Keyboard configuraton for pilots without sticks
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here is my keyboard config for pilots who only use keyboard and mouse to fly
it’s been tested and optimized both for dogfight and A-G missions, based on the actual situation and the real cockpit, so there won’t be unrealistic hotkeys, but it allows the pilot to react to the mission very quickly.
Here is the explain:
General Idea:
WASD will be the Stick to fly, and Q/E will be the throttle, while you should always be using mouse to look around to keep the situation awareness (get used to disable the"clickable cockpit", hold right-mouse to show the mouse, and you don’t need to hold any key to look around, just like other FPS game, that’s really cool)Therefore, almost the most important button on HOTAS are located around the WASD, and you will be using left hand only for most of the time.
It’s a long list, however, the important key will be labeled as red below, so you can just look at the red parts.Basic Flight Controls:
WASD______stick
Q/E________throttle
Alt+A______Airbrake (not frequently used but still very close to WASD)
< >_______Rudder (that’s the downside, but in most of the cases, you will only be using this while landing with crosswind, and when you are about to land, use your right hand cuz you don’t need to look around)
/__________brake (right next to the rudder, will be useful for landing and taxi)
Alt+/______Parking brake (close)
Tab_______NWS/AIR-REFUL DIS (close to WASD, it’s very useful for landing/taking off/a-a missile switch(hold)/air-boom disconnect, those action all needs a lot of WASD inputs)
Alt+G_____gear toggle (it’s not hard and very urgent so we use Alt+G)
Shift+G___alternative gear down (since the button is so tiny to click and when you are using this you are in an emergency so we use this hotkey)
Alt+E_____Cat-I (it only turns from Cat-III to CAT-I, when you dropped all your bombs and started to defend the SA-2, you will need this quick! I didn’t make it as a CAT toggle in case of wrong click at this extreme moment)
Arrow key__Trim (when you dropped one bomb and the F16 starts to lean, you need to trim it quickly in this combat situation)
Alt+R______Trim Reset (also, when you dropped all the bombs and you want the F16 without any trim now very quickly at combat situation)
~_________Toggle Night Vision (NVG)Important Switches in front of the Cockpit and ICP:
those switches are in front of the cockpit(in the left side of cockpit) allowing the pilot to quickly toggle them with their left hand, so there will be some quick keys for themLeft front panel
F1________Auto pilot off(when you need to turn it off you are in an urgent situation so let’s use hotkey for this)
F2________ARM/OFF/SIM toggle
F3________Laser Arm toggle
F4________RF inhibit toggle
Backspace_Emergency Jettison (yes, you need this quick)ICP
fot the ICP button, you can actually use mouse to click, it’s quick enough because it’s in front of you eye
F8___________Comm1
F9___________Comm2
F10__________ LIST
F11___________A-A
F12___________A-G
Previous______n (It’s rarely used in Dogfight so let’s put it a bit far, but when you’re in an A-G mission flying at ultra-low alt, you should use right hand to switch this)
Next_________m
Drift C/P______Num Del(.)
DCS Return____alt+z (this is very frequently used so we make a hotkey)for other number keys in ICP, simple hold ALT, and click them, it’s the same as the real ICP panel (alt+Num- for “Reset”, and alt+Num+ for “DLINK”)
Side panels:
those switches are not very important in combat since they’re designed to be on the side panel but we will look at them a bit.
H__________air-refueling door (you are in a close formation with the tanker when you open this door, it will take you too much time searching the back and clicking it, and you will break the formation)
alt+1/2_____Comm1 Volume (you need this quick if you find the volume is too low)
alt+3/4_____Comm2 Volume
" and ______Audio2 Intercom Volume (this is not very urgent, but you want to adjust it if the “WARNING / PULL UP” is too loud.
O and P_____AIM-9 Volume (sometimes you’ll find it too loud, so you can adjust it quickly)
L and ;_____Threat Volume
_ and =____HCMS Brightness
[ and ]_____HUD Brightness
Alt+L ______Main Power of External Lights (turn back to find this switch during formation always mess things up)
J and K_____Flood Lights and Instrument LightsCommunication
Home&End_____IFF-IN/OUT
VHF/UHF_______Num* / Num/
Enter__________texting message (Big and nice, so you can text very quick)
R_____________Awacs menu
T _____________Towel menu
Y____________Wingman menu (it’s the downside of this config. the commucation page can only be positioned from Q-Y, otherwise you can’t see the 2nd page, so if you need Flight Command, you can replace Wingman in Y)
U____________Tanker menu (since it only has one page we can place it in U)Dogfight
Here comes the most important part, while in dogfight, we will always being pulling the stick back(holding S key), and looking around the sky, so with this config. you got almost everything you need for dogfight
C____________Dogfight override mode (very close to AWDS, you need to get in this mode very quick! and you can hit this key while pulling up)
Alt+W________Cancel DGFT/MRM mode (when you cancel this, it’s not that urgent, but still you need it quick)
Alt+Q________MRM override mode (you can still get this very quick)
F____________TMS-UP (lock key, you can hit this key while you are pulling up, it wil be very important to hit this key with HCMS)
G____________TMS-Down (a little bit far but you can still get it, although it’s not very important in close action)
V____________IR-Missile Cage/Uncage (you need this very quick for both AIM-9 and AGM-65, you can reach it with pulling up)
X____________Flare (you can get this very comfortable while pulling sharply, it’s very important to get flare out in dogfight)
Z____________Chaff (it’s not as comfortable as X but to get rid of radar missile you are not as urgent as IR missile in dogfight)
B____________ACMI toggle
Caps Lock_____Weapon-Release (use your pinkie finger to hit this or hold this while you are doing action, it’s a bit uncomfortable at beginning but once you get used to it, it will be perfect)
Space_________GUN
1 ____________DMS-Left (very important)
2____________DMS-Down (very important)
3____________DMS-Right (very important)
4____________Cursor Enable (will be used For Maverick, and switching between Pre/VIS/Bore)
5____________ECM toggleBVR Air-Air & Air-Ground
while in BVR or Air-Ground mission, you don’t need to look around, so just look at the MFD and use your right hand to help while using left hand to keep the basic control of the planeAlt+ S/X____________Radar Range Inc/Dec (this will only work for A-A radar)
Alt+ D/C____________Radar Antenna Tile Up/Down ()
Num4568____________Moving the Radar Cursor (use right hand to do this since you don’t need to look around)
Num Enter____________Pinky Switch(Radar EXP toggle, for both AA and AG mission, it’s important to work with the Radar Cursor, so you can get this very quick)
Num + ____________Maverick FOV (for maverick and TGP display, you need this quick to Zoom in/out)
Insert/Delete____________Left MFD OSB19/20 (this will control the range button, you will need this a lot)
Page Up/Dn____________Right MFD OSB19/20 (same as above)So, it’s everything, Btw, before i upgrade my PC i will keep flying with 4.32, so if anyone wanna training in 4.32, you can add my Skype: nagaseEdge