DCS: Flaming Cliffs 3

DCS: Flaming Cliffs 3 (FC3) is the next evolution of the Flaming Cliffs series. FC3 features the F-15C, A-10A, Su-27, Su-33, MiG-29A, MiG-29S, Su-25T, and Su-25. The J-11A aircraft featured in the game is a Chinese variant of the Russian Su-27 with minor radar modifications and the ability to use R-77 active air-to-air missiles. FC3 aircraft provide an easy learning curve for new players and focuses on a broad range of aircraft rather than a detailed single aircraft. FC3 adds a number of new features and improvements to previous versions of the Flaming Cliffs series. FC3 is a module of DCS: World, which makes it compatible with all other DCS: World titles like A-10C, Black Shark 2, P-51D, and Combined Arms.

New F-15C Cockpit and Updated Cockpit Systems

Perhaps the most noticeable new features with Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 3 is the new, beautiful cockpit. This cockpit is fully rendered in every detail and provides 6 degrees of freedom of movement within the cockpit. This new cockpit includes both day and night lighting, an improved HUD that is focused to infinity, re-worked HUD symbols and many improvements and new functions for the radar and radar warning receiver:

• New flap position lights
• Flaps position lights logic was updated.
• AI & SAM warning lights are functional now.
• Active jamming is indicated by open X in the center of TEWS screen. Flashing X - standby, steady X - active.
• CHAFF/FLARE, and MINIMUM lights are operational now.
• Marker beacon light was made functional. MKR display was added on HUD.
• Added CSET display on HUD - is displayed for the first 10 seconds after ILS mode selection.
• Steer mode select knob was animated.
• Fixed HUD Integrated Flight Director indication.
• Added bank steering bar on HUD.
• HUD altitude scale is always barometric now.
• Removed radar altimeter scale from HUD.
• Fixed AoA scale and numeric indication on HUD.
• Adjusted HUD display logic of Mach number and current/maximum G displays.
• ADI light was made functional.
• Fixed unstable radar lock at certain ranges in the vertical scan mode.
• Radar scan zone in TWS is limited by 60 degrees now.
• DTWS scan zone automatic centering is implemented.

Changes to the A-10A

• Fixed bank steering pointer and bank indicator animation on ADI.
• Adjusted TVV position limits on HUD. Out of view arrow has been added for TVV.
• Pitch numerics were changed to Flight Path Angle numerics on HUD.
• Adjusted position limits of various HUD symbols.
• Reworked visual shape and display logic of the destination index (tadpole).
• Added TD box (steer point position) on HUD.
• Fixed visual appearance of the Target Designator Cue (TDC) on HUD.

Changes to the MiG-29 and Su-27/33

• Stations display was removed from Su-27/33 HUD.
• Radar scan zone on Russian aircrafts is now always centered on the tracked target in TWS.
• 'Target unlock' command is now functional in Russian TWS - current track and radar contacts data is cleared.
• Radar is correctly returns back to TWS (instead of RWS) on Russian aircrafts when STT is lost.

Common Changes to All Aircraft

• Fixed momentary jump of the HSI course pointer in some cases when steerpoint is switched.
• HSI course/bearing/distance pointers and ADI steering/deviation bars animation was made smooth in all aircrafts

Improved Air-to-Air Missile Flight Dynamics

With a return to a heavy focus on air-to-air combat in DCS: Flaming Cliffs 3, the flight dynamics physics of air-to-air missiles has been improved in multiple ways:

• Launcher platform speed, thrust, missile weight, total drag, gravity, etc. are all calculated to determine missile speed.
• Missiles now incur realistic energy bleed that accounts for drag, induced drag and gravity. Induced drag calculates g-load and that factors the missile’s lift. Missiles will now bleed energy very quickly if the target performs hard maneuvers.
• We added a longitudinal-load fuze arming type. The missile warhead of missile will only be armed after reaching the assigned longitudinal g-load (acceleration). Otherwise the missile will not detonate.
• We added a limited duration to the missile’s power system (gas-generator, generator and hydraulic pump). When the onboard power system is exhausted, the missile goes ballistic.
• We added a self-destruction timer. Some missiles will self-destruct when the timer is reached.
• We added altitude based of self-destruction. Some missiles will destruct when reaching an assigned altitude above ground level.
• We added a guidance timer delay. After launching a missile, the missile will fly straight from the from launcher for safety reasons before initiating the guidance stage. This is typically 0.3…1.5 seconds. For example: the R-27R missile flies unguided forward for 0.5 seconds before guidance to target starts.
• We added parameters of loft trajectory. The initial range to target, the range of transition to proportional navigation, and initial angle of loft are all factored.

Resource Manager

In any war, logistics plays one of the most critical roles. If an army air force cannot be resupplied, it will be useless in battle. The new Resource Manger allows mission designers to add the element of resource management into missions.

Mission builders can now place warehouses on the battle map and allow them to resupply airbases and other facilities with set amounts of weapons and fuel. This can be done for both single player and multiplayer missions.