After a short hiatus in JF-17 training we resume. As we move away from the basics of startup and navigation, we head out to the NTTR to start looking at some weapons and sensors learning. These missions will be flown using some user created NTTR templates since the included training missions with the JF-17 are frustratingly poorly done. Which..as an editorial..I just can’t understand. You pour your heart and soul into building an amazing (amazing!) sim add-on…hire somebody like @Baltic_Dragon or someone to build an awesome training campaign for it. My opinion. Opinion #2 - NTTR should be free and be included in stock DCS World and all modules should have training on that map instead of the Caucasus.
We take a purposely heavy loadout to demonstrate the draginess of the JF-17. When this thing is loaded down with ordnance, that single engine is struggling mightily to push the airframe through the air.
In many missions, tankers are set to altitudes in the mid FL250 area with tanker speed set to 300 knots..which works out to around 460 knots / M.75 or so…which for some airframes that are loaded down require quite a bit of power. And therein is always the issue..you need to catch the tanker to get fuel..and you sometimes need to use a LOT of power and burn a lot of fuel to catch the tanker. Fun times. If the mission offers it, a slower flying KC-130 is preferable to me than chasing down the KC-135 up high.
Plugging in the tanker TACAN to show it on the moving map…
Dealing with the aforementioned issue of having to track down the tanker while it is flying away from you. I burned a LOT of gas and was starting to get nervous on approach. With a full internal tank the JF-17 can carry about 5,130 lbs. of fuel. As of yet, I haven’t found a fuel flow reading anywhere..perhaps it is buried in one of the data pages. External fuel tanks (up to 3 of them) can double your fuel available to around 10,300 lbs.
Of course..with fuel dropping below the BINGO level of 1100 lbs. and well into the red, as I approach the tanker it enters the turn. Always. The. Turn. I will say that I’ve tried refueling in 2D and VR and by far VR is much easier.
The JF-17 probe is off the right side of the fuselage (it does not retract, but can be removed by ground crew if you don’t anticipate using it)..so it feels more natural to use the left drogue station on refueling aircraft to allow you to plug in and then just fly formation off the refueler reference points.
The JF-17 accepts fuel at an astonishingly fast rate. I don’t know if this is accurate or not, but I was able to go from around 700 lbs. to 5100 lbs. in maybe just over 90 seconds. I feel this is probably too fast..but I’m grateful for it.
I’ll do some more digging into things like most fuel efficient throttle settings and such. I think the JF-17 is just a very short legged fighter that requires an efficiently flown mission profile. I doubt there will be a whole lot of loitering going on unless the plane is carrying external fuel tanks.
Nice thought and all…but they don’t sound great.
