Is Anybody Interested In Some Dcs Missions? Training, Sharing Knowledge, Or Otherwise?

[Snacko]

Just wondering if anyone is interested in flying some DCS missions?  Sharing what they have learned?  Etc... 

 

Post here if you are, and what you are interested in?

 

I know just enough to autostart both the Huey and Mi-8 and be dangerous.  I can also fly the A10A pretty well from my Lockon FC years...

[Jabo]

Will be picking up the Huey and possibly the Mi-8 tomorrow - steep learning curve ahead so I'm up for this. As long as it doesn't conflict with scheduled IL-2 nights.

 

Jabo

[Snacko]

Not that steep if you just want to fly and use your weapons..  I was helping APHill get up to speed a few days ago..  The main thing to learn is how to trim the AC, but that is just one button.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with Tapatalk 4.

[GreyKnight]

I've got a handful of good Huey missions we could run. Mainly shuttling troops back and forth from FOBs to the front line. You can either fly slicks or gunships, whatever takes your fancy. The Huey is the DCS game I have the most hours in.

 

I've just learnt the A-10C and am now trying to learn attacks with it.

 

I got Black Shark 2, but haven't flown it since I used to play the 1st version.

 

The Mi-8 is still too raw for me right now, what with the russian cockpit, I'm waiting for more features for this.

[Mayhem]

Would be willing to fly some A-10C or Blackshark 2. Really think quite highly of the DSC series though I don't seem to fly it very often. The hours you plan on flying would really be the determining factor for me.

[Snacko]

I posted a link for an English Mi-8 Cockpit in that DCS Sale thread...

[Jabo]

Regrettably, I never got around to making either purchase last night so I'll have to wait for the next sale.

[DD_Fenrir]

I'm competent in P-51, A-10C and Huey, plus can help you get off the ground and basics weapon management in F-15C or A-10A for those with FC3. If you chaps wanna book an evening in to get together then there are weapons training servers available out there already on the Multiplayer lists, which given the issues I have had hosting some DCS missions in the past would probably be the best idea.

 

On a side note 1.2.6 is a little buggy in multi-player currently; it might be worth hanging on for the next update before committing to a date for any DCS evening.

[Snacko]

I hosted for AP and myself a few times with no issues.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with Tapatalk 4.

[Crash]

Hi Fen, I feel like giving the P51 a go, so what are the basic essential buttons to allocate to practice take-offs and landings?

[DD_Fenrir]

Hello Dave,

 

Buttons wise the only thing I can think of that I have mapped that's important for start-up & takeoff is Open/Close Canopy (shift/ctrl-C IIRC) and you might wanna map rudder trim to an axis or pot or something. If you have the facility to map left & right wheel brakes to an axis, I would also recommend. But more of that later. Otherwise I am doing everything via clickable cockpit.

 

Most importantly though is your pitch axis - make sure you have a curve set. I find 22 a good compromise between sensitivity and controllability.

 

Start-up is quite prompt when you can remember it! The in game tutorials are always good for that. 

 

Taxiing.

 

Very little power is required to keep the mustang rolling, so whilst you might need a bit of oomph to get her started you'll find she saunter along quite happily with the throttle only fractionally open.

 

Turning whilst taxiing is not quite as easy as Il-2; firstly even though your tail wheel is steerable, there are limits to it's range of motion, 6 degrees either side of centreline. This is quite sufficient for shallow bends,S-turns whilst taxiing and essential for takeoff. This steerable mode is engaged simply by holding the stick aft of centre.

 

In contrast to fully unlock the tail wheel and make it free castoring, hold the stick forward of centre. Useful for spot turns etc. The best way to get it going is, rather than to apply rudder. to lightly tap the brake in the direction you want to turn. The tail will quickly - and I mean quickly! - start coming round. It will also accelerate as the tail carries round and converts your forward momentum into a ground loop VERY quickly so be ready to catch her with a dab (or three!) of opposite brake as she comes round. remember if you are bimbling along doing about 20mph without much throttle on you'll have bugger all in terms of rudder authority so just hoping the rudder is going to catch it is a fools hope. Be sparing with the brakes though, cos a nose over is not out of the question.

 

 

Take-off.

 

Get nicely lined up, and make sure that the tail wheel is locked in the steerable mode (stick aft of centre) and more importantly that it is centred. I have seen so many people get all nicely squared but their tail wheel is at almost right angles to the direction of travel where they've made a 90 degree turn to get into position on the runway. They wonder why the plane suddenly veers as they power up! So after you have pulled on to the runway just run her forward gently a few feet until you're sure the tail wheel is centred in the 6 degree steering mode.

 

Last checks -

 

1. Close canopy

2. Flaps UP

3. Dial in 6 degree of right rudder trim

4. Stick held slightly aft of centre - no need for it to be in your gut

5. Take a brave pill.

 

Power up smoothly to 45 inches Manifold Pressure (MP) -  that's all you need for now. Cobb the engine and she'll get all gyroscopic and squirrelly on you the moment the tail lifts. Just ease up the power to this mark, it's plenty for takeoff and concentrate on keeping her straight on the rudder - I find tiny little darts and jabs of rudder far more effective than sitting on it. It's tricky and the visual cues are almost imperceptible but you have to be on top of them real quickly and preempt - I can't stress that word enough, PREEMPT! - any movements you think might be happening. If she starts to get away from you then by the time you've got enough control authority to pull her back things just start getting real unpleasant. Then providing you haven't ground looped already in a ball of incandescent avgas, your massive correction will turn into a massive over-correction (cos you didn't release the rudder fast enough) and you'll end up ground looped in a ball of incandescent avgas... only this time on the other side of the runway.

 

If you've kept her somewhere near straight during the initial power up then you'll sense she wants to lower her nose as the speed builds; just let her do it in her own time. Relax a little back pressure and be prepared for a little dance on the rudder as the precession takes, though if you let her do it in her own time it's barely noticeable. If you force the tail off in anything but a feather-light manner she'll ground loop and kill you in a heart beat.

 

Ok by now you should be roaring down the runway doing something approaching 100mph - TBH I don't even look at the ASI, I just let her get on with it. With the horizon now on the nose I ever so gently bring the stick gently back a fraction of a smidge and wait till she's ready to lift off - if you keep hauling back until she reacts you will

 

A - at best be wondering why nowts happening when she suddenly leaps into the air and scares the bejezus out of you - then you'll spend the next 10 seconds correcting and then over-correcting, porpoising around like a noob, or,

 

B - at worst she'll leave the ground too quickly and snap stall and roll on her back only a few feet off the runway. Cue the ground looped in a ball of incandescent avgas - again. (Though in truth, this is more of a full on air crash.)

 

Once airbourne that rudder trim you dialled in for Take-off will make itself painfully apparent so get on the trim, get your gear up and come back on the prop pitch to 2700rpm.

 

Voila you are flying the P-51!

 

Hope this helps mate.

[Crash]

Thanks for that, I did a bit of flying about earlier on (Not tried take of or landing yet) and the manifold pressure gauge was bouncing about like mad. Also the throttle handle was displayed as jumping about. I might have to put some damping on my throttle or something but it didnt show when I checked in the windows controllers.

[DD_Fenrir]

Thanks for that, I did a bit of flying about earlier on (Not tried take of or landing yet) and the manifold pressure gauge was bouncing about like mad. Also the throttle handle was displayed as jumping about. I might have to put some damping on my throttle or something but it didnt show when I checked in the windows controllers.

 

Check your control assignments mate - unfortunately in DCS unlike Il-2 you can assign two axes to the same function so it maybe that you have another axis giving throttle input - as default the game assigns all axes equally so throttle quadrant axis y is mapped to exactly the same as joystick axis y and rudder axis y. Straight out of the box you'll have an impossible task trying to fly it so getting the controls all ironed out is a must! The crucial point here is to clear any input devices other than that you want it to be from the various input fields.

 

Hope I am making sense.

 

Otherwise post a screenie of your controls page for me.

[APHill]

Snacko

I will do some more DCS when you have time and I am able to.

[Snacko]

Sorry AP.  Didn't see this until about bedtime last night.

 

Maybe tonight possibily? 

[CaptJackG]

I'll be home in a few days and I should have the Huey and Hind so I'll need some training to get my Helli on.

[Crash]

 

Thanks for that, I did a bit of flying about earlier on (Not tried take of or landing yet) and the manifold pressure gauge was bouncing about like mad. Also the throttle handle was displayed as jumping about. I might have to put some damping on my throttle or something but it didnt show when I checked in the windows controllers.

 

Check your control assignments mate - unfortunately in DCS unlike Il-2 you can assign two axes to the same function so it maybe that you have another axis giving throttle input - as default the game assigns all axes equally so throttle quadrant axis y is mapped to exactly the same as joystick axis y and rudder axis y. Straight out of the box you'll have an impossible task trying to fly it so getting the controls all ironed out is a must! The crucial point here is to clear any input devices other than that you want it to be from the various input fields.

 

Hope I am making sense.

 

Otherwise post a screenie of your controls page for me.

 

Thanks for your help Tom. An other problem I had was the brakes axis was reversed! Anyway the 1st 2 attempts at taking off resulted in flying :) On the second flight I tried stalls loops low level flybys and I landed OK only to run off the runway onto the grass and lose a piece of wing.  Much button assignments to come.

[Snacko]

There's a new DCS update out today.  Auto-update is downloading 710mb..

[Crash]

Much button assignments have taken place. I am using xpadder which is a nice program and you can have a picture of your controller and show the button assignments BUT its not too obvious how to set up 2 controllers with different profiles. I think I have now sorted it and successfully wobbled my way into the sky using the profile and then back to Il-2 set the profiles and then flew that

On the to do list are A-10C, FC3 Clifford and Rof. This might take some time.

[Snacko]

[Snacko]

I've got a handful of good Huey missions we could run. Mainly shuttling troops back and forth from FOBs to the front line. You can either fly slicks or gunships, whatever takes your fancy. The Huey is the DCS game I have the most hours in.

 

I've just learnt the A-10C and am now trying to learn attacks with it.

 

I got Black Shark 2, but haven't flown it since I used to play the 1st version.

 

The Mi-8 is still too raw for me right now, what with the russian cockpit, I'm waiting for more features for this.

 

I would like to do this sometime.  But I'm not sure how to work it with the time differences with some of the other US guys unless they can fly during the daytime.

 

Since I am a backer on the DCS WWII Europe 1944 Kickstarter, I should be getting the DCS P-51 for free any day now too.  That's a great deal considering I only gave $40.00 to kickstarter for 5 aircraft and get this P-51 ($39.99) today.

[GreyKnight]

@ Snacko - If any weekends are good for you lot, just let me know.

[Snacko]

Ok, well let's see if anybody else is interested....

 

This Saturday 3pm EST (7pm GMT) is good for me.  Anybody else? 

We could train for a while if anybody needs help, and fly a few coops?

[GreyKnight]

I'm in!

[CaptJackG]

I'm in too