Took the MiG-21 up this morning to play the radar tutorial. To be brief about it - this thing is going to be quite difficult to fly on a dynamic battlefield. The radar tutorial uses non-maneuvering targets, so you have all the advantages going for you. There are multiple radar filters and settings, as well as weapons switches that must be enabled or set prior to engagement. Many of us are use to "God mode" type radar displays with TWS and RWS capabilities and the MiG-21 radar is a big step backward in time. Trying to build a picture of what is going on over the battlefield is going to be very challenging. (There is IFF though!) The learning curve for getting the sensors onto aggressively maneuvering targets will be significant.
Still coming to grips with the symbols that are etched on the scope. You don't really have azimuth control I don't think - you sort of steer the airplane toward the target to get it in the center of the scope and then you can slew the TDC up and down the scope to chose a target to lock. It isn't magic though..and you will spend a lot of time trying to get the lock (or at least I did..)
Locked...
I couldn't really see any indication on the HUD as far as steering cues for the radar air-to-air missiles. The heat seekers give a flower shaped circle and tones, but it is all very different than what this Western equipment pilot is used to..
My first missile missed after I broke lock too early... Second missile hit and damaged the drone target..
Short range heat seeker...
How I'll do any of this in a jinking airplane with switches all over the cockpit and someone else trying to shoot me down - I have no idea. It is still fun as heck though. A really cool effect that doesn't translate well over screens is that the radar scope looks like it has a transparent screen on it and the CRT itself is set back further in the scope..giving a cool and realistic 3D depth to the scope display. Really nicely done.
