Launch authority on AT missiles

[Squiggs]

I am flying toward the target, Comrade Petrovic finds the target, tells me "in range" and either:

 

1. I get no launch authority tone and can't fire

2. I get the tone for half a second then it stops

3. I have to get fairly close to get launch authority and then it fires

4. I get launch authority from a good range away and all is good

 

In all cases I am pointing toward the target, maybe a bit wobbly but no drastic maneovers. Curious why sometimes it lets me launch from long distance, other times I have to get close and sometimes I end up overflying the target and still don't get launch authority. Also the targets are not concealed in any way (most of this was targets on an airfield on in the middle of the flat desert in Syria).

 

Any ideas/pointers as to what I'm doing wrong?

[admiki]

Post a track.

AFAIK, you will get tone every time that crosshair is within small circle. Whether Petrovich will fire is different thing althogether.

Are you sure that targets are not obstructed? Have you observed if text appears in top right corner(I would love to have audio warning for this, but ED....)?

[AeriaGloria]

8 hours ago, Squiggs said:

I am flying toward the target, Comrade Petrovic finds the target, tells me "in range" and either:

 

1. I get no launch authority tone and can't fire

2. I get the tone for half a second then it stops

3. I have to get fairly close to get launch authority and then it fires

4. I get launch authority from a good range away and all is good

 

In all cases I am pointing toward the target, maybe a bit wobbly but no drastic maneovers. Curious why sometimes it lets me launch from long distance, other times I have to get close and sometimes I end up overflying the target and still don't get launch authority. Also the targets are not concealed in any way (most of this was targets on an airfield on in the middle of the flat desert in Syria).

 

Any ideas/pointers as to what I'm doing wrong?

As Miki said, if target is significantly obstructed Petro will refuse top fire and give you text in the upper right hand corner explaining why and possibly best angle to reattack.

”Launch Authority” has two modes. If Petro GUI is green and you’re in free fire, it will only fire when crosshair is in the small circle and in range. By default the UI is beige and will fire whenever you have missiles ready, reticule inside small circle (tone), and targets aren’t obstructed. 
 

In that beige mode where you have to press fire button, range doesn’t matter. Petro will let you fire 10 km away. There is no minimum range either.

A track or video might be easier as this is all that Petro cares about, that reticule is in small circle/tone, and target unobstructed. 

[Squiggs]

Thanks both of you, I didn't realise I had to get the fixed crosshair that close to the centre of the Petrovic crosshair - I thought I just had to vaguely point my nose toward the target he was looking at. I must have missed that part of the training mission, with all the shifting back and forth between the pilot and gunnr seat the lesson was very confusing.

[AeriaGloria]

15 hours ago, Squiggs said:

Thanks both of you, I didn't realise I had to get the fixed crosshair that close to the centre of the Petrovic crosshair - I thought I just had to vaguely point my nose toward the target he was looking at. I must have missed that part of the training mission, with all the shifting back and forth between the pilot and gunnr seat the lesson was very confusing.

The reason is that the missile has barely any ability to maneuver significantly, it is much more like a “guided rocket” in that sense. 

Since the missile can’t maneuver much, as well as needing the flare from the missile to be seen by the periscope as soon as possible (if the periscope can’t see the missile flare, it can’t guide missile). It needs to see this flare within 0.5 seconds. So the missile has to be fired directly into the LOS. 

Your outer wing tip pylons are actually tilted various degrees inward, and about 2 degrees up so that the missile is right in front of the nose when guidance starts.