PL-5E hard to lock

[RedPanda]

PL-5 seems hard to track targets. I am wondering if it is broken or that is what it is.

 

 

Me (JF-17) were fighting AI F-4 and F-5 in server yesterday:

 

The first case is I fought the AI F-5. The initial altitude was around 15,000 ft. I got a tone at 8 nm but that's too far so I held it. Then the tone was gone and didn't came back until it was 0.4nm between us. I fired the missile but it was too late. His shells hit me first.

 

The second case was I managed to sneak behind a F-4, at around 25,000 ft. I was on his tail and cannot get a tone till I get close to 0.8nm. 

 

Many times the missile drops the lock just before I pull the trigger, and it goes stupid. I don't think a modern Fox-2 should act like this. It is so frustrating that it cannot lock on targets under my eyebrow. 

[Mike_Romeo]

Have you uncage the missile seeker ?

[RedPanda]

5 hours ago, Mike_Romeo said:

Have you uncage the missile seeker ?

Yes, and it was slaved to the target. 

[Foogle]

1 hour ago, RedPanda said:

Yes, and it was slaved to the target. 

Were you head on? Or rear aspect? 

 

The PL-5 has limited front aspect performance. 

[RedPanda]

37 minutes ago, Foogle said:

Were you head on? Or rear aspect? 

 

The PL-5 has limited front aspect performance. 

Head on in first case, rear aspect in the second. I understand that the target gives a smaller infrared signiture from the front but why would I get a tone at 8nm and then lost it? Shouldn't it be a constant tone once locked on?

 

In the second case, the F-4 was flying rather high and not aware of my approach so I popped up and on his tail. I cannot get a tone till almost at gun range. I suspect there is something off with the code.

Edited June 16, 2021 by RedPanda

[Foogle]

1 hour ago, RedPanda said:

Head on in first case, rear aspect in the second. I understand that the target gives a smaller infrared signiture from the front but why would I get a tone at 8nm and then lost it? Shouldn't it be a constant tone once locked on?

 

In the second case, the F-4 was flying rather high and not aware of my approach so I popped up and on his tail. I cannot get a tone till almost at gun range. I suspect there is something off with the code.

 

You'd get a tone at long range that disappears if the target was first in AB then went Mil power or lower, the second one would need a track/amci file to diagnose. 

 

I honestly haven't seen anything odd with them, and we've been flying 80s missions with the Thunder as a stand in for the F-20, so I've shot my fair share of PL-5s in the past month. 

[RedPanda]

28 minutes ago, Foogle said:

You'd get a tone at long range that disappears if the target was first in AB then went Mil power or lower, the second one would need a track/amci file to diagnose. 

 

I honestly haven't seen anything odd with them, and we've been flying 80s missions with the Thunder as a stand in for the F-20, so I've shot my fair share of PL-5s in the past month. 

I lost the server track file. But I managed to recreate the problem.

 

At first I could get a lock for more than 10nm. And as you said, he might reduce the engine output so I lost the lock. That make sense.

But after the merge, I was on his tail, he was full afterburner, and PL-5 could not get a lock at such close range.

 

I knew some early missiles have launch G limits. PL-5 may have it too? 

 

 

 

Here's the video: 

 

 

[Hodo]

I haven't had many issues with locking on MiG-21s with my PL-5s.  It takes a bit of work but I have even forgot to uncage the seeker and still managed to lock.   It is like using a AIM-9M.