Corvet_01

I think I might head towards a Varjo Aero and PointCTRL. After owning a 1:1 B737 sim, I really don't want to mess with hardware any longer. Getting too old...

This is the mixed reality that I was referring to.

Wow. I AM IRON MAN!

This does help. Thank you. Do your MFD's have a display or no reason to? I had considered the hardware use of MFD's and either the UFC or MCP depending on the aircraft chosen. Have you considered gloves? Thanks for the info. Kev

The third question regarded actual switches/inputs to the sim, what's needed? What is the trackball used for? Thanks. Kev

I did a thorough search on this and didn't see what I was looking for. Some questions, please: Does mixed reality only work with Steam versions and Windows Mixed Reality? What do you need? A cockpit with switches only talking to DCS via DCS-BIOS? What is needed to make it work? Not looking for a computer spec. Hardware other than the computer, please. Thanks. Kev

I would not... That jet stands for something. That jet, and the tiger logo were present for the 79th anniversary of the 79th FS in 1997. I know the SrA that created the artwork for the tail - well, a SrA at the time. It was yellow and black, not orange. It was in Hanger 1614 at Shaw where we had the Dining In for the party. LtCol Hyatt then took it to the Tiger Meet later that year IIRC. The 2001 Tiger Meet wasn't the first one...

Base Operations takes care of snow removal, and if the runway is cratered, we will use an interstate highway. Actually practiced that in Korea. But I could see your point.

Thanks! Kevin

Fastest German nightfighter, had the first ejection seats in any combat aircraft, and the Schräge Musik cannon, which were especially deadly against the RAF night bombers. Who can forget the F-4G Wild Weasel units? We need a late F-4, either the E or the G, please. Finally, the OV-10A, the "Blue Thunder" of the USAF. Very agile, large turboprops, can drop and pick up troops as well on the battlefield. Would make for some very interesting missions. Southeast Asia, map, please.

Ah, yes, 83-1159, Kevin Patnode's jet shown above. We flew these loads into Iraq and Kuwait each jet, 3 x a day, between these and CBU loadouts, and almost no wing tanks. Wing tanks were either "going north" or CBU loadouts. This photo is not a rare occasion. You fly 370's into combat when you have a loooong way to go or you are loitering in CAS... Those are DSU-33B/B fuses on the Mk84's. 2000lb daisy-cutter. Typical loadout for the anti-Republican Guard missions. Unless an IFE, our pilots were banned from flying below 10,000 ft or so, and we never dropped the tanks unless an IFE necessitated it. Maybe 14,000 ft was the magic #. Because we were not flying the HI-LO-HI profile, our pilots didn't need 370's. Take off, hit the tanker, perform the mission, ICT at KKMC X 3, hit the tanker on the way back home. We didn't keep jets at KKMC where this photo was taken. This was an ICT/FOL only. Yes, DCS is a sandbox, you can do what you want. And DCS will let you, because as of right now, the G-limits on the airframe are not modeled correctly. When you have tanks up and external stores up including the TGP, the FLCS limits the aircraft G forces. Can you over-G a Viper in RL? Yep. But it's extremely difficult to do so. Centerline tanks are not just for alert jets. We fly into combat with them regularly. I have seen Wild Weasel and Super Weasel missions with four HARMs, ECM on sta 5, and no external tanks. It depends on the mission plan, tanker availability, etc.

Sorry, but configuration management T.O.s in the USAF prevent that kind of madness. Pretty sure you'd end up a smoking hole in the ground.

I apologize to the team, I am still setting up my system, but in numerous videos and screenshots, I've noticed the pylons remaining on the aircraft after the wing tanks are jettisoned. This is incorrect. When the wing tanks are jettisoned, there's a small shoe called the aft pivot fitting at the rear of where the pylon was and a large knobbed stud protruding from the wing. Takes a cheater bar and socket on top of the wing and a large pipe wrench on the bottom to remove the stud after this happens. I posted the headshot of a video showing the tanks coming off of the DCS Viper and leaving the pylons on the aircraft and RL tanks showing the pylon installed at the tank farm with the pre-attached stud protruding out of the top of the pylon. The TER coming off of sta 3 is correct, but (IIRC) the LAU-117 comes off with the AGM-65 when jettisoned. Pic below includes the LAU-117, which was carted (had explosive cartridges installed) on the pylon. There's no way for the AGM-65 to get off of the aircraft without the LAU-117. All non-missile stores can either be jettisoned the same way that they would normally be dropped, or their mounts can be dropped, such as a TER. AIM-9's are on the aircraft and can't be jettisoned. At least not that I recall. All other missiles such as HARM, AAMRAM, have their launcher rails jettisoned with or without the weapon. Thanks. Sorry if the team is already aware of this. Kev

Regarding DCS vs RL - Referencing USAF only - We fly with 300G C/L tanks about 70% of the time. Depends on what the mission is. A2A combat loadouts, BFM training, etc.,we don't use the 370's, only the C/L tank. Combat or training A2G missions where tankers are in use or four large munitions need uploaded, C/L tank is used. Mk84 X 4, no ECM, C/L tank with ICT was in use often during the Gulf War. CAP aircraft were 6 X AIM-9, C/L tank, no ECM. No AAMRAM missiles at the time. Regarding TER's, we regularly flew TERs, no slant load, iron bombs and CBU loads on sta 3 and sta 7, could also do on sta 4 and sta 6. Sta 5 was ECM if tanks on sta 4 and 6. Never saw slant TER loads until larger CBU's were in use. Usually 3 x Snakeye, 3 x Rockeye, 3 X Mk82. We also fly AGM-65 on LAU rails on 3 and 7. But... I have seen them up on 4 and 6, never fired. I get a laugh out of YouTube videos with 3 bags on the aircraft and going into combat. Never, ever... ever. 3 bags up only when flying a ferry mission or deploying. BTW, B61 tac nuke goes up on 3 or 7, 370's, C/L ECM. Have also seen B61 uploaded on 3 or 7 with ECM on the other wing. Also, DCS has a major bug. When you cart the wing tanks off the jet, the pylons go with the tanks in RL. DCS leaves the tank pylons, which is incorrect. Not the case with external stores pylons, you cart off the TER, MER, or LAU or the weapons themselves if only one up on the pylon, like a Mk84.

Same thing just happened to me. 50% discounts were offered, ticked on multiple items, and then when I selected (Purchase), it took me to a cart in the store at completely different amounts, mostly much higher. What was a $200 purchase ended up at $354 or so. Nope, not doing that. After I emptied the cart and went back to DCS, the option was gone. If I'd known that would've happened, I would have taken screenshots. So, there it is! Something's not quite right here. Kev

Has anyone made or produced an overlay for the Viper in which Helios could be used? Considering a hardware ICP and TM MFD frames. Main panel only and should include the engine instruments if possible for Helios. Thanks. Kev

Looks great! Coloration textures like the real thing. Kev

Thanks, I consider myself blessed to have worked with some sierra-hotel people. CCV, NAVSTAR, LANTIRN and XL were in and out of our test group, and I had a chance to bend wrenches on all of them. 75% of my focus was on GPS/NAVSTAR at the time, though. Interesting Gulf War story - the GPS systems our birds developed lead to some aircraft (Block 30's IIRC) out of Hill AFB being designated as FASTFAC aircraft because they could direct CAS efforts better than our INS-equipped Block 25's out of Shaw AFB. And then we would roll in with Mk84's, CBU's, AGM-65's, etc, or the A-10's would roll in with EVERYTHING based on FASTFAC info. When we came home, our Block 25's were replaced with Block 42 F-16CG NIGHT FALCON Vipers with the wide angle NV HUDs. They had PW F100-PW-220 engines and were as deadly as the GE-engined Block 52 CJ's SEAD/Wild Weasel Vipers that we transitioned to later 6 years later, now the same aircraft but Block 52CM's, I believe. It's hard to believe that in 15 years I went from Block 5/15 airframes to Block 30's, backwards to Block 25's, and then Block 42CG's, and then Block 52CJs. What's harder to believe is that the Tigers in your skins were flying in that squadron 24 years ago and are still flying today in the same squadron, whereas "back in the day" we were getting new production blocks about every 4-6 years. Bored you enough! Kev

Also former Gambler, Hooter, Juvat, Panther, 57th FWW (Falcon/Viper), and GPS/NAVSTAR, LANTIRN, CCV, and XL test platforms working between Tonopah and Edwards. Would be nice to see retired units - 17th TFS Hooters (Shaw), 63rd TFTS Panthers (MacDill), or some Panton/Juvat birds out of Kunsan. Homestead AFB jets. Nellis AFB jets. F-16 Aggressors. Hahn AB, Rammstein AB. You do a really nice job with your skins. Kev

Nice. Old Shaw AFB jet! Kev

These are quite nice. Really reflect the real aircraft. Don't forget the oil slick that starts at the JFS/CSD panels and wicks back to aerate streaks over the lower portion of the donut panel jsut fws of the exposed engine augmentor section.

GE - if it makes it to EOR and still has oil in the engine it's a miracle. Pratt and Whitney - thrust you can trust. Kev

Would like to see accurate USAF operations. Launch, recovery, integrated combat turnaround End of runway Arm/Dearm Hot pit refueling Thanks. Kev

Former Tiger says "Thanks! Kev