Do fighter pilots take drugs?

[G.J.S]

Angle of Attack (AoA) So awesome!!!!!

 

https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/...of_Attack_(AOA)

 

I still dont get it, in combat.

 

I just have a hard time considering angle of attack in combat. I admit, I don't study all this complicated stuff. About (AoA). Not sure if its relavent. In combat. I die all the time in the first mission of the campaign. If I keep playing, I am sure I will progress, but, kinda sucks I have no idea what I am doing.

 

AoA is incredibly important in manoeuvring combat.

If you are low level, pull too hard in a turn or defensive break, then you can exceed the AoA and depart controlled flight. If you are low, you only have a couple of seconds to save it, or you make a brand new hole in the ground.

AoA is the angle of airflow RELATIVE to your wing. Your wing requires the airflow to be within a certain angle so as to keep producing lift. If you go past this (critical AoA), the airflow becomes detached and turbulent, and your aircraft can no longer sustain flight.

You can re-attach the airflow, providing you have enough time to. At altitude, you have height (time) to regain controlled flight (the procedures to get out of a departure can be found online).

Pulling from other posts I have made to this thread, I stated that I need to “feel” what I’m doing - that has bearing in this case as you can feel the ‘burble’ of impending departure (airflow starting to become turbulent on the wing).

In effect you can “calibrate your butt” to know when you are about to pull too hard.

All aircraft have an AoA where they turn at their best. This is usually combined with an airspeed to give best turn, and both are dependant on each other - lacking in one will effect the other, but beware, beyond this best point, the AoA of the wing will create drag exponentially greater, severely impeding your ability to ‘power out of it’.

It really is a complex subject, but it’s one that effects EVERYTHING you do with an aircraft, and every manoeuvre you make.

Find all you can on the subject, and try and understand the relation.

 

[jojo]

I heard VR reduces the graphics. And it is hard to keep that thing on your head for a while. I want TRACKIR 5. Its bomb. Its what all the DCS Squadrons use. VR is for now a gimmick.

 

Of course it depends on people.

I started with Oculus Rift CV1, now I use Rift S and I'm waiting for the delivery of the Reverb G2.

 

The CV1 wasn't enough.

There is a trade of with Rift S, but now I'm mainly flying with it.

Most returns with Reverb is that it's as good as 1080p.

 

You get the depth perception and you are at scale 1:1.

It's really great.

 

I used to get uncomfortable with CV1 after 30mn, added to the lack of resolution, it returned into the box for a while.

But I have no issue for long play time (DCS or other games) with Rift S, even 2 to 3 hours. No motion sickness nor eye wear.

 

The only issue is heat, I have to turn on air conditioning.

 

But the most important is to have fun. I tried Track IR, and I couldn't get used to it :smartass:

[Worrazen]

Years ago, in the early stages of the Afghanistan "adventure", some air support was provided by F-16's flying from the Persian Gulf. Lots of air to air refueling. Many many hours in the tiny cockpit of a Viper. Some pilots were given the option of using a provided stimulant. I don't know details, but apparently it was pretty powerful stuff.

 

Problem: it affected a person's abilities in judgment, in some cases. This may not have been known at the time of use. But it caused people to SOMETIMES be less logical than they'd normally be. A lot of different things happened on the ground during one such flight. The end result was a "blue on blue", four friendly soldiers got an LGB on them, and four more injured. An old buddy of mine was there that night.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarnak_Farm_incident

 

Yeah, it reminds me of https://stargate.fandom.com/wiki/Need

 

But those are just those kind of substances, there are better out there but usually never focused on, such as simply as good nutrition can do a whole lot, without side effects.

[DerekSpeare]

modafinil/provigil

[Harlikwin]

Yeah, the Dexedrine sure gave me the quakes too! Remember a squadron mate thinking that the one pill wouldn’t be enough, and managed to get hold of three. He was hospitalised for a couple days and taken off the roster for a week. I swear he was possessed by something from the devils bed chamber! Scary. Not a nice come down from dex, but it served a purpose I suppose. Hope what is used now is better, and kinder!

 

Yeah Dex is basically high grade amphetamine (50% better than regular amphetamine, since its more pure). And was for a time routinely issued in militaries across the globe to "special units" including pilots/flight crews but not limited to them. Not terrible if taken here and there, but if abused... Its not meth, but its the precursor.

 

 

 

 

[Notso]

To AH64D, I was a pilot years ago.

RAF, F-4 for the first two years and then Tornado for the final 8. As for your comment basically saying because ‘we’ were real deal we must beast everyone on DCS, that is very wrong!

I have not had the pleasure of using the campaigns etc that you hint at, personally I am quite happy using the editor to throw up a problem for me to go at.

The problem I have with DCS is I cannot “feel it”. I can’t feel the airframe shake when near AoA limit, nor can I feel how hard im turning, or how quick the onset. These are a few things a pilot needs. Your body is the extra flight instrument. DCS doesn’t give you that.

I must say though how blown away I am with regards to graphical abilities, the sims in squadron use that I remember were not even in the same league!

DCS is invaluable to me, I can “fly” such types that I only coveted from afar - the F-14, F-18, Harrier, all are a joy, and the learning curve is for me the most fun.

BUT, I live in hope that I can again - virtually - fly the F-4 in a few years. Belsimtek, I’m looking’ at you!!

 

Gary, this is my impression of DCS as well. The lack of "feel" of G-onset and airframe buffet is what is missing. Especially when trying to pull to the bandit's turn circle and knowing how hard to pull without staring at the G-meter on the HUD. IIRL, you can pull to the feel without having to look inside. Same with defensive turns, missile defense and energy gaining bunts - a lot of that is just not there in a static game.

 

Short of building a $1M+ centrifuge for your DCS rig, you're not going to get that G feeling. But I'm toying with the idea of adding a butt-kicker/seat shaker to my VR setup. VR IMHO is the only way to go for that fully immersive feeling. I can't imagine sitting at an office desk looking at a few flat screens, even with track IR, and "fooling" my brain into thinking I'm in the cockpit. VR does that. If I could add some tactile feel like seat shake, that might bridge that gap. I don't miss pulling 9Gs - so not worried about that last step. :music_whistling:

[Notso]

I heard VR reduces the graphics. And it is hard to keep that thing on your head for a while. I want TRACKIR 5. Its bomb. Its what all the DCS Squadrons use. VR is for now a gimmick.

 

DUDE! Gimmick???? You've obviously never used a real VR headset in a high fidelity game like a flight sim or FPS.

 

I would say a few years ago, VR was well behind on resolution compared to high end gaming monitors. But that's all changed now. The new headsets are approaching 4k rez. And they will continue to evolve quickly. The tradeoff of a slight bit of resolution is worth the immersion experience. As Gary Scot said, DCS is better than some high end $$ mil flight sims in some aspects and using VR makes that even better. I've flown military F-15C/E and F-16 full dome 360 deg sims and VR is better in most respects other than the tactile feel of the cockpit. But the visual immersion is at least as good or better at a fraction of .000000001 of the cost.

[Notso]

 

AoA is incredibly important in manoeuvring combat.

 

It really is a complex subject, but it’s one that effects EVERYTHING you do with an aircraft, and every manoeuvre you make.

Find all you can on the subject, and try and understand the relation.

 

100% agree with all. But unfortunately, understanding and applying those AOA concepts has little bearing on performance in DCS. the game doesn't model it well that I can see.