DCS: F-5E TIGER II QUESTIONS

[twistking]

Not sure? Ask here!

[twistking]

when airborne the button on my stick, that i mapped the nosewheel steering to, opens the navigation menu.

the button is however not mapped to anything else than NWS. it's really weird!

any ideas?

[grunf]

You mean communications menu :)? That's how it works, NWS button acts as a radio mic button when the wheels are up.

[twistking]

yes, i meant communication menu. weird typo. sorry!

 

ok:) somehow i did not think of this being a feature. thank you very much for the answer!!!

[twistking]

after reading the manual and doing the training missions, i'm still a little unsure on how the radar and sight modes work together.

DG, DM and MSL, A/A1, A/A2

 

Is it correct that the sight modes (MSL, A/A1, A/A2) have nothing to do with radar accquisition, but only aiming cues, while "target search" DG and DM modes, are only ways of radar accquistion and don't have impact, after lock is archieved?

 

For me the manual makes it seem, as if these modes have some sort of interdependency, which i don't really see. English is not my first language, so maybe i just misunderstood?!

[millenix]

To the best of my knowledge it goes as follows:

 

DG Mode overrides sight mode and is the same as A/A1 but with radar giving you target distance information.

DM Mode overrides sight mode and is the same as MSL but with radar giving you target distance information.

 

MSL, A/A1, and A/A2 modes allow you to toggle between these sight modes without radar guidance. A/A2 is meant for targets that aren't maneuvering significantly, typically bombers.

[HoekomWerkNiks]

Navigation

 

Good day, I understand how to navigate with the F5E between 2 airfields that have Tacan, but if someone could please explain how the navigation works between way points and how do you know where to go if you have to land on an airfield that has no Tacan. Taking the flight plan of first mission in world 1.5 for F5E "Airbase defense" I know the numbers in degrees are the directions I need to fly in, but what does all the other information stand for? 12000, D22.0, R-345, R-324 and R-310.

 

The frequencies displayed on the preset channel chart, how do you know which is for which airfield? Where do you find out all this information if it is not in the manual? (If it is in the manual I apologize for not seeing it)

 

Thank you.

[twistking]

maybe a stupid questions, but where do i find the flight plan, you are talking about?

the 12.000 could very well be altitude in feet, for the others, i would need to have a look myself.

 

however, from my general aviation experience, i would say, that navigation with tacan, is less straight-forward, than you might expect. i don't think that there is a general rule, how to navigate. you could plot a course to or from a specific tacan, follow it for x miles or minutes at certain speed or until you reach a certain distance from/to the station, then switch to another tacan, or use visual navigation (follow a certain course until you reach a certain landmark etc.).

 

think of it more as a navigation aid, than a full navigation solution.

 

i would guess, that if you have a premade flightplan, it would consist of both tacan nav-aids and landmarks etc. if i find the plan, you are referrring to, i'll post again. ;)

 

ps: @millenix: thanks for the info on sight/radar modes:)

Edited January 7, 2017 by twistking

[razo+r]

you should have the waypoints on the kneeboard, and you can also mark your position on the kneeboard, which might help locating yourselfe

[Volator]

Good day, I understand how to navigate with the F5E between 2 airfields that have Tacan, but if someone could please explain how the navigation works between way points and how do you know where to go if you have to land on an airfield that has no Tacan.

If no TACAN is available, you have to navigate purely by chart and/or dead-reckoning. Using intersections of different TACAN radials can also work here and there. There is also you kneepad where you can see your planned route, mark your position and thus find out where you are and where you have to go.

 

Taking the flight plan of first mission in world 1.5 for F5E "Airbase defense" I know the numbers in degrees are the directions I need to fly in, but what does all the other information stand for? 12000, D22.0, R-345, R-324 and R-310.

I never played this mission before, but 12000 is certainly an altitude, D22.0 means distance 22 nautical miles, and R-XXX is a radial of a certain VOR or TACAN. The distance mentioned could be a distance to go to a waypoint, or it is the distance of a point defined via a radial from a VOR/TACAN.

 

The frequencies displayed on the preset channel chart, how do you know which is for which airfield? Where do you find out all this information if it is not in the manual? (If it is in the manual I apologize for not seeing it)

 

Thank you.

 

Find all the frequencies for the airfields in DCS here:

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/1523987/?sphrase_id=5342339

[HoekomWerkNiks]

maybe a stupid questions, but where do i find the flight plan, you are talking about.

 

As you open the mission, the details of the mission are shown, I took the drawing on the left as the flight plan.

 

Is there any way to enlarge the knee board?

 

Thank you for all the replies to my questions, it is appreciated.

[twistking]

@HoerkomWerkNiks: Ok. i've found it. Could however not make more sense from it, than "Pilot Ike" did in his good explanation;)

 

Another quick question:

I have no problem with landing the f-5. did all kind of landings: crosswinds, single engine, heavy load etc.

Touchdown is always nice and soft, however i still can't really do the landing as it's supposed to be, with more or less steady approach with constant green lit AOA indicator.

What i do quite succesfully is a low AOA approach with a heavy flare at the end.

I however do not suceed in establishing a correct AOA with a decent sink rate while still in approach. I keep trimming nose up, until the aircraft starts gaining altitude, or stalls with nose way too high.

 

There are youtube videos and a explanation in the manual, so theoretically i know what to do, but still somehow fail.

Can you give me some tips? Perhaps someone had the same trouble, until he got the hang of it and can tell me what i might be doing wrong or on which area i should concentrate? :)

thanks

[tom_19d]

Hi Twistking,

 

The statement that the aircraft stalls with the green AOA donut lit shows that something here might not be being interpreted correctly.

 

An airfoil always stalls when its critical angle of attack is exceeded, regardless of airspeed. Generally speaking, if the green donut is lit, the aircraft is at its optimum angle of attack for landing (whatever that is in F5, in most civil aircraft the donut lights at 1.3 Vso AKA Vref). Therefore, if the green donut is lit, the airplane cannot stall, as the wing has not yet reached its critical angle of attack.

 

That said, if the aircraft is climbing with the donut lit, you are using too much power.

 

I would suggest trying an approach under the following conditions. Keep the aircraft light, maybe full gun ammo and 1000 pounds of fuel- definitely time to get on the ground, but still enough fuel for a go around if needed. Establish yourself on a long straight in final. Recall that a 3 degree glideslope would have you ~1500 feet AGL on a 5 mile final. Also remember that the above configuration yields a 12,000 pound aircraft, which equates to 146 KIAS Vref assuming 15% MAC. (Note the ref speed and the altitude at 5 miles are just for reference and to assure you are starting your approach from a place where you can make a reasonable descent).

 

When you start your descent, try it in more of this mindset (one often associated for right or wrong with naval aviation)- keep your AOA donut lit with pitch only, and control your rate of descent with power. If your desired touchdown point is sliding up the windscreen add power, if your desired touchdown point is sliding down the windscreen reduce power.

 

Also, since the F5 has a small, highly loaded wing, if you fly the whole approach right at the donut you might need to carry some power all the way to touchdown- coming to idle before that could lead to an excessive rate of descent in the flare.

[Figaro9]

Hey twistking

 

I do it a kind of intuitively today, but if I remember right I learned it as follows:

 

After turning base you should aim for a crash point (cp) in front of the touch down zone. You then fly straight to the cp on centerline and with a minus 3 degree flight path to the flare. The closer the threshold gets, the more sensitive your Inputs.

 

Glide path

If corrections are necessary to get on glide path, do generally not forget to work with your right and left hand. If you are below glide path, pull slightly on the stick and push throttles forward a bit simultaneously (unless you want to slow down) , if you are above push the stick and pull throttles backwards (unless you want to increase speed). Push right hand-pull left and vice versa if speed / attitude is ok..

 

Crash point

Once the nose is in the right position (attitude / glide path) , try to defend cp mainly by using throttles. If you are short, do not pull on stick but increase power a bit (nose will come up anyway) and watch your crash point moving towards the rwy. Defend Aoa with elevator.

 

Attitude / AOA

If you do perfect landings but a bit high speed, slow down on final by pulling your nose a bit higher (you mainly control speed with elevators on approach, therefore the nose up / dwn arrow on aoa). Watch the crash point. Is it moving? If it is too close to the threshold now, reduce throttle slightly till the cp is where it should be.

But anyway, it is by far more dangerous if your to slow on final.

 

And last but not least use trimming not for steering the plane but to reduce the pressure on the controls.

Happy landing

[twistking]

hey, thank you both for the help.

 

with your tipps, i started making progress and got some decent approaches already.

I think my biggest mistake were, that i came in a bit too high and that i tried to use trim exclusively to hold the aircraft in the correct AOA.

Trimming the aircraft and having her land herself is something, that works with the a-10c and i tried applying it to the f-5e, which one should not do, i guess;)

[CHDT]

Another quick question: is there a pilot body available as an option for the F-5E ?

 

Thanks for the info.

[Figaro9]

Right shift p, is it this you want?

[CHDT]

Right shift p, is it this you want?

 

Thanks for the info :-)

 

I just wanted to know if the F-5E had a virtual pilot.

[twistking]

heyhey,

i still struggle to find the optimal FOV in the tiger, that feels just right for me. In the A-10c the default FOV seems just perfect for me, but in the f-5e it's way to wide.

do you know, where i can find the a-10c default FOV setting and if it's possible to somehow use it for the f-5e as default? maybe copy&paste some settings from a config file?

[tete4Ywis]

Question: Apparently the F-5E was able to use the AGM 12 bullpup missile as seen here :https://youtu.be/AvDfs6s4tbA?t=1264

 

Any chance to see it in DCS?

[Pocket Sized]

Question: Apparently the F-5E was able to use the AGM 12 bullpup missile as seen here :https://youtu.be/AvDfs6s4tbA?t=1264

 

Any chance to see it in DCS?

 

The version we have either wasn't capable of carrying it or never used it in service.

[tete4Ywis]

The version we have either wasn't capable of carrying it or never used it in service.

 

So essentially it lost that capacity while transitionning from the A/ "Freedom fighter" to the E/ "Tiger II" version?

 

That's kinda strange as it looks like it was it's most advanced air to ground weapon, too bad i guess, it would have been pretty interseting in DCS.

[gnouze]

heyhey,

i still struggle to find the optimal FOV in the tiger, that feels just right for me. In the A-10c the default FOV seems just perfect for me, but in the f-5e it's way to wide.

do you know, where i can find the a-10c default FOV setting and if it's possible to somehow use it for the f-5e as default? maybe copy&paste some settings from a config file?

 

 

I agree, it's too wide. I hit "enter" key on Numpad and I get a better FOV.

[twistking]

hey,

i'm still trying to improve my landing.

 

about the AOA indicator.

i often fly approaches with "correct" AOA indication, which are still bad (nose to high etc.).

am i right in my assumption, that you can get a "correct" AOA indication, even if all other parameter are bad?

in theory, what would be the parameters to get right, for all the others to be right as well?

[Svend_Dellepude]

If you can't see the runway you probably have to adjust your glideslope. You are probably too low.