F-16C

[Tribunus]

I got to spend about two hours today in an F-16C flight simulator.

I was visiting an Egyptian Air Base, and discovered that the Egyptians were not using it today. It seemed like a waste to let it just sit there and not be used, so I talked the American contractor, who maintains the simulator, into letting me take it for a spin.

As you would expect the cockpit is an exact replica of an F-16. The cockpit sits in the middle of the room almost half surrounded by a wrap around screen. The screen wraps around maybe 150 degrees, so it is almost a half a sphere

Regrettably, the graphics are awful. The old Micro Soft Combat Flight Simulator 1 had better graphics. But this simulator is about training pilots, not eye candy.

The simulated airfield I took off from was fairly short, so I had to use the Afterburner for takeoff. This was actually pretty easy. You just go to full throttle and then move the throttle sideways and forward through a gate. Then you’re in Afterburner.

Rotation speed for takeoff was 170 knots. Then it was gear up and way. This thing climbs like a scared cat. I was just getting settled into the climb out, when I looked at the instruments and noticed that I was already at 17,000 feet.

I then flew to Suez and made a bomb run on shipping in the Red Sea. Then I flew to Cairo and made some gun runs on the Sphinx. The damage model on the Sphinx is awful. Repeated runs with a 20mm Vulcan had no affect on it at all.

Then I flew back up the Nile to my base for some practice landings. The F-16 is a lot hotter than what I’m used to. In IL2, I normally enter the landing pattern at a little over 200 kmh and make my final approach at around 160 to 150 kmh. With the F-16 I entered the pattern at 220 knots. When I dropped my landing gear, the drag took me down to 200 knots, flaps are automatic. Your final approach in the F-16 is right at 170 knots. By IL2 standards that is screaming fast.

I’ve got to admit that I aborted a lot of landings and had to go around multiple times. I was coming in too fast, too high, too low, you name I was doing it. Part of it was the very fast approach speed and part of it was that I wasn’t use to the way the graphics engine depict the 2 Dimensional representation of the ground. In IL2, I’m use to the all the little 2D clues that help you determine your height when you’re coming in for a landing. It wasn’t pretty, but I eventually go it on the ground.

The funny thing was that after I ended my session and I got out of the simulator, I was wobbling and weaving all over the place when I tried to walk. That huge wrap around screen, which would bank, climb and turn with the simulated aircraft, had thrown my sense of balance off.

[Snacko]

I am jealous, that is very cool Trib!!

So, did the guy help you figure stuff out, or do you know how to fly an F16?

This Falcon Pit Trainer program helped me a lot with Faclon. Check it out:

http://pittrainer.sourceforge.net/

[GreyKnight]

Haven't you done something similar before Trib? Or was it another DDogz who had fun on a proper simulator.

Imagine if like the proper training crews had a look at your flight log data (if it's kept) and thought, "...which monkey-assed buffoon flew this mission?.."

[Tribunus]

~S~ GrayKnight,

That was me Mate, but this is the first time that I really had a long period of time to play with it.

The other times I’ve been in the simulator, all pretty much fall under the heading of ground school. There are a lot of buttons and switches to remember in an F-16.

As far as the flight log…. Oh yes, they would think a monkey was flying the thing. I’m flying around the virtual skies trying to trim the bird properly and make simple turns without gaining or losing altitude.

~S~ Snacko

No mate, I’ve never flow an F-16. The hottest fixed wing aircraft that I’ve ever flown was Cessna 310.

As far as getting help from the contractor, absolutely yes.

There are 6 of these simulators scattered around Egypt. When I visit the Egyptian Air Bases where they are located, I somehow always find time to drop by and chat with the American technicians. So as I told GrayKnight, I’ve got a decent amount of knowledge about how the cockpit controls are laid out.

Rotation speed for takeoff is marked on the Air Speed indicator with a little green arrow. The Air Speed indicator has an outer needle for knots and an inner needle for Mach number. The contractor advised me as to the appropriate speeds for dropping the landing gear and making my landing approach.

I’ll look at that Pit trainer link when I get some time. But the picture of instrument panel on the title page looks good.

[T_O_A_D]

Coolness!

Speaking of wobbly, I have in the past after way to many hours IL2ing, due to track IR and aggressive flying, had my eyes, even once closed pulsating, from rapid focasing at moving targets.

At least that what I think caused it.

[Perfesser]

The damage model on the Sphinx is awful. Repeated runs with a 20mm Vulcan had no affect on it at all.

Ummm... you know it's a big rock, right?

Our brain is an amazing thing, look how fast it adapts to TrackIR.

Now you spent a few hours teaching it about a new relationship between your ear balance and visual cues.

You get out of the chair and everything is out of whack till you reboot.

Too cool man.

[Fireman]

Coolness!

Speaking of wobbly, I have in the past after way to many hours IL2ing, due to track IR and aggressive flying, had my eyes, even once closed pulsating, from rapid focasing at moving targets.

At least that what I think caused it.

Sure it wasnt the booze Toad???

[Tribunus]

Ummm... you know it's a big rock, right?

Sand stone.

Old crumbly sand stone.

[B16Enk]

Sand stone.

Old crumbly sand stone.

So you are saying the '50s are under modelled right?

Cool recount mate, not many of us get the chance to pilot a 'real' simulator..