A few simple questions about flying F-14 with and without AI RIO help

[talvikko]

My questions about the singleplayer game (I don't have the module yet):

1. Is it possible to control the F-14 in DCS from the RIO seat (using the joystick and throttle)? I know this is impossible in a real plane because there are not flight controls (and I understand there is Iceman-"autopilot"), but I would like to know if Iceman will always turn on automatically when I go to the rear cockpit.  I would like to bypass this (in some situations) with the joystick and throttle inputs (to control the plane without "autopilot"). I understand that it will be difficult, but I would like to know if I will be able to perform, for example, an evasive maneuver while sitting in the rear cockpit.

2. Is it possible to stop the Jester from touching any button while I'm in the pilot's cockpit (I found some posts that Jester does certain things automatically (without user command - e.g. when turning on the plane)

3. Is it even possible to fly and fight without the Jester's "help"? (I mean: is there any procedure that requires the simultaneous involvement of the pilot and the RIO)?

4. Conversely to the above: if I wanted to control the plane only from the pilot's seat (as in reality) - is it possible that I will not have to jump into the RIO cockpit at all? (I'm asking because I found information that, for example, when preparing for Phoenix using, the user must jump into the rear cockpit to check one switch)

I understand why the F-14 was a two-seater and I know, that I should to coopereate with RIO to use the systems effectively. I know that it is possible to register trial version, but it would be easier for me to ask a few simple questions.

[draconus]

1. If you need to control the aircraft just jump to front seat, easy as that. You can't do it from the back seat and you can't disable Iceman in SP.

2. Yes, you can disable him in the Jester menu.

3. You can jump between the seats and do all by yourself.

4. Yes, no need to go back seat apart from some very rare cases/bugs like choosing to drop the AIR bombs in low drag config.

By all means, try it and have fun. Jester is really helpful after you learn his and aircraft systems limitations.

[Despayre]

10 hours ago, talvikko said:

when preparing for Phoenix using, the user must jump into the rear cockpit to check one switch)

I have never had to jump into the RIO seat to do anything before firing a Phoenix.

[captain_dalan]

10 hours ago, talvikko said:

 

4. Conversely to the above: if I wanted to control the plane only from the pilot's seat (as in reality) - is it possible that I will not have to jump into the RIO cockpit at all? (I'm asking because I found information that, for example, when preparing for Phoenix using, the user must jump into the rear cockpit to check one switch)

I

For general and most frequent use, no, you don't need to jump back. However..... in multiplayer, and in target saturated environments, you may want to. My most common gripe is target prioritization, which can't be done from the front. The FCC will always give priority to the closest contacts and to make things even more complicated, will always start tracking as many targets, as missiles you have available, only assigning prioritization once you have fired on any (those will become prioritized). This can overload and overwork your radar, resulting in either unreliable tracks or lost tracks. To mitigate this, i jump in the back seat, and manually select certain tracks i wish to avoid being tracked, and mark them as do not engage. 

Generally speaking, avoid engaging more then 2 nimble targets at the same time, or targets with large lateral separation. This is all of TWS engagements of course. In STT you have no such issues. 

[Kageseigi]

On 11/25/2023 at 3:11 AM, talvikko said:

1. Is it possible to control the F-14 in DCS from the RIO seat (using the joystick and throttle)? I know this is impossible in a real plane because there are not flight controls (and I understand there is Iceman-"autopilot"), but I would like to know if Iceman will always turn on automatically when I go to the rear cockpit.  I would like to bypass this (in some situations) with the joystick and throttle inputs (to control the plane without "autopilot"). I understand that it will be difficult, but I would like to know if I will be able to perform, for example, an evasive maneuver while sitting in the rear cockpit.

-----------------------------------------------------

4. Conversely to the above: if I wanted to control the plane only from the pilot's seat (as in reality) - is it possible that I will not have to jump into the RIO cockpit at all? (I'm asking because I found information that, for example, when preparing for Phoenix using, the user must jump into the rear cockpit to check one switch)

That first question actually has me curious. Someone mentioned this mod that adds a lot of the RIO's control bindings to the pilot, so you can do a lot of stuff like hook targets or turn the MLC filter off. So maybe it's possible to add the pilot's control bindings to the RIO also?

I'm not very familiar with RIO controls, so I haven't figured out how to actually lock onto a specific target from the pilot's seat yet. I don't know if there's really a way to do that accurately... just by how the RIO has to lock a target. I need to study more.

[bonesvf103]

I'd like to be able to hook targets from the front.  It bugs me that Jester hooks one I'm not interested in, or he has TWS on but sometimes doesn't hook anything while we're closing.  I need target data, not my lat/long position!

v6,

boNes

[Kageseigi]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:52 AM, bonesvf103 said:

I'd like to be able to hook targets from the front.  It bugs me that Jester hooks one I'm not interested in, or he has TWS on but sometimes doesn't hook anything while we're closing.  I need target data, not my lat/long position!

v6,

boNes

Using the mod mentioned above, I can hook targets from the pilot seat, but I don't know how to lock them from the pilot seat.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Kageseigi

[bonesvf103]

What is the keybind/command for that hook?  I looked at the new list but couldn't find anything.

 

v6,

boNes

[Kageseigi]

On 11/29/2023 at 9:01 AM, bonesvf103 said:

What is the keybind/command for that hook?  I looked at the new list but couldn't find anything.

 

v6,

boNes

I'm afraid I can't give details now, as I'm traveling this week.

I actually had to copy and paste the new commands from the mod (2.7) files into my game (2.9) files.

They are in the pilot controls list, but I think they are named similarly to the RIO controls. So the hooking controls are under the Hand Control Unit category... the half-action and full-action commands. Also the HCU horizontal and vertical axes.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Kageseigi