Questions about the Hornet

[Top Jockey]

Hello everyone,

 

As I'm thinking about buying the Hornet, I do have some doubts about the avionics, would appreciate your insight if possible.

 

About the AIM-9M employment modes:

 

1 - Without Radar lock and without JHMCS, is there anything else besides Boresight mode ?

 

For instance, the F-15 does have the Boresight "SCAN" mode, does the Hornet have anything similar ?

(In the F-15, the AIM-9 SCAN mode consists essentialy of a slightly larger scan and tracking area for the seeker head, around the boresight.)

 

2 - Does the Hornet have any sort of AIM-9 automatic-uncage functions, (like the F-16 Bypass or Treeshold options available at the the DDI pages), or is the uncage always manual ?

 

3 - When uncaged with Radar lock, does the seeker follows the target by itself ?

 

Thank you.

[raelias]

Hello everyone,

 

As I'm thinking about buying the Hornet, I do have some doubts about the avionics, would appreciate your insight if possible.

 

About the AIM-9M employment modes:

 

1 - Without Radar lock and without JHMCS, is there anything else besides Boresight mode ?

 

For instance, the F-15 does have the Boresight "SCAN" mode, does the Hornet have anything similar ?

(In the F-15, the AIM-9 SCAN mode consists essentialy of a slightly larger scan and tracking area for the seeker head, around the boresight.)

 

2 - Does the Hornet have any sort of AIM-9 automatic-uncage functions, (like the F-16 Bypass or Treeshold options available at the the DDI pages), or is the uncage always manual ?

 

3 - When uncaged with Radar lock, does the seeker follows the target by itself ?

 

Thank you.

 

1 - The hornet have pretty much the same ACM modes as the F-15 plus WACQ

 

2 - not a this time as far as i know

 

3 - yes

[311Gryphon]

I'm not even close to expert on this subject but first I know you're going to get a lot of responses saying it is still in development/beta. I don't know exactly what they categorize it as but it isn't finished so we don't even have all the weapons and modes yet. For instance, unless I'm mistaken we don't even have TWS mode with the RADAR yet. So I would say it's safe to bet that the AIM-9 modes aren't complete yet either. I don't know what modes the real Hornet has or is limited to either so I can't really guess on what's to come.

 

In the current build of the module, if I recall correctly there are some other modes like VSCAN. I don't remember seeing a boresight scan mode but I may have just never bumped into it. There isn't any auto-uncage yet that I'm aware of. I have had the seeker follow the target but I don't know exactly how that works.

 

Sorry for my limited knowledge on the subject. I tend to jump in and fly around and when things work or don't I'm not necessarily the guy to ask how they work or why. But I wanted to give you what I know so far until smarter people can chime in.

[Harker]

2 - Does the Hornet have any sort of AIM-9 automatic-uncage functions, (like the F-16 Bypass or Treeshold options available at the the DDI pages), or is the uncage always manual ?

Thank you.

 

 

With the JHMCS, if you press the Cage/Uncage button, the seeker will automatically lock on a target if it sees one, after this point. You don't need to press it while looking at a target. So it's like TD mode.

 

 

If you wait to uncage it once you spot your target, it's kinda like BP mode, except that you always need to ultimately uncage the missile for it to track, at the moment (you don't get a low tone when it's caged and looks at an aircraft, although you get a lock tone if you look at the sun). The JHMCS was just introduced last week though, so I think the seeker logic will be updated, assuming my description is realistic (I'm extrapolating from the F-16 JHMCS behavior).

[mvsgas]

2 - (like the F-16 Bypass or Treeshold options available at the the DDI pages)

 

F-16 does not have any of those things

[HWasp]

If air to air is your priority, you should wait until the radar is in a better shape and more modes are introduced. Right now situational awareness is very limited and there are lots of bugs. I'd say, give it a couple of months...

[raelias]

...I'd say, give it a couple of months...

 

 

I hope your optmisim is correct

[escaner]

According to IvanK:

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3573850&postcount=15

 

 

1. No. I think those are AIM-9 search patters but looks like they are (were) not used in the F-18.

 

2. Yes.

 

3. Yes, of course. An uncaged AIM-9 seeker always tracks by itself, that is what uncaging means.

[Raisuli]

The F/A-18 is a work in progress; about where it was in 1984. Then again, they used to call the F-16 a lawn dart. Now days the F-35 is in that barrel getting derided.

 

They're still coding the -18; it's not complete. If you buy it remember you're buying potential. If that is concerning, and you want an aircraft that's ready to rumble it might not be for you. Yet. Then again, if you like the potential and you're a hard core simmer (as opposed to gamer) you can get good at it. When they add notes to the piccolo learning them will be easy, because you can already land pitching decks at night, which is way scarier than being shot at.

[Top Jockey]

You guys ARE the greatest, thank you all for your insight.

 

 

@raelias, I see, although in point 1, WACQ is a Radar mode, right ?

 

@311Gryphon, thank you eitherway.

VSCAN is also a radar mode.

Yes generally the same impressions I have.

 

Radar TWS mode being un-finished yet doesn't botter me, as AIM-9 modes / HUD / procedures are more my thing - post #27, for the Tomcat:

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=192525&page=3

 

@Harker, thank you for the specifics on the JHMCS and additional details.

I'm readind the 2nd paragraph more closely.

 

@mvsgas, it seems it does have it.

At the least BMS Falcon 4.33 does feature those functions:

 

BP (bypass) ; AIM-9 seeker manually cages & uncages;

TD (treeshold) ; AIM-9 seeker automatically uncages from boresight, and follows the target (as soon as seeker head diamond at the HUD is aimed to the target).

 

@HWasp, I see, must decide about it.

However, even not finished, avionics and HUD simbology really is my thing.

 

@escaner, outstanding, clarified my doubt!

From the 2nd paragraph at the link, it leaves no doubt that the Hornet doesn't have anything related to AIM-9 auto SCAN modes.

 

@Raisuli, very good, thank you for the remminder.

I'm starting to know the ED / DCS characterisitics, and so I understand that it isn't a finished product yet - but still I already appreciate it a lot.

 

And for the looks of it, it seems that AIM-9 No-Radar modes are completed already.

 

Anything else, everyone feel free to post it.

[cdrkrotchetyusn]

Up until this week, AIM-9X worked wonderfully with JHMCS!

 

 

Then it broke...

[Top Jockey]

Up until this week, AIM-9X worked wonderfully with JHMCS!

 

 

Then it broke...

 

How is that ?

[Top Jockey]

Hello,

 

Do the latest updates / bug fixes for the Hornet, JHMCS, AGM-65, etc, come with the Hornet itself in the moment I'll buy it, or do I have to update to the last DCS World version ?

 

I'm currently with the 2.5.3.22652 Open Beta (the one which introduced the MiG-29 PFM).

 

Thank you.

[Revelation]

Hello,

 

Do the latest updates / bug fixes for the Hornet, JHMCS, AGM-65, etc, come with the Hornet itself in the moment I'll buy it, or do I have to update to the last DCS World version ?

 

I'm currently with the 2.5.3.22652 Open Beta (the one which introduced the MiG-29 PFM).

 

Thank you.

 

You have to download the latest Open Beta update to get access to the bug fixes. That is how it is always done....

[Top Jockey]

You have to download the latest Open Beta update to get access to the bug fixes. That is how it is always done....

 

Thank you.

 

I do have a slight idea of how it works but wasn't really sure also, as I try to not change things on my install too much frequently.

 

The reason why I asked it is, because the first MiG-29's Professional Flight Model is already very good in my opinion, so I try to avoid DCS World updates, that might mess with it in some way.

[Sarge55]

In that case you should consider using the "Stable" version of DCS instead of the "Open Beta".

 

You will have a slower update tempo and less likely to have bugs.

[Eldur]

The Stable version just always has exactly the same bugs as the Open Beta, simply delayed by one week usually. Last week without an update for that branch was the very first time since the Hornet is in EA.

[Top Jockey]

In that case you should consider using the "Stable" version of DCS instead of the "Open Beta".

 

You will have a slower update tempo and less likely to have bugs.

 

I'm not refering to bugs necessarilly, but some intended MiG-29 PFM changes that I might not like.

 

So usually I do wait some time to hear people's opinion on the new changes to flight models.

[escaner]

I'm not refering to bugs necessarilly, but some intended MiG-29 PFM changes that I might not like.

 

So usually I do wait some time to hear people's opinion on the new changes to flight models.

 

 

If you are using the standalone client (not Steam), you can choose not to update for as long as you feel convenient both in release and beta versions and even downgrade to a specific version that was more to your liking.

[Top Jockey]

Hello again everyone.

 

Came here just to say... I bought the Hornet !

At 59.99 $ I couldn't let it pass.

 

Thank you again for your time clarifying my doubts!

 

(Rest assured I'll be here again when I have more of them.) :D

[POV1]

Purchased the Bug and the PG map...... I’m Very impressed

Next ...Track Ir...

Edited November 22, 2018 by POV1

[Anklebiter]

Go for an Oculus! Total game changer with DCS (and all VR enabled cockpit games)

[Tiramisu]

I have a question: Does anybody know why my radar has shifted its center to the left? It is moving left and right, but the center is around something like 40° instead of 0°. I have used the radar in combat and tried to get back into normal mode afterwards, but then it tended to scan the area left of me.

[Tiramisu]

Ok, I will try it next time this bug occurs. Very annoying though, when I have to fiddle with the radar while in combat.

[Frederf]

At the least BMS Falcon 4.33 does feature those functions:

BP (bypass) ; AIM-9 seeker manually cages & uncages;

TD (treeshold) ; AIM-9 seeker automatically uncages from boresight, and follows the target (as soon as seeker head diamond at the HUD is aimed to the target).

Threshold detect works a little differently, not "auto uncage" but prevent uncage without signal. Sim isn't accurate. Older rear aspect missile will auto uncage and TD/BP option is absent.