[CORRECT AS IS] FA-18C radar beam should pitch up and down with the plane?

[majapahit]

FA-18C radar beam should pitch up and down with the plane? what seems wrong?

 

What seems wrong?

 

FA-18C be level (@15k Alt)

have a 'bogey' (tanker) in middle of radar screen (at f.i. 45 mls @15k Alt)

Radar Elevation Control set properly (f.i. 13-25k Alt)

(tanker) blip shows in middle of radar screen & can be inquired/targeted

 

un-select target

 

descent, level out (to f.i. 10K Alt)

Radar Elevation Control slew cursor still shows same numbers (13-25k Alt)

(tanker) blip shows in middle of radar screen & can be inquired/targeted

 

Pitch up f.i. 30°

Radar Elevation Control slew cursor still shows same numbers (13-25k Alt)

(tanker) blip shows in middle of radar screen & can be inquired/targeted

 

Pitch down f.i. 30°

Radar Elevation Control slew cursor still shows same numbers (13-25k Alt)

(tanker) blip shows in middle of radar screen & can be inquired/targeted

 

This seems wrong / a feature / wizardry / I missed a mentioning about this?

 

I had a conversation with another DCS member about the radar possibly gimballed and have a gyro attached.

 

That still does not make sense.

 

Because of the ‘radar cake slice’ explanation that rules the Radar Elevation Control & if the radar is not gimballed with a gyro (which seems likely), then,

 

for instance,

when at level flight with an unseen bogey above radar beam elevation, the bogey should show up when pitching up and have the radar beam pointed at it.

 

Or what feature am I missing here?

[Ramsay]

Or what feature am I missing here?

The radar is ground and horizon stabilised within the physical slew limits of the radar 'dish'.

[kengou]

The radar gimbal is gyro stabilized so it points in the same elevation relative to the plane regardless of maneuvering, to better track targets. This is intended design.

[probad]

when in aacq modes like boresight/vertical scan the radar will bind itself to aircraft orientation like you imagine.

 

for long range searches even the difference of a tenth of a degree of elevation can result in huge elevation changes in the search box so stabilization is absolutely necessary.

[majapahit]

OK, gents

 

 

I am thoroughly impressed

 

 

thx

Edited June 27, 2019 by majapahit

[Demongornot]

Older radar probably did not keep horizontal level (I think it is the case for the Mig-21 and it is simulated in DCS (see edit bellow)), but moderns do, and they have a surprisingly high gimbal range :

Tomcat :

And more modern radars have fixed antenna and use complex electromagnetic technology to orient the radar beam but we don't have those in DCS anyway.

 

Edit : I was wrong about the Mig-21, at least the variant in DCS, its radar keep horizon level, maybe older versions didn't, details here : https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=204207

I made the mistake because I remember a while back during the Mig-21 development a video (long gone) where the radar scanning area debug was visible,

like this http://www.key.aero/central/images/gallery/6003.jpg and it was lock to the aircraft attitude.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Demongornot
More of those sweet pictures :D Edit 2 : I was wrong ^^"