[ALREADY REPORTED]Command heading

[Swift.]

The Waypoint(/OAP) Command heading marker should account for wind, meaning all the pilot has to do is put the Heading Caret under the Command heading marker and they will end up on the waypoint, regardless of wind.

 

24.2.9.1 pgVII-24-42 line6

[Frederf]

Refer to A1-F18AC-NFM-000 ss 24.2.9.1 Waypoint/OAP Direct Great Circle Steering

 

Command heading marker on heading scale on F/A-18 HUD is not positioned correctly. There are two significant issues: the displayed heading is not correctly calculated and the position of the marker when current heading is not equal to calculated heading is not correct. Currently it is positioned against the heading scale as a fixed azimuth which is the bearing to the destination. Correct positioning is somewhat complicated as described below.

 

Issue 1: The calculated heading must be one such that if the airplane heading is made equal to the calculated one the airplane to fly directly to the destination. E.g. if the destination is east (090) and a wind is from the north then it may be calculated for example 084 heading is needed to track 090 due to the crosswind. This is also true of great circle effects, the heading between two points on a globe is not a constant value.

 

Issue 2: When the current heading is within +-5° of command heading (ex. 084) then the marker should appear just below 084 on the heading scale of the HUD. This is current DCS behavior. However when the difference between command heading and current heading is greater than 5 degrees but less than 30 degrees the marker should be positioned linearly between the linearly displaced along the visible section of the HUD heading scale. When the steering error (difference between calculated and current heading) is >30 degrees the marker should be placed at the extreme left or right end of the heading scale to indicate direction to turn.

 

Included is a graph of the marker position, steering error relationship. Blue is correct and DCS position is in red. An example 6 degrees error due to crosswind heading-to-steer and direct bearing was chosen for illustration.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Frederf

[Tholozor]

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