investigating AIM-7 Sparrow will not guide after FLOOD manualy initiated

[GumidekCZ]

As title says. After pressing FLOOD mode ... AIM-7 will fly straight, not guiding anymore and will everytime miss.
(DCS OB update 2.8.4.39731)

AIM-7_manual_FLOOD_BUG.trk Tacview-20230510-233243-DCS-AIM-7_FLOOD_BUG.zip.acmi

Edited May 10, 2023 by GumidekCZ

[GGTharos]

When is FLOOD manually initiated?  The radar should switch to FLOOD automatically if launching without STT or if STT is dropped during guidance, but this implies that the radar tunes the missile and has assigned a guidance channel to it.  Once a track is dropped that channel is gone.  Does that apply to DCS at this point? I don't know, but it's heading in that direction.

Edited May 10, 2023 by GGTharos

[GumidekCZ]

There should be same logic and process as in M2000C and 530D missile. When Sparrow is on the way and STT is lost, radar should Automaticaly start to FLOOD mode and try guide AIM-7 on reflected RF energy. By pressing this button, pilot have the ability to do so manualy for whatever reason to kill the enemy.

[GGTharos]

I don't think manual FLOOD works the way you believe it does, but it would be hard to prove either way is correct.

[GumidekCZ]

@GGTharos AIM-7 will not loose it's guidance by transitioning to FLOOD, but by any attempt to regain new STT.

Heatblure F-14 manual describes same behaviour present in Tomcat.:

**Boresight Mode - the boresight mode uses the CW flood antenna on the AN/AWG-9 radar and will cause the missile to track the strongest target return within the flood area. In addition to when launched in boresight mode the radar will also switch to flood mode when a target is lost, either before launch or after launch, enabling the pilot to try and save the shot by keeping the target within the flood area.**

Also the button would make absolutely no sense if pressing it would result in lossing guidance of Sparrow in flight.

DCS Hornet is the only aircraft in DCS with FLOOD mode which would loose Semi-active missile guidance by transitioning from STT to FLOOD. Yes it's

Edited May 11, 2023 by GumidekCZ

[Harker]

As per official docs, FLOOD can indeed be manually selected with a Sparrow in flight, and the use case in this scenario is to salvage the shot, if the radar is having trouble maintaining STT.

So, if this is is not possible in DCS right now, it's indeed a bug.

[BIGNEWY]

Please PM me any public evidence. 

thank you