Bananimal

The pack is up. Links on the first post in this thread. :thumbup:

Ok fellas. The pack has been uploaded and is awaiting approval by the mods. As soon as they post it, I'll update the first post in this thread with the download link. Hope you enjoy it.

LOL! Good lord is right. I call this one the patch job from hell. It's was the hardest repaint I've ever done. I would imagine the digital camo skin that was done a while back was even harder, but matching up these patches across seams with all the blending going on was a nightmare. I'm truly glad to be done with it. Also, the tank in the pictures was in fact mounted to this aircraft in one of the pictures I have. I used the default as a template and modified the spacing on the pattern to match the photo. It looks the same as the original, but it is not. And, I know I said that I was going to do the CoNA and the CaG birds next, but I want to step away from VFA-204 for about a week. I have something else I'm itching to release. Be looking out for a new thread from me in the next few days.

Here's a couple shots of the intake and engine covers for VFA-204 in this pack.

Ok, guys. I'm almost finished VFC-12 01. Just three more small parts to match up and she's done. This repaint took me a full three weeks to complete. It is a real aircraft. It's VFA-204 406 re-patched to VFC-12 01 once VFA-204 started receiving the Charlies and transferred it over to VFC-12. The markings are as accurate as I could get them. It's pretty impressive, though I don't think I'll be attempting to do another one like this for some time. It's a tremendous amount of work. The interesting thing is, I found a video blog of C.W. Lemoine on Youtube. He was the pilot for number 414 in this pack. I reached out to him and gave him some insight into DCS and my repaints. He was impressed. The repatched VFC-12 09 bird posted earlier in this thread is 414. LCDR C.W. Lemoine's old bird. Of course, VFA-204 414 circa 2016 will be included in the pack as well and then I will add it to the 2011 and 2015 packs. So you'll be getting 414 in the final update to those two packs as well. I just need to change the camo on 414 for 2016 and this pack is done. As always, pilots, engine/intake covers, etc. have been included for both VFA-204 and VFC-12. Pretty cool stuff.

Still working on the 2016-2017 pack guys. Soon. Very soon.

Unfortunately no. There are two reason for this. 1. The location of the aircraft numbering on these repaints IRL are outside of the BORT number bounding boxes ED uses on the aircraft. To use the BORT system as is would mean the numbers on the aircraft were not in their correct location on the repaint. 2. Each aircraft in these packs are unique from a camo/decal perspective. No two are alike. Simply changing the BORT number in-game would not represent each aircraft's real life counterpart. For these two reason, this is why I have painted so many of them. So that those of you in squadrons can each fly a unique plane. I can tell you this, I've been flying with a few friends and when we all pick a unique number from these skins and go flying, the visuals are awesome. The good news is this. When I wrap of VFA-204, there are several other squadrons I will be doing that will support the BORT numbering system and will include a generic skin for that purpose.

Here's a pic of the real plane.

Just finished one of the ex-VFA 204 to VFC-12 transition birds. It's 414 above. One more to do. Hoping to get it done tomorrow. I spent about 5 hours today trying to lay out coin sized tape on the helmet for this aircraft. Wasn't going to happen. So, finishing the last VFC-12 bird should be relatively quick. Here'a few pics.

Ok fellas. Finished up 414 today. She'll be getting converted to a VFC-12 bird this week along with 406. Once those two are done, the pack will be on the way. I hope to have both done by the end of this week. Here's a few screens of 414. She's a bit patched up. I removed the absurd dark streak beneath the vertical stabs and the over done hydraulic fluid on the wings was lightened significantly. I will be doing this for all aircraft in this pack and as an update with other fixes to the other packs. None of the pictures I worked from had those marks, so, they are gone. :thumbup:

Alright folks. Last night, I fully intended to release these aircraft this week. However, I was looking for a bonus aircraft for the pack and finally found one. It's number 414 after it was handed over to VFC-12. So, I have to paint VFA-204 414 in order to do that bonus aircraft. What sealed the deal on this is, the 2018 pack I'll be doing, I planned on doing 414 as a bonus aircraft for that pack. So, I've got to get it done either way. I will be honest and tell you, I will be really glad to finish up the camo birds and not have to paint them for a while. They are burning me out. I've got my eye on some Marines squadrons and then further down the road, I plan on doing VFA-134 Smokes. They have camo. So, bare with me while I get this last one done and the 2017 pack will be on the way.

Just about finished the last plane in the upcoming c.2017 pack. Just a few loose ends and it'll be done. Three of these aircraft required full repaints. I've then got to create the HUD, seat, engine and intake covers and this pack will be ready for upload. This one is interesting. All the mismatches in paint on this one are as seen in photos. I especially like the light grey trim around the right intake and the lack of intake warning decal. :thumbup:

Well, apparently I wasn't holding the pickle button long enough. Missiles are firing now. Just need to figure out why I can see the target on radar. Thanks.

Yes, CAG and Line birds are next in the Pipeline. Oh, and the CoNA bird too. CoNA and CAGs will be released as a pack. The line birds in grey will follow those.

On the latest open beta. Hot start on the runway, NTTR map at Groom Lake.

I have no doc folder in the Yak-52 folder. Need the manual to figure out how to disengage the parking brake.

Yes, master to GUNS MSL & CAMR is on. Have tone from the missile and tone when the seeker head finds the targets heat signature. Yes, holding down the pickle button. I even went in and remapped the button to be sure there was no possibility the button was not mapped. I had a buddy try his F-5E last night and same thing for him.

I'm unable to launch the missiles at all. They are armed, jettison control is set to safe, weapons release mode is set to safe and both sidewinders toggles are flipped in the up position and no dogfight mode selected. The missiles refuse to release/fire. Had a mission setup with a MiG-21 right in from of me. I could see him in the HUD but the radar refuses to show him at all. Tried everything, no joy. Never had this problem before the latest update.

Yep. I used to love the sound of the engines when they'd chop the throttle for base leg. They sounded like someone blowing into a giant coke bottle. I've managed to finish number 405 today. There will be a patched up version, shown here, and a normal version for those that don't like the patches. With the patchwork, I seemed to have hit the limitations of my talent. It came out ok, but it is not exact. Namely because Belsimtek botched the panel lines on the leading edge slats. So I could not lay the patchwork out as in pictures.

Wait until you see the black trimmed ones in game. I should also mention, those of you that are not using the "ReShade" GPU post processing application in the game, should be. The light grey on these aircraft has a blue shade to it that only shows up properly when Reshade is running within DCS. I highly, highly recommend using ReShade with HDR enabled. You'll never fly DCS again without using it. It makes that much of a difference to the game. You can find it here https://reshade.me .

Gents, Both packs have been updated with the correct flight suit patches. Thanks to Mrjollyroger103 for the heads up and the assistance in locating the correct patches. Since I had to upload the packs again, I took the opportunity to increase the size of the aircraft numbers on the flaps of all aircraft. Tomorrow, I shall get back to work on the 2017 pack. I have three more birds to finish painting for that one.

Thanks Don. I have it already. Jetguy. I'm in Madisonville. I used to live in Terrytown on the Westbank of New Orleans. When I was a kid, On Saturdays, I'd watch the LAANG fly the pattern in F-100Ds and then the F-4Cs when they transitioned to those from my roof with a set of binoculars. Sometimes they would fly right over the house. Miss those days.

Well, I'm head down again on the circa 2017 birds. Not going to happen by the end of the week. I'm painting number 405 right now and it's super patched. But, i want to do it to see how it turns out. There's two others that will need significant paint changes as well. It'll be worth the wait. i just can't bring myself to take the shortcut of just changing the tail color and fonts. These birds are screaming for detail. So..........

Very nice. Snapped it up as soon as you uploaded it.