DCS F-86F QUESTIONS

Electrical Sight Caging working correctly?

When you mechanically un-cage the A-4 sight it immediately becomes completely un-caged. Then to electrically cage the sight you must hold down the button for it.

Is this the way it is suppose to be? It seems wrong and inconvenient.

When you mechanically un-cage the A-4 sight it immediately becomes completely un-caged. Then to electrically cage the sight you must hold down the button for it.

Is this the way it is suppose to be? It seems wrong and inconvenient.

The eletrically caging button is located on the throttle handle, it is supposed to be held down. If holding down the system stabilizes and gets ready to receive data for an attack.

Air2Air gunnery: Hold down the button, align with enemy A/C, let the button go, hold attitude for ~1sec and shoot

Air2Ground Auto-Bombing-Mode: Hold down the button, begin dive to target, align with target, let the button go, hold "Weapon Release" button until bomb gets deployed

The eletrically caging button is located on the throttle handle, it is supposed to be held down. If holding down the system stabilizes and gets ready to receive data for an attack.

 

Air2Air gunnery: Hold down the button, align with enemy A/C, let the button go, hold attitude for ~1sec and shoot

 

Air2Ground Auto-Bombing-Mode: Hold down the button, begin dive to target, align with target, let the button go, hold "Weapon Release" button until bomb gets deployed

Thanks for the clarification.

I guess I'll just have to get used to holding a button down while maneuvering. :joystick:

You'd use that button only for about 2-4 seconds so you'll do that! :)

You'd use that button only for about 2-4 seconds so you'll do that! :)

But you don't need to keep the sight caged at all while dogfighting?

If you expect combat during your flight you move the mechanical caging-level to uncage (when airborne, cage it at takeoff and landing or you may damage the gyro systems) so the system will work if you're fighting.

Use the electrical caging-button only for short times in fights to stabilize the system, getting it ready to receive good data:

Air2Air gunnery: Hold down the button, align with enemy A/C, let the button go, hold attitude for ~1sec and shoot (repeat for every next exchange of shots)

Air2Ground Auto-Bombing-Mode: Hold down the button, begin dive to target, align with target, let the button go, hold "Weapon Release" button until bomb gets deployed (repeat for every next bomb attack)

For other operations you won't need the electrical caging button, use it in the same order as stated above. The button "will know" if you're doing A2A gunnery or a dive-bomb-run in Auto/Manual-mode.

For first situation it will "save" the data the radar sends to the enemy A/C and then computes the correct position of the pipper-image.

For the second situation it will "save" data like your height, speed etc. as initial position of your dive attack, now when you begin the dive it will again save data, e.g. dive angle, to compute the correct point of weapon release.

As stated above, thats the point to release the button because it knows the correct point and it needs no more data. Just dive towards the target and it will do its job :)

If you expect combat during your flight you move the mechanical caging-level to uncage (when airborne, cage it at takeoff and landing or you may damage the gyro systems) so the system will work if you're fighting.

 

Use the electrical caging-button only for short times in fights to stabilize the system, getting it ready to receive good data:

 

Air2Air gunnery: Hold down the button, align with enemy A/C, let the button go, hold attitude for ~1sec and shoot (repeat for every next exchange of shots)

 

Air2Ground Auto-Bombing-Mode: Hold down the button, begin dive to target, align with target, let the button go, hold "Weapon Release" button until bomb gets deployed (repeat for every next bomb attack)

 

For other operations you won't need the electrical caging button, use it in the same order as stated above. The button "will know" if you're doing A2A gunnery or a dive-bomb-run in Auto/Manual-mode.

For first situation it will "save" the data the radar sends to the enemy A/C and then computes the correct position of the pipper-image.

For the second situation it will "save" data like your height, speed etc. as initial position of your dive attack, now when you begin the dive it will again save data, e.g. dive angle, to compute the correct point of weapon release.

As stated above, thats the point to release the button because it knows the correct point and it needs no more data. Just dive towards the target and it will do its job :)

Ok, now I get it. The quick start manual made it seem like the gyros could be damaged (from hard maneuvering) if you didn't keep the sight caged until right before you start firing.:doh:

Thanks for the help!:thumbup:

Thanks for the advice, guys. My issues were simple overcontrolling, plus not understanding the NWS operates on a slight delay. If I remind myself to give it a touch of correction and then wait a second to observe the correction, my problem disappears.

:yes:

Ok, now I get it. The quick start manual made it seem like the gyros could be damaged (from hard maneuvering) if you didn't keep the sight caged until right before you start firing.:doh:

Thanks for the help!:thumbup:

Yeah you can damage it if you have uncaged it while taxiing, takeoff or landing :) Hard maneuvering isn't such a issue for the gyros. But it can lead to false data, because of that you cage it with the electrical button right before attacking. That neutralizes false input so you can attack precisely :)

From manual:

Sight Mechanical Caging Lever. The sight is caged mechanically by means of the caging lever on the sight head. The lever is set at UNCAGE (UNCAGED) position for normal automatic operation of the sight. For ground attacks, or if the sight fails, the lever should be moved to CAGE (CAGED) to provide a 100-mill, fixed-reticle image circle. The sight should be caged mechanically during taxiing, take-off and landing, to prevent damage to the sight.

 

Sight Electrical Caging Button. The sight is caged electrically (by primary bus power) when the caging button, on the throttle grip, is held depressed. Before an attack, the sight should be caged in this manner to stabilize the sight reticle image. Image stabilization is necessary to prevent false data from being supplied to the sight as a result of maneuvering on the initial approach to the target.

Hi, guys!

I wanted to ask you, what is the highest altitude you have gotten the DCS F-86 Sabre up to? Thanks!

Cheers,

Vincent

Can we damage the engine running it at 100% ?

Over about 98% the ITT goes outside the green zone and the needle goes under the 1st red mark.

Is there a way if your speed brakes are deployed or not?

Can we damage the engine running it at 100% ?

Over about 98% the ITT goes outside the green zone and the needle goes under the 1st red mark.

 

Is there a way if your speed brakes are deployed or not?

You can't tell if your speedbrakes are deployed or not from the cockpit. If fully extended you may barely see them if looking outside the cockpit (just barely). You can also switch to utility-hydraulic and watch how it gets consumed for moving the speed brakes (and regenerated by the turbine).

You need to wait for the throttle-button-animations (the top button on the throttle is the airbrake switch) to tell what your current command to the device is.