Afterburner Detent

Hi all,

I'm something of a n00b, so forgive me if this question is either superfluous or stupid or has already been asked and answered (though I did search before posting)...

Is there a way via control mapping to prevent you from accidentally engaging afterburner by pushing the throttle too far forward? Many HOTAS systems do not have a hardware detent and there doesn't appear to be a super obvious indication from within the cockpit that afterburner is engaged (the figures on the IFEI being the most obvious as far as I can tell). It would be pretty annoying to have to look down at the IFEI every time I push the throttle forward to ensure that I don't accidentally slip into afterburner for a few minutes and suck up all my fuel.

I'm not sure what the solution would be. Maybe an extra control that I can map to a button on my throttle that needs to be depressed in order for the afterburners to kick in, and if the button is not depressed the throttle maxes out at full mil regardless of how far forward it is pushed?

Does anybody have any thoughts or insight about this?

The F-5 had a toggle to go between IDLE-MIL and IDLE-MAX. It shouldn't be too hard to add that to the Hornet, if it isn't already.

The question is: does the Hornet have an afterburner detent IRL? Not all fighter jets have one.

I never used AB detent on my hotas warthog.

My question is: in the F/A-18C the only way to check if AB is engaged is to monitor fuel flow and nozzle position?

Or there is other indication?

The F-5 had a toggle to go between IDLE-MIL and IDLE-MAX. It shouldn't be too hard to add that to the Hornet, if it isn't already.

This is very much the kind of thing I was thinking of. This sound more like a toggle than a detent, but that would do the job just as well.

I too would be curious to know if the real life Hornet has an afterburner detent, though I suspect that in the real life Hornet there may also be more sensory cues that the afterburners had engaged (the sensation of sudden acceleration, if nothing else). In other words, it may be far easier in the real Hornet to tell when the afterburner has engaged than in the sim.

The question is: does the Hornet have an afterburner detent IRL? Not all fighter jets have one.

I don't think it does... I base this on the fighter pilot podcast where Jello had a "cut pass" because he got it into his head that he was going into afterburner on landing instead of full mil, that makes me think that it doesn't have a detent.

I fly in full burner the entire time, even on landing (out of fuel) so it does not matter for me!

I fly in full burner the entire time, even on landing (out of fuel) so it does not matter for me!

I would like to see you doing aerial refueling :D

I don't think it does... I base this on the fighter pilot podcast where Jello had a "cut pass" because he got it into his head that he was going into afterburner on landing instead of full mil, that makes me think that it doesn't have a detent.

It does have a detent but it's mild so it's easy to go into afterburner but the detent does keep you from accidentally going into burner if you don't want to.

There is a finger lift stop to prevent going to engines off from idle.

I went to burner once just prior to landing on a very windy turbulent night. Had I not gone into burner I would have caught a no-grade 1 wire instead I got a fair pass/2 wire. Ironically enough it was on the same cruise with Jello.

The question is: does the Hornet have an afterburner detent IRL? Not all fighter jets have one.

Interesting, which ones? Older jets perhaps?

The F/A-18C does have A/B detent. If I remember right, you can either use finger lifts or push through the detent, depending on regime of flight.

It does have a detent but it's mild so it's easy to go into afterburner but the detent does keep you from accidentally going into burner if you don't want to.

 

There is a finger lift stop to prevent going to engines off from idle.

 

I went to burner once just prior to landing on a very windy turbulent night. Had I not gone into burner I would have caught a no-grade 1 wire instead I got a fair pass/2 wire. Ironically enough it was on the same cruise with Jello.

Thanks Neo! If I had only waited before messaging Jello to check. :thumbup:

To set it up using the lifts in the Warthog, just go to axis tune, check the slider option, open the throttle control to full military power, and using the dead zone slider, you can adjust the throttle so that the dots are overlapping in the graph, and then test it in flight. They may need a little very fine tuning to get it just right so you have full military power short of the detents, and afterburner as soon as you jump the detents.

Works very well, and you can adjust all the non-afterburner types so you just push to the detents for full military power in those too. The resolution is good enough that you still have fine control.

yes, but doesn't that stop you from selecting what stage afterburner you wish to be in? Such as in the F-15... IE you can only select full afterburner instead of stages 1-5?

Interesting, which ones? Older jets perhaps?

F-15s don't have it if I recall correctly.

IMHO you only need the AB detent, in a modern fighter like the F/A-18C the transitions between "zones" is seamless. It's not like the viggen with 3 explicit zones.

F-15s don't have it if I recall correctly.

They do...called a mil stop. Doesn't require use of finger lifts.

I never used AB detent on my hotas warthog.

 

My question is: in the F/A-18C the only way to check if AB is engaged is to monitor fuel flow and nozzle position?

Or there is other indication?

+1 , same question. Really want a little led or lamp :pilotfly:

IMHO you only need the AB detent, in a modern fighter like the F/A-18C the transitions between "zones" is seamless. It's not like the viggen with 3 explicit zones.

What do you mean by zones?

GE engines don't have stages. :)

To set it up using the lifts in the Warthog, just go to axis tune, check the slider option, open the throttle control to full military power, and using the dead zone slider, you can adjust the throttle so that the dots are overlapping in the graph, and then test it in flight. They may need a little very fine tuning to get it just right so you have full military power short of the detents, and afterburner as soon as you jump the detents.

 

Works very well, and you can adjust all the non-afterburner types so you just push to the detents for full military power in those too. The resolution is good enough that you still have fine control.

Could you post a picture of what that looks like on your end? I have tried, but without success.

F-15s don't have it if I recall correctly.

F-15 has 5 distinct AB stages, with each stage making a distinct bang sound as it enters each stage. You can also see the nozzle indicator opening with each stage and the corresponding fuel flow increase.

F-15 has 5 distinct AB stages, with each stage making a distinct bang sound as it enters each stage. You can also see the nozzle indicator opening with each stage and the corresponding fuel flow increase.

Motor type dependent, so that is not the case for all.

F-15 has 5 distinct AB stages, with each stage making a distinct bang sound as it enters each stage. You can also see the nozzle indicator opening with each stage and the corresponding fuel flow increase.

Take I look at my another post in the other thread about sound at Mach 1.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3506247&postcount=5

Yeah, I hope indeed not.

I just need to sort it out with the throttle settings.

If someone got it set up perfectly, please share a screenshot of what it looks like.

They're not going to add something that doesn't exist in the real jet.

Perhaps a decent middle ground would be a modification to the GUI, similar to how one can pull up the control position overlay (usefull in Helos for no FFB stick users).

You don't need lamps and warning lights telling you the AB is on.

Just look at the nozzle, they will always open. If not, you're screwed ;)