Chaff/Flare loadout..... Bug or Feature?

[Winston 60]

In the 1.5.4 mission editor you are no longer able to adjust an aircrafts Chaff and Flare loadout in small increments like in all DCS World versions up to this. Now increasing the chaff and flare loadouts must be done in large increments, 30 or 60 depending on the plane.

 

ED, is this a Bug or a new "Feature"? If a "Feature"..... why?

 

TIA

[GGTharos]

Probably because that's how the CMDS buckets get filled. You cannot mix payloads in them, at least not for the old ones AFAIK.

[Winston 60]

Probably because that's how the CMDS buckets get filled. You cannot mix payloads in them, at least not for the old ones AFAIK.

Do you think you could confirm that with ED? Since there's been no comment by ED on this I just want to make sure it isn't a bug. IRL you'd think you could partially fill a bucket, right? Like load 6 chaff in one dispenser and 6 flares in another different dispenser. Why would they have to be full?

Edited July 11, 2016 by Winston 60

[Aginor]

I think that's the way they are triggered.

 

Look at this video, you can see the dispenser boxes:

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those have to contain either chaffs or flares because the small packages of chaffs (or single) flares don't have their own triggers. The whole box has the trigger.

So they are mounted in boxes of 30, like this:

http://media.defense.gov/2006/Oct/31/2000537659/-1/-1/0/061028-F-5167G-084.JPG

 

EDIT: So basically you could load fewer boxes, and maybe partially load such a box, but not load one box mixed because the dispenser doesn't know which chambers are chaffs and which are flares.

 

EDIT: And since they come pre-packed as boxes you would probably - although theoretically possible - not get half-filled boxes, now that I think about it.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Aginor

[GGTharos]

I'm convinced it's not a bug. ANd yes, you could probably partially fill a bucket but I don't know if there is an RL use case for. You'd probably replace the entire bucket with one that's filled, rather than filling in the missing equment - but maybe someone with more knowledge can chime in on that.

 

 

If I understand you, you want to limit CMs for a mission or whatnot, this might be a feature request.

 

Do you think you could confirm that with ED? Since there's been no comment by ED on this I just want to make sure it isn't a bug. IRL you'd think you could partially fill a bucket, right? Like load 6 chaff in one dispenser and 6 flares in another different dispenser. Why would they have to be full?

[Winston 60]

I think that's the way they are triggered.

 

Look at this video, you can see the dispenser boxes:

 

those have to contain either chaffs or flares because the small packages of chaffs (or single) flares don't have their own triggers. The whole box has the trigger.

So they are mounted in boxes of 30, like this:

http://media.defense.gov/2006/Oct/31/2000537659/-1/-1/0/061028-F-5167G-084.JPG

 

EDIT: So basically you could load fewer boxes, and maybe partially load such a box, but not load one box mixed because the dispenser doesn't know which chambers are chaffs and which are flares.

 

EDIT: And since they come pre-packed as boxes you would probably - although theoretically possible - not get half-filled boxes, now that I think about it.

Thanks for this very interesting video! :thumbup: It clearly shows how the system works and how it's is loaded and why Flares and Chaff can't be mixed in the same dispenser box. Still wondering why, say for training, we can't limit the number of Chaff/Flares loaded into the dispenser. Does it always have to be full? :huh:

[Eddie]

Dispensers certainly don't have to be full no. You have to load tubes in a specific order, but not all of them. But the exact procedures and capabilities vary between different systems.

[Winston 60]

I'm convinced it's not a bug. ANd yes, you could probably partially fill a bucket but I don't know if there is an RL use case for. You'd probably replace the entire bucket with one that's filled, rather than filling in the missing equment - but maybe someone with more knowledge can chime in on that.

 

If I understand you, you want to limit CMs for a mission or whatnot, this might be a feature request.

Thanks GGTharos. Yes, I want to limit CMs on a certain mission. After watching Aginor's video above I'm inclined to agree that this is a new feature assuming the dispenser boxes can't be loaded partially empty for training purposes?

 

I would think trying to add an optional "feature" to the new "feature" of full dispenser box loading would not be possible. I'll continue to use a workaround for getting partial Chaff and Flare loadouts.

[Winston 60]

Dispensers certainly don't have to be full no. You have to load tubes in a specific order, but not all of them. But the exact procedures and capabilities vary between different systems.

Thanks Eddie. So maybe the way it's being done now in release 1.5.4 needs to be re-thinked after all?