TACAN Yardstick Oddity

[Emmy]

Both jets in T/A2A using the correct channels 63 apart and the system seems to come up sweet when in route formation but as soon as wingman goes wedge or farther, wingman starts getting erroneous distance readings. Anyone else seeing this?

 

And what is the system telling me when the distance readout on the DED is highlighted?

[TheBigTatanka]

We've experienced some datalink problems when we set our air to air tacans. I'm wondering if the viper isn't using the same code as the F-18. Do you remember that the Hornet tied the MIDS to the tacan on the upper antenna, and had degraded performance (unusable frequencies) from 1-36 X/Y and the corresponding channels 63 above?

 

I noticed that when you turn off the MIDS in the viper, you also lose the Tacan... so they seem to be linked. If they are using the same code, perhaps picking air to air tacan freqs in teh range 37+ and their corresponding channel will solve the issue. We will also work the issue in the v65th.

 

Dances

[Emmy]

Cheers Big...

 

We will have to investigate further as well in our group.

[mvsgas]

AFAIK:

Air to Air TACAN is suppose to have errors. May show wrong distances or closing range when other aircraft is going away and it should not be relied on to deconflict from other aircraft.

 

So it is a good thing to see errors in the A-A TACAN ranges.

[Emmy]

AFAIK:

Air to Air TACAN is suppose to have errors. May show wrong distances or closing range when other aircraft is going away and it should not be relied on to deconflict from other aircraft.

 

So it is a good thing to see errors in the A-A TACAN ranges.

 

But should it go totally Tango Uniform at only 2nm with both aircraft traveling in the same direction?

 

And why was it seemingly correct for me but not my wingman?

[AlexCaboose]

You mentioned both jets in T/A2A - are you not both in T/R?

[Emmy]

I should have written T/R A2A

[Notso]

AFAIK:

Air to Air TACAN is suppose to have errors. May show wrong distances or closing range when other aircraft is going away and it should not be relied on to deconflict from other aircraft.

 

So it is a good thing to see errors in the A-A TACAN ranges.

 

Supposed to have errors?? I've never seen the sorts of errors you've described. Yes, it should not be relied on solely to deconflict aircraft, but I've never known it to be anything other than pretty close to dead nuts accurate. Maybe it's a viper thing....

[Emmy]

Supposed to have errors?? I've never seen the sorts of errors you've described. Yes, it should not be relied on solely to deconflict aircraft, but I've never known it to be anything other than pretty close to dead nuts accurate. Maybe it's a viper thing....

 

 

I've never seen wild errors in the A-10C using it, so I'm a little surprised at how poorly it works in the Viper.

[TheBigTatanka]

Air to Air tacan was always reliable in the KC-135. It is THE way we executed our rendezvous, and worked great. Not having an air to air radar, it was our only sensor to make the geometry work. Thing was always spot on.

[Notso]

Air to Air tacan was always reliable in the KC-135. It is THE way we executed our rendezvous, and worked great. Not having an air to air radar, it was our only sensor to make the geometry work. Thing was always spot on.

 

Yep.