How do they detect my Sidewinder launch?

[PoorOldSpike]

When I launch a Sidewinder from my F/A-18, the target plane or heli instantly pops flares even at long ranges (eg 2 miles or more). How the hell do they know I've launched, have they got eyes like hawks or what?
It happens even if I fire in boresight (caged) mode without a radar lock to warn them!

[dan]

It's AI

[spike2071]

Some aircraft have a Missile Launch Warning System that detects when any missile is fired within a few miles. The A-10C has it, and I think the Mirage. Not sure if any others do.

Otherwise:

Originally posted by dan:

It's AI

If you're directly behind them when you fire, they often won't pop flares, but anything else and they'll go evasive.

[PoorOldSpike]

Thanks guys and can i throw in a stupid question- How do I switch off my radar (so my emissions won't alert the enemy plane) so that I can then make a stealthy boresight Sidewinder attack?
And how do I switch the radar back on? (Preferably with hotkeys)
I've trawled through the long key assignments list without success, its as long as a dead sea scroll.
PS- One more stupid question to toss into the playpen- How do I pop chaff and flares?
I've run a search for the words but have come up literally blank.

[dan]

Use videos/manual. Go through controls carefully. This forum isn't an online on-demand cheat sheet

[spike2071]

https://www.mudspike.com/chucks-guides-dcs-f-a-18c-hornet/

[PoorOldSpike]

Thanks guys, but from what I can see in Section 11 of Chucks guide, there's no simple hotkeys for chaff / flare and I need to buy a fancy HOTAS joystick with multiple configurable buttons or something..Hmm I've already paid 62 GB pounds (75 US dollars) for F-18 and am beginning to think I've bitten off more than I can chew and am considering going grovelling to Steam for a refund..

[dan]

Wait.... Your trying to fly one of the most complicated modules with a keyboard?

[PoorOldSpike]

Originally posted by dan:

Wait.... Your trying to fly one of the most complicated modules with a keyboard?

No mate, I'm not nuts, I use a middle-of-the-road joystick and if only I could bind "pop chaff /pop flares" to its buttons it'd put a smile on my face bigger than a wave on a slop bucket..I'm 71 years old and could be dead before ploughing through all the manuals and youtube vids to try to find a solution..Anyway The Waltons is on TV soon and i can't miss that- "Granma knits a shawl for the county fair and Olivia bakes a cake", hmm souinds good..:)..PS- my refund request has just gone in, I need the money to stock up with sh*t rolls...
EDIT- My refund request has just been refused on the grounds of "over 2 hours play time"!!!
Ok I'll sulk and pout for a bit and give The Waltons a miss and will have to dive back into the manual to find out how to pop chaff / flares if none of you kiddies can tell me (sniffle)
I shall also lodge an appeal with Steam.

[spike2071]

Keybinds for chaff and flares are in the same place as all the other keybinds, that we've already shown you.

No one cares how old you are, and you should have waited for a sale. :)

[PoorOldSpike]

Originally posted by spike2071:

Keybinds for chaff and flares are in the same place as all the other keybinds, that we've already shown you.
No one cares how old you are, and you should have waited for a sale. :)

If you don't know what the keys are, just say so, or is it a secret known only to privileged members of a mystic cult?..:)

[spike2071]

I don't know what the keys are, because I bound them to the CMS buttons on my joystick a year ago. :)

It's been a long time since I flew the Bug, but I assume you'll also have to set up the programming for whatever you want to drop. You could try the Game keybinds instead of Simulation, as that may allow you to just drop a flare or chaff instead of running a specific program. You could also try the tutorial missions in the game and see if they have one on Countermeasures. Or on YouTube. Or read the manual.

[dan]

Hornet has a bit too many bells and whistles to keep straight if you're just starting out. Maybe try the F15 first. Get a grip on that and then try the F18? I'd tell you the exact control names but I haven't flown the hornet in quite some time.

[Vanhala]

The keybinds by default are E and D, don't remember which was which but you can identify it easily by checking visually from F2 view. Flare is the one which glows and has long smoketrail. Remember to place dispenser mode switch (flipswitch behind your stick, you can bind a button to hide stick. There's no default binding. I use backspace) to on and from EW (electronic warfare) page set the ALE-47 (name of the countermeasure dispenser system) mode to manual or S/A(semi-auto) (possible only once airborne), or place dispenser switch to bypass and ALE-47 will just drop one per each button press (works only when airborne).

[PoorOldSpike]

Ok thanks guys, I found the magic key in a youtube vid today, namely 'Dispenser Switch-BYPASS', which you have to hit at the start of the mission, as it then unlocks keys D and E which you hit to pop flares / chaff, it's as simple as that..:)