Another comparison to DCS. What a joke.
How about a developer creates the Cessna 172 for DCS then I can say “The Cessna 172 is comical in DCS, just buy MSFS.”
That’s the comparison people make when they compare DCS and MSFS. Just stop it, honestly.
If I wanted DCS I would get it. Fighter jets aren’t my cup of tea but it’s cool to have the FA-18 in MSFS even if it’s not study level. Leave me alone and let me enjoy this sim.
Jeez
Have fun! 
We are going to play this game
If you’re so affected and offended by other peoples’ opinions, maybe you should stay off the internet? You are free to enjoy this plane in MSFS, and I am free to express my opinion.
Thank you for that. I also could not shut down the engines. I would sacrifice my left arm (in VR not RL) for a detailed manual.
I don’t fly the F18. However I departed KLAS in a 787 to KIMA. I counted 8 F18’s in the game mostly all around Nellis AFB. At about 20000ft I got a F18 escort . 2 of them. That was pretty darn cool! it was fun. I’m sure they were enjoying too.
I just used the G key on the keyboard for now. The mapping on my joystick didn’t work.
DCS guys trolling MSFS F-18 - best solution for you is to ask yourself this question;
Why - are - you - here - and not flying on DCS?
We don’t want you - they don’t want you.
And, I suspect, you don’t want you either.
GET A GRIP! or get out of the aircraft.
Did you see a user called Raynen posted some nice tutorials on starting, navigating and landing the F/A-18 in the Student Pilots / Advanced Pilot Guides section of this forum?
I hardly ever visit that section, but these tutorials were quite insightful for me.
Is this a joke? You emotionally freaking out over someone’s (valid) opinion and you’re telling me to get a grip?
I have hundreds of hours in MSFS, and I enjoy it very much. I’m playing it right now. I am here to discuss this sim, simulation, and aviation in general. I am not a troll. I am, however, very much doubting spending ANY more time here, since on first glance in this thread, the community is looking very juvenile. So you may get your wish!
Soz, wasn’t aimed specifically at you - sorry if you felt you got hit. Definite not “emotionally freaking out” - wouldn’t know how to do that - on a Forum at least.
Just a general observation that we’ve had a lot of DCS guys spamming around here in the last couple of days yelling about the Asobo F-18 lack of fidelity.
I feel that what it lacks in fidelity right now - it makes up for - in potential for Modding - in spades.
I’m also confused as to why the ailerons don’t extend down with the flaps when taking off and landing. Looks a bit silly to have the flaps down all the way and the ailerons are just up.
The Super Hornet has a living wing, that is to say, the shape of the wing is constantly in motion throughout every regime of flight. Trailing edge flaps, leading edge flaps, stabs, rudders, and ailerons all move in concert to give the pilot the greatest control during particular phases of flight.
This is evident by the use of the flaps switch. The three flap positions are, Auto (Up), Half, and Full. Up auto means that the flight control system (FCS) will dynamically change the wing based on what it thinks the pilot is trying to do. However, when the flaps switch is placed in the half and full positions the FCS switches to landing mode, and all flight control inputs will be interpreted as such. Even though the flaps switch has been placed to half/full, the pilot has only changed the FCS logic, he has not actually commanded the flaps to a fixed position. There are no fixed gains (flaps positions) like there are in typical commercial aircraft. Instead, the computer adjusts the flaps position to mimic a flaps half/full position, while also giving the pilot the most stable platform it can for landing. The logic has its limits though and if the pilot exceeds 14 AoA in a landing mode (flaps half or full), the FCS may accidently depart the jet. This is obviously bad 200 ft above the ground. This switch commands the FCS to make flight control decisions and is the toggle between the tactical, and landing modes of flight.
The particular effect you are referencing is called rudder toe-in. At slower speeds, particularly during high angles of attack, the stabilators may not provide sufficient nose authority to crisply rotate the nose. The massive wing area of the Rhino tends to block the airflow over the stabs. To remedy this problem the Rhino’s rudders will automatically bias to the inside and create a downward force, which pitches the nose upwards. While the rudder is toed-in, the pilot can still use the rudders to yaw the aircraft. The FCS selectively moves the rudder position to generate the yawing motion, even while retaining the fared-in position.
Take-off and Landing
During takeoff the rudder will remain in the toe-in position for a fixed 10 seconds after it detects weight off the wheels. This prevents the aircraft from accidentally faring the rudders (and losing nose authority) during one of the most critical phases of flight (AoA probe failures will actually cause the rudders to automatically fare, and this problem is removed by a fixed timing.) During the landing portion of flight, the rudders will also be fared in to give the aircraft more nose authority, and this is handled automatically by the FCS once the pilot commands the aircraft into landing mode by placing the flaps switch out of up auto.
Other Functions
While the Rhino does have small speed brakes that extend during full speedbrake deployment, the primary method of increasing drag to rapidly slow the aircraft is through the use of the control surfaces. The FCS will increase the drag by lowering the flaps, toeing-in the rudders, lowing the ailerons, and deflecting the stabs, all while still giving the pilot a stable platform to fly the aircraft–it’s an impressive aircraft.
During high alpha maneuvering, the Rhino will again deflect the rudders to the toed-in position while the flaps switch is in up auto. With the FCS logic in auto, the computers will attempt to retain control of the aircraft during max performance maneuvers, and will automatically schedule the flaps and rudders to compensate for high AoA and slow speed flight. Because the nose is cocked up and the airflow is disrupted over the stabs, the rudders will again create that pitching force that will assist the pilot in maintaining nose authority through any regime of flight.
Emergencies
As stated before, there are times when the rudders may suddenly fare themselves which can have devastating effects during the final portion to land. Rudder failures are serious problems and should be treated as such. Higher landing speeds and extra caution will be used, and the pilot should understand that wave offs may be impossible due to lack of nose authority in close to the ramp.
All depends dear boy - T/O weights/ Winds/ etc. That looks Heavy.
But, yep, generally, that’s a healthy looking TO pic - bear in mind he’s got a couple of Drop Tanks underslung. Could be a long endurance mission - possibly even a Ferry. No rush to get the height. No Stress to go UP. Nice and easy in to the air.
Usually, the thing climbs like a homesick angel. As it does in MSFS unless you load it out like the above. So, the ailerons would be deflected UP to get the KIAS and the Climb.
What are you seeing - with your bird?
I wish they had implemented the course select (CSEL) functionality with the TACAN; the CRS switch next to the heading bug switch below the Engine/Fuel Display would work like the course select knob on most of the other aircraft but is currently INOP. As it works basically the same as VOR/DME, I’m not sure why they got it working as far as they did without adding the CDI functions.
One theory circulating is they’ve only enabled TACAN - and HDG Select (HSEL) to find the Carrier when the whole Maverick thing comes on stream.
My prediction is - that by the time the Maverick Carrier Thing happens - this will be one of the most successfully and beautifully modded aircraft in the whole MSFS Hangar.
Really is a case of Watch This Space whilst the clever people come together and take the thing to pieces and put it back together. Just like the A320.
Gotcha. This is what I’m seeing every time I fly it.
Ailerons are in the up position all the time. Just thought it was strange considering every other sim I have played, the flaps and ailerons all come down as one whether it is half or full flaps.
It feels like something they simply ran out of time to include, there are other signs of planned features that just weren’t ready yet.
For example, after you start a flight, if you restart the flight you suddenly gain the ability to use the UFC to add/edit GPS waypoints. But at this time it only seems to accept longitude and elevation data entries, latitude entries still don’t seem to take.
Yes, I’ve noticed that unlocking of functionality when you go in and out.
I wonder if the F-18 has stuff that’s already onboard the Avionics that will be unlocked when the Carrier comes on line - whenever Mr Cruise deigns to release his film.
I don’t have the most up-to-date literature (i.e. NATOPS, and I’m not sure what build/software versions of the aircraft they are trying to represent), but doing that is kind of messier than in most civilian aircraft. It might be better for newer block upgrades, but my understanding is that the memory unit (MU) that is plugged in (that also has various weapon and sensor info) only holds a limited number of waypoints, like a few hundred and not the whole world or such, so I imagine the squadron personnel would build different loads depending on where they were expecting to be operating.
I’ll try to read a little more on this later, but, if I understand correctly, how this would work involves going on one of the DDIs to HSI → DATA → GPS to bring up a list of the waypoints loaded in the MU, and then you would scroll up and down through the list with some arrow keys assigned to some of the soft keys and select XFER for the ones you want to transfer them to the mission computer. After that you would select one or a sequence of waypoints in another menu to fly to. Right now, HSI → DATA → GPS gives the “Not Implemented” message.
