Formation Lights

[Sinclair_76]

I am not fully versed in the lighting of the viper. But for now it seems as if I can't dim the formation lights. Something I was able to do in the previous version of DCS by switching to COVERT and dimming the formation lights with FORM rotary knob.

[Tholozor]

The FORM knob should control the brightness of the white lights on the top and bottom of the fuselage. The red/green wingtip lights as well, but only when the WING/TAIL switch is OFF.

[Frederf]

The 5-position knob is a little confusing. It's easier to understand if you think of the four functional positions (excluding off) as really only two positions: coverts (covert all, covert form) and normals (covert a/c and normal). The two alternate selections are basically normal with alternate anti-collision operation. Covert form is covert all with visible A/C lights. Covert A/C is normal with covert A/C lights.

One way of thinking about formation lights is to consider formation light function as a lower priority job which lights may perform. Whether or not a particular light is participating doing the job of being a formation light depends on covert status and if the light is being overridden for a higher priority function. The lights which may participate in the job of being a formation light are:

• Upper formation light
• Lower formation light (not covert capable)
• Upper wingtip formation light
• Lower wingtip formation light (not covert capable)

The wingtip lights only participate as formation lights if they aren't doing the higher priority job of position light instead. That means the wing/tail switch is in the middle off position. The top and bottom formation lights that's their only job. Visible wavelength lights are inhibited when in one of the covert modes (all/form).

The formation rotary knob adjusts the intensity of lights which are:

1. doing the job of a formation light
2. visible spectrum

So according to #1 if wing/tail is not set OFF then the wing/tail lights are being position lights which is a higher priority job than formation and thus not adjustable. The covert lights are only bright or dim capable, not variable intensity. So the form knob will only adjust visible wavelength formation lights. In covert with wing/tail off the formation knob does nothing and the covert lights are set to bright.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Frederf

[Crptalk]

While we're on the subject, will we be getting covert IR external lighting for the DCS F-16? AFAIK it's not implemented yet in DCS.

[Sinclair_76]

8 hours ago, Tholozor said:

The FORM knob should control the brightness of the white lights on the top and bottom of the fuselage. The red/green wingtip lights as well, but only when the WING/TAIL switch is OFF.

Did ED by any chance correct the WING/TAIL vs FUSELAGE mix up? I did have WING/TAIL set to dim. But iirc dimming used to work in the past.

[Tholozor]

48 minutes ago, Sinclair_76 said:

Did ED by any chance correct the WING/TAIL vs FUSELAGE mix up? I did have WING/TAIL set to dim. But iirc dimming used to work in the past.

They're not mixed up, it's exactly as-described in the -1. Manual intensity control for the wingtip lights is achieved by setting the WING/TAIL switch to OFF and using the FORM knob.

[Bananabrai]

On 10/22/2021 at 9:27 PM, Frederf said:

The 5-position knob is a little confusing. It's easier to understand if you think of the four functional positions (excluding off) as really only two positions: coverts (covert all, covert form) and normals (covert a/c and normal). The two alternate selections are basically normal with alternate anti-collision operation. Covert form is covert all with visible A/C lights. Covert A/C is normal with covert A/C lights.

One way of thinking about formation lights is to consider formation light function as a lower priority job which lights may perform. Whether or not a particular light is participating doing the job of being a formation light depends on covert status and if the light is being overridden for a higher priority function. The lights which may participate in the job of being a formation light are:

• Upper formation light
• Lower formation light (not covert capable)
• Upper wingtip formation light
• Lower wingtip formation light (not covert capable)

The wingtip lights only participate as formation lights if they aren't doing the higher priority job of position light instead. That means the wing/tail switch is in the middle off position. The top and bottom formation lights that's their only job. Visible wavelength lights are inhibited when in one of the covert modes (all/form).

The formation rotary knob adjusts the intensity of lights which are:

1. doing the job of a formation light
2. visible spectrum

So according to #1 if wing/tail is not set OFF then the wing/tail lights are being position lights which is a higher priority job than formation and thus not adjustable. The covert lights are only bright or dim capable, not variable intensity. So the form knob will only adjust visible wavelength formation lights. In covert with wing/tail off the formation knob does nothing and the covert lights are set to bright.

 

Now I am even more confused^^

I need a diagram to understand the Viper's lights.

[Tholozor]

From the early access guide on page 66:

[GumidekCZ]

COVERT selector knob - basicaly selects, which lights the pilot wants to be switched from "naked eye visible" into INFRARED SPECTRUM (same spectrun as LITENING pod IR designator) - VISIBLE THROUGH NVG (Reafuel, lower wingtip lights, low formation light are not capable of IR emission). By switching between BRIGHT and DIM the pilots can set intensity of Covert lights IR emission.

On 10/23/2021 at 12:14 AM, Crptalk said:

While we're on the subject, will we be getting covert IR external lighting for the DCS F-16? AFAIK it's not implemented yet in DCS.

WHEN? ED, WHEN? we are waiting.... (:o)

  

Edited March 26 by GumidekCZ