Same jockeying of the throttle back and forth as I am trying to keep that dot centered in the green line. as soon as I see it I zoom in on it so I can see it better and start flying that as my primary reference. If you figure this part out then the rest is all in the final turn which takes practice, Jabbers outlines it fairly well, but you want to promptly start your turn as soon as you can make out the roll bar at 600 feet trimmed on speed and dirtied up (gear/flaps/hook all down) initially roll into 30 degrees of bank and add power, try to get the velocity vector to be just below the horizon line with a 200-300 fpm descent (above your altitude in the hud) then just keep the turn going.Īt 400 feet you should be crossing the wake of the boat and as you are continuing the ball should come into view. This is constantly happening throughout the final turn. If I’m low I push the throttle up to mil and again, immediately start reducing it back to slightly higher than where I was holding it before. IE if I am high I slap the throttle to idle and then immediately push it back up to ~90% of whatever I was holding it too before. My technique is to try and get it all trimmed out on final and then every time I make an adjustment to the throttle its a pulse, not a set.
![dcs f18 carrier landing speed dcs f18 carrier landing speed](https://i.rmbl.ws/s8/6/P/V/N/r/PVNrb.qR4e.1.jpg)
Once you get this then you should no longer move the stick forward and aft, just left right and utilize the throttle to control your descent rate. Ideally you want to be level configured and trimmed PRIOR to turning base to the boat. If you have a green arrow, trim a click or two nose down, if you have red a click or two nose up.Īs you are doing this start catching your descent with your throttle. Practice trimming to the yellow donut, I brought up the checklist/FCS page and just by default shot for 10-11 nose up trim as I was dirtying up, and then adjusted from there. I’ve found it best to set up my own practice empty mission with an empty Stennis driving due north at 20 kts with no wind, as high framerate/performance helps in the exciting bits at the end. There’s probably a ton of videos and NATOPS that contradict a lot of the above, so that’s just my 2 cents of how I am handling it so far.
![dcs f18 carrier landing speed dcs f18 carrier landing speed](https://aviationphotodigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yuma-Show-31-02282015-1.jpg)
#DCS F18 CARRIER LANDING SPEED FULL#
It’s ok to make it a controlled crash rather than a kissed landing.ĭon’t have a full load of weapons and 8000+ of fuel, as you’ll have to land faster. It seems better to come in a little high with your butt dragging than too flat or too early. Try not to use the FPM aimed at the spot on the deck as your only guide, it usually means you’ll land early or hit the back of the boat. The ball in the last 50 feet or so will make it seem you’re going long, but you’re probably not. If you have the AoA right then remember the thrust changes alter your altitude, and the nose pitch over is controlling speed. Use the ball if you can, as in, you are too low add thrust a smidgen, you are too high they easy off it a bit. If you are oscillating the throttle then you might be getting too slow, there’s a ‘trough’ that the engine spooling seems to get into, but it’s not dissimilar to ‘pushing for power’ of a helo, in that in becomes easier to anticipate purely with practice.
![dcs f18 carrier landing speed dcs f18 carrier landing speed](https://wallpapercave.com/wp/VgndOY0.jpg)
As a rough guide your VSI is about 700 fpm in the final 10 seconds of the groove. Typically that sort of AoA will be a speed of 130-135 kts depending on weight. Use the flight path marker (FPM) in the bracket as well as the AoA lights, using trim to put it there in the downward and turn ideally.
#DCS F18 CARRIER LANDING SPEED PLUS#
Set up the TACAN, plus use the Course line, marked as 12 degrees left off from the boat heading.Įssentially that’s the short version, as you’re making an approach triangle of height, speed/angle of attack and distance to go. Like a lot of things in aviation (or anything else really) it’s mainly about preparation and the set-up to make the hard part easier.įor me (not that good or educated a pilot), the goal is the following on a carrier landing: