Ouch!
When I update my WW firmware I always make sure to do the “nothing but kb, mouse, and peripheral” dance and no USB hubs/extenders because I’m paranoid about bricking it!
I have 4 bases, 2 stick grips, and 3 throttle grips and haven’t had a single issue with the Orion 1 or 2 bases or the Hornet, 16EX stick, 15EX throttle, and 16 throttle grips.
Hope you get it straightened out soon.
Yea, I did all that. Scratching my head BUT I think what happened was: I haven’t taken that grip off the base since I got it (2 years ago-ish) , so I start to turn the grip while holding the locking ring - exactly the reverse of what you’re supposed to do (it’s only a one liner in the online manual). Only 2-3 turns until I went, “doh!”…
Dim-witted moment on my part sure, but the fact this can easily happen, and wasn’t factored in the design, is annoying. So, may have hosed the wires. It seems to be getting a connection on the grip side but my research says the above could damage the wires inside the base? So, haven’t pulled that end apart yet.
“Jester, speed check. We need to find that train from Chicago.”
I’ve always felt that the major thing missing in flight sim’ing is the planning phase, and particularly mission planning and weaponeering for mil sim flying. I’d love to have good mission planning tools in DCS.
To the best of my understanding that is correct. The totalizer only reports the internal fuel. The fuel system feeds both the body tanks and either the internal wing tanks or the selected external tanks to the main engine feed tank (tank 1). Assuming the fuel draw exceeds the ability of the external tanks to feed (burners engaged), you’ll see the internal fuel total decreases. Once the fuel draw decreases below the external tanks feed rate it will top up the internal tanks if they are selected.
No clue on the tank burn order. I thought I had seen somewhere something about not using the center tank for take off and buring it off first, but I can’t find where I read that.
I’d say yes if you’re trying to hit a point target like a bridge span with a single bomb. If you’re slinging 12 bombs or CBU’s at an area target I think it probably doesn’t matter much.
I keep commenting about DCS in the BMS thread, so I’m going to agree with you on the flight planning thing by bringing up how well this is done in BMS (and, really, all versions of Falcon 4.0)… which it needs to be due to the campaign!
Though, the way I use it, my mission planning in BMS is largely “let the campaign engine plan the mission then tweak the loadout so I can actually accomplish the mission”…
The Viggen gets you in good practise for this in multiplayer - though you’re doing a lot on the F10 map that you’d normally be doing on the map table prior to stepping to the jet!
God yes BMS is great for planning. The route will go red if you don’t have enough fuel, the speeds automatically adjust for altitude, the timing actually works, and you get headings/distance on each waypoint.
Found it from the -1:
Doing some looking in the Acceleration Limits table (fig 5-8 on page 5-11), I’d say burn the wing tanks first, but it’s a pretty minimal difference in allowable G’s.
If I’m reading it correctly:
A) Best case with no wing stores and no centerline stores except the gun pod, the structural limit is ~8.5g’s
B&D) Add an empty-75% centerline tank and now we’re down to 6.5g’s
G) Empty to 10% wing tanks - 6g’s
L) Full centerline tank, or up to 75%full wing tanks 5g’s
O) Full wing tanks 4 g’s
So at takeoff with three full bags, and a full A2A loadout, we’re sitting at around 57,278lbs per the mission editor. That means the G limit is weight limited (~4g), and the wing stores (including the tanks) are costing us about .3 allowable G. Not a big deal. If we burn down the centerline tank first, we’ll be at 53,354lbs, but we’re still limited to ~4G by the wing tanks. If we burn down the wing tanks first and keep them, we’re now at 52,382bs and we’re now allowed ~4.2Gs. Our allowed g’s will increase as we burn off fuel until eventually we’d be at 6g (and about 11% fuel left). If we drop the wing tanks once they’re empty we jump to 4.8G’s. From there as fuel burns off we’re going to pickup G’s until eventually the Sidewinders are going to be the limiting factor of 6.5g’s as we get down to fumes around 11% fuel.
Still digging around to find CG information to see if it has any guidance.
That’s some great gouge - thanks for looking that up! The only thing that’s causing me to pause at this is the centreline tank locking out the two forward Sparrows… so I guess if you’re expecting combat where G-limitation is important it might even be better not to take the two forward Sparrows, and use up the wing tanks first? Assuming that doesn’t hurt the CoG too much?
My understanding of combat for the era is that drop tanks were treated as they were in WW2: jettison them all immediately prior to A2A engagement. Which would make the forward Sparrow lockout a non-issue.
And I suppose also you’d punch them off immediately if you were engaged by SAMs… so yes, perhaps my worry is unfounded?
If the pilot has the wherewithal to punch them in the heat of the moment. I frequently don’t 
Well, G-limits only matter if it seems likely you’ll use that airframe again 
You have to be down to about 70% internal fuel (assuming a full A2A loadout) with empty tanks, before you’re stores limited versus weight limited on G’s. So, if aren’t going to burn through all 3 bags and then some it’s relatively immaterial as you’ll still be too heavy for max G’s. You’re costing yourself about 1/2G by not punching off your wings tanks if they’re empty, so not a huge disadvantage if you don’t. The centerline tank is the same G limit as the Sidewinders, and if you need true max G, ditch everything except the sparrows.
Haha, thank you!
Has anyone tried the ILS in Banak with the Phantom? I might be doing something wrong, but the localizer was never giving me a glideslope, and the approach path seemed well offset to the east.
Keep in mind how the forces are distributed. The heavier the fuselage, the more torque is applied to the wing attachments to the fuselage (red arrows in the figure). Increasing G’s will increase both lift and weight, that’s why there is the center weight limitation.
I thought these ramps looked pretty good. DCS needs some animated ramp rats with fatigue pants and white T-shirts.
Listened to this on a long drive today, up to about Chapter 11. Good stuff
Da Nang! Absolutely!!!
Vietnam operations with Oscar Brand background tracks!! 
Give me operations ……
