I've been learning the bajeebus out of the MiG-21bis module recently. It's one of the most strange and difficult airplanes I've ever come across. I'd like to share some of the lesser known aspects I've discovered and ask for help on several other aspects that I'm struggling to learn.

Fuel is very manual. You're supposed to manually correct the fuel gauge reading if fuel is lost other than consumed by the engine. For example ditching a partially-full external tank requires adjusting the current fuel amount shown on the gauge to match the known maximum. Further checks and adjustments should be made when various low fuel level warnings come on. It's perfectly possible for the fuel gauge to read 1000L left but the <450L light comes on! I haven't tested but I assume refueling on the ground doesn't adjust your fuel gauge.

Turn off fuel pumps in dry tanks (3rd group and 1st group).

The switch marked "Radio" (RV14) is not a radio on-off switch but instead an intercom/radio selector. If talking to the ground crew turn the radio switch to the down position to talk via the intercom system.

When not listening to a navigation radio source (ARC or RSBN/PRMG), put the switch (next to the volume knob and squelch) into the "radio only" position. This will reduce the number of beeps and static you hear while flying. Listen to the combined radio and nav audio with this switch downward as needed.

The flight data recorder actually records flight data to your harddrive.

The SAU has a self-recovery feature that automatically engages recovery mode at a user-selectable radio altimeter height if the gear is retracted. You can throw yourself at the ground at -20 deg pitch (or more but not guaranteed) and the aircraft will prevent impact without pilot input. Flip the "low altitude" switch up on the SAU panel and set the trigger height at the base of the center pedestal.

Use the SAU-RRMG landing director mode and fly the director needles to center before attempting the automatic mode. The PRMG (similar to ILS) automatic mode has trouble unless it starts from an "on course" steering state and sometimes the steering inputs are wrong for the given situation so don't engage the automatic mode until you verify with the director mode.

The "cancel recovery" button on the pilot stick does not disengage the SAU landing modes (director or automatic). This is a dangerous assumption at 100m height. It does however disengage the SAU attitude hold or recovery modes. There is a separate button on the SAU panel for disengaging either of the two landing modes. I suspect the stick AP cancel button should cancel the landing modes in reality but they certainly don't right now.

The radar self test button is a great training tool to practice radar operation without any live contact. From standby press CV51 and try locking onto the mock contacts.

Normal operation of the RATO system is automatic once armed and up to speed. There is a manual trigger as well.

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I had a lot of trouble flying at high altitude and suffering pilot hypoxia symptoms. It appears that having oxygen and a sealed canopy aren't enough. However by increasing the "hermetic pilot suit" helmet and suit pressure and ventilation controls (LV13 and LV74) I have no had any problems with hypoxia in normal flight envelope as long as pilot oxygen supplies hold out. I believe these are the answer to my high altitude life support issues but I'm not sure.

The SAU attitude and recovery buttons should be used often as they greatly aid flight. The attitude hold mode works two ways depending on airplane's bank angle upon engagement.

Prepare the gear for raising before takeoff roll by lifting the safety to reduce takeoff workload. Be sure to neutralize the gear lever and put the safety latch down after gear retraction. I think in reality it's possible to do both actions at once with one hand.

Airplane is very sensitive to errors in switches and electricity. Don't guess, memorize the true start up.

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I have found a command in setup called "SAU - Stabilize" and one called "SAU - Hold Attitude". I know there is a "hold" mode for SAU and it works well but the other feature I can't find. The manual talks about a "stabilize" mode that filters pilot inputs and takes out some of the bumps in flight but doesn't hold a certain attitude. This is the mode or switch I can't find at all. Can anyone else find it?

Great writing. A pleasure to read.

Yeah,that's an excellent post. Good observations, Frederf.

Spasibo.

Thanks Frederf. This is a really fantastic module. I don't get excited like this since the KA-50 first apparence.

Awesome, thank you! I discovered the FDR folder by accident a few days ago- when I have Free Time available again, I'm seriously tempted to see what I can do with all the data in Matlab.

Great read. I didn't know about some of that stuff for sure.. Lots of layers to explore with this module. Thanks for the insights..



BeachAV8R

LOL, for the price of Matlab you could buy everything in DCS World several times over!



The Jedi Master

Student version. But you're right, lol.

And people complain about the price of DCS modules when they get away with far more ridiculous prices in software like that.



The Jedi Master

The new patch seemed to change some things with the MiG. The helmet vent and suit pressure controls are no longer adjustable (or at least don't animate). I still managed to get the blurries at altitude. The bug with not being put in the correct aircraft in missions should be fixed.

According to the controls setup, it says that the SPRD Start Button should also dispense the ASO countermeasures. This button is on the front dashboard near the altimeter and is used for starting the SPRD (RATO) rockets if for some reason the automatic activation at 150kmph isn't good enough for you. I've found that this button does not dispense the ASO countermeasures when installed. ---But the SPRD drop canister button does! The drop SPRD rockets button is the little button with the jaunty red cover on the throttle box. So the labeling on the controls in options and what actually does what isn't consistent. When you want to dispense ASO countermeasures, press the RATO jettison button not the RATO manual start button and you'll be fine. Also you only need one of the SPRD power switch on (either one) to dispense.

One last note about countermeasures is that they seemed to dispense in an oddly asymmetrical pattern and I ran out of chaff before flares despite loading it with the 48/16 recommended ratio. It should dispense in a 3:1 ratio so everything should run out at the same time. Maybe it's important to set the chaff/flare ratio before loading the ASO pod. Maybe I had a 32/32 ratio since I changed it after the ASO was bolted on. Testing!

I haven't figured out how to change the SPO-10 lights from day mode to night mode. I just recently found the SPO-10 test button which is a relief. I get nervous when no beeps are happening and I'm not sure it's because it's clear or I messed up the setup and I'm about to die.

More on fuel. It seems that when you refuel a magic hand comes in the cockpit and adjusts your fuel needle for you. Here are the various full fuel configurations to double check:
2850L Internal
3340L Centerline 490
3650L Centerline 800
3830L Wing 490x2

Operationally when various dry tank lights illuminate
2500-2700L External
700-1000L 1st Tank Group
450-550L 450L Left
250-350L 3rd Tank Group
???L Dispenser Tank

I still haven't found what the "SAU - Hold Attitude" control does (default 'J'). Maybe it's only for the game avionics mode?

The NPP (HSI) needles have their heads and tails named differently than Western instruments. In the MiG the head of the needle points toward the radial location. The tail points toward the station. So the bearing pointer with the circle loop is the tail. If you are on the 090 radial (you are east of station, station is west of you). The tail (circle loop) will point west. The head of the needle will point east. The course needle is the same way. The head is placed on the radial you wish to approach on which is 180 degrees different than the course you need to fly to approach the station.

There are placards on the right canopy frame area that show the RSBN/PRMG numbers for various airfields. The placard with the red and green highlighted lines is for voice comms. There's an error on this second chart where the correct radio channel is one lower than the chart says. Of course you have to read Cyrillic but it's really not that hard with a little research and practice.

I know very little about ground electrical power. I had it connected and couldn't get the DC Gen and AC Gen lights to extinguish without the engine running.

There appears to be two IFF systems in the airplane. The SOD-57 and the SRZO-2. I expected that the SOD-57 was the passive "client" system for ATC and the SRZO-2 was the tactical interrogating system but there's a SOD interrogation button.

By the book, landing should be conducted at a maximum of 600-700L internal and no external stores (6,800kg) or lightweight stores (e.g. 2 AA missiles or 2 empty wing tanks) at no more than 500L fuel. I think a lot of the fright of landing is due to coming in with too much weight.

I still have a lot to learn about the missiles and bombs. So far I've been sticking with the R-3R and R-3S.

Software that we use for electrical transient and arc flash calculation is running at $22k for our department of five people.

Also, looks like somebody's already working on a data analyzer for the MiG-21 SARPP:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=130517&highlight=sarpp

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=130801&highlight=sarpp

Anybody tried either one yet? I'll play around with both at some point, but it'll be a couple of weeks.

The 'big box' landing pattern indicators on the NPP are brilliantly simple.

Also, I was having problems remembering which end of the course needle was which until I came up with the mnemonic 'two(lines)=to'.