[NOT A BUG] Radio Alt not working? And proper Carrier Alignment Method?

[CommandT]

Hey guys,

 

I don't know if I'm being a retard but I did my own cold start mission on a carrier and after putting the toggle switch to RAD ALT all I saw on the hud was flashing "B" next to my altitude box. Toggled the switch a few times - no result. Is this a bug?

 

Also, when doing a carrier alignment, what is the correct way of doing it? CV to NAV or CV to IFA?

 

Cheers!

Edited October 17, 2020 by CommandT

[Harker]

Radar Altitude hold requires that you turn on the radar altimeter and are below 5,000 ft AGL, since that's the max AGL altitude that the radar altimeter will work.

 

As for the alignment, if you have GPS available, you turn the knob from CV to IFA. Otherwise, you use NAV. If you have GPS available and you turn the knob to NAV after alignment, you'll get the P-AINS advisory, which lets you know that GPS is available, but not used.

[CommandT]

I meant I can't turn on the radio altimeter, It just wont show radio altitude. Just has a "B" flashing next to the window, as if to tell me it's baro.

 

And regarding alignment, thanks!

[rob10]

I meant I can't turn on the radio altimeter, It just wont show radio altitude. Just has a "B" flashing next to the window, as if to tell me it's baro.

 

And regarding alignment, thanks!

Have you actually turned the Radar Altimeter on? (i.e. turned the knob to set a min alt warning on the gauge by your right knee). As well as setting the min alt warning it physically powers up the the radar altimeter. Just tested and if you don't turn it on you get a fast flashing B in the HUD when you flip the switch from BARO to RDR.

The Baro/Rdr switch just controls which altitude source is shown on the HUD (baro or rdr).

Edited October 17, 2020 by rob10
Added Baro/Rdr switch info

[CommandT]

Have you actually turned the Radar Altimeter on? (i.e. turned the knob to set a min alt warning on the gauge by your right knee). As well as setting the min alt warning it physically powers up the the radar altimeter. Just tested and if you don't turn it on you get a fast flashing B in the HUD when you flip the switch from BARO to RDR.

The Baro/Rdr switch just controls which altitude source is shown on the HUD (baro or rdr).

 

Ah!! Doh!! You learn something new everyday! Thank for that!

 

Also , unrelated question but perhaps you might know - quite often when going into afterburner I get a master caution light up - is that normal? I don't see any warning lights illuminated.

[Harker]

Ah!! Doh!! You learn something new everyday! Thank for that!

 

 

 

Also , unrelated question but perhaps you might know - quite often when going into afterburner I get a master caution light up - is that normal? I don't see any warning lights illuminated.

I assume it's the Home Fuel warning from the FPAS. Does it happen when either you're kinda low on fuel or far away from your starting position?

If so, it's that. It's the FPAS warning you that at your current fuel flow rate, you won't have enough fuel to safely make it back home. That warning assumes that you're going to keep spending fuel like that, of course, which you won't.

[rob10]

Also check the LDDI for any advisor/warning messages when the Master Caution goes off. Won't always be a warning light level item.

[Frederf]

FPAS caution means that FPAS calculation can't be made. It's not afterburner but a certain Mach range which invalidates the calc and throws the caution. Of course using afterburner is a good way to get into that speed range. There are other reasons why FPAS can't do its calc and that will throw the FPAS caution too (e.g. invalid/no home point defined). FPAS calculation doesn't assume your current fuel rate, it assumes best practices fuel rate so a momentarily high fuel rate won't cause FPAS to think you can't make it.

 

When FPAS can do the calculation and comes to the conclusion that fuel is insufficient it will throw an entirely different caution "HOME FUEL."

 

In summary, caution FPAS means that the calculation can't be accomplished so watch out you're flying working without a net. Caution HOME FUEL means that the calculation can be and was done and you ain't go enough.

[Ziptie]

Ah!! Doh!! You learn something new everyday! Thank for that!

 

Also , unrelated question but perhaps you might know - quite often when going into afterburner I get a master caution light up - is that normal? I don't see any warning lights illuminated.

 

 

 

And if you are flying in a mission, where you are landing at a different location that you departed from - if you have the landing air field coordinates entered as a waypoint, make sure to update your "home plate" via the FPAS page by selecting the waypoint number, via the OSB pushbutton(s) on the bottom right of the FPAS page. If you don't have the coordinates entered in the HSI, it's a good idea to do so for the most accurate FPAS functionality.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Ziptie

[CommandT]

Ah thanks for the explanation all. That's interesting! Explains that a lot now!