A little help with TPG ?
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Hi Folks,
I’ve watched the great tutorial videos more than once - I’ve actually been able to complete the training missions and I’ve successfully completed my very first campaign mission - hitting my target using the TPG… I have all my CMS, TMS, and DMS keys mapped to my HOTAS setup and I know how to switch my SOI… I have my laser on… I’m just missing the piece to get the TPG in the right mode - I spend like 10 minutes trying to get my TPG in “Area” mode before getting to my target by hitting every button I can think of… Finally - by dumb luck it gets in the Area mode… I thought it was TMS Up or maybe Down but it doesn’t seem to work right off the bat…
Does the FCR have to be in a specific mode to use the TPG in “Area” mode or are the two unrelated ? I’ve been in “GM” and “GMT” during my testing…
Once I am in my TPG screen as SOI with the unit powered up in S-G mode - how do I initially get it to Area mode to slew the cursor ? How do I switch back to my steer point…
What’s the best altitude to plant for an attack and at what range on a clear day should I be able to target something with the TPG ?
I can only drop a single bomb at a time and I have to wait until after it hits to move the TPG to another target - correct ?
Appreciate the help…
Regards,
Scott -
Ill just immediately point out that its a TGP, if you are referring as I assume to the Targeting Pod.
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LOL - thanks Blu - I’m getting there - slowly but surely - with all the acronyms…
Regards,
Scott -
Assuming someone doesnt beat me to it, Ill actually look at a proper reply in a tick : )
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Hi Folks,
I’ve watched the great tutorial videos more than once - I’ve actually been able to complete the training missions and I’ve successfully completed my very first campaign mission - hitting my target using the TPG… I have all my CMS, TMS, and DMS keys mapped to my HOTAS setup and I know how to switch my SOI… I have my laser on… I’m just missing the piece to get the TPG in the right mode - I spend like 10 minutes trying to get my TPG in “Area” mode before getting to my target by hitting every button I can think of… Finally - by dumb luck it gets in the Area mode… I thought it was TMS Up or maybe Down but it doesn’t seem to work right off the bat…
Does the FCR have to be in a specific mode to use the TPG in “Area” mode or are the two unrelated ? I’ve been in “GM” and “GMT” during my testing…
Once I am in my TPG screen as SOI with the unit powered up in S-G mode - how do I initially get it to Area mode to slew the cursor ? How do I switch back to my steer point…
What’s the best altitude to plant for an attack and at what range on a clear day should I be able to target something with the TPG ?
I can only drop a single bomb at a time and I have to wait until after it hits to move the TPG to another target - correct ?
Appreciate the help…
Regards,
ScottWell. As per your comment about SOI, first up to set the TGP to either AREA or POINT tracking, it needs to be the SOI. So once you have it pointing in the general area using the FCR (typically), you can DMS down to switch SOI between the MFDs, assuming that you are displaying the FCR on one MFD and the TGP on the other (not that this is necessary).
TMS up will set the TGP to AREA tracking if it is not tracking, and it will select POINT tracking if it is capable of doing so. In POINT track it will look for a small object with hard edges - like say tanks.
The FCR need not be in any mode to use the TGP, in fact though not conventional it is possible to use the TGP independently of the FCR.
If you want to get the TGP to look at your STPT, you can tell it to stop tracking with a TMS down, which should leave it pointing at the FCR cursor location, and then stepping your STPT. When you change STPTs, the FCR cursors will snap to the location of the currently selected STPT.
Typically I find that if using LGBs or PGMs in general, you can fly at high altitudes and still maintain accuracy. Its hard to say what the best altitude is for that, as the threat defences will dictate your flight parameters - you dont want to fly in at high altitude into modern AD systems.
I have heard that people have had some luck in rippling two bombs off, a few seconds apart, and letting the first impact then moving the TGP laser location for the second to impact the second site. Opinions are mixed as to how realistic this is.
Hope that helps…
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thanks for the explanation blu3wolf, I might as well ask my question now. Do we get to choose AREA and POINT tracking modes (Manually) or is it always automatically by the TGP?
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As above, TGP as SOI then TMS Up to be able to slew. A couple of useful features …. you can switch between IR modes (Black Hot or White Hot) with TMS Left. To switch from IR to TV (and back again), double ‘click’ TMS Left.
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Hmm. Been too long since Ive flown A-G with a TGP it seems… from memory its automatic? Hit TMS up and it will go to POINT if possible, or AREA if not. (Or RATES if you dont have sight of the target area due to masking).
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TMS up in AREA mode will enter POINT track if possible.
TMS down will go back to AREA mode then.
TMS up will always enter the “deeper” lock in any mode, while TMS down will go all the way back to the “search mode” in any mode.I usually pick up the target with the A-G radar, enter the TGP page and point the TGP where I want to and then enter a point lock if I want to by pressing TMS up.
For LGB’s, you can only guide one bomb at a time. But there’s a little stunt you can pull to drop two bombs on two targets close to each other in one pass:
That’s a little tricky however.
Usually, the following order works fine:
- lock up target with radar
- switch to TGP page
- toggle SOI if necessary
- TMS up to enter point lock or slew cursors with cursor keys
If you don’t use the radar to lock up ground targets, be advised that your radar cursor will slew to the steerpoint and your TGP will slew to that radar cursor most of the time, so you should have the right steerpoint selected.
You can also use the TGP in a “free” mode, but you will have to find the target by yourself then (MFD buttons “SP” and “CZ”). So, the easiest way is to select the right steerpoint and/ or lock the target by radar and slew your cursor right to that. -
Hi Folks,
Thanks for taking the time to write up all the great responses - I haven’t had a chance to try it again but I’ll follow up once again when I do…
Regards,
Scott -
TMS up in AREA mode will enter POINT track if possible.
TMS down will go back to AREA mode then.
TMS up will always enter the “deeper” lock in any mode, while TMS down will go all the way back to the “search mode” in any mode.Not entirely exact.
TMS-UP will attempt to go POINT, even if you are not in AREA. If not possible, it will go AREA. If you hold TMS-UP, it stays in AREA, and when you release, it attempts POINT.
TMS-RIGHT will make you go AREA, whether you are in POINT or slewed to the radar cursor…
TMS-DOWN will slew the TGP to the radar cursor, whether you are in POINT or AREA.To go from POINT to AREA, either you move the cursors, or you make a TMS-RIGHT.
Check BMS-Manual, p90-91.
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Not entirely exact.
TMS-UP will attempt to go POINT, even if you are not in AREA. If not possible, it will go AREA. If you hold TMS-UP, it stays in AREA, and when you release, it attempts POINT.
TMS-RIGHT will make you go AREA, whether you are in POINT or slewed to the radar cursor…
TMS-DOWN will slew the TGP to the radar cursor, whether you are in POINT or AREA.To go from POINT to AREA, either you move the cursors, or you make a TMS-RIGHT.
Check BMS-Manual, p90-91.
I always used TMS down to go from POINT to AREA, but I always used the radar too, so I never noticed that. Thanks for the correction.