F/A-18C Are AIM-9 and A/A Gun Mutually Exclusive ?

[Igor4U]

Just beginning learning the Hornet - the 'AoA Machine'. Question on Weapons Emmployment:

 

Since both the A/A Gun and the AIM-9 use the Trigger Pull Second Detent (JOY_BTN6) to Fire/Launch, looks to me that they are Mutually Exclusive without Switching between (selecting) either AIM-9 or GUN. Y/N ?

 

Why does the Hornet use the Trigger for AIM-9 Missiles (rather than Weapons Release Button) - Zat a Navy Thing ?

 

Or is the Weapons Release Button solely for Air-to-Ground Ordnance ?

 

Does the Hornet have anything similar to the F-16C 'Dogfight Switch' that instantly configures the Aircraft for Air-to-Air ?

[Tholozor]

Hornet uses the trigger for all A/A weapons and the gun, Weapon Release Button is for A/G ordnance.

 

It doesn't have anything akin to the DGFT switch, but using the Weapon Select Switch on the stick will automatically configure the DDIs for A/A. At the moment, it puts the FLIR page on the left DDI, and the radar on the right DDI. The radar's bar scan and azimuth setting will change depending on which weapon was selected, except the gun, which automatically enters Gun Acquisition mode (GACQ) when selected. With the TDC assigned to the radar page, GACQ mode can be overridden with the Sensor Control Switch to utilize alternate ACM modes.

[Ziptie]

Just beginning learning the Hornet - the 'AoA Machine'. Question on Weapons Emmployment:

 

Since both the A/A Gun and the AIM-9 use the Trigger Pull Second Detent (JOY_BTN6) to Fire/Launch, looks to me that they are Mutually Exclusive without Switching between (selecting) either AIM-9 or GUN. Y/N ?

 

Why does the Hornet use the Trigger for AIM-9 Missiles (rather than Weapons Release Button) - Zat a Navy Thing ?

 

Or is the Weapons Release Button solely for Air-to-Ground Ordnance ?

 

Does the Hornet have anything similar to the F-16C 'Dogfight Switch' that instantly configures the Aircraft for Air-to-Air ?

 

Correct, a NAVY aircraft trait.

 

Cheers,

 

Ziptie

[Bunny Clark]

Yah, the Hornet doesn't have anything like the Viper's dogfight mode.

 

But switching between A/A weapons in the Hornet is super fast and simple, so it works quite well, just differently.

[Harker]

Each air to air missile type, when selected, will change the radar settings. The default settings for each missile type can be changed by selecting new ones and then selecting SET. That includes: scan azimuth, elevation bars, display range and target memory.

 

The gun will always enter GACQ (Gun Automatic Acquisition) mode, which immediately configures the radar for ACM.

 

While in the A/A master mode, you can use SCS (Sensor Control Switch) Fwd to enter the ACM sub-modes, from any other previous mode. Subsequent actuations of the SCS will switch between different ACM modes. You can exit ACM either by deselecting it or pressing the Undesignate button on the stick.

 

Lastly, each air to air weapon is exclusive, since all of them use the trigger.

 

If you want to compare it to the Viper, then maybe you can say that there are multiple MRM settings, one for each missile type and one DGFT setting, for the gun. It's not the same as override modes though, as the avionics do not return to their previous state immediately after you're done, you will have to go back yourself.

[Jak525]

The avionics have been explained well. Caveats to keep in mind - there are some bugs (mechanical and visual) which make a very intuitive avionics system quite unintuitive:

- Gun Acq is also bugged to where you can't Return to Search to GACQ via the Undesignate button when another ACM scan pattern is selected and the Gun is also selected. If, for example, in Wide Acq with the Gun selected, proper behavior would be to press Undesignate to return to Gun Acq. But this is bugged so there's no way to get back to Gun Acq.

- TWS Attack format is bugged to all hell when you enter ACM from TWS. GACQ is bugged and won't work from TWS either.

- This one's not a bug but just a note to what Harker said, the SET function is only an RWS feature and is ignored in TWS.

[QuiGon]

Why does the Hornet use the Trigger for AIM-9 Missiles (rather than Weapons Release Button) - Zat a Navy Thing ?

 

It is a Navy thing indeed. The Tomcat works the same (trigger for A-A missiles), while the Air Force jets use the weapon release button for that.

 

 

[escaner]

 

It is a Navy thing indeed. The Tomcat works the same (trigger for A-A missiles), while the Air Force jets use the weapon release button for that.

 

 

Yep. Actually to add even more confusion, in the F-14 you launch rockets with the trigger and in the F-18 with the pickle button.

[QuiGon]

 

Yep. Actually to add even more confusion, in the F-14 you launch rockets with the trigger and in the F-18 with the pickle button.

 

Well, one could argue that rockets have never actually been launched from the F-14, but that's another discussion ;)

[BuzzU]

I like missiles being released with the trigger and wish the Viper was the same way. My finger is always on the trigger for fast shots. Reaching for the weapon release button is slower.