Parachute illumination rockets on the UH-1H

[Robin885]

The Huey has parachute illumination rockets available as a loadout, and they work great but there's a hick. The parachute deploys from the rocket after 17 seconds of flight time, which makes them very hard to use, and even harder to aim properly. Modifying the timefuse in the game files breaks the Intergity Check unfortunatly.

I believe this is something that should be manually tuned on the ground, is there anyway we could have an option for that? Or just simply reduce the timefuse from 17s to 10 or 8s, which makes them much more comfortable to use. 

Thanks

Edited February 4, 2021 by Robin885
writing

[Northstar98]

Wonder if the real thing has a variable fuse.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that the fuse is that long so that rocket slows down enough for the chute to deploy.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Northstar98

[Silver_Dragon]

M257 parachute rocket with M257 candle and M442 fuse at 3000 meters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_70

 

http://uxoinfo.com/blogcfc/client/includes/uxopages/Mulvaney_Details.cfm?Ord_Id=R15

Quote   Description:     This flare rocket is an air-to-ground rocket primarily deployed from rotary-wing and other low-speed aircraft. It is employed with the lowspin folding-fin MK40 motor and with the spin stabilized wrap around fin MK66 motor Mods 1,2, and 3. The M257 illuminating warhead consists of an ignition system, flare, main parachute, drogue parachute assembly and an integral fuze and delay assembly. The warhead is enclosed in an aluminum case. The setback-actuated fixed time integral fuze provides a standoff distance of approximately 3,000 meters. The arming fuze and delay assembly is actuated by motor acceleration.     Use:     To provide helicopters with target illuminating capability from a safe standoff distance in a hostile environment.     Functioning:     The rocket with warhead, flare, M257, is fired from helicopter with standard 2.75-in. motor MK40 or MK66 to attain elevation between 2000 and 4000 ft at 3000 m downrange, Upon rocket launch, the M442 fuze arms upon acceleration (17 Gs approximately required ). After 1.5 seconds (at motor burnout), the fuze functions initiating delay train, After nine seconds, delay ignites first expulsion charge in fuze assembly. Gas pressure forces pusher plate forward, shears pin. separates motor and adapter section from remainder of warhead. Rocket velocity is now 800 fps approximately. The deflector plate, attached by cable to motor adapter, is extended into airstream, deflects path of motor and adapter. Pusher plate, attached to drogue chute, deploys drogue, Rocket warhead velocity then decreases to 200 fps, approximately, during the next two seconds. Upon deployment of drogue chute, the gas generator is activated by pull on lanyard attached to drogue. After two seconds, tile gas generator functions the second expulsion charge located in retainer block of drogue housing. Gas pressure forces pusher plate forward, shearing pins and separating drogue housing from main chute insert and candle assembly, The pusher plate is attached by a threadline to the pilot chute. The pilot chute is deployed, and, in turn, pulls bag off main chute. The main chute now deploys the steel cable which is attached to the main chute shroud lines on one end, and, in turn, pulls a lanyard attached to candle igniter assembly. The pull on the lanyard rotates a bellcrank, releasing the firing pin. The firing pin fires a rifle primer, which fires boron pellets. The boron pellets ignite a propellant wafer. Propellant ignites the candle. Ignition gases pressurize nose cap, blowing it free. The candle, suspended from the main chute, is now burning. During the first 15 seconds, the igniter housing is burned away, The candle descends at 15 fps, burns for 100 seconds with a minimum light output of one million candle power (CP).

https://bulletpicker.com/pdf/TM 43-0001-30, Rockets, Rocket Systems, Rocket Fuzes, Rocket Motors.pdf

Edited February 4, 2021 by Silver_Dragon

[Robin885]

26 minutes ago, Northstar98 said:

Wonder if the real thing has a variable fuse.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that the fuse is that long so that rocket slows down enough for the chute to deploy.

 

Possibly, it would make sense too. 

[Robin885]

27 minutes ago, Silver_Dragon said:

M257 parachute rocket with M257 candle and M442 fuse at 3000 meters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_70

 

http://uxoinfo.com/blogcfc/client/includes/uxopages/Mulvaney_Details.cfm?Ord_Id=R15

https://bulletpicker.com/pdf/TM 43-0001-30, Rockets, Rocket Systems, Rocket Fuzes, Rocket Motors.pdf

 

Very interesting read. 
So far in DCS the parachute deployment process starts 17s after the rocket was fired, and travels approximately 5 to 6km before opening from the tests I've done, sometimes a little bit more. The figures are much higher in DCS than described here.

So as I understand it, the deceleration process starts after the ninth second, and by the 13th-14th second the parachute is fully deployed. Given that DCS doesn't model the whole chain of events and the rocket will go from it's standard velocity to 0 almost instantly, aiming for a value between 9 and 13 would be a good workaround, that's probably a way of doing it. But currently in DCS the rocket flies too far and for too long  

Edited February 4, 2021 by Robin885
writing

[Hammer1-1]

Just a quick question: how do you actually use these? Some ppl have told me you launch them vertically by an aggressive pitch up maneuver, and others just say launching it straight out. Ive never seen these rockets function anyways, so Id like to know what it is Ive been doing wrong.

[Wakeshift]

Dunno about right and wrong, but from level flight I pitch up like 15-20 deg and launch. The lower my alt, the steeper the pitch up.

Estimating range and alt takes a pretty good amount of practice. Fortunately, we don't pay for flight time, fuel, and reloads...

[Robin885]

It’s been a long time now, but what I was doing was pitching up ~20°, at a range at which my piper would meet my zone to illuminate in the distance when I pulled up. It worked relatively good, but it’s very impractical.

I find them much easier to use in the russian choppers, as they deploy sooner