Evoman

One good take away from the Eurofighter development is that some times it my take the right time to bring together the right team that is talented and determined enough to make the Tornado happen or any other project for that matter.

Dick Cheney and Dick Cheney alone is to blame for it. " That started when Dick was under Reagan as he had a bad encounter with a Grumman rep and carried that with him as he became VP. He asked Grumman to apologize for said encounter and Grumman said: “we’re not apologizing as we make the best defense aircraft the world over“. Dick - from there literally put Grumman out of business by not allowing any more Grumman product on any U.S. aircraft carriers. Then went out of his way to lie to both defense employees as well as to the public that Grumman products sucked." It is really sad that The F-14 was cancelled all because of someones personal grievances.

Let me rephrase this for you so it better represents the issue. Por favor Russia? When it comes to Russian airplanes the number one factor preventing them from being done is that the Russian governments has strict controls on its military intellectual properties. And since Eagle Dynamics is a Russian Company they are forbidden to do it. So its pretty much left up a 3rd party that is willing and able to get the necessary documentation.

I now look forward to seeing the Eurofighter Typhoon in DCS even more just so that there is one more aircraft that can turn the tide against those looking for an easy win with the F-15C. :chair::megalol:

While I am surprised that it has been cleared for development earlier than expected. I am not surprised it is getting developed because it is such an iconic bird. This really goes to show that if a popular jet is not yet in DCS it is mostly because the right team that gets everything lined up has not come along yet. So if other hot jets like the Tornado have not been done yet it is simply not its time. In a way I am actually happy about the Euro fighter coming to DCS mostly because Europe will finally have something good that represents it. And hopefully that will appease some of those crying about the Tornado.

While the F-117 is an interesting aircraft it would not really bring a distinct capability than what other aircraft can also accomplish in how DCS is currently set up. I would rather see other aircraft that would bring new and different capabilities to DCS like the S-3 Viking, C2 Grayhound or F-111.

I can totally understand the E-2 Hawkeye and the S-3 being a complicated aircraft because of its radar systems. However the C-2 Greyhound is probably one of the simplest aircraft to develop because it has no radar or weapons systems. It is basically a pure transport aircraft that provides critical logistics support to carrier strike groups over short to medium ranges. Which makes it perfect for the current map size. Plus it would be a hot seller because it would be the only transport aircraft in DCS that would also be capable of landing on an aircraft carrier. In real life the C-2 is a life line to a Carrier group. Fighter jets alone don't win wars. Its up to the C-2 to bring in the spare parts to keep those fighter jets running.

There is something that has saved me a lot of money and its called patience. Every module I have bought I have waited for it to go on sale. With the exception of one pre order that still saved me money.

What would make the T-2 so valuable is its very simplicity to new comers to DCS. Especially if it were to be included for free with the DCS download. The T-45 is so much more advanced technically that it would have to be sold for a profit which I don't have an issue with. But my main drive for the T-2 is for it to attract a new player base to DCS and for it to increase interest/sales in the carrier capable modules. Like some one had said earlier "This would be a terrific marketing tool to suck would be Topgun Maverics into the game!"

From your comments I can clearly see you are seeing things from your own perceived perspective. You are not seeing that there is actually another market out there that has a desire for anything else that is not a military fighter jet. I have seeing several comments over the years of people that just like flying around from air base to air base and enjoying the view without any interest in combat. While I do agree that any Vietnam era airplane or a Tornado that is highly coveted by Europeans would sell well. I also think that other supporting military aircraft would be a hot sellers because they are NOT just another fighter jet. From what I have seen aircraft like the C-130, E-2 Hawkeye, S-3 Viking and even the C-2 Greyhound would sell well because they are totally different than what is currently available in DCS. I can even see these aircraft attracting new interest from other flight simmers that have not had interest in DCS before because they have not been interested in combat. But something like a C2 Greyhound where they might be lured into flying support combat missions where they could just fly around as usual but have the thrill of delivering cargo to and from aircraft carriers. So even though these type of aircraft might not interest you personally they will affect you in one way or another by the extra sales that can keep funding DCS to deliver the aircraft that would interest you. Here are just a few comments to put things in perspective. ThorBrasil: “What DCS lacks is a transport plane. F-16 was the last fighter I will buy.” Montes: “Yes, airplanes that are not just fighter, we don't all want to fight all the time.” Aluminum Donkey: “I've blown a thousand bux or thereabouts on DCS World, and all I ever really do in it is some furballs and fly around like a civilian flight sim, admiring the scenery. Maybe try to strafe the civilian traffic now and then.”

The best you can do now is just wait to take advantage of the sales to make up for for it. All the modules I have bought have been on sale with the exception of Pre-ordering the F-14 but even then I got a discount.

I have been looking more into the S-3 Viking now that the state of DCS has made it very fitting for sub hunting. Plus the Viking can do a variety of other missions thanks to the load out diversity that make it one of the few Jack of all trades with a specialization in maritime patrol and Sub hunting. Armament Up to 4,900 lb (2,220 kg) on four internal and two external hardpoints, including: 10 × 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs 2 × 1000 lb (454 kg) Mark 83 bombs 2 × 2000 lb (908 kg) Mark 84 bombs 6 × CBU-100 cluster bombs 2 × Mark 50 torpedoes 4 × Mark 46 torpedoes 6 × mines or depth charges 2 × B57 nuclear bombs 2 × AGM-65E/F Maverick missiles 2 × AGM-84D Harpoon missiles 1 × AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile The two underwing hardpoints can also be fitted with unguided rocket pods or 300 US gal (1,136 l) fuel tanks.

I was looking at pictures of the T-2B cockpit and found it to be nice and simple. Which makes it perfect for newbie pilots and more experienced pilots that just want to practice the basics of aircraft carrier traps.

Although a sale would be nice for someone new to DCS. But for those of us that have been flying for a while, I still have a lot to keep me busy just with the modules and campaigns I already have that I have not finished mastering. And that is just concentrating on the Viggen and F-14. I have not even taken out the other older modules for a spin in a while.

I would love to see some transport airplanes like the C-130 because of it's many variants. But until DCS code can support the simulation of more the two engines it is not feasible currently. However there is another alternative that is a twin engine cargo airplane, the C-2 Greyhound. It would be the only cargo airplane that could operate off carrier decks and would be a perfect fit for the current state that DCS is in with all of the new naval maps coming out soon.

Like it has been said, ED needs a steady cash flow to keep the lights on and be able to keep working on the legacy code. So unless you want to fund them privately nothing is changing to the current business model.

I was doing some research to see if there were any things that made the T-2 more special and useful over the T-45 and found two things. 1. The T-2 can be equipped with gun pods which the T-45 can't 2. The T-2 was a far more stable design because it was specifically engineered from the ground up to be a the best trainer possible. "Not only did North American design the Buckeye to be tough, but they also designed it to be extremely stable and forgiving. This garnered the straight-winged T-2 a special place when it came to advanced spin training. Even today, the Air Force’s Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base contracts one of the few Buckeyes in private hands for this use from time-to-time." https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-navy-finally-says-goodbye-to-the-tubby-little-t-2-b-1733033041

There should be link at the top of the wishlist forum titled: Read this first before requesting any new aircraft. Then that link will take the person to a nice write up explaining what it takes to get to a development stage of a new module. Hopefully that will deter a lot of newbies that did not do their research first to start new unrealistic threads.

The T-45 would be great but I am going with the most realistic option that has a highest probability to be granted a license to make development possible. After the whole Hawk fiasco I am not too sure about the T-45 unless Boeing who now holds the rights to it agrees to it with a model that is in active use.

This really got me thinking that the Phantom has not really ever gotten a decent presence in a movie. The best it has gotten in recent memory was the scene form Sully when he is trying to land an unstable F-4.

If you like the A-4 that much you might love this A-4 that you can actually own and fly.

This thread was inspired by the case for the A-4 Skyhawk thread. Even though I like the idea of having the A-4 officially supported by DCS I understand how that can be very challenging to make it happen if not impossible without a license and having to overhaul it or redoing it from scratch. However what had inspired me in particular about the A-4’s capabilities was that it would had made a great Naval trainer to practice aircraft carrier landings. Therefor the next best thing if not the ideal thing would be the T-2C Buckeye. The T-2's performance was between that of the Cessna T-37 Tweet and the TA-4J Skyhawk. Now what would make the T-2 an even more inserting case was if it was included with the free DCS download along with the TF-51 and Su-25T. This would provide newcomers to DCS with an actual trainer from the start that would better prepare them for the other advanced modules. The investment that ED would have to make to make it happen would actually pay for its self as the T-2 would generate more interest in DCS as a whole and increase sales in the other Naval aircraft models. Some other interesting facts about the T-2 Buckeye was that cockpit controls were similar to the propeller-driven T-28C Trojan making it easy to learn to operate. While it had no built-in armament, the T-2 could accommodate two .50-inch gun pods, 100 lb practice bombs, or 2.75-inch rockets beneath the wings. It was also operated buy the Hellenic Air Force and Venezuelan Air Force. Some interesting benefits about the T-2 that make it more special and useful over the T-45 are: 1. The T-2 can be equipped with gun pods which the T-45 can't 2. The T-2 was a far more stable design because it was specifically engineered from the ground up to be the best trainer possible. "Not only did North American design the Buckeye to be tough, but they also designed it to be extremely stable and forgiving. This garnered the straight-winged T-2 a special place when it came to advanced spin training. Even today, the Air Force’s Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base contracts one of the few Buckeyes in private hands for this use from time-to-time."

The Hawk was removed from DCS for a reason I am not clear about. But I had looked into that before and found out that there was a substantial difference between the Hawk and the T-45 Goshawk. As much as I would like to have a T-45 in DCS I think a T-2 Buckeye would be more feasible and would fit the time frame of most of the other Navel aircraft that DCS has and will have.

That would be a great idea! That way when ever something like the E-2 Hawkeye gets developed they can use as much of the same work as possible they put into this to speed up development. It would be cool if they could also model the interior of the Hawkeye.

It is not all about money. It really comes down to two main things to make it possible for a 3rd party to develop a module. 1. A License from the manufacturer that holds the rights. 2. A knowledgeable developing group/company that can meet the high quality control procedures. Here is quote form the announcement of the OH-58D Kiowa to put things in a better perspective. " During the past 2 years, we have been talking to a lot of individuals including people from Bell Textron, Eagle Dynamics and the US Army Cavalry community. Bell Textron granted us a product-specific license for the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior for commercial use, which means we were given permission to recreate the helicopter for game or entertainment purposes. Without this license, a module for the DCS World environment would not be possible. With the license also comes a responsibility. Anything related to the product will be subject to demanding quality control procedures. We recognize this as an opportunity and a benefit for the community, the simulation of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in DCS World and ourselves as a developing company. The license also grants us access to certain information otherwise not available to the public. Without it, it would simply be impossible to create a lifelike representation of the aircraft. With the manufacturer’s license secured, we got in contact with Eagle Dynamics to discuss with them the plans we had for our next module. This started a long period in which possible contracts were negotiated. Negotiations like these are complex, especially when it involves a third party, in this case, Bell Textron. In the end, all parties have to agree to the terms and conditions." https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/news/2019-11-29_Kiowa_Announced/