#2094810 - 01/04/07 01:44 AM
LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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Time to blow stuff up! Hoo-rah! Enough of this flying and navigating stuff; while all of those are very important and will continue to be the basis for all that follows, the Su-25T isn’t a training aircraft, it is an attack warplane. My instructor has flown my training aircraft over to Novorossijsk and I’ve driven up the coast from my last landing spot, Gelendzhik. After witnessing some of the action near the front over the past couple days I’m anxious to get cracking on weapons training. Today we’ll be flying a short training hop down the coast past Gelendzhik (allied forces have cleared out the enemy troops that were laying siege to Gelendzhik) before crossing the coast to enter a long valley leading up to the northwest. Terrain masking is an important part of surviving on the battlefield for the –T and learning to use the terrain contours to the best advantage is essential. After entering the valley we will have several target sites with passive targets set up for our use. We can see the contour lines along the route which indicate a valley and the bordering ridgelines. During the preflight briefing it is extremely important to familiarize yourself with the terrain, waypoint locations, target locations, and telling landmarks to help you maintain situational awareness during the flight. For the flight today we’ll be hauling along some of the typical tools of the trade including dumb bombs, rockets and air-to-air missiles. We’ll be carrying four FAB-100 (100 kg./ 220 lbs.) which are unguided bombs similar to the “Mark” series carried by the United States attack aircraft (Mk-81 specifically). Two RBK-250 cluster bombs round out the free-fall weapons, consisting of 150 individual fragmentation bomblets. Loaded near the wing root, two B-8 rocket launchers contain 20 (each) 80mm rockets. The rockets are similar to the U.S. 2.75” folding-fin aerial rocket. At the most outboard stations are loaded R-60M short range heat seeking missiles (AA-8 ‘Aphid’). Since the mission stage length is so short we are carrying only a 50% internal load of fuel (1895 kg.). Weather is mild today with only a slight crosswind and light winds and turbulence aloft. The morning is brilliant and beautiful; a great day for flying and making things explode! After going through the now familiar cockpit setup and engine start procedure I check the fuel gauges and note the mission start time (0800). Soon enough I’ve taxied out to the runway and received takeoff clearance and am rocketing off into the early morning light. Cont…
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#2094814 - 01/04/07 01:45 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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The RBK-250 cluster bomb is very effective against dispersed soft targets. The bomblet pattern and size depends on the delivery speed and altitude. As the bomblets spread across the site several of the launchers and the command vehicle go up in flames. Since only one of the RBK-250s came off the rack the right wing is a bit heavier and “draggier” than the left resulting in a bit of roll toward the heavy wing. This can be trimmed out if you are going to fly for an extended period of time or you can just deal with it until the wing stores are symmetrical again. Once you actually have a target burning at the site it is much easier to relocate the area again. It would be nice if the burning units emitted more of a persistent smoke plume (although with the hit that smoke puts on my FPS maybe not!) to allow for better reacquisition. I’m sure at night it is vastly easier to see the burning targets although flying at night has a whole bunch of other associated hazards. Coming back around for a second pass I drop my remaining cluster bomb on the site but I stupidly line up along the same axis of attack and the bomblets don’t hit any of the remaining launchers. With all of my bombs expended I head back down the valley to the truck park (the first target area) to try out my rocket pods. It takes a couple passes to find the targets again but I finally spot them and set up for my first rocket pass. Using the zoom view through the HUD during targeting seems to work the best since you can make such fine adjustments to the aiming pipper. Once the “Launch Authorized” illuminates I pull the trigger and send a salvo of rockets screaming toward the target. They are definitely a cool weapon with lots of noise, smoke and flames! Cont…
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#2094816 - 01/04/07 01:46 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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Heading out to the west I can see the final target on the map: a drone Mi-26 helicopter. I use the map to “vector” myself towards the target and eventually pick up the slight speck of the target in the HUD. The rudimentary air-to-air HUD mode shows the left outboard wing station holding the R-60M is ready. Once the IR seeker locks on to the heat source from the helicopter the “LA” appears in the HUD with a low tone indicating the missile is tracking the target. I pull the trigger and the missile leaps off the rail toward the target. The helicopter starts ejecting flares and the first missile is lured away and explodes harmlessly on the ground. Still closing on the target I launch the second missile. Despite the flares the missile flies true and impacts the helicopter sending it down in flames. Cont…
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#2094817 - 01/04/07 01:46 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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With all of my weapons gone I head back to home base and go through the RETURN and LANDING modes which puts me onto the final approach. Touching down I feel a little “hot” and panic as the end of the runway rushes toward me. Despite using the brakes it seems to take forever to get below the braking chute deploy speed but once it pops out the deceleration is massive. I come to a stop nearly at the end of the runway and let my breath out. That is one of the great things about flying the Su-25T in Flaming Cliffs: the landing phase is always exciting because you just never know how it is going to end up. The AFM makes the process so dynamic and exciting each time. After taxiing to the ramp I pop the canopy and grin from ear to ear; dropping bombs and shooting rockets is a blast! I’m eager to get reloaded and try out new weapons and techniques on my next sortie. My ending fuel is 260 kg. just enough to finish the whole mission. Even though I didn’t put a severe hurting on the targets I was happy to hit a few. I expect to get a bit better through practice and experience. I’m sure it will get very interesting once I throw in some aggressive enemy units as well. This mission can be downloaded here: http://www.mudspike.com/lomac/simhq08.zip BeachAV8R
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#2094819 - 01/04/07 02:21 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 333
RSoro01
Member
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Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 333
New Hampshire, USA
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And another enjoyable read. BTW, I believe the maximum speed for deploying the chute is 300km/hr with engines set to idle. That's what I seem to recall, anyway. So being a little hot shouldn't be a problem. EDIT:: That only one RBK-250 released was interesting, too. Usually that means that you interrupted the drop sequence by not holding down the trigger long enough. That is something you'll notice. You need to continue depressing the trigger for the complete sequence to release. Try setting up the T as a bomb wagon (MBD-2-67U*a FAB-100). That's 32 FAB-100s and, once in the cockpit, set them up to release in a single sequence. You'll feel like you're holding the trigger down forever. Rich
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#2094820 - 01/04/07 02:28 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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Originally posted by RSoro01: And another enjoyable read. BTW, I believe the maximum speed for deploying the chute is 300km/hr with engines set to idle. That's what I seem to recall, anyway. So being a little hot shouldn't be a problem.Ah! Darnit..I remember that being posted before..but I mis-remembered it as 200 kph..so I was waiting until the brakes slowed me below 200 before deploying it. No wonder I was using up so much runway..hehe...amazing I didn't go careering off the end! Thanks for the reminder.. :cheers: BeachAV8R
Last edited by BeachAV8R; 01/16/07 04:49 AM.
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#2094821 - 01/04/07 02:31 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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One other question (while I have you here)...I noticed that the FAB-100s came off in pairs when I was dropping them...but the RBK-250s came off singly..why is that? I'd actually prefer the FABs to come off singly too...
I think I saw something about ripple settings but haven't looked it up yet. That was a nice feature with F4..being able to set the release parameters very specifically.
BeachAV8R
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#2094822 - 01/04/07 02:45 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 403
BritRadarDude
Member
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Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 403
Chelmsford UK
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I may be wrong but seem to recall reading a post a while ago that the ripple settings only were relevant to some (but not all) pylons, I think it was the ones nearer the fuselage. The outermost (or maybe outermost two?) A2G pylons would not be affected by the ripple settings.
Sorry Death, you lose! It was Professor Plum...
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#2094823 - 01/04/07 02:51 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 333
RSoro01
Member
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Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 333
New Hampshire, USA
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Originally posted by BeachAV8R: One other question (while I have you here)...I noticed that the FAB-100s came off in pairs when I was dropping them...but the RBK-250s came off singly..why is that? I'd actually prefer the FABs to come off singly too...
I think I saw something about ripple settings but haven't looked it up yet. That was a nice feature with F4..being able to set the release parameters very specifically.
BeachAV8R You might want to go back and reread my initial post, since I was adding to it not realizing you were here and posting also. But now that I'm paying attention to what was on which pylons, I know what happened. You had the salvo size set to "1" for both the FAB-100s and RBK-250s. The inner two pylons on each wing--4,5,7,8--will release singly. OTOH 2,3,9, and 10 will always release bombs in pairs (even when salvo size is set to "1") to keep the weight distribution somewhat more balanced. Otherwise controlling the aircraft could become a real ***** with a heavy bomb, for instance, sitting out on pylon 10 and no counterbalancing weight on pylon 2. Rich
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#2094824 - 01/04/07 03:43 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 31
Dwayne Matheson
Junior Member
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 31
Winnipeg
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Thanks for the post Beach, I've been waiting for the next mission for weeks (it seems!)
I was fortunate enough to have received a TrackIR4 for Christmas from my wife, so I will be able to experience this even closer to the write up then I was before.
Also all of the good follow up comments will help with my mission as well, thanks for that guys. I'll have to do some manual reading too, just to brush up on the weapons modes and stuff. I didn't know about the pickle and hold mode, I have just used the CCIP method. More reading is needed!
Dwayne
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#2094825 - 01/04/07 06:09 AM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,646
Kodiak
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,646
Over the hills and far away.
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Great missions, I love them! Great comments also with your images, keep it up, WE love it!! Oh, and btw, can I download that paintscheme for the SU-25T somewhere??? I don't think I have it. Would appreciate it very much! Thanks in advance. Regards, Kodiak.
I Want To Believe
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#2094828 - 01/04/07 02:29 PM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 40,112
20mm
Site Emeritus Honorary Forums Manager
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Site Emeritus Honorary Forums Manager
Sierra Hotel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 40,112
Tucson AZ
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Good stuff Beach, keep 'em coming.
Re target ID, yeah, that's difficult. When I was flying regularly, I had the labels on, but even then you have to be able to sort the AAA threats from the rest in a column of vehicles. And I don't know about anybody else, but the labels just overlapped so much (in a string of vehicles), I couldn't read which ones were the threats.
And they are threats, don't get too close, never overfly a column unless you are sure it's just trucks.
Heh, can't wait till the shooting goes both ways!
Pat Tillman (1976-2004): 4 years Arizona State University, graduated with high honors. 5 seasons National Football League player, Arizona Cardinals. Forever United States Army Ranger.
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#2094829 - 01/04/07 03:27 PM
Re: LOMAC/FC: Training Mission #08
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R
Lifer
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Lifer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
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Link fixed...I think... I would have done some cannon work..but my gas was a bit low... :p Next mission... BeachAV8R
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