S-3 Viking Issue?

[Bones]

This is not necessarily a bug but just something I noticed with the new S-3 model. First of all, it looks great, I love the fuel pod propellers working and the lights. The issue I am having though is the hose seems to be awfully short. So short that I have to get my nose pretty much right up to the fuel cell to plug, and then when I do, I have to get so close to the Viking wing to maintain the plug that stick and throttle inputs have to be microscopically tiny or else you will fall out of the basket. Even these nano adjustments in stick/throttle can induce PIO in an instant if you're not careful. It didn't seem that difficult before but I think the hose was longer before 2.9.

It's not impossible, I can still take a full drink, but it will take multiple successful plugs adding up to that and I used to be able to just stay in the whole time with what seemed to be a longer hose.

I wonder if this is how it really should be?

v6,
boNes

[Grifter]

I doubt it should be that short, for safety reasons alone.

[Bones]

The general consensus that I've seen for my post on the DCS forums is that people agree that it seems shorter and thus they have the same problem as me. Although there was one person, to be fair, that posted this just to point out that maybe it's not so wrong after all. Maybe.

0159109.jpg

I just noticed that this is a KS-3B refueler refueling an F/A-18F Super Hornet configured for refueling. Talk about sharing gas!

Now when it's a Super Hornet refueling another Super Hornet, then it seems a bit incestuous...

v6,
boNes

[Grifter]

In that pic, there's no slack at all in the hose.

[Bones]

This is great, someone posted this and it explains the lights on the new DCS S-3 model's fuel pod:

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/201 ... eling.html

This is a good summary of the D-704 refueling pod and includes the light indications for both versions. In DCS, the S-3 has the later version with 3 lights.

070519-02 A-A42R-1 back.jpeg

The light position and signals are incorrect in DCS. Here's how it should work:

The green light on the upper left indicated that fuel was flowing to the receiving airplane. The yellow light on the lower left, when steady, indicated that the store was ready; when flashing, it indicated that the receiving pilot had pushed the drogue/basket too far forward and fuel flow to the probe had stopped. The red light on the upper light turned on when there was a hydraulic failure in the store so fuel couldn't be transferred.

v6,
boNes

[Grifter]

Very helpful to know! Also soemthing else to look at while AAR.

[Bones]

And, just like we expect from DCS, I checked it and they got the lights wrong. I had a successful plug and the right light was flashing telling me hydraulic failure, no transfer, yet I was still taking on fuel.

<sigh>

v6,
boNes

[Grifter]

DCS is a testament to the maxim that the little things really do matter.