Not much to say about it, I'm bored already. It does what it does. Our Apache has two internal ballistically shielded self-sealing fuel tanks. Fuel can be drawn or transferred from one or the other to adjust weight distribution. Activating fuel boost engages the rear tank cross-feed valves as seen here. Fuel transfer between tanks should normally be left to auto unless you feel the need to play with it. HTR flight model should take account of the weight distribution.
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| Marching ants |
The most important button on this page is bottom right [CHECK]. This brings up the a sub version of the page where you set your bingo fuel status if you get an alert reminder in the UFD.
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| Bingo Time |
Check also does your fuel burn check to see how much you are burning in a given time... That's the important one... You forget that? Your grade is Unsat for the day... ;-)
ReplyDeleteSFR gives us the opportunity to monitor optimum fuel burn for the power setting.
Fuel page is also important for engine start and hot/warm refuel...
What about the robby tank?
Not having the external tank in Combat-Helo. Not until Combat-Helo 2 when the terrain is large enough to justify fitting ferry tanks. Not that we can't, just no point atm.
ReplyDeleteOn my little diagram there's a reference to SFR in a rounded box but no annotations.
But there's some levels of detail I'm not going to go down as that way madness lies considering the available time-span.
We'll do the fuel check program for the full release where there's greater potential for damage.
I guess there's no pleasing some people :)
Hahah @ the music chosen for the video ;)
ReplyDeleteBut it looks totally awesome. I really do admire the fidelity of this Sim, Kudos to that :)
Maybe a dumb question, but will the flight physics correspond to the change in fuel distribution? Same question actually goes when it comes to weapons, would you be able to feel the change in weight after firing one Hellfire?
Cheers.
/Krycek
DCS Pilot.
Knowing Flexman, the answer to both questions is-yes.Already in the old EECH hellfire weight affects the flight.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased someone appreciated the careful choice of music :)
ReplyDeleteTo confirm, the total helicopter weight is calculated and applied. Not just weight but also distribution. We stopped short of having crew weights, in the real Apache those are entered into the computer somewhere.
-Rich
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ReplyDeleteThanks WAH.
ReplyDeleteWhat you say tallies with the physics model, the magnitude of difference in weight required to keep a (12,000lb) 6 ton helicopter in the air is considerable. The moment of inertia from a 100lb missile isn't much in comparison. There is a numerical difference but you'd hardly notice.
I've been working on other things but I hadn't shown this page before and wanted to finish the cross-feed input before I published any pics.
Annoyingly you can't see the colour changes in the video as white and green appear bleached.
It's not exactly the most exciting feature is it? But it adds to the sense that it's a complex aircraft you can interact with at low level. And this isn't visual fluff, all of these things effect the aircraft in some small way.
A beginner doesn't need to delve into any of this but if and when they do I hope they will begin to get drawn into/bond with the helo. And that's what I want, for them to keep playing the game and learn new things. But at a pace they can choose.
It's important not to forget that this is ultimately an educational game, bit of fantasy, role play and social commentary. I still lie awake at night worrying about how to get the fun into this pixel pit.
Id make 2 modes for the "fun" factor Rich... That way the realism can keep being upgraded for us "no fun" junkies, and you can sell lots of copies to the casual gamers.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the need to balance the weight of the fuel but not the weps as the bird is heavy. I would think you would want to at least observe fuel consumption some way for trip planning (not in this map)
I apologize if this has been asked, but is the NAV/INS going to be operable and be able to enter coords and waypoints, etc?
Jeff, long time here you are, and ask such questions ...I answer- and how do you think?;) If Flexman
ReplyDeleteEven he thought that the simulated Flir image distortion
caused by the zooming camera... Well Knowing Flexman, the answer to both questions is-yes ;))
Actually, as regards INS, no. Not in any early release. There's a barebones shell that is used as a cross ref for the GPS system. But it won't get any more attention.
ReplyDeleteIt's something I might do the the CH-47 and then move it over.
The weapons should have some effect on the CoG, everything gets added up. It's not something you notice much.
It should be possible to indulge in fuel planning on the ground. We won't get to that till next year.
After a night of sleep I look over my last comment and think, "hmm, I could also have said..."
ReplyDeleteI have no information on how the INS would be set-up, configured, waypoints edited in the Apache other than how it's done via the TSD page.
Presently it's not possible to edit waypoints on the TSD, this is on my to-do list.
There will be a means to point the TADS at a location and have that entered as a navpoint.
Need to decide what I'm going to work on next this weekend. Got a lot of catching up to do.
Thanks for the answers.
ReplyDeleteJust did some reading if the apache's FCR & NAV systems... I didnt know they have so many systems in there... Battlefield awareness, troubleshooting, target handover, millimeter wave radar, etc... all of it running in concert with that little dome on the rotor.... I assumed they had a simple NAV computer similar to the A-10C.
I would guesstimate it would take one person 15,743 years to replicate it in a sim.
As far as the CoG issue I would bet the weps, if dispensed evenly (Left / Right), wouldn't affect CoG of a hover more than a tiny bit, just manuevering dynamics.
Rich, no problem with the external tanks, I agree with your justification, I don't know if my fellow Brit aviators are using it, robby tank is also called IAFS (Internal Auxiliary Fuel System) which reduces the magazine capacity down to ~300 rounds and the rest of the space is used for 100/130 gal. of fuel. It is the third tank in the belly, no indication how full in the cockpit. Has a dipstick for crew to check it.
ReplyDeleteSFR is ground speed in knots divided by total fuel burn. You could probably display it with a simple code, but like WAH64 said, I never used it in school in depth. A constant fuel check going keeps me aware of changes in fuel burn... You have to have the fuel check man :)
Yea you can look at a point with HMD (RNG auto) and hit store or do the same with TADS (with or without lasing) I want to ask WAH though, as far as I know if you are not lasing with TADS and stored, that Target point will be at that azimuth but at the current range information. Like if you have manual range of 1.3KM you could be looking at the target, when you store it it will be at 1.3, regardless what the actual range is, WAH64 correct me on this because I always lase and store.
At least we got the news for the CH2 now LOL
Bush,
ReplyDeleteWe used to use the ribbon tanks but the reduction in 30mm was too much of an issue in helmand so we commissioned ballistic AFT's, slightly smaller than yours but without the fear of taking a round through them. Our Robbos's did have a fuel gauge fitted though, displayed in the center of the fuel page, you guys must have got the cheap one!
Creating a nav point via a HMD (CPG) will indeed work with auto range and tads can also use a manual range or auto in addition to lasing, not sure about other range types or rear seat though, i'll give it a go tomorrow and report back.
Thanks man, haven't been to the field yet but my book says we contracted out two different types of belly tanks one 100 gal the other 130gal.... ~300 rounds have done well in Iraq since FARPs were everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWith the new software version (Lot13) rear seat got the store button now on the cyclic. Otherwise rear seat can't store anything other than TSD... Funny enough, the button is the one next to FMC Release button so if you are not paying attention you just disengage FMC trying to store a TGT.
The only range I am not sure about is Radar range as far as the STORE button goes... Because Store button would just store the NTS if you hit it with the FCR being the sight. MAN-AUTO-LASER-NAV/TGT, Default should all store the azimuth and range with the button, most accurate in terms of range being the laser.
Great idea having rear seat store button, we are on a different software stream to your, maybe just a naming convention, we get an upgrade later this year I hope, we are all hoping for an aqusition source toggle switch like back on the old a model.
ReplyDeleteOn your software, if you lase/store does that then become your aqusition source by default? I think be are just about to get that.
I used to know a "Ghostrider", crew-chief. What he didn't know about external tank plumbing kits wasn't worth knowing.
ReplyDeleteI sent both you nice people some emails in reply to the ones you sent me. Let me know if they didn't arrive.
If you thought disengaging the FMC by mistake was bad, I had SHIFT E setup to 'escape' the cockpit, which it does, even when in flight. Really need to fix that.
I added the "SFR" box as per the above description. I've no way of knowing if it's correct or not. Seems to spit out a lot of values in the 0.05 to 0.2 region.
I stand corrected about the Robby tank, I said earlier " It is the third tank in the belly, no indication how full in the cockpit. Has a dipstick for crew to check it" There is no indication of the to the refueler on the refuel panel outside the cockpit, in the the cockpit, we do have indication.
ReplyDeleteSHIFT E is Canopy Jettison handle? You can jettison it at a hold mode hover if you are going to ditch for example. SFR sounds about right... again, it is a calculation of ground speed in knots divided by the total fuel for the present power setting, you can monitor optimum fuel economy during cruise. Fine detail; SFR is only active when airspeed is 10 kts or above though...
WAH, I can't remember exactly how the logic of storing tgt/acq right now. Can't find it in the -10, IIRC, from my HMD stores in school with older software versions, it didn't mess with your current ACQ source.
Just watched a couple vids I recorded this summer, doing FCR and TADS laser store, it doesn't affect ACQ source. Is that what your software doing? I can believe it could be troublesome in heat of the battle.
I guessed that SFR was only active when above 5 knots :) but I'll make it 10. (Reasoning: Air data sensors for the flight path vector only considered valid above 5 kts).
ReplyDeleteSHIFT E is like climbing out of the aircraft (it opens the canopy and positions you just forward of the right pylon. Allowing it to work in-flight was a mistake :/
There's been a few occasions where I've seen the Apache vanish into the distance as both it and I fall to the ground.
For the flight path vector don't forget that 5 knots is 3-dimensional speed ... also you need INU velocities for the FPV not only "air data sensors"...
ReplyDelete:-)