F16 SPI

[Laser9]

Can someone please explain to me how SPI, "Sighting Points" (OSB 10), and Cursor Zero work in the viper. I understand how SPI works in the a10, it is very logical and just makes sense to me, but i dont get it in the viper. 

[razo+r]

Like in the A10C, you create a SPI with the sensor of your choise (SOI). But unlike in the A10C, where the SPI basically stays where you put it, in the F-16 the SPI is continuously created with your sensor. Like in the A10C, you create a SPI with the TGP and it stays there even when you move the TGP. It's not that way in the F-16. If the TGP is your SOI, it will always continuously create a SPI whereever it is currently pointing at. 

On top of that, the SPI is basically a delta applied to your currently selected steerpoint. So if you move your SPI 1 mile west of Steerpoint 2, it will keep that offset and apply it to any steerpoint you select. So if you would then select steerpoint 3, you will see that your SPI is not on the waypoint itself anymore, but 1 mile west of it. This is where Cursor Zero comes into play. Pressing that removes the offset and thus moves your SPI back on top of your selected waypoint.

SP (Snowplow) on the other hand just moves your sensor to a fixed point/distance/heading infront of you. That way you don't have to slew your cursor, lets say, 40 miles in one direction. Instead, just maneuver your aircraft facing to the point you want, hit SP and then you can finetune the cursor.

The early access guide has some more detailed infos regarding those systems. Feel free to take a look at it.

[RyanR]

The A-10 is a lot more complicated with nav points... because it's an attack plane first. The F-16 is a lot simpler if you remember a few rules:

All sensors in the F-16 look at the same place. "SP" is "snowplow".... a fixed distance ahead of the plane. Otherwise, sensors look at a steerpoint/markpoint. I never use snowplow. 

The F-16 gets confusing when it comes to "CZ".... but it makes sense if you think of the F-16 being a "pre-GPS" fighter needing a way to update the INS. When you slew the sensors, all the steerpoints move. This is sort of baggage from those INS days where you'd use the sensors to get an INS fix to update all of the steerpoints. CZ simply zeroes everything out to erase the offset you put in slewing the sensors.

In practice:

• Use CZ often.
• In addition to the TGP and FCR, the HAD/HTS and dive-toss bombing can introduce offsets. Once you find a ground target to blow up, make it a markpoint. Markpoints are saved as steerpoints #26-30. You only get 5 markpoints before they start overwriting themselves.  
• Use CZ often. 

-Ryan