F-18 a bit lacking

I like a lot about it but it could really do with a drop tank. An opening canopy, steps & covers would also have been nice.

Most of all i wish it didn’t have jet wash coming out the back before I’ve even started it up.

Only relevant if you’re on PC, but the cavalry is here.

I expect this will end up with some very cool additions.

2 Likes

The only thing it is lacking is ILS capability, and if it is like the Charlie hornet, CILS doesn’t work with regular ILS systems. CILS is for carriers.

Now…Anyone else having the plane go crazy? I go to turn, and the plane just flies straight, or stays in a decending bank and still the stick moves but the plane won’t obey. And it just acted weird trying to land, like the nose wanted to go way down.

1 Like

With the Landing Gear down and Flaps Down the auto trim adjusts pitch to maintain AoA, you have to use Pitch Trim to adjust the Target AoA. Otherwise as you slow down,it will keep pitching down to keep the AoA at the lower value.

Can’t compare to the Charlie in DCS for sure, after all, that one costs 80 bucks. There are some minor things like the way the throttle axis is configured, some switches that are inop shouldn’t be off like OBOGS and INS, those can be fixed rather easily. Overall it’s OK for a default plane.

1 Like

That wasn’t the cause. I’m used to that in the Charlie. And it behaved correctly when landing last night. This thing wanted to first go in circles and crash, then during landing wanted to completely nose down.

Can anyone add G-vapor to this aircraft via visual FX editor in the SDK? That would be great.

To shut down the engines, try using the mouse and hold the left mouse button, then click the right mouse button. Not intuitive, but works for me. Those planes really need some documentation …

1 Like

I was hoping for an XBOX solution but that helps, maybe there’s an undocumented button press when engaging with the throttle that will work, like when you switch the thottle across in the TBM (I believe it’s A).

On Xbox to shut down engine, in cockpit click on your throttle and then tap “X” to kill the fuel and engine will stop.

The keybind RB + L Dpad does not work for some reason, I have created a bug report if you want to vote on it.

The F18 has been great for me.

The HUD is actually brighter than any other jet in the game but you might just have it dimmed too much.

Afterburner works but oddly it’s a button press/ key bind to activate and then full throttle. The effect looks better IMO.

For fighter pilot, set character to default.

I do wish that they had the canopy active, maybe that will be changed along with tail hook (currently no use in FS)

Even the sonic boom is great!

2 Likes

I found it pretty lame, I didn’t expect my DCS F18 but it’s comically bad. Looks and flies like an old FSX plane. Least it’s free cause that’s all it’s worth.

1 Like

I don’t have an issue with the way it flies, but I spent an hour last night clicking all the little green boxes and softkeys in the airplane trying to find even a hint of gps nav functions. Even a functional “direct to” would be rad…but if it exists, I cannot find it.

TACAN works, at least some of the time. You can tune it to a VOR, though you’ll need to convert from VOR frequency to TACAN channel: there is a table here that gives equivalents.

If tuned and in range, this will show bearing and distance to the VOR on the HSI, along with time to travel if you are moving. It doesn’t always seem to work, though I’m not entirely sure why.

Sorry, maby a stupid question.
But…how do i lower the landing gear on the F18
In every other aircraft its going down or up with the knob gear on my wathog hotas.

thinking i’m playing GTA

2 Likes

Little NavMap provides the TACAN channel

I wonder that too. Even the gear lever in the cockpit, although animated, has no effect in external view.

DCS makes the MSFS F/A-18 look and feel cartoonish. On sale right now, and two weeks free to play any time: DCS: F/A-18C Hornet

2 Likes

Totally different sim with totally different needs. Can you fly it anywhere in the world? The FS2020 F-18 is open to modding. I’m sure it’ll become a lot more in depth given a little time. Weapons systems excluding of course.

My big criticism of it is they should have at least given us fuel tanks to make it a bit more visually realistic if they couldn’t manage anything else. It wouldn’t have been hard for them.

4 Likes