Night Attack Questions

[Delareon]

Hi,

 

i run into some Problems during night attacks.

Especially to find any targets because of the Bad Quality of the NVG and also the NVG capabilities of the Maverick.

 

Im not sure if its my fault, the fault of the Harrier in its current dev state or maybe a DCS Problem.

 

Im flying in Nevada (Open Alpha for that reason) and placed a few BMPs on the Runway of that Mock Airbase.

 

Just to do a few experiments i thought it would be easy to find them when i have such a clear landmark. But the opposite is the case.

 

First i tried to fire the Mavericks like i did in a Day Mission using the internal Sensors and then switch to the Maverick just to lock the Target. As described in this Video:

 

But this System isnt currently capable to get some infrared image, so you have basicaly a black screen.

 

Also if you try to use the Mav on its own, its seems like its not really ground stabilized. Because it moves with the plane a few seconds until its stable which makes fine tuning next to impossible.

Also since the BMPs are in the first few feets of the Runway, you have really trouble to see anything because everything is just green. Maybe this should simulate the heat during breaking operations? dunno...

 

The final Problem is the Quality of the NVG, which is pretty bad. FLIR Image is good but NVG is next to useless. I have Problems to find the Runway using just these. If i push the Gamma Settings i can optimise it but then i have terrible lighting in Day situations...

 

 

Multiple Problems i know. Can anybody help me pin them down and get arround them?

Or is the Harrier currently not really Night Attack capable before we get a few updates?

[Rex854Warrior]

Hi,

 

i run into some Problems during night attacks.

Especially to find any targets because of the Bad Quality of the NVG and also the NVG capabilities of the Maverick.

 

Im not sure if its my fault, the fault of the Harrier in its current dev state or maybe a DCS Problem.

 

Im flying in Nevada (Open Alpha for that reason) and placed a few BMPs on the Runway of that Mock Airbase.

 

Just to do a few experiments i thought it would be easy to find them when i have such a clear landmark. But the opposite is the case.

 

First i tried to fire the Mavericks like i did in a Day Mission using the internal Sensors and then switch to the Maverick just to lock the Target. As described in this Video:

 

But this System isnt currently capable to get some infrared image, so you have basicaly a black screen.

 

Also if you try to use the Mav on its own, its seems like its not really ground stabilized. Because it moves with the plane a few seconds until its stable which makes fine tuning next to impossible.

Also since the BMPs are in the first few feets of the Runway, you have really trouble to see anything because everything is just green. Maybe this should simulate the heat during breaking operations? dunno...

 

The final Problem is the Quality of the NVG, which is pretty bad. FLIR Image is good but NVG is next to useless. I have Problems to find the Runway using just these. If i push the Gamma Settings i can optimise it but then i have terrible lighting in Day situations...

 

 

Multiple Problems i know. Can anybody help me pin them down and get arround them?

Or is the Harrier currently not really Night Attack capable before we get a few updates?

 

First of all i think you should read the manual because it would answer pretty much all of your questions and problems.

 

The ARBS is a simple (and probably cheap) x6 TV which doesn't have night vision capabilities, the TPOD does however.

The MPCDs are in the correct green color and are not yet NVG compatible because you cannot modify their brightness, which will come but it will still be far easier to use them without NVGs (in the A-10, most of the writing in green is still unreadable in night mode).

 

As for the NVGs, they are not correctly simulated in DCS in general, but I don't think you would see an improvement in quality if they were. You should use your instruments and your INS (which is not in the aircraft yet) to find airfields and other POI.

 

Finally the mavericks are not ground stabilized, this is why they go all over the place when you maneuver.

 

Rex

Edited January 15, 2018 by Rex854Warrior

[Delareon]

Thanbks for the answers, maybe a few additions where i think you misunderstood me.

The MPCDs are in the correct green color and are not yet NVG compatible because you cannot modify their brightness, which will come but it will still be far easier to use them without NVGs (in the A-10, most of the writing in green is still unreadable in night mode).

Im not talking about looking with NVG at the screen, its when you just look at it. At the beginning and the end of the runway, where the planes are touching you see just a green blob without NVG. Just the green Display.

 

As for the NVGs, they are not correctly simulated in DCS in general, but I don't think you would see an improvement in quality if they were. You should use your instruments and your INS (which is not in the aircraft yet) to find airfields and other POI.

Think i described it not precicesly enough. Its extremely dark that i have real trouble to find (see) the runway or even the Ground next to me when on the Ramp or when im actually at the Runway (Runway Lights should lit up the Runway enough to see the Ground i think), even with NVGs. Not sure if this is a Nevada, DCS 2.2 or Harrier issue thats not a problem in Caucasus but thats 1.5 ofc. Again, not a Navigation Problem, im talking about visually see anything.

 

Will test with Normandy and the A-10 maybe but currently i wouldnt be able to takeoff or land without a combination of FLIR and NVG. A pure VFR takeoff/landing would be next to impossible because you cant see anything and the Taxilights doesnt illuminate anything in front of you.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Delareon

[jojo]

I don't have the module, but I think you should use the NAV FLIR to help you to find targets for IR Mavericks, like in this video:

 

[Delareon]

Thanks!

 

Yes the Nav FLIR has a way better Quality then the NVGs.

This Video is a bit older, in the menatime everything is green, which might be realistic but currently im not sure if its a plus in playability in its current state. Possible this changes when brightness and contrast controls are implemented, who knows.

 

Anyways, seems my problem is not just the correct using of the Harrier Systems, its also Graphic Settings i assume. Because that its difficult to find a target is one thing but that its difficult to see the runway when you are sitting directly at the threshold has antoher quality but this might not be a Harrier Problem.

 

Thanks for the help :)

[Rex854Warrior]

Thanks!

 

Yes the Nav FLIR has a way better Quality then the NVGs.

This Video is a bit older, in the menatime everything is green, which might be realistic but currently im not sure if its a plus in playability in its current state. Possible this changes when brightness and contrast controls are implemented, who knows.

 

Anyways, seems my problem is not just the correct using of the Harrier Systems, its also Graphic Settings i assume. Because that its difficult to find a target is one thing but that its difficult to see the runway when you are sitting directly at the threshold has antoher quality but this might not be a Harrier Problem.

 

Thanks for the help :)

 

The color of the screens won't change, doesn't matter if it's user friendly or not, it just has to be realistic, which it is.

 

As for the NVGs, the problem is that you can't set the brightness on them, it wouldn't be a problem if DCS had realistic NVGs which adjust gain automaticly. But in the mean time these brightness control should be added.

[jojo]

They don't do this in real life. Why would you expect them to in DCS? Runway lights (REILs, centerline lighting, etc) are just bright enough to be seen. They aren't designed to blast light everywhere, for the simple reason that ruining night vision with bright lighting is an undesirable effect. Remember, not everyone has NVG's and night flying requires 30 minutes of dark acclimatization before you go flying.

 

You wouldn't believe how unbelievable dark it can be sitting in an airplane taxiing around on the ground at a little poorly lit (or tactically lighting-suppressed) airfield.

 

Off topic:

It reminds me of a story in a French magazine.

 

The French pilot was a Mirage F1 instructor for Iraqi pilots, and he was there to train them on their new hot plane (early 80').

Some Iraki pilot were very good, but some were very bad, and without proper IFR training.

The instructor was horrified to see that for night landing they used giant DCA projectors mounted on trucks to illuminate the runway like in broad day light :megalol:

[Delareon]

Well the Lights on the Runway do enough to be able to see the Runway at least when you close to the lightsource, also a Flashlight is able to produce enough light that you can see a switch in the Cockpit if you light it directly which wasnt the case. Also the Taxilights should be able to lit up things which are directly in front of your plane, to be able to Taxi. In my case they lit up a little bit to the left and to the right but i couldnt see anything in front. Not only a weak light source, there was just nothing except a few feet to the left and the right....

 

The real Problem was Deffered Shading. Meant to do more realism but in my case screwed everything so bad that the game wasnt playable at night. Thanks to a Member which gave me the idea via PM.

 

But now its clear that this is not a Bug or something wrong in the Harrier, its shading which seems to be still WIP in DCS 2.x, maybe one of the reason why its the alpha Version.

 

@Rex854Warrior i didnt mean they will change the color when brightness controls are implemented, i mean that you will be able to adjust the screen until you see somewwhat better when this is in. Hopefully at least. Well without Deffered Shading the Green Screen is no problem anymore and works like a charm.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Delareon