i must of mistake it for the f4s which does
So firstly, in sim your not going to get the green box around your target when u have a lock - thats an third person UI thing - for sim the only visual indicators u have are the ones specific to your hud (they change the look depending on the HUD model used on each aircraft and some dont show anything at all), and your HMD. Phantoms i’ve flown dont have any indicator for locked targets in the HUD, i dont think i’ve bothered to use my F4J in sim yet but it should be pretty much the same as the rest, and while you do have a ‘HMD’ (as itemised by warthunder) - its only a helmet mounted sight allowing the slewing of missile seeker/radar locking but offers no other information to the pilot. The only actual HMD’s we have rn came this patch on the Barak and F16C.
In terms of the missile issues, the lack of sparrow lock tones is a problem i’ve encountered across other phantoms - its pretty annoying but in general especially with E2+ gen its not a massive issue. So long as your not doing any super HOB’s shots u should be fine to launch when inside appropriate range according to your radar scope. In general though, sparrows are very finicky and need some babying to work, and do have the reputation of exploding seemingly at random. Primary reason for self-detonations is loss of a solid radar lock, since the missiles don’t have proper INS they rely heavily on high quality locks from the mothership and without it will continue flight for only a couple of seconds max before self-destruction. So, making sure that you set up good launches where a solid lock is likely throughout the flight time of the missile is important - especially since you cant change lock types on the fly like more modern radars can to counter notching. Also try not to rely on the F’s to actually do its job at tracking the target right off the rails, since they can be pretty unreliable - so best practice is to treat them like an old 7E and launch them in such a way that the seeker will still see the target post initial acceleration, that can minimise the random explosions as well.
Finally, that solid bar on the right hand side of your pipper is a range indicator to your target, it starts moving when inside guns range on a scale from ~1700m - 0m, outside of that its always full. Also works for CCIP on ground targets using the relative sight modes (bomb/rocket/guns on ground target) and with Bomb CCRP provides indication to release point. Nice thing is this update all phantoms (except C) got EEGS, basically accurately radar adjusted gunsights - so when u have a radar locked target inside guns range, your sight will provide a highly accurate indication of exactly where your rounds will land (so similar to modern aircraft all you have to do is draw the pipper directly over the target, hold the trigger and 90% of the time they will hit).
So, Lets discuss the F4 Phantoms in sim, best way to use them, and why you may be having issues.
I’m sorry if some of this has already been mentioned.
Addressing your first concern, The green square.
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The green square does not appear in sim for radar track with the exception on certain vehicles with digital cockpits, such as the f14b, f16, Mi29, Yak141 etc. EVEN with the f4-s that does have a digital cockpit, you do not get a “green box” (unless this was added in the most recent updated, you did not get one previously)
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The HMD you mentioned is not actually an HMD (or helmet mounted display) the F4 Phantoms have what’s called an HMS (Helmet Mounted Sight) - the major difference is and HMD will actually display information as you look around, where an Helmet Mounted Sight, only will allow the seeker eye of you AIM9s to track with you head movement and look for an Infrared Signature Specifically.
To Address your second question
- When it comes to being close or distant “nothing happens” The Aim9s you may have heard the term “growling sidewinder” before, that’s because the Aim9 series of missile actually has an audible tone, where as the Aim7 will only be able to launch anyways when you have a lock. So assuming youve hard locked the target, once you turn on your missile you should be able to fire. However if youre looking for visual confirmation, you can press your missile key once, and if you look up in the top left where you have the missle selected, if its RED in color, its ready to be fired.
To address your 3rd concern.
- When you launch, keep in mind Aim7s are best used for FRONT aspect shots, with proper lock. You do mention here that youre guessing you have a lock - You should know whether or not you have a lock based on your radar screen. You need to pay attention to the aspect of the enemy your launching on in relation to your aircraft. If theyre flying away from you, most likley your Aim7 isnt going to do anything anyways. You need to ensure the trajectory of the aircraft your launching on is at least coming towards you, you can confirm this by the position of the “tail” on their radar screen.
If you have further questions, I have a whole Simulator series on tiktok - this video right here will most likely be the most useful to you! If you have any other questions feel free to let me know.
https://www.tiktok.com/@zhrocks11/video/7252418230453652779
@zhrocks11 WarThunder Teaching Sim - The long awaited Radar identification video! @warthunder_en #aviation #warthundersim #warthundervideo #warthunder #warthunderaviation #fyp #FYP ♬ original sound - zhrocks11
Thank you all for the help. And yes, i’ll be watching the videos!! You have a nice work there. Thank you all
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have same problem on f4 s. no warning sound. nothing, its not apaers on hud. when i play mig23 for compare all is working wel. so idk i gue its just pantom problems or just game need fix something. dk rly. i just come here to found answers on same problem
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As Stated above, radar guided missiles DO NOT make sound, theyre not supposed to. only heat seakers make sound and give a tone.
Additionally there is NO hud indication on the F-4s even though it has a digital cockpit for targets you have locked.
thx . bro. do u know does american f14 and f16 have radar irist like ru top tyers ? irist prety op u can sneak close and use heat missles . enemy cnt notice it and they not go defnsive. does amrican top tier have some ?
As someone who plays it in sim, it doesn’t have the green square. You kind of have to eyeball it by radar and see when the target is in the center of the radar screen (so you’re pointing at it) and guesstimate the range using the range thing.
I drew up a little diagram, so hopefully this helps a bit.
Sparrows do not have a sound like the AIM-9s do, as that is caused by the “disk” that is tracking the target being fed into the pilot’s ears, for lack of a better word. If after it launches, it takes a second and then turns a bit that means it is tracking. If it goes and then explodes, that means you didn’t launch it in optimal conditions and it failed to track and self destructed.
I don’t know about the locking strength thing, that would need to be something I test. Personally I am just used to it and launch when it “feels right” and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
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No, the USAF never used IRSTs except for targeting ground targets as far as I know.
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nice. i’ll save this image. thank you!!
That is not true. The MiG-23 ML has it all. Pretty sure the Mig-23 ML did not have a digital cockpit. Mirage F1C-200 also has it. F-5E ECU also has it.
This is the MIG-23 ML cockpit in simulator. Also indicated missile R-24R missile lock. I think this might be a bug.
Not a bug, the mig-23 and higher russian fighters have a detailed digital HUD.
The f-14,f-15,f-16 and future fighters also have a detailed digital HUD.
this is not the same as a HMD or HMS.
This thread is just a mess.
This has nothing to do with the HMS. The idea is that having an advanced feature like HMS but zero indications on HUD about lock, radar missile status seems odd and definitely seems like it is lacking.
“The MiG-23ML prototype first took flight on 21 January 1975 and quickly entered mass production later that same year, though export customers continued to receive the MiG-23MF for another seven years. More than 1,100 MiG-23MLs (and its derivatives including the MiG-23MLA) were built for Soviet and export users between 1978 and 1983”
Somehow I doubt this had digital cockpit in USSR in 1978.
“F-4S
F-4J modernized with smokeless engines, reinforced airframe, leading-edge slats for improved maneuverability. First flight July 1977; 302 converted.”
I’d say, these are same generation, same years.
Radar missiles, officially known as SARH missiles do not give audio tone upon locking.
There are a few missing features (that previously actually did exist in warthunder such as the MiG-29s HMS) but this is not one of them.
In simulator mode, the cockpit radar display shows a line towards a target if its locked.
This basically means you are cleared for launching a SARH missile (even outside of range).
In real life this is how it works. Implementing player ease featyres unless theyre realistic or needed (such as control interfaces for aircraft functions (Y-menu)) is against the idea of simulator battles
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Ideally even the speed, weapons and engine temperatures as well as map indicators should be removed but warthunder is a game and not all aircraft have fully functional cockpits or digital maps.
Hence those are more or less necessities.
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Thank you @Armen_Lozone, I am just talking about cockpit indication of locked target and radar missile status before launch (no tone interests me) and comparing two very similar period aircraft F-4S and MIG-23ML.
As you can see in above photo, the HUD of MIG-23ML shows a circle around the locked radar target and also displays NP in cyrilic letters when radar missile aquired lock.
I highly doubt MIG-23ML had in 1978 digital cockpit and F-4S Phantom II had analog cockpit in 1977. I am pretty sure, both had analog cockpits back then but the HUD really worked in both.
There is no digital cockpit.
Just a more informative HUD.
This technology is not new nor too complicated.
The F-4 did not incorporate such features into the front pilots display because that was usually the job of the Weapons officer (thats why the phantom is two seater and the mig-23 is single seater (aside from trainers)
Thr mig needed all info to the pilot.
The phantom could and did divide info between the two crewmen
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I fully agree!
However, you did mentioned MIG-23ML having a digital cockpit a few posts above.
Also if the Phantom weapons officer has this information, somehow I believe it is wrong not to be able to switch crew (take this as a joke) OR… give it similar features on front HUD because you can’t switch crew. Similar planes, should both have this feature. We are not able to play the RIO or whatever in Phantom was called, but at least we should have some information as similar planes.