Air-Air Refueling

Maybe is something in my HOTAS, a minor change and is jumping side to side

Maybe is something in my HOTAS, a minor change and is jumping side to side

 

Check you bindings.

By default a great many axis get assigned to all sort of controllers regardless if it makes sense or not. You may have your throttle sending signals to pitch or roll without knowing.

Check you bindings.

By default a great many axis get assigned to all sort of controllers regardless if it makes sense or not. You may have your throttle sending signals to pitch or roll without knowing.

 

Thank you for all your support! I'm trying at least 3 times a day to get the basket!I'm that close!

 

:thumbup:

Here's a quick video I just took doing the Persian Gulf instant action mission (Aerial Refueling)

 

I've included the input indicators along the video, looking back at it, staying on the tanker requires alot of subtle work. I missed the first contact by an inch, didn't stress, slowed down a bit and made a clean contact a few seconds later.

 

Hope this helps some :)

 

Here's a quick video I just took doing the Persian Gulf instant action mission (Aerial Refueling)

 

I've included the input indicators along the video, looking back at it, staying on the tanker requires alot of subtle work. I missed the first contact by an inch, didn't stress, slowed down a bit and made a clean contact a few seconds later.

 

Hope this helps some :)

 

 

Nice Job! What I see in your video is that yours movement are smoother than mine. The minor changes I make the aircraft responds quite hard. I'm working in HOTAS setup to try to resolve this, and also lots of practice.

 

:thumbup:

It was a good job. Your S3 guy was definitely behaving nice. The basket stayed glued in spite of lateral and vertical movements. When I get home tonight I'll try to shoot a quick vid. I think I still have Fraps somewhere. Hopefully I'll be able to show finicky S3 or... embarrass myself, lol

Best advice I can give is DONT CHASE THE BASKET, if you miss, throttle back, line up again and try again.

After a few hours of practice with S3 orbiting at 330 kts I think I became fairly good at matching the tanker's bank angle, closure speed, being able to plug in on the first try, etc.

That's where my "skill" ends :(

 

I just can't stay connected for more then 5 seconds! In a straight and level with other tankers -different story. I'm beginning to think that there might be a slight difference in flight modelling between the AI a/c and flyable high fidelity models (i.e. slips when turning, etc.) and yes, it could just be me, hehe.

Also, I think the basket should not disengage after being pushed straight in couple of feet. I really tried to pay attention to my position with the tanker. I haven't tried dumbing down the stick curves yet. I'd love to have Super Hornet's FPAH mode here (not used for this purpose in RL though).

 

Anyways, can someone post a vid. showing "passing" gas from S3 in a turn... would greatly appreciate it.

 

Now you can slow it down to a realistic speed, 250 or less and try it. lol

All right, I think I finally realized that the way the basket and hose are modeled you cannot back out even a tiny bit. After let's say pushing the basket in 3 feet you back off couple of inches the hose will not extend anymore. It should go back to its extension limit. Also, the hose will not kink.

At least I know how to deal with it now and slowly getting better.

Here's a very short clip of my "not the best" approach but it illustrates my point.

 

https://youtu.be/dKxezaWmjBw

All right, I think I finally realized that the way the basket and hose are modeled you cannot back out even a tiny bit. After let's say pushing the basket in 3 feet you back off couple of inches the hose will not extend anymore. It should go back to its extension limit. Also, the hose will not kink.

At least I know how to deal with it now and slowly getting better.

Here's a very short clip of my "not the best" approach but it illustrates my point.

 

https://youtu.be/dKxezaWmjBw

I noticed this too. My attempt is I found a refuleing misison in the dcs user section in the Persian gulf map and the tanker flies very strady there so I was able to connect a few times but the same thing happened it bounced back and disconnected. Flying level and keeping the left tanker engine between the top degree marks on your HUD will get you in the right position but the hardest part is the left right oscillations as you inch forward. Adding throttle will pitch you up and trim doesn't help me that much so you use stick pitch to recenter yourself but at the same time you have to make super small adjustments to roll left and right until you hit the right spot.

Finally doing A2AR with the hornet. Absolutely loving it. Always struggled with the A10 and Mirage. Things that helped:

 

1. adding curves and a deadzone into my pitch/roll/throttle (curve 15, deadzone 4); now its not as sensitive (which is actually a bad thing with A2AR);

2. the autothrottle is a godsend. That combined with #1 above makes tanking easier.

 

Still difficult but way easier.

All right, I think I finally realized that the way the basket and hose are modeled you cannot back out even a tiny bit. After let's say pushing the basket in 3 feet you back off couple of inches the hose will not extend anymore. It should go back to its extension limit. Also, the hose will not kink.

At least I know how to deal with it now and slowly getting better.

Here's a very short clip of my "not the best" approach but it illustrates my point.

 

https://youtu.be/dKxezaWmjBw

its not so much the range of motion for the basket as your rate of travel. shoulda just immediately dropped back on the throttle for like a third of a second right as you hit the basket, instead you just kept coasting through. not so obvious at first due to the wide fov of your shot but i think you fairly lunged through the basket which is bad for transitioning to holding formation with the tanker, because a large deceleration will result in a large decrease in pitch and compensating for it is asking to be led into pio. you should be able to hover behind the basket and gently nudge yourself in.

 

if your rate of motion is gentle enough the range of freedom is actually quite generous.

Edited June 11, 2018 by probad

Is using auto throttle or any kind of AP normal for A2AR??

Is using auto throttle or any kind of AP normal for A2AR??

I turned it on in the A/P menu but it didn't do anything for my throttle I could still move the throttle and it looked like my response was just slower.

 

You need to be going a bit faster then back to same speed as the tanker so your throttle will always be moving. Don't think it's a good idea. Same with your stick you will constantly need to make adjustments, very small ones.

I had a couple of goes yesterday and was surprised how difficult it was with small (at least I thought) corrections making me move wildly in comparison to the tanker - looks so easy on the vids but actually very hard

A2A refuel

 

Okay i am really stuck on A2A refuel i set the tacan and freq all set but when i get to the tanker i ask for the refuel in the menu its all grayed out and i cant refuel what am i doin wrong

Okay i am really stuck on A2A refuel i set the tacan and freq all set but when i get to the tanker i ask for the refuel in the menu its all grayed out and i cant refuel what am i doin wrong

Try turning off easy comms in the options section. Even if it's greyed you should still be able to contact the tanker, that always worked for me in the past.

Okay i am really stuck on A2A refuel i set the tacan and freq all set but when i get to the tanker i ask for the refuel in the menu its all grayed out and i cant refuel what am i doin wrong

 

Try turning off easy comms in the options section. Even if it's greyed you should still be able to contact the tanker, that always worked for me in the past.

 

Also make sure you are using the right radio.

Managed to refuel for about 3k lbs using the autothrottle. Really helped me get aligned properly although it's still tough and then I just manage to hold it level and fly with the tanker. Will take some more practice but I was happy I could connect for more than 10 seconds several times.

Okay i am really stuck on A2A refuel i set the tacan and freq all set but when i get to the tanker i ask for the refuel in the menu its all grayed out and i cant refuel what am i doin wrong

 

ah you must be doing the same mistake I was...you're using \ to get comms right? well that won't work as you actually need to bind Comms 1 and Comms 2 (Right Alt + / maybe?). Then you choose which radio to use to dial in the tanker freq then you select Comms 2 and it'll be there.

The tanker is just playing hard to get in the instant action aar mission. I try to closeup and she move to the right and when I go right, she go left.

 

What am I getting wrong here fellows?

I could not hit the basket at all till I added a deadzone of 3 or 4 to help with twitches and then curves to smooth out the fine adjustment. Once I had this added it was considerably easier with some practice.

Another I thing I notice is when I get close and at the rear, do the ready for pre-contact call, tanker would say pre-contact and that is it. The drogue basket is not extended.

 

Any clue why?

If your not in the proper pre contact position, the tanker will tell you to return pre contact.

You then need to readjust your position and recontact the tanker to say you are ready pre contact.

If your not in the proper pre contact position, the tanker will tell you to return pre contact.

You then need to readjust your position and recontact the tanker to say you are ready pre contact.

Alright thanks. I guess pre-contact is when you directly behind.