Cunctator

I strongly prefer a Normandy map without 3D rail tracks released this year over one with them sometime next year.

1A, for me the Harrier is one of the most fascinating aircraft. 2B, based on the speed of progress with the Mirage a fully expect the Av-8 within the next year. I wouldn't be too much surprised to see an early access release around Christmas, but currently don't consider it likely. 3B, I like to have Turboprops and trainers in FSX, where they are great for VFR cross country flights, but in a combat sim I prefer heavier planes. This might change once we have much more maps available. 4A, Hornets can't land vertically and as an attack aircraft it will perfectly into current DCS. 5A

I hope a stand alone release of the F4U is not out of question for you, if 2.5 and new terrain technology is delayed further. The Viggen and F-14 will be nice to have, but it is the F4U I am really waiting for.

Central Germany Korea Israel-Egypt Solomon Islands

F4U screenhoots and some official infos about the WW2 Pacific project anytime soon would be No. 1 on my Leatherneckwishlist.

I expect we will see the more simple single seat night fighters used by the US Navy and Marines first, such as the F4U-2 or F4U-5N. They should be much easier to implement and fill fit perfectly into the 3rd party WW2 Pacific and Korea scenarios.

This looks beautiful. A proverbial "golden age" ahead for DCS.

I like the current sandbox approach. We already have a lot of content in DCS and the already hinted or announced stuff that should be released within the next year (F/A-18, Harrier, SoH map, Normandy and WWII Pacific with period AI units) can keep me occupied for years. Thus I would prefer if they focus on core platform enhancements, like some sort of dynamic campaign systems, that supports this content. With a growing number of 3rd party devs there should be more than enough new toys in the coming years.

With so many interesting aircraft but no more modern Europe map in development I will certainly do so. Any WW2 map will work as a decent substitute for Cold War scenarios at least up to the 70ties.

Not to mention the F4U-2 night fighter detachments from VF(N)-101 that regularly operated from USS Intrepid and USS Enterprise in February 1944.

F/A-18C F4U AV-8 any new map Mirage III

I see a P-38 on the left and a F6F Hellcat 3D model on the right.

Yeah. I always wondered why Vought never adopted the Super Corsairs bubble canopy for the later models.

There are reasons why the F4U was produced till 1953 despite its flaws. That's why I love this plane. Even the F4U-1 series was competitive as a fighter till the end of the war, while it also evolved into an excellent attack aircraft. Carrier capable, successful as night fighter or air racer. A true multirole aircraft. I hope we will finally get some info about the DCS project this summer!

DCS: Rocinante

+ 1 for Mount Suribachi So does this mean the new terrain technology that put the F4U project on hold has become available and everything will proceed as planned?

I think that's a minor problem, but what's wrong with it? It's hard to find some good english sources on that war. Corsairs were the major fighters for both sides in this war. El-Salvador was using Goodyear built F4U-1Ds (FG-1s) alongside its Mustangs against Honduras more modern F4U-5 and F4U-4 equipped air force. However they were in a very bad shape, with their superchargers malfunctioning. Never less an interesting setup with some nice paint schemes, but the scale of this conflict was that small that I don't think It would be worth any extra efforts to model it accurately in DCS.

Another most excellent choice. The Israeli Air Force's success with the Mirage IIICJ turned this plane into a legend. There couldn't be a more appropriate version for DCS.

Satellites can't provide a 24/7 coverage and have regular, predictable orbits. A drone that can survive long enough in an A2/AD environment needs to be highly stealthy and won't be an inexpensive throw away asset. Your missile will have a considerable longer flight time than any weapon launched from a penetrating assets that has just located the target. It can be detected (and intercepted), giving the enemy additional time to react. Serious problems when attacking time sensitive targets. If you already need to have stealthy high end reecon drone nearby, why not armed stealthy high end strike fighters?

Then you would get a more expensive and less flexible force that still needs the support of some penetrating asset to provide targeting data for your missiles. And how would you do something like Gulf War 1 SCUD hunting or equivalent missions with an all ballistic missile strike force?

+1 for a first generation Harrier, which even should be easier to model than the more advanced versions.

I am eagerly anticipating the roll out of the Boeing/Saab and Northtrop-Grumman clean sheet designs, which should happen alter this year. Curious if any team has further plans to develop their's into an exportable light weight fighter, as it happened with the T-38/F-5.

It is not true that the F-35 is not optimized for its role. The F-35 is a strike fighter and that role it excels. The Lightning can fly into any heavily defended airspace, locate targets on the ground and blow them up, while being able to defend itself against all possible threats. It wasn't designed as an air superiority fighter or interceptor, that was the F-22's job. They analyzed how the F/A-18, F-16 and AV-8 were actually used in combat in the last decades and then build an aircraft that fits perfectly in that role. If you take away all high tech stuff you still have an airframe that can carry two 2000 ibs bombs, AMRAAMs for self defense and enough fuel for a 600 nm combat radius internally and can still fly at Mach 1.6. No F-15, F-16 or Tornado can do that in a similar configuration while carrying bombs, target pods and tanks. Stealth, sensors and sufficient performance and maneuverability will be enough to prevail in A2A until someone can afford to build a similar number (1000+) of stealth fighters, which will not happen anytime soon.

Nothing but miraculous performance in a full scale war will ever satisfy the F-35 critics. If it is performing well in tests or exercises it is just some stupid conspiracy. Or they will just move on to badmouth the next jet fighter project as soon as there is something to show off.

Not to mention that the AN/APG-73 modeled by ED is a more advanced version of the AN/APG-65 found in the Harrier II+. They even received radar sets from upgraded F/A-18As. It would be stupid to the same work twice. Once the Av-8, F-18 and Corsair are released I will be in flight sim heaven.