Cool Missile
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I want to have enough argon for my AIM 9M missiles like the Superpak 3 manual says on page 110. But when I press OSB 18, it stays warm only for a second or two. How do I keep it warm, or is this not implemented in BMS Falcon?
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The missile head is supposed to be cool in order to acquire targets. So when you press the button you cool the missile. But I’m unsure whether the the limited cool time is implemented in BMS.
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@jc1:
I want to have enough argon for my AIM 9M missiles like the Superpak 3 manual says on page 110. But when I press OSB 18, it stays warm only for a second or two. How do I keep it warm, or is this not implemented in BMS Falcon?
I think I know what you mean, the label illuminates for a second then reads COOL? This is by design, it is a status label, when cooled, it reads COOL, and vice versa.
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The argon capacity is implemented. It append to me one day to be out of gaz to keep the seeker cool after a long CAP mission. But the current mechanism is the correct one.
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@jc1:
I want to have enough argon for my AIM 9M missiles like the Superpak 3 manual says on page 110. But when I press OSB 18, it stays warm only for a second or two. How do I keep it warm, or is this not implemented in BMS Falcon?
if you are in AA mode it should say warm, when you press the OSB button right next to it you will see warm highlighted for seconds, and then a change to cool status will happen. If you use dogfight button to go to AA mode then it will automatically be on cool. To save argon after using the dogfight mode I usually go back to Nav mode then click the AA mode and the cool should still be there, and then I press on the OSB next to cool, the word cool gets highlighted again then changes to warm.
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if you are in AA mode it should say warm, when you press the OSB button right next to it you will see warm highlighted for seconds, and then a change to cool status will happen. If you use dogfight button to go to AA mode then it will automatically be on cool. To save argon after using the dogfight mode I usually go back to Nav mode then click the AA mode and the cool should still be there, and then I press on the OSB next to cool, the word cool gets highlighted again then changes to warm.
Ah didnt know that so when in dogfight override mode the AIM 9 seeker head is automatically set to cool? so you dont have to click the OSB?
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Only if master arm.
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… and then I press on the OSB next to cool, the word cool gets highlighted again then changes to warm.
And isn’t that the problem? It stays cool for only a second or so. Shouldn’t it remain “Warm”?
Try this sequence:
1. Enter pit with NAV on HUD. Then press AA button on ICP. MFD Mode is AAM, OSB-8 “Warm” is displayed continuously!
2. Switch to Dogfight on throttle. Mode is DGFT, OSB-8 automatically changes to “Cool”, as it should.
3. Try to press AA button. It won’t switch modes.
4. Press Master Override on throttle. MFD Mode is AAM. Try to change OSB-8 to “Warm”. Can’t. It goes back to “Cool”.
5. Press AA on ICP. It goes to NAV on the HUD.
6. Press AA on ICP. MFD Mode is AAM, OSB-8 is “Cool” ???
7. Try to change OSB-8 to “Warm”. Can’t. It goes back to “Cool”.With this scenario, I could run out of argon and be SOL when I need it.
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I recall reading somewhere that once you start the cooling process it will keep cooling until the gas runs out, there is no way to stop the flow to save it
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I recall reading somewhere that once you start the cooling process it will keep cooling until the gas runs out, there is no way to stop the flow to save it
In a tutorial i watched its just recommended to cool the seeker head when you’re close to firing it, then when you want to fire it, uncage and release.
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In a tutorial i watched its just recommended to cool the seeker head when you’re close to firing it, then when you want to fire it, uncage and release.
Yeah im not sure if that statement depicted r/l or it was about a bug in AF, but in AF definitely you couldnt revert back to warm , it would keep going until exaustion
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I recall reading somewhere that once you start the cooling process it will keep cooling until the gas runs out, there is no way to stop the flow to save it
Not sure where you read that, the part about no way to stop the flow.
Here’s the full quote from Superpak 3 manual, page 110.
AIM-9 L/M cooling
Contrary to the thermoelectically cooled AIM-9P, the AIM-9L/M IR seeker head has to be cooled
to even lower temperatures to have an increased sensitivity for acquiring IR targets. Compressed
argon is used for that purpose, but the volume of argon available is limited and cooling usually
can last only 60-90 minutes (depending on outside temperature and flight profile). After that
period, the seeker head efficiency will be greatly reduced (to being almost useless).
AIM-9L/M seeker cooling can be controlled by the pilot: OSB 8 on the AIM-9 SMS page toggles
between warm state (WARM) and cooled state (COLD). Transition from WARM state to COLD
takes a few seconds and once cooling is stopped, or coolant runs out, the seeker head will be
warm again within a minute. Upon selecting Dogfight master mode, the AIM-9L/M cooling
process is started automatically. However, remember to manually stop the cooling process after
leaving Dogfight mode if early in the flight or you might not have enough coolant left for the
remainder of the mission, leaving you with practically useless Sidewinder missiles. -
@jc1:
And isn’t that the problem? It stays cool for only a second or so. Shouldn’t it remain “Warm”?
Try this sequence:
1. Enter pit with NAV on HUD. Then press AA button on ICP. MFD Mode is AAM, OSB-8 “Warm” is displayed continuously!
2. Switch to Dogfight on throttle. Mode is DGFT, OSB-8 automatically changes to “Cool”, as it should.
3. Try to press AA button. It won’t switch modes.
4. Press Master Override on throttle. MFD Mode is AAM. Try to change OSB-8 to “Warm”. Can’t. It goes back to “Cool”.
5. Press AA on ICP. It goes to NAV on the HUD.
6. Press AA on ICP. MFD Mode is AAM, OSB-8 is “Cool” ???
7. Try to change OSB-8 to “Warm”. Can’t. It goes back to “Cool”.
With this scenario, I could run out of argon and be SOL when I need it.no its not, I am saying something different. You can always go back and forth between cool and warm once you are in the AA mode (not dogfight) which, like you stated, you can do by using the ICP. In dogfight mode it stays on cool and do not change to warm.
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@jc1:
And isn’t that the problem? It stays cool for only a second or so. Shouldn’t it remain “Warm”?
Try this sequence:
1. Enter pit with NAV on HUD. Then press AA button on ICP. MFD Mode is AAM, OSB-8 “Warm” is displayed continuously!
2. Switch to Dogfight on throttle. Mode is DGFT, OSB-8 automatically changes to “Cool”, as it should.
3. Try to press AA button. It won’t switch modes.
4. Press Master Override on throttle. MFD Mode is AAM. Try to change OSB-8 to “Warm”. Can’t. It goes back to “Cool”.
5. Press AA on ICP. It goes to NAV on the HUD.
6. Press AA on ICP. MFD Mode is AAM, OSB-8 is “Cool” ???
7. Try to change OSB-8 to “Warm”. Can’t. It goes back to “Cool”.With this scenario, I could run out of argon and be SOL when I need it.
Some corrections:
1. AA Master Mode does not change the cooling state for AIM-9. If they are set WARM then they will remain WARM when entering AA or will remain COOL if COOL has been previously selected.2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Yes it can return to WARM. You aren’t giving it enough time. It takes maybe a few minutes for environment to return missile out of COOL by natural heating.
Notice that the WARM/COOL label is actually 4 labels: WARM, WARM (reverse video), COOL, COOL (reverse video). Reverse video shows commanded state has been changed but physical state remains temporarily. Cycle is as follows from warm state:
WARM - Press OSB - WARM (Reverse Video) indicating missile is warm but cooling activated - COOL indicating missile has been cooled - Press OSB - COOL (Reverse Video) indicating missile is cool but cooling deactivated - WARM indicating missile has returned to non-operational temperature
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Some corrections:
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4. Yes it can return to WARM. You aren’t giving it enough time. It takes maybe a few minutes for environment to return missile out of COOL by natural heating.Notice that the WARM/COOL label is actually 4 labels: WARM, WARM (reverse video), COOL, COOL (reverse video). Reverse video shows commanded state has been changed but physical state remains temporarily. Cycle is as follows from warm state:
WARM - Press OSB - WARM (Reverse Video) indicating missile is warm but cooling activated - COOL indicating missile has been cooled - Press OSB - COOL (Reverse Video) indicating missile is cool but cooling deactivated - WARM indicating missile has returned to non-operational temperature
That cleared things up! Thanks.
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