Formation Lights: White lights on fuselage?

[Nealius]

The A-10's formation lights seem a bit unique compared to other jets. Instead of just the slimes, there's very bright white lights on the the spine and belly of the fuselage that aren't affected by the brightness dial. Are these lights separately controlled in the real aircraft, or is it the same as in DCS? 

[Frederf]

The formation light rotary knob dims all formation lights including the white bulbs in DCS.

[Nealius]

5 hours ago, Frederf said:

The formation light rotary knob dims all formation lights including the white bulbs in DCS.

 

My question is whether this is true in real life or not. The dimming knob does not appear to dim the white bulbs on the fuselage, only the slimes and tail logo light on my end. Preferably I'd like to extinguish the bulbs and logo light, leaving only the slimes. Given every other US military aircraft can do this, I'm curious if the A-10 can or cannot, how, and why.

[Frederf]

I believe so. The -1 makes no suggestion that the rotary dims anything but every single formation light of any kind. In DCS the white formation bulbs are dimmed by the rotary and I had forgotten about the tail floods (and the nose illumination when enabled) which are included in the circuit.

 

I remember the particular balance between the point bulbs and the slimes/floods being too toward the point bulbs but actually pretty balanced in last version. The point bulbs are a little too bright on balance I guess.

 

One thing you could do is turn NVIS lighting on but I don't think DCS models that.

 

 

[Nealius]

Oh cool, the NVIS lighting is more of the low-profile I'm looking for. I'll hunt for that switch.

[Snoopy]

External NVIS lighting is not modeled.  The switch is located on the six lighting control panel.

 

The nacelle flood light is tied to the formation lights BUT the on/off capability and intensity is controlled by the RCVR LT rotary on the fuel control panel.

Edited April 15, 2021 by Snoopy

[Nealius]

Nacelle flood lights being on the tail? 

[Snoopy]

1 hour ago, Nealius said:

Nacelle flood lights being on the tail? 

Nope those are correct as is, intensity is tied to the formation lights. 

[Nealius]

I'm confused which part is the nacelle. "Engine nacelle" is such a strong association I don't know what other parts could be a "nacelle." But I don't recall there being any lights on the Hog's engines. 

[jaylw314]

47 minutes ago, Nealius said:

I'm confused which part is the nacelle. "Engine nacelle" is such a strong association I don't know what other parts could be a "nacelle." But I don't recall there being any lights on the Hog's engines. 

 

"Nacelle" is any enlongated structure attached to the typical airframe structure.  In the case of the Warthog, the main landing gear are also stored in "nacelles"

 

[VladimirSputnik]

NACELLE LIGHTS

The Nacelle lights are co-located with the White "Formation" light on the spine but faces aft in order to illuminate both the engine nacelles (essentially the intakes).  I believe it is useful for boom operators during night in-flight refueling to know where the intakes are when they operate the refueling boom.  These lights are on the same circuit as the refueling slipway receiver lights and controlled by the RCVR LT knob (situated on the panel to the front left of the throttle).  With Pinkie Switch AFT, the nacelle lights seem to be at a fixed setting, but the receiver slipway lights can still be adjusted with the RCVR LT knob.  With Pinkie Switch FORWARD both are adjustable.

 

It does not make much sense to not be able to switch off the white "formation" lights (on the spine and underneath the cockpit as well as the logo lights illuminating the tail number) since the strips of formation lights are designed to not be visible from a distance.  The two white lights seem to defeat the purpose.  Maybe these lights are not as bright in real life.  The logo lights on the tail fins kind of makes sense since it might be useful to know if you are formating on the correct aircraft when radio silent at night.

I wonder if a real A-10 driver would be able to shed some light on this.  [ I also could not find a circuit breaker to extinguish the white lights ]

[VladimirSputnik]

NACELLE LIGHTS

The Nacelle lights are co-located with the White "Formation" light on the spine but faces aft in order to illuminate both the engine nacelles (essentially the intakes).  I believe it is useful for boom operators during night in-flight refueling to know where the intakes are when they operate the refueling boom.  These lights are on the same circuit as the refueling slipway receiver lights and controlled by the RCVR LT knob (situated on the panel to the front left of the throttle).  With Pinkie Switch AFT, the nacelle lights seem to be at a fixed setting, but the receiver slipway lights can still be adjusted with the RCVR LT knob.  With Pinkie Switch FORWARD both are adjustable.

 

It does not make much sense to not be able to switch off the white "formation" lights (on the spine and underneath the cockpit as well as the logo lights illuminating the tail number) since the strips of formation lights are designed to not be visible from a distance.  The two white lights seem to defeat the purpose.  Maybe these lights are not as bright in real life.  The logo lights on the tail fins kind of makes sense since it might be useful to know if you are formating on the correct aircraft when radio silent at night.

I wonder if a real A-10 driver would be able to shed some light on this.  [ I also could not find a circuit breaker to extinguish the white lights ]

[Snoopy]

1 hour ago, VladimirSputnik said:

It does not make much sense to not be able to switch off the white "formation" lights (on the spine and underneath the cockpit as well as the logo lights illuminating the tail number) since the strips of formation lights are designed to not be visible from a distance.  The two white lights seem to defeat the purpose.  Maybe these lights are not as bright in real life.  The logo lights on the tail fins kind of makes sense since it might be useful to know if you are formating on the correct aircraft when radio silent at night.

I wonder if a real A-10 driver would be able to shed some light on this.  [ I also could not find a circuit breaker to extinguish the white lights  

 

 

Not a pilot but plenty of maintenance experience on A-10s and the formation lights in DCS function correctly. 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Snoopy

[VladimirSputnik]

Much appreciated, thanks

[Nealius]

That clears up the nacelle lights; from the name alone I was expecting them to literally be on the nacelles themselves. It doesn't look like they actually illuminate the nacelles in DCS. 

[Emmy]

On 4/15/2021 at 8:55 AM, jaylw314 said:

 

"Nacelle" is any enlongated structure attached to the typical airframe structure.  In the case of the Warthog, the main landing gear are also stored in "nacelles"

Fairly certain the gear retracts into “sponsons” and not nacelles...

 

[jaylw314]

9 hours ago, Emmy said:

Fairly certain the gear retracts into “sponsons” and not nacelles...

 

Oooh, nice word!  I'll have to use that one more!

 

Unfortunately, the Google lady provided no useful information in distinguishing sponsons from nacelles, but "sponson" does sound a lot cooler!  

[Snoopy]

13 hours ago, Emmy said:

Fairly certain the gear retracts into “sponsons” and not nacelles...

 

Never heard them called that in my experience.  We call them (and tech data does as well) Main Landing Gear Pods.  the only "Nacelles" on the A-10 are the engine nacelles which are ben made up of cowls (the doors on the outside of the nacelle) and shrouds (attached to the actual engine itself.