Man, I still can’t fly this thing for sh#t, but do I love the new force feedback trim corrections on the stick? Yes I do.
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I started to dive into the RIO seat and try out some things.
I played some rounds of the classic Backfire intercepts against multiple bombers with 6 AIM-54. It seems pretty difficult to get all 6 missiles off unless in ideal conditions. So wheight and availability issues asside, there also seem to be some practical limitations of getting all 6 shots with a maximum Phoenix loadout. 4 AIM-54 seem more reasonable also in this respect.
Also I had some difficulties with getting consistent TWS tracks on all bombers in a formation (9 targets with a spacing of about 1-2 NM between aircraft). TWS liked to track mostly the 3 bombers in the first row, while frequently dropping tracks as individual targets popped up and were lost again. I think this has an adverse effect on long-range TWS Phoenix shots, as when a track is lost before the go-active singal is sent by the AWG-9, the missile is effectievly lost (it won’t go active on its own). Only as range gets down to 20-30 NM TWS started to build solid tracks of more and more targets in the formation. I did a number of 6 shot attempts and usually got around 2-4 kills.
Then I did a number of tests against Kh-22/AS-4 Kitchen missiles fired by Backfires. These are very difficult targets to detect and engage. Detection range is quite low, around 20 NM. And because the missiles fly high at 80’000 ft your radar has to be at a very high elevation. With your radar pointing up this also means that the fast missiles travel very quickly through your vertical scan area (within seconds). Mulitple times I did not find any missiles at all as they passed over me. If you pick them up there is very little time to launch (multiple) Phoenix against them. I had a lot of Phoenix pull up vertically and going ballistic right after launch as the Kh-22 were already passing overhead (sobsequently the AIM-54 would climb to about 170’000 ft 
). Intercepting Kitchen probably requires close coordination between (human) pilot and RIO, involving pulling up at exactly the right time. I think this will be quite intriging to master.
Then I played around with the pulse mode, which is great to find ships with. I managed to pick up my carrier and could even mark and store it as a Surface Target in the navigation system. You can also lock up the carrier using the Pulse STT and then slave TCS to have a closer look at the ship
I have to try LANTIRN next.
I have to say the RIO positon is quite fascinating. I am a stick and rudder guy and just love the handling of the Tomcat, so the front seat will definitely be my home. But there is a lot of interesting stuff in the backseat and I don’t want to miss that. What an awesome aircraft
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Man, I hear people say how the Tomcat is relatively easy to put down on the carrier, but apparently not for me. It’s quite easy on shore, but once I get in a Case I situation it’s impossible to control vertical velocity. It’s either shooting off like a rocket, or falling like a brick. I’m at near MIL power just to keep it on-speed, level, with 5,000lbs of fuel and no stores. Then the roll sensitivity decides it wants to be fickle; being sluggish one minute and hypersensitive the next.
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I know it sometimes sucks when you make a post like that and then a dozen of us reply with “you should…”. But here goes…
Check your weight. I find that if I am above 50k I need to do the circuit with the speedbrakes in. Otherwise it is so much drag that there is a risk of mil power and the speedbrakes will stow. Once that happens it is almost impossible to fix the approach. If you allow the AOA to get even 1 unit above 15 (target AOA) the sink rate plummets. Again, very difficult to fix.
So I cheat. I fly the approach 1 tic less than 15. And on the turn into the grove 2 tics less. The Tomcat currently doesn’t quickly change sink rate with power—even when you have the donut nailed. So you have to help it by making small pitch changes with power (assuming you are trimmed for the donut). So… more power = more aft stick, less power = forward stick. If your left hand moves, your right should too.
On downwind, configure and trim for the donut. Note your fuel flow. That is your target power setting. Try not to decrease much below that during the rest of the approach. I am typically at around 5000 lbs wings level and 5500 in a 25 degree turn sinking 300 fpm.
Also (and sorry—I keep adding edits to this post @Clutch) it sounds like you may be flying too slow. The Tomcat gets into a wierd (and realistic) roll coupling range when at high AOA. If you are at 16+ units, sink rate increases dramatically and roll becomes less predictable. Also, the Tomcat requires rudder coordination at “around the boat” speeds.
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I’ve been doing all my approaches with the boards in recently. Fuel ranges from 4,000 to 6,000lbs, with empty bags, so that should be 48,781-50,781lbs if the numbers in the ME are accurate.
Part of the problem is my remaining Hornet muscle memory trying to use the throttle to control descent rate. Having the DLC out might be making me too draggy when I’m closer to 50,000lbs too…I might try a few passes without DLC to see how I do.
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That is some really good advice.
What I do is that after a bolter into the pattern I will not extend the airbrake and DLC until after the turn into the downwind is complete. As mentioned, at too much wheight the aircraft has problems with performing an on-speed level turn in landing configuration without going military power (which redracts your landing configuration). For the base turn I then have no problems with everything out as this turn is at a 200 fpm descend rate. Commencing the turn at the 180 might require a significant injection of thrust to prevent a drop of sink rate, but this can usually be eased off quickly during the turn.
My advice would also be to try to quickly find your baseline thrust for each approach phase (downwind, base turn and groove) and then to make only very small adjustments. The Hornet gets away with rather large thrust adjusments and also some RL videos suggest that it is normal to almost rip off the throttle with forward and back movement. Whether that is correct technique I cannot judge (though it seems fishy to me). But with the DCS Tomcat, don’t do it.Tiny thrust adjusments from baseline to walk your vertical speed up and down get’s you a stable approach.
To get on-speed, after extending the flaps during the break, imediately back on some power (around 3000 lb/h fuel flow) to prevent slowing down too quickly. If fast, reduce speed slowly and controlled. If (full) slow, react swiftly with a lot of power. Falling behind the power curve is dangerous and happens very quickly. Sometimes I have to use DLC aft to recover an excessive sink rate. Though it is a bad technique to fix an earlier mistake and should probably not be the norm.
In contrast to other people I found that the Tomcat is quite stable once trimmed for on-speed AoA. You should get to hands-off on-speed during the downwind (that is by far the hardest part of the landing). The turn into the groove then requires back stick to keep your nose up. Hold this by hand and do not trim in order to preserve your trimmed-out state for level flight. Once you roll out into the groove with wings level, release stick pressure and give the aircraft some seconds to stabilze on-speed again. It will do it if you let it. If you trimmed well in the downwind, you can fly the ball only with throttle and your pitch neutral all the way (and no DLC required). Upon adding and reducing power, the aircraft will adjust pitch to stay on speed on its own. But it is important that you do not impart unnoticed pressure on the stick, which will throw off your on-speed trim. The aircraft reacts slowly, so if you need to make large corrections you still might need to help out with the stick. But don’t forget the stick needs to be neutral again for the aircraft to stabilize.
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Yes! Do try that. I stopped using DLC the first day.
Anyone else here a member of the No HUD Club? Aside from the inaccurate radar altimeter and the offset artificial horizon that we already have on the HUD in DCS, the vertical speed indicator, velocity vector and e-bracket were apparently also rather jerky in the real jet. After reading that some Tomcat pilots turned off their HUD around the boat I started to do this as well. My HUD comes on and off with the Master Arm. I must say it helped me to adopt a better instrument scan and to concentrate on ball and lineup without distraction. Without being a slave of the velocity vector I feel that my awareness of the aircaft’s attitude and movements have improved. It’s very satisfying.
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Totally. I’ve really been working on doing it since reading the “Case 1” guide from the “other” forum. He recommended not using the HUD because the one in the real jet is awful (ours is modeled too good apparently). The day I read that I was online and saw an F-5 make a perfect trap with an F-5. That cinched it for me. HUD off during the day. HUD in cruise at night. The F-5 is a great trainer for flying around the boat, btw.
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Hey @Clutch. I’ll be around today. If you want we can go around the boat together, swapping seats so to speak. (Sounds bad but you know what I mean 
)
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Can’t do MP at the moment, I’m afraid. Still waiting on my new place to get internet 
So, I have started shooting.
Did the NTTR IA guns only vs. a Viper.
Jester does a good job keeping track of the enemy.
Satisfaction level was off the scale when I gunned the electric jet, going vertical, with Jester shouting something about doin’ some of that pilot 
.
Next dogfight was harder. It was as if the Vulcan shot blanks…
It turned ugly as I fought the controls to stay on his tail. Overshot in a scissor and Jester called bogey on our six. I was certain we were toast, but nothing happened. As I turned around, all that was left of the F-16 was a smoking hole in the ground. No offence, @smokinhole.
I had used almost all my fuel, during the fight and managed to reach Lincoln County, which was the nearest field. The engines starved as I pulled up on the ramp…
Man, that was fun! 
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I think I need this
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The 6 x Phoenix was referred to as “The Dooms Day Load”. The thought was that if you started shooting Tomcats with Phoenix off “the pointy end” there was probably not much of a Naval Base Norfolk to go back to. Plus they were at least getting rid of two so they could come back aboard with the proscribed amount of gas and still be under Max Trap.
I agree that a 4 x 2 x 2 would be a much more reasonable load out. We can talk some other intercept tactics like “Chainsaw” that might have made the 6 x 0 x 0 load more practice but…yikes, just thinking about it gives me chills.
Yes they are. (In fact I’m pretty sure the real engagement tactics are still classified.) Very difficult to knock down, hence the F-14 squadrons’ mantra, “Shoot the archer, not the arrow.” …get the Backfires before they can shoot.
That strategy put more than a little bit of pressure on young (23 yo) Ensign Hangar200 and his cohorts in the intel center. It is the classic Indications and Warning (I&W) problem. You remember the algebra problems from junior high school where “a train leaves Boston at such-n-such speed…” In our case it was, "a regiment of Red Banner Northern Fleet Tu-22M Backfires, each loaded with an AS-4 KITCHEN takes off from Olenegorsk*Air Base at …well?! When the @#$% did they take off Hangar200??!! "
Fortunately that never happened…just doing the I&W for things like MARPAT BEARs and BADGERs was enough.
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I dunno if I ever done so before man, but thank you for your service. Back in the 80s, that was real. I remember having nightmares about “when the Russians came”. So glad that never happened. And you(and all of your shipmates) helped prevent it.
Also thanks for all of your insight and seastories. It’s very valuable, not just from a hobbyists’ viewpoint, but also as a historical record. That was a unique time, and you guys played a unique role in it.
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You are more than Welcome. It was a privilege to serve.
With the HB F-14 out it has really brought back some memories. From the conversations I can tell that they have done a wonderful job getting as close to the real Tomcat as possible. I am glad that I can offer a tid bit or two from back in the day, if only to add a little something to the experience. 
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The Quick start mission Lion and Sun is becoming my favorite addition. The '21 is wicked in a close in df. Makes you really ring out the best in the Cat. Learn quick or die!!!
Anybody tried VAICOM’s AIRIO?
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I love Hangar’s stories from the boats(so to say) in threads like this!
Who knew the Tomcat would be so fun to fly? It’s a beast in a DF. You got all the electronics of the 80s and all that Powa!!! I’m still bad at it, but I love getting in close in fights w this thing.
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