Ground radar?

[xclusiv8 35]

Could've someone please explaine to me how the ground radar works in SF2E. So far i feel like i have no use for it because it does not seem to do anything.

 

Thank-you.

[+Dels 649]

For Ground Mapping mode: All it does is give you a visual representation of what objects with high radar cross section are on the ground. You can use it to find ships, tanks, SAM sites, runways etc.

 

You cannot use it to lock onto anything so from that perspective it's useless.

 

For Terrain Avoidance mode: You can use it to fly at low altitude at night by making sure there are no bright returns in front of you.

 

It's mainly eye candy rather than functional...remember, this is a 'lite' sim.

 

Dels

[UnknownPilot 33]

It's mainly eye candy rather than functional...

 

How much of that "eye candy" aspect is simply because we don't use it properly? With the red box automatically highlighting your target and E/Crtl+E functionality, the ground map radar is allowed to fall into disuse, ultimately being eye candy as a result, but.... could the real thing actually lock on to a target and guide you in?

 

In modern jets, the HUD will coordinate with the RADAR, lock on to a chosen target, guid you in, tell you range and elevation info, even give you a pipper that accounts for your speed, alt, AoA, target elevation, and bomb type so that you can place the dot on it, press the button, and forget about it.

 

But that's in the A-10 and some other modern jobs. Not so much in these older ones. It's basically like mud moving in a Jug, or Pfeil. You gotta find it manually, then use skill to place the iron on target and get out.

 

I still think there is a bit too much "haze" in this rendering engine, that everything is much more visible in other prominent ones (it's hard for me to see anything until I'm on top of it, then I need to back off and plan a run once I know where it is, would be much easier though if I could see at a greater distance - but then again, I'm on older hardware too and have to turn some of the settings down for the sake of frame rate, so I am sure some of it is my rig too), so that red box comes in handy. But still.... picture having that extra bit of info in a Jug loaded for bear with 2000 lbs of iron and some rockets. It's not a make or break, but it could certainly come in handy with the right training to use it. And as noted, the terrain avoidance is helpful as well (so long as your AoA is low enough, else you could still fly into the ground).

[MigBuster 2,884]

The radar is very handy for avoiding AAA sites - it has limited use for target finding though - but can be done if you follow your steerpoints correctly using the pit dials and have a distance countdown. Then to manually view a ground target for dive bombing I zoom in with TrackIR - although this doesnt always work for small camoed guns.

 

Padlock is handy too - good to have some aids to make up for the lack of airbourn/ground FACs.

 

 

The A-10A never had a radar AFIAK - not even sure the A-10C is getting one

[+daddyairplanes 10,252]

no radar for A-10C, where ya gonna fit it with that avenger cannon?

[+Dave 2,322]

Unknownpilot, Dels is a C-130 instructor pilot in the Aussie AF, he has been around, I am sure he knows all that. Also the A-10 doesn't have a ground radar. I use the hell out of the ground radar because I use all hard HUD and radar settings. Having been flying and modding this sim since 2002, you eventually learn to use it. The bottom line is that it takes practice and you have to want to use it.

[DWCAce 19]

It's also quite useful when shooting an approach down to mins in IMC

[xclusiv8 35]

Thank you for your replys guys!

 

Unknownpilot, Dels is a C-130 instructor pilot in the Aussie AF, he has been around, I am sure he knows all that. Also the A-10 doesn't have a ground radar. I use the hell out of the ground radar because I use all hard HUD and radar settings. Having been flying and modding this sim since 2002, you eventually learn to use it. The bottom line is that it takes practice and you have to want to use it.

 

Could you please explaine how you do it? I am guessing you have to zoom in to actually see something?

[+Dave 2,322]

Thank you for your replys guys!

 

 

 

Could you please explaine how you do it? I am guessing you have to zoom in to actually see something?

 

The returns on the radar are usually very strong and hard to miss. But you have to remember ground clutter comes into play so you have to watch dive angles etc. Not sure how much more I could tell you becuase I turn it on and I see returns from the radar sweeps. Make sense? Are you not seeing any returns at all?

[xclusiv8 35]

The returns on the radar are usually very strong and hard to miss. But you have to remember ground clutter comes into play so you have to watch dive angles etc. Not sure how much more I could tell you becuase I turn it on and I see returns from the radar sweeps. Make sense? Are you not seeing any returns at all?

 

I see a bunch of green squares or dots. I am guessing those are the returns??

[+Dave 2,322]

I see a bunch of green squares or dots. I am guessing those are the returns??

 

Yes, and al depends on the radar on how it returns on when you get dots, flashes or squares.

[xclusiv8 35]

Yes, and al depends on the radar on how it returns on when you get dots, flashes or squares.

 

Oh then i understand, thank you! You guys are helpfull as always

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

I love the ground radar. Very simple and basic but its there and it works wonders on hilly terrain and flat lakes just what you need for IDing targets at night like RAF did in WW2 (lake coastline). But it fails to differentiate between ground and water, only sees terrain slope so lake vs flat terrain is no use. One day ("ten years") I'll paint grids or something on the radar bmps and try playing offset aim points. I wish the ground radar would check tile type (water=1), not just height map. I guess that's how it works. :dntknw:

 

Good article on mapping the Soviet Union using radar to make radar target images for SAC bombers...

 

~> http://www.spyflight.co.uk/scul.htm