Holy F__k already! This is STOOOPID!!!
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S_S, Mavs are fun just because they’re cantankerous.When things “click” it feels great. You’ve gotten some good advise here, let me just share what has worked for me.
I fly Hornet off the carrier, but this will work if you’re in the Viper.Either boresight on the carrier/base or on a land target. I mention both so that you have options if your first Feet Dry is the enemy coast. It just doesn’t seem reasonable to be messing with boresighting Mavs at that moment!
Anyway, both methods use the same procedure…- Prelaunch I set up AG mode with the SMS page on one MFD with TGP under it, and the WPN page under the radar(which btw, I have set to SEA IF I’ll be boresighting the carrier). I do launch in NAV
After launch, and immediately upon being stable in the climb out to WP 2 , I bring up AG mode, power on the Mavs, and go to Sim on Master Arm. - By the time the Mavs “wake up” I’m at about 20K.You don’t want to go much higher so TGP and Mavs can “see” the “target”.
- If I’m going to “BOM” (Boresight off Mother[carrier]) I’ll re-select WP 1, do a fairly tight level turn, and reengege autopilot.I like to be at endurance airspeed while I boresight, not only to save fuel, but to minimize the distance I’m travelling away from the briefed flight plan.
BTW, a good way to practice BOMing is to fly the Maverick training TE, but do a low pass over the Spruance , climb out to 20 miles, doing step 2 along the way. Then do step 3.
4)Anyway, whether you want to BOM or can fly over land at WP2, the procedure then is just as written in the Dash-34 and Training manuals. I can’t improve on that, but there are a couple of tips. As others have mentioned, lock something on radar that’s at 15-20 miles that you can get a point lock on the TGP, and that is in the keyhole. I don’t think the manuals say that, but I am personally convinced it helps. Also, get your TGP lock, and boresight on the Mav page, with both in NARO.
After that, it’s all about practice.
General tips: After boresighting remember to turn off the Mavs.The manuals aren’t kidding about that 30 minute battery life.I generally set up auto power after WP 3, my usual FENCE point.
The manuals describe (Dash 34, p. 147) the launch limits for Mavs. Listen to them.I launch wings level at 350-400 knots and a not greater then a 30 degree dive. Yes, I know that’s more stringent then in the -34.
Even before launching weapons, be careful not to over-g the missiles, particularly in negative g. My personal preference is maintaining a 0-4g . Again, I know I’m probably being overcautious there.
Be VERY aware of the Keyhole when launching the missiles, and the range to target. Mavs like “heart of the envelope” shots
S, I know this is a lot of stuff, but don’t get discouraged. It’s precisely because Mavs are “flaky” that makes mastering them the most fun
PS: Don’t waste you time researching BOM, it’s a Joeism(me being Joe). What can i say, I like acronyms.
- Prelaunch I set up AG mode with the SMS page on one MFD with TGP under it, and the WPN page under the radar(which btw, I have set to SEA IF I’ll be boresighting the carrier). I do launch in NAV
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One thing I’m doing lately is locking the Mavericks first and then TGP point track second. Considering the Mavericks aren’t calibrated already and they’ll likely do some awful twitch it’s not that helpful to have the TGP exactly on the desired object. I just get TGP in the area and then do each Maverick onto the calibration object in WFOV so I don’t get lost. With all the missiles tracking I then point track with TGP and step through the still-tracking missiles and BSGT.
One nice thing is that since the missiles are all slave broken first since they’ve been slewed and doubly that they’re tracking I don’t have to worry about the point track initiating a handoff which I have to interrupt. The TGP is the easiest to work with and as you approach your test object the stress levels rise so it’s nice not to be fiddling with those darn missiles at close ranges.
The 30 minute time limit is real but it’s not an electrical restriction but a cooling one. On the rail the missile is receiving jet electricity. Given enough time to cool off between operating periods there is no maximum operating time. It’s perfectly fine to run the missile for 20 minutes, turn off, and then fly a couple hours and then use the missiles for another 20 minutes.
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+1
I was under the impression this wasn’t possible. There’s another parallel thread regarding this question.
So was I !!! I thought the reason you could NOT uncage more than one missile of the same rack was that the flare from the rocket motor on the one that fires would “blind” the seeker head on the one next to it ? MSL step on my set up steps me through my hard points and I cannot select an individual missile on a triple rack - is it me ?
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BMS lacks the ability to step through LAU-88 missiles. But the only purpose is to bypass missiles with physical faults which never happens anyway. I did notice the LAU-88s are not handed left and right for fire order.