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Uncage button: What does it do, what is it for?


LanceCrown

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First to clear things up, i mean the cage/uncage button for the back up (HSI? ADI?) instrument in the cockpit, not the uncage button for the missiles.

 

I think i understand the basics for it. When i am standing at the runway, i adjust it so everything is level so it show the correct position of the plane in air.

 

In the F16 Landing tutorial (the fist one, where you start to land immediately and not the second one where you need to fly a overhead break), the "instructor" wants me to uncage the HSI/ADI. I dont understand why? It is already uncaged, and is uncaged every time because caging requires to pull and hold the knob. Why would i need to cage and uncage (and potentially adjust) that instrument in the air before landing?

 

I know its something minor and most people will propably ignore this, but i cant keep my head out of it. I would be very grateful if somebody could shed some light on why i need to do this for landing.

 

Thank you very much!

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In my experience, "caged" on an instrument usually means putting it in a frozen state / off.  I don't know why they have this on instruments.  Maybe to keep them from being damaged when not in use?  Been a long time since flying the A-10, but the only "caged" state I remember was the ILS bars being caged or something.


Edited by 3WA
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As far as I understand it in general, ( I can't speak for specific aircraft / instruments manufacturers , so I can't say whether this applies to the F-16) not every mechanical gyro instrument like the ADI is completely compatible with aggressive maneuvres / accelerations. So on some aircraft during aerobatics or wild maneuvering the gyros are caged before you begin the aerobatics in order to protect the delicate mechanisms inside / prolong their service life.Caged meaning they are fixed in their position and not moving freely as they usually would in their function.

 

For those aircraft, it would be a good idea to afterwards double check you have uncaged them again before you begin your approach or do any kind of flying that requires them 

working normally .

 

However I have difficulty  imagening a fighter type aircraft that is limited in this regards, in other words, I would be very surprised if they didn't put avionics /gyros in that can take a beating and are fully capable of aerobatics and rapid maneuvering.


So it really doesn't make a lot of sense to me either in the context of your landing tutorial.Maybe its a bug, or it has another procedural context.

 

Kind regards,

Snappy


Edited by Snappy
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I checked the tutorial again, and i have to correct my initial post a bit. The instructor says "to check the back up ADI and adjust it with the cage/uncage knob by pulling the knob and twisting" (or at last thats what he says more or less in my german version).

 

So far everything i read is teh same you guys said. Cage it to prevent it from damaging etc.

I think got behind the reasoning why i should check my back up ADI before landing. I think its just to check if its damaged or missaligned when i did some heavy manoveurs in the air (I dont know if that is simulated in DCS, dont think so, but i guess its good practice to check that instrument). 

 

I guess it just threw me off that they mentioned the caging and uncagin process during landing and not only checking the back up intrument. Also there is always a lot of information to precess and one can missunderstand things, especially if the game is already unpaused at that moment. I really though the instructor said i need to cage and uncage the instrument before landing until i listened very closly this time and realized he said to only check it and described the processof changing the instrument just in case it needs to be changed.

 

Thank you for all your help. I understand that button/knob now.

 

Side note: Speaking of lot of information to process and understanding things wrong. In the F16 landing tutorial with the overhead break, the instructor says to bring the engine to 80% and then do a left turn. I understood that wrong and thought i need to push my throttle 80% forward XD. Took me at least 10 tries to realise my error and i was always wondering why i am so fast after the 180° turn ;).

 

 

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The list of things to check in that tutorial is coming straight out of the -1 in the descent/before landing part of the procedures and the checklist. They are:

Fuel, quantity and balance

Final airspeed for checking the AOA system is working right

Defog and heat to prevent the windows from misting

Landing light on (often off after takeoff to guard against it burning up the nose wheel well)

Alt instrument checks. Darn if it doesn't actually specify checking CADC against the pneumatic reading, I guess to check for blockages? I wonder how many real pilots actually do this one.

Attitude references OK, check HUD OK, ADI ball you might have adjusted the knob so set it back, and  is SAI still OK. 99% of the time this is just "yup they good" Tutorial probably overloaded the how to manipulate the SAI for fear that people don't know how

Anti-ice as required, probably briefed if icing conditions  at recovery are a factor

TGP stow, guess those windows on the front were getting expensive

 

I looked at the overhead too and the -1 just says "retard throttle and open speedbrakes as required". Whatever you do the idea is to do the exact same throughout your squadron so you don't bunch up. What I do each time depends on how heavy and draggy the airplane is. The 1%G of airspeed rule of thumb is designed to try to get you to fly a ~3000' turn radius constantly. The whole goal is to fly a constant radius turn so you end up a predictable diameter offset going the other way. Most of the time I go about idle and then as I get below ~250kts start to add more throttle back to catch at ~220. I also don't recognize being "abeam the rollout point" which isn't a thing I've ever heard referenced. Only position references I find is abeam touchdown for gear down and "key" 135 degree is commence maneuver. Rolling out 300'/1nm is right on. The rings in the sky seem spot on though in the mission.

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vor 5 Stunden schrieb Frederf:

add more throttle back to catch at ~220

 

Ok, good. Now i know that this is required to stay at speed/altitude. When I am doing it without adding throttle, i was always losing too much speed and falling below the rings. Was not sure if i did something wrong or if i should add speed.

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