nomdeplume

The game does show the version number on the loading splash screen, but only the first three components. i.e. 1.1.0 at the moment. It'd be easier if they'd just show the full version number there.

I tried this morning but couldn't reproduce. Thought I had for a bit but then realised I was using CMS RIGHT instead of TMS. I guess one shouldn't 'hog first thing. :( Tried with both runway and cold start and didn't have any issues. For the cold start, I just used the APU generator, enabled EGI and switched on the CICU and IFFCC while waiting for full align (i.e. t=4, and the blinking text) before enabling NAV mode, and then made mark points on the TAD. They were all created and when I switched to mark point mode I could cycle them without issues. If you could provide a track of your repro it would be useful.

The emergency brake lever currently implented switches the wheel brakes from the left hydraulic channel to the emergency accumulators, as explained by paulrkiii on page 2. I saw the mention of an 'emergency handbrake' in the prelim changelog that jeffyd123 refers to, but also noticed it was removed when I went to look again. So I guess they've changed their minds, or it's been pushed back.

I'm not really sure either, but ... I think they only use the laser to mark targets if they're telling you to engage with LGBs (you can specify the weapon type they should tell you to use). For the IR pointer, it obviously needs to be occurring at night. In both cases the JTAC will need a clear Line of Sight to the target. There may also be some kind of check to determine if the JTAC unit actually has a laser designator or IR pointer. Normally the suggestion is to use an armed unit. It might be helpful to set the JTAC unit as invisible and set its ROE to 'return fire' or 'hold fire' so it doesn't start shooting at nearby enemies.

I don't think there's any reason the frequency change shouldn't work, so I'd personally start with trying to confirm they actually spot the targets. The A-10s are usually fairly good at spotting targets (unlike F-15Es!), but maybe the weather conditions are causing problems. Are there any clouds? What I'd try is: - add another flight with the same loadout to fly over the targets at the same altitude as your AFAC flight - make sure you're tuned to their frequency and receiving their calls (e.g. place their first few waypoints close to each other and make sure you hear them calling out 'passing waypoint ...') - listen for any contact reports from them The AI will make bullseye reports for any ground targets they spot which haven't already been reported. So make sure this test flight is the first on the scene, and listen for their reports. If they don't make any reports, then you know they're not detecting the targets. Maybe try setting the flight progressively lower until they do just to prove that's the case (you might need to make the flight use the 'invisible' command to prevent them from being shot down). If they do make reports, then you know there's something else causing the AFAC not to respond.

No these are scripted, pre-recorded messages that are played in response to specific events that the mission author set up. It's nothing more than 'show this text' and 'play this audio file'. For them to be repeatable the author would have to add a radio command and appropriate triggers to re-play the message when it was selected, but I don't think any of the official missions have that functionality. If they do, you'd find those options under the 'Other' menu (F10) which can be used with any radio. There's also no mechanism for the mission author to send you text messages - that's functionality only the JTAC (and other players in MP flights) can employ. Your best bet if you need to concentrate on flying would be to pause it and scribble it down on a piece of paper, then you can enter it into your CDU at your leisure. If you're in controlled flight then there's normally enough time to scribble it down on paper without pausing.

The bearing/range method isn't really very precise anyway, so even if your measurements are spot on the call is only going to be able to give the approximate location of the target, anyway. This is especially true if it's a long way from bullseye. What you could try is: locate the target with your targeting pod, then use the TAD's 'BULLS/CURS' mode or similar to find out the bearing and distance from bullseye in the game world (in case the editor coordinates don't quite match up with the game coordinates). Once you've confirmed them, try actually utilising them to locate your target (i.e. use the CDU's OFFSET page to calculate the position using just the bullseye reference). My hunch is it'll still be some way from the actual location of the target due to the low resolution of the bullseye system; but maybe the issues you're having are just due to the differences between the ME map and the in-game coordinates system.

I've noticed that if you name a waypoint 'BULLSEYE' you'll override the default bullseye functionality. If you don't have a waypoint in your flight plan named BULLSEYE, then the game will automatically create a mission waypoint for bullseye and it will be configured as your anchor point by default. If you do have a waypoint named BULLSEYE in your flight plan, then that automatic functionality can't happen (because you can't have duplicate waypoint names).

My favourite is the B-52 that was accidentally hit by a HARM that homed on the fire-control radar of its tail gun.

US tanker aircraft crashes during takeoff http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13452001 Here's a still from the video located at the above URL: Additional coverage from the LA Times says it's a civilian 707 (-300?) operated by Omega Aerial Refueling Services, which I guess explains the emblem on the tail! The three crew members (pilot, co-pilot and navigator) were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. ABC7 has additional video and photos, including this one which shows the plane veered off the runway.

I don't think so, but 'bird strikes' may result in an engine fire. This setting is already controllable through the options menu, although if you were playing multiplayer it's the server's setting that matters.

The dynamic weather varies from place to place on the map, as opposed to the 'classic' weather which is the same everywhere. The dynamic weather may also change as the mission progresses (though I'm not sure about that). Point is, the 'dynamic' weather will always be the same on every playthrough because it's seeded from static starting conditions. If it was 'random' weather then it'd be impossible to playtest the mission to ensure it's completable with that weather. Just loaded the free flight air start mission in the editor and it does indeed use dynamic weather, so I think that's the problem. Something changed somewhat recently and previously quite playable missions with dynamic weather suddenly gained massive turbulence at low level. I think it has been acknowledged but I don't know when/if/how it'll be fixed.

You say it flashes the video so I guess you've already set it to A-G or A-A mode, but I figure I'll double-check just in case ... it won't be able to be set as SOI if it's in standby or off. Maybe try swapping the displays (coolie hat down short) - I've had that fix some really weird problem I was having with one of the MFCDs once. If you could post a track then we can narrow it down to either a strange aircraft configuration or a problem with it reacting to your particular controls configuration.

Recorder data is intact: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13412061 While there'll be an interim term in the next few months, the full report isn't expected until next year, with analysis of the data expected to take several months.

Relative to the ground. There aren't enough options for it to be MSL/'absolute'. You change it through the DSMS inventory page (not the profile page). The optimum setting depends on what you're attacking. Basically, a higher HOF results in a wider area being affected, but at a lower density (each submunition is further apart). A lower HOF will result in a smaller but denser area being exploded. Ideally you want the coverage area to match the spread of the targets, and if the area you need to cover is large you'll need to drop additional CBUs in order to maintain bomblet density. Bear in mind that your speed and release altitude also affect the resultant spread of the submunitions (as mentioned above), so there's quite a few parameters at play. One simple option is to set a low HOF and just treat it like a simple bomb with a really large blast radius. That's pretty much what the AI does.

For #1, that seems the simplest. However there's some limitations... you can probably somehow track if anything is killed in the target area to report if rounds are on target, but there's no triggers to detect misses so you can advise which way to adjust aim. This might be better suited to a full-on Lua script implementation. Maybe Speed's bored and looking for a project? :D For #2 no, but I hope it'll come in a future upgrade/module.

I don't think the A-10 has any equipment to magically put a diamond over a target... The closest you'd get would probably be having the JTAC lase the target for you so you can pick it up with the TGP, but that's probably somewhat more involved than you're after. Or... you could play in game mode, in which case targets will be clearly marked. If you're making your own missions, coloured smoke markers are amongst the best visual cues.

Literally speaking, you can't. The AI has no notion of 'my mission is to escort this other aircraft'. You can achieve a similar effect just by having them patrol in the same area, i.e. set up an 'orbit' task the same way you do for the AWACS, somewhere between the AWACS flight and the anticipated direction of enemy fighters. I normally use a CAP tasking for this, although the particular tasking type shouldn't matter (so long as it allows them to engage enemy fighters). I think 'escort' might be more appropriate for e.g. escorting a transport flight from A to B, while a CAP is more applicable to patroling a giving area for a particular duration.

Yes it can definitely happen in real life, and in real life pilots wouldn't normally fire AIM-120s at enemies that are in close proximity to friendlies, or who will soon be in close proximity to the friendlies. If the AMRAAM loses its lock on its target, it will try to re-acquire. However it doesn't have any magic knowledge of what's friendly or not, so if you're anywhere near where it thinks its target might now be, it'll happy lock on to you instead. IMO an A-10 shouldn't be getting involved in a dogfight if there's friendly fighters nearby. You'll just be making things harder for the jet jockies. In the sim it doesn't really matter much, aside from the increased risk of getting tagged by friendly missiles. I'm not sure if RL AMRAAMs do any IFF stuff at all. Hopefully we'll find out shortly..!

But if they weren't flyable in DCS, they wouldn't be available now, would they? :)

Change the hotkeys in your TrackIR profile. Disable the ones you don't actually use, and make the other something else. The only hotkey I actually use is to re-center the device, which I have on Ctrl+/ - not sure if it's the best choice for DCS but it doesn't conflict with any key commands I actually use in the game.

Jets unleash heavy bombing in Tripoli Light on details, but: A damaged building at the High Commission for Children in Tripoli, which the Libyan government said was caused by coalition air strikes. (Larger image available through the link)

Yes, take-off trim just resets it to neutral. In a fresh plane your trim is already neutral so it doesn't really do anything, but if you land and then go to takeoff again you reset the trim to avoid unexpected handling. Remember to hold it down until the light comes on. As I understand it, a real pilot will move the stick to where they need it for the speed/pitch/roll they're maintaining, and then use trim to cancel out the pressure they're needing to apply to the stick to maintain their desired flight parameters. The trim essentially sets a new 'center' position for the stick, so the pilot doesn't have to hold it in a particular position all the time. Typically this is small adjustments - you don't use the trim to help you throw the plane around the sky, but rather to maintain a particular course for long periods without constant exertion.

How about being able to carry something other than a fuel tank on the center pylon? According to this, common loadout in Operation Enduring Freedom is with a Mk-82LD on the centerline. Even has photos! Also notable is the TGP on station 9 (instead of 10/2 in the sim) and the SUU-25 flare dispenser.

Nope, I had a look through the script and can't see any references to zooming the map that aren't activated by the mouse. So, I'd suggest you get a working mouse. :) I did however discover that if you have more than 3 buttons the extra buttons provide you with a temporary ruler. So that's pretty neat.