some time. Not losing lock so much as the missile just....missing. Enemy doesn’t really do too much and he’s within 10 miles hot or flanking. Early Aim-7s didn’t perform well but later models in desert storm were quite good. In fact, the large majority of air to air kills were from sparrow missiles. Now, the Iraqis weren’t well trained pilots and I can’t say whether they made any efforts to defeat or not, but the aim-7 in game seems to perform at a level much worse than it should be IMHO

Are you dropping multiple bombs? Unlike the F-18, the F-16 drops the bombs so that the middle of the “stick” of bombs hits the CCIP point. So if you drop 3 bombs at 200ft intervals, then the first would land 200ft before the location of you CCIP pipper when released, the second would land on target and the 3rd, 200 feet past. If it’s a single bomb issue, then who knows.

Are you using the DED to set the laser code? Hit zero for “misc” and then 5 for laser. Then set it for 1688 or whatever. Used to be automatically set but isn’t anymore

May be that the migs didn’t even know the F-18’s were there. Pilot training ain’t great and I doubt the best pilots are getting mig-21s. They didn’t even attempt to evade. Looking at some of the air combat, it seems like some of the Iraqis were just taking off, flying as fast as they could to burn fuel and then get back down

Relic, No, he said it “came off the rails and I immediately lost the smoke trail...it just dropped” So I think it ignited but decided it wanted to go get something on the ground really bad. Seeker malfunction? Dunno. All I know is no matter how good something is, sometimes it doesn’t work. No matter how bad something is, sometimes it does

Who knows man...launch 20 tomahawks and 1-2 will fail. Sometimes crap just doesn’t work. Maybe pilot error...forgot to uncage and it hadn’t locked...anyone’s guess. But if it just dropped, it’s some type of mechinical/electronic failure as opposed to “its just not good”. They aim-9x did just fine downing the Su-22 over turkey

Switch to MRM mode from dogfight mode. You’ll lose lock if you had It....but otherwise, TMS up (then one click down which does make it work) will have you in boresight mode with Aim-120 Hornet is definitely waaaay more intuitive.

Basically, the E-2 had declared them “bandits”. The flight lead didn’t hear the call however and ordered a visual ID. So that’s what they did. As soon as they could confirm they were bandits- since they were in visual range), he was in a position to fire either an aim-9 or Aim-7 so he fired the aim-9. He had thought it missed and the general rule is that if the first one misses....try something different. So thinking the sidewinder missed, he cued up a sparrow and fired. Right then the aim-9 hit. So there was no strategy other than trying a different weapon when he thought the first didn’t work Same thing happened with the F/A-18e shoot down of the SU-24 over Libya. He fired an AIM-9x which came off the rail and just dropped (it was NOT decoyed by flares. That claim all stemmed from a guess by a contributor author to popular mechanics made on his twitter account). Since the aim-9 malfunctioned, he switched to an Aim-120 and used that. So seems to be a standard thing to fire a radar missile if the IR fails and not Simply firing another aim-9

There’s no hint but there are about a dozen threads on this. As far as I know, you cannot “pre-program” multiple targets in TOO. Every time you designate a target, it will replace any previously designated targets. So drop, switch waypoints, hot wpn designate, drop, switch waypoint, hit wpn designate, etc

Can you use your TDC slew cursor and move it to the left (hopefully slaving the field of view)? I hadn’t noticed this issue; but I HAD noticed that I can’t ever lock a dang thing in vertical scan

If you’ve made your choice, then this is moot; but I would recommend the f-18. I fly both but the F-18 is just further down the development road. Things generally work the way they are supposed to so less bad habits learned. For me, it’s frustrating when something isn’t working and I don’t know if I’m doing it wrong, it’s a big or just an incomplete feature Secondly and more importantly, yeah...dropping CBU-97’s is a blast and you can’t beat the damage to armored groups, but the F-16 is very weapons limited right now. LGBs, iron dumb bombs, rockets and cluster bombs. That’s it. The F-18 has the dumb and cluster bombs (no cbu-97) and rockets....but also IR and Laser mavericks, HARMs, Harpoons, JDAMs, JSOWs and the Walleye. Just makes it more versatile and allows for SEAD, anti-shipping and Poor weather precision bombing missions. Frankly, I also like that the F-18 carries the Aim-7. I enjoy playing scenarios occurring 1989-1992 and prefer not to take up a viper carrying only Aim-9s (AIM-7 also good for shooting when friendlies are down range and a mad-dog Aim-120 might lock on)

I would think that there is no universal “best move”. A vertical climb that works in an F-16 carrying 50% fuel and 2 AAMs at 800 knots vs an SU-27 loaded with 8 AAMs at 400 knots might be perfect. Would it be something you want to do if your viper is at 80% fuel, carrying 6AAMs, at 400 knots and merging with a Mig 29 at 800 knots? If your F-16 is at an energy disadvantage against an aircraft (like a mig 29) with a small turn radius, then maybe a one-circle Turn relying on high AoA to bring your nose around is best. Maybe not if your at low speed (300knots) vs an F-18 I don’t see how there can possibly be a universal “best move”. All situational based on your aircrafts loadout, energy and mission vs the other aircraft, it’s strengths, weaknesses and current flight characteristics.

Man....let it go already. You’re smart. We get it. Let him ask the question in peace.

All I’de like for Christmas is a working EW/ECM jamming pod. I already have plenty of ways to find stuff and blow said stuff apart

I saw -in another thread- someone mention that once you are in boresite or vertical, hit TMS down and it will work correctly. Haven’t tried it myself but I have noticed that it takes a long time to lock

Remember to always have the TGP as SOI. I know it’s obvious but I’ve found that a lot of things I happen to do while working the TGP tend to switch. All of a sudden it’s jumpy or slewing way past where I want. Almost always b/c it’s not SOI. Also, use NWS to cycle so it is in CCRP. If you have it in CCIP mode, it will want to look at where your bomb would hit if you dropped now. Doesn’t want to look where YOU DO. So, CCRP and SOI and you should be good

I find it difficult to play in realistic modern scenarios without ECM. I’m sure it’s incredibly difficult to simulate, but no one is attacking a target defended with modern AD systems (like S-300) without EW. Otherwise, you can’t get close enough to the site. At least aircraft-born systems help; but if ED COULD do it, I would love to have an EA-18g or something similar to assist in SEAD

The F-18 will outturn almost anything in radius or rate at below 400 knots. The problem is that you can’t accelerate up out of that zone as quickly as an F-16. The fact is that the planes are closely matched. No pilot with experience is either would be the least bit surprised if he lost a mock wvr fight to the other. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. The reality is though, that WVR fights don’t start at the merge. There are all sorts of things going on before that

As has been mentioned, i don’t think you can compare the minimum turn of different fighters based on an air show. Comparing this stuff is difficult since there are so many variables. It’s great that a plane can fly Mach 2.2 or pull off a Pugachev’s cobra when it’s clean. Through on 2 AA missles, two 2,000lb bombs and enough fuel to overcome the drag and sustain a reasonable missile range....and THEN tell me how fast it goes. Think you’re gonna pull off a cobra armed with 6 AAMs, ECM pods and a 3/4 full fuel tank? Point is that even IF you could conclude that one out turns the other based on that video, that doesn’t carry over to combat conditions. The F-18c wiyh an almost max combat load will outrun an F-16c at its max. This, btw, is why an F-35 combat loaded with 2 AMRAAMS and 2 1,000lb bombs can outrun almost anything carrying similar ordinance...the F-35 Carries it internally creating no additional drag; so no need for external bags and additional drag. So which is faster, an SU-27 (which hits Mach 2.2 clean) or an F-35 (that hits Mach 1.6 clean)? The F-35 can carry 6-AAMs (next block) 4 AMRAAM & 2 AIM-9 internally- or 2 Aim-9, 2 AMRAAM and two 1,000lb bombs (again, next block with AIM-9 side bays. Well, clean, it’s the SU-27. Combat loaded??? It’s close, with altitude deciding. 10,000ft or less, I’m betting on the F-35. So what does it mean to say that- at an air show, one plane was faster than another? Generally, because of how well it tolerates high AoA, the F-18 has a much smaller turn radius...smaller than any other gen 4- gen 4.5 US fighter. I’d take an F-18 over an F-16 if we are having a WVR fight at under 400 knots. But above? I’m taking the Viper. One turn fight? The hornet. 2 turn? Viper. Point is that you can’t compare the turn rate of two aircraft clean in a non-combat situation with the turn rate loaded and in combat (simulated) and declare that the latter is inaccurate because the result isn’t the same as the former. Who knows what happens differently based on what the pilot sees

Fix what?? There’s nothing wrong with it. If it’s working for everyone but you, it’s not something a hot fix can help. Maybe if you let us know what weapon you are trying to fire/launch/drop first