My inaugural Su-33 flight...

[BeachAV8R]

So way back in late September, the Su-33 with the PFM released while I was in Puerto Rico. I saw the screens and enjoyed the reports of the MP sessions as everyone dabbled with it. I hadn’t flown it until tonight…when @near_blind was kind enough to host a mission to let me see what the Su-33 was all about. The only stick time I’ve had in it was a few minutes making sure to map my controllers prior to joining @Fridge and @near_blind, so I was interested to see how I would do.

Anyway - the sim is just drop dead gorgeous and once again I found myself just flying around marveling at how insanely good DCS World looks…

My first takeoff was good…probably pitched a bit too much and got a bit mushy…but I learned on subsequent takeoffs to just relax the nose a bit and let the speed build up slightly before nursing in some back stick. I’d imagine it gets even more interesting with bombs and missiles loaded.

@near_blind on the far launch position with missiles hanging…

My first approach was a smidge fast at 290 KPH, leading to a bit too flat of a landing, so my hook missed the wires. A go around and the second landing went fine with about 260 KPH indicated. Just a ton of fun flying around the carrier…

Me preparing to launch and Fridge back on the fantail…

Meanwhile, @near_blind went out hunting F-5s - I think it was a 3 or 4v1 and he cleaned house. They got some shots off at him, but he was a bit too slippery for them…

Working in the pattern…

@Fridge doing a low pass over the deck…

Me hawking @Fridge around the pattern…

The three of us on the carrier at the same time (I didn’t know how to fold my wings quite yet…)

Not sure who these two are…maybe me and @Fridge…

@Fridge on short final…

No incidents or accidents with the exception of me rolling off the elevator as I was getting ready to leave the session…LOL…

Tons of fun and good conversation. Many thanks to @near_blind for hosting, @Fridge for joining in, and both of them for fielding my many questions about how to get all the flappy and extendy parts of the plane working correctly. Wish I could have stayed later. (I got the boy to sleep finally!)

[Fridge]

Those last two shots are absolutely amazing. I need to take a look at my settings because your shots are way better!

@BeachAV8R turning to final for his first trap

Lookin’ fine

I think that this was @BeachAV8R on trap #3:

And this is the reverse angle of the shot above. It was @BeachAV8R and I with @near_blind off screen off my left wing:

It took a little while to work out all of the buttons and switches again but I managed to get 'er on the deck:

[BeachAV8R]

@Fridge

Those last two shots are absolutely amazing. I need to take a look at my settings because your shots are way better!

It’s a trick - capturing at 3440 x 1440 and then cropping and reducing the size to 1200 x 500 or so…sorta mega-antialiases stuff. But I really love gaming at that widescreen resolution when I’m not doing the VR thing.

It’s weird though because I swear I wasn’t seeing any of the lights in that VASI thingy…like mine were totally blank I think…

[smokinhole]

Real men fly with a Cyrillic HUD!

[Fridge]

Pfft. Who said I was a real man! I’m a robot! Beep. Boop. Beep. And this green robot is weak in the language/symbol parsing department - it’s a warranty issue that the manufacturer refuses to admit to

[JediMaster]

I always have the problem of judging how much fuel I should have on board so I’m not surfing the waves (or entering them) after the ski jump.

BTW–am I missing something, or is there no good way to run up your engines? I used to recall that you could run your engines up to full burner and after a count of 2 or 3 you’d break loose and fly down the deck.
Now, even with full brakes applied, as I throttle up to full the plane starts to move before the burner has even fully engaged and I’m halfway up the ramp by the time it hits full thrust.

[near_blind]

Real men use CATOBAR instead of the Olympic Long Jump to get airborne

@JediMaster, try having less than ~62K lbs gross weight on take off

[smokinhole]

Jedi, it’s been a few months since I have flown it. But I recall having my HOTAS setup so that I had no problem holding the brakes with WEP and burner. 50% gas and a full CAP load gets off a slow moving boat with no drama.

[Fridge]

I believe that there is a secondary brake button to use when doing the afterburner run-up but I could be mistaken. There is also an afterburner override button but I can’t remember if that give a smidgen more thrust or if that is the brake magic thing.

[JediMaster]

I will probably need to spend some time looking closely at the 33 control list to see if there is such a button or axis.

I have been trying to remember to “defuel” my plane on the deck before launching, but when I forget…

[TheAlmightySnark]

I still havent flown the SU-33… Woops. Oh well, DCS is on the backburner until I can get a GPU.

[Sryan]

The function “wheel brake start” doubles the braking force and should keep the jet in place untill the AB kicks in. The function “special afterburn mode” engages the Wartime Emergency Power. Keep in mind WEP only works when the throttles are in AB (the engines don’t have to be in AB yet, but the throttles have to be down far enough. WEP will then kick in when the engines are ready for it)

[Gunnyhighway]

Isn’t there also a mechanical wheel stop that comes up from the deck? I remember seeing that in videos.

[near_blind]

There is in reality. I’m curious to see if it will make a comeback when we get the new and improved shiny mecha kuznetsov.

[Kinger]

As much as I enjoy flying DCS in VR, when I look at your screen shots I realize just how many pretties I’m missing

[fearlessfrog]

@Gunnyhighway

Isn’t there also a mechanical wheel stop that comes up from the deck? I remember seeing that in videos.

Yep, there is a bar thingy that comes up. As @near_blind says, I don’t think it does anything now (it used to I’m pretty sure), or might not be there in 2.5 anymore.

[BeachAV8R]

@fearlessfrog

Yep, there is a bar thingy that comes up.

Yeah, I thought I remembered that…and it was’t happening. I even asked about it in our MP session last night because I was sure I was remembering that the jet blast deflectors used t come up.

[BeachAV8R]

Hopped on a non-combat server tonight just to tool around. It was great fun. More carrier fun. Went to go tanking and it was pretty hard. I did manage to hook up and take on a couple thousand KG of fuel…but it wore me out. I also tried refueling on the Kuz, but I think the plane/deck dynamics making it slide around causes the fuelers to think you are moving (so they yell at you)…

[smokinhole]

The VR has become a crutch perhaps? Not so easy on a flat screen.

[Gunnyhighway]

I find the 33 the easiest to tank with, especially using the auto thrust and the FM adjustments.

For me, it’s the only probe I can gently slide into the basket with regularity. The Harrier and mirage are more reminiscent of a prom night fiasco.