Few questions on weapon deployment..

[baltic_dragon]

Hi guys,

 

Reached phase 2 of my learning- I am able to navigate and land so time for blowing things up! Although I had some minor success, some things require clarification for me:

 

1. Min ALT for guns/rockets: what does it actually change? If I understand correctly, I first have to know the elevation of my target, either through assigning it as a steerpoint or through DTS (it somehow gets the elevation of the point under the piper from pre-loaded maps, right?). But how do I know which min alt is the best and what it actually changes?

 

2. What is the purpose of selecting the evasive maneuver or eject velocity?

 

3. What is the difference between different types of fuse?

 

Thanks in advance!!

[BlueRidgeDx]

1) MIN ALT is one driver of the Minimum Range Cue (MRC) HUD symbology. The other two are safe escape and fuze arming requirments. The truth is, as virtual pilots, we don't know what the MIN ALT should be, since its dictated by data and tactics we don't have access to.

 

2a) Choosing a Safe Escape Maneuver (SEM) is important because it tells the jet what maneuver you plan on flying in order to comply with safe escape requirements.

 

The IFFCC generates abort cues like the MRS/MRC based upon real-time information. Imagine you're in a 60° dive bomb attack; think of how much altitude you will lose during your dive recovery after weapon release. Now compare that to the altitude lost during a 10° dive recovery. The altitude lost is also greatly affected by the SEM flown (and by properly flying the SEM).

 

Clearly, the MRC will tell you to abort the 60° pass, long before it would tell you to abort the 10° pass. This is called Real Time Safe Escape (RTSE).

 

2b) There is no in-game purpose to set an Eject Velocity. By entering a number in this field, what you'd really be doing is adding or subtracting a correction to the baseline (nominal) velocity which is already contained in the IFFCC.

 

On the real airplane, you (or maintenance) would set these values before flight based upon specific store compatibility or airframe issues. As a fictional example, testing might show that Mk-82's released from a TER have slightly different release characteristics than when released from the parent pylon. The correction could be entered to account for the difference.

 

3) At present, DCS doesn't model all of the different fuzes in great detail. Here's what's available and functional in-game:

 

Most iron bombs (and the JDAM) in DCS use an M904 (which is a mechanical fuze set to detonate on impact) in the nose, and the FMU-139 in the tail. Either one will detonate the bomb. The FMU-139 also deploys the ballute on MK-82AIRs and BDU-50s.

 

LGB's use the FMU-139 fuze in the tail, since there's no room for the M904 up front.

 

The CBU's use the FZU-39 which is a proximity fuse whose Height Of Function can be set in the DSMS inventory. You can disable the FZU in the DSMS inventory, which will cause the weapon to burst using only a timer.

 

Other fuzes not simulated include the DSU-33 which is a proximity fuse for airbursting iron bombs, and the FMU-152 Joint Programmable Fuse which allows all setting to be manipulated from the cockpit, as opposed to being limited to the physical settings on the bomb.

Edited January 26, 2012 by BlueRidgeDx

[baltic_dragon]

BlueRidgeDX - thanks for the info, clarifies a lot. On the side note one think I am proud of is that I must be advancing and getting more and more experienced in the sim, as I understood your whole answer ;) before trying to fly the A10 I wouldn't get even half of it...

 

As for the MIN ALT it struck me that in the training mission the instructor makes you type in 500 feet without really telling you why, so I thought that maybe there is more to it. Thanks once again!

[Frostiken]

1) MIN ALT is one driver of the Minimum Range Cue (MRC) HUD symbology. The other two are safe escape and fuze arming requirments. The truth is, as virtual pilots, we don't know what the MIN ALT should be, since its dictated by data and tactics we don't have access to.

 

Can you explain that one more? Maybe I'm reading more in to it than I should...

 

Regarding the rest of your post... makes me wish we had mod tools :p

[BlueRidgeDx]

The MRC & MRS provide visual cues when to abort the pass. The cues are based on present aircraft state (airspeed, load factor, dive angle), info from the DSMS (weapon type, HOF, fuzing, SEM, MIN ALT, etc), and IFFCC data (ballistics, frag patterns, TOF, etc).

 

Using all that data, IFFCC will provide RTSE that ensures compliance with the most restrictive (highest) altitude required to either 1) prevent self fragmentation, 2) ensure TOF sufficient for fuze arming, or 3) prevent descent below the pilot-entered MIN ALT.

 

DCS simulates all of this, and the computer takes care of numbers 1 and 2. But number 3 depends on specific tactics in combat, or specific training rules in...training. Without that info, we're really just guessing at what to put in for a realistic MIN ALT.