streakeagle

Unfortunately, the images for my SF Series radar tutorial were split between an old anonymous image shack account that is long gone and a registered one that now requires a monthly fee to manage. I have recovered some of the images from the registered account. The original tutorial is intact in Bunyap's old Weapons Delivery Manual, so if that is still around for download, it has the complete text and images in decent text book format. Since the original knowledge base thread is locked, here is a copy with the salvaged images attached via CombatAce upload. Using radar and radar homing missiles like the AIM-7 Sparrow on Hard settings seems too hard for many people. With a little review of the way radar works and what the display indications mean, it really isn't that difficult. A basic summary: 1. Use Search Mode to detect a target on your display (vary the range scale using the <PAGE DOWN> key if necessary). 2. Use the <HOME> key to move the cursor to the target. 3. Use the <INSERT> key to lock on. 4. Center the steering dot in the ASE circle. 5. Launch when "IN RANGE". 6. Maintain target lock on until missile hits, or missile will miss. Note: Once you have locked on, you can use <CTRL><R> to visually acquire the target, which also identifies the type of aircraft (an unrealistically accurate form of IFF). Then use either <F4> to padlock the target from within the cockpit, <SHIFT><F8> to padlock the target from an external player-to-target view, or <F8> to see the target up close. Alternatively, steps 1 through 3 can be bypassed when engaging targets held visually: Select Boresight Mode and hold your gunsight exactly on the target until a lock on occurs. Then continue with step 4. The idea behind radar in the 1960s was that radio energy could be used to search for contacts by rapidly sweeping an antenna from side to side while transmitting radio energy pulses and receiving "echoes" from targets hit by those pulses. The antenna has a "beam", which is the pattern or shape of the radio transmission. Ideally, this beam is very narrow since it determines the elevation and azimuth resolution. The radar display graphs the azimuth (bearing) of the antenna versus the time (range) of the echoes. In the case of the F-4 radar as portrayed in SFP1 and WOV, the elevation of the antenna alternates between a look up and a look down angle. Each elevation angle is referred to as a bar. The F-4 radar's search pattern in SFP1 and WOV is a 2-bar scan. The F-4 has radar azimuth limits of +/- 60 degrees, which means it can see targets in a 120 degree cone centered on its nose. Illustration of horizontal aziumth sweep pattern: The 120 degree horizontal search cone is quite large, but not every target will be covered by it. There are four ways to get a target into your seach sweep: 1. Arbitrarily change course by +/- 120 degrees to cover a full 360 degrees. In reality, you should know what is behind you, so check turns of +/- 60 degrees is probably adequate. 2. Point your nose at RWR contacts. 3. Steer to the targets in the verbal reports from the ground controller. 4. Use the <M> key to bring up the map to see where to turn your nose to acquire targets known to ground control. The F-4 has radar elevation limits of +/- 60 degrees, but does not scan over that entire range. It merely permits the radar to continue a full horizontal sweep when banked 90 degrees. The vertical search is constrained to two elevation bars at +/- 1.875 degrees. The radar beam is 6.7 degrees wide and the two elevation bars overlap providing about 10 degrees of vertical coverage. Illustration of 2-bar vertical sweep pattern: While this was outstanding for its day, it is easy to see that targets might be above or below the 10 degrees of vertical search. The F-4 must periodically pitch its nose up or down to get more vertical coverage. Of course, the F-4 does not have look-down radar. If the nose is pointed down too much, the radar will be cluttered heavily with ground returns. In reality, the F-4 had major problems trying to use the radar and Sparrow missiles at low altitudes or against targets flying at much lower altitudes. The game is not quite so picky, but a target can try flying very low and using ground clutter to break lock ons and/or decoy Sparrows. Here is a typical search display from an F-4 radar in SFP1 with two targets: Once you have found a target on your search display, you have the option to acquire/track/lock on to the target. This means the radar stops sweeping rapidly and instead tries to keep the antenna pointed at the target at all times. This provides very accurate information on a single target, which is needed to launch and guide radar guided missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow. Tracking a single target does not permit searching for more targets. The F-4 radar has a cursor that allows you to choose which target you want to acqire. Press the <HOME> key to move the cursor. If the cursor is not on the desired target, then continue pressing the <HOME> key until the cursor is on the desired target. Here is what happens if you push the <HOME> key while a target is displayed (the cursor moves to the target): Once the cursor is in the desired position, simply press the <INSERT> key to track/acquire/lock on to the target. The sweeping strobe stops on the bearing of the contact, all other targets disappear from the display, and a range gate sweep moves up the strobe until it finds the target's range. At that point, lock on has been achieved. Here is what happens if you push the <INSERT> key while the cursor is on a target (the radar enters acquisition mode): If you successfully lock on, the radar displays additional information: closure rate using a rotating ring, allowable steering error, steering dot, and the min and max ranges of the selected weapon. There is even an IN RANGE light to let you know when the target is within firing range parameters. The notch in the range rate circle rotates to indicate closure rate. If the notch is at 12 o'clock (top of the circle), then there is no closure. As the notch moves clockwise from 12 to 3 to 6 to 9, it indicates an increase in the closure speed. As the notch moves counter-clockwise from 12 to 9, it indicates that the target is opening rather than closing. In other words, the target is moving away from the radar. Here is what the display looks like while locked on: Sparrows have two primary launch requirements: 1. Locked on to the target. 2. Target between Min and Max range limits. But just because you are able to launch a Sparrow, doesn't mean it has a chance of hitting. Other launch requirements that should be considered include: 1. Launching aircraft should not be maneuvering violently. 2. Steering dot should be within the ASE circle. 3. ASE circule changes size with range. In general, the larger the circle, the better the chance to hit. Try to hold fire until the circle is close to its maximum size. 4. Aspect of the target can render Sparrow shots impossible. The AIM-7 likes direct head-on shots form long distances and rear quarter shots from short distances. Crossing shots at the targets front quarter and beam may prove difficult, if not impossible to hit. 8. Launching aircraft should have as high a speed as practical since the missile can maneuver better, fly longer range, and impact sooner if it has more energy at the moment of launch. Here is what the F-4 radar display looks like when close to optimum firing conditions (the ASE circle is very large and the steering dot is almost centered in the circle): If you get too close to fire an AIM-7 Sparrow, the radar displays a big "X" (the phrase "too close for missiles, switching to guns" should come to mind): Vietnam Era RWR Indications: Ground threats are identified by a solid line. Air threats are identified by a dashed line. Radar mode is indicated by the length of the line: 1) Search: short steady line (1st ring) with no audio. 2) Acquisition: flashing medium line (3rd ring) with slow beeping audio. 3) Tracking/Lock-on: flashing long line (to edge of display) with fast beeping audio. Ground radar search: Ground radar acquisition: Ground radar track/lock: Air radar search: Air radar acquisition: Air radar track/lock: If there are any questions or comment, PLEASE only post them in the regular SF2 forums (General Discussion)

WOE doesn't officially support any OS after XP, so Third Wire won't really have any useful comments. I am still running Win 7 64-bit and have always had AMD/ATi video cards, so I haven't had the problems that others have been having that past year or so. nVidia drivers can be a problem. I don't know what problems Windows 10 would introduce as long as the old DirectX 9 is supported other than hardware drivers.

Read PCPilot's first post more closely. His wife already got him the Cessna yoke and throttle combo!

I am an F-4 Phanatic. I bought a real F-4 stick and put a Warthog throttle in a wooden console patterned after the F-4's console. I also built a 1:1 "sport scale" model of an F-4 ejection seat including some actual parts. After quite some time of using this setup, I recently removed the F-4 stick and bolted in the Warthog stick with an extension that makes it almost perfectly match the motion range of the real F-4 stick. I also have the Thrustmaster F-16 MFDs, which are already very useful for flying the A-10C and will become even more useful as other glass cockpit aircraft become available. While my controls are slowly migrating to a generic modern fighter, I can still easily bolt the F-4 stick back in. The B-8 stick grip of the F-4 was used on many fighters from the P-80 to the F-15A. Two DCS World aircraft modules already use it: F-86F and UH-1H. But the Warthog stick has more precision and the extra buttons/hats to support more modern aircraft, so for now the Warthog has taken over. Post about latest Warthog adaptation: http://combatace.com/topic/87847-replaced-f-4-b-8-with-warthog-stick/?p=708585 Old pick with F-4/B-8 stick:

Even the best professional/military grade simulators can't 100% capture the physics, sight, and feel of real flight... even on an aircraft as simple and predictable as a low subsonic straight-winged Cessna. But, for years, they have already been close enough to develop the basic habits and procedures needed to operate aircraft safely. There are a number of professional simulators based on FSX and/or X-Plane that are certified by the FAA to count for a number of hours toward a pilot's license (10 if I recall correctly). The key differences between a home based cockpit and a professional FSX/X-Plane sim are the FAA certification and the supervision of a licensed instructor pilot. With all his years of being a career civil pilot AND an avid FSX/X-Plane flight simmer, BeachAV8tor would be one of the best persons to convey the usefulness/limitations PC civil flight sims versus reality. But in my own experience, if you can follow real-world procedures in a home cockpit, you will have no trouble flying a real plane other than having to get used to the response/stability/inertia of the real world versus the mostly sterile and slightly bad physics of PC sims. Modern Cessnas/Pipers have glass cockpits that look like modern combat aircraft/PC flight sims anyway. So other than learning the feel of the controls, getting used to the seat-of-the-pants forces, and realizing that there is no reset button if anything goes wrong, the flight models and physics really are that good. I suggest you buy an orientation flight from a flight school. 30 minutes in a Cessna or other light plane doesn't cost too much (they are hoping to rope you into paying for a license). It will open your eyes to the feeling of real flight and at the same time reinforce how much you already know and how valuable PC sims really are despite their limitations. I always planned to get my license. But PC flight sims are so much more cost effective and allow you to do things you never could/would in reality. I can afford to fly every night on a PC. I would want/need to fly around once a month to maintain real world flying proficiency and also have to take a physical every year = a lot more money than building a new PC every 3 to 5 years, not to mention the cost of the initial training to get the license, though the sport license is a little cheaper and has lower physical standards as well.

The F-86F is easier to fly than any FC3 airplane aside from needing ground power to get the engine started. The P-51D isn't any harder beyond the startup, though the engine has to be watched or it overheats. Only the MiG-21bis is anywhere near the complexity of the A-10C and Ka-50. I absolutely love the MiG-21, but the F-86F is the best "jump-in-and-fly" airplane in the game.

I am going to guess that was the Falcon BMS forum? I didn't realize that was their policy after years of having to re-register every time I wanted to download the lates BMS release.

Two installs was too excessive for me. Now enjoying 1.5 and the Mirage 2000C.

Downloading 1.5 to update 1.2 as I type. I hope all the major bugs are fixed.

No rules that I know of... welcome aboard!

Outstanding!

Great news :) When the DCS 1.5 branch goes hot (by the end of December?), I will have the L-39 and Mirage 2000 to enjoy for the first time. Guess which one will get the most time? I hope all the problems with the MiG-21bis are sorted out by then. Will all the bug fixes and newly added features, the F-86 should be a step up from 1.2 as well.

My changes don't work well with copying over directly, particularly if the module's controls were changed in any way. I am doing scripting in the module's files to get the behavior I want/need with toggle switches. So, I have all my changes grouped at the beginning of the file. After a patch, I have to go to the previous version backup folders for each aircraft and copy out my changes, then paste them into the new version. Simple, but tedious when I have custom mods for the: UH-1H, F-86, MiG-21, Bf109, and Fw190. So, I am pretty happy when there is a functional, stable version. I love flying the Bf109. Cold start, taxi, takeoff, oval back for a landing... whether it correctly models a Bf109 or not, I cannot say. But, based on my real world flying experience, the DCS Bf109 "feels" like I am flying a real airplane instead of the "riding on rails" effect typical of sims. I don't care for the guns as I am spoiled by high velocity/high rate of fire US guns, but with a bit of patience and precision, the Bf109 can use its power advantage to get in close and blow the enemy out of the sky with very few hits. The Fw190 is fun to fly, too, but I like the Bf109 a lot more... far more agile but at the same time a wild beast in need of taming.

For me, there is a need to wait. Stability. Every time there is a patch, I have to re-do my custom control mappings. AFAIK, the MiG-21bis completely broke its control mappings to appease complaints of people using conventional HOTAS, which will leave me unable to fly the MiG-21bis as I have since its initial release. The F-86 has been going through some changes as well, which is the aircraft I fly as much or more than the MiG-21. I read the bug reports. I will wait and hope that most if not all of my concerns are addressed by the time DCS 2.0 is released publicly rather than as a 1.5 beta or 2.0 alpha. I have very few complaints about the current 1.2.x release. So I will continue to enjoy the MiG-21, F-86, MiG-15, P-51D, Fw190, Bf109, UH-1, and Mi-8 as they are while everyone else suffers the teething problems of 1.5 and 2.0. But I am closely watching all the videos and screenshots.. can't wait for better looking graphics AND higher frame rates as well as the new NTTR map. But my main obsession is with the aircraft modules: when will the Hawk and C-101 get proper EFMs? When will the P-40F and Mirage 2000 be released? Spitfire? P-47? F-4F? Leatherneck announcements and F-14 release? etc... Of course, I will have to have 1.5/2.0 to enjoy any of the new releases, so get that 1.5 beta/2.0 alpha up to an integrated 2.0 beta and a final public release!

Done right, superman, batman, wonder woman, and the whole justice league could be as successful as the Marvel Universe movies. But somehow, DC movies usually get it wrong. Yet, they have done well on TV many times over the years. I usually like both Marvel and DC stuff regardless of how badly the critics pan it, so I will certainly see this movie, too. Though I missed the last Fantastic 4 based on my brother's assessment... wait for Netflix.

File Name: SF2.fcf for Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS File Submitter: streakeagle File Submitted: 19 October 2014 File Category: Joystick Config Files With this profile running, you will have to configure the SF2 in-game snap views (or other functions according to your preference) to the gray primary POV hat (trim switch) on the Warthog joystick to function as intended. Otherwise it will serve no purpose. This is a fairly complex profile that uses almost every switch available and some switches have "shifted" modes according to the gray rocker switch just above the red thumb switch on the throttle. Click here to download this file

Glad to hear you solved your problem. I hope this profile serves you well.

It looks so good! But I will keep waiting patiently for a final release :P If only someone, ED or a 3rd party, would put a fully modeled F-4 in the game. I would gladly take any non-recon variant ever built: F-4B/C/D/E/F/G/J//K/M/S. The Simworks Studios F-4B for FSX would be great adapted to DCS World!

Despite the delays involved and the fun I am missing out on, I have even less interest in maintaining an alpha and a beta install in parallel with a main install :P I am looking forward to both the improved Georgia and NTTR terrains in 2.0. But I am equally or perhaps more interested in bug fixes to various aircraft modules. I am also curious about improved frame rates.

$60 with free TacPack upgrade sounds more realistic to me. A comparable DCS aircraft is typically $50 and frequently goes on sail for $40 or less. Of course, I would also have to buy TacPack. I would also have to decide whether to use FSX, FSX:SE, or buy Prepar3d. Prepar3d looks appealing, but keeps changing and addons don't necessarily maintain compatibility. I am not sure if FSX:SE is a better choice, because it already is a bit different from vanilla FSX and keeps changing. But the alternative is to stay with the bugs and performance issues of the now very old FSX.

As tempting as the Milviz F-4E and F-4S are... $60 and adding TacPack later will cost more? Not even an expected release date for TacPack despite F-4E having been out for quite some time. And people think DCS charges too much for individual aircraft? The Simworks Studios F-4B looks more promising than the Milviz offerings. But whichever of them is released in a fully functioning state including properly operating weapons and radar will get my money. At the present rate, 6 months to a year before one of the two even claims to have reached that state?

Not sure if I am going to buy it. The graphics look amazing, but my son and I still enjoy Battlefront 2 (which I have 4 copies - one disc and 3 on steam). If I do buy it, I am not sure if I will get 1 or 2 copies. Right now, I have only 1 origin account which I got for my son. But he wants me to get a 2nd account so we can play Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare together, which would also make sense for the new Battlefront.

Yes, this is a target profile. Technically, you can put it into any folder you want and then open the file using Target. I don't recall where the default folder is. I synchronized all of my computers via a common public documents folder system, so I filed all of my profiles in the same folder I store the target software I use whenever I am building a new PC. I think the default path for the profiles that come with the Target is: C://Users/<User Name>/AppData/Roaming/Thrustmaster/TARGET/Scripts

When you can get the right people into the right situation, there is nothing better than multiplayer. But it is hard to find more than two people that like playing the same way and can fly at the same time. The issues with SFP1 multiplayer connectivity made things even worse, though Hamachi solved most of the networking issues.

You can get the entire Falcon series, including Falcon 4 for $10 at gog.com: http://www.gog.com/game/falcon_collection