A B727-200 FLC QUESTIONS ATC ABOUT THEIR ASSIGNED HDG WHICH WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR A RADIAL INTERCEPT ON THE CINCE ARR INTO CVG; KY.

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DURING OUR FLT FROM SYRACUSE; NY; TO CINCINNATI; OH; WE WERE GIVEN A HDG AND TOLD TO JOIN THE CINCE 4 ARR SW OF APE. WE ARE A B727/A AIRPLANE AND FLEW THE ASSIGNED HDG. WE PASSED ONLY 6 DME TO THE S OF THE VOR. UPON STATION PASSAGE IT APPEARED ON OUR INSTS THAT THE HDG WE WERE ASSIGNED WOULD NOT INTERCEPT THE 248 DEG RADIAL OUT OF APE. I THEN QUERIED THE CTLR AND ASKED IF WE COULD JOIN THE ARR. HE INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD NOT DONE WHAT HE HAD ASKED US TO DO THEN GAVE US PERMISSION TO JOIN. NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID BY EITHER US OR THE CTLR. SOMEHOW THERE WAS A MISCOM BTWN THIS CTLR AND OUR AIRPLANE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE INQUIRIES ABOUT OUR NAV USING /A EQUIP. MAYBE THE CTLRS ARE SEEING MORE FMS EQUIP AND ARE NOT QUITE AS USED TO THE LIMITED NAV EQUIP OF A /A AIRPLANE ANYMORE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO FELT THAT THIS WAS NOT 'A BIG DEAL' BUT FELT THAT ATC SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE ACFT'S NAV CONFIGN AND SIMPLY CLRED THEM DIRECT TO THE VOR IF THAT WAS WHAT HE HAD WANTED.