EricJ

By checking the Boeing and other related sites, AESA so far has been used by VFA-213 for testing AFAIK not in the US Navy active combat squadrons yet. Yes VFA-213 is an active squadron but they've been tasked with playing with the new toys... But realistically if the SH did get the AESA for export? who knows how it would compete.... Also, the AESA tested on a Super Hornet allowed it to do a multiple target engagement with JDAMs... so it's not just for AAMs it's useful for, and quite frankly multiple targeting of GPS guided bombs just scares me, so if a country does get AESA, they can do this, provided they get JDAMs as well, and so far it's not likely but then again, the Aussies would more than likely want and get them. http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/fa18ef/news/2006/q2/060418b_nr.html Back on topic though.... it's a shame that they dropped the canards, it looked more lethal that way....

No, as right now Black Shark is in a "feature-freeze", i.e. requests are being reviewed, but not implemented, and nor will they be. The scope you're looking for is way beyond the political viewpoint taken by Black Shark, which in all works, is just country specific, not as extensive as you would like to see. That's the part of scenario building, not country/coalition allocation.

3D Modelling... Texture work... Programming.... anything else that will help get things done, which is why grandsurf, Yeneciri, rockwelder, Mizzy of the SIM-MOD.com group (and me) are "ED Partners" Glowing Amraam is just a great movie maker, see? You have to show some aptitude in a field to where it's worth a shot for them to ask you. Knowin somebody helps... but that's just a hard option since you end up looking like you're just there for a free ride and not willing to spend long hours for free (oh yeah, external testers don't get paid ;)). Mind you... it's not a quick process unless you're a prodigy at something, in which it's been..... seven years? Realistically it's been longer but then again, it's been worth the ride, somewhat anyways.... As far as aircraft knowledge?..... It helps as I've been an Air Force brat so I kinda picked up the airplane bug. However realistically I'm an FSNCO for a light infantry company, which naturally is more ground combat oriented. But combat aircraft and combat flight sims has always been my most extensive hobby so it helps when doing testing. But reading about general aviation news is the way to do it. When I was into Shadowrun (an old role-playing game) I would find topics of interest, print them out and read them to get an understanding, then apply it to the game's mechanics of doing stuff. So I got alot of knowledge on aerodynamics, but the only real airplane I've been in is of course an airliner, so you don't necessarily have to be a real pilot to know about the basics, and overall technology, and current and future trends. Just get involved, improve yourself and remember, it's not a fast process man....

Yeah I'm nowhere near a real pilot, but been flying sims since DID's EF2000 came out, or the first real simulator that will always have a special place in my heart :D And even being a "simple" texture artist takes alot of you too. Depending of course what they want and what you can do. Overall since I've done mainly Flankers, it's a snap doing those. I would say that BS really put some challenge for a couple I did, as I'm used to Russian designed skins. Well the few I did for Crimean Air Wars wasn't any different really, but all the same the Ka-50 textures were fairly easy to a degree. Remember you're going by what they want. Sure if you know what you're doing, it can be a good compromise. There's only a couple I'm not too keen with, but hey that's allright, as most of them I like myself and a couple were challenges for me. So did I do some beta testing? Yeah.... a little bit, mainly obvious stuff, but that wasn't my overall focus and responsibility to do (least in my world view). I've got some ideas that I want to fully exploit that I started before NTC so whether or not they will work out not sure but if you want a hint, the skinwork that everybody did is just beautiful and glad to work with them, as they even made me feel small. And another thing, you gotta be a people person :thumbup:

I'm in a Soapbox mode, so here goes. We'll start with me at 2000-2001, while I was here in Fort Hood the first time, I came upon Flanker 2. I had previous experience with Flanker 1, but not as extensive, since I didn't have a joystick. Fast forward to Flanker 2, I was just a low-bit player by Flanker562. I was fairly active in the forums but never did much. I think I started doing skins and some such to get my name "noticed" because really, the ulterior motive was to be a beta tester. It's just cool to have the goods, but on the other hand, be able to do something worthwhile, so there's also some altruistic motive to it too. Then Ironhand back then got lazy, or in reality, really didn't have time to redo alot of tactics tutorials, so Flanker562 tries to redo it, sends it to Ironhand, and Ironhand says "Good job brother", which opened me up to Flanker 2, since I tried to reproduce in my own way, what he did. So along with my skinwork, and knowledge of the sim, established in the small community as somebody who can do things. So then eventually I feel my oats, knowing that Lock On is in the works. So I start begging, pleading Rich (Ironhand) to get a slot in the sim department... Which in retrospect, due to an Iraq deployment, and the overwhelming prospect of Kovy, and some others who did far better than me, gave me a bad name (I feel) to the guys at ED. So after Iraq.... I futzed around with LOMAC a bit, and eventually moved on to a GRAW beta, and a GRAW2 beta test. Generally, I shot myself in the foot with what I did, was move on and just sort of not do as I expected. Fortunately I still persevered and did alot of skinwork and some help with some projects for LOMAC. Even managed to get a moderator position... and well that's another story best left talked about. After GRAW and GRAW2... was in a lull, did some more LOMAC here and there, got into ArmA slightly, and then DCS: Black shark. I got in with SIM-MOD.com (great bunch of outstanding modders) to work on a good amount of textures for the Ka-50 and some other stuff. Overall point is, that you can't just waltz in and say you want to be a beta tester. Establish yourself as knowing what they're doing. Now even then, me being in the US Army, I can raise my hand, because I'm a Joint Forward Observer. I'm qualified in CAS, CCA, Dropping Laser Guided bombs, AC-130 use, and Naval Gunfire, in addition to regular mortars and artillery use. And I've worked with the Dutch 301 Sqdn here at Fort Hood and with helos at NTC just recently, coordinating Apaches for surveillance missions, and a company defense that involved 4 Kiowas, 1 Apache, and a UH-60 and doing a CASEVAC, and doing strafing runs. While I may be called in for more texture work, that's fine, because I don't fly them technically, I just tell them where to shoot. Other testers, like britgliderpilot, Alfa, AirTito (who is a real pilot in the Bulgarian Airforce?), GGTharos, Ironhand, and I can step in as a qualified pilot as well, though I'm more of a fast jet guy than a helo guy. But either way, we all have vast experience already, and we've worked with them before. So its a long hard road to end up beta testing, as honestly Wags is being fairly too easy in my opinion but I don't call the shots. So in short, find a niche, exploit it, expand it, and get noticed for what you can do, and they may ask you, or may get recommended. Hell I recommended a guy based on his 3D modelling skills. But he's got other stuff going on and again, it's not my call ;)

Go to Lockonfiles.com, and download Crimean Air Wars. That's not a "steel" skin, that's more of a Dark Compass Ghost Gray scheme, which BTW is my old personal scheme for the Su-33.

Oh true WoE could never really stack up against LOMAC, but then again I don't need to rewrite the code for an airplane addon (see below). WoI can work on Vista, read here: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=25758

Happy Birthday!

Well to be honest with you it's like while Europeans as a whole imply more than they say, sometimes broken English doesn't help in that regards.

Well Matt just got back with me saying there will be an official list, just that with the work right now, it'll be some time (no idea he didn't say) before they officially release a list.

The damage model for the Ka-50 is so far the best, but then again, you have to realize it may be more abstract for AI choppers. There's alot going on that even most people don't realize with the complexity that Eagle Dynamics forces into the engine, and that complexity is an indication why it's taking so long. Poko24, right now I can safely say that they are working on newer, much better models for BS. I'll ask Wags if I can do up a list but rest assured it's going to be better :thumbup:

As far as?

Hehe well yeah it's good thing I do know what's a male and a female..... :thumbsup: And belatedly thanks JEFX for the nod, but then again it's the community, not always the artist that helps out ;)

Well I think being a mom covers the gender issue, just never really paid that much attention, obviously :)

Just a note, Mizzy is a dude not a female :thumbup:

Then it'd suck fo sho!

Note that the AGM-65E and GBU- series can be used as well. Matter of fact most laser guided weapons can probably be added without any problem.

Who's to say they can't get it?

Yeah tell that to Wags..... anyways wasn't much bout the sim anyways, just more of a short bio of Wags himself. Kinda an eye opener, and should keep gaming conspiracy freaks wasting space on forums with his history.......

Yeah they both do, each model needs to be mapped for texturing :thumbup:

And?

britgliderpilot pretty much summed it up :thumbup:

People don't pay attention to detail brah, same old stuff.

You'd have to make it a tga file for the -R side, and the upper left is where the pylons are mapped, so it's possible. You'll have to edit the .cmd file with a hex editor to "look" for the .tga file, but it may or may not work, I like the Flanker as it is so not sure.

1. Getting ready for deployment. 2. Taking it easy. 3. Preparing to do more skinwork for BS.