3 Questions

[GC1993]

Hi All

 

Back on DCS after a few months, the flanker update is erm.... challenging, just have a few questions if anyone can shed light?

 

1. I don't see an option to disable nose-wheel steering in the command list - so does this just stay permanently on and we have to be gentle during take-off?

 

2. I've not yet tried it but I'm guessing autopilot has changed - is it the same as the F-15 i.e. you can pitch hold and altitude hold, or is there more/less to it?

 

3. Made the mistake of following someone's advice on the chat online and pressed S whilst in steady flight to attempt a Cobra - the jet nose-flipped forward and went into an unrecoverable spin..... why is this? What should S do exactly?

 

Thanks in advance :)

[blkspade]

From what I've gathered from other posts about the flanker, it supposedly rather realistically wants to nose down. The system that the S key disables is what actively prevents that in normal flight. So you needing to be pulling the stick or very ready to do so immediately upon pressing it to do the cobra.

[Razgriz1]

I just reset trimm before pressing it and it works just fine. That or start pitching up and then press S to do the cobra.

[GGTharos]

S puts you in 'Direct control' of the aerodynamic surfaces.

 

To explain what that means:

- The FBW will normally adjust the response of the control surfaces to your stick input

- So that for example roll rate is consistent across a wide range of speeds, ie stick deflection (Actually force in RL, deflection in game) = some amount of deg/s roll ... as opposed to 100deg/s at 300kph and 600deg/s at 1200kph

- So that the pitch rate is consistent, ie. stick deflection = g on airframe, so if you pull 4g, you will hold 4g at any speed, so long as the aircraft can generate enough lift to hold 4g.

 

When you press 'S', all this nice stuff goes away, and stick deflection = control surface deflection.

 

This means you could command 20g from the airframe at high speeds. Yes, you'll destroy it (not yet in the game, but it's coming) but you could command that much g. Also, the response will be different at different speeds: The more speed, the more violent the airframe's response to the same stick input.

 

Does that help, or should there be more clarification?

 

3. Made the mistake of following someone's advice on the chat online and pressed S whilst in steady flight to attempt a Cobra - the jet nose-flipped forward and went into an unrecoverable spin..... why is this? What should S do exactly?

[GGTharos]

Yes, because that's the way the airframe behaves (I believe, Yo-Yo jump in to correct me any time) without the FBW influence.

 

You have to really know/understand what you're doing and what the aircraft is doing if you want to go to direct control. You're putting the aircraft in basically it's natural 'flying state', which is much different than the 'normal feel' of how an aircraft flies.

 

Test pilots have killed themselves flying this aircraft in direct control.