rkk01

Delayed fuse…!?

Yes, trees gave it away - leafy trees with snow, and the wave tops on the sea crossing Stunning though - the real footage is so well known

Oh yeah

@72Stu I’m assuming everyone here has seen the Tactical Pascale video…? https://youtu.be/oEuG9HjqcxU

Correct… A relative flew with 214, but all he ever shared was that he flew in Stirlings, then Fortresses… but also knew a lot about Lancasters and Mosquitos. I only recently found out about 214 Sqn and 100 Group, so my reading in this area is relatively recent and ongoing. It seems like the Bomber Support activities were a highly integrated efforts - Science / R&D, Bletchley Park, PFF and all of the activities of 100 Group. I was surprised that the Group operated both NF and FB Mosquitos, but all seems to be part of that very detailed and covert effort to overwhelm German air defences. The 214 Sqn Fortresses appear (on occasions) to have worked very closely with the Mossies - for example, using window and other RCM to set up spoof raids to draw German NFs away from the main force, but coordinated with Mosquito NFs who were flying as a “spoof main force” to engage the diverted German NFs. My relative’s crew (like many on 214) had a German speaking “special operator” to give false GCI vectors to the opposing fighters - it seems in order to vector them to waiting Mosquito patrols Deeply fascinating stuff

Couldn’t agree more… My own current “background reading” is around 100 Group Bomber Support and specifically 214 Sqn - one of the first RCM / ECM squadrons. Fascinating area and long hidden from public view. As per quite a few of my other posts, I’ve been using the ME to try and test out possibilities and get some night missions flyable. There are quite a few challenges and constraints, but I have been blown away by how good it all looks - searchlights, flak, burning aircraft , moonlit skies / clouds… Take off and landing are tricky - finding base and landing without lights is very hard F10 map and labels are cheats to make up for lack of GCI, but clearly not ideal Depth perception is difficult - close to target and close to the ground B-17 is also too dangerous a nighttime opponent- too many guns and perfect laser vision I hope to expand on this with the Mossie. There is much that works well for night flying, and most of what’s needed is already in DCS somewhere…

Good point re the Ju 88… I was thinking of the wider environment / battle space. Nachtjagd versions of the 110 and 88 would keep Mossie pilots on their toes… although “all seeing” AI probably doesn’t require actual NF versions Lancaster has long been on the list for the Assets Pack, although the Typhoon and Dakota would both be much more usable…

With the arrival of the Mosquito, some night time warriors will be useful to flesh out the mission options… The Lancaster had been a long time “lurker” on the WW2 Assets Pack list - it can be used for the daylight raids on Caen as well as night time raids on rail yards and Crossbow targets The Bf110 and Ju88 would be primary targets for Mosquito FB.VI intruder patrols, especially as the Mossies were tasked with patrolling the nightfighter bases and hitting them in the ground / returning from missions (and of course, the AI models can also form the basis for future flyable modules…)

Is it possible to have runway lights / flarepath, at least for the metalled / hard surfaced runways on Channel and Normandy maps. Night flying is incredibly tricky without these and with the Mosquito FB.VI the Night Intruder role should be available for missions. Obviously the lights should only be on for the briefest of moments, so should ideally be linked to the radio comms menu

Runway lights please - certainly for the surfaced runways… Finding “home” in the dark is tricky - lining up on the runway and getting down in one piece is even harder Of course, lights should only be on for the shortest period, so probably needs to be integrated with the comms menu

Razbam’s South Atlantic map will be considerably larger… if my conversion is right about 1.4 million square km Admittedly that’s a fair bit of water though - tropical jungle might be a bit more if a challenge

Thanks @razo+r I have got the lights working using the static object templates suggested in @SUNTSAG’s video. That approach drops the entire unit incl support and personnel - very easy and effective. I don’t know if many folks have flown WW2 night Ops, but the visuals are absolutely breathtaking

Been playing with nightfighter Ops… Anton Wilde Sau against a bomber stream using B-17s as a stand in for RAF heavy bombers Night time, no airborne radar and the B-17 gunners still open up with accurate defensive fire. Last play through and they were opening fire at 2.5km… AT NIGHT I’d kind of believe that at 200-500m someone might get a glance, but even then the accuracy of fire would probably need to be reduced to account for visibility Pretty doubtful they’d even see a small single engined fighter like the 190, especially as I tend to approach from below so that the bomber is visible against the sky - ie my small fighter has ground behind and is not silhouetted (ETA - the B-17 defensive armament also considerably outguns the RAF equivalents, especially 50 cals vs .303s and waist / ball turret positions. So the B-17 works as a stand in, but not brilliantly…!)

I’m not expecting the DCS Mossie to be able to fly like that…!

Well, that was terrifying…! (and DCS at its atmospheric best) Placing the Maschinensatz certainly got the 88s to open up, but not the searchlights Even so, the flak was devastating - and mesmerising to watch, slightly offset from the bomber stream…. Sky lit by a full moon on layered cloud, high level 88 bursts and four engined bombers dropping earthwards on fire. Some managed to keep going, but as they lost altitude the light flakvierling batteries opened up - curving arcs of fire reaching up to the damaged bombers Now - to get the searchlights working…! ETA - searchlights working…! Thanks @SUNTSAG Adds even more to the immersion AI air gunners are too keen though - reinforces my view that the game just gives AI units your xyz coords from the game engine

As much as I’d wish for each of the main WW2 RN destroyer classes - “greyhounds of the seas”… … a USN Fletcher class is an absolute must have for any Pacific assets

Will have a play. I really wanted the searchlights / flak to act as a visual guide for my Wilde Sau flying - as we don’t have GCI I started playing with night Ops as a challenge for my Anton flying… It’s proving both interesting and challenging, and closely aligned with my current reading / research… 6 months ago I posted that nightfighter Ops would be pointless. Now I’m fully convinced the other way around - after all we fight BVR for the modern aircraft. For WW2 the acquire / track is “BVR”, but the shoot down is still visual. Getting behind and below the target, to get them silhouetted against the lighter sky is quite a thrill and of course, we have the Mosquito FB.VI on its way and that will need some night intruder missions

Oh, I don’t know… the Tactical Pascale video was pretty interesting - spectacular I’d say! If a dev is going to whet the appetite in that way it’s only natural that folks will be keyed up for more info / product release I suspect this is the difficult bit The naval assets (that we’ve seen) look a long way behind. The visual models look good, but the AI behaviour and weapons / damage modelling must be something else… Just on weapons they will need Sea Dart, Sea Cat, Sea Wolf, 4.5”, 6” and smaller calibre guns… Rapier???

Sorry, that one has gone straight past… I have placed battery items - groups of 88s and nearby groups of searchlights. Is it not enough to place the land asset items from the menu picklist? 1 per gun / searchlight or per battery?? I’m playing with night Ops and it’s a steep learning curve…!

Do these need a Freya / Wurzburg combo to work…??? Have placed groups of searchlights and 88s, but the crews must be sleepy If a Wurzburg is needed, does the radar need to be “linked” to the battery in ME?

Is there a way to set runway lights / flare path to “on” in the ME…? Ideally they would need to be off until radio request for approach vector or finals

Would love to see this pair in the game Hawker Sea Fury - was a regular “Navy Days” performer in the 70s - along with the Phantom, Buccaneer, Gannet and the surprisingly large Swordfish(!) Hawker Hunter - Miss Demeanour used to see / hear this one flying out of St Athan a few years ago

C’mon Raz - lots of excitement for this one… … any video updates to share? Sea King forced landing in Chile…?!

IIRC there have been more recent snippets from Raz that indicate the SHAR is not a current priority (that statement ^^ is over 18 months old now), possibly following the F-15E and Mig-23 (and Tucano???) (Mudhen alone could be years out, Flogger has only just had cockpit laser scan) Don’t even begin to ask me how little sense that makes A Falklands / South Atlantic map with Falklands era naval assets and no SeaJet - bonkers own goal IMHO So, two questions… 1. When do we get to fly over the stormy southern oceans - it looks pretty good already and I’m raring to go 2. When do we get to fly the SHAR off Hermes and Invincible and tangle with Mirages and Skyhawks???

I can see both sides on this, but will still pre-order when the product appeals Cashflow is one driver. Hind went on pre-order at a time when I had a little spare, and with the discount and some air miles made a pain free purchase. As it happens, I’ve been busy with work so haven’t had a chance to fly it yet… but equally have had a few major unplanned expenses so probably wouldn’t have bought it either. It’s sat in the hanger waiting for when I’m ready (although hopefully that will be a long wait… ie Mossie drops in the meantime)