Preferred Method of Navigating

[btaft]

I was just curious as to what methods people use to navigate in blackshark. In general I find myself flying with "turn to target engaged" and then flying in autopilot until entering a target area. After that I will use the helmet mounted sight and and "target" the area I would like to fly to or to engage targets (i.e. flying to where I am looking) sometimes assisting the AP controls. I typically stay like this until I need to make evasive maneuvers and then I will disenage the AP and evade. Once under cover again I re-enage AP and fly by HMS again planning a path from a different direction. Just looking to see what others were doing. I should note that I consider myself an average to below average pilot but I use the advanced flight model and avionics (the easy flight model is too arcadish)

[zdXu]

I was just curious as to what methods people use to navigate in blackshark. In general I find myself flying with "turn to target engaged" and then flying in autopilot until entering a target area. After that I will use the helmet mounted sight and and "target" the area I would like to fly to or to engage targets (i.e. flying to where I am looking) sometimes assisting the AP controls. I typically stay like this until I need to make evasive maneuvers and then I will disenage the AP and evade. Once under cover again I re-enage AP and fly by HMS again planning a path from a different direction. Just looking to see what others were doing. I should note that I consider myself an average to below average pilot but I use the advanced flight model and avionics (the easy flight model is too arcadish)

 

Wow man you do it like a real pilot.

And you have never thought about why it takes 190 pages in the Black-Shark-manual to explain only ONE navigation-instrument? Seriously ...

[btaft]

Wow man you do it like a real pilot.

And you have never thought about why it takes 190 pages in the Black-Shark-manual to explain only ONE navigation-instrument? Seriously ...

 

I might be missing something here but are you being complimentary as in this is how most people do it or sarcastic. I am really looking for some advice from those more experienced.

 

I actually don't find myself using the abris very much aside from a visual cue and since it is not linked to the INS it does not have any affect on the AP.

 

Most of the 170 pages had to do with advanced options within the abris and I found it to not be very practical to use in a standard mission.

 

If I missing something then I would like some advice on how a typically expert would use the abris on a routine basis, not necessarily what its complete capability is.

 

Any help is appreciated

[leafer]

Yeah, I'm completely lost with this NAV thing, too. But if you set up waypoints in mission editor then you can use the NAV computer thingie on the right, side panel to fly those waypoints as long as you have six or less waypoints stored in it.

 

What I do is hit the top most button then the '1' next to it. Fly to desired alt and hit 'r' and off I go. Too bad you can't do the same thing using the ABRIS.

[Rhino4]

@ Btaft regarding zdxu: He is probably being complimentary. When the ka-50 was first put into production it was being sold as a machine that could fly itself, with very a sophisticated autopilot that could allow the pilot to fly nearly hands off from takeoff to engagement to landing. The only single-seat attack helicopter in the world.

 

When I fly, I am generally hands on. I never disengage the four autopilot buttons, even in an emergency, but I almost never use the desired track/desired heading autopilot function (more fun omho). I use baro-altitude hold exclusively and hold down trim and move the collective to change altitudes. I generally only use turn to target with the hms while in a hover. I honestly haven't even tried to use it while moving.

 

Exceptions: I use the desired track autopilot function to head for specific waypoints when I have to a: piss b: get another beer c:make a sandwich.

 

As far as the abris goes, I find it's only usefull in target aquisition/datalink capacities. For actually navigating...What's the point?

[connos]

I usually manually fly to target area. I always have all AP Channels on except Altitude hold that i engage and disengage at will. When I reach the ingress point I engaged auto hover with auto turn to target on. I scan the area to gain situation awareness, were the friendly's are located and try to scout for target and sometimes order my wingman to recon.

 

If I want to get closer to the target so I can fire a missile, I engage auto turn to target and route mode, so I can have my hands free to do other thinks.

 

As for the ABRIS i use it for situation awareness and see how close my target zone is and also were my Wingman is located. Also the ABRIS saves your root with a black line so if i want to go to a previews location, or if i had defencevly manoeuvre i can check where I was.

[MBot]

I do it by flying by hand through Flight Director at any time and navigating by INU waypoints and looking out of the window. Highly effective and simple enough for a daylight, clear weather attack helicopter :)

[bumfire]

I navigate using the stars :)

[ARM505]

...I use the magnetic field from the shrapnel embedded in my head.

[amalahama]

If a cute woman is over the target/airbase, I have not problem to navigate towards her :)

 

Regards

[EtherealN]

I fly manual most of the time. Three AP channels on (of course), and I then roughly follow the waypoints but stay manual so that I can continually mask with terrain. (Even if it's some distance to the front, the enemy just might have a fighter up that can lock me - and without RWR I prefer to play it safe with terrain whenever that is possible).

 

When I enter the target area I scout a reasonable scan position some way back and place myself there for an initial scan of the battlefield through the Shkval. That done, I activate my weapons and laser and proceed to my decided upon ingress point.

 

When flying home, I once again fly manual (but roughly along the route) and mask with terrain and-or buildings.

[joey45]

by hand and thought.. and the tree AP thingies.

[ericinexile]

If the distance is big, FD off and Route Mode On. If the the distance is not so big then FD On (autopilot off) and the PVI slaved to a useful WPT or TP for a quick-reference bearing while primarily using the ABRIS for navigation. Simple techniques for a very simple machine.