Do I need aribrakes in normal missions

[oho]

As gear down enables all braking procedures, should I map airbrake (it’s only on HOTAS -right?) to a jostick knob or can I ignore it. When would I use it?
I didn’t find “airbrake” in the bms dash manual.

[Jaxx]

Im pretty sure gear down doesnt open the airbrakes, so yes it is needed.

I also use it when air-air refueling - to get into the pre contact position quickly.

Finally, gear can only be dropped below 300kts, so i use the airbrake to get below 300kts if im too fast on approach.

[Dracfalcon]

I also use airbrakes for landing.

[Earlybite]

@Jaxx:

Im pretty sure gear down doesnt open the airbrakes, so yes it is needed.

I also use it when air-air refueling - to get into the pre contact position quickly.

Finally, gear can only be dropped below 300kts, so i use the airbrake to get below 300kts if im too fast on approach.

Below 300? Sure? Not 270?

BTW: Airbrakes are usefull, yes. Also in dogfights…

[Kuhprah]

Gear can be dropped at 400 or more too… But with more than 300 to 310 it might be damaaged a litte bit…

[OldGoat5]

Airbrakes are supposed to be open when you are on final approach, so the engine maintains high enough revs to better execute missed approaches, also to slow you down and not get hot brakes as easy.

[Frederf]

Speed brakes are not strictly necessary. It’s handy of course during flight. On approach it allows a higher power setting and landing roll is shortened. Every real F-16 flight will use the speed brakes at least once, but it’s not an emergency if they were to fail closed. If you can you should have speed brakes available to you and use them as naturally and freely as the throttle lever. They are an extension and improvement on the performance envelope of the airplane.

The real SB switch is a three-position left thumb-operated switch on the throttle. There is open, hold, and close. The open direction is spring loaded back to center (hold) but the close direction will stay hands off. There is a minimum and maximum position to hold position, a very small amount open will auto close and there is a maximum in flight hold position (forty-something degrees instead of the full sixty). On the ground (nose wheel weight) it will hold at more open positions. In flight if open is held against the spring the SB will open fully.

I use SB to arrest forward speed during rejoins, to do penetration descents, on approach and landing, and even in combat to shed extra knots above corner if it’s necessary.

[Blu3wolf]

Pretty sure in flight it will hold to the full 60 degrees without being in the held open position.

Pop the gear out however, and it will retract to 43 degrees unless you are holding them open.

[schnidrman]

Look for speed brakes. Not normally called air brakes.

If you didn’t need them, they would not be on the aircraft.

[SoBad]

@oho:

As gear down enables all braking procedures…

Wrong.

[Frederf]

@Blu3wolf:

Pretty sure in flight it will hold to the full 60 degrees without being in the held open position.

Pop the gear out however, and it will retract to 43 degrees unless you are holding them open.

Forgot it was tied to the gear (right MLG down and locked to be exact). Yeah, the retract to 43 degree is only in with the gear down. Good catch.

[Blu3wolf]

Reason being, IRL 60 degrees extended speedbrakes plus 13.5 degrees 2 point aerobraking can cause the boards to contact the runway. 43 degrees boards with 2 point aerobraking is fine. 60 degrees with 3 point aerobraking is also fine.

[oho]

ok. Thanks for your answers. I’m a bit confused:
How can I apply airbrakes?
Are they equal to Speedbrake on the throttle?
And how do i see if Airbrake is applied?

[Red Dog]

there is a candidate for some more dash 1 reading
check your doc folder and do some reading

airbrake and speedbrake are the same
they are controlled from the throttle, the indicator is on the left aux console, outboard the gear panel

[oho]

Thanks Red Dog…
I even read most of the Dash and searched for Airbrake and Air Brake but got no hit

[Blu3wolf]

@oho:

Thanks Red Dog…
I even read most of the Dash and searched for Airbrake and Air Brake but got no hit

Probably because most people would equate airbrake with either Aerobraking or a jacobs brake… I think the two on the F-16 are speedbrakes and wheelbrakes in nomenclature.

[Frederf]

@oho:

ok. Thanks for your answers. I’m a bit confused:
How can I apply airbrakes?
Are they equal to Speedbrake on the throttle?
And how do i see if Airbrake is applied?

1. Use the keys/buttons tied to callbacks AFBrakesIn and AFBrakesOut. There is also AFBrakesToggle. I can’t say what key or button unless I see your .key file.
2. Yes.
3. There is an indicator on the left aux. console between the landing gear panel, CMDS panel, and RWR panel. (BMS-1 page 28).

[TeeSquare]

I find that using the hotas AFBrakesIn and AFBrakesout commands for the speed brakes are much more useful than the toggle command. You can find more information on the speed brakes in BMS 4.32 Dash-1 page 25, 26, 31 and 133.

[TobiasA]

How do you guys rejoin without using the airbrake…?

If you don’t want to map it on the HOTAS for some reason, you might just try shift + b.

And no, putting the gear down will not apply the speedbrake/ airbrake/ boards. It will lower the flaps though on the F-16.

[Red Dog]

by flying a set speed for rejoin. That way you always know what speed the guy you’re rejoining with flies
that’s why SOPs are so important