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Thats not true. DLC should deploy with flaps down and DLC button pressed on the ground too. Did you have your spoiler brake switch in any position other then off?

IMO this seems a lot more reasonable since the distance to target at 16TTI may vary greatly depending on engagement geometry and thus the target may be out of seeker range in some cases. Information how the AWG-9/PH works exactly is scarce so we have to trust HB on that.

Not to mention OBC...

ALL EXT means external tanks AND wing tanks, which hold about 4000lbs of fuel. So yes, you need to use ALL EXT to refuel all internal tanks regardless of whether you have bags or not. The reason for this functionality is that when you have holes in your wings you don't want them to be refueled.

Maybe its not that easy, only the devs know. Although it would for sure be easier to add them then an airboss station/briefing room. Anyway, +1 for pusing the wands up the priority list. Thats really the only thing missing from an otherwise awesome night carrier experience.

The RIO-3 is the ice detector on the Mi-8 (and a lot of ther soviet AC). It has its own heating system which keeps it at proper operating temperatures. Button 8 tests the RIO-3 heating system, light 11 indicates a succesful test of the RIO-3 heater. Switch 9 controls whether the RIO-3 heating system is activated automatically (I don't know exactly under which conditions though) or manually

Interesting question. In auto mode, the backup flight control system will come online whenever both hydraulic systems drop below 2100psi. However, NATOPS does not mention any mechanism that prevents automatic BFCS engagement on ground with no hydraulic power (i.e. before engine start with ext power connected) but I'm sure there is one (WonW switch?). The way I believe it is modelled in DCS however is that once you exceed a certain pressure in either system (500 psi or something), the BFCS is armed and will start working from that point until you get above 2100psi pressure in either system. As there is probably some activation delay the BFCS might not engage at all if the engine spools up quickly.

No, neither with Jester nor with a human RIO

There is a video where a russian AF Tu-152 is being put back into service after years of storage. Turns out maintenance switched the inputs for yaw and roll to the autopilot (which provides pitch/roll/yaw stabilization during manual flight, much like the tomcat). The result was the plane rolling and yawing violently just after TO. It was a miracle that the crew managed to land the thing. But before giving them too much credit, the whole thing could have been prevented by simply turning off the AP servos or the AP system alltogether (there is a switch for that easily accessible for both captain and FO). Long story short, if the AP starts doing strange things, which can also happen during manual flight as the AP is still providing pitch/roll/yaw stabilization and thereby does have authority over control surfaces, you want to have a quick and easy way to completely remove AP input. The paddle is not meant to revert from automatic flight to manual flight but stop the aircraft from departing should the AFCS go nuts.

Indeed. Another option is to put the AHRS in DG mode and align it to a known heading (e.g. from the F10 map or the ships heading)

The Mig-29M was statically unstable and had FBW, significantly improving its maneuverability and handling characteristics. Too bad only a handful were built and it never entered full production/service. FWIW I have no trouble handling the DCS Mig-29 but then again I have (unlike most) almost as much stick travel on my joystick as the real thing does, maybe that helps...

Yeah 1.8 is the highest I go either. IMO this is not a gamma setting issue but a result of the (I guess realistic) effect of direct sunlight on the AoA lights. If you have the sun above or in front of you there is no issue but when the is sun low behind you the AoA lights get hard to see (as do all the other lights when the sun shines directly on them). And while we're at it, could you fix the AoA lights not working during LTS test? Would help to adjust their brightness before TO when the brightness wheel gets functional.

Also make sure you are wings level and not accelerating/decelerating

The ground fiction model is pretty off in general. You should for example be able to taxi in idle for low weights but right now even a clean jet will require about 75- 80%N2 to keep taxiing in DCS.

I can confirm this. Switching from PDSTT to PSTT works only once.

Break lock by any method (PLM button, radar gimbal limit, Jester break lock command) then BVR->Radar Mode -> Auto

Not possible with Jester though

You're giving me too much credit man. I'm really no expert on neither the Tomcat nor its engines but an uncontained and persisting engine fire in any airplane will eat it up rather quickly, especially if the fire gets behind the fuel shutoff valves and ignites the fuel lines. The official procedure for a fire persisting after using the fire extinguishing system on the Tomcat is to eject if that is any indicator.

If you know how to use the tomcat and especially know the AWG-9s/PHs weaknesses/strengths, you can be very effective in it. Therefore I really can't confirm the AFU part of the post above. The Phoenix is not a magical supermissile that will wipe the skies but it is a very capable weapon. A lot of the frustration comes from people expecting things that are not possible, especially from the radar and its AI operator (i.e. Jester). There are however three outstanding issues right now: - Sparrows will not guide in PDSTT, only in PSTT. - Jester has a habit of switching the radar from TWS to RWS right after firing a Phoenix, thereby wasting it. This issue can be overcome in my experience by keeping the radar mode in "auto" (i.e. let Jester decide which mode to use). - Once a Phoenix is fired, Jester is inhibited from switching radar modes/ranges/direction until the missile is destroyed (by either hitting the target or the ground). This can put you in an unpleasant situation where your PH has missed but is still flying and you cannot switch to for example RWS to try and require a lost target. I believe this behaviour was introduced intentionally to preclude a conflict between TWS-A commanded antenna azimuth and elevation and user commanded azimith and elevation settings to Jester. You can still use the pilot lockon modes though and command Jester to go STT on a specific DL target.

The tomcat has two containers with fire extinguishing agent. Pressing either of the buttons behind the fire handles will discharge both containers into the respective engine nacelle. The ENG FIRE EXT and AUX FIRE EXT lights in the lower left corner of the caution panel will illuminate indicating discharge of both containers. The handles themselves will shut off fuel supply to the respective engine. That said, agent discharge apparently is not modelled yet as neither the lights come on nor any fire supression is noticable.

And please make the indexer brightness thumbwheel actually work. That way people can crank up the brghtness during daytime while having the option to turn in down for night ops

You have to keep in mind that even during combat ops, you never know what ordnance you are gonna expand. So you have to plan your loadout such that you are still below maximum trap weight with all your stores still on AND enough reserve fuel (at least 2000lbs for daytraps, 3000lbs at night). Thats why 4PH was a rare configuration, especially for the B, which has a higher empty weight and thus lower "bring back" capability.

In DCS it does sometimes, but it really shouldn't. If you loose lock on a PDSTT shot, the missile is gone unless you reaquire quickly.

No It never goes active in that case. PH launched in PDSTT are Fox1s The hud ladder is intentionally shifted upwards and does not coincide with the real horizon. You need to reference the aircraft symbol to read your pitch from the hud. The flightpath vector is aligned correctly though.

The AP, once engaged, will hold ATTITUDE. The ALTITUDE hold mode, if engaged by placing the ALT mode switch forward and pressing the pinky switch, will automatically disengage when the stick is moved and the AP will revert to ATTITUDE hold, as indicated by the A/P REF light if (ALT hold is selected but not engaged with the pinky switch).