Drag Chute, Trim, and Gun Realism?

[RevMagnum]

I'm not a regular follower of the esteemed DCS community so sorry if the points I make are too obvious or redundant to you and I appreciate any kind of input.

 

 

 

I've been using many flight sims for a long time, including DCS, which is one my favorite due to its setting and visuals but not flight dynamics. Now that we're blessed with a chance (Huge thanks to ED) to try many complex modules, I've come to see that even though they're magnificent in many aspects there are some major flaws. Please correct me if I'm wrong;

 

 

 

I don't have any combat aircraft experience but for starters I know for a fact that popping a Drag Chute (which is my fave gig) does NOT slow an aircraft in real life as in DCS. Touching down above 150kts and slowing down to 50kts in a matter of few seconds..well that's a big NO.

 

 

The other thing is pitch trim, especially in some models, won't hold the aircraft (I've tried with different setups n machines)..in real life you can push an aircraft into a complete stall or even a spin with extreme pitch up trim..in DCS aircraft simply bows down its nose on stall speed with max trim (e.g. Mig21).

 

 

I don't fancy modern time combat but I noticed cannons in DCS are...for the lack of a better word...questionable ...They mostly sound the same (except the A10...duh!) and their damage is a joke...Here I am starin' down the tailpipe of a poor ww2 prop, L39 or anything for that matter and giving it a heavy load of lead...all it says "damaged" :) Whats up with that?

 

 

Yet, hissing the brakes of the venerable Mig21 while taxiing after a creamed landing is still a sim climax for me... so thank you guys.

Edited April 24, 2020 by RevMagnum

[Mars Exulte]

Well, for one thing you're talking in generalities that aren't applicable to aircraft. For example about stalls and such, it's going to depend on circumstances and the particular aircraft. The newer the aircraft, the better designed they are to prevent severe spins etc (they design for that, you know), also FBW will largely prevent or cancel out spins especially of the severe or irrecoverable variety.

 

 

Regarding drag chutes, it is going to be affected by several factors including weight, engine power (they catch the blast off the engines which helps slow them, too), but if it didn't have a substantial effect they wouldn't bother with them. Your perspective on the ground watching a plane landing vs being in it is a bit different, too.

 

 

For cannons, most the cannons on US aircraft are M61s (20mm chain guns) so they DO sound the same because they ARE the same. For most the others, even if different, they are high fire rate weapons usually 1500-3000rpms, so they pretty much all sound like buzzsaws, just with a slightly different tone. The guns on the aircraft do sound different though, provided they actually ARE different, but they're all going to sound relatively similar as they ARE relatively similar weapons both in firerate and caliber.

 

 

I'd say your damage is more related to hit location. I was insta-popping Tu-95s with a 30mm on the 109 last night, and in most cases a blip will result in a kill directly or via damage. The AI have more simplified flight and damage models, however, so they can sustain more damage in general than a human could and still fly. Nevertheless, a good solid hit in a vital location will take em out.

[randomTOTEN]

Sounds like a lot of your complaints relate to the MiG-21Bis...

...they also describe issues unique to the MiG-21Bis...

[Harlikwin]

On the damage modeling, its a very well known issue for DCS for years. Planes have hitpoints… Yup, the premier combat simulator uses "hitpoints"... They have been working on damage modeling for WW2 recently, so maybe, some day, like 2 years from now the modern jets might have something better.

 

As for popping a chute it in a mig21, look at the vids and get back to us. IDK, I've never flown a mig21.

[Kang]

The thing about 'damaged' is that aircraft hardly ever get completely destroyed instantly by cannon fire. Your hits damage them, that is quite right. What actually destroys them - as far as DCS 'rules' are concerned - is either their inevitable impact on the ground or the pilot ejecting. That is also the reason why already landed non-static aircraft are rather hard to destroy in strafing runs.

[RevMagnum]

I understand about the gun damage as per the DCS modelling, and their sound considering they mostly are similar or same cannons but about the chute I trust that I may be right by studying some numbers of recorded landing parameters, even watching countless chute landing videos (especially the ones with premature chute releases on flare).

 

 

Not just the Mig21, F5E or others, chute will surely add a considerable drag, especially with the exhaust, however all aircraft tend to slow down unrealistically upon chute release, it acts "magical".

 

 

 

As for the trim modern ones seem to act right like F-18 but I can't be sure since I've never flown combat planes, maybe you should keep a little back pressure on the stick even if you're fully trimmed up.

 

 

Just my two cents. Thanks for your valuable input folks.