Ka-50 Guide - Night Fighting

While it's not recommended to fly the Ka-50 at night, it can be done, although it's best done with help. This video shows a night time cold start, followed by S-8OM illumination rockets (kind of) and Vikhr and gun usage against some parked trucks. NVG usage is covered, as is IT-23 (Shkval display), and interior cockpit lighting.
NOTE: At this point in the Open Beta, there are still some glitches and problems. The static reflections on the Shkval/IT-23 make spotting harder than it needs to be, and the illumination rockets (usually) don't work. I'm also not sure that laser designation looks the way it should through the NVGs. This video will probably be replaced at some point in the future as the OB progresses, to ensure that the information remains current and accurate.
Updated for DCS World 2.5.6. This video is part of a playlist with other instructional Ka-50 videos, which can be found here: • Ka-50 Guide

[@roguereaper1330]

I was on Persian gulf yesterday, there was a few Hornets over an airfield and all of them had lasers going while I had night vision on in my shark. Really awesome sight. Especially when bombs go off at the end of the lasers. I ended up just hovering to watch it all. Lol.

[@JoCo480]

Thanks for the demo. Im absolutely obsessed with the KA-50 Blackshark rn, mainly cause I love helis and its a coaxial rotor single seater and I can learn comfortably on my own and just jump in and do solo missions. VR is pretty sick too. Feels almost scary at times, guess thats why they added the ejection 💺 haha.

[@man_vs_life]

It's nice to see a Ka-50 series on your channel. Subbed. You know heaps of stuff!

[@johngisbourne7197]

very well made video, thanks mate.

[@Sevyns762]

One thing I’ve been doing is using radio commands to send illumination rather than the illumination rockets - not too bad todo in the Mission Editor and works great!

[@FalcoGer]

If only it were based on contrast... IR-Beams are made to be visible on NVGs that can see into near IR. It's used in the western TGPs in IR mode as well as with ir lasers on rifles for special forces.

[@janee7995]

Does anyone have a link to the Valhalla 3d printfiles for the controls?

[@phoenixsui]

You seem to know this Module very well.

[@Viking355th]

Thanks! I ought to, I've been flying it for about eight years. :)

[@fatwizard1234]

I can’t find any one that can explain how to use the search light. Can you help?

[@Viking355th]

What's going wrong when you try to use it?

[@smirnoff1589]

hey man, so is there a specific night vision/FLIR mode for the Shkval? I made a mission in pitch black and I can't see a damn thing in the screen

[@Viking355th]

No, the Ka-50 has no FLIR, and suffers significant degradation of capabilities at night. I basically won't use it past sunset, I just RTB and switch to a Harrier if I need to fight at night.

[@smirnoff1589]

clubby37 appreciate the quick response brother. Yeah that’s a bummer I’ll have to change the time of that mission. So much for the “Russian day/night all weather attack” chopper lol

[@Viking355th]

The day/night all weather version is a two-seater called the Ka-52. The IRL Ka-50 was never mass-produced, and just a handful of prototypes exist (precisely one of those prototypes, the Ka-50N, actually does have a FLIR, though.) The Ka-52 is the bird Russia actually uses IRL, and it does have a FLIR. It's probably what ED would have preferred to simulate in the first place, but they made it long before DCS multicrew got sorted out, so I see why they went with the single pilot version. In spite of her night time limitations, she's a glorious bird to fly, and I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

[@smirnoff1589]

clubby37 yeah the alligator Ka52. Oh well. I still love the hokum. Great bird

[@cyborgbadger1015]

the SHKVALas fitted to this version of the ka50 is a daylight only camera. The ka50, (at least in DCS), does not have anything approaching a true night-attack capability. You are basically firing manually using NVG to see.

[@Goreuncle]

The standby attitude indicator is sad because you never power it up and uncage it.

[@Viking355th]

It decalibrates really easily. I can either keep re-calibrating it, ignore it because it's wrong, or ignore it because it's off. That third option was the most convenient.

[@ghostb9339]

Ctrl + Alt + L - flashlight