DCS A-10C QUESTIONS

[ICS_Vortex]

Did you start the APU first?

 

yes, ofcourse. apu we can start to 15 000 ft. (in most cases).

 

i start apu, then click APU GEN to start systems (not very important for this case) then press ENG Start Button (on my home cockpit) and see that core rpm is ~30%, not more...

 

i don't understand-Why?

I tried to clear the engine - set ENG OPER to MOTOR for 20 sec. then turn to NORM.

Then i press the Start ENG, and after 20% RPM i set the ENG OPER to IGNITION.

In all cases - the result is the same...30% Core REM...

[Zee Pet]

You might be able to start the APU but is it possible that it isn't pressurising the air enough at that higher altitude? I agree that 15,000 isn't that high but it could be worth a try at lower altitudes. If this is in fact the case, it might not be getting up to speed from having to act as the generator for all the systems. I think I remember a case like this once in DCS when I practiced air restarts, the APU % gauge wasn't coming up to where it was supposed to be for a normal start. Monitor your APU gauge and see what you can do to bring it up. Also did you move the bleed air switch on the right panel next to the environmental controls?

[Zee Pet]

For the record, I have never been able to get a start by using ignition mode, I thought it might not be implemented. I can't test it now though, one of my GPU died.

[Maverick-X]

Shouldn't you be able to perform a windmill-restart?

You are flying so the engine is already turning... I've never tried it myself though

[JayPee]

I've never been able to do a restart other than the normal start up via the APU. Either I'm doing it wrong or it's not properly implemented... To be very honest I'm putting my money on the latter right now since I'm following the checklists word for word. Perhaps an SME can answer?

[ENO]

I've mangled to get restarts after non-battle damage related issues (not recently mind you) but I've always wondered if you would ever get your engine hit badly enough to knock it out and be able to restart it again.

 

Anyone ever succeed?

[JayPee]

Btw is it normal that you can never get your engine back on again once you've used the extinguisher for that engine?

[Zee Pet]

Yeah, it cuts fuel supply.

[ICS_Vortex]

You might be able to start the APU but is it possible that it isn't pressurising the air enough at that higher altitude? I agree that 15,000 isn't that high but it could be worth a try at lower altitudes. If this is in fact the case, it might not be getting up to speed from having to act as the generator for all the systems. I think I remember a case like this once in DCS when I practiced air restarts, the APU % gauge wasn't coming up to where it was supposed to be for a normal start. Monitor your APU gauge and see what you can do to bring it up.

I tried to start eng from 10 000 ft to 3000 ft, but ineffectually. Core RPM stopa at 30%.

 

Also did you move the bleed air switch on the right panel next to the environmental controls?

 

I didnt try to move bleed air switch...does it works?

 

For the record, I have never been able to get a start by using ignition mode, I thought it might not be implemented. I can't test it now though, one of my GPU died.

 

i tried, in 1.2.7 i was started both engines after -1G flight for 10 sec.

but in 1.2.8 it doesn't work...

 

Shouldn't you be able to perform a windmill-restart?

You are flying so the engine is already turning... I've never tried it myself though

 

yes, i know, but i wanted to start eng with apu, and i read T.O. 1A-10C-1-1-1 and there are some words, that i can start the APU at 15 000 ft (in most cases to 20 000). But in my training flights i was start the apu at 10 000 ft. But not results...

 

Btw is it normal that you can never get your engine back on again once you've used the extinguisher for that engine?

 

yeah, it's normal....

 

Guys, In order not to waste your time, please, somebody, try to start engines after 10 seconds of inverted flight (-1G).

Thanks:)

[ICS_Vortex]

5 minutes ago, i tried to start eng again, and i was started both engines, but there was a little problems with starting right eng. The core rpm was stopped at ~38% and i set ENG OPER to IGNition and set the throttle to ~ 80% for 2 seconds (4-5 times). And RPM of right engine after this - was ~61 standart % Core RPM.Very strange things...

 

can't find my last offline track. anyone knows?

[Zee Pet]

The bleed air switch controls the air sent to environmental systems in the aircraft. To me, if I want all air going through the engine and not being ported from the tenth compressor stage or whatever stage it is, I would turn it to off so that all air is used for starting. It wouldn't hurt to try with it in if position.

[Snoopy]

Shouldn't you be able to perform a windmill-restart?

You are flying so the engine is already turning... I've never tried it myself though

 

I've never been able to do a restart other than the normal start up via the APU. Either I'm doing it wrong or it's not properly implemented... To be very honest I'm putting my money on the latter right now since I'm following the checklists word for word. Perhaps an SME can answer?

 

Shouldn't you be able to perform a windmill-restart?

You are flying so the engine is already turning... I've never tried it myself though

 

I just tested and you can. Per the 476th vFG Checklist, page 73 & 74 (download here):

 

1. Dive (30 degrees or more)

2. Bleed air switch - OFF

3. Crossfeed switch - CROSSFEED

 

When ITT 150 degrees C or below:

 

4. Throttles to MAX

5. Engine operate switch affected engine - IGN

 

Twitch video:

http://www.twitch.tv/snoopy476vfg/b/539105831

 

 

 

Btw is it normal that you can never get your engine back on again once you've used the extinguisher for that engine?

 

Just tried this as well. Pulled Fire T handle for #2 engine, discharged extinguisher. Pushed T handle back in, ran #1 up to 80%, motored #2, temp below 150 throttle over the hump and she started up correctly.

 

Guys, In order not to waste your time, please, somebody, try to start engines after 10 seconds of inverted flight (-1G).

Thanks:)

 

Why would you purposely fly upside down for so long knowing what will happen?

Edited June 16, 2014 by Snoopy

[JayPee]

Hmm, **** that. You're right. Guess I didn't had the parameters right in the past... (as is the case most of the time).

[ICS_Vortex]

Why would you purposely fly upside down for so long knowing what will happen?

 

yes, it's strange some times...but...

for example - it can be some big angles of dive...for example - more than 80 degrees, where the G is negative.

Some newbee can do this...or inverted flight...like 'it's cool...' like in films.

 

but...at least - it's an experiment.

as i say, in 1.2.7 - the start cycle was correct and i was start both engines without ignition and other problems...

 

in 1.2.8 - i don't understand - how it works...some time - it works...some time - not works...

that's why i asked in your part of forum, in our russian part of forum - people maybe...dont know....

 

as for me - i want to learn A-10 at advanced level...not only like to bomb with CCRP or Gun...

and how to work with depression and other things.

Edited June 16, 2014 by ICS_Vortex

[Archer7]

My GBU-12s are missing by 200m and my GBU-38s won't drop at all...

 

I suppose the GBU-12s may have missed because I didn’t lase? Do they need laser assistance?

 

With the GBU-38s I was master armed, GBU-38s were selected, CCRP mode activated and when I flew over the target and “manual release” showed I held the weapons release button and still nothing…

 

I ought to do the bomb training again I suppose.

 

Completely failed a two-hour mission because the bombs wouldn’t drop as told.

[Sabre-TLA]

The GBU-12s will drop like unguided bombs without laser guidance and need about 8 seconds to guide accurately.

 

When dropping LGBs it is critical to minimize laser spot movement so the bomb will not deplete energy below the minimum 8 seconds of glide time.

 

Watch for other aircraft lasing targets with the same code, as the bomb may guide on the wrong laser.

 

For the GBU-38s remember that JDAMs always target the SPI.

 

A technique for all JDAM deliveries is to enter the target coordinates in a steerpoint and set that as SPI.

Ensure the SPI is set as the current steerpoint.

 

Note that it could take up to 1.5 seconds to release the weapon as the CICU has to send the SPI coordinates to the JDAM and verify they are the same before releasing the weapon.

 

Hold the pickle button down until the weapon is released or you risk a hung store.

[shagrat]

Hi Archer7 check the A-10C HOTAS and weapons training missions. Use the pause button to pause the SIM and take your time. It is vital to understand the SPI (Sensor Point of Interest) to deliver guided weapons! It won't help much only to know what buttons to press. It is better to understand when and why you press them.

Also there is plenty of tutorial videos on YouTube showing how the whole procedures work! That helped me a lot...

 

Also there is a whole chapter on Weapon employment in the A-10C flight manual.

 

C:/Program files/Eagle Dynamics/DCS World/Mods/Aircraft/A-10C/Docs/Flight manual

 

It should be linked in the start menu as well, but if you have Windows 8.x may be not.

There should also be a quick start guide with a brief section on weapons.

 

The general sequence is: find target with TGP OR(!) Eyeball Mk1 (designate SPI with TDC) OR Maverick sensors... well, focus on TGP for now.

Always check what is the currently selected Sensor Of Interest (SOI). Green box on MFCD. Now set SPI.

Then prepare the attack choose weapon and pickle. Escape maneuver and BDA (look how bombs impact! )

 

When using laser guided bombs you need to lase the target, if using GBU-38 lase the ground elevation/distance before setting SPI...

It needs a bit off getting used to, but if you understand it, it is quickly second nature.

 

I remember my first Instant action: "What the f...?!" Nothing apart from guns worked! I read on and took a week to learn all weapons one after another... GBU-38, GBU-12, MAVs, Rockets and gun... and finally the Mk-82! :D

Edited July 2, 2014 by shagrat

[Archer7]

So I forgot to laser designate the target?

 

I think I activated the laser when trying the GBU-38 though. Auto-lase on and clicked insert.

 

 

 

I searched the forums and found someone who said maybe my CDU alignment was wrong or something such and I did mess about a lot with the CDU during start-up because I couldn’t activate EGI until I reached the runway.

So I may have messed something up then.

 

I’m going to go through the start-up tutorial again to see how you align properly and then do the bomb training.

[shagrat]

Yep! It takes a while (8 minutes or so) to align the GPS. It is very important to not move the aircraft before alignment is completed. GBU-38 requires GPS coordinates!

There are some tricks to speed up things, but first you should learn how to do it correctly. Then you may want to switch on EGI and CICU directly after the battery so immediately when APU is powering the generator it starts alignment... yet later there is so much you want to prepare while waiting for alignment :D

DSMS weapon profiles. Laser codes for GBU-12 etc.

[ENO]

So I forgot to laser designate the target?

 

I think I activated the laser when trying the GBU-38 though. Auto-lase on and clicked insert.

 

 

Hmmm- I think there are a couple things at play here... mixing up laser and GPS guided weapons. You shouldn't need to use laser for the 38s (though some people do use it to set an accurate SPI- you don't NEED to use laser to do so) and it certainly won't prohibit you from dropping.

 

If your GPS wasn't in alignment you'd still have some warning lights down on your panel by your right leg. NAV and EAC in particular would be on... When you're sitting on the ground waiting your CDU (bring it up on your right MFCD) needs to get up to 4.0.0.8, then you've got to hit your NAV button on the right MFCD in your CDU menu, then EGI button (forward of the stick), then flick your EAC on.

 

That will ensure your aircraft is primed.

 

Also, don't forget the markings on the HUD are different between laser guided and GPS guided... Laser will have the "ball" that drops into the center of the CCRP reticle with a countdown, while the GPS will have two carets within the CCRP reticle (minimum / maximum drop distance) with an indicator that moves around the inside to show where you are within your drop parameters. Some people have made that mistake- looking for the wrong style of reticle or trying to drop while outside of calculated drop parameters. :book:

 

 

Also how are you setting up your profile? Are you doing it through dsms / profile / gbu- 12 then setting to ccrp- then changing settings to auto laze and laze time 10-12 seconds then saving? Or are you just going to one station and changing a profile for a particular weapon?

Edited June 30, 2014 by ENO

[Fenderalac]

edit

[Zee Pet]

Remember when making custom profile to save under different name and cycle dms to that name. If not, every time you switch to another profile it goes to default settings. Most useful when setting release pulses and impact distances for dumb bombs but are switching to other weapons around the same time. I think lase time is exempt, might be wrong, its been a while.

[Yurgon]

So I forgot to laser designate the target?

 

If the problem persists, post a track.

 

Chances are that your question has been answered, but the only way to know what goes wrong is if you post a track and we can take a look at it.

 

Make it as short as possible because there's no rewind-feature in track-playback and fast-forwarding often breaks the track (i.e. what I see when I watch your track is not what happened when you flew the mission), so if your weapon release happens after more than an hour, chances are nobody will watch it all the way through (an hour is just a rough example. A 2 minute track would be really nice, a 45 minute track wouldn't. :thumbup:).

 

Also tell us which DCS version you run, because track playback is often completely fubar'd between versions. :(

 

Yep! It takes a while (8 minutes or so) to align the GPS.

 

Sorry, need to be a little nitpicky here. :)

 

It takes time to align the Inertial Navigation System INS. GPS needs some time to receive signals from the satellites, but the really long process is INS alignment, not GPS alignment. :thumbup:

 

Also, I think it's only about 4 minutes in the A-10C, whereas it takes about 8 minutes in the F-16 simulated in Falcon 4 (SP4 and newer; haven't flown any Falcon 4 in ages, though).

 

Okay, done nitpicking. :D

[wolfstriked]

My counter measures mode has a mind of its own and constantly changes the mode I select.A-mode is default and has no flares so I press D whenever I get in the plane but it constantly changes to all the other letters.:helpsmilie: Also,when I press the toggle switch it sometimes jumps back as I am pressing it which makes me think I have a control conflict somewhere.Anyone know what the toggle switch is under in controls?

[Yurgon]

My counter measures mode has a mind of its own and constantly changes the mode I select.

 

It's probably doing its job, then. :)

 

On the Countermeasure Signal Processor (CMSP) panel, do you have the Mode Select Dial set to Auto or Semi (Semi is the default for hot start missions)? In both cases, the system selects the program it thinks is best suited for the current threat. In Auto, it also dispenses chaffs and flares as it sees fit. What you're looking for is the Manual setting where the system will stop fiddling with it and obey your commands. :thumbup: