Feedback Thread - Phantom Patch 21-05-2025

[IronMike]

Dear all,

As we roll out of spring, we’re excited to share a fresh round of updates across our modules. Alongside ongoing development of larger features, we strive to respond directly to your feedback and to keep each aircraft evolving toward its full potential.

The F-4E Phantom II received updates to the flight model in ground effect, which brings the take off and landing behavior closer to reality, stabilator effectiveness in ground effect has been improved, particularly at high pitch angles and close to the ground. This improves the takeoff nose authority and makes the handling feel more responsive. It makes it easier to ease the nose up without sudden pitch up and tail dragging. Holding the desired pitch attitude also becomes easier, while the stabs build power more gradually and naturally. The trim behavior is further improved in the pattern and during landings, while on speed AOA is now slightly faster, making it easier to catch and maintain on speed, provided by a lower nose position over the horizon. You will now also feel the ground effect set in more distinctively and realistically, resulting in the textbook slightly slow AOA at touchdown without floating - at which point you can ease back full aft stick and won’t risk over-rotating or tail dragging.

Beyond aerodynamic improvements, we’ve also overhauled slat behavior at the critical 8–13 unit AoA range, significantly cutting down pitch oscillations during transitions. System-side, we’ve reworked hydraulic pressure regulation and corrected gear logic that previously caused early pressure release and door issues. Lamp damage has been entirely revised, with flicker and wear now modeled more realistically — and if they break, you can ask the crew chief to replace them! JESTER’s startup logic is now fixed, and his situational awareness has been improved to avoid excessive fuel calls near tankers and airfields. We also addressed a multicrew throttle cutoff bug, so that the WSO can see the throttle move again, when the pilot moves it. We also fixed the refueling door animation in multiplayer, and included a new option to disable force feedback when needed. Finally, we’ve swapped in our new, fully custom pitot-tube icing model, preparing the way for broader environmental effects later down the road.

As always we thank you for your kind support and feedback, and hope that you enjoy plenty of hours of flying! 

Your Heatblur Team
 

DCS: F-4E Phantom II by Heatblur Simulations

• NEW: Added a new and improved probe icing model (no visual effects yet). 
• CTD: Fixed potential CTD resulting from JESTER-modding related lua files. 
   
• Flight Model: Significant improvements to feel and accuracy, especially in landing and takeoff scenarios:
  • Improved the stabilator simulation in ground effect - reduced the effectiveness very close to the ground and at high pitch angles.
  • Minor adjustments to the airflow around the AoA probe with landing gear down. On speed should be slightly faster now.
• Flight Model: Reduced slat induced pitch oscillations when slowly passing the slat deployment/retraction AoA range. This should eliminate some of the “porpoising” that could happen when flying in specific airspeeds and AoAs. 
• Flight Model: Improved the slats overcenter simulation.
   
• Systems: Fixed cockpit pressure initial value at hot start, which could also cause JESTER to freak out at high altitudes.
• Systems: Fixed the location of the landing gear limit switches and the related landing door operations issues like an occasionally stuck inner door.
• Systems: Tuned the pressure regulators of the hydraulic pumps to keep the max pressure closer to 3000 psi. 
• Systems: Fixed hydraulic pressure drops caused by a bug in pressure calculations for some components (tubes and manifolds) residing behind a closed valve.
• Systems: Overhauled lamp damage; lamps damage and wear now yields more varied states and visual feedback. Ask your crew chief to replace the damn bulbs! 
   
• JESTER: Fixed Jester Startup issues where JESTER would fail to initiate startup items in certain conditions.
• JESTER: Increased range at which Jester won't ask about fuel near airports and the nearest tanker somewhat. This feature will see more improvement. 
• Multicrew: Fixed throttle cutoff in multicrew. The throttle should now move for the WSO in multicrew when the pilot moves it.
   
• RWR: Updated the RWR database.
• RWR: Updated handoff sounds.
• RWR: Fixed potential RWR handoff sounds looping issues.
   
• Visual: Fixes to the Flicker Animator to avoid stuck animations.
• Visual: Potential fix for unsynchronized refueling probe door in Multiplayer on other aircraft than your own. 
   
• Sound: Aural tone system set to 50% volume for all starts. This is contrary to the manual but better for gameplay. 
• Sound: Fixed a major soundbug where other Phantoms would be barely audible from your cockpit with the canopy up.
• Sound: Fixed strange “stepping” in audio for the left engine.
• Sound: Improved phasing-protection for dual-engine sounds.  
   
• AI: Added TACAN AA to the AI aircraft.
• Inputs: Added a Special Option to force force-feedback off. 
• Crew Chief: Improved the crew chief flight controls check stab down report.

Edited May 22 by IronMike

[hairbear29]

Looking forward to trying out the new trim and ground effect handling thanks for the update love the way you maintain your modules

[SloppyDog]

1 hour ago, IronMike said:

Dear all,

As we roll out of spring, we’re excited to share a fresh round of updates across our modules. Alongside ongoing development of larger features, we strive to respond directly to your feedback and to keep each aircraft evolving toward its full potential.

The F-4E Phantom II received updates to the flight model in ground effect, which brings the take off and landing behavior closer to reality, stabilator effectiveness in ground effect has been improved, particularly at high pitch angles and close to the ground. This improves the takeoff nose authority and makes the handling feel more responsive. It makes it easier to ease the nose up without sudden pitch up and tail dragging. Holding the desired pitch attitude also becomes easier, while the stabs build power more gradually and naturally. The trim behavior is further improved in the pattern and during landings, while on speed AOA is now slightly faster, making it easier to catch and maintain on speed, provided by a lower nose position over the horizon. You will now also feel the ground effect set in more distinctively and realistically, resulting in the textbook slightly slow AOA at touchdown without floating - at which point you can ease back full aft stick and won’t risk over-rotating or tail dragging.

Beyond aerodynamic improvements, we’ve also overhauled slat behavior at the critical 8–13 unit AoA range, significantly cutting down pitch oscillations during transitions. System-side, we’ve reworked hydraulic pressure regulation and corrected gear logic that previously caused early pressure release and door issues. Lamp damage has been entirely revised, with flicker and wear now modeled more realistically — and if they break, you can ask the crew chief to replace them! JESTER’s startup logic is now fixed, and his situational awareness has been improved to avoid excessive fuel calls near tankers and airfields. We also addressed a multicrew throttle cutoff bug, so that the WSO can see the throttle move again, when the pilot moves it. We also fixed the refueling door animation in multiplayer, and included a new option to disable force feedback when needed. Finally, we’ve swapped in our new, fully custom pitot-tube icing model, preparing the way for broader environmental effects later down the road.

As always we thank you for your kind support and feedback, and hope that you enjoy plenty of hours of flying! 

Your Heatblur Team
 

DCS: F-4E Phantom II by Heatblur Simulations

• NEW: Added a new and improved probe icing model (no visual effects yet). 
• CTD: Fixed potential CTD resulting from JESTER-modding related lua files. 
   
• Flight Model: Significant improvements to feel and accuracy, especially in landing and takeoff scenarios:
  • Improved the stabilator simulation in ground effect - reduced the effectiveness very close to the ground and at high pitch angles.
  • Minor adjustments to the airflow around the AoA probe with landing gear down. On speed should be slightly faster now.
• Flight Model: Reduced slat induced pitch oscillations when slowly passing the slat deployment/retraction AoA range. This should eliminate some of the “porpoising” that could happen when flying in specific airspeeds and AoAs. 
• Flight Model: Improved the slats overcenter simulation.
   
• Systems: Fixed cockpit pressure initial value at hot start, which could also cause JESTER to freak out at high altitudes.
• Systems: Fixed the location of the landing gear limit switches and the related landing door operations issues like an occasionally stuck inner door.
• Systems: Tuned the pressure regulators of the hydraulic pumps to keep the max pressure closer to 3000 psi. 
• Systems: Fixed hydraulic pressure drops caused by a bug in pressure calculations for some components (tubes and manifolds) residing behind a closed valve.
• Systems: Overhauled lamp damage; lamps damage and wear now yields more varied states and visual feedback. Ask your crew chief to replace the damn bulbs! 
   
• JESTER: Fixed Jester Startup issues where JESTER would fail to initiate startup items in certain conditions.
• JESTER: Increased range at which Jester won't ask about fuel near airports and the nearest tanker somewhat. This feature will see more improvement. 
• Multicrew: Fixed throttle cutoff in multicrew. The throttle should now move for the WSO in multicrew when the pilot moves it.
   
• RWR: Updated the RWR database.
• RWR: Updated handoff sounds.
• RWR: Fixed potential RWR handoff sounds looping issues.
   
• Visual: Fixes to the Flicker Animator to avoid stuck animations.
• Visual: Potential fix for unsynchronized refueling probe door in Multiplayer on other aircraft than your own. 
   
• Sound: Aural tone system set to 50% volume for all starts. This is contrary to the manual but better for gameplay. 
• Sound: Fixed a major soundbug where other Phantoms would be barely audible from your cockpit with the canopy up.
• Sound: Fixed strange “stepping” in audio for the left engine.
• Sound: Improved phasing-protection for dual-engine sounds.  
   
• AI: Added TACAN AA to the AI aircraft.
• Inputs: Added a Special Option to force force-feedback off. 
• Crew Chief: Improved the crew chief flight controls check stab down report.

You guys knocked it out of the park! 

Edited May 22 by SloppyDog

[SloppyDog]

As a feedback, I got say that the Phantom is much more controllable now.

I've been struggling with takeoff and, particularly, landings since day one. I can not for the life of me follow Reflected's By the Book landing techniques. I always had to come slightly fast at base and then only at final I slow down to on-speed. With the new flight model, I still have to do the same, but at the final the F-4 does not suddenly lose lift as before. Now I can feel it slowly losing lift as it fly over the run way threshold. Although Jester does not compliment my landings, at least he stopped complaining.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

The FM changes are brilliant and I love them!
Jester still calls out: "We lost cabin pressure!" though. I did a test yesterday where I climbed to 50k ft and when descending he panicked again... This is the exact same scenario that I used to reproduce this bug prior to latest patch.

[Arecibo]

3 hours ago, SloppyDog said:

I can not for the life of me follow Reflected's By the Book landing techniques....but at the final the F-4 does not suddenly lose lift as before. 

Had this exact problem. Looking forward to testing it out at the weekend!

Edited May 22 by Arecibo

[Kiwi_Viper]

this thing is a bloody awesome i love it too bits, i have just noticed tho the left afterburner isn't showing visually right one is, throttles and gauges all show normal but the flame doesn't show on that side, anyone else seeing it? planes behaving normal apart from that.

never mind found the issue looking back on the track i saw there was a hole above the left engine from what looks like a rather big bullet hole lol some bugga must have shot at us , jester never said a thing (sneaky bugga). it must have nocked out the AB on that engine tried again before its fine.

Edited May 24 by Kiwi_Viper

[Tom Kazansky]

F-4E feels great now. Good job HB.

[Patgun]

Wow, that's something different! Rolls, in particular, are much more what someone would expect to be rolls.

What I like most is the fact that the Phantom seems not to be that ressource hungry anymore. Everything feels much smoother now.

Thanks a lot HB!

[Stickler]

On 5/22/2025 at 4:22 AM, IronMike said:

• Multicrew: Fixed throttle cutoff in multicrew. The throttle should now move for the WSO in multicrew when the pilot moves it.

The WSO's throttle still does not move for me when I move the pilot's throttle using an axis in a multiplayer session (did not try keyboard, since this would require me to unbind my throttle axis to prevent interference, which I have no time and interest in doing). The only thing that does seem to work is that the pilot's throttle moves when the WSO moves his, but only when using the keyboard, not when using an axis.