I've tried and tried to boresight the Mavricks?
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Hey guys I need a little help with the boresight process of the Mavericks. I’ve read the book several time and run the checklist, the same perhaps I’m not understanding the final outcome. Every thing works down to the second boresight. I go to missile override whether I use (M key) or the Throttle assigned CZ (key) Or if I use the MFD CZ button my TGP will not drop/ zero out the cursor inputs. Then it is a race to get the CZ zeroed before losing the target and if I get lucky and the CZ zeroes the Xhairs take off for never never land. All indications are normal up to “Go MSL override mode ((fastest way to cancel all tracks ))is to change master mode” but the CZ does not zero. I use the WH throttle Boat switch for Air to Air ( BSF, forward) the (BSM for Navigation) Mode and BSB for Air to ground. I acknowledge the faults and switch back to Air to ground and the CZ is still highlighted, then the dance starts to get the CZ zeroed/ (end) being highlighted. If I do get it out the Xhairs take off, understand I’m in Naro FOV even if I shift back to wide FOV the target is nowhere to be seen. ALT FL200 and 260 CAS process started at 40 miles from assigned target (81/82)
T/O from Sokcho AB heading south west toward Choongwon AB After completing the FLIR and TFR checks. SMS PWR on wait 3 mins and start boresight alignment. I get the first portion done and make turn back to AAR point over SongJi-dong SMS PWR off, 40 miles out restart Mavricks Only lite on PFLD is the AV lite, spot a TGT get a point track on TGP Handoff starts and no “C” over the Mav rail, but Bogt reappears line up of both rails is slightly off and it appears the (WPN) is asking for another boresight. I try like hell to get the CZ zeroed but lose the TGT. Head to AAR and get the gas and now head up to the primary tgt area. Last point are the ships off the coast or several buildings in the Kimac’aek area. Down to 5000 feet and locate a ship lock it up and 50% of the time get a “C” or have to restart the boresight check again, and that too is a crap shoot. So what am I doing wrong? NEED HELP TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM!!! -
This any help?
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CZ ain’t got diddly to do with calibrating the Maverick boresight equal to the sensor (usually TGP) boresight. You will probably introduce some slews in the process of getting the primary sensor (TGP) onto the calibrating object but you just have to remember to clean that up after you’re all done.
Initial situation: AG master mode, EO PRE, heading toward a lockable object, master in sim, TGP in one MFD and WPN in the other. TGP is SOI.
First thing you do is get the TGP cursors over the object in area. The Maverick crosshairs will follow imperfectly since their LOS isn’t calibrated to the TGP LOS yet. Next you press TMS forward to command TGP into point track. Automatically the MBC system will try over the next few seconds to lock the Maverick to this same object. It will most likely fail because the Maverick view isn’t calibrated. **The training flight has you wait until it gives an error. This is good training but do not do this in a combat mission. In combat interrupt the process before the error occurs.**Instead we are going to interrupt this process by DMS down to shift SOI to WPN and slew a little bit to abort the automatic locking process.
With the TGP point tracking the object and the Maverick under manual slewing our job is to slew the Maverick onto the same object and track it. Once the TGP and Maverick are both tracking the same object, press the OSB labeled “BSGT.” If another Maverick station needs calibration press MSL STEP, slew that Maverick onto the object to track, and press “BSGT” OSB again.
Now both Maverick stations are calibrated to the TGP. The only cleanup action is to CZ any slews made while moving the TGP LOS and leave the AG master mode.
When it comes to employing the Mavericks it’s a similar setup to calibrating except master arm is armed and when you point track with the TGP you simply relax and let the Maverick complete its automatic lock.
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All of which is dependant on the Mav actually being in range. Most hand off errors, usually Incompletes, I see are because of range.
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**The training flight has you wait until it gives an error. This is good training but do not do this in a combat mission. In combat interrupt the process before the error occurs.**Instead we are going to interrupt this process by DMS down to shift SOI to WPN and slew a little bit to abort the automatic locking process.
Yay!!! I sometimes run into bit of trouble boresighting because I get too close and overfly the reference target. A few seconds saved will help!
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Hey Malc and Frederf Thanks this helps a lot, guess the common problem is removing the CZ after boresight, It appears to me by checklist that the CZ must be removed before a re-lock event (TMS UP) to verify the MAV’s are “C” calibrated but from what you say it is not necessary this explains a lot I will give it a try tonight Thanks all and Malc that video helped a lot thanks.
Just ran mission and MAV aligned with TGP launches were right on tgt The key as stated is BSGT when the WPN is indicating in range Thanks guys
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Cursor zero clears any cursor slews. The SPI starts at the steerpoint and when you move the TGP or the FCR around the SPI is displaced from its home position. This displacement from home is remembered until zeroed by the button. When you’re designating a Maverick track from the TGP it doesn’t matter how far away the slews are from home.
I don’t know what would happen if you press CZ while TGP is point tracking. Does the SPI return to steer but the TGP remain tracking? Does the SPI instant jump back to the TGP location? Does the TGP track get broken back to steerpoint?
A little testing later… The FCR is returned to steerpoint and CZ reverse video reverts back to plain video (aka not highlighted) on CZ press only if TGP isn’t tracking. However if TGP is tracking (INR/AREA/POINT) then pressing CZ doesn’t do squat: highlight remains, FCR remains, TGP track remains, system delta remains. Interesting. I would have guessed that if FCR is SOI then SPI would be set by FCR cursors and CZ would work even with TGP tracking non-SOI; guess not.
I couldn’t manage to get a miscalibration by CZing immediately prior to pressing BSGT. The exception being if I knocked the TGP out of point track. That’s an important thing to look for during calibration, especially for a 2nd or 3rd or 4th station, check TGP still in point and Maverick tracking before you push BSGT. Maverick shouldn’t have to be in kinematic range, just tracking, although it’s pretty rare to track beyond kinematic range IRL.
I did notice that in older BMS versions you could cheat and BSGT against FCR without any TGP at all. in the latest version you still can but accuracy suffers. Neat detail!
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Cursor zero clears any cursor slews. The SPI starts at the steerpoint and when you move the TGP or the FCR around the SPI is displaced from its home position. This displacement from home is remembered until zeroed by the button. When you’re designating a Maverick track from the TGP it doesn’t matter how far away the slews are from home.
I don’t know what would happen if you press CZ while TGP is point tracking. Does the SPI return to steer but the TGP remain tracking? Does the SPI instant jump back to the TGP location? Does the TGP track get broken back to steerpoint?
A little testing later… The FCR is returned to steerpoint and CZ reverse video reverts back to plain video (aka not highlighted) on CZ press only if TGP isn’t tracking. However if TGP is tracking (INR/AREA/POINT) then pressing CZ doesn’t do squat: highlight remains, FCR remains, TGP track remains, system delta remains. Interesting. I would have guessed that if FCR is SOI then SPI would be set by FCR cursors and CZ would work even with TGP tracking non-SOI; guess not.I couldn’t manage to get a miscalibration by CZing immediately prior to pressing BSGT. The exception being if I knocked the TGP out of point track. That’s an important thing to look for during calibration, especially for a 2nd or 3rd or 4th station, check TGP still in point and Maverick tracking before you push BSGT. Maverick shouldn’t have to be in kinematic range, just tracking, although it’s pretty rare to track beyond kinematic range IRL.
I did notice that in older BMS versions you could cheat and BSGT against FCR without any TGP at all. in the latest version you still can but accuracy suffers. Neat detail!
I’ve not tested the bit in bold, but I would expect for it to work like an AA point track. Say you lock up an AA target on FCR and the TGP slews to the aircraft. Often, I will point track the aircraft on the TGP and return SOI to FCR to break lock and track another object. Doing so doesn’t affect TGP point track so I would assume the same would/should apply with AG SPI
Harry (Formerly Amraam at Frugals etc.)
(I'm not currently active with ViperDrivers, but these guys are the best BMS school out there!)
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Yeah I tried it. Not only does CZ with tracking TGP not disrupt the TGP track, it doesn’t disrupt anything. There’s no change when CZ is pressed when TGP is tracking in any system across the whole jet. It has the exact same effect of pushing your belly button.
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“It has the exact same effect of pushing your belly button” - what …… your finger gets covered in blue fluff when you press CZ … that’s has to be a bug ;0)
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Yeah I tried it. Not only does CZ with tracking TGP not disrupt the TGP track, it doesn’t disrupt anything. There’s no change when CZ is pressed when TGP is tracking in any system across the whole jet. It has the exact same effect of pushing your belly button.
And that is how the real system behaves.
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And that is how the real system behaves.
So having TGP as point track is sort of enforcing the SPI. I guess this makes sense really, as having the TGP look one way and the FCR trying to look to another place than SPI would cause sync issues? I’m just guessing here, learning as I go
Harry (Formerly Amraam at Frugals etc.)
(I'm not currently active with ViperDrivers, but these guys are the best BMS school out there!)
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I’m not entirely sure why this is a surprise, unless I’ve misunderstood the above. The behaviour is as documented:
From the -34 3.1 SPI MANAGEMENT (page 144):
CZ command is effective only when no sensor tracking state exists, otherwise the SPI position will not change as the tracking sensor will force it back to the same position.
This line is also the last line on page 167, at the end of the AGM-65D/G Missile Boresight Procedures, i.e. the Optional steps (TGP only) to test if you can successfully HANDOFF a target after boresighting
Also relevant to this (on page 141):
When one of the above sensors is in tracking state (i.e. GM radar in FTT or TGP in non-slave mode) the SPI is slaved to the tracking sensor. If one of the sensors is in tracking state and the pilot is commanding the other sensor to track as well, then the first sensor will break track automatically and update its position with the SPI (which is slaved to the tracking sensor). It is not possible to have both GM radar and TGP in tracking states at the same time.
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“CZ command is effective only when no sensor tracking state exists, otherwise the SPI position will not change as the tracking sensor will force it back to the same position.”
Hhhmmm…Is is perhaps an interesting “why” to the “what” that is TMS down>wide FOV>cursor zero procedure? You have to remove the tracking state(with TMS down) before you can reset the SPI.
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“CZ command is effective only when no sensor tracking state exists, otherwise the SPI position will not change as the tracking sensor will force it back to the same position.”
Hhhmmm…Is is perhaps an interesting “why” to the “what” that is TMS down>wide FOV>cursor zero procedure? You have to remove the tracking state(with TMS down) before you can reset the SPI.
Only TMS aft can cancel a track mode. CZ cancels all accumulated slews, but it cannot cancel a track mode . Hope that answers your question
Newer tapes are more pilot friendly. A TMS aft of <0,5 seconds commands a CZ, if the TGP is SOI and if the TGP is not currently in any track mode.
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Does switching to MRM cancel TGP track?
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Yes it dose and so dose DGFT ,( You could also argue that toggling the TGP to off/on will cancel a track mode), but that involves a master mode change, not HOTAS or MFD-OSB SOI functionality
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The boresighting process should be done always when the WPN is indicating the target in range ?
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Here’s a good video for boresighting IMO (an easy and quick way).
I do it almost like this now. There’s more than one way of doing it. You can lock with the WPN first then the TGP etc. Basically, you just have to have the TGP and the WPN locked to the same target and hit the Boresight button. It’s actually pretty easy once I grabbed that simple concept. I was getting confused by too many details for a long long time. Anyway, you have to be in range for the WPN to get a lock, I’d say its around 15nm but surely by 12nm you should be able to lock armor up, which is outside of the weapon range I think but not out of range for a lock.The way I remember the method in the training manual – for me – that’s a good way to learn about handoff failures and how to deal with them, so I highly recommend working through that process, but I personally don’t boresight like that, it takes me too long.
So, if you are having problems, I’d recommend a nice and easy Maverick racetrack. I’ll be going about 300 knots, get my target in the TGP before turning in hot at 15nm. Once my nose is pointed at the target. TMS UP to lock first target. Wait for handoff. MSL STEP. TMS UP to lock second target. Now wait for weapon to be in range. Nose down easy if necessary to get in the keyhole and wait for the cross to stop blinking. Pickle 1. Verify cross is not blinking, adjust to keyhole if needed. Pickle 2. You should be able to turn off by 6nm. Flow out to a safe spot 15nm out, regain your preferred altitude, while doing so you can uncage your next round of mavericks, check with Awacs to see if the picture has changed. Get your next set of targets in your TGP (not locked but located). Of course, this assumes your side has control of the airspace and you have a racetrack that is clear of AAA and SAM threats. But, in my view, that’s the type of scenario you are looking for to have fun with Mavericks when you are first learning them.
