DCS: F/A-18C

[Phantom88 3,287]

***Mini Update***

"It’s a small thing, but some of the art for the HUD camera control panel and the UFC has been cleaned up a bit. As these portions of the cockpit are often in your face, it’s pretty important to get these looking as good as possible.

Also, we have had to move the Mk-77 to the post-Early Access release list for weapons. Not only will the Mk-77 require a new object and napalm effect, but an all new warhead type needs to be created (quite different than HE and pen-aid warheads) and all units and objects will need to be updated to account for this all, new weapon type. As you might imagine, it's going to be a lot of work to support this.

[Phantom88 3,287]

 

***Mini Update***        

"In case of a departure, the Hornet was provided a spin/departure recovery system that instructs the pilot on how to command the controls to exit a spin. However, this did not really help with a much more serious “falling leaf” departure... As the Hornet evolved, the Flight Control System (FCS) became advanced enough that the jet could automatically recover itself by simply taking hands off the controls and allow the jet to fly itself out of the departure. In fact, the spin recovery switch should not really be used in later F/A-18s. 

However, to be complete, we plan to model this system. Here are some work-in-progress images of it in action.

It’s been a very long haul with the Caution and Advisory System that has entailed the simulation of many other systems that feed into it like electrical, fuel, hydraulic, navigation, mission computers, flight control system, engine, AMAD, TAWS, and others. However, we are getting pretty close now to have functions in place to create an authentic Hornet start up. Thanks for your patience on this."

[Boomer 1,619]

Yep, as I recall, if the Bug departs, just take your hands of the controls and sit tite.

[Phantom88 3,287]

****New Hornet WallPapers******

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3293082&postcount=17

[Phantom88 3,287]

***mini update***

"Another little improvement coming with the Hornet is an improve afterburner effect. It’s these little things that we hope to make the Hornet a truly great product"

[Phantom88 3,287]

 

[scottb613 1,188]

Man - that's way too short - looks good though...

Regards,

Scott

[Boomer 1,619]

Oh my...to be a beta tester... :-(

[Phantom88 3,287]

10 hours ago, Boomer said:

Oh my...to be a beta tester... :-(

I think in a month or so...We ALL will be Beta Testers.

[Phantom88 3,287]

***mini update*** 

"Let’s talk a little about sensors…

A key aspect of the Hornet early access release will be the air-to-air radar modes that consist of Range While Search (RWS), Single Target Track (STT), Latent Track While Scan (LTWS), and the Air Combat Maneuvering Mode of Boresight Acq (, Vertical Acq (VACQ), Wide Acq (WACQ), and Long Range Automatic Acq (AACQ). A lot of our efforts are now devoted to this.

Attached is an image just showing a symbol test. Several items are quite incorrect (it’s just a symbol test), so please don’t get too wrapped around the axle on this.

Once that is complete and the Early Access version of the Hornet has been released, we’ll be using the air-to-ground radar technology we’ve been developing over the past few years to create the A/G modes of the AN/APG-73 radar we are simulating. Our goal is to create the most realistic simulation of an A/G radar ever done for a game. This will be in addition to including the remaining A/A radar modes and functions.

Upon wrapping up the APG-73, we’ll move on to the ATFLIR, and at that time, develop a new and improved FLIR technology to provide the best and most realistic simulation of such a sensor.
You may also note in the image that we’ve been working on the lighting system for the IFEI. In fact, the panel was modified.

As for the Hornet start up video, we are just waiting on one critical item to be resolved with the caution and advisory system. The AV-8B will have the limelight to itself this weekend, but I hope to the Hornet start up video to you the week after… finally."

[Phantom88 3,287]

****Mini Update****   

"As many of you know, we’ve had to push back the Hornet start up video much longer than we had originally hoped. This has primarily been due to getting most of the Caution and Advisories at start up correct. One of the more obvious start up elements is the ”deedle-deedle” and “flight controls, flight controls” audio at right engine start up. While it would be easy to simply script it at right engine start, we need to understand exactly what causes this and make sure we account for the factors that lead to it.

These audio elements in fact goes hand-in-hand with the Master Caution. Anytime a caution is triggered, the Master Caution light comes on the Master Caution Tone (“deedle-deele”) is heard. There are MANY items that can trigger a caution and this has been keeping the team busy the last couple of months. For a start-up, this is generally triggered by a Flight Control System (FCS) caution. There are several items that can lead to and FCS caution, but the one that we care about in this case is either a FLAP OFF or AIL OFF cautions. Either of these will in turn trip an FCS caution. An FCS caution in turns results in a “flight controls, flight controls” audio caution.

Unfortunately, despite having literally hundreds of Hornet manuals, there is no good information why these two FCS warnings manifest themselves at right engine start up. Through some of our great SMEs (Hornet pilots and ground crew), we now understand that these control surfaces can “droop” over time, once the aircraft shuts down (further than the FULL down position at shut down). When the aircraft starts up, the system sees this as an a flap or aileron failure and thus trips the caution. We are now in the process of updating the aircraft for accounting for control surface droop.

These would also be indicated on the FCS page and an FCS Reset and running a BIT would be required to clear them.

Anyhow, it’s these little details that we feel are important for the proper simulation of this aircraft, but it has resulted in additional development time. In the end, we think it will all be worth it and provide you the most authentic Hornet flight simulation for the PC.

[Boomer 1,619]

Right okay thanks for the update, brother Patrick.

Reading between the lines, no early release this year.

Useful info as it means I can direct my immediate budget towards the pending PMDG 748.

[Phantom88 3,287]

Yes,Sorry to say,This update gives me the feeling we might be looking at a Q1 2018 Early Access Hornet release.....but.....IF......That "Start Up Video" comes out Soon??? Well,that would mean they've crossed a major milestone in the caution/advisory panel and most the Hornet systems have been developed enough for a "Alpha/Beta Early Access Release" They're working Diligently,We can only hope at this point.

[Pastaiolo 1,688]

You also have to factor in that, to better distribute sales, they might delay the F18 release since the Harrier has been just released now.

Either way i would expect it to arrive during the new year, considering there is already 2.5 coming in a matter of weeks.

[Boomer 1,619]

Meh...the Harrier...sigh