Additional Training Missions for the F-15E

[Rudel_chw]

Hello to all,

When I first purchased the F-15E, I thought that I would not be doing any Training missions for it, as it came right out of the box with missions crafted by the highly skilled BalticDragon, however when attempting to learn this aircraft I grew dissatisfied with the detail level of the included training.

So after a while, I started to edit my own take on the Training for the Strike Eagle. My first mission was a Cockpit familiarization one, using as a basis the Pre-Flight Checklist of the SE:

 

 

 

Yes, I know that on DCS the aircrafts have their cockpits mostly with all their switches on the correct position, so pre-flight checks are unnecesary, but my intention is not really the procedure, but the study of what system is behind each switch and knob. So it can take about an hour to go through it, but I believe that it really gives a pretty good idea about most of the flight systems of the F-15E.

 

If you want to try this mission, the file has just been uploaded here:

 

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3333987/

 

Installation:

 

If you want these additional training to appear next to the built-in training, like this:

 

 

then there is no alternative but to place the MIZ files within the DCS program path, within this folder:

 

 

DCS is not smart enough to understand that all the MIZ files within this folder are in fact training missions, so it is also needed to edit the lessons.lua file, adding at the end of it the lua sentences that I placed on the "add to lessons.lua". The original file looks like this:

 

 

The new lines should be added on the highlighted line. The file, once edited, should look like this:

 

 

If this seems like too much trouble, then you can simply store the missions on a folder within the Saved Games DCS file structure, and open them on MISSION, like this:

 

 

Next, I'd like to show a video walk-through of each mission, so that you know what to expect from each mission:

 

Cold Start

 

Again, a fairly lengthy Mission, what can I say, I'm a sucker for following the procedures in detail  

 

 

Taxi, take-Off & Climb:

 

 

TACAN Navigation:

 

 

Autopilot Employment:

 

 

FLIR Night Navigation:

 

 

Gun Strafing

My first weapons training mission for the Strike Eagle, I hope to be able to do more soon.

 

 

On this mission I employ the target Range Mod created by 476th VFG. I wish ED adopted some of their objects, but for now this Mod is the only alternative that I have. It is an easy to install Mod that doesn't break Multiplayer IC and its compatible with DCS 2.9 ... you can get it here:



https://www.476vfightergroup.com/downloads.php?do=download&downloadid=482

 

That's all for now, I hope to add more missions to this package soon. Best regards to all,

 

Eduardo

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Rudel_chw
Added Tacan Navigation video

[NAM]

I really like your JF-17 training mission. Hopefully, you can do the same for F-15E as wall.

[Rudel_chw]

42 minutes ago, NAM said:

I really like your JF-17 training mission.

 

Thanks a lot for your kind word ... pity that those missions became obsolete rather quickly ... a risk of Early Access development 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Rudel_chw

[NAM]

Regrettably ED updates broke JF-17

I prefer yours mission over most of official ones. More thorough and get to the point quickly.

Although ED F18c train missions are excellent.

[pokeraccio]

Thank you very much @Rudel_chw, amazing and huge work on those training missions.

I really like them.

Thanks

[Hammer1-1]

Ive been waiting on something like this to start in the F-15E. I dont really have time to read the manual, its best to have a hands on learning experience to learn the hows and whys. You're my hero for the day!

[Gideon312]

Hey Rudel, awesome job.

Mission 02 cold start: I seem to get stuck on the "throttle - levers fully back". They are back (and using the keybinds doesn't work either). Tried to get them in idle and back, no joy.

I'm stuck at that point. Any idea??

 

[Rudel_chw]

1 hour ago, Gideon312 said:

Mission 02 cold start: I seem to get stuck on the "throttle - levers fully back". They are back (and using the keybinds doesn't work either). Tried to get them in idle and back, no joy.

I'm stuck at that point. Any idea??

 

Hi,

The mission logic uses a parameter to check that your throttle axis is indeed fully back, this is done on these two triggers (one for the left throttle and one for the right one):

 

 

The parameters are BASE_SENSOR_LEFT_THROTTLE_POS and  BASE_SENSOR_RIGHT_THROTTLE_POS. During the mission testing I found that if I just checked for a zero position, the small imperfections of my throttle gave values very near zero but not exactly zero. Thats why I'm testing for a value within 0 and 0.1 (max throttle being 1), to give some leeway for throttle inacuracies.

 

My throttle on DCS is defined like this:

 

 

Maybe you have a large throttle deadzone?  As a test, can you edit the two triggers that I showed above (Left Throttle at OFF and Right Throttle at OFF), change the 0.1 to 0.2 ?  This would allow a greater tolerance for your throttle zero position.

 

Let me know how it went,

 

Eduardo

[too-cool]

13 hours ago, Rudel_chw said:

 

Hi,

The mission logic uses a parameter to check that your throttle axis is indeed fully back, this is done on these two triggers (one for the left throttle and one for the right one):

 

 

The parameters are BASE_SENSOR_LEFT_THROTTLE_POS and  BASE_SENSOR_RIGHT_THROTTLE_POS. During the mission testing I found that if I just checked for a zero position, the small imperfections of my throttle gave values very near zero but not exactly zero. Thats why I'm testing for a value within 0 and 0.1 (max throttle being 1), to give some leeway for throttle inacuracies.

 

My throttle on DCS is defined like this:

 

 

Maybe you have a large throttle deadzone?  As a test, can you edit the two triggers that I showed above (Left Throttle at OFF and Right Throttle at OFF), change the 0.1 to 0.2 ?  This would allow a greater tolerance for your throttle zero position.

 

Let me know how it went,

 

Eduardo

Had the same issue with throttle being stuck, had to move position light switch full right and tail lights to dem/bright.  TC

[Gideon312]

Hey Eduardo, changed the values in the ME no luck. But the suggestion of "too-cool" works. Formation lights and tail light full bright.

 

[Rudel_chw]

39 minutes ago, Gideon312 said:

But the suggestion of "too-cool" works. Formation lights and tail light full bright

never thought about that, as I assumed that you were following the procedure steps  

[Rudel_chw]

Hello,

 

Thanks to a suggestion from @pokeraccio, I updated three of the missions to correct the terminology, replacing the word "Street" with the word "taxiway". I also renamed Mission M04 to M03, as I realized that I will probably never get to do my intended WSO Cold Start mission.

 

Best regards to all,

 

Eduardo

[too-cool]

Were did you place the updated mission? I would like to update my missions, also are there any more of your Tutorials available at this time and if so where.  Thanks TC

[too-cool]

4 hours ago, Rudel_chw said:

Hello,

 

Thanks to a suggestion from @pokeraccio, I updated three of the missions to correct the terminology, replacing the word "Street" with the word "taxiway". I also renamed Mission M04 to M03, as I realized that I will probably never get to do my intended WSO Cold Start mission.

 

Best regards to all,

 

Eduardo

I re-downloaded the missions and the language error: Taxiway, instead of Street has not changed in the lesson.  TC

[Rudel_chw]

2 hours ago, too-cool said:

Were did you place the updated mission?

 

I overwrote the original file, at ED's User Files.

 

2 hours ago, too-cool said:

also are there any more of your Tutorials available at this time and if so where. 

 

All my missions are at ED's User Files:  https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/filter/type-is-single/sort-is-date_desc/user-is-rudel-chw/apply/

 

1 hour ago, too-cool said:

I re-downloaded the missions and the language error: Taxiway, instead of Street has not changed in the lesson.  TC

 

Strange, I will check ... thanks for reporting the issue. 

[MAXsenna]

@Rudel_chw thank you again for all the excellent content you bring to this community. Unfortunately I haven't been able to enjoy 2.9 yet, as my GPU is not supported anymore. While I knew that was bound to happen one day, it really sucks. But fear not, I was able to score a second hand 2080Ti for a decent price, ETA Wednesday, and I'll be back on my tracks, well wing's! I'm positive that I once more will enjoy your additions to DCS!
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Rudel_chw]

4 hours ago, too-cool said:

I re-downloaded the missions and the language error: Taxiway, instead of Street has not changed in the lesson.  TC

 

Hi,

Just downloaded it from ED and tested mission M03 (taxi, which was the one most affected with this issue) ... the voiceovers say "taxiway" and the on screen text match ... perhaps you are still loading the prior version of the missions, even if downloaded the new ones too?

4 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

Unfortunately I haven't been able to enjoy 2.9 yet, as my GPU is not supported anymore.

 

What GPU did you have? .. I use a fairly old GTX-1070ti and DCS 2.9 supports it just fine, of course without the fancier antialiasing, but it does work pretty well with 60-75 fps on Nevada.

[too-cool]

4 hours ago, Rudel_chw said:

 

Hi,

Just downloaded it from ED and tested mission M03 (taxi, which was the one most affected with this issue) ... the voiceovers say "taxiway" and the on screen text match ... perhaps you are still loading the prior version of the missions, even if downloaded the new ones too?

 

What GPU did you have? .. I use a fairly old GTX-1070ti and DCS 2.9 supports it just fine, of course without the fancier antialiasing, but it does work pretty well with 60-75 fps on Nevada.

1080.  TC

[too-cool]

16 hours ago, too-cool said:

3080.  TC

Deleted the Mission and re-downloaded, all OK now.  TC

Edited October 30, 2023 by too-cool
Correct with 3080 gpu.

[MAXsenna]

 
What GPU did you have? .. I use a fairly old GTX-1070ti and DCS 2.9 supports it just fine, of course without the fancier antialiasing, but it does work pretty well with 60-75 fps on Nevada.

GTX Titan, bought in May 2013. DCS would load the main screen fine, while crashing the GPU whenever starting a mission when compiling the shaders.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Recluse]

On 10/28/2023 at 6:44 AM, Gideon312 said:

Hey Rudel, awesome job.

Mission 02 cold start: I seem to get stuck on the "throttle - levers fully back". They are back (and using the keybinds doesn't work either). Tried to get them in idle and back, no joy.

I'm stuck at that point. Any idea??

 

Same issue here. Tried it last night. Tried the keyboard commands and also set my WinWing throttle handles full back and also set them to issue a SHIFT-END and ALT-END when pulled full back, but I could not get the training to proceed.  Throttles full back worked (IIRC even before the additional programming)  for the Baltic Dragon Cold Start training.  Will try it again. I might have some curve/saturation changes on my throttles which might explain it based on the trigger setting)

Edited October 31, 2023 by Recluse

[too-cool]

11 hours ago, Recluse said:

Same issue here. Tried it last night. Tried the keyboard commands and also set my WinWing throttle handles full back and also set them to issue a SHIFT-END and ALT-END when pulled full back, but I could not get the training to proceed.  Throttles full back worked (IIRC even before the additional programming)  for the Baltic Dragon Cold Start training.  Will try it again. I might have some curve/saturation changes on my throttles which might explain it based on the trigger setting)

 

Had the same issue with throttle being stuck, had to move position light switch full right and tail lights to dem/bright.  TC

[t_hedlund]

Eduardo, Awesome work! I just flew the A2G Gunnery mission, awwwesome!!!! Thank you, I look forward to more of your missions. 

[too-cool]

On 10/29/2023 at 8:29 AM, Rudel_chw said:

Hello,

 

Thanks to a suggestion from @pokeraccio, I updated three of the missions to correct the terminology, replacing the word "Street" with the word "taxiway". I also renamed Mission M04 to M03, as I realized that I will probably never get to do my intended WSO Cold Start mission.

 

Best regards to all,

 

Eduardo

Do you have any more F15E missions in the works?  TC

[Rudel_chw]

1 hour ago, too-cool said:

Do you have any more F15E missions in the works? 

 

Not at the moment, but I'd love to do more when I get some more free time.