SU-27 BVR/Radar?

Hi all,

I need some help please, I've tried looking through and searching forum, can't find what I need.

I enjoy flying the SU-27 but I can't seem to fathom out the radar/BVR modes.

I have set up a simple mission against F18 and F86, 30KM away already airborne. I take off, engage BVR mode, activate radar. I cycle radar range out to 150KM and back down again, use HI/MED/INT mode for detection but can't find anything! Even when I get into visual range, with radar on minimum range and at same altitude I still can't detect the enemy planes.

When I look at YouTube videos other people seem to have a coloured cone area on the HDD (Head Down Display). I only get an arc that fills the display on 2KM MFD range. I have selected SARH missile.

No bandits on HDD or HUD. Only way I can engage is with the infra-red HMS sight and using IR missiles.

Any ideas? It feel like I'm missing something simple but can't find it.

The range that you see at the bottom is not range of the radar its actually used to spot targets if you know their distance and relative altitude. In your case they are 30Km away so set that bottom range to 30 and they are at 7000meters and you are at 4000 meters so their relative height to yours is 3000meters or 3kms. So raise your radar elevation to 3 notches. With these inputs radar antennae will orient itself to look at the sky 30Kms away and 3Kms above you.

And when you have visual and you still can't see targets is because they are out of your radar's scan zone. Radar's scan zone is essentially a pyramid shaped cone with its tip at the nose of your plane base extended as much as your radar's search range. The more closer the target the smaller is the scanning area of the radar and if you haven't oriented your radar properly you won't be able to see the targets even if you can see them visually.

Is your radar actually on? What's the max range marker on the top left side of your HuD?

Hi,

In a lot of ways, there's not too much to miss. Assuming you are entering BVR mode (the "2" key) and turning on your radar (the "I" key), then you are good to get some sort of return assuming the aircraft you expect to see is 1) close enough and 2) similar enough in altitude to be painted by your radar.

Changing the HUD scale does not change the radar range. It only changes how much of the sky ahead of you, the HUD displays. If a contact is beyond that range, it'll be displayed at the top of the HUD and stay there until it's range matches the top range of the HUD display. Then as the range closes, it'll start marching down the HUD.

My guess--and this is only a guess--is that, since you are taking off, the aircraft you are looking for are above your radar. You need to shift your scan up to spot them (RShift + ":", I believe). To test if this is the case, simply revise your mission for an air start and begin at the same altitude as them. I imagine you should at least be seeing a jamming strobe from the F18.

Hi all, thanks for the replies. You've all given me some things to try out, so I'll see if I can wrangle some time off from missus to have a go later tonight!

Thanks again!

Important to bear in mind that changing the "range" of the radar display only does exactly that: changes the range of the display and has no effect on the actual radar system at all. Likewise changing the "expected target range" only changes the range at which the centre of the radar beam is aimed. This becomes particularly relevant if you alter the expected target altitude.

As an example, let's say that you expect to intercept a target 50Km away from you that's flying at 2000m above your altitude. So, you tell the radar that the expected target altitude is +2000m. This will point the radar beam upwards so that the centre of the beam is pointing at an altitude 2000m above your flight altitude and is pointing at that altitude at the expected target range. In this example, if you program the expected target range to be 50Km then the centre of the radar beam will be pointing at a spot 2000m above you and 50Km away from you.

As a general point, changing the pulse repetition frequency from high-medium-interleaved will generally increase the maximum detection range against targets with high closure rates or medium closure rates or retreating targets. The interleaved setting is good when the target closure is unknown but apparently works with a ~25% reduction in maximum detection range. I'm sort-of quoting from the manual here - the relevant chapter is well worth a read.

Finally, target size and target type will also obviously have an impact on detection range. Something the size of a B-52 should be easily detectable out to maybe 75-80 Km whereas I'd be surprised if you get a detection on something as small as an F-5 or F-16 at 50Km. Some aircraft like the F-117 and drones have such small detection ranges that using the IRST or HMS is by far a better option.

I'm sure other more experienced Flanker drivers will correct me if I've explained anything wrongly...

Hi all,

I took note of your comments and this time it worked perfectly.

Thanks for the advice, I'd still be banging my head against a wall otherwise!

Hi all, thanks for the replies. You've all given me some things to try out, so I'll see if I can wrangle some time off from missus to have a go later tonight!

 

Thanks again!

Cmon..Admit it you forgot to turn your radar ON. It's ok., it happened to all of us at some point in time.

Not really. :D

I wondered that myself...even checked the key bindings!