ORIGINAL FREE SERPENT’S HEAD CAMPAIGN, TIPS MISSION 3 LOW LEVEL SAM AVOIDANCE.

[Badger633]

POSSIBLE SPOILER

Some pilots have a problem with mission 3 where they have to avoid two SAM sites. The difficulty is that your on a reconnaissance set track at low level with a low level overcast  cloud base.

The mission can be completed by using a combination of a fast low level approach and, at the right time, a vertical manoeuvre using chaff but keeping clear of the low cloud base to avoid disorientation.

I prepared a ‘mission tips’ video to help if you need it below.

Hope this helps

Badger633

Campaign free at User Files 

Nevada Black Sea 6 Mission Campaign: The Serpent's Head F/A-18C Campaign. (Nevada & Caucasus) now including optional SUPERCARRIER version. Updated to DCS 2.7 Sept 21. Badger633. (digitalcombatsimulator.com)

Black Sea only 5 Mission Campaign: The Serpent's Head F/A-18C Campaign ( Reduced version for Caucasus Map Only) now including optional SUPERCARRIER version. Updated to DCS 2.7 Sept 21. Badger633. (digitalcombatsimulator.com)

Edited December 26, 2021 by Badger633

[dburne]

@Badger633

Question for ya - has anything changed in the last few months on the deployment of AGM 65E's with regards to using them with a JTAC?

I am enjoying your original 6 mission campaign again and whilst I may be a little rusty, man I had a hard time launching those 4 Mavs in Mission #4. I really am not sure how I  managed to launch them. I could have swore I was supposed to turn my laser designate switch on but I couldn't, And the Mavs stayed in standby mode. I got em launched finally but  not real sure how I did. Going to fly the mission again tomorrow and see if I can get my head wrapped around it better. I don't like completed a mission when I have no idea how I managed it lol.

[rob10]

Master arm ARMED and A-G mode selected?

[dburne]

1 hour ago, rob10 said:

Master arm ARMED and A-G mode selected?

Yep absolutely. Along with proper laser codes (1688) entered for each station.

Edited January 20, 2022 by dburne

[Badger633]

Glad you both got it sorted . 
I’ve got to the stage now that I have to keep quick prep notes etc to remind myself rather than read the manual again for the tenth time

Started work on the next one but it’s a long road ahead.

Badger633

 

[dburne]

2 hours ago, Badger633 said:

Glad you both got it sorted . 
I’ve got to the stage now that I have to keep quick prep notes etc to remind myself rather than read the manual again for the tenth time

Started work on the next one but it’s a long road ahead.

Badger633

 

 

Well I am not sure I have it sorted, going to try again later today and see if I can get it properly. Can't say I know how I finally got them to fire yesterday.

I will be very much looking forward to your next installment!

Edited January 20, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

Well apparently I had a case of brain freeze or something yesterday, had no trouble whatsoever with that mission today.

[Badger633]

1 hour ago, dburne said:

Well apparently I had a case of brain freeze or something yesterday, had no trouble whatsoever with that mission today.

[Recluse]

Thank you for not punishing me for my inability to strafe  on the Egress from SAM SLAM!

After emptying my cannon and hitting NOTHING I feared I would have to repeat the mission, but all proceeded, albeit with silence from the Troops in Contact.  Sorry ground guys.. Maybe the F/A-18 plunging toward the bad guys spitting bullets scared them enough to leave you alone.

As an aside, from everything I have read, it seems like the cannon effects in almost every flight sim (DCS included) are anemic compared to the real thing and not nearly as effective (though that doesn't excuse Pilot incompetence)

Edited January 21, 2022 by Recluse

[Badger633]

14 minutes ago, Recluse said:

Thank you for not punishing me for my inability to strafe  on the Egress from SAM SLAM!

After emptying my cannon and hitting NOTHING I feared I would have to repeat the mission, but all proceeded, albeit with silence from the Troops in Contact.  Sorry ground guys.. Maybe the F/A-18 plunging toward the bad guys spitting bullets scared them enough to leave you alone.

As an aside, from everything I have read, it seems like the cannon effects in almost every flight sim (DCS included) are anemic compared to the real thing and not nearly as effective (though that doesn't excuse Pilot incompetence)

 

It's true, the explosive effects of the shells don't seem to be there quite yet in the sim.  Also the window to get a good hit when in range is very short indeed. 

Hope your enjoying the campaign. 

Badger633 

[dburne]

I had to make multiple passes on those ground vehicles in that mission, and ironically it was the last few shells I fired that set off an explosion of them all. It was a beautiful sight. Good thing as my gun was then out of ammo.

Edited January 21, 2022 by dburne

[Recluse]

Just now, dburne said:

I had to make multiple passes on those ground vehicles in that mission, and ironically it was the last few shells I fired that set off an explosion of them all. It was a beautiful sight.

 

Good job!

I made multiple passes as well, trying to conserve ammo but didn't get the hits. Seemed like the shells were gently floating down everywhere but where i aimed them...

  I really wished I could invoke a RELOAD cheat and just keep trying!

 

[dburne]

2 minutes ago, Recluse said:

 

Good job!

I made multiple passes as well, trying to conserve ammo but didn't get the hits. Seemed like the shells were gently floating down everywhere but where i aimed them...

  I really wished I could invoke a RELOAD cheat and just keep trying!

 

 

By default the mission sets the fire rate of the guns to Hi, I changed mine to Low so I did not waste too much. Still ran out though there at the end but I got em at least lol.

 

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by dburne

[Recluse]

3 hours ago, dburne said:

 

By default the mission sets the fire rate of the guns to Hi, I changed mine to Low so I did not waste too much. Still ran out though there at the end but I got em at least lol.

 

 

 

Ahhh good call. I didn't even think of it. NEXT TIME!!  I might go practice strafing a bit as well on general principles!

 

Hehe.. WAGS makes it look so easy

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Recluse

[dburne]

My goodness I had forgot how incredibly difficult mission 6 is, two days of trying so far lol.

[Recluse]

Just now, dburne said:

My goodness I had forgot how incredibly difficult mission 6 is, two days of trying so far lol.

LOL. Losing it on the Landing Roll in the crosswind on Mission 5 at caused me several re-tries after otherwise successful attack runs.

 

TAKING OFF in the Crosswind on Mission 6 proved similarly difficult the first time I tried it.   I realized that at the end of Mission 5, I forgot to put ANTI-SKID back on since it was off from Carrier Takeoff....but it didn't help much during Mission 6 Takeoff. Still felt like I was ice skating. 

 

Will get back in the saddle again soon...but now you have me worried about the rest of it.  I have honestly NOT done many Night Ops to being with, so maybe I will do a few practice hops with NVG before I tackle the mission.

[dburne]

The landing roll in mission 5 is way harder than the takeoff in Mission 6 IMHO. Just be gentle on the nosewheel steering.

And yeah NVG is a must for Mission 6. Remember you have to get the ground crew chief to load it.

Edited January 23, 2022 by dburne

[Badger633]

11 hours ago, Recluse said:

LOL. Losing it on the Landing Roll in the crosswind on Mission 5 at caused me several re-tries after otherwise successful attack runs.

 

TAKING OFF in the Crosswind on Mission 6 proved similarly difficult the first time I tried it.   I realized that at the end of Mission 5, I forgot to put ANTI-SKID back on since it was off from Carrier Takeoff....but it didn't help much during Mission 6 Takeoff. Still felt like I was ice skating. 

 

Will get back in the saddle again soon...but now you have me worried about the rest of it.  I have honestly NOT done many Night Ops to being with, so maybe I will do a few practice hops with NVG before I tackle the mission.

The main thing in night missions generally is to maintain your situational awareness at all times by using all the systems available to you in the Hornet. Also navigate and fly accurately. This a discipline pilots take for granted but in the real world they have to do all the time. Mission 6 will test this.

Good luck your almost there. 

Badger633

Edited January 24, 2022 by Badger633

[dburne]

Well I handled Mission 6 like a boss today. Great fun yet again!!

Going to have another go at Serpents Head 2 - should start tomorrow afternoon - after my new Varjo Aero arrives!

 

[Badger633]

4 minutes ago, dburne said:

Well I handled Mission 6 like a boss today. Great fun yet again!!

Going to have another go at Serpents Head 2 - should start tomorrow afternoon - after my new Varjo Aero arrives!

 

Let me know how things work out with the Aero please. Not sure whether to order or not. 
Cheers

[dburne]

11 minutes ago, Badger633 said:

Let me know how things work out with the Aero please. Not sure whether to order or not. 
Cheers

I certainly will!

[Badger633]

2 hours ago, dburne said:

I certainly will!

. Hope it turns out to be what we all hope for. I think it is really important for DCS especially that they get their own version of motion smoothing up and running ASAP.

[dburne]

On 1/25/2022 at 5:57 PM, Badger633 said:

. Hope it turns out to be what we all hope for. I think it is really important for DCS especially that they get their own version of motion smoothing up and running ASAP.

It is pretty sweet imho. Will get more time with it today and tomorrow with some campaign flying - going to do Serpents Head 2 again next.

So far I am loving it. Worth the expense though? That would be hard to say and entirely dependent on the individual. I have an Index, Reverb G2, and Vive Pro 2. Aero blows them out of the water for me. It has one heck of a sweet spot I will say.

With DCS and the Aero one must first use the debug tool provided by DCS to flip top/bottom of each lens. Otherwise the experience will not be so great ( distortions).

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by dburne

[Badger633]

6 hours ago, dburne said:

It is pretty sweet imho. Will get more time with it today and tomorrow with some campaign flying - going to do Serpents Head 2 again next.

So far I am loving it. Worth the expense though? That would be hard to say and entirely dependent on the individual. I have an Index, Reverb G2, and Vive Pro 2. Aero blows them out of the water for me. It has one heck of a sweet spot I will say.

With DCS and the Aero one must first use the debug tool provided by DCS to flip top/bottom of each lens. Otherwise the experience will not be so great ( distortions).

 

 

Hi

Thanks for the update. Sounds good. What are the distortions like after you used the debug tool. Also how is it for smoothness. Got a I9 overclocked to 5ghz and a Strix 3090 here. Some have said you get used to the distortion.

Also got the Index currently so ok for the stations etc.

What’s it like for nose room? My snoz is slightly bigger than the norm.

I suppose you should get it much smoother when Varjo activate their own motion smoothing. I heard they will be taking into account depth so should be on a par with the Oculus which is a much better system than that used by Steam which does not use depth information.

Give is an update when you have had time to bed it in. Ready to press the button here. I know it’s expensive but like anything else whether it’s hi fi or sports equipment when you get to the cutting edge you are always going to pay for that privilege.

Thanks.

 

 

 

[dburne]

Will do, so far I am very pleased. Today I will be flying some Serpents Head 2 campaign so I should get a better feel for it.