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CobraKhan

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  1. So yes, it is very hard to tell! Unless it is hovered over a (any) clickable switch to perform some function, then clicking will do nothing anyway, but without knowing if it is or not it appears as if it is not working at all. I will check out that link, thank you.
  2. I use the mouse to perform several functions inside of the cockpit by clicking or spinning various switches, knobs and/or buttons. In DCS, the mouse cursor is a little cross-hair, which changes appearance slightly if it is hovered precisely over one of the clickable switches within the cockpit, as opposed to just placing its location into space. If the mouse is left alone to fly the jet, and is not in motion for a period of time, the cursor will basically disappear which I believe is standard for everybody. However in the past, up until just recently, when I would reach back down and move the mouse the little cross-hair would reappear on the screen and be available for use. On several occasions as of just recent, the cursor will not come back, which could last for upward of several minutes. My mouse is a wireless devise, so I changed the AA-battery hoping it was something as easy as that, however this issue continues. Anyone else experiencing anything like that? Or had in the past?
  3. WinWing manufactures basically an entire cockpit for sim pilots should you so choose to spend the thousands to purchase all of those controls! I find their stuff to be relatively high quality for the price, although it is electronics, and any one of those buttons and/or switches could (eventually will) fail! The harder we are on the buttons and knobs, one would expect that the useful life of it would be reduced. WinWing is just one brand, you should shop around; think about price, quality and also duration to acquire as these controls may not be readily available. In the mean time, use what you have, don't get impatient! Figure out what it is that right for you and your pocketbook and do it right the first time! I jumped into DCS and purchased the WinWing Super Taurus Throttle with all of the toggles, nobs and switches. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't buy that particular model. Not that I am at all disappointed in the throttle, but I just don't use all of those switches and toggles (the ones of the base / box)! After flying the game for a couple years, what I have been accustom of doing is taking my right hand off of the flight stick, grabbing the computer mouse and using the computer cursor to hover over the toggles and switches in the cockpit and mouse clicking to perform most all of the functions. I use every single button and switch on the throttle handle, just not those that are on the base. If had I to do it over again, I would go with the Orion model for less money. Another way to go, or in supplement to your throttle and stick controls, is the $10 'Voice Attack' software. You audibly say into your microphone "Gear Down" and it will lower your landing gear for you without you having to flick any switches. "Probe Out" and low and behold your refueling probe comes out. You can program it to perform virtually every function in the game or just a few. I personally like it for the radio communications with the A.I. You audibly say "F2" and Voice Attack pushes the F2 Function key for you. I audibly say "Radio 2" and it brings up a dialog box of function commands for the channel/frequency I have tuned into that second radio. In aerial refueling, you will have to communicate with the tanker this way. You pull up the radio dialog box and use your keyboard's function keys to communicate with the A.I. inside that tanker. You eventually use the F1 button to get the tanker to extend out the fueling hose, yet if you are not flying the Hornet in just the right location the computer acts like it doesn't know that you are there ... it tells you "Return to Pre-Contact" and even worse, it goes another step and turns off your dialog! Anyway, probably above your level right now, but eventually you will understand what I am talking about here when you get to practicing refueling. Being able to keep both hands on the flight controls and your eyes on the tanker while audibly communicate with the computer rather than pushing function keys goes a long way when you are trying to get fuel!
  4. "Control issues aside the primary thing I've seen people do that prevents fueling is that they're being too gentle and slow near the basket." .... "Anyhow... Don't try to match speed with tanker "too much" and then "creep" in on the basket. Don't watch the basket directly. Lots of people use the air-brake to fuel as it deadens the throttle a bit." Here is one that I don’t necessarily agree with; it may simply be my interpretation of the written post against the idea that this thread is directed toward the novice pilot who has not (or rarely is) able to refuel. Regardless of experience, my opinion is that the successful guys will all be smooth and controlled. I believe that any radical, jerky, uncontrolled movements with either the left hand or the right hand will likely result in non-success. You need to be smooth and controlled with both hands; both the flight stick and the throttle – smooth and controlled is what the successful guys have in common. An experienced guy may be able to ingress upon the tanker at perhaps 7 to 15 kts faster, throw out their speed break at the precise moment, back off on the throttle perfectly, glide right into the basket and hear the game tell them “Your Taking Fuel”, all in a Smooth and Controlled fashion! Further, they will have it work out perfect at a speed that they continue to stay hooked up! I absolutely do not doubt that such a thing is performed frequently by many. I don’t however believe that this is a technique in which the novice pilot, particularly one who struggles with refueling is going to pull off successfully. Likely the gentleman who posted doesn't think that either, but rather my read of the post, so I apologize in advance. It is my opinion, and my opinion is not worth more than anyone is paying for it on this internet chat forum, but my opinion is that the novice guy would be better off initially forming up behind the basket (maybe 20 feet back and 10 feet low), match aircraft speed with the basket speed, then push into the basket in a smooth and controlled fashion. Smooth and controlled may, or may not, be the same definition as "creep", they are kind of subjective terms. In my view, pushing into the basket would be at a rate of approximately 1 kt (to maybe 2 kts) faster than the basket is travelling, starting somewhere about 10 feet below and climbing into the basket; that would meet what my definition of “smooth and controlled” is for the typical novice pilot struggling to refuel. I would view a 4 kts closure speed, or a 6 kts closure speed, or even faster to not likely be within my definition of smooth and controlled even if outward appearances initially looked to be very smooth. Reasoning; for a novice pilot, those closure speeds are fast enough that it will often make them push way forward, too close to the tanker, after which they will then radically reduce the throttle, after which they will radically get back into the power. Ultimately, the result is porpoising forward and back. We typically think a porpoise movement being vertical, but too much power and then out of the throttle, causes it in a horizontal motion. A novice will get into the basket, but then dump right back out, which doesn't help! This it is based upon what I was doing wrong for almost a year, struggling to stay in the basket due to an incorrect closure speed for my skill level; eventually, I received solid coaching. To the novice guy who is struggling, what is your definition of smooth and controlled? Well, if you are struggling, reduce that definition down to tighter tolerances! Relax your muscles, relax your mindset, and fly with confidence. Take your feet off of the pedals, put your head back against the headrest of your chair, center your Track IR, take a deep breath and with very little movement of either hand fly the jet in a smooth and controlled fashion. Godspeed Gentleman! And Merry Christmas!
  5. Does anyone have this particular controller? It looks awesome to me! Just do not know how I would mount it; I don't see that it has any kind of bracket or mounting system to clamp it down, more or less vertically. Or am I missing something?
  6. I too thought that those tanker guys were quite rude to wait right up until I was just about close enough to actually get the probe into the basket and then retract it!!!! I don't know for certain but I would assume that this function is on some kind of timer. From the time that it puts the hose out for you, until it retracts it is some specific period of time. There are quite a few pointers on this thread, the biggest of which is practice it a lot. It is going to be difficult, it is going to be frustrating, so I would not spend beyond about 20-minutes or so before I would go onto something else in your training. Be sure to spend that 20-minutes every single training period, but likelihoods are that you are going to catch the basket in the 3 to 5 minute time-frame, and very unlikely that anything good is going to happen after a frazzled, frustrating, 16 to 19 minute time-frame. Don't know if you are flying in a cockpit chair, but most would not be. So when you get in close, take your feet off the rudder pedals; they are not going to help you at all. Just suck your legs up under your chair and do your best to relax. As a beginner, we tend to believe that it is all about the stick control, and it is not. Stick control is only half of it. The overlooked half, is the throttle control - it takes both left hand and right hand to be perfect! Don't know how you have your stick mounted to your desk / chair / cockpit; however it is, try to press your forearm into something solid so that all of the movements on your stick occur basically with the wrist and hand. Ultimately, you are looking for very small, subtle little movements on the stick; VERY small and subtle. For most every setup, throttle control requires a movement forward and back, so you can't anchor your elbow or forearm. As with the stick, VERY small and subtle movements back and forth. You only want a 1 kt swing in airspeed. A 3 to 4 kt change in speed as you are at the basket is way too much of a swing. Here is a practice drill that helped me: You do not even attempt to get the probe in the basket with this drill, Get close in and have the tanker deploy the basket to length, but this is only so that you can a proper perspective as to the length to what would be your probe, Align something that is physically on the HUD inside the jet, with something that is physically on the Tanker, Perhaps that little cross-hair on the HUD with the Engine on the Tanker, Simply do your best to keep the two aligned, fly the jet subtly, VERY small movements on the stick and throttle, How long can you keep the jet at the tanker at that alignment? 5-Sec, maybe next time 10-Sec, maybe 30? You are never going to be perfect, you just need to keep that little cross-hair in close proximity of that engine - be smooth, be subtle!
  7. Hornet + Super Carrier and don’t look for anything else other than Maps!
  8. Does anyone know if the footprint for the new Sinai map by third party developer OnReTech? Will the north edge of the new map match up with the existing Syria map? Could a mission fly across these map's match lines?
  9. With DDR4 is there any performance difference between 2x32GB and 4x16's ? I have an i9-9900K processor, and I am running everything on a single Samsung 970 EVO 1TB drive that is now just over 1/2 full. I am pretty much maxing out my existing 32 GB of RAM. And with all of the other Window's functions running off of the single disk while I try to play DCS, well it likely is not helping the situation! In a big multiplayer mission, performance issues are so bad that I often cannot even participate anymore so I need to make some changes ... just don't know if 64GB of RAM is my solution or not?
  10. Is the F-16 module really incomplete in DCS; say in comparison to the A-10C II module? And is it really that much more bugged than any of the other modules and/or DCS in general? I don't fly the Viper, but was honestly of the opinion that it is of the most complete offered by DCS and functions as well, if not better, than any of the other jets.
  11. On the 2 or 3 occasions that I conscientiously thought to myself 'we now have the burble right at touchdown, need to be aware'; well on those occasions I boltered! On the multiple occasions where I haven't worry about it at all, I hooked up without any problem.
  12. "Intuitive" is a fancy word for someone like me ...
  13. I would buy one of the maps (Syria or Gulf) and as for an aircraft ... go with the A-4 Skyhawk. It is FREE! Look into it: it has a Clickable cockpit, most all of the features that you would pay a lot of money for in other aircraft, and is a blast to fly. After a month or so, then you decide what your second, third & fourth purchases will be. Just my opinion.
  14. Well yes, in every Growling Sidewinder video where he is in the bug!
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