TACAN Behaviour & Hint within Flight Package

Hello folks,

I'm curious about something I tried out with my leader in order to keep a good battle spread formation. I don't think it's a bug, it rather might be a good feature in a two ships package for other pilots instead, so here's the thing. Most of the time people are using TACAN either to find their homeplate or an alternate, or either to find a tanker by tuning themselves on the appropriate channel to get a range and a direction.

Well, it seems that the TACAN allows you to give you a range between you and your leader if you have 63 channels spacing between each other, however it won't give you any direction but the range. Just to make sure, is that a normal behaviour ?

Feel free to try it out :

* Leader on 02Y - A/A

* Wingman on 65Y - A/A

I tested this on Blue Flag. I may not remember the exact tuning as it was done on the fly, but it should be accurate. I was quite surprised having this feature as it can give you a good hint whether you're too far, too slow, too fast of your leader in almost BVR offensive and defensive formations such as battle spreads for instance. :smartass:

I'm surprised to learn it works. But it's a good surprise.

If it works it isn't a bug, it's a feature.

IRL it's often used as safety measure, especially with bad visibility, to prevent collision.

Nothing new regarding the hinter. But I didn't know, that A/A TACAN is already working in the Mirage.

There's another post about this elsewhere, its called TACAN yardstick and for keeping packages broadly within range, its really useful and works cross module.

There's another post about this elsewhere, its called TACAN yardstick and for keeping packages broadly within range, its really useful and works cross module.

Some more informations here I believe.

Unfortunately, ED's engine assumes Y = airborne. There's thus no way to model the Y-band TACAN ground stations in the USA.

so it only gives you range to your wingman ? nothing else ?

so it only gives you range to your wingman ? nothing else ?

Yep, nothing else. Use this in conjunction with your Mk1 Eyeball.

so it only gives you range to your wingman ? nothing else ?

That's quite enough. With the range you can hold outer-group formations out of sight. And if you use it, for example, in a trail formation, you can recognize, if you close up to your leader, fall back or hold the formation.

Don't forget: You've a radar, as well.

Bearing equipment is very heavy. Some KC-135R are fitted with the azimuth gear. There's no chance to fit it in a fighter sized airplane. The distance transponder is already built into the airplane and is needed for two-way communication for the DME part. This is the reason why you get azimuth info from a TACAN station on "receive only" but get azimuth and distance on "transmit/receive" setting.

If you look up the table of TACAN channel frequencies the pattern is easy to see why you have to be so many channels apart. Your talk and listen freqs have to be his listen and talk freqs. The "A/A" setting on the dial is to rearrange the frequencies so this is possible on X and Y band as well as generating the talks.

I did A/A TACAN test last week between me in F-5 and my friend in M2000. It works fine for both. But with the F-5 I had both distance and bearing to my friend (him only distance). So after some readings it shouldn't be possible right ?