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!!! This wiki is still work in progress !!!

Welcome

Welcome to the TacTraq documentation wiki. You will (hopefully) find all necessary information about how to use TacTraq and in-depth information about the feature is provides.

About TacTraq

For many years CombatFlite has been the software for the DCS community and was also intensively used in the 132nd Virtual Wing. While the amount of features is provides is not matched by any other software available, it is/was not possible to buy a license by new members (anymore). Because of that fact, development of TacTraq started based on a fuel planning software already available for the DCS F-16 and the DCS F/A-18C.

In contrast to CombatFlite, TacTraq is a pure flight planning software and not primarily intended for mission building.

Features

TacTraq is constantly improved and new features added. Right now, it offers the following capabilites:

• Map-centered flight and mission planning using various map sources:
  • Google Maps, Satellite, Terrain and Hybrid
  • OpenStreetMap
  • OpenTopoMap
  • Custom MBTiles can be added (we highly recommend Graveyard of Empires for high detail DCS maps fully compatible with TacTraq)
  • Custom PMTiles
• Drawing of shapes like AORs, circles, corridors, lines, polygons racetrack patterns and reference points directly on the map and specify colors and line styles.
• Airports database derived from DCS. Custom database management planned for manual management/modification of the database.
• Precise terrain data packs available for extra download directly within the application currently for DCS maps
  • Cold War Germany
  • Kola
  • Nevada
  • Sinai
  • more to be added
• Magnetic variation database and calculation based on location, date/time and altitude
• Sunrise and sunset calculation based on location, date and altitude
• Detailed flight & trajectory planning:
  • Waypoints placed by simple mouse clicks
  • Specification of altitude and speeds for each waypoint
  • Time calculations, including time on target, taking into account wind, temperature and air pressure
  • Aircraft loadout selection
  • Automatic fuel calculation (currently available for the DCS F-16C, F/A-18C and C-130J Hercules) depending on aircraft loadout and weight based on flight progress. Air-to-air refueling can be included.
  • Automatic critical fuel scenario calculation (various scenarios) for easy bingo fuel determination
  • Automatic minimum obstacle clearance altitude calculation for each leg
  • Turn geometry calculation: Specify bank angle and/or g load and TacTraq will calculate the corresponding ground track and include it in flight planning for more precise results. Capture legs are available.
  • Fuel ladder calculation
• Fuel quick reference data for easy-to-remember numbers for rough fuel estimation inflight
• Flight vertical profile overview
• Line of sight computation
• Weapon delivery planner
• Satellite ISR feature for real-time damage assessment or simulation of satellite reconnaissance in DCS: Connect TacTraq with your DCS session session and take satellite-like pictures from DCS by simple clicks on TacTraqs map.
• Import from
  • CombatFlite
• Export to
  • Tacview
  • MDC builder
  • DCS-DTC
  • Native DCS DTC (pending its development progress)
  • C-130J FMS
• Online update

Download

TacTraq is available via the TacTraq website.

Documentation

The description of how to set up and use TacTraq is available here.

• Installation
  • Account registration
• Windows
  • Main window
    • Mission settings
    • Radio presets
    • Flightplan
    • Loadout
    • Fuel ladder
    • Vertical profile
  • Databases
    • Airports update
    • Terrain data
  • Tools
    • Quick reference data
    • DCS Satellite ISR
    • Line of sight calculator
    • Weapon delivery planner
    • Options
  • Online update
  • License management
  • About TacTraq window

How To

• Flight planning