F4 Phantom II

[kymsheba]

hi,

i have the master arm on and GUN on and i drop the fuel tanks successfully and i get a lock on the enemy and when i goto shoot when i get the go ahead NOTHING HAPPENS weapons will not fire???? this happens on tutorials as well as multiplayer and single missions. getting frustrated what am i missing??

i love the plane but geez frustrating i am missing something but i follow the tutorials exactly and same thing missiles wont fire HEAT and RADAR.

also in turns the F4 seems very sluggish as if it wont let me take control of the plane can hardly turn and i cant get on the tail of anything as it feels like it is fighting me to stop turning??? and i always end up in a stall because it wont let me turn sharply at all

any help appreciated :)

[kymsheba]

figured out why missiles were not releasing i had to map TRIGGER- FULL ACTION BUTTON in controls to my trigger on my joystick it as only mapped to spacebar .....DOH!!!!

still having problems with turning aircraft without it fighting me and stalling me though so if any thoughts guys please let me know

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by kymsheba:

figured out why missiles were not releasing i had to map TRIGGER- FULL ACTION BUTTON in controls to my trigger on my joystick it as only mapped to spacebar .....DOH!!!!

still having problems with turning aircraft without it fighting me and stalling me though so if any thoughts guys please let me know

So here is the thing. If you are trying to turn the aircraft and it is fighting you and stalling, you are very clearly pulling too hard and not really paying attention to your speed and angle of attack. All aircraft are sensitive to airspeed and AoA during maneuvers to some degree or another and the F-4 is no different.

To be blunt. You gotta develop a softer, more nuanced touch with the stick. It will take some meaningful practice and it isn't something that will happen overnight but you gotta do it if you want any chance of success in the F-4. Additionally. You gotta learn what causes stalls, how a wing maintains lift, and how airspeed and angle of attack impact the aircraft's ability to maneuver.

You can't just throw the plane around and hope for the best. That won't get you anywhere.

[Maki Nishikino]

Yeah, an aircraft can stall at any airspeed. You really need to be mindful of your AoA. In the F-4 there are audio cues to help you know when you're approaching the critical AoA.

[mosshunt]

sounds like your stalling, pulling to hard on the turn. The brick isn't exceptionally manoeuvrable - your not going to win rate -, use the power extend, come back in, better still fly with a wingman

[trooperrob]

not regular player, but I think you could try moving the joystick curves so your pull on the stick (say to 85%) doesn't move the control so much. But don't pull the stick all the way is probably the problem.

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by trooperrob:

not regular player, but I think you could try moving the joystick curves so your pull on the stick (say to 85%) doesn't move the control so much. But don't pull the stick all the way is probably the problem.

Adjusting curves would only make the OP's problem worse. They need to learn the limits of a given aircraft and practice not being so heavy-handed on the stick. Adjusting the curves will only make it harder to fix those issues.

[Gunfreak]

Originally posted by startrekmike:

Originally posted by trooperrob:

not regular player, but I think you could try moving the joystick curves so your pull on the stick (say to 85%) doesn't move the control so much. But don't pull the stick all the way is probably the problem.

Adjusting curves would only make the OP's problem worse. They need to learn the limits of a given aircraft and practice not being so heavy-handed on the stick. Adjusting the curves will only make it harder to fix those issues.

You add curves to simulate the longer throw of the real aircraft stick.
You're not gonna get the same feel with a 15cm stick as a 60cm stick. That is what curves are for. Sure if you got one of those extenders or even a floor mounted stick. Then curves aren't necessary.
It's not a get good thing. It's trying to adapt the hardware you have to match as close as possible what the real thing had.
I flew with a 25cm extender and didn't need curves. Because I had great control.
Now i fly with a FFB stick it has less throw then my old extended stick. But the FFB still has a good 15cm extendeder built in. And the FFB gives very good precision.
But if your flying with a regular X52, X56 or something like that. Then you should use curves. Not just to make it easier. But to better simulate the real behaviour of the aircraft. You might ve a fantastic virtual pilot flying anything with a TM warthog HOTAS with no curves. But it won't be a very good simulation of how to actually fly a aircraft with 60cm center mounted stick.

[Troll Norris]

This video may explain your problem. Here is explained on Spitfire, but it is general problem of all aircrafts and helicopters:
https://youtu.be/Gs2m-xlyK7o?si=u9KDMM_R6IAwkx6s

[Troll Norris]

Here is official video about flight characteristics:
https://youtu.be/x_ndze3imJE?si=2FRXZnjMxZjdGyl6

[kymsheba]

thanks guys i tried your suggestions and it is much better now , thx for the info and responses much appreciated. DCS community are the best, cheers guys :)

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Gunfreak:

Originally posted by startrekmike:

Adjusting curves would only make the OP's problem worse. They need to learn the limits of a given aircraft and practice not being so heavy-handed on the stick. Adjusting the curves will only make it harder to fix those issues.

You add curves to simulate the longer throw of the real aircraft stick.
You're not gonna get the same feel with a 15cm stick as a 60cm stick. That is what curves are for. Sure if you got one of those extenders or even a floor mounted stick. Then curves aren't necessary.
It's not a get good thing. It's trying to adapt the hardware you have to match as close as possible what the real thing had.
I flew with a 25cm extender and didn't need curves. Because I had great control.
Now i fly with a FFB stick it has less throw then my old extended stick. But the FFB still has a good 15cm extendeder built in. And the FFB gives very good precision.
But if your flying with a regular X52, X56 or something like that. Then you should use curves. Not just to make it easier. But to better simulate the real behaviour of the aircraft. You might ve a fantastic virtual pilot flying anything with a TM warthog HOTAS with no curves. But it won't be a very good simulation of how to actually fly a aircraft with 60cm center mounted stick.

Believe it or not, I am actually fully aware of the purpose behind setting curves. I even set specific axis curves myself that change depending on the aircraft module I am binding up. My point here is that if you don't understand why a plane might stall, setting very aggressive curves isn't going to be any real help.