After Accelerated Startup Procedure, problems...

[DragonRR]

Using the English version of Blackshark

 

Well I'm very much a novice so excuse my ignorance but I am totally confused about Auto Turn to Target and an issue with Auto Hover.

 

I've made a very basic mission as a training area. I have myself as a flight leader with 2 wingmen and roughly 3km away I put a group of about 6 enemy BMPs..

 

Everything else in the mission is default.. I've set no extra parameters and windspeed is default (zero).

 

I start on the ground, power off, along with my wingmen.

 

After following the accelerated startup procedure I can take off without issue however when I lock on a target with the Shkval and hit the Auto Turn Target button I have two issues:

 

1. The button works i.e. the heli autopilot turns the craft... but the button itself doesn't light up.. Anyone know why? Basically I get no visual information that I've turned auto-turn to target on..

 

2. No matter what I select as the target the helicopter always points a couple of degrees to the right of the target forcing me to apply some left rudder to line up the pipper with the target before I can fire ordinance. Why is it off target? Do I need to adjust something as in zero it in?

 

Final question! Roughly 50% of the time when I disengage Auto Hover the other autopilots disengage too! Anyone know why this happens?

[Vapour]

I think I read in the manual somewhere about pointing a to the right a bit in cannon mode due the guns position, I could be wrong about this.

[DragonRR]

Thanks for the reply Vapour but AFAIK this isn't connected to the cannon. The cannon is on the right of the heli anyway so pointing to a few degrees to the right of a target makes it impossible for the canon to fire at all. In any case it stays a few degrees to the right regardless of the selected weapon system.

Edited December 15, 2008 by DragonRR

[nemises]

I often find I need to re-trim the rudders to have the Auto-turn to target line up nicely.

Once you have trimmed it so that it lines up, it will continue to line up nicely for any targets following, untill you re-trim again or leave hover.

This is handy for if you stay head down in the ABRIS for several targets consecutively (allhough allways keep an eye on that VVI and radar altimeter!).

 

Re-trimming for it to line up "may" be out of proper procedure though, as the offset may be programmed in on purpose to force the pilot to manually adjust as a safety measure (like a safety switch)..unsure ...could also just be trim issues...

[DragonRR]

I often find I need to re-trim the rudders to have the Auto-turn to target line up nicely.

Once you have trimmed it so that it lines up, it will continue to line up nicely for any targets following, untill you re-trim again or leave hover.

This is handy for if you stay head down in the ABRIS for several targets consecutively (allhough allways keep an eye on that VVI and radar altimeter!).

 

Re-trimming for it to line up "may" be out of proper procedure though, as the offset may be programmed in on purpose to force the pilot to manually adjust as a safety measure (like a safety switch)..unsure ...could also just be trim issues...

 

Well I can try that I guess although it seems a little odd. It doesn't explain the problem with the button remaining unlit (which I thought might be the root cause) and it isn't mentioned (AFAIK) in the training......

[DragonRR]

@nemises

 

Having carefully watched the 2nd producers note on the weapons systems I can see that he too is offset to the right of the target and appears to use rudder to bring the firing pipper in line. I suspect you are right in that this is probably some safety feature so that you don't accidentally fire when your attention is on the shkval tv. I guess by trimming you are actually turning the safety off :)

 

I have a feeling that the reason why auto-turn to target doesn't light up may be due to me missing the right panel weapons system on switch.. Although I wonder if the fact that the button still works is actually a bug!

 

If anyone can confirm any of the above and help to explain the loss of autopilots when disengaging auto-hover I would be happy :)

[Zembla]

I have a feeling that the reason why auto-turn to target doesn't light up may be due to me missing the right panel weapons system on switch.. Although I wonder if the fact that the button still works is actually a bug!

 

Possibly. The accelerated startup procedure goes over the basic navigation and radios switches etc. When I join a mission where the helo's already spooled up and ready to go, with all systems functional and operating, I notice a bunch of switches not covered in the accelerated startup procedure.

 

On the other hand though, when doing the accelerated startup procedure, it seems to me all the relevant switches to activate the weapon system are turned. It tracks and fires fine as well.

 

-Z

[DragonRR]

I've found a couple of switches that seem important which aren't covered in anything I've seen so far at least....

 

The first is Weapons Control System (WCS) which is off by default it's located to the right of the pilot ejection switches. I THINK this is why I wasn't getting illuminated "Auto turn to target" etc.. buttons when I pressed them. Maybe I've missed this in the training..?

 

The other is a bit of a puzzle atm. "NAV" This is located right one switch of the Main Hydraulics switch. The manual states that it is the "Targeting Navigation System - ON -OFF switch" and says that it governs power and ground checks for the targeting navigation system.. It therefore sounds (to me) like it PROBABLY should be ON in flight and in the weapons training it seems to be ON. Switching it on or off in flight has a major impact to the helicopter when flying! Leaving it OFF doesn't seem to be a problem although surely it must cause some issue!

 

Anyone know more about the NAV switch?

[DragonRR]

Well I'm still puzzled by the NAV switch.. Can anyone tell me exactly what it does and when its required? To be fair I'm still reading the manual so maybe it's there somewhere!

 

Regarding the AUTO TURN TO TARGET. This is weird. Sometimes the KA-50 DOES turn to target properly (without additional trimming), sometimes it's a degree off, sometimes significantly off. Anyone know more about this?? The safety idea seemed good but it's not much of a safety when it is dead on! :)

 

:helpsmilie: