Digital Combat Simulator

[Stuart Galbraith]

Im still experimenting with Track IR. For the most part it works, and works well. The problem is at certain times of the day, the sun comes around and illuminates the window behind me. Even pulling the curtains doesnt fully resolve the problem, so the system loses lock. ive experimented with changing the sensitivity settings, but if I turn it down, it doesnt track the hat thingy, and if I turn it up, then its too sensitive to differentiate from the light. So im pretty much reduced to only using it some times of the day which is not exactly ideal.

The alternative is to get a new pc which can run a new VR, which is more money than I want to spend at the moment. So, dont know what the hell im going to do. All because some tosser at Meta thinks he is going to browbeat me into using Facebook. What a world we live in.

[DB]

You'd think that they'd have fixed homing on the sun by now...

🤣

[Stuart Galbraith]

 

[Der Zeitgeist]

On 1/15/2023 at 8:51 AM, Stuart Galbraith said:

All because some tosser at Meta thinks he is going to browbeat me into using Facebook. What a world we live in.

You don't need a Facebook account for the Oculus Quest 1/2 any longer. That's been gone for a while now.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I own a rift, and its assured me since the last update that it will stop working at the end of January, unless I have a Meta account. So I can only believe what its telling me. TBH, its a pain in the bum being forced to use their software to run it. When I originally had it, you could run it without booting it up. But in a helpful upgrade they insisted you run it all the time, which again takes up system resources that could run DCS better.

I think track IR will work in the interim, before I can buy a new DCS machine maybe a couple of years down the line. ive been looking at this, and the only way I can upgrade it to make it really viable with another VR system (the new clouds are a real frame killer) is more memory among other things. I cant really put new memory in without upgrading he power supply. Which ive done before on another machine, but I didnt enjoy the experience much.

So Track IR for the foreseeable it is. Maybe in a couple of years we might have VR that allow you to see an aircraft at a decent distance without having the markers turned on, that will make buying a new DCS machine worth the cost.

In more positive news, Ive just bought an extension for my warthog. So now I can use the central mount that ive bought, and have a decent throw distance. Should make flying helicopters and some of the more sensitive aircraft easier. Might try landing the Harrier on the Ark Royal now.

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Well it made me laugh anyway...

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Dont know if anyone else has tried this, but I thought I woudl flag this up. I recent bought a Galaxy S8 Tablet, and I noticed on DCS there is an app that allows you to communicate with your tablet, and  use it either as another display, a moving map, or even as a control panel.

https://forum.dcs.world/topic/228734-dcs-ufc-android-app/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dcsufc

Ive been using this with the Tomcat, as the Up front panel. As we lack a decent feedback to know what the angle of attack is, by having this up, I can have the aircraft pegged at 15 AOA all through a loop. Makes it much smoother, more accurate to fly. Its also easy to flip through the panel applications, so I can easily turn on the lighting or autopilot panels, which are not always easy to get at with Track IR.

Best 12 quid ive spent on DCS.

 

[Daan]

I discovered some minor DCS YouTuber, he has a rather spectacular way of flying the Mirage F1 on multiplayer servers:

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

I really must fly the F1 more. Im struggling to get good on the F14 at the moment, and its beyond me to try and familiarize on two aircraft at once. I really like the F1 though, it has that late 60's cockpit I usually go in for.

Two minds whether to bother with the strike eagle. I might get it, but I know in my heart of hearts, with that electronic cockpit, Ill probably never fly it. Maybe if I get a MFD.

[Daan]

I have yet to try the Mirage F1 and these videos certainly look very cool and retro. An advantage of older jets such as the Mirage and MiG-21bis is that they do not require a huge investment of time to arrive at a level of basic proficiency, contrary to the F/A-18C and F-14 and probably the F-15E. Nonetheless, the recently released F1EE version has many of the same cockpit systems seen in the contemporaneous Mirage 2000C, increasing its complexity.

However, this rule may not apply to the upcoming F-4E, which may well be absolutely dreadful to get a grip on.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Daan

[Stuart Galbraith]

Well, the F14 is easy to start, and easy to fly. The problem comes is the last 10 percent, which is flying it well. Ive been flying it since it came out, something like a year? And im ONLY just figuring out how to trim it quickly on an approach. So you have easier systems, but its harder to fly. Its like the Mig21, its easy, truly incredibly easy to start and use the radar. But the landing took on hell of a lot of learning, particularly when they released it without the blown flap system working. The last 50 feet was something like a controlled crash....

[Daan]

I do not find the F-14 as easy to land with a correct overhead brake as the F/A-18C, which make carrier landings a lot more difficult. Part of this is the extra hassle (and button pressing) with the swing wings, the DLC and the primitive HUD as well as the vastly increased AoA on approach (14 vs 8 degrees). I still do not understand the various radar modes, screens and controls in the back seat of the F-14 and more or less gave up on it, no time. Furthermore, I never even embarked on learning ground attack with the F-14.

The MiG-21bis requires paying attention to its descent rate (weak landing gear) and close management of its minimum speed on landings, lest it stalls and crashes. Furthermore, the brake chute is obligatory. However, I took longer learning the landings with the F-14. 

[Stuart Galbraith]

You can get away without a drag chute, you just have to remember to keep the nose high and aerobrake on landing. But its certainly easier with the chute.

Re F14, I remember reading the other day a pilot say that the F14 was perfectly safe on approach. But it wasnt as controllable or accurate on landings as the F4 had been. Which with the spoilers and the high angle of attack makes perfect sense. In fact Grumman said they could achieve a slower approach   if they deleted the DLC, but the pilots shit a brick about it. So higher approach speeds its was.

[Ssnake]

There's alway lithobraking, if aerobraking fails.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Problem is, im not entirely sure if you are out of air, the undercarriage comes up again. If you leave the gear up in the up position, rather than neutral, it pisses the aircrafts compressed air supply away. At which point, you can get the gear down, but neither the brakes or the drag chute will deploy. You might be able to get the undercarriage up, but I wouldnt count on it. You are just spam in a can at that point.

Love the Mig-21, it should be compulsory flying in simulation circles. It puts a big grin on your face or terrifies you, sometimes at the same time!

[Sardaukar]

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ive never been able to get into the A10. Its an excellent DLC, but its just not... exciting, you know? It does pretty much the Harrier can do, but the Harrier can land on Aircraft Carriers.

[Daan]

No, it is very cool, especially whilst flying the Baltic Dragon campaign on the Georgia map, which is also quite challenging.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Finally getting some mirage time in, and I'm sorry I left it so long, this thing is amazing.

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

 

[Daan]

Heatblur is introducing quite some new features, including the movement of the crew in the cockpit depending on manoeuvres:

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

I really want this, but until I get a pc that can run it halfway capably, there doesnt seem to be much point. I struggle to get decent frame rates out of the F14.

Looks magnificent though.

[Stuart Galbraith]

If anyone hasnt yet gotten it, I will recommend the I16 which I got today in the sale. Its nuts, its difficult to take off, arguably even more dangerous to land. It chases its tale like a jack russell with ginger around its ring, its got rapid fireing fairly pointless pop guns, its got manual gear and flaps and... its the most interesting, terrifying aircraft ive ever flown in DCS. Recommended.

 

[Daan]

The I-16 was one of the most fun planes in Il2 Sturmovik / 1946, but when I tried it in Il2 Great Battles I found very hard to get into the air without crashing and then there was all the engine management to take care off. Moreover, it was terribly slow and the forward vision over the engine cowl is poor. It still looks great though.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I think I've figured out how to take off. I've only landed it once, and it ended with an epic Tokyo Drift powerslide. But the aircraft was in one piece, so I have to see that as a real advance.

I'm looking forward to kola, so we have somewhere decent to fly it.