tflash

Well, I'm not so sure: we are having a lot of fun "flying" aircraft from our comfy seats at home, don't we? And we are not even flying over a real terrain. Add to that that most flying on F-22 and F-35 is already in the simulator!

I guess the F-35 will be a capability in its own right long before it can effectively take over the role of current aircraft like A-10. Don't forget the A-10 is capable of a different way of doing CAS than other 4th gen aircraft, that fly faster and are less time overhead (Mirage 2000 eg needs a 3 mile circle pattern to be able to stay aloft over the target zone). Before one has developped good CAS procedures with a fifth gen aircraft that engages from much higher altitudes with visor targetting (still completely immatre), it will take a decade or more (if gestation time of F-16, Typhoon, Rafale are an indication). I'm not sure what the F-35 will be operationally capable of in 2020, but it will certainly not be CAS and even not SEAD. I guess it will be limited QRA and first-day-of-conflict strike. It is much more likely that by then UAV remote piloting tech and sensor situational awareness will have evolved in such a way that a follow-on predator can do the A-10's job, however with certainly less payload.

My guess is stardate -310832.87

Are you guys really wanna sell us F-35 as an A-10 replacement? I don't buy it! On the other hand it is unsurprising that A-10 squadrons are decommissioned now that the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down. It just makes for a whole lot of sorties less to generate, just make the math and you will find that you have many airframes in excess. It is only logical that they would prefer to retain more multi-mission aircraft such as the F-16 in readiness, they are going to upgrade about 200 of them to cope with the F-35 delays.

But it is also important for the correct targeting and fuzing of a laser-guided munition, no?

Or maybe 3D overlay the images that come from different networked sensors? Would be very helpful to get precise geolocation data for exact height etc.

But that could more easily be provided: I guess indeed that would be a most welcome addition: a nice, detailed map that you could use to study the mission. Can be a PDF or something which youthen would use outside the game, or indeed a browsable kneeboard.

Thanks for the info, I will certainly try these out!

I think the logic is very sound: DCS is an environment where you can model air combat. Arguably, the P-51D has seen more combat than many of the aircraft currently modelled. It is a sensible what-if scenario to fly and fight with an accurately modelled P-51D in DCS, just as flying the A-10C or Ka-50 in combat over the Caucasus is a sensible what-if scenario. And then again: let's wait and try it out?

Imho there are more P-51's flying today than there are Su-25T's. So there really is nothing unrealistic about modelling a P-51D for DCS.

Is the A2A Spitfire for FSX good? I have the RealAir one, and wonder whether it is worth to fly the A2A version?

I'm totally into the female JTAC! I already imagine trying to dial in her phone number as an UTM grid code :D We would need other JTAC names too, then, such as "Lady Gaga", "Catwoman", "Bamby", "Ice Queen", "Cinderella" or so ...

Hog, don't get me wrong: as I said I think the Mustang is a very nice addition, and I would completely agree with you about its merits!

Sorry, but the whole idea of having a WW2 map in the DCS series totally escapes me. I sure do hope we are not on the way to a WW2 sim, I have no intentions to end up between the IL-2 crowd to meet my son and his online buddies. I might as well start to read the CloD forums! I thought that DCS was about accurately modelling combat aircraft. The P-51D will be a very nice addition, moddeling aspects of flight currently not addressed in the series. Not that I would mind if creative mission designers added such scenario's or made dedicated server to it; just to make clear I can have a genuine interest in DCS:Mustang without the WW2 or Korea link.

As I understood it, it is about simulating to fly a P-51D in combat today. It is as if you would have restored an original P-51D, not just for fying displays at an airshow, but with its full military capabilty. But we are still flying it today in a moderrn-day environment. That's why I would find it logical to add an optional portable GPS or digital (evt. moving) map. And of course I would expect a modern day UHF/VHF radio set. I just simply cannot imagine flying a P-51D today without these simple, cheap and readily available tools. That doesn't mean it can be fun to navigate the old way, as we do all the time with the vanilla Su-25 in Lockon. But imho this is not meant as a WW2 simlator, but I could be wrong.

Now that was an easy poll! Phantom Phorever!!!

Laser guided rockets are long overdue on the battlefield imho! Seems the logical thing to do!

They are waiting until it is a heritage aircraft :D

I already found a shovel in the garden that could serve as a yoke! Saves me 400 $ on a Hotas Warthog :D

Anyways the P-51D has the better whistle!

I remember in the beginning of Flaming cliffs we got performance charts comparing the turn performance of A-10A and Su-25. I wonder about the performance comparison between A-10C and P-51. Wikpedia gives them about the same speed, but I bet the Hog can't keep up with this noble horse? And turn performance? I feel some incredible dogfights are in the making ...

I must say I do like the idea of flying mixed missions online between A-10C and P-51D. Must be really awesome and gives a true COIN feeling. The A-10C can communicate to the jtack, use its sensors to identify targets and talk the P-51D in. I also think the WP rocket will become important. I'm unsure about night ops, since I guess the P-51D cockpit will not be NVG compatible? I still would advocate a small GPS receiver to be mounted in the P-51 to simplify navigation. A 600 $ GPSMAP 196 would be the first thing I would buy if I were planning to fly a warbird for an extended period of time.

DCS-51D isn't out yet and we are already starting to learn new technical details about aviation, as it has been the case with Ka-50 and A-10C! There is more logic to it than meets the eye! :thumbup:

Brilliant vid, you got me on board I guess!

Ok, but any seasoned salesman knows that when people start whining, they are in fact considering to buy! :=)