V Speeds
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Hello,
I am a newbie here at BMS (so please be easy
). Coming from civilian simulation (Level D 767, PMDG, Aerowinx PS), I was wondering if V speeds (calculations) are strictly adhered to in the BMS world. Reading my F4AF manual, rotation is advised at ~150kts, which seems to be not very scientific. 
How are take-off / landing speeds handled in the real world? Do pilots refer to take-off / landing speed tables, or are these āball-parkā figures (due to relatively light weight of F-16)?Thanks for your help!
Cheers,
Andrej
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The answer is in your :\Falcon BMS 4.32\Docs\Checklists & Cockpit Diagrams\F-16 Checklists folder. Main Checklists.pdf has the information you seek.
And yes, this really is modelled
And WDP (Weapon Delivery Planner), available from http://www.weapondeliveryplanner.nl/ will calculate this for you.
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Dear Darkman,
thanks for prompt reply! I should have mention that I am still awaiting to get my F4 CD (purchased via ebay and is being shipped). I am just too eager to get the F4 copy so I can install the BMS and start reading manuals! :rtfm:8) Flying will come at much later stage.
Cheers,
Andrej
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Dear Darkman,
thanks for the link. Very interesting, a well of information!
Cheers,
Andrej
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Something for you to get started with
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Hello,
I am a newbie here at BMS (so please be easy
). Coming from civilian simulation (Level D 767, PMDG, Aerowinx PS), I was wondering if V speeds (calculations) are strictly adhered to in the BMS world. Reading my F4AF manual, rotation is advised at ~150kts, which seems to be not very scientific. How are take-off / landing speeds handled in the real world? Do pilots refer to take-off / landing speed tables, or are these āball-parkā figures (due to relatively light weight of F-16)?Thanks for your help!
Cheers,
Andrej
takeoff and landing speeds in the real world are closely adhered to. In the BMS one, it depends
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I admit that I donāt compute full TOLD for most if any flights. Itād have to be one of those once a month you only get one shot at it multiplayer affairs before Iād even consider it. Itās so easy to go fast, pull back, gear up. The real document is the T.O. 1F-16CJ-1-1, performance appendix, chapter 2 combined with the load and balance sheet so you know how far from 0.35MAC your CG is.
On the other hand climb profiles speed/Mach vs. drag index matter enough that Iāll climb at 445/0.84 clean down to 320/0.68 super dirty (I think you have to leave the canopy up to get a 400 DI). Iāve seen a lot of pilots fly the DTOT caret from takeoff to steer 2 or 3 and itās so wasteful. Best range climb profile followed by best range cruise is often the same total time and uses so much less gas.
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I typically use WDP to calculate TO/landing card data. Gives the same figures anyway that I get doing it the hard way.
For campaign missions, Ill usually plan it so that the TOT should follow the same path as does best cruise, with mixed results. training mission - best climb, best cruise, max endurance while loitering, max range descentā¦ but for ācombatā missions, Ill try to adhere to the time on the target, and the set push and split times. If I screwed up the mission planning, in training I go for saving fuel, and in campaign missions I go for the TOT caret.
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Thanks to all replies. I completely agree, mission planing is (be it for civilian or military) crucial for any successful mission completion (obviously there are always unforeseen / unexpected surprises). But it always helps to be well prepared and be aware of threats as well as have options to handle possible complications.
Having taken a quick look over at the WDPās website, it seems that it is quite an important and handy tool.
Cheers,
Andrej
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I typically use WDP to calculate TO/landing card data. Gives the same figures anyway that I get doing it the hard way.
For campaign missions, Ill usually plan it so that the TOT should follow the same path as does best cruise, with mixed results. training mission - best climb, best cruise, max endurance while loitering, max range descentā¦ but for ācombatā missions, Ill try to adhere to the time on the target, and the set push and split times. If I screwed up the mission planning, in training I go for saving fuel, and in campaign missions I go for the TOT caret.
Like Blu3wolf, I use the WDP for takeoff speed. For me, itās a holdover from my booming days when āS-1,ā commit to or abort takeoff was lower than the āRotateā airspeed.
As for enroute airspeeds, I donāt know how BMS is programmed . . . best endurance or best range. Regardless, I generally try to fly caret, especially if my flight (on a strike mission) is being escorted 'cause I want 'em to be able to do their jobs and clear the way.
However, Iām uneasy when my cruise airspeed requires a significant angle of attack. Speed is life, and Iām already going slow. :eek: -
Neither, I dont know how BMS mission planning picks a speed for the flight path but it is not best range OR best endurance. I mess around with the flight plan myself though, and while I keep push and TOT the same, anything else I can adjust to improve fuel economy I will.
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Itās possible for V1 to be lower than V-R/V-TO depending on runway, load, and takeoff plan. Itās not something that should be accepted lightly. Only if all methods to avoid the situation are considered first.
Enroute groundspeeds are chosen often in 60kt increments. The takeoff segment (1 to 2) either has a lower assumed groundspeed or has a time padding built in. BMS devs have found a compromise between too slow speeds and too long distances for 1-2 segment.
I break the flight plan into the tactical and the non-tactical segment. For package flights in āIndian territoryā there is no consideration to flying economy. The plan requires flying exactly where and when. Even flying the caret speed is not enough. It is also necessary to verify that the caret speed matches the planned one. If caret speed is too high compared to planned then you are behind in position. You have to exceed caret until caret decreases to normal.
In non-package tactical segment the speed must be at least as required to react to threats. 210-250KCAS is too slow when threatened even if it sips fuel.
For non-tactical segment fly speeds and altitudes as permitted for economy. If caret says to fly from takeoff to waypoint at 310 knots, donāt blindly follow. It is wrong to climb at 310 knots and then cruise at 310 knots. Instead fly the best range climb profile to cruise altitude and then slow down to best range or endurance for timing and economy. This might mean climbing at 420 knots and then cruising at 270. It feels weird but it uses less gas than climbing slower and cruising faster. The perfect situation is climbing at best range profile and then in cruise caret speed exactly equals best range cruise speed (~250 knots).
The only time to climb slower than best-range profile is when the resulting cruise segment will be slower than best endurance and even then it might be smarter to climb on profile and fix being early on top. Never fly slower than best endurance. It is better to fly circles than to chug along at 180 knots.
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For example I take a Tiger Spirit campaign generated mission and record all the times and distances (to second and 0.1nm).
Point-to-point groundspeed for each leg is close to 480KT except the 1-2 leg which is about 337KT (which is near 360KT If you have a 75 second pad on the time). The airspeeds are all over the place and seem to make no sense but they a function of GS and altitude and winds.When I open the flight in WDP it shows 335KT GS for the 1-2 segment and 480 for all segments except 3-4 which is 375KT possibly due to the climb from 15 to 25kft.
Anyway, WDP says Iāll take 5m11s and 34.8nm from brakes release to initial altitude. That leaves 16m2s to fly the remaining 84.5nm on the 1-2 segment. This is 316KGS which is very slow for 22,000ā. Itās slower than best range, probably less than best endurance, and is threatening to be even lower than Vmin. Mathematically I know there is some combo range-endurance climb profile to elevate the on-top speed and lower the total fuel used but practically I would fly best climb profile, endurance on top, and do a timing maneuver on top. I would lag behind caret as I approached steer 2 though so I could cross steer 2 at the 2-3 leg GS to avoid having to accelerate after 2.
