StrongHarm

I like to add an enemy weapon threshold line to the ABRIS when I'm ingressing on a dangerous AO. This allows me to maintain proper standoff from different angles while searching for a good popup position. If you want to add a temp WP, you can do that with the method I mentioned in my last post, then to go back to the original just goto PLAN > LOAD, and it will restore your original plan. This method has many advantages over simple map lines. But, here's the map line method: KA50 Manual 7-81, p.261 Adding and editing map lines Lines can be plotted on the map to denote phase lines, free-fire areas, FEBA, etc. To create a map line, or geometric figure formed by straight line segments, use the following procedure: 1. Press the SELECT FSK button from the PLAN sub-mode page and select the ADD INF option from the menu. Press the SELECT FSK button again. 2. Use the cursor manipulator to move the black square cursor to the map location where you want the line to start and press the ADD LIN FSK button. 3. The screen will now display the LINE page and the flight information area will display the line start coordinates, parameters characterizing the line to be plotted, and the line color list. By pressing the COLOR FSK button, you can select the line color. 4. Using the cursor manipulator control, move the cursor to where you want the line to end and press the ENTER FSK button. A line will now be drawn between the two ends. You can repeat this process to create multi-jointed lines or polygons. 5. If you wish to exit the mode without entering data into the database, press the CANCEL FSK button without pressing the ENTER button.

Also, be aware of the ERBLE/INFO/INFO/TO method of quick single point WP creation. I use this to figure my point of attack. While searching with ERBLE you see elevations, so it shows you not only the best highpoint with terrain mask, but also whether the route there will be exposed to the target. Once you find the best position from ERBLE, use INFO/TO and it will create a line from your current position, a persistent dot at the point you choose, plus standard 'next waypoint' output such as time and distance. To remove the temp single point WP, just go to the Plan page and choose Load.. this will reload your original programmed waypoints. Marking with Datalink/Ingress is a valid alternative, but provides less intel.

The "Navigation System Power" Switch on the right wall panel, and "K-041 Shval/Nav power" on the left knee panel are synonymous where NAV Power is concerned. I've used both and have never noticed a difference in the NAV systems if I use one switch before the other during startup. The "Navigation System Power" is the first thing I turn on after Radios, Fire Ext., Ejection, INU Power... since it's conveniently located to those switch clusters. I also 'imagine' that my Shkval shouldn't be powered up until after INU Alignment... but I don't know if that's the case. Take notice, for what it's worth, that the auto startup sequence uses the K-041 power instead of the Navigation System Power (which is left off). I'd encourage reading the manual all the way through. The KA-50 can be click learned.. after much toil. but why, when it only takes a day or two of light reading to read through the manual to make it a 'subconscious foundation for future reference', as is the goal of tech manuals. KA50 Manual 6-17: To operate the HSI, electrical power will need to be enabled and the either the "K-041" or "Navigation System" switch must be set to ON. The HSI will operate after INU alignment is complete.

This is an old post, but is still relevant. Customizing snapviews isn't very intuitive, but once you understand the method it's a .. <clears throat and looks around> snap.. http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=49168&highlight=view

No, what I think he means is: 1. Will autopilot overcome lack of trim? 2. Is there a continuously computed Time On Target indicator for coordinated alpha strikes (like Falcon 4.0) What I understand to be the answers: 1. no - You have to trim for speed and alt, then AP attempts to hold those values.. in other words, you have to zero out your controls to those values because stick inputs (or the counter input of not trimming) overcomes AP (i.e. if you have your stick 40% forward, then set AP, then let go of the stick.. the AP receives -40% input after you let go of the stick if you're not trimmed) 2. no - It tells you when you'll arrive at your NAV point, but there is no indication that you're going to be late for an alpha strike. In missions where this is important the briefing provides a takeoff time and speed to maintain enroute

I do believe the ADI only shows whether you're at the speed specified for waypoint... it's not continuously computed is it?

I've completed my analysis of issue: 'Autoslew points to elevation 0 MSL for TGT Points regardless of AGL alt of that coord' I've attached the missions I used for troubleshooting in case anyone would like to corroborate, or ED is interested in investigating. Here's what I did: Original Mission 1. Deleted all TGT Points and recreated 2. Created new aircraft with same TGT Points 3. Deleted everything from the mission, readded KA50 with TGT Points 4. Created Aircraft with ramp start and air start to compare RESULT: Problem persists New Mission 1. Created new map 2. Added KA-50, target, bullseye, TGT Points to same cords 3. Created Aircraft with ramp start and air start to compare RESULT: Could not reproduce issue with fresh map I went through the code of both missions and found no obvious difference between the two that could be the root of the problem. CONCLUSION: Old core map contains (or propagates) bad elevation information TestTGTpoints.zip

Yes thank you Flagrum, I did read that post as well. It seems that the issue is engrained in my mission since it was created prior to the update that corrected TGT Point elevation disparities. I'm going to see if I can identify the relevant code in the mission header/parameters. I'll update this post if I do.

Yes, I agree Flagrum. It must be the mission. I've been working on this mission for years. I can only guess that they must have pushed a fix that didn't deprecate sometime since I started working on it. I created another mission in the same area with 1 tank and 1 KA-50. The auto-slew worked correctly. I went back into the original mission and deleted all TGT Points and recreated them, the issue still exists. At least I know. Thanks for the info.

I'm sure this must have been covered before, but I can't find a related post. After adding a TGT Point to a KA-50 in the editor, after uncaging the Shval it autoslews (if selected on PVI) to that TGT Point correctly .. however, the slew point is very low compared to the actual location of the TGT Point. In other words the horizontal slew is perfect, but I have to slew 'up' to site the TGT Point. Does the Shval only slew to the coord minus elevation (in this case the terrain elevation is at 800m.. is it pointing at the proper coords at 0m elevation?) or am I just doing something incorrectly?

Great stuff Beach! Thanks for sharing. The screenshots are really nice. I love a good AAR. I've been revisiting the KA-50 as well lately. I take nothing from the Warthog, as she's my first love, but there's something different and empowering about effectively engaging in an attack helo. I'd love to see ED do something with the Comanche or Apache... especially with a focus on the helmet display systems and the Oculus Rift.. that would just be sick. My SDK2 is on the way now.. can't wait to fire it up. I'm working on another mission in my Patara Valley series right now. KA-50s run SEAD and Hawgs run CAS and Strike together in a front line battle scenario. I'm still optimizing performance.. there are over 500 active entities on the front lines with loads of triggers. I think it's going to be pretty epic if I can get it to run smoothly. I hope you'll check it out when it's finished. Here's a previous mission in the series called 'Build Up In Patara Valley'.. which is a build up (as the name implies) to the battle I'm working on now.

I don't know if this is related or not, but I've had trouble with any mission (campaign included) where the Russian Blackshark skin 'Army Standard' was used. I deleted the skin and let the updater redownload it all, but no joy. I simply had to change the skin on every KA50 in every mission where it was used.

The rounds aren't really that hard to evade if you're at the limit of their range envelope (alt or distance). I like to do a TGP recon from a safe distance and mark the threats, then if I'm going to get low enough for AAA threat, I'll go high and descend in orbit and do a 'recon by fire' with the MKI Eyeball. If you take fire on the way down from manpads or AAA, it's pretty easy to evade fire at the edge of their envelope if you keep your eye on the threat. You're in effect performing your own Wild Weasel. (IRL attack aircraft are rarely forced to do this as SEAD/DEAD sorties typically prep the area for them.) Defining your SOP: I like to practice against tanks as their fire is easier to evade for the purpose of defining an SOP. You can use my tutorial mission Tank Busting 101 if you like. I find that if I do a small multi-axis coarse change (i.e. up and right with right rudder) I can evade the fire easily. Don't be afraid to use those rudders. In Tank Busting 101 I practice getting lower and lower while watching for tracers and evading. After some careful analysis I can evade their fire all day long at a few hundred feet. After you practice with tanks a bit alter the mission to add AAA, then carefully enter it's envelope and practice against it. You'll find they're pretty predictable. Before developing an SOP, AAA was my bane. After analysis I was able to take them out with guns. More Info: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1140598post1140598 http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1105815post1105815 http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1182320post1182320 Luck to you. EDIT: I read Tung instead of ZSU after clicking 'post' heheh sorry.. needs more coffees... hope the info is still of some use to you.

There was previously some talk of making ramp start an option in the Mission Planner that's selectable before each mission. I'm not sure if they scrapped the idea or delayed it. I'd like to see this happen too. If you're determined to make it happen manually, the editor really is pretty easy to use. If you're not familiar, here's how: (NOTE: I'd save a copy of the mission before editing it, but if you do run into trouble you can just delete the mission and the updater will replace it.) - Select Mission Editor from the DCS main menu - Open the individual mission from the Campaign from X:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Mods\aircraft\Ka-50 \Missions\EN\Campaigns. - Mission time is accessed via the 4th icon down, 'Create Mission Briefing' - INU Points are accessed by selecting the aircraft, then the 5th icon over, 'INU Fix Point' Luck to you.

Now, that's a descent idea. What's the advantage of running the Android App?

Now we're getting somewhere.. good info ZaltysZ. Thanks.

Call Dell and tell them you want to buy a PC that you're sending to a country under trade sanction or export control. Sure, they go through Dubai and France from time to time.. and it would be impossible to completely contain tech creep, but we do a decent job of controlling sales of even small orders to those countries. The sale of a large shipment of CPUs to a controlled country is unlikely. Russia has engineers that are every bit as capable as US engineers (more so in some areas) so they don't need US components. Again, I don't want this to be political. I'm merely curious as to whether there was artistic license taken with the ABRIS boot sequence, or if the 486DX4 was actually used. It's technical curiosity not political indignation.

See OP for new file.

Yeah you're right Bit.. truth is stranger than fiction. I was in CICs during the cold war and was surprised at some of what I heard.. from many angles. Interesting times. Are you asserting that Intel is a Malaysian company.. or that Intel's security was so lax that the KGB was able to steal thousands of chips? Of course they weren't manufactured in America, what is? :) I'm still hoping that someone who knows facts will reply with something conclusive about whether the 486DX4 Intel chip is/was actually in the Blackshark. Curiosity gnaws at me.

NEW VERSION ATTACHED TO OP Further refinement of the profile. Added a string of commands that clears the radio menu before each ATC command. There were contextual issues (F2 means something else if you're inbound landing FI) that this resolves. I made this a standalone command as well, just say 'Clear Coms' if you need to reset the radio menu. Also added Ground Crew commands and reformatted the reference and added PNG and XLS to the ZIP.

You're talking about Time on Target (TOT). This is used in military operations to coordinate simultaneous attacks by disparate assets. I don't think the ABRIS provides this information. I believe approximate TOT is achieved by speed constraints given in mission briefings. The ABRIS does however, give you continuously calculated estimated time of arrival for each waypoint. You'll find this on the NAV page for the current and next steerpoints, as well as calculated time for each steerpoint on the PLAN page.

No doubt, there is historical precedence for tech creep across borders, but there are U.S. trade restrictions in place these days aimed at preventing it.. my question is: Does the Blackshark actually have a 486DX4, and is it actually an Intel chip? Just curious. That's an awful lot of work for a 100mhz processor to tackle.

When the ABRIS boots it shows the chip as a 486DX4. This is an intel designator. Is this accurate? Was intel able to sell hardware to the Russian Military? EDIT: Clarification; as text is a poor medium to convey human emotion, let me say that this is stated with no political motivation or disapproval.. it's simple scientific curiosity from someone who previously worked with U.S. Military technology in the 90s that may have had a similar chip.

I think it's important to fully understand the subject before you post. This problem is that the NAV page loses orientation after using ERBL. If this is the way the Blackshark works IRL, it's either an engineering limitation or is bugged as well.