A120 Amraam Fire Selection

[Murphyjmm]

I'm doing the A120 Amram in the lesson section and I get to the point where I'm within range of the enemy and he tells me to pull the trigger but it doesn't do anything.  I have the gun trigger action on my joystick (Extreme 3D Pro) set to JOY.BTN1.  But when I push that button to fire the AIM120 Amraam, nothing happens, so that gun trigger is not firing for the Amraam.  Do I have to program that action separately?  If so, I don't see the Amraam selection in the options to do that.  It sounds simple on the video, but not working out.  Thanks.

Jim

[Tholozor]

Make sure the Master Arm is armed, AMRAAM selected (A/A Weapon Select Switch on the stick), and the trigger (second detent) must be held down.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Tholozor

[rob10]

Recent change means you need to HOLD the trigger down for a second or two (keep holding until it goes off the rail) rather than just pulling it.  I doubt the training mission has been updated to reflect the fact you need to hold it.  Otherwise try the other suggestions from Tholozor.

[Murphyjmm]

When you talk about the weapon select switch do you mean the a/a vs a/g ?  Jim

[Tholozor]

All A/A weapons are selected with the select switch on the stick (AMRAAM, Sparrow, Sidewinder, A/A GUN).
A/G weapons are selected on the STORES page using the top-row pushbuttons (plus A/G GUN on the top-right).

Selecting a weapon with the A/A Weapon Select Switch will automatically switch the aircraft to A/A Master Mode.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Tholozor

[CBStu]

The recent 120 firing delay is supposedly more realistic. I hope it is because it sure is a drag. I am starting to load more 9X instead.

[Gremlin17]

I still can't work out with this delay on whether it is intentional or a problem with my system. Bugs the hell out of me.

[Tholozor]

The launch delay is intentional as a launch authorization to prevent accidental firing.

[oldcrusty]

3 minutes ago, Tholozor said:

The launch delay is intentional as a launch authorization to prevent accidental firing.

I think cutting this delay in half would be a sufficient 'butterfinger' prevention feature.  How about 9X..  this sucker could be even more dangerous if you have it following your HMD and fumbling around hotas.  In either case Master Arm is our friend.

[Bunny Clark]

The launch delay isn't just a safety. In that time target and datalink information is uploaded to the missile, the missile's battery is started, and the data and power connections between the aircraft and missile are disconnected. 

[Tholozor]

It's not just a 'butterfinger' feature, the launch authorization delay also uploads target parameters to the missile.

 

[oldcrusty]

1 hour ago, Bunny Clark said:

The launch delay isn't just a safety. In that time target and datalink information is uploaded to the missile, the missile's battery is started, and the data and power connections between the aircraft and missile are disconnected. 

Learn something new every day.  Never realized it takes that long.

[oldcrusty]

So, would visual mode require the same delay?

[Tholozor]

Correct, the delay doubles as a safety feature plus missile-ownship data.

[CBStu]

So only a 120 needs this delay? A 9x works fine w/o the delay? 

[TheFreshPrince]

Yes because you use the IR seeker head of the missile to acquire a target and nothing from the plane itself. So the information is already all in the missile, it just needs the go. 

[oldcrusty]

3 hours ago, TheFreshPrince said:

Yes because you use the IR seeker head of the missile to acquire a target and nothing from the plane itself. So the information is already all in the missile, it just needs the go. 

Hey, by all means it needs to go, hehe but no safety?  1 sec. perhaps?   I can see how a selected Amraam (stores) has no time or need to communicate with radar and snatch an L&S track beforehand or LHAQ/HAQC locking on a maneuvering target at a close distance (aspect changing rapidly) but wait... we need to download.  The heater? go and kill right now!   Fine with me. 

[Dragon1-1]

Well, that's why they carry heaters in first place. The AMRAAM is actually pretty mean up close, but the lengthy pre-launch delay means there are still cases where the Sidewinder wins. 

[Yuriks]

Same issue: AMRAAM randomly stops firing after target is locked. No matter how long the trigger is pressed, no fire.

Shoots fine without a lock, in pitbull, with a sec delay. Others reported the same issue

Edited February 21, 2023 by Yuriks

[MARLAN_]

According to our groups Hornet pilot, the AMRAAM delay is too long, it should be there, but its too long. He came back to fly after a long break and was bewildered he needed to hold it down so long and his missiles weren't firing. 

[Hazardpro]

On 1/31/2023 at 4:38 PM, Bunny Clark said:

The launch delay isn't just a safety. In that time target and datalink information is uploaded to the missile, the missile's battery is started, and the data and power connections between the aircraft and missile are disconnected. 

I have a hard time believing there's a noticeable delay for such a data transfer. More likely the limiting factor would be spinning up the IRU and energizing the missile's control hydraulics. 

[Hog_No32]

5 hours ago, Hazardpro said:

I have a hard time believing there's a noticeable delay for such a data transfer. More likely the limiting factor would be spinning up the IRU and energizing the missile's control hydraulics. 

There are no hydraulics. Good old electro-mechanical servo actuators are used instead.

 

The Weapons Control Unit (WCU)-11/B consists of four independently controlled electro-mechanical servo actuators, four lithium-aluminum batteries connected in parallel, and a steel fuselage section that is bolted to the propulsion section aft skirt. Each actuator consists of a brushless DC motor ballscrew, an infinite resolution potentiometer directly coupled to the output shaft, and pulse width modulated control electronics. The output shaft is engaged directly to a squib actuated lock so that it does not interfere with the fin (control surface) installation and removal.

source: TuAF http://web.deu.edu.tr/atiksu/ana44/air3.html

Edited February 21, 2023 by Hog_No32

[Hazardpro]

8 minutes ago, Hog_No32 said:

There are no hydraulics. Good old electro-mechanical servo actuators are used instead.

 

The Weapons Control Unit (WCU)-11/B consists of four independently controlled electro-mechanical servo actuators, four lithium-aluminum batteries connected in parallel, and a steel fuselage section that is bolted to the propulsion section aft skirt. Each actuator consists of a brushless DC motor ballscrew, an infinite resolution potentiometer directly coupled to the output shaft, and pulse width modulated control electronics. The output shaft is engaged directly to a squib actuated lock so that it does not interfere with the fin (control surface) installation and removal.

source: TuAF http://web.deu.edu.tr/atiksu/ana44/air3.html

 

Interesting, I must have been thinking of the Sparrow. Still think the delay is going to be governed by something mechanical that has to happen between when then the commitment to fire is made and the motor is ignited.