DPS

My tip to get the Huey into a safe hover without pirouetting around the apron: wiggle the cyclic/pedals to maintain attitude/direction and gently raise the collective until it is about to lift. As it goes light on the skids hit the trim button, Key-T. That should put the controls into a good position for the hover.

Just got DCS World and the UH-1. Great model (don't think I'll fly fixed-wing again) and beats all the FSX helicopters hands down: I found only the Dodosim Bell 206 was anywhere close to the DCS Huey. It seems to do all the right stuff: drift/translating tendency, torque reaction, vortex ring, etc. I was please to see the loss-of-tail-rotor effect when I reversed into a building. The only problem I'm having is really low frame rates. I've turned down vis range, shadows, etc and I'm only getting 11 or 12 fps cruising at 1,000' agl. Might need to invest in a new machine as the DCS grass and bushes (set at 100m) makes a handy visual reference when hovering - which I managing with my ancient MSFFB2 stick and Saitek pedals. Will there be some means of escaping from the chopper on the ground such as a Ctrl-E function in the final version? Windows 7; 64bit Intel i5-2320 3GHz; 8GB RAM; 2TB HDD; AMD Radeon HD6670 2GB.

It looks like Santa is getting Flaming Cliffs 3 in his Christmas stocking. Or is he?

I've just posted my first FC2 file on the STICKY Flaming Cliffs Mission thread. I produced many missions and campaigns for the original Lock On (was it really seven or eight years ago?) and this is my first attempt at using the new FC2 editor interface. The premise is a bit odd as I have put a couple of US Hawk missile sites in southern Russia but it will give the player an excuse to go low-level through the valleys. Hope you like it. I might try and make some more in the future. Your task is to put the power station located in the river valley south-west of Khady'zhensk out of action. Your jet is loaded with two FAB-500 bombs and is ready to launch from the carrier. Take off immediately with your wingman. You have enough fuel on board to complete the mission but a tanker is available at Waypoint 2 at 12:05 hrs at 5000 metres if required. The power station is lightly defended; however, a foreign power has sited Hawk surface-to-air missiles on the plain north of the target so use terrain masking to delay detection by their radar for as long as possible. On reaching the IP pull up to 2000 metres and roll onto the target on a heading of 120 Deg. The power station is on the south side of the river at the foot of the hills. Egress to the south at low level. Caution: hostile fighters with Russian markings have been operating over the Black Sea. Our AWACS aircraft will only arrive on station at 12:30 Hrs. If your aircraft is too badly damaged to return to the carrier, repair/re-arming facilities are available at Gelendzhik air base. Recover to the carrier steaming 165 Km south of Novorosskjsk for tea and medals. DPS.

Su-33 Mission: Power Station Strike. Name: Power Station Strike. Author: DPS Mission type: SP Controllable: FC2 Your task is to put the power station south-west of Khady'zhensk out of action. Your Su-33 is loaded with two FAB-500 bombs and is ready to launch from the carrier with your wingman. Disussion Thread http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=96666 Su-33 Power Station Strike.miz

Problem solved. Found the default.lau file I needed to put back in F-15 keyboard field at Config/Input/Aircrafts/f-15c/Keyboard I was surprised my game settings survived the reinstall; I wasn't asked for the product key either. Very impressed by the new models in FC2 especially the vintage Cold War era tanks and AAA.

Oh dear, today I managed to wipe the F-15C keyboard settings (and background fields) from the Control panel. Think I must have loaded my A-10 file by mistake as all the air-to-air fields are blank and un-editable. Couldn't fix it so I've uninstalled/reinstalled FC2. To my surprise this hasn't set the controls back to the game defaults - the logbook still shows the scores I'd achieved prior to reinstall as well. Do these config/lau files live in another part of the Windows 7 directory so they will survive a reinstall? Any ideas anyone?

Finally got FC2 installed. I've not looked at Lock On for a while so I took a peep at the new (to me) terrain area and I must say it all looks pretty sharp, even at medium graphics settings. Nice trees. I like the new models, especially the Challenger II, although I'll have to check Janes as I'm not too sure about the British Ka-50 ;) Well done, DCS.

Having another go now; it's all going very slowly though.

Should also add I've tried installing into the Windows 7 Program Files x64 where the old Lock On files have parked themselves.

Lock On CD-ROM installs OK, got the link from the e-shop but it wont download/install. Keep getting this Setup-1.bin message. Any ideas, anyone?

Finding that old Lock On CD-ROM and munual is like 10 Christmases rolled into one.

I've just discovered my 8-yr-old CD-ROM of Lock On (with mint condition manual). I see in your e-shop a link to LockOn: Flaming Cliffs 2 (English download version) for Windows 7. It requires Lock On Modern Air Combat installed. Is that the same as my Lock On Air Combat Simulation CD? If it works again in my new machine I'll be very impressed as I haven't seen Lock On in a while. PC Specs. Intel i5 3Ghz, 8GB RAM, AMD HD6670 graphics card.

3hr26 too early for an April Fools? What about my buddies in Dubai and Oz? It's actually a Do-217 - not many of them doing passenger services these days.

What sort of aircraft is this?

Santa's little workshop relocated from the North Pole to a huge factory in Guangzhou a few years ago. Must say, Santa's little elves build some good stuff these days. I'm still hoping to get one of those r/c helicopters in my Christmas stocking.

I built the Mi-26 in 3DS Max. I've uploaded the file as a freebee at Turbosquid for any modellers who would like to play with it. Have a safe 2011.

I've had a go at modelling a Mi-26. If anyone would like it I've posted the max file at Turbosquid as a freebie: http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/free-mi-26-3d-model/640296

When Lapland police tried to arrest the culprit he made a run for it - but he came to a bad end. That really had to hurt :cry:

The guy who suggested it was Sam was pretty close. But who pressed the fire button? Here's who dunnit:

Here's a little Christmas whodunit. Can you work out who shot Santa? And how?

Ford Pinto, as it really did fly off the sales lot.

.....for all of five minutes, until the initial excitement of playing an FPS wore off.

Would you like to play a game like this

Interestingly, the 'N' word seems to have found a new meaning in 2010 as it is now used by kids in place of 'buddy' or 'pal', so perhaps Gibson's dog will be referred to by his original name. But if Peter jackson really wants to make a WWII movie why can't he just find a new, less well known, subject such as Operation Jericho to do his CGI on.