Kippy

Nobody ever told me how darn big these things are!

I use my Warthog for the Huey. It does work pretty darn well. Despite helicopters themselves being devious little abominations of aviation, they are good fun to fly.

I'm talking about DCS, not the real world. I've tested hypoxia a few times in DCS and that's just when I started to observe significant effects after a relatively short period of time.

If you want to throw realism out with the canopy, then the only real downside is hypoxia at higher altitudes. I think it begins around 18,000 feet IIRC. I too happen to like convertibles, just not ones that fly.

You see, feefifofum is the correct one here. The Eagle driver wouldn't need the knife, he'd simply crush the bear with his tennis-court size ego. :) "Now if you drive the Eagle then you drink it all for show.."

I'd truthfully love to see a skin from VF-111. VF-111 really knew what it meant to have a sexy paint scheme.

Having flown the DCS A-10C for nearly two and a half years now, picking up other modules such as the F-5E and the F-15C on the side, I can still say with utmost confidence that the A-10C still stands at the top of the top of the DCS pedestal. While the A-10C is in my opinion the most complex aircraft in DCS, I always recommend it as the first module everybody should fly. Here's why. The A-10C is easy to fly, and has very forgiving maneuverability characteristics. As such, it's a good aircraft to learn the basic principles of flight relating to the combat environment such as energy management, high performance turns, and even some basic air combat maneuvering. It retains very good pitch and roll authority throughout maneuvers all the way to the stall and is no stranger to maneuvering at a wide range of airspeeds, as slow as 140 knots to as fast as 340 knots. The A-10 is often harped on for having an airspeed indicator that may be confused for a calendar and occasionaly suffers birdstrikes from the rear, but truthfully her slow speed I see as an upside. It allows pilots the leisure to relax, absorb information and take things slowly rather than worrying about arranging a meeting with the ground at 500 knots. The A-10 will teach you many necessary skills. Her ideal traits all culminate into what is effectively a good training aircraft - very capable and very forgiving. While the A-10 is very easy to fly, the complexity of the aircraft rears it's head when we step into the cockpit and start to work the systems. The A-10C has the most advanced avionics and targeting suites of any aircraft in DCS, allowing the A-10C to fill a wide variety of roles - from a low and slow CAS monkey to a high altitude surgical strike platform. While many pilots talk of the A-10C being an intimidating aircraft to learn, I think the complexity of the Pig's systems are far exaggerated. The A-10C's systems are all very straightforward, and simply take practice and patience to learn. It's not hard per se, and it's not scary - you just have to be willing to spend some time before and after each flight skimming through a pdf file, and here's the kicker, reading about some of the aircraft's capabilities and methods to employing it's systems. I recommend that if you learn better like this, to learn the A-10C's systems in small bites. Spend one day or so learning how to set up weapon profiles, and maybe the next day you'd spend learning how to work the targeting pod. Despite all the talk of the A-10C's intimidating systems, nobody mentions that you don't have to learn absolutely everything all at once. I actually advise just the opposite, that way you can really spend time with different systems and learn them up and down. Once you learn the A-10C's systems, it's time to get kinetic and put some ordinance on target, which is another aspect to learning the A-10C that can be taken in small bites. It's best to start your weapons training learning the A-10C's most practical weapon, the GAU-8/A, then jumping to dumb bombs, jumping again to guided bombs, cluster bombs, Mavericks, and so on. What I can promise you is that the A-10C is the most rewarding aircraft to fly in DCS - There is no better feeling for me than watching a Maverick slide off the rail and bust a SAM site in two. Again, the learning process for the A-10's weapons is one best taken in small bites and doesn't have to happen all at once, but ultimately how to learn is up to you. Combined with a superior knowledge of the A-10C's systems and weapons, you will be single-handedly the most lethal aircraft in DCS. The A-10C has a wide range of powerful weapons at it's disposal - from the reliable and effective AGM-65 family, to the devastating and precise GBU family, the downright scarily destructive CBU family, and the star of the show, the awe-inspiring multitool, the GAU-8/A. The A-10 stands completely unchallenged in terms of sheer firepower for all of the DCS modules, and you'll never forget that as you wipe out an entire hostile FOB. The A-10 is easily the biggest challenge in DCS, but I am very confident is the most capable and most rewarding module. The DCS community has always orbited around the DCS A-10C as it's flagship module, and it has a great community of pilots here to help you learn along the way. I've personally shown the ropes to a few pilots with the A-10C and would be more than happy to help you learn the A-10C as well Buzz. I hope you decide to fly the Pig, keep us posted on our decision! Blue Skies and Tailwinds.

Really enjoyed my time with VMFA-251. Fantastic group of guys to fly with. Hope you're successful in attracting some new pilots.:thumbup:

If you find any plane to be "boring," I suggest you find a new hobby. Aviation and simulations aren't for you in that case :)

With Darkfire and Kingsnake. I've tried a few times in different sims to get a realistic-oriented squadron off the ground, and each time I've run into the same problem; not enough pilots. If I could get enough A-10C guys, I'd startup the 163rd again.

...Coming soon.™ Available with and without crown.

What must be understood is in order to have these weapons, we first must have the aircraft to carry them. The A-10C we have is the Suite 3.1, which does not support APKWS rockets, or the AGM-65E to my understanding. We also don't have the SDB because that weapon is fairly new, and also can't be carried by the Suite 3.1 A-10C to my understanding. The fact of the matter is, we can't have these weapons because they are incompatible with the aircraft we have in DCS. Now, if we all write letters to ED pledging our support and immediate willingness to buy a Suite 7 DCS A-10 for absurd prices, they may seek another contract with the Air Force.. Ah I'm dreaming again. ;)

Being an A-10C guru, I will sing the Hawg's praises until I go mute. Saddle up and let me learn you a bit about what makes the A-10C the best module in DCS. Bringin' the Thunder: Currently, the A-10C's air to ground capability stands absolutely unchallenged by any other module for obvious reasons. The A-10C has fantastic weapons at it's disposal, from the versatile GAU-8/A, the powerful AGM-65 family, the surgical hammer strikes of the guided GBU family.. these are the A-10s primary tools of chaos. While all of these mentioned weapons are effective and capable, I've found that the A-10s most powerful strikes will come from her CBU-97s and CBU-105s. These cluster munitions are capable of converting entire tank columns into scrap metal, and I don't just mean one or two tanks. The A-10 sheer firepower carried on her pylons has her flying far above any other module so far. If you want to move some mud, the A-10 will be your sweetheart. In Contrast, Forgiving and Gentle: The A-10 is by far the "easiest" and most enjoyable module to physically hand fly. Most fighters burn holes through the sky and shudder at the mere notion of low airspeeds - not the A-10, the A-10 sails gracefully through. The A-10 retains very good roll, yaw and pitch authority all the way into the stall. Stall recovery is a breeze, and can be accomplished with surprisingly little altitude. She's also very easy to trim, and is no stranger to low airspeeds and tight turns. The A-10 is the only module in DCS that I truly enjoy just flying, and I find cruising around the skies of Nevada to be just as rewarding as watching a Maverick fly off the rail and bust a tank in two. Durability takes no backseat in this design: The A-10 can regularly and reliably survive MANPAD hits and AAA fire. While you may lose some electronics and other equipment, it takes quite a lot of work to bust the A-10 up to no longer being mission capable. I need to say no more than to provide a link to this video: Lookin good, sounding good: As a Combined Arms JTAC, there is no other plane I like to work with than the A-10. Calling these guys in on 9-lines is oh-so rewarding, having them swoop overhead and hearing the mighty thunder of the GAU-8/A is something I will always remember when I think of DCS. The A-10 and the A-10 alone is the reason I bought Combined Arms - to witness the awe inspiring sound and sights of being a JTAC for the A-10s in my squadron and to get the ground unit perspective of a CAS strike. While many consider the A-10 to be an ugly bird that only it's mother could love, most of her pilots warm right up to it and come to appreciate her not-so-graceful curves and mean silhouette. Oh my, and the TF-34s! The Viggen sure sounds great on a flyby, but can't hold a candle to the pig. If you're going to pick up the A-10C, the A-10C Real Sound Mod and Ga-Bika's GAU-8 sounds are must haves! A cozy, ergonomic cockpit: While the numerous buttons, buttons, switches, levers, rotary knobs, etc. must seem very daunting for a new pilot, the A-10C's cockpit is quite a cozy pit to crawl in to once you get used to it. In my opinion, Ricardo's Horse of War cockpit is an absolutely must-have addon. Really gives the Pig that feel that she's "been there" before. And another thing about the cockpit, everything is right where you want it to be. There's so much more to be said... and not enough space on the internet! While I do acknowledge that this "assessment" may have been a little biased... I can promise you that if Air to Ground is your shindig, the A-10 will be for you and will not regret it. The A-10 is fantastic jet for a first module as it's simplistic to fly, yet complicated in systems - it will allow you to spend a lot less time on flying the aircraft and more time learning about how it's systems operate. Also, with having the most complex systems in DCS, once you learn the A-10, everything else will be a cakewalk. At least until the F/A-18C. Blue skies and Tailwinds.

Rest in Peace, Blooze. I will forever appreciate your company and help.

I for one think we should name it "Skip."

The 262 is a very capable airframe, and is a plane to be very scared of. If she is allowed time to build up speed, you wont ever dream of catching her. In a dogfight/furball, the 262 has ultimate control over the fight. It's best to use her slashing through furballs, tagging an opponent each pass, extending to 4000 yards or so, then turning in and reengaging the furball. This is how we flew her in Aces High, and allow me to speak of some of my experiences there. The presence of a 262 demands vigilance of enemy fighters. If they don't pay attention to it's whereabouts at all times, there's a good chance she may single you out in her list of targets and blast you away before you know it. We would never allow our speed to dip below 400 mph, making gentle turns and pouring on the throttle anytime we were threatened by a high contact or a Typhoon or Tempest. Nearly any plane can give chase to a 262 out of a dive, but the pursuer can't maintain that speed like the 262 can. It's only a matter of time before that 262 starts putting distance between you and him. 262s are immediately high value targets as soon as they reach the fight, if you allow them to slash through furballs picking your friendlies you will find yourself quickly out of planes to fight the enemy. I can't speak enough about the 262 and what a fantastic aircraft she is to fly and handle. This video demonstrates very well how we used to fly the 262 back in Aces High.

Certainly! Sorry about the late response, I've been out for the holidays. I'll take a look at some of the liveries and keep you posted here. Thanks!

Hey TripRodriguez, I see you've gone with the A-10C and I'd like to congratulate you on your selection! She truly is a joy to fly, and often times I find myself enjoying cruising over the Nevada desert at dusk just as much as a tense combat mission in the mountains of Georgia. The A-10C community is absolutely fantastic. DCS A-10C has created a community of guys who really know the A-10C and have a culture of their own. You made the right choice, welcome to the Pig club! Hope ya get settled into the A-10 just fine. I see that you're also looking for a squadron dedicated to realism. I'll go ahead and shoot ya a PM on that. Raise a glass for our new hog driver!

I've had these images I took from my phone sitting around for a while. Two A-10Cs from the 163rd Fighter Squadron based in Fort Wayne, IN made it out to Oshkosh earlier this year, and it was an absolute blast to meet the pilots and see these birds fly in person. I had actually just turned around and began to walk up the taxiway to leave for the day when I heard that unforgettable sound - the A-10s TF34. The A-10s had made a few low passes before coming in to land, and well.. I cancelled my plans in town and spent the rest of the day annoying some A-10 pilots with questions galore. Here are a handful of images that I took. Of course the airshow performers got angry that I was paying attention to the A-10 and not them. So they photobombed me! The Fort Wayne airshow this year was a blast too! With the airshow being held at their base, this time, the A-10s were the star of the show. It was absolutely fantastic to meet the pilots, crew and aircraft belonging to the squadron that inspired the Virtual 163rd. Unlike Oshkosh, they kept us away from arms length of the A-10s this time. At Oshkosh, I got scolded by a pilot after banging my head on an AIM-9 rack walking under the wing :lol:

Brilliant! Had me rolling all over the floor.

I've come to this thread once again, to apologize for my earlier outbursts earlier within the thread. They were totally uncalled for, and ultimately, advice is advice.

Hey nspgadget, landing can be a tough task in any aircraft. I'll try to give you a good write up to the best of my knowledge here. It's important to keep this phrase in mind - You can't make a good landing out of a bad approach. Your first key to walking away form your landing grinning ear to ear is to set up a good approach. You mentioned that you often find trouble finding the airport and the runway; thankfully the A-10 has plenty of systems at your disposal to get you back to the runway. The first and by far most common method to find your way back home is to use the A-10s TAD. The TAD does of course show airports. If you are too far from the airport to see it on the TAD in the default mode, I recommend using either EXP mode 1 or 2 by setting the TAD as SOI and China hat forward. This will detach the TAD view relative to the aircraft's position and you can then search the area surrounding your jet. Put your cursor directly over the airport, and then zoom out until you can see your aircraft. Then you'll have some sort of way to reckon yourself back to the airport with some relative accuracy. The second, and most accurate method, is to use TACAN. TACAN is rather simple and straightforward, and will take you to directly to the airport's beacon. It should be noted that not all airports have TACAN equiptment. For the ones that do however, you must first know the TACAN code of the airport you're looking to navigate to. These codes will be in a format comprised of 2, with an X or Y following the digits (example, 44X or 36Y). You can find these codes using existing user made pages, such as this one. Alternatively, you can use the "Divert" page of the CDU by pressing "FUNC" and then "2" on the UFC Scratchpad. All you have to do is punch in the airport's TACAN code, set the TACAN to A/A TR, and select "TCN" on the center front dash below the HSI, and your HSI will steer you the selected airport. The third way, while a bit primitive, does work well. Most missions will allow you to see the position of your aircraft on the map by pressing F-10 in flight, and you can then use the ruler tool to determine the heading and distance to the airport relative to your location. Of course, if you can't see your aircraft on the map, which may be the case depending on the mission, then this option is ultimately unavailable. The Traffic Pattern So all of those are ways to get to the airport - but what about actually setting up an approach for the runway? If the visibility is good and you can make a visual approach, then joining the traffic pattern is one of the easiest ways to land visually. Every airport has a traffic pattern, and all aircraft of all sizes fly some form of the traffic pattern. The basic traffic pattern has four "legs", or parts. The first is known as Upwind leg. This is the leg where you are traveling in the direction of and parallel to the active landing runway. Often times this leg is actually your takeoff, if you take off intending to stay within the pattern. Next is the leg where you will turn 90 degrees perpendicular to the runway, known as crosswind leg. In this leg, you will simply travel 90 degrees to the runway for as long as you feel that you need to. Keep in mind that as this leg extends, so does your base leg. If you're looking to spend longer in the base leg, spend longer in the crosswind leg. Then comes downwind leg, where you are traveling parallel to but in the opposite direction of the active landing runway. You can fly this leg for as long as you need to - but it is within this leg that you will start your descent back to the runway. Most instructors teach the basic rule of "abeam the numbers," that you start your descent once you are 90 degrees to the numbers on the end of the active landing runway. When you are "abeam the numbers," drop your flaps to "MVR," reduce to a bit above approach speed, and begin a gradual descent. It's critical to know that as you extend this downwind leg, you extend the final approach. So if you really want to practice a good landing, especially in windy conditions, think about extending your downwind leg to give yourself more time flying the final approach. Continue your descent, and when you think you've gotten as far from the runway as you need for a good final approach, turn 90 degrees into your next leg, known as "base leg." It is like crosswind leg, just flying in the opposite direction. Continue descending throughout base leg. Now comes the hardest part of the traffic pattern, judging when to turn to final approach. You'd think that after flying many traffic patterns both IRL and in sims that I'd have this skill down packed. You think incorrectly. :lol: Jokes aside, When you have gotten near being in line with the runway for final approach, turn 90 degrees and align your heading with the runway. Be sure to make the turn BEFORE you are aligned with the runway, or you will overshoot it and have to come left during the final approach. Once you have done this, you are then on final approach and set to land. Your goal is to have descended enough during your base and downwind legs to be on glide slope; descend too much and you'll be below it, descend too little and you'll be above it. Now reduce to landing speed, drop your flaps to "DN", drop the landing gear, and try to stay on glide slope. One question you may ask is, "How do I determine my landing speed?" This speed is determined by many factors - runway condition, aircraft weight, wind, etc... So what's best to do is fly your final approach by your Angle of Attack indexer reference rather than a set airspeed. The following excerpt is from the DCS A-10C flight maual... As you find yourself approaching the runway, keep yourself on glide slope until you pass over the end of the runway. Remember that you are not aiming to land on the end of the runway, rather you are aiming to land on the aiming markers. As you come over the end of the runway, slowly pull your throttles to idle, and begin your roundout and flare. Remember that landing on the nosegear is the cardinal sin of landing. As you feel the jet touchdown, deploy the speedbrakes and keep nose in the air a little longer and then slowly bring it down( Careful not to bang it down, or you can damage the nosegear!). Begin braking until you slow down sufficiently to make the turn off the runway onto the nearest taxiway. Hey hey hey, you've just landed! Hope it was good. Always do keep in mind that if at any time during the final approach you feel uneasy or unsure of the landing, the most prudent thing to do is to go around. Simply power up, raise the landing gear, and fly directly over the runway, and fly the pattern again starting at the crosswind leg.

Saying that "Oh the A-10 doesn't do that..." This is a simulator, not real life. The OP can do whatever he wants with the A-10C. If he wants to load it to the brim with AIM-54s, there are mods for that and he's perfectly entitled to. I think I'm going to coin a term for this, I will forever fear the DCS Fun Police.

Do any of these OP's question? No. Useless posts. Almost as useless as mine here. I shouldn't even have to point this out.