ACL Tomcat

[Kaktus]

Not sure its a bug most probably my noobish behavior but i watched tutorials i just can't anymore.. i need special kind of help, i need forum help, 

 

i am putting my track here, anyway long story short i cant ACL my tomcat, i tried and tried and oh, i can't get past the ACL ready stage, my gear is down, flaps, hook, i do the datalink with the carrier-in the track its forrestal but i tried with stennis same thing, 

 

also, i do tacan my plane to the carrier, i align the rotary button on TDI to show 346 degrees-heading of the carrier, and also put my hud and other VDI on ACL setting, i put my throttle on auto-throttle as soon as i can-usually when gears, flaps, hook engaged, and set my autopilot for ACL and AP ON, ..

 

then the disrepencies come to life, on my TDI the line is not aligned anymore, if my hud is telling me i have to turn right to get my alignment my tdi is saying opposite?!!? 

 

when lights do come on the console for AP to engage and take control i get to ACL READY, next stage that is needed is the one i can engage with by pressing the auto-ref button-nosewheel steering etc. but i cant get to that stage.. what gives

 

 

ACL tomcat fail.trk

[Kaktus]

ffs,  having watched tons of tutorials, and NOT ONE mentions for ACL to work you need to have DLC TURNED ON!!! wow, so stupid.. 

 

anyway, thing is resolved, wow, how hard is it to get this info .. why..

[RustBelt]

Because you will always be configured to land before you turn on ACL so it’s just assumed Gear down flaps down DLC up trimmed on speed.

Every landing every time. 

[IronMike]

8 hours ago, Kaktus said:

ffs,  having watched tons of tutorials, and NOT ONE mentions for ACL to work you need to have DLC TURNED ON!!! wow, so stupid.. 

 

anyway, thing is resolved, wow, how hard is it to get this info .. why..

The case 1 landing tutorial and normal landing tutorial definitely mention that DLC must be turned on. ACL is simply an aid to complete both of these landings. As Rustbelt said, there is no landing in the Tomcat without DLC.

Glad you figured it out though. It certainly also threw others off guard. But it's simply part of "landing configuration", as much as landing gear and flaps.

Edited Tuesday at 01:39 AM by IronMike

[Kaktus]

Thanks for update, just felt frustrated that such small part is not properly addressed in tutorials so it sticks out for noobs, dlc was always something as help u use when landing not as always on period like flaps, when o do manual landing I use it for glide path alignment to drop my altitude a bit..

[IronMike]

1 hour ago, Kaktus said:

Thanks for update, just felt frustrated that such small part is not properly addressed in tutorials so it sticks out for noobs, dlc was always something as help u use when landing not as always on period like flaps, when o do manual landing I use it for glide path alignment to drop my altitude a bit..

Not a problem at all, we all get frustrated. But indeed DLC is not optional, it is part of every (case 1 and case 3) landing checklist. If you look at the little image that is included with the case 1 insta action missions or the tutorial, you see DLC extended on the downwind once you hit 600 feet. None of these points are optional. As simmers we tend to make things optional for ourselves, as we have an optional respawn, hehe. But that then becomes a slippery glideslope.

I hope you enjoy many more happy landings! 

[Ivandrov]

I consider the DLC to be mandatory, same as the flaps. Rest of my group does as well, and every resource from actual pilots that I can find about its use also seem to agree.

 

It also just makes adjustments of the glideslope way easier once you get used to them. There can be a lack of response from the TF30's and sometimes seemingly an over response from the F110's.

Edited Tuesday at 09:48 AM by Ivandrov

[Kaktus]

 It what is logic behind dlc doesn’t it create drag this making engine rev up more to maintain stabile flight? It’s like put your air brake on when landing mandatory.. why, dlc is the spoiler right hopefully not confusing it for something else… but why would you need extra drag as manadatory landing tool? Just asking don’t shoot me i declare I don’t know

[IronMike]

5 minutes ago, Kaktus said:

 It what is logic behind dlc doesn’t it create drag this making engine rev up more to maintain stabile flight? It’s like put your air brake on when landing mandatory.. why, dlc is the spoiler right hopefully not confusing it for something else… but why would you need extra drag as manadatory landing tool? Just asking don’t shoot me i declare I don’t know

Such questions are good to learn, no need to shoot you! The added drag puts the throttles at a higher RPM, where they are more responsive. In addition, the DLC allows for adjustment of lift and drag, without changing pitch and throttle position (though remember that there is no sweet spot and you need to fight for position at all times, especially with throttles, and expect to counter the counter of the counter input...). Here, take a look at this tutorial I did ages ago (normally you wouldnt do such straight ins, but rather always fly a case 1):
 

PS: please read the video description, it was a super quick one take recording and I brabbled some mistakes, which I correct in the description.

Edited Tuesday at 10:15 AM by IronMike

[Amarok_73]

16 minutes ago, Kaktus said:

but why would you need extra drag as manadatory landing tool?

The benefit from using DLC goes far over the drag it create. And as the others above stated already, airplane reaction on throttle, flaps and stabilator is pretty latent not to say sluggish on low speeds and that's where the DLC comes with succor. Without changing the approach geometry and delay, the one can put corrections to the approach path.

[PhantomHans]

The DLC really is "lift on demand".  The drag isn't a problem at all.  In fact I think you're even supposed to have the speed brake extended during landing to get more drag!  It really helps keep the throttles much more responsive.

 

 

Speaking of DLC, I have a question.   Was that a feature from the start or added later?

[AndyJWest]

10 minutes ago, PhantomHans said:

...I think you're even supposed to have the speed brake extended during landing to get more drag!  It really helps keep the throttles much more responsive.

It does. And there is another, more subtle benefit: Extending airbrakes, and thus increasing zero-lift drag, 'flattens out' the IAS/drag curve at approach speeds, making an aircraft less sensitive to minor changes in pitch and/or airspeed. This effect is described in the RAF Central Flying School Manual of Flying Volume 1, pages 7-8, 17-18 (Download from UK government website here).

[Ivandrov]

To be a bit more clear on a basic level as to what exactly the DLC does. The inner spoilers have a control thumbwheel on the stick you can use when they are active. The thumbwheel changes very granularly how far the spoilers extend, spoilers spoil the air going over the top of the wing, reducing lift. The more they are extended the less lift the wings have. As well as the obvious of more drag. They are very quick to use, quicker than any of your other controls in DCS and are more capable of finer adjustments to glideslope.

As IronMike said, you still have to pay attention to everything else, you can't just concentrate on the DLC, but proficient use makes landing the Tomcat easier.

Edited Tuesday at 07:09 PM by Ivandrov

[Dragon1-1]

Having DLC on is actually very important in the Tomcat. That's because it opens spoilers, those little things are not speedbrakes. Spoilers "spoil" the airflow, decreasing lift. With DLC in "neutral", the spoilers are partially extended, thus the lift is noticeably less than without them.

What does this mean? More AoA for the same speed. Remember that in the Tomcat, you fly on speed AoA? Well, without DLC, your "on-speed" AoA really isn't, because what on-speed AoA does is put the jet at such an angle that the hook catches the wire just as the wheels slam down. If you mess with your lift, you mess with your hook-eye distance, which is critical for trapping. If you fly the way you normally do with DLC, but you forget to extend it, you're pretty much guaranteed to bolter. Either your pitch will be off, or your rate of decent will be.

It's possible for a human pilot to compensate for this (say, if the DLC quits), but the computer is not that smart. Accordingly, ACL will only engage when it senses the jet is configured the way it knows how to land it.