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The external textures created by Eagle Dynamics for their F-16 Viper seem to have been left in an unfinished state since Early Access release. Which means details, as well as a somewhat realistic or authentic weathering pattern are absent next to many other things. I spent a lot of work in the past to improve and add up all these small details to the external textures. Overall I added many missing panels, rivets, holes, exhausts, vents, seams, lights and other details to the whole aircraft. Too long and finicky to list all the changes in detail. So below is a short list of the main changes and improvements so far. Added missing panels, rivets as well as holes and exhausts to the bottom fuselage Added more detail to the engine exhaust Added dirt, scratches and leaked oil to the airbrakes mechanism Reworked all rivets and added rivets on the top fuselage (rivet counter) Added textures to the M61 gun Added sealant to the canopy frame, RWR and AIFF antennas - Added new cockpit textures (Currently a sort of WIP placeholder. They are a custom mix of textures made by watermanpc and wolfthrower) So far I reworked the main fuselage, some parts of the tail, all pylons and the fuel tanks. The wings will be overhauled as well with new rivets, etc. WIP preview screens. Compared to the "default" livery by ED (before). Sealant around the RWR antenna Static discharge mounts New engine exhaust. The gas residue on the inside of the nozzles is not final and may vary, can be lighter. Textures for the M61 gun Textures for the internal air refueling door Panels and rivets on the belly near the tailhook Sealant around the AIFF antennas and rivets on the canopy New rivets on the aft fuselage Sealant around the canopy and the AIFF antennas. New rivets and details to the main top fuselage. Close up of the refueling door with new rivets and deeper seams. Complete overview of the main fuselage. Notice the tail (hollywood) lights. My favorite so far, the sealant around the canopy.

13 января 2023 года Дорогие друзья, Окончились новогодние празднования, и мы снова, преисполненные новыми силами, приступили к работе. Если вы ещё не видели, то смотрите наш видеоролик посвященный планам на 2023 год — 2023 & Beyond video! В 2022 году мы закончили большую работу по расширению игрового потенциала DCS: F-16C Viper, DCS: AH-64D, а также модулей DCS: F/A-18C Hornet, DCS: Supercarrier, и DCS: A-10C II Tank Killer. Однако, на этом мы не заканчиваем, и предлагаем вам ознакомиться с тем, чем порадуют вас эти модули в году 2023 и не только. Мы, также, готовим отчёт о планах 2023 для нашего поршневого парка самолётов. Чуть позже, вы узнаете о них. Следите за следующими выпусками новостей. Несмотря на то, что наша основная работа концентрируется на модулях раннего доступа, мы не забываем об апдейтах, фиксах и улучшениях и для ранее выпущенных модулей. Благодарим вас за энтузиазм и поддержку. Искренне с Вами, Команда Игл Дайнемикс F/A-18C Hornet Текущие работы Летная модель (FM) и система автоматического управления (FCS). Мы проделали большую работу по созданию правдоподобной летной модели самолёта и моделированию функционала FCS, и в этом году работа будет продолжена. В частности, будет полностью переработана аэродинамика ЛА в зоне влияния земли. Мы доработаем механику шасси так, чтобы повысить реалистичность посадки, а также улучшить поведение при уходе на повторный. Переработка радара. Параллельно работе над FM, будет произведен рефакторинг кода БРЛС. Основными направлениями работы здесь будут: улучшение работы в нижнюю полусферу, настройки частоты повторения импульсов, сканирование по азимуту, с целью достичь большей правдоподобности в возможностях РЛС по обнаружению и сопровождению целей. Применение GPS бомб с кабрирования. Одним из способов повышения дальности применения JDAM и JSOW является сброс с кабрирования, т.е. сброс по восходящей траектории. Реализация данной возможности, помимо самого моделирования, потребует доработки ИЛС и HSI. Мы планируем представить результаты уже в этом году. Новая модель пилотов. Хорнет уже имеет модель пилота при виде “из глаз”, однако мы существенно улучшим её в этом году, придав ей большую аутентичность с точки зрения экипировки и обеспечив новым, богатым набором анимации. Взрыватели. На текущий момент авиационные бомбы используемые с Хорнета работают только с контактными взрывателями (типы M904 и M905). В 2023 году мы добавим возможность использования взрывателей с воздушным подрывом (DSU-33), а также, присоединяемые типы взрывателей c программным управлением, например – FMU-152, которые, в отличие от стандартных и программируемых на земле, позволяют произвести перепрограммирование в воздухе. В дополнение к общей работе по программированию таких взрывателей, будут введены соответствующие опции в редактор миссий, созданы необходимые визуальные эффекты и проведены расчёты поражающего воздействия - что является весьма сложной задачей. Поддержка DTC и MUMI. После завершения работ над дата-картриджем (DTC) истребителя F-16C мы переключимися на разработку DTC и экранного меню MUMI для Хорнета. Экранное меню MUMI позволит пользователям самостоятельно производить планирование миссии, модифицировать ППМ и порядок их прохождения; настраивать даталинк и средства противодействия, АСП, сенсоры и др. Преднастройки будут доступны как в редакторе, так и в планировщике миссии. Обновленная версия ALR-67. Хорнет получит новые графические обозначения и улучшения для приёмника RWR. Например, возможность работы на подавление источника излучений, нацеливание FLIR и HARM на источник, новые коды и сигнатуры РЛС. Палубная процедура выставки ИНС. В дополнение к уже отработанной процедуре начальной выставки ИНС на земле, мы планируем добавить процедуру применяемую на кораблях, когда в качестве первичного источника привязки выступает сам авианосец. Это ключевое, из того, что Хорнет получит в 2023 году. Однако список не окончательный, и может изменяться. Мы продолжим работу по исправлению найденных неточностей и ошибок в работе и чуть позже добавим возможность привязки HSI к сенсору (HSI Slew) и более подробное моделирование опций MSI. F-16C Viper Текущие работы Viper получил наибольшее количество улучшений в 2022 году. И это, пожалуй, больше, чем у любого другого самолёта компании Eagle Dynamics. Наша цель - завершить все анонсированные функции для F-16C до конца 2023 года. В январском обновлении самолёт получит тормозной гак и рукоятку аварийного выпуска шасси. До конца года мы планируем сделать: Улучшенный приёмник RWR. В этом году ALR-56M получит значительные улучшения, которые будут лучше соответствовать его реальному аналогу как с точки зрения графической символики, тонов, так и поведения. Завершающим этапом станет включение функции Handoff с возможностью аудио воспроизведения импульсов работы излучающей РЛС. Модель пилотов. После завершения работы над новой моделью пилота "Хорнета", мы сделаем то же самое для "Вайпера". Это будет высокодетализированная модель пилота USAF/ANG F-16, соответствующая 2007 году, с правильной комплектацией и реалистичной анимацией. БРЛС. Будут проведены работы аналогичные Хорнету. Бортовая РЛС станет ещё более правдоподобной по возможностям детектирования и сопровождения контактов. Дата-картридж (DTC) и экранное меню обмена информацией (DTE). DCS: F-16C станет нашим первым самолётным модулем с реализованным функционалам дата-картриджа. Работа будет начата с разработки экранной страницы DTE MPD (ППМ, марк-поинты, линии гео-привязки, точки назначения и целевые точки). Далее будут реализованы остальные элементы DTC/DTE: настройка средств связи, управление АСП, профили применения АСП, и т.д. Взаимодействие внутри звена (Air-to-Air Datalink Assignment). Используя усовершенствованную версию модема IDM для межсамолётного обмена данными игрок может назначать на поражение цели своим ведомым прямо со своего дисплея. Эту работу мы начнём как только закончим с DTC/DTE. Выполнив вышеперечисленные задачи первого приоритета мы переключимся на реализацию: Radar Velocity Search mode – режим поиска по скоростным параметрам цели, Digital Maneuvering Cue (DMC), сброс с кабрирования JDAM/JSOW и индикация, ПКЦ Sniper ATP, буксируемая ложная цель ALE-50. Что-то успеем в 2023 году, что-то позже. Параллельно будет вестись устранение найденных неточностей, сбоев и ошибок. AH-64D Текущие работы Развитие AH-64D в 2022 году шло высокими темпами. Однако это чрезвычайно сложный вертолёт, и для завершения ещё многое чего необходимо сделать. Самыми важными задачами являются внедрение ракеты AGM-114L Hellfire с радиолокационным наведением и завершение работ над усовершенствованным модемом передачи данных (IDM), который позволит вертолётам обмениваться данными о своем местоположении и целях. Параллельно с этими двумя важными задачами в 2023 году мы также работаем над следующим: Улучшением лётной модели и системы автоматического управления (SCAS). По сравнению с ЛА самолётного типа вертолёт это значительно более сложная система как с точки зрения аэродинамических расчётов, так и с точки зрения управления им в полёте. Смоделировать полноценную систему автоматического управления будет нисколько не легче, чем создать саму лётную модель. Мы продолжаем настраивать и тестировать SCAS, чтобы несколько облегчить управление вертолётом по работе с общим шагом винта, компенсации перекрестных связей при работе ручки шага, настраиваем характеристики висения. РЛС управления оружием (FCR). Появление FCR на модификации D, существенно повысило боевую эффективность вертолета по сравнению с базовой версией AH-64A. FCR обеспечивает эффективный поиск, обнаружение, распознавание и наведение оружия на воздушные и наземные цели. FCR для AH-64D – наиболее приоритетная задача среди всего списка. Детектор внешней лазерной подсветки. В дополнение к возможности самостоятельного целеуказания с помощью лазера, вертолёт имеет возможность поиска и работы по лазерной подсветке от других источников, ЛА или JTAC. RWR. Radar Warning Receiver (приёмник СПО) модуля AH-64D может эффективно обнаруживать как радиолокационные излучения, так и пуски ракет противником. Бортовая система AH-64D способна распознавать лазерную подсветку противника и своевременно предупреждать экипаж об опасности. RFI и станция постановки помех. RFI - радиолокационный частотный интерферометр является частью FCR и может определить расположение источника излучения по примерной дальности и азимуту, а станция постановки помех эффективно ему противодействовать. Эта работа вероятнее всего начнется в 2024 году. A-10C II Tank Killer Текущие работы Идут работы над оснащением самолёта обновлённой радиостанцией ARC-210. Работы будут завершены в ближайшее время и обеспечат управление радиостанцией в диапазонах UHF/VHF через UFC (меню UFC -> STAT -> COMM). Эта радиостанция устанавливается на место одной из двух существующих VHF радиостанций. По завершению этой работы мы добавим возможности спутниковой коммуникации во все модули, в которых она доступна. Мы также планируем реализовать DTC и функционал дата-линка (Link-16), аналогично работам на Вайпере и Хорнете. Работа будет проведена только после завершения тех этапов, не ранее конца 2023 года. Позднее мы добавим и модель пилота в кабине. Supercarrier Текущие работы Supercarrier уже получил многое, из того, что вы ещё пока не видели. Проведенные работы можно разделить по следующим направлениям: Комната инструктажа (Ready Room) Пост руководителя полётов (PRIFLY). Они добавят функционал, который ещё никогда не моделировался в DCS. Однако, для окончательного завершения работы необходимо интегрировать API Vulkan в ядро DCS. Обе комнаты будут представлять собой 3-х мерное пространство, с поддержкой VR и голосового чата: Ready Room Здесь вы получаете предполетный инструктаж и принимаете решение на необходимую боевую загрузку самолёта. Используя камеры, вы можете видеть, что делается на палубе и в ангарах. Вы можете разговаривать с другими пилотами (используя Голосовой чат). Уточнять задачу по карте. Слышать весь спектр звуков, которыми наполнен реальный авианосец (работа, катапультных механизмов, грохот садящихся самолётов и многое другое). PRIFLY Видеть всю палубу и кипящую работу на ней. Давать указания на смену курса авианосца по индикатору ветра, виджет которого будет присутствовать на экране. Управлять освещением на палубе. Смотреть посадки через PLAT CAM. Смотреть корабельну карту. Обновленные возможности регулировщиков Мы добавили старших регулировщиков (офицеров – plane captains), членов палубной команды непосредственно ответственных за организацию движения ЛА по палубе. Plane Captain - это первый, кто будет стоять рядом с вашим самолётом, и первый кто решит каким образом направить ваш самолёт на нужную позицию, на палубе. Он по цепочке передает (перенаправляет) ваш самолёт “желтым жилетам”, отвечающим за тот, или иной участок палубы с задачей “провести” самолёт с места запуска и осмотра к месту старта. При посадке, жёлтые жилеты встретят и проводят ваш самолет к месту парковки (или повторному старту). Надеемся, что вы удовлетворены нашим обзором планов на 2023 год, а мы в свою очередь, приложим все усилия, что сделать в 2023м году максимум из возможного. Спасибо!

ALL of our 4th Gen Legacy fighters are amazing platforms, and we are being treated to the Golden Age of mil flight sim by ED right now. However... Almost weekly, I'll come across some YT video of a DCS PvP BFM fight, a real world Hornet driver praising the jet, real world non-Hornet driver praising the jet, etc...when, invariably, someone in the comment section (or in the ole' forums) will say something like the following under an interview with former F-14D Tomcat & F/A-18A Hornet Pilot Mike Vizcarra (below): and other general slams such as: "The Hornet is a lame duck" "The Tomcat is superior in BFM" "The Viper is superior in every way, especially in BFM" "The Eagle is superior in BFM" "The DCS Hornet is overpowered because I lost to it in BFM" etc. etc. It seems to me that the Legacy Hornet (especially the big-engine Charlie) is one of the most misunderstood, underrated dogfighters in the world. For those who are interested, I thought I'd drop you a bunch of (mostly) time-stamped links to various real world F-15C, F-15E, F-14A/D, F-16C T-bird, and Legacy Hornet crew praising the Legacy Charlie and its WVR performance, and busting some other coffee-table-book-myths about the Legacy Hornet. One thing to note: ALL of the men here have plenty of DACT experience against every 4th Gen USAF/Navy fighters (which of course many of them talk about if you want to watch the whole video). Finally, HUGE shout outs to Mike and Steve at AC Interview and 10 Percent True! If you don't subscribe to either of these guys' online content, you are missing out BIG TIME. Enjoy... Praise for WVR-BFM Performance https://youtu.be/a-gPWlODKCY?si=YHlnvhcH-ZK_g0Ik&t=4642 https://youtu.be/Vz7B_QfF_hw?t=224 https://youtu.be/w877J-B6IXU?t=975 https://youtu.be/APAEykrfUZs?t=1515 https://youtu.be/yDMVhAh7nOQ?t=162 https://youtu.be/yDMVhAh7nOQ?t=401 https://youtu.be/eD9s0Eb6c7U?t=3432 https://youtu.be/y-a-CL8ClX8?t=9 Praise for the Apg-73 from a Mudhen WSO https://youtu.be/eD9s0Eb6c7U?t=3481 https://youtu.be/Q_n78CvQrRY?t=1017

Thanks everyone! A good way to put it is that it's part of a standardization process and a long term investment. Even if we grew by 2x we'd have difficulty executing our roadmap (of which only a part is announced). A holistic approach to being able to juggle the amount of (future) balls is key to maintaining HB quality. It's a bit vague and we'll go into more detail later. Yep! We're expecting it to end up very similar to the F-14 manual.

“Consistent” is not about balance - it just means that the AIM-7E or AIM-9J or whatever will behave the same regardless of the plane that releases it.

Currently R530, mainly EM have many problems in case of capabilities. It was thought to be extremely bad against maneuvering targets, especially fighters. It scored one AA kill in its history AFAIK and currently in DCS, its like slow R73. There are obvious limitations what DCS can do and cant do which have to be taken in count. Most glaring issues currently are its "snap" capabilities right off rail with full pull and its look down shoot down capabilites (iam quite confident it cant be really solved in dcs as long as radar keeps lock in that scenario so i wont get into this). Manual for Australian AF states that After leaving rail, it takes 2.5 seconds before missile gets its full potential in controls, takes atleast 4 secs of flight time to arm and has to achieve certain acceleration to arm. R530EM on Mirage III and F1 is essentialy exactly the same thing and that 2,5 secs unlocking is perfectly fitting for boost stage of that missile which takes 2,5 seconds aswell. None of these things are currently present ingame. To the hell with arming, iam not aware of single missile doing it in DCS but the main culprit here, is its maneuverbility right off rail. Its guidance is unlocked only 0.5 seconds after leaving rail which often leads to missile pulling absurd maneuvers and crossing nose of the plane by only few inches. Iam not aware of missiles API supporting gradual unlocking of "G limits" so some middle ground has to be achieved between unguided and guided flight to simply eliminate those huge issues creating absurdly unrealistic behavior. What i propose is time somewhere between 1.25-2 seconds so its not literally dogfight missile. (cases of it below in clips) https://streamable.com/7korhu https://streamable.com/kqocmy Another visible problem in these clips is, shadowed missile by airframe is leaving rail, it shouldnt be able to see targets returns to be guided. Not to mention target might be even out of missiles gimbal limits while being launched. I dont know if Alignment and lockon time of seeker head can be simulated as described below. Whole R/S530 family is LOBL - Lock on before launch weapon system which means its necessary for seeker to see returns of target. In case of F1, radar produces specific freq to guide R/S530 right during lockon so it shouldnt give launch warning due to LOBL. From F1ED manual

The virtual USS Forrestal's log entry on January 1st, 2023, reads - as is tradition in verse: "We send our thanks to the kind DCS crew, we're now sailing due south 180°, Would it have not been for you to help see us through, We would have been lost in deep waters with freezing degrees. We're set south now, on a warm course to sunnier shores, We no longer dread the upcoming tasks, duties and chores. We sail with a heart full of courage and love, occasionally waving off players, And cheering at 3-wires, as we follow you all beyond, up and above." To state the obvious first: it was incredibly tough choosing a winner. Each team member chose his personal top three, and from this we get the winners, by points. We also selected a 4th and 5th place for honorable mentions, plus one special mention we simply could not pass on. To all of you: thank you! Christmas/ Holiday season is an awesome time, and your screenshots made it even better. The creativity in this community has always amazed us and it is great to see that it is running strong as ever. All of you, who participated, cheered up the Forrestal's crew (and us), and we would like to thank you all for taking the time and submitting your stunning takes on a Festive Forrestal. Those of you who did not make the top 3 this time - it was a close call for sure, all your submissions were great, and we hope you have more luck next time. Thank you! Top honorable mention: YaeSakura - "A Strange Parody of Frosty the Snowman." Without a doubt a labor of love, sprinkled with a pinch of snow, ehem, and certainly sailing in as a top mention higher than a kite. Yae however is part of our team and inner circle and thus he wasn't eligible for points, but ofc couldn't go without mention. The effort and amount of time it must have taken to arrange the crew alone, the angle, the composition, the mood set with the snow, the carrier steaming through the sea like a snow plow, Santa ready to start up - it is simply perfect in many ways and a classic already, one might dare to say. We'd also like to take this opportunity and thank Yae for the many great and remarkable skins he made for us and all the effort he puts into making the Tomcat and thus DCS a bit more visually appealing. Thank you for everything, Yae! Forrestal Crew Remarks: "The Crew assembles on deck for a photo op, while Santa is smoking a last cigar with the plane captain, before firing up Rudolph, the rednosed engine. Two Tomcats fly an overhead pass, capturing the scene. Shortly after the crew breaks up and disperses again, kicking off Holiday Season with loud cheers and returning to their duties, dedicated to help Santa deliver his gifts. A welcome moment of fresh air on deck passes in a whiff, like the last year, and we sail off to new shores. In other news beloved holiday icon Frosty the Snowman was arrested on drug charges and may be facing a court martial. He was caught together with his mate Jim 'Polar' Bear snorting black lines of gun powder in the armory." 1st Place Winner: _BringTheReign_ - "Home - For The Holidays" A true masterpiece in composition, lighting and effect and a powerful display of the beautiful capabilities of DCS. Not much is needed to add the festive touch here. Taken from a clever angle, the lights and waving Santa set us into a Christmas mood at a glimpse. We find ourselves on the carrier in first person view from the pilot's position right away, almost like stumbling into a scene. Yet when viewing it from a distance, we find ourselves as if we're looking through a small window filled with toys, with one of those scenes so often found in toy shops around Christmas, like a kid marvelling at all the trucks and buggies, ships and planes neatly set up around a fictional winter landscape among Christmas trees. And no matter how we look at it, we are and just want to be there at the same time, both in the sim and in the real world. It is a picture that is both simple and multi-layered and one never grows old from looking at it. Better than our words ever could, this picture speaks for itself in a both quiet and welcoming voice. Thank you and Congratulations! Forrestal Crew Remarks: "Victory205 is sitting in the cockpit, prepping the jet for startup, ready to go through the checklists with JESTER. But just before all the action starts and 205 takes off for his Christmas Cap Duty, the CAG stumbles out on Vulture's Row in a Santa costume and waves the crew good-bye! Being away from home during Holidays is hard for everyone, but it needs not much for us to get that Christmas feeling, and everyone is happy to add a bit to it, to change some light bulbs, to put on a costume and to set up a tree in the mess... We sail, so others can enjoy their gifts, this is our gift to them. In our thoughts, we are home, and Santa sails with us." 2nd Place Winner: DonJosh - "Armed Rudolph as Wingman for Santa" Another true masterpiece, this image stands out in many ways that continue to impress us, and would deserve a 1st place, if not coming in 2nd in a run-off after a tie, unfortunately, and only for the reason that there can only be one 1st place. But a true winner it is nonetheless, though not un-ironically leaving the lead to Santa and taking the position as number two, as it suggests itself. What greater honor than to fly wing off of Santa could there be though? Its carefully set tone of colors, its focus, naughty and shiny at the same time, its clarity, its neverending sky losing itself to infinity, the palpable cold air and wet deck and the clear sense of a mission to deliver the most joyful gifts of the year - it all drags us into the scene. It is skillfully balanced between the melancholy and monotony of a cold winter day on deck and the warm and fuzzy feeling of a patch of light blue sky breaking through the clouds and the dark and wet grey giving way to bright and cozy red colors. Like Santa bringing joy into our lives with his gifts, this image is a gift to celebrate Holiday Season and the Forrestal's Crew just could not pass on having it as a wallpaper for all Holidays to come. Thank you and Congratulations! Forrestal Crew Remarks: "On the flight deck, temperature is 24, altimeter is 2424. Clear the port catwalks, now launching aircraft on the waist, stand clear, we got 24 knots, shoot em!" 3rd Place Winner: DonRudi - "Christmas Tree with Candles and Balls" "Oh Forrestal, oh Forrestal, how mighty is your air-wing With Tomcats, Hawkeyes and Vikings, but also Corsairs, Prowlers and Sea Kings Oh Forrestal, oh Forrestal, unleash your mighty air wing" Coming in at a strong 3rd place, this image is a masterful representation of creative deck arrangements, and the Forrestal's Crew absolutely loved the mood it set for them! While we loved all the other great attempts at beautiful deck arrangements, this Christmas Tree stands out in its liveliness, using a historic representation of an air wing while carefully setting mood and tone with a selection of Christmas colors and fitting equipment and personnel. It misses nothing, from balls to candles to fir needles to a strong stem made out of Tomcats and branches of the remaining airwing. Well, it maybe misses one thing: the presents. But that is alright, because this constellation is a gift in itself, and the crew absolutely appreciated the festive distraction from their day to day duties during the Holidays. And if one looks closely, Felix is bringing gifts anyway, so no one has to miss out... Thank you and Congratulations! Forrestal Crew Remarks: "Oh DonRudi, oh DonRudi, You showed our mighty air-wing, With Corsairs, Prowlers and Sea Kings, But also Tomcats, Hawkeyes and Vikings, Oh DonRudi, oh DonRudi, We find your image is striking!" 4th place honorable mention: Tomcatter87 - "Felix 200, sporting a special christmas paintjob, lighting the candles we all love the most to welcome a most distinguished visitor." "Fly, fly Tomcat Out of all the fighters you know you are the mastermind Fly, fly Tomcat, Hornet ain't too far behind Fly, fly Tomcat, Snort's gotta make it to town Snort, make him hurry, tell him he can take the runway down Fly, fly Tomcat 'cause I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round." In a very close 4th place, we would still like to mention this picture. Flying through snow, escorting a most distinguished visitor, the wind whipping down the deck, the freezing grasp of winter in northern waters, the crew assembles on deck to pay their respects to the most senior pilot around. We absolutely love this picture and so does the Forrestal's crew, giving it a distinguished position on the wall of the ready room. The hurling snow, the cold waters and the harsh conditions we do not mind when looking at it, as they bring back those memories of white Christmas days, with a snow blanket covering earth for a short time in the year. To mention is that here, too, a historic deck composition is to be seen and Felix is carrying gifts for everyone. Thank you! Forrestal Crew Remarks: "To serve it takes a Tomcatter's guts! Even for Christmas we stand, what the heck, Our watch on an icy and snowy deck, Literally freezing off our butts!" 5th place honorable mention: RevampedGrunt - "Joy Bringer 1-1 set for launch" Last but not least we would also like to mention Operation Joy Bringer coming in at 5th place. We could not see past the effort put into the image, from the lights decorating the Island, the shooter wearing a Christmas hat, to Santa's catapult being operated in ice-sled mode to the charming, slightly glowing Christmas Tree, the forest in the back and the snow falling all around, just like we'd all hope for for Christmas! It is almost like a painting and spreads that warm Christmas mood that by now has left us already again. But we like to preserve it a bit longer, and looking at this picture certainly helps us to stay in it just a little longer still. Thank you! Forrestal Crew Remarks: "It was our busiest Christmas yet. The deck was completely packed, but there he was, pilot of all pilots, a shining beacon of light, a source of warmth and coziness, lining up on Cat 1 with his magnificient slay. Operation Joy Bringer kept us from home, yet we take pride in delivering the joy year after year. May it reach you all, in your homes, with your loved ones, now and forever." ---------- 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners please expect a PM from me beginning of next week. Congratulations again! ---------- Winner gets: 1. Place: A lifetime supply of free Heatblur DCS modules, past, present and future. You get two copies of each module we release as long as you (and us and DCS) live, including existing and future modules, by Heatblur Simulations for DCS. 2. Place: Two copies of the upcoming DCS: F-4 Phantom by Heatblur Simulations (or two existing modules by Heatblur Simulations of your choice). 3. Place: One copy of your choice between the DCS: Viggen, DCS: Tomcat and DCS: Phantom by Heatblur Simulations. Everybody else: a place in our hearts and a warm thank you from the Forrestal's crew. --------- Congratulations and a big thank you also to everyone who participated. Believe us if we say: not choosing you was incredibly tough. We absolutely loved all your entries and could not be more proud to witness your creativity and efforts. You absolutely made our Christmas a lot more festive! Thank you! We also wish you more luck next time, and hope to have you all again for the next one! The Heatblur Team To check out all original entries please visit this thread: https://forum.dcs.world/topic/315412-the-2022-festive-forrestal-screenshot-competition-deadline-extended-till-jan-8th-2400zulu/

Congrats to the winners!

Hi all, Just want to share one of my projects: 3D printable M2000 stick with electronic part suitable for simulation (interface for TM thread) The dimensions are very close to the real thing (except the AP lever that does not there ). Use with very simple commercial micro-switches and toggles. You can get it here: https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/hobby-diy/other/mirage-2000-stick-for-simulation-with-all-buttons-and-switches

More work... a silver lining... most riveting is done. Canopy and few small things missing. Added the external power supply and flare chute. Started working on the control surfaces with their taped appearances. MG hood has skewed UVWs so i have to omit the horizontal lines on it.. same with the welding lines on the supercharger scoop... *onecanthavenicethings...*

ED Screenshots

Dear All, The Heatblur Simulations team and our wonderful partners at TrueGrit would like to wish you a successful and joyful 2023! Have a great new year, full of joy, great times and awesome sim experiences. 2023 is a big year for Heatblur, and we’re grateful that you’re along for the ride. It’s going to be a great one! We’ve just wrapped up a very tough 2022. From a personal standpoint for many of our team, with personal tragedies and the invasion of Ukraine taking its toll on us and our timelines. Despite this, we look back at 2022 with pride. We’ve seen tremendous growth in capability and size, forged new partnerships and shipped features and improvements throughout the year. While still playing catch-up; we’re right back on track on finishing the first of our next generation of high fidelity simulation experiences, starting with the F-4E Phantom II and leading towards the Eurofighter Typhoon. While we missed our mark on the F-4E Phantom for a 2022 release; we’re now very close to full completion of all major elements: flight model, radar, weapons systems, and other key major systems- and even ancillary content as another full length Meteor album! You’ve seen a sneak-peek in the 2023 and beyond video, and we can’t wait to fully unveil the aircraft that we’ve built over the past two years. For the Phantom- and all of our new products- we’ve invested heavily into building our next generation platform and framework. This enables faster future development, intrinsic multithreading, more dependable multicrew synchronization, far less of a maintenance burden, and new standardized features such as wear & tear, aircraft persistence, mass dynamics, and far more. In addition to this; we’ve also had our sights on JESTER v2, a complete rewrite of the JESTER AI system which will enable faster AI development and developer ease of use for integration in future aircraft such as the A-6. On the Eurofighter front, we continue to lay the foundations of this module through application of our next generation framework. Soon, the majority of the work will remain in high level parts: radar, weapons systems, displays and flight control systems- all leaning and benefitting from the completed next generation core. As an incredibly complex aircraft and project, the Eurofighter will be a litmus test for our team to ensure quality and accuracy while avoiding excessive technical debt. These considerations are key for a project of this scope and size, as we strive to minimize maintenance burden and excessive sustainment resources. You should expect to see much more Eurofighter development progress in 2023 as we begin to approach an early access release and feature completion level. We also look towards 2023 with continued love for the Viggen and Tomcat. We capped off the year with another major Viggen patch, and now set our sights on another round of additions to both products. We’re working hard to get on target on the early F-14A, which remains the largest piece of the F-14 yet undelivered, among of course other outstanding and promised features, such as TARPS or FORGE. Further Viggen improvements are slated for the early part of this year as we continue product sustainment. It’s time to get rid of those Early Access tags and square these aircraft away. Quality, consistency and pushing boundaries are our top priorities, and we’re as excited as ever for all that we’ve been cooking. Stay tuned for the full Phantom unveiling and for other exciting announcements with new partners and beyond. Thank you all once again for your dedicated support and passion. That’s what drives and motivates us, and we’ll make sure your faith is well placed with each upcoming release. Sincerely, Team Heatblur

@The_Fragger @Zeus67 @Prowler111 @myHelljumper Brief historical summary July 2015: Polychop-Simulations officially obtains the Third Party license for the development of SA-342M Gazelle and BO-105 PAH1A1. April 2017: Polychop Simulations and The_Fragger announce that their development path separates: MilTech-5 is born and will independently develop the BO-105 PAH1A1. January 2020: MilTech-5 and RAZBAM announce an agreement to advance the development of the BO-105 PAH1A1. January 2023: In response to a comment on the official MilTech-5 FB page, The_Fragger replies "We are waiting for the coder -> last contact was June. He applied for a new job...since then -> no response". Is the agreement with RAZBAM still in place (a recent podcast with RAZBAM mentioned three helicopters in development but it's not clear if the BO-105 is included)? Is the recruitment of the new developer in June 2022 part of the collaboration with RAZBAM? Many screenshots are posted that highlight the development and updating of the graphic assets (and this is good) but considering that we have entered the eighth year of development since the original announcement, it is possible to officially know the current and concrete state of development of the module BO-105 PAH1A1 at present? Will there be an official report dedicated to the BO-105 PAH1A1 in the upcoming Eagle Dynamics NL dedicated to Third Parties? Thanks in advance for any response you may have! Bye Phant

NASA did.

Congratulations for the winners! About 1st place - I didn't notice the Santa on the bridge before

Wow! Thank you so much @IronMikeand all at HB , I truly did not expect this - I am speechless Congrats to 1st and 2nd place!

I recently got the Thrustmaster warthog hotas and so far it does everything I've been doing before without keyboard modifiers. I'm aware there are some who think it's not a good hotas, but it works for me and I like it. Again I'm no expert just sharing my personal experience because I like this aircraft. 80 buttons may be possible but honestly I don't need that many for the weapons I prefer to use. And now I rarely if ever use the keyboard once in the air.

There is not much to see on the tail, except that you can now make out screws and rivets, so the differences lay in the details. You can see the new canopy scratches, an actual textured pitot tube, rivets on the front canopy frame, sealant around the canopy and AIFF as well as RWR antennas.

Update 1-14-23 ED changed the blending mode so the waypoints got darker too. Fixed. The default map overlay was useless to me because of its format. Made waypoint marker and names smaller. Centered the waypoint numbers in the circles. Darkened the background map. Adjustments Waypoint color can be changed by line 6 in definitions.lua. Darkness of background map can be adjusted by line 78 in map_page.lua INSTALL: Extract to main DCS install path or use Mod Manager. Does not pass IC. DOWNLOAD ********************************************************************************************** OPTIONAL Below are sharper raster maps. They improve readability of both Kneeboard and TAD maps. I only ran the files through sharpen filter. Image sizes are not changed. Caucasus (1.6GB) Mariana Islands (1.2GB) Persian Gulf (0.7GB) Syria (0.6GB) INSTALL: Extract to main DCS install path or use Mod Manager. Does not pass IC.

The 3d model of the Mirage F1CE is very detailed and beautiful. But for multiplayer servers it can be quite heavy when there are multiple Mirage F1s close by because, at the moment, DCS multiplayer is very hard on CPUs when dealing with high object counts & shadows enabled. The F1CE LOD transitions at 50m and 100m still use the LOD0 model. Are the Mirage-F101/02 files going to be replaced with lighter models when there is time?

The MiG-21 currently only uses a LOD0 model. It has a .lods file describing transitions but they all reference the LOD0 model and the LOD0 model has no embedded transform nodes. While the model is not the heaviest in DCS, in a multiplayer environment near a busy airfield, a few MiG-21s can add up to a lot of objects and triangles very quickly, putting an unnecessary load on the player's CPU & GPU, particularly with shadows enabled. Also, due to how the camera seems to work in DCS, zooming in can cause the 3D model to begin rendering at longer distances. I did a search in this forum for the term "lod" and saw references to different LOD levels in the past, so possibly they did exist once and have been omitted along the way. Attached are two in-game screenshots showing 10 MiG-21s taking off at Senaki airbase, at close range and 6km away, with similar object counts in both scenes. I hope you can find the time to add the lower detail LODs as it would be a great help to the multiplayer community, especially the Cold War servers.

The Phoenix missile is a very deadly missile. The 6 on 6 test proved to be very accurate, and those were the very early 54a model. Then again we can refer to the Iran-Iraq war, where the Iranians had tons of kills from the Phoenix missile. They proved to be very accurate and deadly against Iraqi fighters. The Phoenix is believed to be designed for Bomber size targets, at least I hear that a lot. Although this was one of the primary threats, they were not designed strictly for this purpose. The were also design to intercept ICBM's flying super sonic and cruise missiles that fly very close to the ground. The cold war threat were Russian bombers, but was mostly Nuclear weapons, i.e ICBMs. The phoenix has been proving to track targets at very high altitudes and right down to 50 ft off the ground. They were very hard to jam, especially the 54c models. One reason why when an enemy fighter received an alert that they were being tracked or locked by a Tomcat, they turned around and left. They knew how deadly the Tomcat/Phoenix combo was. Check out this video and see what you think.....

Hello Patricio, Thanks a lot for a great Mod, I tried it today after all the hoopla regarding the animated crew, to see what was all the fuss about ... it was a surprise to see what a high quality objects pack this is, thanks a lot for taking the time to create them. To have an easier time when editing missions, I prepared this illustrated Catalog, hopefully it will help others as well: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ai6cuX3YQI26icFn6j8PIisFKSN4CA?e=vjqFco Best regards and thanks again, Eduardo

Yes, Buddy Tanker has been working for a long, long time now.

Hi we already have a open report for yaw with asymmetric loadouts thank you

Hey all! Name's Will. I'm new around the forum, but I've been playing DCS ever since the A-10C and Black Shark modules were standalone. I'm mostly singleplayer only, but am hoping to start branching out into online pretty soon. I'm currently working on building an A-10 cockpit, which has taken the better part of 2 years to (mostly) complete, and I promised myself that I wouldn't fly again until it's finished. So, being that it's taken so long, I'm fairly rusty. Luckily, the muscle memory is starting to come back. As far as IRL goes, my day job is a Firefighter for the USAF, currently stationed in the frozen north that is Minot, ND. I'm in the process of obtaining my private pilot license, but have taken a brief break for the holiday to let the wallet recover. Anyways, it's nice to meet y'all, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in the virtual skies!

Hi, I have created a full cockpit of f14 Both Rio and Pilot, have modified the lua file as the currently available one causes crash of streamdeck plugin. should I post it here or create a new topic? p.s. when I am saying everything. I mean every single panel, switch and knob available, with my updated lua there are no more flashing numbers or text

I'm very glad to see the comments from the crew. I look forward to future chances to try something creative, and to really get into creating something out of the amazing visuals from DCS and Heatblur's modules.

https://echo19audio.gumroad.com/l/superhornet

Большое спасибо, РОШ дошел без приключений, всем рекомендую, получится однозначно дешевле, чем через магазин.

Cheers guys. I´m lookin to finish the panel and riveting work this weekend. It wont be perfect due to obvious limitations the template provides... but i think the result will be nicer. And i also wanna move on since its quite tiresome. The Dora kinda lacks good documentation in that respect and i have to do a lot of research only to find that i have to work with cutbacks cause the template (model) does not fit, or vice versa. I´ve already tried to crank up the brightness/contrast levels to use that texture as a chipping mask for worn edges similar to what crazybump would generate from a normal map. results look promising! Will have to alter the diffuse according to the panel work but that was forseable hence ive done only minimal work in that field. Still havent touched any of the interour and fuselage, gear wells etc.. but thatll be a step after ive done the exterior shell. Small Update: Finished the taping of the contro surfaces. Will have to redo the cloth structure as it was too coarse previously, makin it look like a haversack. Added the base of the antenna, added hinges and fixed various areas. Unfortunately we´ll have to live without welding seams on the supercharger scoop.. Also, ive fixed the rivetin pattern on the flaps. Pretty nifty what one can find on ebay as ref.

Updated version available here https://www.476vfightergroup.com/content.php?381-shared-publications

null These are all aircraft I worked on.

It's always RGBA. You don't want to change the Alpha but RGB. You may want to re-download as I updated the file. ED changed the blending mode so the waypoints got darker too. Fixed.

Its a more accurate way for aircraft to match up their engines power output. ITT is a better comparison of the amount of thrust the engine is producing. No two engines are tuned exactly the same so two engines at 98% RPM could be producing a slightly different amount of thrust. Two aircraft at 750 ITT will be producing a very similar amount of thrust. Generally engine cruise settings are set as a function of fuel flow not ITT. By setting a fuel flow every aircraft is burning gas at the same rate so its easy math for everyone involved and someone isn't bingoing out earlier than everyone else. ITT is used for something like an instrument trail departure where it's critical that aircraft keep consistent distance behind eachother as they are flying instrument procedures. Like Ready said, if everyone climbs at a set airspeed and ITT you cannot possibly catch up to the guy in front of you if you are flying the same ground track you should be a pretty much set distance and altitude behind the guy in front of you. Also "best" cruise airspeed is a bit subjective. If a pilot really wants to gnats ass the cruise setting they'd want to use long range cruise in most cases, unless fuel or time they can stay airborne is an overriding factor. Long range cruise is faster and burns more gas than the max range cruise indicated on your AOA guage. but it gets you to your destination a lot faster for reasonably small increase in fuel consumption. That is calculated with a lot of variables. Weight, altitude, air temperature, etc... and it's something you have to mission plan prior or look up through a spaghetti chart in the dash-1, which means fighter pilots are probably going to resort to a rule of thumb. From everything I've read, at higher altitudes (>20K) the fuel flow setting for long range cruise is pretty close to where max power is, so if the wingman is able to hang on, I'd just fly at max power.

It won't matter what the Dynamic Campaign looks like if the Combined Arms pathfinding and unit control is still completely borked....and right now the RTS aspect of combined arms is not good.

That's a big part of the fun for me. And it absolutely is flying. It's learning how to get better and better with the plane. I don't see the value/fun starting only at proficiency. I have a great time figuring out how to do things in different ways in my own ME missions with different weapons and systems. Some of the best fun I've had in DCS was not in being proficient, but in learning to be proficient. That first glorious "F*** yeah!" when you figure out how to pull off some high-tech evil and get that big well placed "KABOOM!" as a reward.

In the real jet pac-1 engages as long as you are holding the trigger in the first detent and goes to pac-2 when you pull the trigger. I’ve only ever played DCS with the warthog HOTAS so I’m not sure about your pac question. I’d guess you have to hold it. don’t trim while you are shooting As far as the mechanics of shooting, try this… use the CCIP gun cross if you are at 5k and have hmcs fly at a 45-60 degree angle off of the the target and watch the target in your hmcs monocle. If you fly straight and level and watch the target through your hmcs you should see it start to slowly fall down the hmcs pitch ladders. As soon as the target is approaching 20 degrees nose low push the throttles to max roll to point the top of your head at the target and start a steady tone pull toward the target. As the target enters your HUD roll out and put the gun cross right below the target. As you get closer the cross will slowly move up to the target. When the cross is on the target engage pac-1. If you like your aim point squeeze the trigger and hold it for as long as it takes you to say “die-rat-bastard-die” if you did it right the tank should die. I have more success if I wait til I’m around a mile ish to shoot. Why 20 degrees? I think it’s an easy angle to shoot and more importantly It gives you something to make your guns passes more mechanical and repeatable which is good while you’re learning. You can try and make your gun roll ins look the same if you have some idea of what parameters you want to use. That way after every pass you can think of what you did and how to fix it. And then put yourself in the same position you were last time to try and improve. Also if 20 degrees at 5k has you making a very rushed close in shot then bump up your altitude by 1000k and try again

Feel for you there. That is such a common experience. No point going crazy and spending silly money on stuff... but it sure is worth remembering quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

Swedish Skin inbound !

Also, for OP @NoodI, a full, comprehensive list of everything I know for A2G and A2A that was ever put on a USAF F-4E at any point: Air to Air Missiles Iron Bombs Guided Munitions Cluster Munitions Napalm and other incendiaries Rockets Anti-Radiation Missiles Special Munitions Targeting Pods Gun Pods ECM Pods & Countermeasure Dispensers Fuel Tanks Conclusions Thanks to being as big as a flying fortress and being pretty tall, if it could attach to a NATO standard hardpoint, it could probably be strapped on somehow to an F-4E. The Israelis, Greeks, Turks and South Koreans put some funky new weapons on their F-4Es. The F-4EJ and EJ Kai do not exist because I said so, and I am the Most Trustworthy Source In The World (real). F-4Es in Iran carry funky Iranian weaponry like M117s mounted on MIM-23 HAWK and AIM-54 PHOENIX booster assemblies, funky laser-guided rocket bombs and even AGM-65 Maverick/GBU-12 Paveway seeker heads mounted on HAWK/Phoenix boosters. Allegedly capable of carrying Soviet weaponry but I've yet to see anything proving that to be the case. From what I know nobody and certainly no multi-billion-dollar-net-worth corporation has yet developed a toilet, dog, or any other unusual, funny and quirky Comedic Ordnance to be dropped from an F-4, apart from aforementioned Leaflet bomb allegedly filled with toilet paper. I have added notes and comedic weapons/ordnance as I am a bored individual.

Hello, In addition to what @Chunk has posted (which is a quick way of getting what you want done), any time you are on the POSITION, STEER, or WAYPOINT pages, there is an IAS readout which can be toggled between the default Indicated Air Speed (IAS), True Air Speed (TAS), and Ground Speed (GS). You can also change this on the HUD, if desired, by setting the IFFCC switch into Test mode, selecting Display Modes from the menu, and changing the speed readout setting.

I really believe that Typhoon will only be released towards the end of 2024.

Hello all, I have been following development for a long time now and can’t wait to see this in game. I would love to see: -AI air to air buddy tanker/refueling -Player controlled air to air buddy tanking/refueling Player controlled would open up so many possibilities for multiplayer. Acting as the trick or treat tanker, helping guys struggling back from a long mission etc. It was mentioned this will be coming later to the C-130 module so I really hope that knowledge is past on to you guys too. Keep at it!

Well, I suppose "something being in the pipeline" is a broad concept But honestly, I missed that news/message. To bad, I was hoping they'd at least started looking into it.

Hey guys, this is reported internally and already some tweaks and fixes being checked, I will leave this open for any more data and examples as well as for when fixes come through. Edit: looks like we are testing a new option to turn off flat shadow softening.