streakeagle

Some of the metal covers linked above are pretty good, but I would take the original over any of them. The Archer Top Gun video was so good, it got me to binge watch the entire series. The "Cherlene" version is a completely different animal, and I like it a lot, though again, still not as much as the original. I graduated high school in 1986 and Top Gun came out that summer. A lot happened to me that year and for better or for worse, the songs from that movie still take me back to those experiences.

I have used only three VRs: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift CV1, and Oculus Rift S. After trying the Vive and the CV1, I chose the CV1 because it seemed better suited to flight simming and DCS World in particular. The CV1 just didn't have a high enough resolution for me to use it more than 50% of the time, as opposed to a 49-inch 4K TV with full 60Hz and full color support. When the 1.5 generation came out, I studied post after post on these forums and countless YouTube videos and websites. Ultimately, Matt Wagner's comments on these very forums sealed the deal: I decided on the Rift S. While it still isn't as high a resolution as I would like, the image clarity is so much improved over the CV1, that I fly using the Rift S about 80% of the time (the beauty of DCS World 2.5 in 4K is an amazing thing that I appreciate quite a bit, as well as having minimal aliasing and steady 60 fps). The Rift S pretty much gives me the same or better performance than the CV1 while hopping up the image quality quite a bit. I would compare the CV1 to playing games at 640x480 or 800x600 while the Rift S would be like stepping up to 1024x768... a far cry from 1600x1200 or 1920x1080, but still markedly superior and far more playable in terms of reading cockpit labels/MFDs/HUDs and spotting aircraft. The only real problem I have had with the Rift S after various patches is that my mic never works reliably, so I got a decent head set, which provides better audio as well as a decent mic. I understand that several of the headsets have better resolution, but they either pay a price in frame rate performance or don't look as good as their resolution should work. My GTX 1080 gpu and i5-4690K cpu are getting long in tooth, so the Rift S proved to be the perfect solution for me for the time being.

This is frickin' critical! I had already checked the add F10 items, but didn't see any improvements in game. Now I see some extra commands that should work, I just need to create some sort of alias that makes sense but won't conflict with other similar commands.

We are slowly approaching the middle of October... of 2019 and the MiG-21bis is mostly in the same condition it has been for years. If you think I will buy an F-8 before I see meaningful progress on the MiG-21bis, you are living in fantasy land. Make no mistake, I want to see the F-8 in DCS World, but only if it is modeled as well or better than most other modules, not released at 80% complete and then in limbo for the next 5 or 10 years with intermittent patches that break as much as they fix.

A fully functional mature MiG would be something new! The MiG-21 is one of my all-time favorite aircraft and this implementation is already the best that I have ever flown on a PC simulation. But it has several obvious flaws. In terms of flight model and systems functionality, I almost like the original release more than later versions. For me, most of the remaining flaws are centered on the gunsight functionality. The patches have sometimes changed the behavior, but never get it right, usually fix or improve one thing but break another. Having a canopy that matches museum examples that have been sitting out in the weather for decades absolutely sucks. Surely, MiG-21bis aircraft flying from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s didn't have severely dirty canopies with sloppy gummed up periscope seals. As a MiG-21 fan, I would love to see as many versions as possible: MiG-21F-13, MiG-21PF, MiG-21PFMA, MiG-21MF, etc. Each one has unique characteristics as the availability of guns, missiles, gunsight/avionics, fuel, weight, engine power, flaps, canopy, tail/rudder etc. vary over time. Winning a dogfight in an early MiG-21 that has no gun and only two early AA-2/K-13 Atoll missiles with limited visibility out of the cockpit is probably harder than winning with early F-4 variants. The MiG-21bis has all the power, but isn't nearly as agile as early variants, particularly the MiG-21F, which is really an agile day fighter compared to the competition with only range-only radar, but has a gun and a decent view from the cockpit.

Looks impressive.

You get one of the highest resolution sticks available on the market... and rescale it to use a small fraction of the available bit-resolution to feel like a force sensitive stick. If it makes you happy, go for it. But I was always disappointed that the Warthog claimed 16-bit resolution and only had 14-bit resolution.

When my Warthog throttle "bricked" after many years of use and Thrustmaster was temporarily out of stock of the pcb that needed to be replaced, I looked at my options. The most cost effective way to replace my throttle was to buy the complete Warthog HOTAS, and I did. So, it is not a matter of "would I", because I already did. Eventually, I got the PCB and repaired my original. I now have two fully operational Warthog sticks and throttles, so I will probably never be down hard do to a failure again. But, I also got a VKB Gunfighter II with the MCG Pro package. The VKB setup is awesome. The SCG grip is really nice, too. There is an adapter that can be installed in Warthog grips to make them compatible, though I had to file down one edge to get it to fit in the F/A-18C grip. But I appear to have damaged a bearing by using two #50 springs on each axis (the specified safe limit is two #40 springs) and I am finding tech support for the VKB to be a lot slower/less effective than Thrustmaster tech support. So, like the Warthog, I decided to buy a 2nd Gunfighter II, this time with the KG12 grip. This will get me back up and will provide redundancy once I find out a safe/correct way to replace the bearing. Plus, I now have every type of grip that works with the VKB setup as well as extensions. With my VKB down, I had to revert to the Warthog stick (which I use with a 15 cm extension). You can't beat the value of the Warthog. It doesn't feel nearly as good as the VKB, but it still works very well with high precision and zero noise. There are some nightmare quality control stories, but I have two and one of them is very old with very few problems, and those were easily fixed.

New module in high demand = more money: F-14, F-16, F-18. Hours dumped into fixing old modules = loss of money. They basically get the modules just good enough to keep people happy enough to buy the next module. Every module I have has mired down in a state where there are certain well known bugs and no evidence that those bugs are ever going to be fully addressed. But most modules, even in their current state, are still better than anything else I can fly in other sims. One module was so bad for so long that both the developer and the module are gone. You can tell me that the F-5E has some bad flaws and that it doesn't match the variant it is supposed to replicate, but I still find the F-5E to be one the best modules available. I put more hours into the F-5E per month than I do any other module since it was released. It may not be a "perfect" experience, but for me it is one of the best experiences you can have flying it out of NTTR. In VR, the immersion is amazing. On a 49" 4K flat panel, the graphics are breathtaking. The F-5E is not alone in not quite reflecting a real variant or the intended variant. The F-86F is in a similar pinch. Despite claims to the contrary, ED seems to favor gameplay over realism and the most historically appropriate variants to model. I would have made both the F-86F and MiG-15bis modules as accurately as possible variants that faced each other in the Korean War. I would have preferred to have appropriate Vietnam or Arab-Israeli variants of the F-4 and MiG-21. But what we have gotten is and are about to get are close enough to what I want that I will buy and fly them anyway. Alternatively, I could stop buying DCS modules while waiting for modules I will never get and watch ED go out of business if everyone else withheld their money until ED gave them exactly what they want, too.

What I am saying is that I would prefer the limited manpower that is available focus on releasing the F-4 rather than making a new variant of the F-5 or even giving the existing F-5E a facelift. I am also aware that the F-4 was indefinitely delayed in favor of the F-16C, Mi-24, and AH-1. There are lots of projects in progress and lots of projects being proposed. It would be nice if the projects in progress could be finished correctly and in a reasonable time before starting new ones. Though, it is easy to argue that existing releases should get their bug lists addressed instead of focusing on in-progress or new projects. The developers have to walk a fine line: if they don't release new stuff, they can't generate more money, but if they don't ever finish released projects up to promised standards then most people won't by their new stuff. It is a tough call to divide resources between existing, in-progress, and completely new projects. These aircraft are modeled to a level of detail that it is almost impossible to iron out every last bug and keep the models/textures up to current standards as the game engine steadily changes.

Interesting. AMRAAM pretty much dates back to my childhood. The AIM-9X is the closest thing to a new air-to-air missile in US inventory in a long time. The idea that a US company has developed a completely new missile rather than an upgrade to the AIM-9, AIM-7, or AIM-120 series is unprecedented. For me, this is almost as revolutionary as the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the Soviet Union without fighting WW3. But I will believe it when I see US aircraft flying with it.

Still patiently waiting for DCS world end user reviews of final product. I may end up with two pits: one meant to be a dedicated F-4E pit and one a dedicated F/A-18C pit. The F-4E pit will work with older fighters and the F/A-18C pit will work with modern fighters that have MFD. But I would really like to have one pit set up to have easily removed/replaced front and left side panes to match particular aircraft, at least well enough for VR. So many ideas, so little time, money, and tools.

I would prefer getting an F-4E to an F-5N. But I would still buy an F-5N, especially if it coincided with a free update to the F-5E to current DCS World standards.

I hope everyone gets their seats or their money back. In the mean time, I am enjoying my original flight simulator edition from Andre and have a 2nd one I recently ordered when I heard Gametrix was discontinuing their seats to make sure I have a spare for the future. Both of my FSE seats took a while to get here after I ordered them. But they did eventually arrive in perfect working order and I enjoy it so much, I wanted to make sure I had spare parts and/or could replace the original if it wore out.

My options were: 1) Risk worse damage to save time by trying to fix the stick myself immediately. 2) Wait for VKB support leaving lots of $ laying on the table (including my new F/A-18C converted to work with the VKB) unused while "suffering" with the my original unmodified Warthog grip. 3) Buy the KG12 desktop version that is in stock, with a grip I already wanted and a 2nd 100% operational Gunfighter Mk.II. 4) Abandoning everything I already invested in the VKB to try out the Virpil, which would require undoing the VKB mod to my Warthog grip and F/A-18C grip. The only option that produces an immediate result is option 1, but the result could be so bad that I would have to go back and pick another option. So, I decided I won't try to fix the stick until I know the best/right way to do it AND have another option available. I already have an MCG Pro, an SCG, and two Warthog adapters and I already wanted to get the KG12, so option 3 is by far the most enticing option. But I may as yet try out the Virpil, just because I would like to do so. Unknown to anyone looking at my posts, I have get paid a decent hourly rate and in recent weeks have gottent in a substantial amount of overtime at time-and-a-half pay rate. I didn't plan to spend it on another VKB stick, but I fly on my PC almost every night and doing without it is almost as bad as having a tire blow out on a car you need to drive to work every day. So right now: I am using the Warthog stick (as I did before getting the VKB). I am waiting for VKB to tell me what to do to fix my existing bearing. I am waiting for a VKB KG12 desktop Gunfighter Mk.II to be shipped. I am pondering the Virpil stick, which might be even more appealing if I had another couple of weeks of overtime.

There isn't a DCS module that couldn't use some love, but whatever warts the DCS F-5E has, it is still my go-to DCS plane. Over time, I have flown it more and more. If the F-4E is ever released, I will surely shift my preference, as the Phantom II is my all-time favorite airplane. The F-14B and F/A-18C are absolutely amazing, but too modern for me. The 1960s/1970s jets are my favorites and the F-5E still has that analog feel while having the simplicity of early digital systems. It is easier to fly and fight in the F-5E than anything before or after it. The P-51 and F-86 are more complex in terms of engine management and the F-14 and F/A-18 are way more complex in terms of cockpit switches/MFD menus. The F-5E is right at the sweet spot between analog complexity and digital complexity. The only aircraft that might be better would be the F-15A and F-16A which would have similar analog/digital complexity, but would have the insane turn performance and thrust-to-weight of modern fighters. Note: I fly VR about 75% of the time since getting the Rift S (previously about 50% with the original Rift), so I generally don't see the huge improvements in graphics between older and newer aircraft unless I fly with my 4K 49-inch monitor, therefore the F-5 cockpit doesn't really look all that bad to me compared to other newer cockpits.

I have another solution. I am satisfied that I am the cause of the problem, so regardless of how VKB handles my ticket, I have no ill will towards them. I have wanted to get the KG12 grip, but it has been out of stock for quite some time. The KG12 is available in the desktop version. So, I have ordered the KG12 desktop, which I will convert to my center cockpit mount with extension and have a whole bunch of grips to choose from: KG12, MCG Pro, SCG regular, Warthog A-10, and F/A-18C. I may also get a Virpil since they have the B-8 style grip and will soon have the F-14. But if I can make my own B-8 and VKB releases an F-14 grip, that would be better for me.

There are two bearings on the roll axis. One is at the end with the electronics. The other is at the end with the springs. Given that I went to 2 x 50 lb springs, it is no accident that the end with the springs is the end that failed. I can assure you that I abused the heck out of my roller blades. I always used the hardest wheels available in very harsh outdoor environments. While it has been a few years since I last skated regularly, I never was the "glide and relax" kind of skater. I was always pushing, with the toe wheels always taking a beating. I had to rotate my wheels every time I skated because of the distances involved. In the rough environment and with my higher weight of recent years, my wheels were burning up fairly quickly. So, I was always getting new wheels which usually came with new bearings already installed. But from the mid 90s to the early 2000s, I was burning up ABEC 5 and higher quality bearings fairly regularly, especially when I came back to Florida with rougher surface, more dirt/water/mud than I ever encountered in San Diego.

The adapter is designed to bolt in place of the Warthog's stem. Just because another grip has the footprint of the Warthog doesn't mean it is mechanically identical in terms of the shape/mounting method used inside the grip. I just converted my F/A-18C grip using the VKB Warthog adapter. Per the other thread, it was not quite plug-n-play. The piece being removed from the grip was identical, but the geometry of the installation was not quite the same. I had to file down parts the brand new adapter to make it fit in the F/A-18C grip. Basically, just rounded off a corner to fit within the radius of the curve of a downward extension for the pinky lever switch. I have no idea what the stem of a Virpil stick looks like when disassembled. What are the odds that they used the exact same geometry to install their stems as the base of the stick?

I would have no problem purchasing a bearing press/pull kit, though I already have a tool that might work from roller blading. The problem is that something has to be removed before trying to press/pull the bearing and I am uncertain. I see a small lock screw that might be involved. But I would rather have an exact, correct procedure rather than guess wrong and break something else besides the already damaged bearing.

I only recently went to 2 x 50 lb springs after seeing recent posts here, no small conincidence that the failure occurs after making that change. I wouldn't expect the extension or the weight of the the Warthog grip to have much to do with it other than the ability to rapidly and easily pull the 50 lb springs to full defleciton. I have roller-bladed for many years and the only thing that kills good bearings has been dirt/water. They do wear over time... but the miles I skated between bearing changes were a lot more than my stick does in the roll axis. I would have expected the pitch axis to fail before the roll axis. I am ok with 1 x 50 lb springs. I was just curious what the 2 x 50 lb spring felt like. The heavier springs felt a lot more like my own homemade F-4 B-8 stick. But the single 50 lb springs were better for helo flight. Hopefully, the other bearings aren't damaged and will last.

If there is an easy way to remove the bearing and replace it myself with household tools, I am all for it. The bearings are cheap. But the attempts I made last night tell me that I will need to use enough force that I could seriously damage something, so I need a correct procedure and suggested tools to apply the right force to the right part(s). The only alternative I see is to ship it somewhere to be repaired or exchange it. But I am not expecting either of those to be cheap since I have already used it nearly 2 years. I would think about getting another base, but if they are going to fail this way every year or two (or based on their forums, arrive with this problem out of the box), then I would be foolish to buy another after encountering one lemon. I already thought about getting a Virpil just to compare, but the VKB device was so awesome that I didn't see the point. Now I see a reason to try to competition.

I have been in the process of evaluating the VKB Gunfighter Mk.II / MCG Pro versus my extensive experience with the Saitek X-36/X-45/X-52 Pro and Thrustmaster Warthog A-10C sticks. So far, the VKB product has been the stick to beat: outstanding mechanically and electrically with equal or superior features in almost every way. To date, my only complaint has been the work it takes to swap grips: The Warthog grip can be swapped in moments with no tools and no other actions other than unscrewing the installed grip, inserting the desired grip, then screwing it in. Removing/installing the VKB grip requires an allen wrench, carefully lining up the lock-collar before sliding on the new grip, and flashing the firmware. I have had two 50 lb springs break. I also needed to open the grip to install/tighten a couple of screws that secured the grip to the adapter to eliminate some left/right wiggle play in the grip rotation. Once the screws were installed correctly, the grip was rock-solid stable. I ordered the stick in October of 2017 and received a tracking number on 29 December of 2017. So I actually got the stick some time in January of 2018. So, the stick is nearly two years old. But now I have a serious problem: a bearing on the roll axis has failed. I have disassembled the stick base, removed the springs, and tested the movement. One end still has a good bearing. The other has failed: you can feel "clunks" as you move, especially across the center. This was not only felt while moving the stick left/right, but could be seen as a jumpy input in software. The bearing is a common part number. I can get 10 of them from Amazon for almost nothing. But I haven't had any success in disassembling the axis such as pressing out the bearing or unlocking the cap that holds the axis together. If I could perform this task without breaking anything, I could repair this myself for less than $10 as soon as the pack of bearings arrives by same day Amazon Prime. But I used quite a bit of force last night and nothing budged. Not worth it to break it. I have submitted a ticket to VKB USA and I am waiting to find out what my options are. Comparing this to the life of my first Warthog HOTAS: The trigger (first detent) on the stick stopped working, so I had to open the grip and replace the green PCB that sends the button information to the base. Other than that, the stick has been trouble-free since I ordered in in September of 2011. This particular stick suffered from minor stiction which was largely overcome by using an extension. So that is 8 years of service with only one part failure, and it is still going strong with the same level of precision/smoothness it always had. Though I should mention that the PCB for the throttle "bricked" and I had to replace it, too. After the PCB was replaced, the throttle was returned to full capability, again having only one physical problem after serving for over 8 years.

I can't remember the exact name, but the column name included the TMW identifier, so I would expect different columns for different firmwares/stick grips. There are now two VKB profiles in my F-5E input config: 1) VKB-Sim Gunfighter TMW 2) VKB-Sim Gunfighter Modern Combat Pro The F/A-18 grip is 100% intact. I filed the top-front edge of the adapter to have a rounded profile until I could fit the adapter in correctly. I think I just barely filed it down enough to fit. While I didn't match the radius of the Hornet grip, no light can be seen between the adapter and the stick at the tangent point where they appear to be touching each other.

The F-4 grip has a large box directly beneath it (a force-feel transducer for its flight control system similar to the F-16 stick). I am pretty sure I can use my real F-4 stick setup to design a nearly identically shaped/sized box that can hold all of the PCBs. The extra B-8 grip I have is for a helo setup: it can be mounted on a hollow pipe and has all of the switch wires dangling down. I should be able to interface those wires in place of the original switches and get exactly what I want. The transducer box will act like a stick extension with the VKB adapter at the bottom. I already have a length of aluminum pipe that is nearly identical in dimensions to VKB extensions, so I should be able to build a complete setup that looks fairly close to my real F-4 stick, but attaches to the VKB Gunfighter II base.