The PPA (Poste de Preparation Armement : Weapons Preparation Panel)

This is a panel that you will learn to love/hate. Since it controls and limits how the weapons loaded in the aircraft work.

The PPA is located to the right of the radar display and below the HIS. It is used to configure selected weapons options, like bomb fuse type, cooling the Magic II seeker, etc.

1. Missile Pylon Selector

Three position switch that is used to control from which side to fire the first missile. The values are G (Left) – AUTO – D (Right). Default value is AUTO meaning that the PCA selects the firing sequence (usually left then right).

The switch is important to keep aircraft balance when mixing missile fire, e.g.: firing a Super 530D followed by a MAGIC. In this scenario the PCA will fire both missiles from the left wing, creating an unbalanced load. By using this switch you override the PCA and can keep the aircraft balanced.

2. Super 530D Preparation

This button is used to trigger On or Off all Super 530D missiles Preparation (BIT) and thus allowing/preventing their use. The preparation is triggered by either powering up the aircraft, clicking on the button or by selecting the missile related-mode on the PCA. The missile will take 30 seconds before becoming fully operational.

The preparation is cancelled by clicking again on the button; this is done when OP requires that the aircraft keeps all its weapons safe like during air refueling or long ferry flight with no chance of missile use.

The button has two lights:

MISS: Turns one when there are Super 530D missiles aboard the aircraft.

P: Short for “Prét” (Ready). Turns on when the Super 530D are ready to use. Blinking when they are undergoing the preparation process and Dark when the missiles are in safe mode or no missiles are onboard.

3. Missile Fire selector

This button is not used in the M-2000C.

4. MAGIC II Preparation

This button is used to trigger On or Off all MAGIC II missiles Preparation (BIT & cooling of the seeker) and thus allowing/preventing their use. The preparation is triggered by either powering up the aircraft, clicking on the button or by selecting the missile related-mode on the PCA or using the HOTAS selector.

Switching the preparation Off is used to save the MAGIC II seeker coolant supply (nitrogen). There is enough supply to keep the seeker heads active for 90 minutes, after that time the seekers become warm rendering the missiles useless. The missile will take 30 seconds before becoming fully operational.

Note: Each time the preparation is reactivated (switched On) will shorten the coolant supply by 10 minutes. Plan its use carefully.

The button has two lights:

MAG: Turns on when there are MAGIC II missiles aboard the aircraft.

P: Short for “Prét” (Ready). Turns on when the MAGIC IIs are ready to use. Blinking when they are undergoing the preparation process and Dark when the missiles are in safe mode or no missiles are onboard.

5. System Lights Test/Load out Display

Three position spring loaded switch. The values are:

TEST: Test all the PCA and PPA lights.

OFF: Default position (unmarked).

PRES: Displays in the VTB an aircraft silhouette with the current weapons load.

6. Bomb Fusing Selector

Three position switch used to arm the bombs onboard by selecting which fuse to activate. The values are:

INERT: Bombs are unarmed/safe. If released with the switch in this position, they will not explode. This is the default position.

RET.: Short for Delay. This position arms the bombs’ tail fuse thus allowing them to penetrate the target before exploding.

INST.: Short for Contact. This position arms the bombs’ nose and tail fuses thus allowing them to explode as soon as they hit the target.

7. Bomb Release Quantity Selector

To increase/decrease the quantity of bombs to be released you have to click on the release quantity switch. A left click will increase the value and a right click will decrease it.

The values are increased/decreased in pairs: 0, 2, 4, 8, 10. For the PPA 0 is equivalent to 1.

Bomb release priority

In order to maintain aircraft load balance, the bombs are dropped in matching pairs from the outwards pylons to the internals. The release order is: 2, 8, 4, 6, 3, 7, 5.

If a release quantity larger than 1 has been configured, the bombs will be released in matching pylon pairs, e.g.: 2+8, 4+6, etc. If a pair is incomplete the quantity configuration is disregarded and the bombs are released one by one in the usual order.

8. Bomb Release Interval Selector

This switch is used to increase/decrease the distance between each bomb release. A left click will increase the value and a right click will decrease it.

This function is only active when multiple bombs are released at the same time.

9. Selected Quantity and Interval Display

The top window indicates the quantity of bombs to be released with each trigger action. The bottom window indicates the interval between each individual bomb release, the value is in 10s of meters.

10. Salvo Firing Selector

This button only applies to the following weapons: Super 530D, DEFA 554 guns and rocket pods. This button is used to select how the weapons will be fired on each trigger press: individually or all in a single salvo. In the case of the DEFA 554 guns, it selects between continuous or salvo fire.

It has two values:

TOT: The selected weapon is fired in a single salvo using all the stores aboard the aircraft. For the DEFA 554 guns, they keep firing for as long as you keep the trigger pressed.

PAR: The selected weapon is fired individually with each trigger press until the stores are depleted. For the DEFA 554 guns, they are fired in 0.5 seconds salvos (about 8 rounds).

The PPA panel will be enabled in future releases, so be ready for it. :smartass:

Very nice! :-)

Nice.

I'll be honest here, I sorta like the complexity and realism part of the more detailed Mirage but truth be told ...

It's going to be such a pain in the ass to keep the missiles cold and what if I spawn an airstart will I have to wait for 30 seconds before firing them?

The options for guns are amazing can't wait for that

Honestly, I don't share your concern.

Do you usually start firing missiles within 30" of air-starting a mission? I probably don't.

The PPA panel will be enabled in future releases, so be ready for it. :smartass:

Honestly, I don't share your concern.

 

Do you usually start firing missiles within 30" of air-starting a mission? I probably don't.

Well me and my friends often have really silly dogfights

We made an arena spawn which has all the aircraft and they're air spawns so when we want to mess around we hop on those and missiles go flying everywhere

It's quite fun and there are some silly moments but if I'm gonna have to wait 30 seconds before fireing a missile (Not arguing this fact) then I'm probably gonna be dead by then

And gonna have to use different aircraft or just not use missiles at all and that's a shame : P

Awesome, thanks!

So it's working now?

So it's working now?

The buttons and interface is implemented but the functions behind the buttons are not still WIP

I'll be honest here, I sorta like the complexity and realism part of the more detailed Mirage but truth be told ...

 

It's going to be such a pain in the ass to keep the missiles cold and what if I spawn an airstart will I have to wait for 30 seconds before firing them?

 

The options for guns are amazing can't wait for that

What a way to make a mountain out of a molehill. :P By this time you should have learned to trust us. :smartass:

If you spawn in the air, the aircraft module will assume that all missiles are prepared, so you will be ready to fight from the beginning. Although for the Magic IIs it will deduct 15 minutes from the coolant time, since it will assume that you have used the Magic PREP button as soon as you were in the air. :pilotfly:

What a way to make a mountain out of a molehill. :P By this time you should have learned to trust us. :smartass:

 

If you spawn in the air, the aircraft module will assume that all missiles are prepared, so you will be ready to fight from the beginning. Although for the Magic IIs it will deduct 15 minutes from the coolant time, since it will assume that you have used the Magic PREP button as soon as you were in the air. :pilotfly:

Thanks for crushing my doubts I should have learned better by now :)

Just to make sure i understood properly (this is pretty complex)

if i take off and switch on the Magic preparation , does that mean that i will have magic for the next 90 minutes and it doesn't matter if master arm on , doesn't matter if i`m in magic mode or cannon or 530D ?

p.s

incredible work making the Mirage even more complex , i`m loving it.

Just to make sure i understood properly (this is pretty complex)

 

if i take off and switch on the Magic preparation , does that mean that i will have magic for the next 90 minutes and it doesn't matter if master arm on , doesn't matter if i`m in magic mode or cannon or 530D ?

 

p.s

incredible work making the Mirage even more complex , i`m loving it.

No. When the PPA is fully operational, all MAGIC II missiles onboard will have a lifetime of 90 minutes. This timer starts as soon as the aircraft is operational, that is in the air. The only way to extend the lifetime is to click on the MAGIC PREP button. All MAGIC II missiles will enter into a standby mode and cannot be used until you click on the MAGIC PREP button again, but the timer is also paused. Unfortunately it takes 30 seconds after clicking MAGIC PREP for your MAGIC II missiles to become operational again, and the same procedure reduce the missile lifetime by 10 minutes.

If you allow the missile to remain active for 90 minutes, at the end of that time they become inert and will not track.

The 90 minutes represents the amount of liquid nitrogen that is stored on each MAGIC pylon. This liquid nitrogen is used to keep the seeker heads cool enough that they can detect the heat from enemy aircraft.

So, you have to plan ahead and decide whether to keep your missiles active at all time and risk them becoming inert or to put them in standby and thus save them for later use. Unfortunately if they are on standby and you are ambushed, you won't be able to use them for 30 seconds until their heads are cool enough to work.

I understand now why 2000C is an interceptor not fighter.

Well thats not too bad, i cant see too many scenarios where i`m in a combat zone for 90 minutes or even have fuel for that long

 

The PPA panel will be enabled in future releases, so be ready for it. :smartass:

Maybe just give us some heads-up this time so the forums aren't flooded with people unable to figure out why their weapons won't fire. :P

I know you just did, but maybe try some big, bold, flashing letters or something, in some kind of nice bright red or orange or some other obnoxious color.

Actually, nevermind, that won't do any good. Glad you guys've got this thing close to being implemented.

Thanks RAZBAM :thumbup:

Excellent, love this realism ! Thx Razbam !

Fantastic. :thumbup:

Great ! Keep up the good work !:thumbsup:

I will need some time with that thing. I hate it but maybe Ill like it when I can handle it well.

Sounds great. I wanted a high fidelity 4th generation fighter and that's what you are giving us - bring it on!

Unfortunately it takes 30 seconds after clicking MAGIC PREP for your MAGIC II missiles to become operational again, and the same procedure reduce the missile lifetime by 10 minutes.

Is the seeker temperature tracked or is this a fixed coolant cost regardless for how long Magic has been on standby?

I mean if it's 300K ambient and you need 100K to operate it takes a while to get there. But if I switch off cooling for 1 second and it only raises to 103K it should take less coolant and less time than from higher (and of course there is frictional heating).

PRES: Displays in the VTB an aircraft silhouette with the current weapons load.

can u please post a screenshot of this ?