Community A-4E-C

[JNelson]

3 minutes ago, Doc3908 said:

 

Good tip - I think I have the S-3 going at 320kts now, which is a lot. By the way, I think the trigger collider (the graphics component, which detects collision) on the basket is a bit misplaced: You have to aim the probe just above the basket and then it snaps in. If you aim for the center of the basket, it doesn't connect. Could be just my perception...

I think you just missed underneath.

[Speedbrake]

v2.00 beta-1 problem from previous page. Had the A-4E-C/bin folder for a A-4E-C.dll so that wasn't it. Purged DCS of A-4E-C input and aircraft folders. Re-downloaded the v2.00 beta-1 file and installed. Everything looks good until I go into the mission - still no flyable aircraft - just map view. Re-purged the mod, reloaded the v1.4.2 version and it runs fine on the same mission I tried v2.00! Go figure, not sure what the problem is. All my installs matched with what the Grim Reapers posted in their video..

Edited February 18, 2021 by Speedbrake

[Rudel_chw]

20 minutes ago, Speedbrake said:

... Go figure, not sure what the problem is. All my installs matched with what the Grim Reapers posted in their video..

 

so sad to see that the Grim Reapers are the standard source of information for so many users, instead of using the developer’s instructions 

 

I followed the install instructions from the developer, and now my A-4 flies just fine.

[Copprhead]

1 hour ago, Speedbrake said:

v2.00 beta-1 problem from previous page. Had the A-4E-C/bin folder for a A-4E-C.dll so that wasn't it. Purged DCS of A-4E-C input and aircraft folders. Re-downloaded the v2.00 beta-1 file and installed. Everything looks good until I go into the mission - still no flyable aircraft - just map view. Re-purged the mod, reloaded the v1.4.2 version and it runs fine on the same mission I tried v2.00! Go figure, not sure what the problem is. All my installs matched with what the Grim Reapers posted in their video..

 

 

I'd double check that the correct version of the c++ redistributable is installed.

[Speedbrake]

Thanks Rudel_CHW and Coppprhead. I did rechecked and re-installed C++ and it now does work fine! 

 

On the download, my readme, pdf files could not be read.  Revisited the installation instructions, don't remember seeing it required C++??

Edited February 18, 2021 by Speedbrake

[Rudel_chw]

37 minutes ago, Speedbrake said:

Thanks Rudel_CHW and Coppprhead. I did rechecked and re-installed C++ and it now does work fine! 

 

On the download, my readme, pdf files could not be read.  Revisited the installation instructions, don't remember seeing it required C++??

 

That readme pdf is corrupt, hopefully on the next release it will be fixed 

[archer86]

JNelson, Farlander and the community who put efforts to improve this mod, I have just downloaded v200 beta 2, it is very challenging aircraft, I am trying to get use to it.  thank you all for this legendary carrier aircraft.
what a quality mod, nothing less then other payware modules. 
Great community great aicraft.

[Tomcatter87]

Thanks for that very cool update! Since I'm kinda having a hard time dogfighting in the scooter. I depart controlled flight quite often or end up bleeding all of my energy. From the Tomcat, I'm used to use rudder to roll, but the A-4 doesnt seem to like that. What about AFCS and stability augmentation? Leave it on or switch it off? Are there any advices what to do? What turning speed is the best?

[T-Pap]

I have an issue with the latest version. When being hooked up to the catapult, the pilot suffers a blackout for 4-5 seconds as if experiencing too many G's when the hook is attached . 
 

Edited February 19, 2021 by T-Pap

[Doc3908]

22 minutes ago, T-Pap said:

I have an issue with the latest version. When being hooked up to the catapult, the pilot suffers a blackout for 4-5 seconds as if experiencing too many G's when the hook is attached . 
 

 

Yeah, I've seen that too - sometimes you black out for 1-3 sec, sometimes it's a red-out. Usually happens when I give it full throttle to push the pin into the cat. But full throttle or not - it takes a while (working the throttle back and forth) to finally get hooked in. I wonder if anyone has a "recipe" for doing it right. Still, this is a beta version - I'm sure these little hick-ups will be cleaned up by the time the official version is released. Given how complex and accurate this model is and how much work the developers have put into it, I'm amazed they are graciously gifting it to the rest of us for free. As they say, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth".  

[Rudel_chw]

I have not experienced any problem when using the Stennis, perhaps are you using the Supercarrier?

[JNelson]

6 hours ago, T-Pap said:

I have an issue with the latest version. When being hooked up to the catapult, the pilot suffers a blackout for 4-5 seconds as if experiencing too many G's when the hook is attached . 
 

 

 

6 hours ago, Doc3908 said:

Yeah, I've seen that too - sometimes you black out for 1-3 sec, sometimes it's a red-out. Usually happens when I give it full throttle to push the pin into the cat. But full throttle or not - it takes a while (working the throttle back and forth) to finally get hooked in. I wonder if anyone has a "recipe" for doing it right. Still, this is a beta version - I'm sure these little hick-ups will be cleaned up by the time the official version is released. Given how complex and accurate this model is and how much work the developers have put into it, I'm amazed they are graciously gifting it to the rest of us for free. As they say, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth".  

 

Yup this is a known issue.

[Doc3908]

I tried taking on an  F-14 tonight - guns only (AI set to "veteran"). Boy, dogfighting is a whole different experience under the new FM...

 

 

 

[LanceCriminal86]

Wow, the EFM is MUCH different from what I remember, bravo!

 

Honestly aside from the radio issue due to no SDK, the only thing I picked up on was an external cyclic "booming" sound. It sounds like a looped general engine sound but it reminds me of the caterpillar sound from Hunt for Red October.

 

I downloaded the latest beta release and then the dev build and dropped it in, could there be a conflict of old engine sounds and new? I noticed there was a set of engine_disabled folders and such.

[WinterH]

1 hour ago, LanceCriminal86 said:

Honestly aside from the radio issue due to no SDK, the only thing I picked up on was an external cyclic "booming" sound. It sounds like a looped general engine sound but it reminds me of the caterpillar sound from Hunt for Red October.

Radios do work now as far as I know also the sound you mention, if it's kind of a thud, is leading edge slats deploying and retracting, newly added with EFM.

[LanceCriminal86]

3 minutes ago, WinterH said:

Radios do work now as far as I know also the sound you mention, if it's kind of a thud, is leading edge slats deploying and retracting, newly added with EFM.

 

No, this is outside idling the jet, in flight, etc. and is not the slats. And was only when behind the jet.

 

I may delete the folder and only drop the dev build in, see if that's it. This sounded like a looped sound as it was consistent and timed and was not based on flight.

 

On the radio side, I haven't gotten any comms from the ground, carrier, etc. Yes I can launch the jet on the carrier. Perhaps I've missed something? I can't remember what radio settings I have as far as easy comms etc. but doing the same I normally do in a full fidelity module I'm not getting comms with ATC or Supercarrier.

[WinterH]

3 hours ago, LanceCriminal86 said:

 

No, this is outside idling the jet, in flight, etc. and is not the slats. And was only when behind the jet.

 

I may delete the folder and only drop the dev build in, see if that's it. This sounded like a looped sound as it was consistent and timed and was not based on flight.

 

On the radio side, I haven't gotten any comms from the ground, carrier, etc. Yes I can launch the jet on the carrier. Perhaps I've missed something? I can't remember what radio settings I have as far as easy comms etc. but doing the same I normally do in a full fidelity module I'm not getting comms with ATC or Supercarrier.

Hmmm ok then. But if you have overwritten 1.4 folder with EFM beta, yeah it probably could have caused odd stuff, as far as I know instuctions were to delete aircraft/A-4E-C folder and then put the new A-4E-C folder there.

[LanceCriminal86]

5 minutes ago, WinterH said:

Hmmm ok then. But if you have overwritten 1.4 folder with EFM beta, yeah it probably could have caused odd stuff, as far as I know instuctions were to delete aircraft/A-4E-C folder and then put the new A-4E-C folder there.

 

I blew away the old folders entirely before trying the 2x beta, but I did install the beta 2 release and then the "dev" build on top of that. It sounds to me like a looping sound conflict of some kind, so I'll just blow the folder away and try the Dev build only.

[T-Pap]

20 hours ago, Rudel_chw said:

I have not experienced any problem when using the Stennis, perhaps are you using the Supercarrier?

yes i think it is an issue with the supercarrier !

[T-Pap]

7 hours ago, Doc3908 said:

I tried taking on an  F-14 tonight - guns only (AI set to "veteran"). Boy, dogfighting is a whole different experience under the new FM...

 

 

 

This update made this aircraft amazing ! So much fun to fly as well as the enhanced sounds and the FM make it a great experience now !

[Doc3908]

7 hours ago, WinterH said:

Radios do work now as far as I know also the sound you mention, if it's kind of a thud, is leading edge slats deploying and retracting, newly added with EFM.

 

The radio certainly works, but...

1. You have to tune to the appropriate frequency (e.g. carrier) - if you don't, then easy-comm does nothing when in the air.

2. As seen in my video above, I contact the carrier and call "See you at 10". I am advised to contact the tower, which is usually automatic when I am close to the carrier. However, from time to time, I fly past the carrier and nothing happens (as was the case in the video). I even called "see you at 10" a second time and was, once again, advised to contact the tower, but there's no way to initiate such communication (that is a Supercarrier issue). 

3. TACAN and ICLS do not work with Supercarrier. The A-4 works fine with land-based TACAN stations and, apparently, with Stennis (haven't tried myself yet). But I have never gotten it to work with any of the supercarriers.

4. TACAN apparently also doesn't work with AAR tankers.

[Doc3908]

I've noticed a curious behavior with the new A-4: When the airspeed exceeds about 550kts, the nose "tucks under" - start dropping and makes it very difficult to pull up until you deploy the air-brakes and slow down to below 500kts. Is this an intended behavior? Is that how the real A-4 reacts to overspeeding? 

 

In general, I find the new A-4 to be much closer to the way the F-14 flies - it shakes and rattles under high AoA and you have to use the rudder to turn. The big difference, of course, is its inability to go in the vertical like the Tomcat when it lights the burners.

[Rudel_chw]

5 minutes ago, Doc3908 said:

I've noticed a curious behavior with the new A-4: When the airspeed exceeds about 550kts, the nose "tucks under" - start dropping and makes it very difficult to pull up until you deploy the air-brakes and slow down to below 500kts. Is this an intended behavior? Is that how the real A-4 reacts to overspeeding? 

 

I've never piloted a real A-4, but the manual of the real thing says:

 

"TRANSONIC MACH CHARACTERISTICS
At airspeeds up to Mach 0.85 no unusual tendencies
are apparent and stick forces are low to moderate.
A mild nosedown trim change occurs at Mach 0. 85
and increases slightly up to limit Mach number.
This trim change can be countered by applying small
increments of noseup stabilizer trim"

 

Mach 0.85 is about 566 knots at Sea Level.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Rudel_chw

[Doc3908]

1 hour ago, Rudel_chw said:

 

I've never piloted a real A-4, but the manual of the real thing says:

 

"TRANSONIC MACH CHARACTERISTICS
At airspeeds up to Mach 0.85 no unusual tendencies
are apparent and stick forces are low to moderate.
A mild nosedown trim change occurs at Mach 0. 85
and increases slightly up to limit Mach number.
This trim change can be countered by applying small
increments of noseup stabilizer trim"

 

Mach 0.85 is about 566 knots at Sea Level.

 

WOW!!!! I can't believe how detailed they've made the new FM!!! Thanks for the clarification Rudel_chw.

[MagicSlave]

First off, a big thank you for everyone involved in making this mod. I tried it a little bit sometime ago, with the version 1.4 I think. While I appreciated the level of detail in the avionics and cockpit modelling etc., I felt that the standard flight model (SFM) felt too... "sterile" and the performance of the aircraft seemed unrealistically good. Now, with the new, more advanced External FM in version 2... wow. I'm impressed! The aircraft feels alive. It feels like it is small and agile and nimble (especially the roll rate is ridiculous :D) and at the same time it does not have tons of thrust and will lose energy in heavy manoeuvring. And the buffeting shake and rattle when manoeuvring at low speed / high AOA, clunks and thuds of the flaps, slats, spoilers and landing gear, the sound of airflow... The thing really feels alive! I have no real-world experience in aviation, but for its seat of the pants feel, I rate this module right there at the same level with HB's F-14. And in VR it really feels like you are wearing the jet, and not just sitting in it, as it conveys how small the cockpit really is.

 

So, the purpose of this long-winded flow of thoughts is to encourage everyone to check the A-4E-C version 2 out. With the previous wersions, I was not a believer, but now I am converted! And to think that a module of this caliber is free!

 

Because of how fun it is to just fly around in this thing, I've put on the VT-7 training squadron livery and just started again basic flying, pattern work, dead reckoning and TACAN navigation, air to air refueling and, eventually, carrier landing practice… Because of the absence of a HUD, I think this is excellent practice for the Tomcat, in which my carrier landings are horrible…

 

I also attach here a training mission I use to practice landing patterns, navigation and aerial refueling in the NTTR, in case somebody wants to try it out. https://youtu.be/JU-2ltCMGCE

 

Finally, I have a small wish for the developers of this mod. Would it be possible to add empty external tanks to the stores? I recently came across an interview of a former TA-4 instructor pilot in youtube, who mentioned that the TA-4s were loaded with empty wing tanks especially during carrier quals, because if a student would break the landing gear, the aircraft could make an emergency landing on a land-based runway using the empty tanks as skids! So that would be a cool loadout option to have! (The HB’s F-14 has empty external fuel tanks as stores option, so I think it is possible.)

 

 

Nellis A-4E-C training.miz

Edited February 21, 2021 by MagicSlave