WW F-16EX swap coolie and DMS

[potneros]

This isn't really a question, just a thought to share.  I alternate between the Viper and Hog and have the WinWing Orion2 F-16EX HOTAS. 

My challenge is that the Viper uses DMS for selecting MFD screens and SOI, where the A-10 uses the coolie switch.  My muscle memory is stronger than my brain and I end up doing strange things in the A-10 under pressure, like turning on the HMCS MFD repeater when I'm trying to bring up the TAD.  This isn't really any fault of the HOTAS mapping, which (amazingly) works pretty seamlessly layering the A-10 on top of the WW F-16 throttle (use the IFF IN/OUT for China switch, DGFT/MSL ORIDE for boat switch, 4-way MAN CAGE for coolie). Instead it's a result of rapidly alternating between two cockpits, which isn't something that happens all that often in real life (and definitely not in combat).

My solution is to simply swap the coolie and DMS for the A-10.  Sacrilege to some, but it functionally aligns with the Viper layout and it doesn't require brute force realigning my brain.  

Just leaving this here for any who might need a spark of inspiration when struggling with the same.

 

[jaylw314]

The F-16 to A-10C HOTAS connection is annoying, since the F-16C DMS is actually more like the coolie hat in the A-10C.  I don't know why they named it that way in the A-10C if they just stole the stick from the F-16C anyway...

FWIW, I have the winwing Hornet throttle, which doesn't quite have enough switches on it for the A-10C HOTAS, so I've mapped the coolie switch to the hat that WW puts on the A-10C's Master Mode button (and I can still press it to change MM's).

[potneros]

Are they even the same name?  I remember somewhere saying it's "data management switch" in the A-10 and "display management switch" in the viper.  Same acronym, different name.

I use the 4-way on the MMS for cockpit view - seat up/down and camera forward/aft.  I find myself needing to move around, especially in the A-10, to keep everything in sight.  I play in VR so zoom isn't really an option.

Edited April 28, 2023 by potneros

[jaylw314]

35 minutes ago, potneros said:

Are they even the same name?  I remember somewhere saying it's "data management switch" in the A-10 and "display management switch" in the viper.  Same acronym, different name.

LOL, that's even more confusing

I use VR too and haven't found the need to move the camera around?  

[potneros]

I only really tweak the up and down (seat height)f.  In the A-10 - I find in the default the gun reticle is too high in the HUD so I lower the seat a bit.  The viper takes more tweaking fore and aft, but I also like to sit lower on landing so I can see the gun cross relative to the 15 deg pitch ladder so as to not drag the tail...

[jaylw314]

14 hours ago, potneros said:

I only really tweak the up and down (seat height)f.  In the A-10 - I find in the default the gun reticle is too high in the HUD so I lower the seat a bit.  The viper takes more tweaking fore and aft, but I also like to sit lower on landing so I can see the gun cross relative to the 15 deg pitch ladder so as to not drag the tail...

In case you don't realize, you can adjust your view position using the 'Cockpit Camera Move xxx' bindings, and then save that position with 'Save Cockpit Angles'.  They are in each module in the 'View Cockpit' category.  That way, you can tweak your position, save it, and next time you jump in you'll be in the same place, assuming you're centered in your VR environment.  Since it's module specific, you can individually adjust this for each one.

I actually do prefer sitting high enough that the top edge of the HUD is just on the horizon in level flight (about 5 degrees below the horizon while on the ground.  I can just see the boresight circle if I lean forwards a tiny bit.   That's just high enough to be able to see over the nose as far as you can.

For takeoff, I just watch the AOA indexer.  That's cheating, I know

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by jaylw314