Spino

Well the issue there is that I can put basically whatever I want on it, but it has to be implemented in such a way that it can actually be dropped/fired with the F-15's avionics, and that's easier said than done. GBU-57 is about six times the weight of the heaviest bomb ever strapped to an F-15E, the GBU-28, so it's probably far in excess of the weight limits of any single pylon on the F-15. Besides, it might be too out-sized to even fit on the centerline, which is where anything that heavy would have to go. Ground clearance might be an issue. Too heavy for sure though, no F-15 pylon is rated for that.

AMBER could do that, but what would be the point? I don't see much of a point in putting AMBER on a Super Hornet unless the outer wing pylons can support the weight of two AIM-120s. Then maybe it makes sense if you want to, say, carry air to ground stuff on the inner four wing hardpoints but still want 4-5 AIM-120s on board too. That would be one HEAVY Super Hornet though. AMBER is also supposed to carry bombs, but again, I don't see the point when the BRU-33. -42, -55, and -57 already exist and do exactly the same job - carry two bombs where one would otherwise go. It makes sense for the F-15EX since the AIM-120s need to be carried closer together to clear the targeting pods, and also for the F-35 if something big like a JSOW is on the inboard wing pylon and you need two AIM-120s next to it. Not totally sure it's worth it for a Super Hornet though. Outer wing pylon implementation is still WIP, but getting closer. Just missing textures now.null

AMBER is currently not implemented, those are placeholder double AMRAAM rails. The mod will use F-15C avionics for the time being, even with the custom cockpit, though I may make a temporary air to ground variant using A-10A avionics once the custom cockpit is ready. I do hope to release AMBER with the next update, not exactly sure when that will be though. I have some issues with the outer wing pylons to sort out.

You can see here what I'm up against. I basically had to start from scratch with the cockpit. The external model was downloaded for free, but had to be modified with the re-worked tail booms and the fairings on either side of the cockpit. The nozzles are what's really holding this up, getting the shape on those right isn't easy, and that's before we talk animation! The current implementation of the mod still uses the F-15C cockpit and F-15E external model, but does have the outer wing pylons enabled (sort of). AMBER racks are currently not implemented, but I hope to change that soon.

To be honest with you, I'm really trying just to get a handle on how to make a custom cockpit. I have been working on a custom cockpit, but it needs to be UV mapped and textured ,and then animated, and I have experience with none of those things. So once I get the 3D model of the cockpit finished, I either have to find someone who knows how to do those things and is willing to put the effort in for it, or learn it myself. I also have been working on a new F-15EX external model, but it also needs textures/UV mapping, and animations. I am working towards releasing a new version with a modified SFM, including corrected thrust values for the engines (before it was the same as the F-15C's F100 engines, ~25,000lbf each in full AB), and corrected fuel capacity (also previously referenced from the F-15C and did not account for the conformal fuel tanks). I might one day try to make a custom EFM, but that's at the bottom of the pile right now. In my opinion, correct cockpit and external models, semi-correct SFM, and weapons implementation are considerably higher priority. My next release will include outer wing pylons and improved AIM-120 variants. Unfortunately due to FC3 limitations the implementation of these is a bit sketchy. The F-15C avionics only support 11-12 hardpoints, any more and DCS crashes every time you try to load a mission with it. Therefore I had to work around that using double launchers. Sketchy, but it works. I would like to do full custom avionics for the F-15EX at some point as well, but that's another one of those things that is toward the bottom of the pile. Unless I get around to that, the F-15C avionics will remain and there will not be any JHMCS/HMD capability. IRST with the Legion pod also falls into this category for the time being. At some point soon I will post development screenshots.

Yes, I posted it on the User Files. A couple of people have made custom liveries for it, glad to see it getting some love! https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/search/?tags=F-15IDN https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3326814/

I think you pretty much nailed it. The Israelis used the F-16A Block 10, USAF was pushing them into service as fast as it could to replace older aircraft during the '80s, and so on. Not to mention the F-16A was limited to AIM-9P initially, and no radar missiles, so it would be kind of like a better F-5E all around. There's a fantastic F-16A cockpit out on Sketchfab for FREE, the problem is we need a good external model, FM, and avionics to go with it.

On closer inspection, you're right. It is a C with the F110. I was mostly looking for the lack of blade antennas on top of the nose. Definitely not a quality model.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/f-16-8be8ab656304467eb6ddcbb244ae8574 This isn't the greatest 3D model of an F-16, but it appears to be an F-16A, not totally sure which block though. Block 10 would be the one that I would like most, one of the big reasons for having an F-16A is the greater maneuverability it offers over the C.

This one would need some investment, since a good external model of the F-16A is non-existent in DCS at the moment, but otherwise should be relatively easy to make. A very nicely detailed and textured cockpit model already exists for the F-16A (not in DCS though, it's available for download on the web). For any mod team out there willing to give this a shot, it should be just a matter of investing in a good external model and building standalone avionics in the same way as the A-29B Super Tucano mod, albeit extended to include a simple radar and the ability to interface with and employ AGM-45 and AGM-65IR/TV variants. Flight model would be a bit different from the F-16C currently in DCS, mostly since the F-16A has the P&W F100 and is significantly lighter than the F-16C with the GE F110. Theoretically a simplified version sans radar could be made using A-10A avionics, but this one probably deserves to be standalone.

I really like the LA class submarine, but it does have some issues. For one thing, it doesn't seem to fire its weapons anymore, at anything. Aside from that and the missiles sticking out of the VLS cells, its main issues are with armament placement. Currently both Tomahawks and Harpoons launch from the VLS, which is incorrect. The VLS can only launch Tomahawks. The Harpoons should launch from the torpedo tubes. Aside from that it shows up named incorrectly, should be something like "SSN Los Angeles Flight II", not USS Los Angeles Flight II SSN 688. USS Los Angeles was the first ship of the class, with hull number 688, and never had the VLS tubes.

After looking back at the message history, that's actually an interesting idea. There are some issues with it, but interesting idea none the less. The IDF Mods Project was able to mod a second seat into the F-16, with full multiplayer functionality and a new 3D model. Something like an ST21 mod based on the Hornet would need a completely new cockpit and external model, and a completely new FM. If only we had access to the old EFM that the F-14B used way back when only the B was available. That would likely be a good starting point for an ST21 FM, given that the old F-14B FM was overperforming in turns, but it might be believable for an ST21 given the re-contoured wing gloved providing extra lift surface up front similar to the LEXs on the Hornet and Viper. AoA performance would have to be adjusted, and the engine power would need to be cranked up a bit to simulate the GE-429. The Hornet's avionics would sort of work, but the radar would be a bit short-sighted compared to the APG-71. That would mean that anyone who wanted to use such a mod would have to own the F/A-18 Hornet though. We would need modding skills on-par with if not better than those of the IDF Mods Project/CJS groups to make that happen in a way that would even come close to doing justice to the F-14.

No problem! By the way, might want to replace those Harpoons with JASSMs or NSMs.

This looks almost like a 5th gen cockpit tbh, imagine how good the Tomcat would have been as a strike platform with this. One of its outstanding features during OEF was the PTID, which allowed for greater magnification with the LANTIRN pod than was available on the Hornet and F-15E. This looks to be much bigger than even the PTID.

I'm not sure how many Grumman employees would know much about it anymore, it's been 15 years since the Tomcat was retired, I would imagine former Grumman employees who worked there in the '90s when the ST21 and its variants were on the drawing board would probably be who we're actually looking for. I have thought before that maybe a mod for the F-14B similar to what the IDF Mods Project group did for the F-16 might be possible, but it would be limited by the elderly avionics of the F-14B. If only we had an F-14D Super Tomcat module, that would be the place to start for a mod along those lines, but since such a module does not exist and may never exist, it would probably be better to start from scratch.

No problem @prccowboy! I love your mods, I just wish some of them were flyable. It would be cool to have something like the M-28 that we could actually fly (I get that a lot of the stuff you do is not stuff that most people would care about flying, like the E-7 and P-8, vid coming up on the latter by the way).

Is there still any interest in this?

Here is a dropbox link to the latest version: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h8e1jy4he5dga2d/F-15EX.zip?dl=0

Should have an updated version up on the DCS User Files soon. Also the CombatAce download has been updated.

I don't know why that would be. I've been a combatace member for a while now, and I have never had any trouble. I actually uploaded that mod, but I'm working on tweaking it a bit if I can. The mod itself was made by KNZubr, shout out to him for most of the work.

Ever consider making a UH-1Y Venom? That's something that would be great to have.

Is there a way to make liveries for your ships? For example the USS Bowen is a Knox class FF, and lots of those were built.

Any possibility of making the P-39 flyable @Markindel?