Landing the A 10 C

[Remarkymarkable]

Hi, I am new to DCS and have no experience with flight SIMs. I am enjoying the

challenge of this A 10C module. I took my first training session on landings and was able

to place the plane on the runway threshold, however, I think my flight instructor bailed out

on me after having to go around three times to line up my approach.

The thing is, he never mentioned how to slow the plane down once on the runway and

I crashed.

Can someone please tell me how to apply brakes? Thank you

[Boris]

The brakes are quite simple. Press and hold down "w". Best thing is to assign a joystick button to the brakes or even better, if you're using pedals, use the brake axes.

 

There's not much more to it than that. Just hold down the brakes and coordinate with rudder. It's actually easier to brake with just a button IMO as you don't have the differential between right and left.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Boris

[Aginor]

Yep, you need the wheelbrakes. (once you are slower than ~80 knots)

And you can also use the speedbrakes to assist you in slowing down.

 

Once you are below 50 knots remember activating NWS so you can steer.

[Remarkymarkable]

OK, I know about the wheelbrakes. What about speed brakes? What are they and

how are they used? I have the Thrustmaster Warthog throttle and stick. Are flaps used

in landings? If so, how do I adjust them?

[Gliptal]

Landing configuration is flaps fully extended, speedbrakes fully extended, landing gear lowered.

 

Fly level until the runway threshold is about 3° below the HUD's horizon line, then place the FPM on the threshold and keep it there. Ride the AoA indexer (those three light on the left of the HUD) using the throttle to control rate of descent (i.e. the vertical position of the FPM) and pitch to control speed (ideal speed is the one that yields the green circle on the AoA indexer).

 

Gently flare before touchdown to cushion your landing, on touchdow extend speedbrakes fully and apply brakes. Do not try to aerobrake the plane using the airframe (basically pulling up on the stick and have the nose slam down on its own) since it may damage the gear.

[Cik]

OK, I know about the wheelbrakes. What about speed brakes? What are they and

how are they used? I have the Thrustmaster Warthog throttle and stick. Are flaps used

in landings? If so, how do I adjust them?

 

speed brakes can be used to slow down before touching down as well as helping you decelerate while wheels-down.

 

they are the big 'creases' in the wings outboard of the flaps, traveling about 50% of the wing in from the wingtips. they just add extra drag so you can slow down essentially.

 

flaps travel from the body of the aircraft to the edges of the speedbrakes and provide extra lift for the plane while at low airspeed.

 

essentially, they will help you take off and land.

[Gliptal]

speed brakes can be used to slow down before touching down as well as helping you decelerate while wheels-down.

 

they are the big 'creases' in the wings outboard of the flaps, traveling about 50% of the wing in from the wingtips. they just add extra drag so you can slow down essentially.

 

flaps travel from the body of the aircraft to the edges of the speedbrakes and provide extra lift for the plane while at low airspeed.

 

essentially, they will help you take off and land.

Speed brakes are normally extended during landings to allow the engine to operate at higher RPMs.

[Boris]

I have the Thrustmaster Warthog throttle and stick. Are flaps used in landings? If so, how do I adjust them?

 

Flaps are very important. They effectively increase your wing size, giving you more lift and allowing you to stay in the air at slow speeds and preventing you from stalling and falling out of the sky.

They also create drag and slow you down. On the A-10C, use the middle position for takeoff and the down position for landing.

The flaps toggle is in the left side of the throttle quadrant, labelled "flaps" - You can't miss it. :smilewink:

 

You got the Warthog throttle and stick, which is the best choice and shows you're serious about giving this a go. It mirrors all the controls as in the real thing, except for the trim (also very important) which you should reassign to the actual trim hat instead of the default view commands.

 

I highly recommend reading the manual as much as you get the chance. It will explain the vast majority of what you need to know.

[Aginor]

Not trying to be mean here, it is always refreshening to see somebody just hop into the cockpit and try. :)

 

But I think you REALLY should follow Boris' advice and read the manual (at least some small parts of it) to get an impression of what systems are there, and check out the checklists to see what you really need in those situations.

 

The manual is well written and a nice read, I can only recommend it. :)

[Remarkymarkable]

I wasn't issued a manual :( . No, really, I've been trying to get a manual but, it's been

taken down for violating some "terms of service" Do you know where I can get one?

[Mick F]

Right here:

 

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/documentation/dcs_a-10c_flight_manual_en/

[Remarkymarkable]

Like I said, I'm totally new to all of this. Do you know where I can learn how to reassign the trim to the trim hat? I know nothing about mapping control switches. My flaps switch doesn't

seem to do anything when I'm in the air either, when I'm on the ground, the HOTAS flaps

switch do manipulate the flaps in the SIM though.

[lobo]

Landing configuration is flaps fully extended, speedbrakes fully extended, landing gear lowered.

 

Technically the speed brakes according to the manual should extended to 40% in the landing configuration and then select speed brakes 100% immediately after touchdown. In flight a limit switch limits the speed brakes to 80%. A squat switch on the left main gear allows 100% deployment on the ground.

 

So it should be 40% speed brake on approach and then on touchdown you thumb the speed brakes to the fully open 100% position to help slow down.

[Blech]

Hi,

 

Flaps will work < 185 knts

 

\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Doc\DCS World Input Controller Walk Through EN.pdf

 

Ralfi's Idiot Guide to DCS- Setting up Controls

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[/ame]

 

And download the two screenshots posted under the video (watch on youtube and click "Show more")

They show the number of each button for TM Warthog Stick / Throttle

e.g. DMS - right = JOY_BTN12

Edited February 29, 2016 by Blech

[Gliptal]

Technically the speed brakes according to the manual should extended to 40% in the landing configuration and then select speed brakes 100% immediately after touchdown. In flight a limit switch limits the speed brakes to 80%. A squat switch on the left main gear allows 100% deployment on the ground.

 

So it should be 40% speed brake on approach and then on touchdown you thumb the speed brakes to the fully open 100% position to help slow down.

Good point, I didn't want to overwhelm the new guy with half deploys and such. Having them at 80% during landing has no side effects, you just need to power up even more to mantain AoA.

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Good point, I didn't want to overwhelm the new guy with half deploys and such. Having them at 80% during landing has no side effects, you just need to power up even more to mantain AoA.

 

There will be good reasons why the manual says 40%. While I understand you don't want to overwhelm people, giving people inaccurate information is probably not the best solution to this problem.

[Remarkymarkable]

Got it Mick! Thank you!

[Remarkymarkable]

I've at the point where I can get it on the ground (after four attempts) but I keep ending up

stuck in the grass. I just need some practice and I'll get it. Thanks for all of your help!

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Are you running out of runway? Landing fast?

 

This is what the landing picture should look like:

 

[lobo]

Don't come in too fast. Read up on the "angle of attack indexer" page 130 of the manual. As shown in Flamin_Squirrel's post above ^ (ON SPEED). Also remember to turn on nose wheel steering after decelerating through 70kts.

[Yurgon]

There are lots of great videos showing pretty much everything from cold start to landing, with various types of target acquisition and weapons deployment in between, and quite a few on controller configuration and basic flight concepts as well.

 

In a neighboring thread I just came across these:

 

 

I only skipped through part #1, which looked pretty good, and the vids were recommended in that thread. Should be a good place to start.

 

While I agree with others that the manual is a great source of information for the A-10C, IMO it's more of a reference manual and not so much a beginner's guide. I keep coming back to the manual whenever I have a specific question. But despite all its details, it fails to answer some of the more fundamental questions about flying, especially for people entirely new to the world of aviation.

 

Ultimately, though, all of the information needed to learn to fly the DCS A-10C is already out there, it's just a matter of exploring the sources, finding the good ones and disregarding the bad ones. All I can say is that I've enjoyed every step of the journey so far and am still enjoying the A-10C, and coming from the Beta, I still learn new stuff all the time. :thumbup:

[lobo]

The DCS A-10C is imo the definition of a study sim. You know the saying: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

 

I think you could change that saying to read: How do you eat a Hawg? One bite at a time.

 

:book:

[GurbY]

*removed*

Edited March 1, 2016 by GurbY
Never mind.

[Remarkymarkable]

I just retired from over 33 years of public service and building a gaming computer was on my

"bucket list". After completing the build, I searched around trying to decide what games I

was going to use it for.

Then I found DCS A 10C and my decision was immediate. I'm glad I found it. It's going to be

a real challenge to learn this simulation and I realize it's going to be a long process.

I look forward to getting to the point where I can contribute to a successful multiplayer mission.

I have plenty of free time and am determined to get there. Time to "hit the books" !!!

[hansangb]

Wait until you get the bug to create physical switches/buttons for the sim! :)