Countermeasures!

[AeriaGloria]

In the latest video, Wags showed in the DTC that we will be able to adjust the countermeasure system, which is great because there is a lot to adjust! 
 

You will have to be careful with it becuase you can just spam single flares like FC3, you have to choose a programming that uses them quickly or slow for the whole flight with some breathing room! 
 

It works on the basis of doing two salvos. Then a pause then two salvos again. 
 

We can adjust how many flares in each salvo, from 1-4. 
 

then in the middle are two delay knobs, they decide the time between the salvos, and the time between the salvo pairs. If you set them to their lowest value to facilitate spamming, it’s a 0.5 s gap between salvos and a whopping 5 seconds between salvo pairs. 
 

Then we have two dials on the end that determine how much the salvo pair is repeated. The thing is, there is one for air to air and another for air to ground here why 

On the front dash, in front of the stick, right above the flare counter, is a 3 position switch titled “ Ground/front hemisphere/rear hemisphere.” 
 

This changes between 3 flare programs. 
 

If you keep it in front hemisphere, it is exactly what you program into these dials. If you set it to rear hemisphere, it doubles it. So 2 flares in a double salvo become 4. AND, both these programs double themselves if your altitude is above 6,000m. Which will mean you won’t be able to spam flares at low altitude as much as you up high. 
 

So, basically if you set switch to rear hemisphere below 6,000m, and front hemisphere above, your flare program won’t change becuase you the front hemisphere setting will halve the flares as you go above 6,000m which doubled them. But will take some mindful work. 
 

Then we have the ground setting. It is not altitude dependent as far as I can tell, and will be triggered when you also press the weapon fire button. 
 

Know earlier how I mentioned the dials on the right end are for determining how much the double salvos repeat themselves? The air to air one goes from 1-8. So setting it to one you get your double salvo, wait 5 seconds, and you can flare again or not. 
 

However, the dial for air to ground mode goes from 6-32. Even setting it to 6, gives you over 30 seconds of constant flares. With only 60 flares, that will burn a lot! 
 

However, I think it will be useful when at say 20 km to an enemy plane, to ward off any long range sidewinder shots and allow you to not have to hit the flare button over and over again. Then once in WVR switch to rear hemisphere for max flares. 
 

I expect many people to hate it. If you set it to the lowest value for all you get 

Ground- 12 flares over 33 seconds 

Front hemisphere below 6k meters; 2 flares (separated by 0.5 s) then 5 second pause. 
 

Rear hemisphere below 6k meters: 4 flares (2 at once, 0.5s, then two more), then 5 pause 

Frint hemisphere above 6k; 4 flares then 5 s pause 

Rear hemisphere above 6 k: 8 flares (4 at once, then 0.5 s, then 4 more,) then 5 s pause. 
 

You will have a light by right elbow that tells you when the 5 s is over. 
 

As I have thought about it I really think this “lowest setting” I describe above is the best as it is more flexible. But as things happen I might have to increase the amount of flares in each salvo (maximum 4, 16 if in rear hemisphere mode and above 6k meters, a quarter of your flares!)

 

Also enclosed pictures of the switch above the flare counter and flare status panel 

Edited 19 hours ago by AeriaGloria

[CrazyGman]

I assume you can't just choose 1 dispenser, so you would have to release chaff and flare at the same time if one was loaded with chaff and the other with flare? 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

1 hour ago, CrazyGman said:

I assume you can't just choose 1 dispenser, so you would have to release chaff and flare at the same time if one was loaded with chaff and the other with flare? 

MiG-29 doesn’t have chaff, only flares.

[CrazyGman]

 

10 hours ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

MiG-29 doesn’t have chaff, only flares.

BVP-30-26 Is total capable of being loaded with chaff cartridges, and were. As far as I know the limitation is you can't select the cartridges individually. So it's like in the Mi-24. The question is will we be able to load chaff cartridges in one dispenser, and flare in the other, or will it be like it is in the Mi-24 and you chaff first till it runs out and then your left with flares.

But if it's like the ASO-2V then the full bank needs to be the same so I'm guessing it would be chaff and flare at the same time.

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by CrazyGman

[AeriaGloria]

It doesn’t matter if I could load chaff, I would still take all flares 

[CrazyGman]

22 minutes ago, AeriaGloria said:

It doesn’t matter if I could load chaff, I would still take all flares 

Planning on using greater energy and cranking, and banking on your missile getting there first?

[AeriaGloria]

1 hour ago, CrazyGman said:

Planning on using greater energy and cranking, and banking on your missile getting there first?

Well, that’s standard SARH battle. Then there’s the closing to the merge 

[CrazyGman]

6 minutes ago, AeriaGloria said:

Well, that’s standard SARH battle. Then there’s the closing to the merge 

Yeah against a single oppenent, I can bank on the 29's ability to get speed, and altitude and throw the missile further and faster then my oppenent usually, if I decide the high approach. In that case yeah I don't really need chaff. But against a second oppenent in the flight I would like some chaff to help with notching the wingmans shot though.

[AeriaGloria]

1 hour ago, CrazyGman said:

Yeah against a single oppenent, I can bank on the 29's ability to get speed, and altitude and throw the missile further and faster then my oppenent usually, if I decide the high approach. In that case yeah I don't really need chaff. But against a second oppenent in the flight I would like some chaff to help with notching the wingmans shot though.

You’ll have to usually notch with EWR. On SPO-15, the 90 degree light only shows at very close range. 

[CrazyGman]

33 minutes ago, AeriaGloria said:

You’ll have to usually notch with EWR. On SPO-15, the 90 degree light only shows at very close range. 

I'm aware. I've been following the SPO-15 conversation as well. 

It's going to be mostly a mixture of EWR and visual when possible and measuring rough angles from the frontal zones of the SPO-15, which will be fairly imperfect. Again which is why I would like some chaff to assist since my notch is not likely to be fully spot on.

Edited 1 hour ago by CrazyGman

[AeriaGloria]

You could always have enemy light up rear light, then turn into them just until the 50 light turns on. That will put you in a notch. 
 

Best we get is 50/50 flare/chaff with every press. 
 

Just remember the total is 60, and as I outlined in my first post here, you can exactly precise launch one at a time like in FC3, but anywhere from 2/4-32 then waiting 5 seconds. 
 

It also depends if we keep the large flares we have in FC3, or ED gives it the smaller half as effective flares. 

Edited 32 minutes ago by AeriaGloria

[CrazyGman]

Yep. There's some disadvantages to be sure, but they are more then workable IMO, even with the 5 second delay. 

Usually if you want the countermeasures to do anything anyway you need them to go in a decent burst regardless. It does requires more discipline and a bit of planning, but I'm used to using the limited flares and chaff in the MiG-21 and the F1 so I don't see it as a huge issue. 

Since I see myself mostly flying one engagement per sortie with the MiG-29 for air to air (and that's kinda it's wheelhouse anyway) I think using 2 maybe 3 activations of the counter measures at most would be all that would be really required. If I needed more then that then likely something has gone terribly wrong, and I over committed.