Avimimus

Interesting! I wanted the PKM positions... just for more of a 'gunship' feel against trucks and infantry... where they do have some suppression value at least. I recall seeing video of a mercenary hind having both gun windows occupied (rather than having someone switch between the two). On the other hand, it would be nice to also have the option to remove passenger compartment armour... as that was often done.

There is something really magical about releasing your single centre-line mounted R.511 or R.530 directly behind a bomber and watching it slowly accelerate towards the target! It isn't like the experience of releasing any other missile. Your missile is short-range, immaneuverable, with a very weak seeker - and you only have the one shot... and somehow it is magic (in a way the R.550 is not) ;)

I appreciate how your list has a number of things that'd make our life harder. Having to manually correct in low-contrast environments (basically going SACLOS) would be exciting!

Not for diagnostic purposes... just to see it, right?

Any citations for this? Are you saying that the Mi-24 would have been used more offensively than the Ka-50? Or are you saying that the helicopter doctrine had shifted to be less offensive between the 1970s and 1990s? I was under the impression that the Mi-24 was intended to stick fairly closely to the army units and provide mobile support, with some ability to mop-up remaining enemy tanks or air-defenses (if they were unlucky enough to encounter them). The big exception might be supporting airborne units behind enemy lines (where they could provided support/escort for the resupply helicopters and units)... but my info is largely hearsay. It'd be really interesting if any documents have been declassified. Yellowgixxer quote of Dr Mikheyev is extremely interesting because it is potentially more than speculation (or NATO assumptions).

Can't disagree with that!

It'd be great if they added an ability to adjust cluster bomb settings... even doing so in the mission editor or with a bindable key... as modelling improves in other areas it is good to ensure that these aircraft keep up.

Thanks! I didn't see mention of the safety covers in the guides - and lifting them made all the difference!

I've followed the guide and I can't get weapons to release. - The trigger appears to work (the gun sight reacts to pulling the trigger). - The weapons show as armed (master arm switch on, hard-point selected, avionics set to 'roc' for rockets or a bomb setting for bombs)... - No error light on the upper-right hand panel (and showing 'r' or 'b')... Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I can't fire rockets or guns (or release bombs).

I'd honestly prioritise getting a better modelling of warhead fragmentation... and after that being able to load only four or eight Vikhrs to save weight... but I admit that guided rockets would make BS3 more attractive to a lot of people.

Don't panic? https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4255831&postcount=34

Thanks for these posts

According to Spectre11's posts it sounds like we could get quite a bit less... From my reading: Aim-9L, AMRAAM... seem very likely Bk-27 cannon seems likely (Block 5/2007) IRST is less certain but likely (Block 2/2005), same goes for ASRAAM (Block 5/2007) Avionics might support unguided bombs and rockets (but they seem unlikely to be included) Guided bombs seem questionable (SRP 4.2/PSC 3.2/2008 or P3eb/2020) Brimstone seems very unlikely (P3Ea/2014) Meteor seems less likely (P2Eb/2018 ) As for the anti-radiation, anti-ship, cruise missiles... I have no idea... So temper your hopes... or ask for them to do a hypothetical version based on what the plans were back in 1990 before the Cold War ended and funding was cut off... and some less accurate systems to get around the classified nature of post-2010 variants.

Honestly, given that the closest Soviet fighters are FC3 Mig-29S and Su-27/33... it'd be nice to have capabilities close to what was planned for service entry if the Cold War hadn't ended... an end-of-90s version (but with more complete avionics in some areas than the early production Eurofighters actually ended up getting). That is what has my vote.

Maybe they'll program the avionics in such a way that it'll be easy to mod in such weapons (or they'll be included even though they aren't cleared). I'll admit to some EF2000 sentimentality... :D I'm not sure I'll be 100% satisfied if there isn't some 8bit techno playing and a Norway map... ;) Still though, it'll be nice to have the plane again.

Sadly, the lack of unguided munitions (i.e. EF2000 as envisioned entering service at the end of the 1990s) probably means that I won't get it until after I know if these can be modded in. It is strange - but I've never really enjoyed lasing a target as much as I enjoy the use of unguided munitions. I'm an obsolete creature myself apparently. This is sad because it is no fault of the module makers (who will likely make every effort to build a realistic aircraft without such obsolete systems). Thanks for the reply though - it'll help me temper my expectations - and if I really want the CRV-7 I can always boot up an old copy of EF-2000 (although the rockets lack any modelling of dispersion etc.)

Very interesting - thank you. It sounds like we'll be luck to get cannon and laser guided bombs in the air-to-ground department... with things like the brimstone being very unlikely...? I'm also a bit surprised to see that unguided bombs were a late addition (for the export models). In the 1990s it was assumed that the Eurofighter would carry unguided bombs and unguided rockets... but I suppose that delays in production meant that we'd switched over almost entirely to guided weapons by the time it came into service? Were any unguided rockets actually cleared for use on it?

I rather hope we get CRV-7 rockets (would be great for Canadian CF-18\CF-188 too)

I'd be fine with some simplification if it meant more air to ground systems being included (i.e. lower detail allowing leaving out the classified bits)

I do wish that they'd include the CRV-7 rockets for the F/A-18... it might not be used in service, but they are cleared for use - and the Canadian CF-188s/CF-18s carry them... it'd be nice to give Canadians the option of having our own stores (as we are too small a country to actually get our own version i.e. things like the additional light on our aircraft will not be modelled).

Thank you! Helicopter engineering is not the first or easiest field that one learns about! So your thoughts/summary is appreciated :)

It might be the latest full fidelity model (depending on what information is considered too classified). Of course, that makes the Mig-23 even more desirable.

I'm curious - what is the first variant of the Mig-23 that had a fire control system allowing it to mix IR and SAR missiles in its loadout (apparently the early ones could only carry either 2xR-23T or 2xR-23R but not a mix)?

Yeah, I've often wished I could remove e minigun and just fly unarmed (& with the better forward view)... Unbolting the thing would give on an almost civilian variant to fly...!

I'll read anything you post! I'll also take responsibility for my illusions (this time) ;) If you guys fix the stall behaviour of the default AI flight model alone it'll be enough to make me quite happy! Let alone doing an FM from scratch or a cockpit or improving any systems - anything like that is more than I dreamt!