Czechnology

Allowed to be hopeful! The screenshots lacking is expected in any scenario, they've said from the start we're not getting much info until it's pretty much upon us. I'm expecting somewhere in the first half of the year, but, I'm half in the skeptics club where I'll say I really do have no idea when it will actually release, and I don't know of it'll be that hoped for first half or much later.

Pretty sure its got the same gun sight, but I could very easily be wrong.

Watched it. Was alright, and if this really the best we've got I cry. Don't think they gave a single shot of the back seaters station, I cry.

Like I asked. F-15E is set to pre-order starting Feb 15. Technically speaking I don't think they are required to release with a certain gap in between them, especially given its a non-ED module, but we don't know to what extent ED tries to referee the release schedule, if at all. So restating, think the F15E is going to have an impact on when we finally get our hands on our F-4Es?

We're getting the Early E first, then getting the late E later, so like the F14 B then A release plan. Key differences is the later E is getting early digitization efforts and the DMAS systems, which I don't know personally all the details off the top of my head, but essentially expands ground attack capabilities. Pretty sure it adds CCIP for one but I'm not 100% certain off the top of my head. Scrolling back through old threads. DMAS bird will get access to the PAVE TACK TPOD for one. Will edit this message with other bits I've found. Check that out and it should give you some good answers.

If we're talking if the F-4E is physically capable of A2A refueling, yes. Specifically, like said above, with a flying boom, and the naval variant when it comes out will use probe/drogue. However, HB hasn't directly addressed if it will come out of the box with the capability or not. I would imagine it would, but could also easily imagine that being a feature that's having issues and needs to be held back for a later release. tl;dr We'll get it eventually

Exactly as the title says. Anyone know any good documentaries, youtube videos, etc? NOT looking for training style videos, think we already have a thread dedicated to that, and I'd bet the same 5ish Periscope Films videos will get bounced around if I did ask. Pretty much looking for anything. Just craving some Phantom related content and don't want to read anymore damned technical orders. My poor eyes.

They've not made a specific annoucement. And less a question of capability of the missile, more a question of the wiring on the F-4. Might just be physically incapable of providing the power to the missile, or they might of changed some connectors, or any myriad things that just make it impossible. If I had to guess no.

Personally I've just got a policy of not using mods. Support the makers, what they do, and hope they get more support, but the lack of full fidelity really scratches me the wrong way. Can only really bear the lack of being able to hit all the buttons in WW2 planes like in IL-2, and even then when I play IL-2 I'm usually longing to get back into something with a jet engine (that will last longer than the month)

that's fair tbh, but doubt we'll get it still. Just extra unnecessary work when they've got the late F-4 in the pipe, the EF, and the A-6

Yeah, was that aforementioned technowizardry I had mentioned. Very interesting system that I'm excited to try out when y'all do drop

Think it's unlikely we'll be getting one. There were some F-4s retrofitted but to my understanding it was a pretty small batch because the idea was floated when the bird was ending her life in the USAF

Anyone have them? Early version gets some bombing techno wizardry, but until we get the DMAS we don't get a CCIP equivalent as best I understand it.

Very much what Kalasnkova said. F-4 enjoys a higher top speed and much more missiles carried in a single sortie, Mig-21 Bis enjoys a better turning ability in the hands of a veteran and better acceleration overall. Can't say how much of an advantage, best place to find people with real 21 knowledge is Enigma's cold war server, but good luck getting information other than essentially "Mig-21 > {INSERT BLUFOR AIRCRAFT} my 1 to 1 thrust to weight-o-rino with the emergency AB!!!" Personal plan is to keep it high and fast. In theory the F-4 has such a high top speed the 21 is physically incapable of keeping up without choking its engine.

just a joke. right guys?

Also a follow up question that's more history related, why did the F-4 originally come without an IFF? Wouldn't IFF be crucial to perform BVR intercepts without risk of friendly fire, like the bird was designed for? Mig 21s at the time were coming with them, as shown in our use of the Combat Tree system, so what gives? Just one of those handful of times the Soviets were ahead of us, or some other reason?

I think a follow up question is in order for the IFF system. We did a lot of talking of what the system did, whether it was on the bird, and all the antennas, but the question of how the thing works wasn't really answered! Do we manually interrogate like on the Mig 21 or F-14, or is the radar continuously interrogating? What does a friendly or hostile marker look like? Do we have to lock a target to interrogate? Does it even work on locked targets? Is it displayed on the radar screen, or somewhere else?

Math nerds, just pull the friggin stick and turn the bird, who cares about AoA indicators

Best just to wait lads. Mike was kind enough to give us a pretty decently sized update message in the other thread "No official news?", then the big update on their facebook, best not to get spoiled and expect him to respond to every question.

It's unclear how much input heatblur actually gets on these weapons. They will probably provide models, but unlike the vast majority of module contents, ED gets the final say on weapons and their performance

We love you Mike. Looking forward to it.

I know nothing about the f-14 release. Focus on what we got here and now. My big thing is just continued emphasis on it's fine 2022 was missed. The reasons are 100,000% understandable. My issue is that we've gotten a weird change in direction from "2022 is still possible, we're burning the candle from both ends" to "before mid point of the year" from someone who I don't fully recognize and hasn't been making comments on the development before now. The silence implies we're still imminent, but the few shaky words we've gotten imply a long wait. Even if an annoucement dropped out and said "OK guys, sorry, something really f'd up and we're going to be a long while" or "Development is continuing, expect more news" - SOMETHING, anything, good news, bad news, or practically no news to follow up the missed mark, I'd be sated.

It's an annoying dance of them wanting to keep our attention and keep their hand close to their chest in the event something goes wrong. They want to keep us enraptured with Phantom Phever, but if they say like "it's gonna be out in x amount of time for sure" then if something goes wrong they've got a blunder. Which they've already had - WHICH - I do want to emphasize that last year's failure to launch was because of Ukraine and other issues with developer's family, entirely reasonable. But this is the best way one can put it. They were talking like 2022 was still a possibility before the year was up, but managing expectations "We're doing everything we can, don't give up total hope". That's fine. I'd resigned myself to a probably late Q1 release. Now this newest bit of info implies to me they've resigned to taking at least half the year before we get information, not even a release, just info. I really enjoyed the hype building strategy from last year, but now that the mark was missed I'd at least like a proper follow up.