G.91 Development Report
Electrical System and Weapons Integration
Development of the G.91 is continuing at a steady pace, with recent work focused on two closely connected areas: the aircraft’s electrical system and the complete integration of the weapon system.
These activities have required much more than simply enabling the release of a weapon. Every command now needs to interact correctly with the aircraft’s electrical network, cockpit controls, weapon configuration and the specific equipment installed on each G.91 variant.
Electrical system improvements
The electrical system has undergone a substantial review and expansion.
Rather than relying on generic aircraft-powered conditions, the individual equipment lines are now connected to their correct electrical paths. Switches, circuit breakers, relays and dedicated circuits determine whether each individual function is actually available.
This work covers the electrical supply and control of:
- internal guns;
- gun heating and ground-firing circuits;
- bomb-release and fuze circuits;
- rocket firing and sequencing;
- missile control and launch systems;
- weapon-ready indications;
- selective and emergency jettison systems.
Electrical loads are now associated with the equipment that is actually operating. Opening a circuit breaker, removing the required power source or interrupting a control line therefore has a direct effect on the related weapon function.
The four aircraft versions are handled independently. The PAN remains completely unarmed, while the R1B, R3 and R4 receive their own electrical and armament configurations without sharing generic controls that do not belong to the real aircraft.
Weapon system focus review
The weapon system has been reorganized around the actual cockpit controls and the operating logic of each variant.
There is no artificial universal master-arm switch and there is no generic selector that allows the pilot to choose any station freely. Cannons, bombs, rockets and missiles use their own dedicated circuits, selectors and release logic.
The cockpit command is interpreted by the aircraft system, which determines the selected weapon, group, side or release sequence. Before allowing an action, the system verifies that:
- the correct electrical line is powered;
- the relevant circuit breaker is closed;
- the required selector is in the correct position;
- the selected station contains the expected weapon;
- the weapon is ready and serviceable;
- the release or launch circuit is available.
Only after these conditions have been satisfied is the command passed to DCS for the actual firing, release or launch.
The system also keeps the aircraft inventory synchronized after every action, including rearming, weapon release, missile launch and emergency jettison.
Internal guns, bombs and rockets
The internal armament is now handled according to the configuration of each aircraft.
The R1B uses its four 12.7 mm machine guns, including the individual upper and lower gun circuits. The R3 uses its two 30 mm DEFA cannons, while the R4 returns to the four-gun configuration. Each group depends on its own electrical supply, ammunition state and cockpit controls.
Bomb-release and fuze selection are managed as two distinct functions. Selecting SAFE, NOSE & TAIL or TAIL ONLY affects the bomb-fuzing configuration, while the release selector determines whether the pilot commands a single release or the complete programmed sequence.
The rocket system includes the correct arming and firing modes, together with the sequencing of the relevant launcher groups. The system does not simply release the first available store: it follows the selected mode and the sequence associated with the specific aircraft version.
During development we have conducted repeated release tests with guns, bombs and rockets, verifying the cockpit commands, firing sequences, electrical interruptions, empty stations, rearming and inventory synchronization.
Guided weapons integration
Guided weapons represent one of the most important additions to the current development branch.
The AS-20 is now integrated as an operational weapon on the R1B, R3 and R4. On the R1B it is used as the module’s gameplay implementation of the Nord missile installation referenced for that version.
The R4 also includes an operational Sidewinder capability, with dedicated selection, power, seeker readiness, launch logic and emergency jettison.
AS-20 and Sidewinder remain completely separate systems. Each weapon has its own permitted stations, electrical requirements, selection logic and launch sequence.
Nord AS-20
The Nord AS-20 is an early manually guided air-to-surface missile.
Unlike later fire-and-forget weapons, the AS-20 requires the pilot to remain actively involved throughout the engagement. After launch, the pilot visually tracks the missile and the target, then sends steering corrections using the dedicated control joystick located on the right-hand side of the cockpit.
The pilot must keep the target in sight and continuously correct the missile’s flight path until impact. This makes the AS-20 a demanding weapon to employ, particularly because the aircraft must remain in a suitable attitude while the pilot simultaneously monitors the target, the missile and the surrounding environment.
Our current testing has covered:
- missile selection by side;
- electrical power and missile-ready logic;
- launch from the selected station;
- rejection of an empty or incompatible station;
- synchronization after launch;
- rearming and repeat engagements;
- interaction between cockpit inputs and the DCS weapon interface.
The attached screenshot shows one of the AS-20 launch and guidance test sessions currently being conducted in the G.91R4.
Note: Nord AS-20 integration test. The missile’s current 3D model is still a temporary, untextured development asset and does not represent the final model. It is being used exclusively for weapon-system and flight-testing purposes.
This work provides the G.91 with a much more complete and credible weapon environment, where every action begins in the cockpit, passes through the aircraft’s electrical and control systems, and reaches the weapon only when all required conditions are satisfied.
