Chappie

While noble intentions abound, this is not a good idea. Civilian Flight Simulation exists already in three forms: Microsoft Flight Simulator 10, X-Plane 10, and Lockheed Martin Prepar3D not to mention FS9 which is still viable. The aforementioned simulations perform civilian flight simulation very well. DCS is not a superb flight simulation platform but a military combat flight simulation samdbox. There is a difference. The focus of DCS, as I read it from Wags, is to eventually bring such civilian aircraft and even train simulation. I think this is quite short sighted for several reasons: - DCS is a subscriber to the flat Earth society. There is in fact not a world but a small section of it and I interpret the World in DCS as being the real world of combat aircraft simulated in DCS. That is apparent now from WWII to the present age. - DCS World does has always done military combat best. They have a monopoly on it and there is noone hands down that can compete. As such, DCS can't compete with FSX, XP-10, or P3D and nor should it try to. Civilian flight simulation is entrenched and a huge market that includes military aircraft. But no one simulates military aircraft and the combat environment they operate in better than DCS. This should be their continued focus because TackPak and the like come nowhere close ... - DCS is the last combat aircraft simulation frontier we have and this is it. Flight Simulation in general is past prime and beyond decline .... no big-name publisher house wants to touch it. This makes DCS unique in its own right and the addition of flyable civilian aircraft would destroy what this sim is about. ARMAIII is out and good for such kiddie stuff as flying a Cessna to achieve some objective and hope not to be shot down. But this is DCS and the image of this game as a combat simulation only should be preserved lest it be muddled and have civilian pilots now demanding the ED provide the entire world, every airport including my own hometown airport, all runway and airport services, great scenery, more options like a 747, and seek to turn DCS into some FSX clone ... that is a horrible vision. What makes the user base in DCS explode is to bring this military aircraft made for civilian flight simulations that so many love to DCS. The F-16, the F/A-18, the F-14, the Hind, the F-15E, etc. Fulfill that laundry list and this place will be hopping.

No but I am not much of a fan of military flight simulation in FSX. I want a radar, weapons, ability to shoot them and combat aircraft in a non-combat sim just isn't fun to me.

I totally agree with you. I feel like the Emperor in his famous quote "...I have waited a long time for this..." speaking gleefully as finally the destruction of the Jedi was nigh. I just want to reach out and touch someone with an AIM-54 and the imminent arrival of a Leatherneck F-14 is just too good a potential news item.

To get your F-14 fix, try out the Third Wire Simulations Strike Fighters 2 North Atlantic sim. An accurate rendition and I love designating up to six aircraft and shooting six AIM-54s at one time.

I am referring to hardcore F-14 simulations of which the only true, in my opinion, was Microprose F-14 Fleet Defender.

...The Grumman F-14 A - D. There has been exactly two simulations of the F-14 from Microprose and Third Wire. This is perhaps the most undersimulated aircraft in all of history and I make an impassioned plea for Leatherneck to bring the Tomcat to DCS World. With the F/A-18C appearing more heir apparent than the F/A-18E, the Tomcat would go well with its' little cousin especially with a properly working USS Carl Vinson that is already in DCS World. The stars appear to be aligning on this and perhaps American Naval muscle can meet in DCS and rival Russian Naval muscle with the Su-33 and, maybe, the MiG-29K or MiG-35? DCS, being the sandbox simulation it is, always carries the possibility of some distant future.

I have discovered that the approach speed is unimportant so long as you are consistent with it. A faster or slower approach speed allows you to accomplish the same goal so don't get hung up on the speed. Just be consistent about it. For instance, at 300 km/h I will drop gear, full flaps, check tailwheel locked, and then adjust my speed in the descent to achieve either a power on or power off approach. Rate of descent will vary depending upon picture and desired landing spot. Be more concerned with establishing a constant picture out the window, a correct and consistent line-up with the runway centerline, and if you are power on or peer off in your approach. I do not recommend power changes on final approach and either fix power or remove it prior to the runway. Power changes adjust the torque and P-Factor which change aircraft attitude and orientation with the runway centerline. It is better to perform a power or or power off stabilized approach to the runway. If power on, reduce power for descent glide and when main wheels touch, then reduce power to idle and apply corrective rudder while allowing the tail to gently descend. Don't yank the tail back or you will balloon. If power off, apply left rudder for correction or orientation and lineup to glide onto the runway allowing mains to touch first and let the tailwheel drop. Braking is not done until the tailwheel is on the ground with the stick at back stop and slight differential braking used to help orientation more. Don't be in a hurry and don't panic. If you can't control it, let it roll off the runway as no damage occurs to the aircraft when doing so. The reason the aircraft rolls wing left or right is because you need downward pressure on the tailwheel by pulling the stick back and be careful of application of rudder or braking as the narrow width landing gear (dumb design) is not tolerant of yaw left or right on the ground at speed.

I think the main reason you see this behavior is because off-runway landings are poorly modeled. This is recent behavior where, prior to DCS, touching the ground on landing meant instant explosion. Now it appears we are seeing a sblamce of grass landings but it is proprly tuned for what you see o youtube 109 landings.

Centerline discipline is a better approach. Lineup of your aircraft with thw runway centerline has far more value to a clean rollout on the runway. Also, nothing wrong with departing the runway once down and rolling out although I agree differential breaking is useful but more a crutch for poor centerline discipline.

Have you tried to cozy up and grab fuel? Make a mission with the S3B to provide refueling for the Su-33 ... Make America and Russia friends in your mission to do so. Last time I checked this I was in an F-14 (cheap mod) that was unable to deploy the refueling probe but I noticed the S3B didn't respond to repeated calls for fuel. That may indeed be a simple solution for ED with the up and coming F/A-18 to enable buddy drogues and S3B refueling as the only other drogue and probe refueled is the A-50 for the Su-33.

Use a backcourse approach if one is present for the runway you desire. You could also use an NDB approach as there are plenty of beacons in DCS. Don't attempt to use ILS at a field from the opposite end of the runway unless there is a localizer/ILS or backcourse approach available. Better to use an NDB or VOR/TACAN approach to minimums and see if the runway is in sight. If the runway is not in sight, you are not legally allowed to descend below minimums. This being a sim, you can do as you please in IMC.

I disagree with you. I am only private pilot single engine land licensed and have spun the 109 to the left more than 10 rotations before recovering while fighting a P-51 in instant action mission. I even managed to perform an unrecoverable inverted spin to the right. How I entered such conditions are not entirely known to me but entrance to a spin requires a cross-controlled condition of left or right bank, nose up attitude, and an uncoordinated or cross coordinated input of rudder opposite direction of bank. In the 109, chasing a P-51 into a vertical fight, and not stepping on the right rudder while the left wing stalls in a right bank will put you into a left spin and vice versa. This is clearly an incipient spin and at time so subtle I feel as though my nose is coming down gently to the left and when I think I just did a slow hammerhead I observe my nose continue to track left into and increased flat turn I which I am now spinning. Correction is stick full forward and pedal opposite direction of spin. The 109 will spin but must be slow enough in a cross-controlled condition to do so. Just pulling the nose north and stalling wit hour rudder use is at times enough. I still can't survive and inverted spin. 1) I'm an aircraft of such weight, the stall is always a gentle falling out of the sky. This is not a 747. Also, there are leading edge wing slats that increases flow of air which I think is also why over stress breaks that part of the wing. 2) leading edge wing slats are the primary culprit here. Stall proceeds from wing root tot the tip but the leading edge wing slats hamper stall over that portion of the wing. Why a bank and yank yields mushy behavior and the trim tab being set to the left results in typical stall roll to the left. 3) not sure about P-51 but then the wing is laminar flow with unique boundary layer flow conditions, larger control surfaces, but can still stall and spin. 4) I have entered the conditions you state are not occurring or too softly an encounter. I recommend you spend more time with the bird. It is conventional but has quirks and features not present on typical aircraft. Tail area alone gives clue that this bird is fast but has handling challenges.

60% curve & 80% horizontal with no dead zone and 100% vertical for x and y axis. Z axis is 25% curve. This is a precision flying setup and requires a stick with no center return spring and smooth movements. I use the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro that has the spring removed for x and y axis. Still retains the z axis spring although I may remove it as well. This is a perfect stick for helo flying offering smoothest and slightest pressure alleviating wrist fatigue and arm muscle issues.

Don't give up on the Dogs Of War server. Spotting aircraft is not easy but there are some tips like zooming in and looking for areas of active flak or go attack their base and you will be a flak target and have P-51s on you enough for all the trouble. Practice spotting and tracking targets in the instant action missions without labels on. Visual fighting is tough but once you get the hang of it, you will doing alright.

I'm not so sure about that. True it has been tainted by folks with poor characters and low morals but Star Citizen has been successfully funded to 65 million so it can work with the right folks. Issue is troublesome publishers and niche interests that have traditionally been trending unfavorably for example Flight Simulation which is causing the rise in crowd funding.