dsobbe

You can land and refuel/rearm at Senaki, just east of waypoint 2. It's a lot closer than the FARP. However, your wingmen will also land and go right to the officers club for a vodka. You'll be on your own from there. On the way to waypoint 3 you'll have to stay low as there are many tanks and armed vehicles in the hills. I haven't gotten any farther than that without catching a missle. Gauntlet is a tough mission. But, you can learn a lot from it. Like, the effective use of multiple wingmen and ejecting.

topdog, Your post #12 batch file almost worked. It wouldn't start VAC. After I added Start to the beginning of that line it started, but couldn't find the profile, MyShark. I then added "" after the Start command and everything now works as you described. start "DCS:BS with VAC" /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50" bin\stable\launcher.exe --console start "" "C:\Program Files\VAC System\VACSystem.exe" MyShark.xml,True pause taskkill /im VACSystem.exe Black Shark and VAC are now seamless. You have saved me from overcomplicating a simple task. I hope I can return the favor sometime. Thanks again for all your help.

Topdog, One more thing, if I may. I wrote the following Vista batch file using your information: start "DCS:BS with VAC" /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50" bin\stable\launcher.exe --console "C:\Program Files\VAC System\VACSystem.exe" MyShark.xml,True taskkill /im VACSystem.exe exit BS and VAC load and run normally. When I close BS the desktop comes up with a command window showing the batch file stopped after loading VAC. BS is closed and VAC is still running. The taskkill command never runs. I think it's something obvious, but I just don't see it. Any ideas? :cry: Thanks

Topdog, Both of the suggestions in your messages #8 and #9 work equally well, as written. I haven't written any batch files since my DOS 6.1 and 4DOS5 days and have to admit that these commands and switches are new to me. I guess I better hit the books again. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Here's the batch file line I used. Currently, it's the only line in the file: "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\bin\stable\Launcher.exe" --console I got this error window: cannot open.\BlackShark\BlackShark.lua : No such file or directory I also tried it with the Start command and got the same results. Also tried running it in a command window. Same result. The above batch file line is the path listed in the programs single player desktop shortcut. I cannot find a "BlackShark.lua" stated in the error message.

Yes. The shortcut works great. But, it doesn't work in a batch file. I get the same error message. I'm trying to write a batch file that will start Black Shark and Voice Activated Commands, together. VAC works. Any ideas about getting Black Shark to load from a batch file?

wolfhnd, Rescue is an interesting mission and nicely layed out. The comms voice is great. It would be more interactive if you could put in more comms from the Mi-8 to inform CAS about its location, progress of the rescue, when the rescue is complete and he is departing the site. That kind of info would make the CAS job a lot easier and more effective. Good job.

At that price I would expect to get the real thing freshly ripped out of an A10.

Hackiman Quote - I trim and can get it level, but then any change to speed cause a dip or rise again and more trimming once level. - Quote There's the problem. You can only trim for a given (constant) airspeed. First, set the power. Then, trim. You can demonstrate this yourself. Trim for level flight at a constant airspeed. Then, using only the throttle, add power to climb or reduce power to descend. Notice that the airspeed will quickly stabilize for the power setting. Whatever the airspeed was that you set in level flight will return to that value in the climb or descent. And, you haven't touched the trim.

Fish, I have left a post for the wishlist about changing aircraft taking off in one direction and landing in another to all in the same direction. It seems to be the default. Maybe someday it will be changed. Until then, I just make sure I leave enough time between departures and arrivals so they don't conflict. Arriving aircraft do a lot of maneuvering before turning final.

I'm skeptical of anything I read in the U.S. press. They have transformed from reporting news to creating, or at least sensationalizing, it. How many reports of world ending oil spills have we all read over the years. But, life go on. I'd like to write more on this. But, a storm knock out our lights and it's getting dark. I have to go and light a shrimp so I can see the keyboard.

I've never had any problems with the time acceleration keys. But, I have had some other minor problems that seemed to be related to not having saved a custom mission. All I can suggest is try the following to troubleshoot it. If your L[Ctrl]+[Z] keys don't accelerate time in other missions, check those key assignments under Options. If your L[Ctrl]+[Z] keys accelerate time in other missions, but aren't working in your missions then make sure that you Save the mission before playing it. Good luck.

Did anyone else notice that the commercials that run ahead of the trailer are seamless, while the trailer pauses every five seconds to load. Hmm. I think I'll buy some Yoplait, instead. I can't believe Microsoft is still whipping this dead horse.

My top two "get it right" things: 1. Correct traffic pattern. Takeoffs and landings in the "same" direction would prevent Teneriffe syndrome. 2. Be able to request takeoff clearance "before" entering the runway. Fewer surprises that way. :eek: Both of those would allow the player to more realistically interact with airport traffic flow when landing and taking off.

Chromewasp, Viper is absolutely right. Helicopters are not easier or harder to fly than fixed wing aircraft. But, they are "different" and require different learned skills, handling techniques and procedures. I have several thousand hours in fixed wing, a pocket full of instructors certificates and still spent about 300 hours learning to fly the Shark competently. I suspect that most here did the same. So, for a low time, or no time computer pilot, this sim has a steep learning curve. But, it can be, and is, done. :book: One other point. A flight simulator is primarily a teaching aid. The key word here is simulator. Its advantage is that you can make mistakes and it won't kill you. With the exception of some multi-million dollar six axis machines, which get darn close, none of them can accurately emulate all of the real flight environment. Get used to it. It is what it is. And this one is very, very good.

Maybe not. I tried engaging altitude hold with the switch in the center position. While hovering hands off, auto hover off, I manually set the power to give about a fifty foot/minute rate of descent. Then, engaged altitude hold, observed the VSI for awhile and disengaged it. At engagement the descent stopped. At disengagement, it resumed. Perhaps altitude hold just attempts to hold the last indicated or recorded altitude at engagement, with the switch centered.(?) Or, I may have been seeing some random behavior unrelated to the selected function. But, the altitude switch has to be in the aft, barometric, position in order for the overhead Route indicator light to come on when the [R] key is pressed. I fail to understand that rational, though.

I noticed that, too. As far as I can tell its an off or null position. Maybe someone more knowledgeable about it could jump in here. As part of my preflight cockpit check I always set that switch off center, usually back, just so the Route indicator light will go on if the [R] key unintentionally gets pressed while I'm trying to put out a fire, select a weapon, evade SAM's, issue orders to a wingman and wind my watch at the same time. That has saved me a lot frustration.

Chromewasp, It sounds like you may have accidently pressed the [r] (route) key without a waypoint entered or selected in the PVI. If the Altitude Hold Switch is in the center position the route indicator light on the left overhead panel will not light when the Route mode [r] is engaged. The result is that you will be fighting the autopilot for control without any indicatation that the autopilot is engaged. That one drove me nuts until I learned how to use the autopilot navigation functions. As to your comment about the flight manual. I think a computer user, pilot or not, mentally expects the Flight Manual to be a "user" manual. At first I did. But, in fact, the Flight Manual is written in pretty much the same form as most of the aircraft operating manuals I've used. They don't teach usage, they inform you as to what is there and, in some cases, provide checklists. It's your responsibility to learn and understand the use of each item. By the way. Is a type rating required to act as PIC, pilot in command, of a paper bag?:smilewink:

Ok. So, where are they?

Dusty, I finished all of the missions. The only thing I didn't like was the number of enemy units in each mission, especially ground troops. The numbers of all units was a little overwhelming for the ka-50 weapons loads and it also became a little arcade like shooting all of them. I edited the missions to make total enemy units and weather (visibility) more manageable. I also edited the mission goals so that the campaign would play through OK. Although, the campaign still fails it you get killed. Which is realistic, but frustrating. I'm just learning to edit the mission goals, so these are simple examples. Attached is a zipfile. Hope this gives you some ideas for future missions. Turkey Vs Insurgents.zip

SNAFU, I can't find it now, but either Panzertard or Evilbevol commented (I'm paraphrasing here) that FPS display numbers are effected by hardware, their settings and drivers. One machine may display 60 FPS in Black Shark, while another may only display 15. I'm at the 15 FPS end. And, variances of human visual perception will result in some people detecting fluid video motion at lower FPS than others. So, it seems that the FPS display is a variable relative value and not linear. Probably the best use of the FPS display in mission editing/creation would be to use it as a speedometer to indicate how mission complexity effects system load. I've found that too much smoke, weather and/or too many combat elements will eventually slow the FPS. But, I don't know if that result transfers directly from one system to another in any particular mission. Probably not. But, that use helped me to discover something about my own preferences in mission editing/creation. When I'm faced with 50 Stingers, 200 mobile SAM's and a battalion of tanks a mission takes on a hectic arcade shoot-em-up quality. I personally find it much more realistic and interesting to deal with fewer well positioned enemy elements that present tactical problems due to obstructions like terrain and/or their own defenses. Your third mission, with mobile enemy elements in deep winding gorges, is a good example. Anyway, those are my brain droppings on the subject. Hope it's useful.

zdXu, I'm running patch 1.0.1 and everything worked properly as far as I could tell. I haven't installed 1.0.2 yet, so can't comment. Thanks for the Wx info. I suspect that the operating limits of most combat aircraft are classified, so I doubt I'll ever really find the answer. Yours sounds practical. At least it will serve as a good rule of thumb for mission editing. SNAFU, Upon replaying your four missions under Patch 1.0.1 I've noticed that whenever fire and smoke from surface hits displays during combat the frame rate slows to the point where the sim is unplayable, even with visual weather effects shut off. I've also seen this happen occasionally in missions written by others. While still others are not effected or frame rates are only slightly lowered by these effects. I don't know enough about how the patches and graphics work in BS to comment. Perhaps you can ask someone here about it.

SNAFU, I agree about the weather in the first mission. It even stretched the limits of my computer. Overcast and smoke are frame rate killers. One thing I forgot to mention. I think your choice of enemy weapons is very appropriate for the story's history and setting. Very believable and a good balance for Ka50's operating alone. You have a great start for a great campaign. Good luck.

Thanks for the quick reply and links. Interesting reading. But, I'd still like to know what the Russian military weather minimums are for combat helicopter operations. There has to be some cutoff point beyond which it isn't possible to achieve any benefit with a helicopter instrumented like the KA50 in this sim.

I ran through all four missions last night. I had to shut off the weather to keep the FPS at a functional level on my system. I avoided contact with enemies and landed at the destinations just to see how the settings (flight path and terrain) worked with the story. Very nice. Many challenging situations. Good story/tactical interconnections. Having several missions located in the same area allows the player to get familiar with locals and that helps situational awareness a lot. Going forward with the story. It would be nice to gradually move along the valley to maintain geographic relationships and introduce new settings. Nice work so far. I do have a general question for you, or anyone. I'm not familiar with the minimum weather criteria used by European military flight planners. It seems highly impractical and risky to conduct escort and low level mountain flights in near 0/0 (zero visibility/zero ceiling) weather conditions without radar and at least good charts. Granted, ABRIS and the radar altimeter are minimum necessities in the simulation. But, would these instruments alone meet the minimum real world military requirements to conduct these flights?