External lights are confusing...

No, the formation knob only has an effect on the wingtip position lights when WING/TAIL is set OFF. Whenever WING/TAIL is set BRT or DIM the formation knob has no effect over those lights. That's correct behavior.

Yes, that is correct.

What is incorrect right now in DCS is that the FORM knob should control the intensity of and turn off the formation lights (top and bottom of fuselage, both sides of vertical stabilizer)....but currently, it does not.

Currently in DCS the form knob does change the dorsal/ventral form light intensities.

Whether the fuselage-formation lights are dimmable by the form knob I don't know. The manual doesn't explicitly say one way or the other. It simply says the knob dims the "formation lights" which might or might not include the fuselage lights. Would that work that the DIM setting be a range from off to "full dim" and the BRT setting be variable from off to "full bright"?

Currently in DCS the form knob does change the dorsal/ventral form light intensities.

 

Whether the fuselage-formation lights are dimmable by the form knob I don't know. The manual doesn't explicitly say one way or the other. It simply says the knob dims the "formation lights" which might or might not include the fuselage lights. Would that work that the DIM setting be a range from off to "full dim" and the BRT setting be variable from off to "full bright"?

From what I am reading, the lights that illuminate both sides of the vertical stabilizer are clearly marked as being formation lights. To me, it is clearly stated that the FORM knob would control the intensity of them and also turn them off when the MASTER knob is in NORM and regardless of what POSITION light switches are set to.

Why hasen't ED responded to this yet...either to say it's a bug or to say it is right as is and provide the source/reasoning.

*FUSELAGE switch* is dedicated to control brightness (BRT/OFF/DIM) of Flood lights (white) at base of vertical tail.

*FORM knob* is dedicated to control brightness of Top and Bottom Formation light (white).

i doubt if *FORM knob* can also control Vertical tail's Flood lights brightness too ?

it's not make sense, because both already have separated controller for it and independent.

*FUSELAGE switch* is dedicated to control brightness (BRT/OFF/DIM) of Flood lights (white) at base of vertical tail.

 

*FORM knob* is dedicated to control brightness of Top and Bottom Formation light (white).

 

i doubt if *FORM knob* can control Vertical tai's Flood lights brightness too ?

it's not make sense, because both already have dedicated controller for it.

Hmmm...I see what you are saying.

I think the confusion may be from what the lights are called. In official documentation, those tail lights are referred to as formation lights.

So are these lights formation, fuselage, flood?

I just find it confusing that the lights that illuminate the tail are controlled by a position light switch labeled FUSELAGE. Those two lights are not position lights in any traditional aviation sense, and they light up the tail, not the fuselage.

Confusing word on switch maybe inherit form F16 very old BLOCK,

But both switch (FUSELAGE, FORM knob) is independent.

you can turn ON only *FORM knob* fuselage's TOP BOTTOM formation lights

or turn ON/DIM only *FUSELAGE switch* tail's light (FORMATION,FLOOD or whatever they called)

or turn ON both fuselage and tail lights

BJM is right in that the fuselage lights are definitely referred to in the manual as formation lights and further the FORM knob does say controls intensity of all formation lights. But the manual also says all lights except the fuselage lights flash when FLASH switch is set but we're pretty sure formation dorsal/ventral aren't supposed to either.

However I looked at an F-16A manual and the FORM knob explicitly does not vary the fuselage lights, only dorsal/ventral formation white lights and the wingtips provided they aren't already forced DIM/BRT. I'm guessing this also applies to the F-16C and the C's manual isn't as careful in wording. Similarly the F-16A manual is more careful that FLASH means that lights controlled by WING/TAIL flash.

I believe the fuselage lights are so named because they are mounted on the fuselage even though they illuminate the vertical tail.

Correct, the tail formation flood lights are labeled as formation lights according to exterior diagrams, but are controlled by the FUSELAGE switch. The described function of the FORM knob makes explicit notation regarding the controls of the wingtip red/green lights when the the BRT/DIM switch is in the OFF position, but makes no reference to controlling the tail formation flood lights regarding the FUSELAGE switch in the same manner.