Best tools to learn air-to-air refueling

[Niko]

Having problem myself with it but mostly when the tanker start turning to follow its path. Is it somthing a real tanker would do in reality start turning during a precontact ?

[Cookie]

According to all the books I´ve read so far: Yes, they would start the turn. Would you, as a tanker crew, stray deep into enemy territory just because the fighter jock back there can´t get connected?

 

Since your frame of reference is the tanker, not the horizon, it shouldn´t really matter to you what kind of maneuvers it flies, you just stay in formation with it.

 

Just to prove my point:

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. If you need a training tool for aerial refueling, try this sophisticated simulator: http://www.airforce.com/interactive/refuel/ :D

[K2mil]

So basically there should be no curve on the stick ?? I have x65F and I hoped I'll do better with it then with basic Logitech, but not really... I have curves of 30 on x and y axis on the stick, throttle is basic on default any ideas for me ??

[WildBillKelsoe]

So basically there should be no curve on the stick ?? I have x65F and I hoped I'll do better with it then with basic Logitech, but not really... I have curves of 30 on x and y axis on the stick, throttle is basic on default any ideas for me ??

 

No, curve the stick AND the throttle.

[redfish]

[NhiTrac]

...

 

 

Face palm moment!

 

I just realised I've been using the 'realistic neck' mod which changes the POV with track IR... All I see when I'm connected is literally just the probe.

 

No wonder why I've been having such a PITA time as I don't have any aircraft/wing to reference! :joystick:

 

Ps awesome mate. I hope to AAR like that one day

[WildBillKelsoe]

Guys, for the second time today, all I did was reference the 4 little holes next to the boom operator to my canopy arc. On speed plus or minus 1 mm of throttle movement, and got a full tank again. Really awesome feeling. Time to put in practice over a mission.

[Nealius]

Anybody have tools for actually finding and catching up with the tanker? I was playing the "Hideout" mission and needed to gas up, but of course KC-135s have no TACAN. AWACs gave me bullseye of the tanker so I went there, and saw two or three contrails circling about and literally had to guess. Then I spent then next 20 minutes chasing the damn contrail because I can't fly any faster than the tanker at 25,000ft even with a clean airframe and low fuel...

[mec287]

Anybody have tools for actually finding and catching up with the tanker? I was playing the "Hideout" mission and needed to gas up, but of course KC-135s have no TACAN. AWACs gave me bullseye of the tanker so I went there, and saw two or three contrails circling about and literally had to guess. Then I spent then next 20 minutes chasing the damn contrail because I can't fly any faster than the tanker at 25,000ft even with a clean airframe and low fuel...

 

That is just bad mission making.

[Nealius]

Great to know that the missions that came with the game are poorly made...:joystick:

 

Still, how do you actually catch up to the tanker? To me a decent overtake at >2nm is 100kts, and unless the tanker is flying at 170kts that's kinda hard to do in an A-10.

[Derbysieger]

Most missions I played have the tankers at 15000-20000ft, 170-200KIAS and a tacan frequency. I usually just intercept the tanker and crawl up behind it.

That being said it's usually community made missions in Multiplayer. I never touched SP missions. If I wanted to train refuelling offline I'd just put down a tanker at 15000-20000ft and fly. The standard tacan frequency is 1X if you don't change it in the editor.

[jay43]

Yes yes yes wohoo i succesfully connected today and took fuel and it felt good infact i got so excited i disconnected to early then re-connected mid turn which i found easier than connecting in a straight line.

Anyone who is struggling keep at it as it will come just takes practice lots of, plus a little stick curve tweaking and you're good.

One tip no one has mentioned is if you get a dissconnect make sure you reset using the nose wheel steering button on your THWH stick otherwise you are just chasing the tanker.

[FreeFall]

Anybody have tools for actually finding and catching up with the tanker? I was playing the "Hideout" mission and needed to gas up, but of course KC-135s have no TACAN. AWACs gave me bullseye of the tanker so I went there, and saw two or three contrails circling about and literally had to guess. Then I spent then next 20 minutes chasing the damn contrail because I can't fly any faster than the tanker at 25,000ft even with a clean airframe and low fuel...

 

I'm a bit late with my answer, but the tanker speed of Hideout mission is kinda well-known problem:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1473041#post1473041

[Robin_Hood]

Anybody have tools for actually finding and catching up with the tanker? I was playing the "Hideout" mission and needed to gas up, but of course KC-135s have no TACAN. AWACs gave me bullseye of the tanker so I went there, and saw two or three contrails circling about and literally had to guess. Then I spent then next 20 minutes chasing the damn contrail because I can't fly any faster than the tanker at 25,000ft even with a clean airframe and low fuel...

 

Actually in DCS World, KC-135 are equipped with TACAN (giving both range and bearing). I don't know why, since AFAIK only the KC-10 has this capability, but it works.

 

On the subject, for what is worth, I have a CH Product HOTAS as well, and I use 21/21 curves on pitch and roll, nothing on the throttle (never really understood why people would put curvature on the throttle - apart from very specific needs).

[Milli]

Actually in DCS World, KC-135 are equipped with TACAN (giving both range and bearing). I don't know why, since AFAIK only the KC-10 has this capability, but it works.

 

The real KC-135 has air to air TACAN capability, but only the DME (distance)part of it.

 

Regards,

Milli

Edited April 30, 2013 by Milli

[Guest Izoul123]

I do have one question on this...

 

I've read from a few others/been told it's almost better to have TrackIR off when doing ATAR.

 

I know it's something simple I'm missing, I know under the 'Action' settings there is a 'Pause' option, but it only works while continuously holding the assigned button down...how do I make it so it's on/off toggle without continuous button hold?

 

ATAR is still one of my biggest 'banes' in this SIM, and I think honestly track IR is causing me more negative performance for this part of the sim, which greatly frustrates me.

 

I can stay contacted for about 5 seconds max, and then disconnect...very nerve racking...so part of my idea is that shutting track IR off might help a bit more actually on this part of the sim...dunno...but I'll keep trying...I can only do it for about 15 minutes of trying before I want to rage quit lol. I'm doing very minimal throttle movements once connected, but it's still not enough...disconnect....and I think it's maybe over fatigue trying to hold head perfectly still to watch/manage reference points on the tanker's engines (I'm not focusing on boom, I try to lock tanker's inner 2 engines on upper of my canopy as reference).

 

HW is TMWH+TIR5 on default settings. I trim it to as close to perfect flight as I can in tandem with the tanker, but still find myself bouncing/over correcting to much, or fracteciding the tanker...yay.

Edited May 2, 2013 by Izoul123

[NhiTrac]

I do have one question on this...

 

I've read from a few others/been told it's almost better to have TrackIR off when doing ATAR.

 

I know it's something simple I'm missing, I know under the 'Action' settings there is a 'Pause' option, but it only works while continuously holding the assigned button down...how do I make it so it's on/off toggle without continuous button hold?

 

ATAR is still one of my biggest 'banes' in this SIM, and I think honestly track IR is causing me more negative performance for this part of the sim, which greatly frustrates me.

 

I can stay contacted for about 5 seconds max, and then disconnect...very nerve racking...so part of my idea is that shutting track IR off might help a bit more actually on this part of the sim...dunno...but I'll keep trying...I can only do it for about 15 minutes of trying before I want to rage quit lol. I'm doing very minimal throttle movements once connected, but it's still not enough...disconnect....and I think it's maybe over fatigue trying to hold head perfectly still to watch/manage reference points on the tanker's engines (I'm not focusing on boom, I try to lock tanker's inner 2 engines on upper of my canopy as reference).

 

HW is TMWH+TIR5 on default settings. I trim it to as close to perfect flight as I can in tandem with the tanker, but still find myself bouncing/over correcting to much, or fracteciding the tanker...yay.

 

I have the same hardware... Give this a go.

 

 

- download this track ir profile

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/250466/

 

- add 21 curve to the joystick's x/y axis.

 

-reattempt AAR

 

 

The above made a massive difference for me and now I really enjoy AAR. The track ir profile reduces the constant head movements which while the default profiles are a bit more fluid, can make it quite difficult.

 

The curves to the joystick lowers the stick's sensitivity enough around the centre to reduce over-correction.

 

Hope that helps.