CH Products Map for DCS P-51D. Can you give me some input (pun intended)?

[Grumpy Moose]

I'm just about finished my map for CH Products Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, Throttle Quadrant, and Pro Pedals. Haven't flown much combat so I am hoping to hear your opinions regarding what I have selected already. 

I realize I should add some buttons for comms, but not sure which ones. Do I need to add something for compass heading as well?

Thanks for your help. I feel I'm almost there.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Grumpy Moose
Clarity

[Grumpy Moose]

Also, would the recognition lights be used in gameplay?

What about the landing light switch? I know it comes on automatically when the gear is deployed.

Would you ever need to turn the wing and tail lights on and off during gameplay?

 

[Art-J]

3 hours ago, Grumpy Moose said:

What about the landing light switch? I know it comes on automatically when the gear is deployed.

No it doesn't  . The light might be out, but it doesn't work until you flip the switch.

Nav and recognition lights have no purpose in SP missions whatsoever (unless Reflected somehow made them usable in his scripted campaigns, I don't know that). In multiplayer - I guess it depends on your squad buddies.

P.S - Not sure about mixture lever either. I seem to recall it cannot be assigned to analog physical axis (as the virtual one only has three fixed positions). Not directly in DCS at least. I suppose one can kind of make it work with axis by using joystick gremlin or other 3rd party app.

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Art-J

[Rebel28]

From what I see you might want to add control of the Oil coolant and Radiator coolant doors to take them out of Auto. In a turn fight the Auto setting will not move fast enough to stop the engine from overheating and locking up. It is better to open the doors just before you start making the turns. Better to run a little colder than to have it overheat.

[Grumpy Moose]

7 hours ago, Art-J said:

No it doesn't  . The light might be out, but it doesn't work until you flip the switch.

Thanks for the clarification. I may map that button then.

Nav and recognition lights have no purpose in SP missions whatsoever (unless Reflected somehow made them usable in his scripted campaigns, I don't know that). In multiplayer - I guess it depends on your squad buddies.

Thanks. I'll leave that out for now then but possibly add it if and when I get into multiplayer.

P.S - Not sure about mixture lever either. I seem to recall it cannot be assigned to analog physical axis (as the virtual one only has three fixed positions). Not directly in DCS at least. I suppose one can kind of make it work with axis by using joystick gremlin or other 3rd party app.

The levers on my throttle quadrant also make button presses so that's how I am using it for a mixture. Not sure why they wouldn't make mixture and axis. Seems like an oversight.

 

 

 

[Grumpy Moose]

3 hours ago, Rebel28 said:

From what I see you might want to add control of the Oil coolant and Radiator coolant doors to take them out of Auto. In a turn fight the Auto setting will not move fast enough to stop the engine from overheating and locking up. It is better to open the doors just before you start making the turns. Better to run a little colder than to have it overheat.

Thanks for your reply. I had thought to make these assignments but each of them uses up four buttons. Would it work just to have "Open" and "Auto" for each?

[Art-J]

I would first do some solo "torture testing" - advanced low speed, high power aerobatics at high ambient temps. Slow reaction of radiator flaps used to be a major issue indeed before last year revamp of cooling system. Nowadays, however, the plane is more idiotproof (less prone to overheating) and, in my opinion, fiddling with manual adjustments is usually not necessary anymore.

"Open" and "auto" idea could work. Granted, these are still 4 inputs total (3 if used with modifier?). Moreover, you still need to flip both covers open, but I guess you could do it once with a mouse at the beginning of each mission, though.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Art-J

[Grumpy Moose]

1 hour ago, Art-J said:

I would first do some solo "torture testing" - advanced low speed, high power aerobatics at high ambient temps. Slow reaction of radiator flaps used to be a major issue indeed before last year revamp of cooling system. Nowadays, however, the plane is more idiotproof (less prone to overheating) and, in my opinion, fiddling with manual adjustments is usually not necessary anymore.

"Open" and "auto" idea could work. Granted, these are still 4 inputs total (3 if used with modifier?). Moreover, you still need to flip both covers open, but I guess you could do it once with a mouse at the beginning of each mission, though.

 

Another test flight? 

More buttons. So I think what's happening here is I am running out of buttons. Just ordered a Logitech Switch Panel and with DCSFlightPanels software I can make them do exactly what they need to do. I can even combine the Radiator coolant and Oil coolant into one switch. 

[kablamoman]

6 hours ago, Art-J said:

"Open" and "auto" idea could work. Granted, these are still 4 inputs total (3 if used with modifier?). Moreover, you still need to flip both covers open, but I guess you could do it once with a mouse at the beginning of each mission, though.

The way the binds interact, you only need three for each switch: Rad Open, Rad Close (which will both open the cover if it happens to be closed) and Cover Close (which will set the switch back to auto).

But I agree with you, after the cooling changes, you don't even really need to worry about messing with them at all.

Edited December 15, 2023 by kablamoman

[Art-J]

Grumpy, as noted, you most likely won't have to use radiator switches much (if at all, unless for immersion reasons), so unless you must have everything assigned to HOTAS because of how your rig is set up, I wouldn't bother.

[Grumpy Moose]

On 12/14/2023 at 10:43 PM, Art-J said:

Grumpy, as noted, you most likely won't have to use radiator switches much (if at all, unless for immersion reasons), so unless you must have everything assigned to HOTAS because of how your rig is set up, I wouldn't bother.

More for immersion. But probably would forget about them in a furball unless my engine blew up. that might teach me.

Thanks for commenting.

[Grumpy Moose]

So I've been working on this for a while and think I'm almost there. I know I could put in supercharger, but it seams to me you can just leave it on auto and forget about it. Anything else I need to add. I'm running out of buttons. There are one or two duplicates and the Fuel Shutoff looks like it's missing, but its actually piggy backed on the generator switch.

Anyway, in this process I've added Vaicom Pro and the Logitech Flight Switch Panel using DCSFlightPanels software. It never ends.

[=475FG= Dawger]

Personally, I would put flaps up and down where gunsight brightness is. Flaps are sometimes useful in a fight.

And I wouldn’t have the bailout button anywhere near the HOTAS. Its embarrassing to accidentally jump.

[Grumpy Moose]

14 hours ago, =475FG= Dawger said:

Personally, I would put flaps up and down where gunsight brightness is. Flaps are sometimes useful in a fight.

And I wouldn’t have the bailout button anywhere near the HOTAS. Its embarrassing to accidentally jump.

Good points. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.