EF-24G

"The EF-24G "Mischief" is a two seat, twin-engine, swing-wing fighter aircraft modified with specialized equipment and sensors to fill the electronic warfare role."

― Aircraft Description

The EF-24G "Mischief" is a two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep fighter aircraft with a focus on Electronic Warfare. It is a DLC aircraft that was released alongside the VTOL VR v1.8 update, on the 21st of December 2023.

Its major features include a new, advanced electronic warfare suite to aid it as well as its allies with electronic warfare. Capable of utilizing up to four AN/ALQ-245 Jamming Pods at one time, an EF-24G is able to perform both offensive and defensive jamming against a wide assortment of radar targets. The EF-24G also has exclusive access to the ADM-160J MALD, which is a decoy missile, able to follow GPS paths and act as a distraction to enemy forces by modifying and retransmitting radar pulses, allowing it to appear as another aircraft or even jam specific targets.

Strategy

The EF-24G is intended to be used primarily as an Electronic Warfare fighter-attack aircraft, supporting other units with jamming. However, it is completely capable of destroying entire networks of troops and enemy units on its own using many missiles, bombs, and other items available to the jet. With its high speed capabilities—it's able to keep over 700 knots in a 9G turn—and quick swing-wing capabilities, the Mischief can be used for fast attack runs, popping up and dropping a GPS guided bomb or missile and then turning to outrun any missiles sent its way. For aerial targets, the AIM-54 is a great choice, outranging most other missiles by tens of miles, though with the trade-off of having less maneuverability.

For multi-aircraft operations, the EF-24G can be used as an Electronic Warfare support aircraft. Any target that attempts to lock up a friendly aircraft can be stopped with just a few button presses. The EF-24G, with its multicrew capability, can also function as part of the group while maintaining its EW support role; the pilot can focus on destroying targets, while the EWO can focus on jamming attacking aircraft or SAM sites. And if jamming isn't required, the EWO can also function as a RIO or WSO by locking targets using the Mischief's RADAR and TSD or AN/AAQ-34 SNIPER targeting pod.

Armament

Main article: EF-24G Hardpoints

Avionics

Intercom

The intercom system on the Comms panel allows the two pilots to communicate hands-free without needing to use the radio in Multiplayer. It is voice activated, meaning that speaking will automatically key up the microphone, as indicated by the green light on the aforementioned panel. The intercom volume can be adjusted independently of the radio.

Variable Sweep Wings

An EF-24G's wings sweeping back as it passes the sound barrier.

The EF-24G's wings can sweep forward and back to alter its flight characteristics. This can be manually set to any position by the pilot, or automatically by the flight computer where it sweeps the wings based on current airspeed. The nose marker on the HUD displays the wings' sweep angle; beginning from fully swept forward at Mach 0.55 to fully back past Mach 0.95.

When swept forward, more air flows over the wings. This creates more lift, unlocks the spoilerons for better maneuverability, and allows better control at lower airspeed at the expense of increased drag and a slower top speed. Flaps can only be actuated when the wings are swept fully out. Attempting to change flaps when the wings are not forward, or wing sweep when the flaps are down, will sound a clicking alarm to alert the pilot of the conflicting configuration.

Sweeping the wings back minimizes drag during transonic/supersonic flight and allows the aircraft to go really fast, but drastically reduces maneuverability due to solely using deflection of the stabilators for pitch and roll control.

Hand Control Units

The EF-24G rear seat is outfitted with Hand Control Units instead of a throttle and stick. They allow the co-pilot to operate and switch between different sensors of interest without needing to reach out and touch the Multi-Function Displays.

The Hand Control Units have their own unique control scheme, as follows. The type of controls depend on which Master Mode is enabled.

HCU Controls

Master Mode: AA/AG Right Stick Thumbstick: SOI Slew Control Thumbstick Click: Lock Target Button: Cycle Weapon Trigger: Fire Weapon Left Stick Thumbstick Left/Right: Cycle SOI Page Thumbstick Up/Down: Zoom (TSD/TGP) or Adjust Elevation (Radar) Button: Cycle Selected Transmitter Mode Trigger: Modifier Left Stick Modified Thumbstick Left/Right: Cycle SOI Page Thumbstick Up/Down: Adjust Selected Transmitter Power Master Mode: EW Right Stick Thumbstick: SOI Slew Control Thumbstick Click: Designate Transmitter Target Button: Cycle Transmitter Trigger: Start/Stop Jamming Left Stick Thumbstick Left/Right: Cycle SOI Page Thumbstick Up/Down: Zoom (TSD/TGP) or Adjust Elevation (Radar) Button: Cycle Selected Transmitter Mode Trigger: Modifier Right Stick Modified Thumbstick Left/Right: Cycle SOI Page Thumbstick Up/Down: Adjust Selected Transmitter Power Button: Reverse Cycle Transmitter

Quick-Select Jettison Panel

Armaments can be quickly set to be jettisoned from the lower left panel without needing to open the SMS page. Pressing the store buttons toggles that pylon between armed or jettison, with a red light indicating as such. A grey slashed out store button means that the munition has been expended, jettisoned, or otherwise not present.

The jettison knob behaves exactly like the F-45A: rotate it to the desired setting and press the chaff/flare button on left controller:

• ALL: Jettisons all stores on the aircraft.
• PYLON: Jettisons the three pylons on the left and right wing (LL, LR, LC, and vice versa).
• SEL: Jettisons stores marked in red on the Quick-Select Jettison Panel.
• TANKS: Jettisons only the 1100L Drop Tanks.

Master Mode Selector

The Master Mode selector filters what weapons are armed: AA (air-to-air), AG (air-to-ground). Only one group of weapons can be armed at one time.

When rotated to the EW Master Mode, the flight stick's scheme is altered to control the onboard AN/ALQ-245 jammers.

FRAZ Page

FRAZ page currently shows an ASF-58 at approx. bearing 255 being jammed.

The FRAZ (Frequency-Azimuth) page is exclusive to the EF-24G. It displays the approximate azimuth (bearing) and frequency of all radar signals that the aircraft detects, and acts as a sensor source for the AN/ALQ-245 Electronic Warfare pods.

The page displays the azimuth of radar emitters along the x-axis and their frequency along the y-axis, shown according to their RWR acronym. Along the top of the page is the compass line with the aircraft heading indicated as the green carat. The display itself it split into the HI, MID, and LO sections. As a general rule of thumb:

• Missile Warning Radar, anti-air artillery, STT and internal missile radar locks appear in the HI section.
• Aircraft, ground, and naval search radar appear in between the two in the MID section.
• AWACS and Early Warning Radar appear in the LO section.

When set as SOI, the cursor can be slewed and locked onto emitter sources just like on the ARAD. Locking a emitter source sets it as the selected transmitter's target indicated by a green circle; other transmitters' targets appear in gray. Targets under the effect of jamming are indicted by a red triangle. The transmitter button cycles through each available one from left to right (1A, 1B, 2A, etc.).

Since FRAZ page only displays radar threats, some players may find it a less cluttered interface than the TSD for employing the jammer pods.

XMIT Page

Work In Progress...

Gallery

Pre-Release

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  The teaser image displayed in-game during the release of 1.7.

Steam Screenshots

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Trivia

• The EF-24G's release day coincides with the first flight of its real-life counterpart, the F-14A Tomcat.
• The EF-24G is the third DLC aircraft to have been released for VTOL VR.
• The EF-24G is the only variable-sweep wing aircraft in VTOL VR.

External links

• 1.7 release post and the EF-24G announcement
• Steam store page
• Youtube trailer
• EF-24G Community Flight Manual