Strobe lights for Heavies

[carss]

I think all the heavies in DCS could really use Strobe lights for better realism? At least while taking off and landing

[Mr. Big.Biggs]

Isn’t the “Saber Dance” a flight characteristic of the Saber that is the result of aerodynamic instability resulting in a crash?

[Jonne]

I think all the heavies in DCS could really use Strobe lights for better realism? At least while taking off and landing

 

I dont think any of the heavy / transport aircraft we have in DCS actually has strobes. Not sure about the C-130 though, but very sure on Il-76, An-26 and Yak-40.

[Northstar98]

C-130 has a strobe:

 

 

So does the C-17 (@ 0:15):

 

 

Actually so does the Il-76:

 

 

 

+1 for realistic lights regardless of what it is.

Edited March 17, 2020 by Northstar98
Broken links... grrrr

[Blackjack_UK]

Sorry to be pedantic, but...

 

The C130 has a strobe, the other two don't. They are anti-collision beacons (which everything has) rather than strobes (which are white and not everything has them, though most things do).

[Northstar98]

Sorry to be pedantic, but...

 

The C130 has a strobe, the other two don't. They are anti-collision beacons (which everything has) rather than strobes (which are white and not everything has them, though most things do).

 

A strobe is simply a light that produces high-intensity flashes at regular intervals. They're not exclusive to white either.

 

Anti-collision beacons on the other hand typically rotate like a tiny lighthouse - they don't really flash, what you see is kinda like a compressed normal distribution curve. As opposed to on-off (with a very small on-period) that you get with a strobe.

 

EDIT: Not all anti-collision lights rotate, some flash - but are typically not as intense, and have a slightly longer on-period compared to a strobe.

 

So for instance, in the C-17 video we have 2 flashing red lights, these at a guess are LEDs, and they're on period would suggest not a strobe. The high intensity, flashing white lights on the wingtips as it leaves the runway are strobe lights.

 

The Il-78 is maybe a little more difficult to tell, but by my reckoning, the very short on-period and the high intensity, suggests a strobe light, just one with a red cover, to produce a red light.

 

I think way may be confusing procedures/naming conventions for exterior lights and not the physical light itself, just so we're on the same page I'm referring to the physical light itself.

Edited March 17, 2020 by Northstar98

[carss]

Even the Mig-29 has Strobe lights

 

https://youtu.be/V9mccBDeqG0

[Jonne]

None of the shown videos have strobes in them per the definition of the regulating bodies. All of them are beacon lights, which may be red or white and are placed on top or bottom of the aircraft, or both. Strobes are always placed at the far ends of the aircraft, so left and right wingtip and tail. The difference is mainly procedural. Most of the videos shown are rather recent and today with most aircraft lighting converted to LED, the visible difference between beacons and strobes is nearly gone. However I would prefer not to have all LED lights in an Il-76 or An-26, as that would look pretty stupid in a 1980's setting or earlier.

 

The MiG-29 video shows a NATO modification. The original one does not even have a beacon light, as most Russian aircraft. So in DCS context, this should only be present on the MiG-29G.

[Northstar98]

None of the shown videos have strobes in them per the definition of the regulating bodies.

 

They do however have strobes in the sense that the physical light itself, which is what you see, regardless of what it's operational use is/description is, is a strobe light (at least by my reckoning). I'm talking about what the light physically is. Again a strobe is just a light that produces high intensity flashes at a regular interval with a very short on-period (milliseconds), they're typically xenon flashlamps/tubes. As opposed to halogen or LED lights.

 

There's nothing stopping you from taking a strobe light, sticking a red cover over it and calling it a beacon light, anti-collision light or whatever.

 

I think the difference is you're speaking in the aeronautical sense of the lights, like beacon, anti-collision, position/navigation, landing light etc, where you are absolutely correct. However I'm talking purely about the physical light itself, as that's what you physically see (I'm not sure what carrs was referring to).

 

 

In this video we have white (LED) lights on the wing-tips, and a strobe light to the rear (the bright flashing light, as opposed to a solid one), presumably we also have strobe lights with a translucent cover to produce a red light (in this case used as a beacon light).

 

Most of the videos shown are rather recent and today with most aircraft lighting converted to LED, the visible difference between beacons and strobes is nearly gone.

 

Eh, you can still tell - it's all about on-period, LEDs typically have a longer on period and strobes are typically higher intensity, with a shorter on-period. You can see this in the video above.

 

However I would prefer not to have all LED lights in an Il-76 or An-26, as that would look pretty stupid in a 1980's setting or earlier.

 

Agreed, I'd rather have realistic lights of the right type for our aircraft for the time period they represent.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Northstar98

[carss]

At the end of the day we just need it to look more realistic. Fortunately the C-17 is getting an update as is the B-52 and I think even the Tu-95/142 and others. I hope the heavies get their Strobes and Anti-Col lights as appropriate

 

I do also hope some of them have the ability to do STOL on smaller strips and dirt strips.....