Tailspin45

Skipper was quick to join on my wing, dash three and four will get there eventually.

I concur that TrackIR is a "must have." But I emphatically disagree with the idea that you can get along with out a joystick (although female pilots might disagree.) I say that after 50 years as a real life pilot, and former US Navy flyer, so if you grew up with video games and controllers you may feel differently. As a 'study sim', DCS can be intimidating. Despite my background and over 20 years years of flight simming, the A-10C was hugely frustrating because it was so complicated. Concur that for starters the Su-25 might be a better choice, although I'd go with the F-86 or the free A-7E (see below) but that's probably just ethnocentrism. In any case, forget about navigation and weapons initially. Get thoroughly comfortable with start, taxi, takeoff, air work, pattern work, and landings. Then expand your repetoir by learning to navigate. Then learn weapons--first guns, then missiles, then bombs. Then learn air combat maneuvering. If you try to do it all at once you'll be overwhelmed, or at least severly whelmed. Follow your dreams, lad. One day, you'll experience what John Gillespie McGee meant when he wrote the poem High Flight. Speaking of reading, find a copy of Richard Bach's early book, Stranger To The Ground about a fateful night in an F-86D. Also Geoffrey Wellum's First Light, one of the best ever written about learning to fly and Spitfires.

Outstanding! Airmanship was exceptional and the narration, for my money, was better than the Blue's or Thunderbird's. Need a solo pilot to fill the gaps during the long reversals?:smilewink:

Hmmm, you're right. That is different. But I'll check my version in any event. The lack of trim is driving me nuts. Works fine in A-10, P-51 etc.

Thanks for the quick response...and I think you may have diagnosed the problem. That SLUFF I'm flying may be an old one I downloaded from the Russian site, instead of a current version from the Stingers. I'll check it, thanks.

SLUFF in DCA2 is a hoot...but trim inop?? Loaded the A-7E package using JSGME and have had lots of fun terrorizing the Nevada desert. But I haven't been able to make the Warthog HOTAS coolie-hat affect trim. Made sure there were no competing settings in other controllers, reset the HOTAS stick controller, it accepts the input, and saves OK. But the aircraft ignores the profile and will not trim. Anyone have any thoughts? FIXED! Force Feedback was clicked on in preferences. Hell, I learned that 5 years ago, but forgot.

MiG-21 and A7

I'd love to try your profile, Timm. Folks like you make DCS work. Thanks in advance (if that isn't too presumptuous.)

Had same problem. Deleted installed game. Turned off anti-virus and re-installed. Worked until auto-installer added hot fix this morning, now it doesn't work again. UPDATE: Now it works! Didn't do a thing except play World of Tanks for 2 hours and relaunch DCS. UPDATE 2: Now it doesn't work. Invalid serial number after buying and installing SU-25a UPDATE 3: Unbound using online tool. No help. Deleted module in app and re-installed after torrent download. Works fine now, but Module Manager says it has no key. Nevertheless, it works fine so far, including in multiplayer.

Level inverted flight, just in case there's a misunderstanding, requires considerable forward stick. At 1000 AGL my bird quit after a count of ten, but it did restart after rolling upright. Don't know that it would seize immediately, but manual (rl pg 22) makes it clear that scavenge pump would be unable to supply lubrication after about 10 seconds. Perhaps an engine change would be in order, especially if Uncles Sugar is paying.

Okay, back after installing new CH Pedals and everything in hunky-dory. Brakes, tailwheel, and rudder work as designed. Held the brakes and gently increased power until the tailwheel was off the ground (something that's easy in a Cub but probably isn't a good idea in a Mustang), put the rudder hard over, and when I released the brakes the tail swung before it came down. Last CH set was over 10 years old, pots were sick, and one toe brake was inop. Shouldn't have chimed in about the flight model until I knew my equipment was solid.

The devs thought of everything! In rl if you don't push the stick forward you can break that pin, or roll the tailwheel tire over, pinch the tube, and end up with a flat if you're not careful. It's a handful then, as you may have discovered if you blow the tailwheel tire on a hard landing.

Now you tell me! :( PS: I second the motion regarding an F-86/MiG for DCS. I enjoyed the IL2 mod, but something with the fidelity of P-51 would be awesome.

Knew Ed Shipley when he was learning to fly. Have watched his trajectory with interest. Proud of my 1920s biplane, SNJ, and C-45 flying time, but a far cry from his! Have a new set of CH pedals arriving today. Will report back.