Henchman14

Yeah, thats how Arma 2 does it. In AH-64, if your the pilot, Ai is the gunner, and if your the gunner, Ai is the pilot. It gets a little weird sometimes, but it works. If your gunner, you've got to tell the Ai pilot where you want to go, and when to slow, hover, etc. It could be done in DCS.

I don't have any problem when it comes to cannons. I've downed an Apache on an engine hit with one bullet from my 30mm at close range. Its the vhikers that don't seem to really work. The worst I've seen were those 6 I fired at an apache on AA mode. I'm pretty sure at least 3 were dead on target, as I got closer. If you look at the apache with F2, you see its shot to hell, but still flying like there nothing wrong. Moving Ground Target (regular) mode doesn't seem to fair any better. Its their damage models. They're just too arcade. And don't get me started on their godlike weaponry. In the Battle mission, I got tired of them instantly coming to kill me, so I set out 3 tunguska's under my starting postion. The apaches came, took out the tunguska to my right, then killed both me and my wingman ( who was set on Good AI ). I can't win for nothing! Bang head on computer. They are the assassins of the sky. You can't win. Not head to head. As for watching other heli's get shot by .50 up to 25 and 30mm, they seem to be able to take 6 or 7 times the amount of damage my heli can. I watched a tank hit one of the Apaches about 15 times with solid hits to its side and underbelly. It still manages to limp away. It was damaged, but still flying. That would have ripped my copter apart. The AI damage models need some tweaking..

Yeah, well, everyone knows FPS is the biggest seller. Not that all of them are good. I hope one day that realistic flight sims like DCS will merge with the more realistic fps like Arma 2. It sucks having to do without one or the other. Arma 2, while not having the greatest graphics, is a very good simulation for ground troops and somewhat for vehicles. But their flight sim absolutely SUCKS! It would be great if we could somehow plug DCS heli's and jets into it. Then it would be a complete simulation.

I print it on 8 1/2 by 11 paper and it comes out pretty nice.

Well, in the manual, it says some vague stuff about aluminum armor around critical systems. I would think the engines would be a "critical" system. lol. But I guess their is none. I can see armor takes a LOT of weight, but I would hope they would at least protect them from 7.62 and lower. @Yurgon. I'm mostly talking about APCs. But, yeah, lets be realistic. You never know where some guy with an AKM is going to be. He could lean out a window and shoot at you. People with AKMs are everywhere. AKM is the most common threat on the battlefield. Hopefully engines will be protected against at least that.

Well, then damage for the AI copters is waaayy off. I hit an Apache 6 times once with vhikers and it didn't go down. I've seen AH-64s and Mi-24's take hit after hit from .50's and 20mm to critical areas and just shrug it off. Its really annoying, as I agree, the Ka-50 should be able to take more damage than a Mi-24. I hope you guys will put in more realistic damage models for your AI.

Meh, the hackers will tear it to shreds.

If DCS really wants to make money, they need to stick FPS (ala Arma 2) into their world. That is what sells. Pure flight sim is pretty much dead.

Well, the thing definitely needs some armor around the engines. They appear to be the weakest point on the aircraft. And in order to get in with the gun or rockets, you have to get close. I watch the Mi-24 take huge amounts of fire, and walk away. Thats the copter I want to fly. It can both take it, and give it. Not so, the Ka-50.

I don't know. At the rate I'm getting my engines blown by .50 cals, I'm thinking about welding on some more armor over the engines. :p

If you guys release the AH-64, please release the D (Longbow) model, not the A. A is too old. And would be just like flying the Shark, but lesser in my opinion.

Rating: 100. Because nothing else even comes close. Only realistic sim there is right now, until Warthog comes out.

Ok, thanks. That clears things up. The manual kind of infers their is armor around other parts of the copter besides the cockpit. For such a heavy beast of a copter, you would think they would have put some armor around the engines too. At least against .50 cal. Time for crew made mods! Off to get the cutting torch and visit the scrap yard.

As per the title. And what are the maximum size rounds they can defeat? So far, the cockpit seems to have more armor around it than the engines. The cockpit is said to be able to stand up to .50 AP or up to 23mm HE. But armour on everything else is kind of vague.

Yeah, the "automatic" extinguisher never seems to put out the fire on the engines. I think I can answer 23 from experience. If the target is moving too fast, your missile won't be able to turn that fast, and will end up flying out of the laser tunnel and lose tracking. Happens with fast moving helicopters that are moving perpendicular to you.

Well, thats how I feel in BS playing against the AI and their arcade FMs, + instant reactions and God like accuracy. I've put about I'd estimate 70 to 80 hours into this sim now, and I'm still trying to figure out why some things go strangely wrong. Another thing I'd like to see clarified more is the armor arrangement on things such as the engine. The cockpit seems to be able to take major damage and survive, but everything else seems to have little to no armor around it, especially the engines. The .50 cal on a Stryker can take you down with just a few shots, blowing your engines to hell. That seems kind of odd. I though this thing had better armor. Also, I thought the blades could take a few shots and stay intact. That also seems false. The AI Ka-50's and Mi-24's in the quick start mission seem to be able to take all kinds of punishment and stay aloft, ducking in and out of close combat. Not my copter. Two or three hits from a .50 and its going down in flames. I stay as far away as possible from anything more than an AKM. Otherwise, I know I'm going to be toast. This seems strange for such a big, bulky helicopter. I feel like I might as well be flying a French Gazelle.

Well, besides the quirky autopilot and Hover mode, my biggest complaint is the GOD LIKE AI! The ground forces aren't too bad because most of them don't move much. Mostly I'm talking about the jets and the Heli's. The jets I don't mind as much, because their radar makes them able to pick you up from far away. I can't do anything about that. But the heli's are insane. Especially the Apache. The pilots, on average skill, can "see" you from over 20 km away! At least thats as far as I've tested so far. I'm sure its even further. They have better "radar" than the jets. There's no ambushing them. They know exactly where you are. Their skills with missiles and guns are the stuff of legend. They're nothing but divine assassins! There is no escape! Even head on, it took four vhikers to down one of them, and I was lucky at that. I've shot 6 at one and couldn't kill it. If they're sideways to you, forget it. The vhiker can't turn that fast, it flies out of the tunnel. Though they rarely, if ever miss me. One hit from a hellfire, and you go down in flames. Fast maneuvering doesn't seem to help at all. And if you get in their gun range, they NEVER miss. EDIT: Well, I just saw the AH-64D seems to have a radar system, so that explains some things. But I still think it has some god like AI. So far, the shark just seems to be overated. It lacks RWR, A-A, FLIR, and ECM, which should be on any modern copter. A better copter should have been modeled. This one is like flying an AKM with wings. My other real problem is that the copter flies like a brick with rotors. When I hit the trimmer, it never seems to get it right. Even in no wind. I'll have it all stable, hit the trimmer, let go, and boom, it wants to yaw right or left, or it wants to pitch forward. Rarely does it hold it right. Also, the altitude hold button never seems to work, even if I hit it when I'm as stable as I can get the copter. Its just really frustrating, drives you nuts. And personally, I would never fly this copter in real life. The blades seem to clash and blow at any excuse they can get. The copter its own worse enemy. I can't see this thing ever being fielded. Please gives us a real copter, Mi-28N. Proven. Or the AH-64D.

Little late, but wanted to add, setting vhicker to aerial target (shotgun blast) doesn't work against Apache. You need armor piercing.

Good luck. I could buy a new one for near that.

XSI = Total Vaporware scam.

Yeah, SF really sucks. Hope they die a horrible death.

Well, actually, North Korea invented the Mig-35 years ago.

Lol, yeah, I think I got hoodwinked there. If its real, I might start learning Russian.

Yeah, I'm beginning to think this new R-37 is BS. Unless there is some new satellite / IL-76 type handoff system. I'll be watching this missle.

Well, I keep wondering, a lot of articles are saying the Mig-35 is going to carry the R-37. But what fighter's radar is capable of getting a lock at 200 nm?