AV-8B Engine Sounds and RWR
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The AV-8B in campaign is a challenging and rewarding experience and seems effective enough except for two minor quibbles:
1. The engine sounds are darn irritating. I don’t know how real they are but mid-range throttle is grating with idle/max quiet to the point that I spent the whole mission at max or idle alternately. What’s a feller to do?
2. RWR. The Harrier II (not the + or anything) should have an RWR. I tried the MFD page and think I turned on all the relevant systems but couldn’t get any contacts to display. It turned out to be a significant mission critical item (although MWS would have been more welcome, cough, MANPADSs).
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Yeah, it is irritating, but check out from 1:40+ in this video. Granted no earplugs on a camera but there seems to be a point in the throttle position that goes from quiet to loud as crap. (like in sim)
Are you doing a ramp start? I always start from taxi and the RWR has always worked….if so maybe there is a procedure that has to be done?
I really like flying it for a break from all the really fast movers and the STOLs are just plain fun.
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Yeah ramp start. I got the RWR (MFD) working this time. Must be some funny business last flight.
I don’t see how to change the altimeter setting or how to get more than 40 degrees of flaps. I tried a hover landing and the throttle was super sensitive between a 500 fpm climb and a 1000 fpm descent. I don’t know what the CRUISE/STOL switch does.
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from the manual it states:
There are two modes for flaps operations: STOL mode will manage the flaps automatically according to gear position and Cruise will automatically manage flaps according to airspeed. When the gear is lowered the aircraft automatically enters the V/STOL master mode
But what that actually translates into as far as flap position it does not say.
Yes throttle is very sensitive, I’ve landed vertical once out of the many hours I’ve flown it, and since I have a CH Pro Throttle there is not must positional feedback and that makes it even more fun. I just do short landings on the runway
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I’m guessing that the AV-8B uses the SimAltFlapsExtend F-16 function to pull of it’s dual-mode flap functioning.
The manual? Oh that the manual. Yeah I need to try again with nozzles 80 instead of 90 and so on like it says.
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All the flap switch does in BMS is changes when the flaps extend or retract. It’s either at gear retraction or with airspeed in the two coherent modes. The advantage being, if you’re slowing down and need the lift prior to extending the gear, STOVL mode allows that to happen.
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from the manual it states:
There are two modes for flaps operations: STOL mode will manage the flaps automatically according to gear position and Cruise will automatically manage flaps according to airspeed. When the gear is lowered the aircraft automatically enters the V/STOL master mode
But what that actually translates into as far as flap position it does not say.
Yes throttle is very sensitive, I’ve landed vertical once out of the many hours I’ve flown it, and since I have a CH Pro Throttle there is not must positional feedback and that makes it even more fun. I just do short landings on the runway
Think of STOL flaps as “flaps down”…pretty sure they have one position, but may possibly schedule with nozzle position…in the RW. As for VSTOL Master Mode - the Harrier has four Master Modes - A/A, A/G, NAV, and VSTOL. The main point of VSTOL MM is to add cuing to the HUD for VL, VTO, and STOL operations. Which I’m betting is not modeled in BMS…