Radar during a dogfight

[AvgeekJoe]

OK, I got a few flying new guy/FNG questions on the mighty Tomcat.  If they're annoying, sorry in advance.  For the record I only have 6 hours, 51 minutes with a few air-to-air kills in the Tomcat versus 127 hours, 50 minutes in the A-10C Tank Killer II; 12 hours, 53 minutes in the Su-25 and 4 hours, 9 minutes in the MiG-29S.  So I'm not too up to speed on operating radars.

That said, I have found sometimes while in a dogfight that I literally point the Tomcat at an A-4 I'm training against and the radar won't lock up right away to help improve my (very mediocre) air gunnery.  Is there some kind of dogfight radar mode in the Tomcat?  Or something I should tell my RIO?

Thanks in advance.

[razo+r]

Use the VSL/PAL modes when you find yourself in close combat.

Edited July 2, 2022 by razo+r

[TLTeo]

There are four radar modes for close combat - VSL hi/low, PAL, PLM: http://www.heatblur.se/F-14Manual/general.html#transitional-modes

[AvgeekJoe]

Thanks @razo+rand @TLTeo, good advice!

[AvgeekJoe]

Finally got the radar to operate properly in a dogfight last night thanks to you.

 

Now to figure out how to be more accurate with the gun...

[The_Tau]

10 hours ago, AvgeekJoe said:

Finally got the radar to operate properly in a dogfight last night thanks to you.

 

Now to figure out how to be more accurate with the gun...

Yeah the gun reticle with radar lock is not exactly accurate, Not sure if intended by HB. I have to position my crosshair on the nose or even slightly ahead of nose of the bandit for accurate shots. But even then shots can go to the left or right of bandit. Sometimes I have to walk the tracers on target a bit WWII style. 

[RustBelt]

Are you coordinated when you shoot? Bullets do crazy things when they come out of the barrel and hit sideways airflow.

[The_Tau]

4 hours ago, RustBelt said:

Are you coordinated when you shoot? Bullets do crazy things when they come out of the barrel and hit sideways airflow.

Huh maybe that, but I am using rudders to aim on target ;). Gonna need more training then. Thx

[RustBelt]

Using rudder to point the nose means you are definitely not coordinated. 

[WarthogOsl]

On 7/4/2022 at 2:23 AM, The_Tau said:

Yeah the gun reticle with radar lock is not exactly accurate, Not sure if intended by HB. I have to position my crosshair on the nose or even slightly ahead of nose of the bandit for accurate shots. But even then shots can go to the left or right of bandit. Sometimes I have to walk the tracers on target a bit WWII style. 

I feel like there are some aircraft (perhaps just AI) where the gunsight just doesn't work.  I have a practice mission where I fight a Viggen, for example, and when I've got him locked up, the pipper will often simply never appear.

[near_blind]

4 hours ago, WarthogOsl said:

I feel like there are some aircraft (perhaps just AI) where the gunsight just doesn't work.  I have a practice mission where I fight a Viggen, for example, and when I've got him locked up, the pipper will often simply never appear.

Check what the Viggen is doing. Last time I tried to dogfight an AI one it was doing something like an infinite sustained 8G turn. The deflection was such that the lead required to hit it had pulled the gunsight out of the area of the HUD. 

[WarthogOsl]

2 minutes ago, near_blind said:

Check what the Viggen is doing. Last time I tried to dogfight an AI one it was doing something like an infinite sustained 8G turn. The deflection was such that the lead required to hit it had pulled the gunsight out of the area of the HUD. 

Yeah, that could very well be it.

[stuart666]

On 7/4/2022 at 12:06 AM, AvgeekJoe said:

Finally got the radar to operate properly in a dogfight last night thanks to you.

 

Now to figure out how to be more accurate with the gun...

First off, put it in ACM mode. It doubles the fire rate of the gun.

Secondly, I find putting on declutter display really helps. There is a lot in the hud that is a distraction from the only bit that really matters, the gun cross. If you declutter, I find generally im more accurate in shooting.

[AvgeekJoe]

Yeah, declutter might help!

[IronMike]

On 7/4/2022 at 12:06 AM, AvgeekJoe said:

Now to figure out how to be more accurate with the gun...

 

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

Kidnapping this thread; I usually hot start, and gun elev is set to 58 mils.
When cold start, it´s set to 0 mils. In case I forget to change this, how does this affect?

[draconus]

1 hour ago, Ala12Rv-Tundra said:

Kidnapping this thread; I usually hot start, and gun elev is set to 58 mils.
When cold start, it´s set to 0 mils. In case I forget to change this, how does this affect?

It's 53, not 58. This affects Manual Air-to-Air Sight only.

Quote

The manual piper is adjustable to enable selection of desired lead. The GUN ELEV panel on the pilot right vertical panel sets the lead, normally this should be set to 53 milliradians to place the manual pipper on the gun sight line.

http://www.heatblur.se/F-14Manual/weapons.html#m-61-vulcan-six-barreled-gatling-cannon

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

56 minutes ago, draconus said:

It's 53, not 58. This affects Manual Air-to-Air Sight only.

http://www.heatblur.se/F-14Manual/weapons.html#m-61-vulcan-six-barreled-gatling-cannon

Awesome, thank you!! you seem to know your stuff

[AvgeekJoe]

Thanks @Ala12Rv-Tundra for joining!