KiraTheCat

My squadron is having some questions as to the exact nature of which version of DCS will be able to run the F-14B. We have a Stable DCS game version running on our server. There's also the Beta DCS game version. The F-14B will apparently be Beta at release. The confusion is with regards to weather the BETA F-14B will require the BETA game version in order to run, or if we will be able to run it on our STABLE game version server. Will we be able to run the F-14 on just one or both versions of the game? If only one, which one? Thank you!

I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere a long while back that Heatblur was going to put them in, but not be operational on either model.

You're kidding, right? That was hands down my favorite book as a kid. It was also hands down the worst movie rendition of a book I have ever seen. I get artistic license, but this one practically took the book script and burned it. What got me the hardest was the 'trying way too hard over the top Hollywierd macho swaggering toughguy BS, with the foul language at every possible opportunity' cherry on top. Yuck. As for the A-6 itself, I remember watching the carrier wings' strike capacity and range go through the floor in the 1990's. Very unfortunate to be removing aircraft from service without any replacement capability. We're very fortunate that it wasn't needed.

Guilty as charged. We even did the whole 'Jump out of your (tandem placed) chair(s)' thing when ejecting. The game was Jetfighter II. Good times. Naturally, my favorite mount was the F-14. Here it is in a DOS emulator, right on the web page: https://classicreload.com/jetfighter-ii-advanced-tactical-fighter.html

We have the daylight salute to launch. At night, the signal is for the pilot to flip on the aircraft's external running lights. Is this implemented at the moment?

Very good to hear. Thank you!

Hot start, fly around, pattern work, and the infamous "Syrian TARPS Run", ie "Prove that the Tomcat's the fastest sea-level jet anyone had ever seen." - Chuck "Mumbles" Scott from Grumman F-14 Tomcat compiled by Dave Parsons, George Hall, Bob Lawson c 2006 MBI Publishing Company. Drool.

HA! Oh that was excellent. Just wonderful. Very snappy little video. Loved the "Hi... BYE!" to the Hornet, along with the reasons.

Nice shots!

Dos Box is one possibility. I have it on Steam.

Definitely. I absolutely loved mine until it broke. Still have it awaiting the inclination to fix it though, it was that good. Went with a cheap (at the time) HOTAS X to replace the Sidewinder. Though it's not the greatest, it was within the budget, and while I'm not perfectly happy with it, it did the job for a great price, and hasn't failed in years of hard use. Next up is a Warthog, though, despite a few negative reviews, and, of course, the outrageous expense. If you're serious about something, you do it right, and hang the expense.

I second this. I run my OS on an SSD, and it keeps things humming along. SSDs are nice for things where you want quick access, if you didn't know. Like a race car, though: they go fast, but are (slightly?) more prone to failure. A platter drive is more like a truck: slower, not as flashy, but more reliable for the long haul.

Ditto.

An A-6 and KA-6D! Finally! Thank you so much for both of these works. It will feel so much better tanking off a KA-6D than the KS-3.

This. Oh, and here's a webpage you all probably already know about on the subject: https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/top-gun-day-special-the-super-tomcat-that-was-never-bu-1575814142 https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--rvUxQePa--/c_fit,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/qaj8w0anhpyapbxchgvr.jpg

Was that the book titled Hoser Here... Shoot!? That's a wonderful book.

So glad to see that your team has thought through the AI speech patterns and realized the need for putting the voice actor(s) in the situations the real guy would be in to help get in character. A suggestion from GTA V: there was a day when an actor was going to record some dialog when the character was running around in his underwear - so he recorded in his underwear, standing up, running around as best he could. Doing his best to replicate the scene in studio. Realistic clothing can be just one more layer to getting an actor, voice or otherwise, mentally "in the zone", "being" the character. Keep up the good work!

Is there a way to turn down the white deck edge lighting at night? (Other than lowering the clouds.) Here's an example of a real landing, and you can't see much other than the landing area, the meatball, and the island running lights - unlike in DCS where you can plainly see the outline of the entire carrier deck.

On some servers, the Aerobatics Online Caucasus server for example, they've set up tankers on a rotating basis. I guess they set them on a timer so that they don't run out of fuel or perhaps they just set unlimited fuel. Don't rightly know.

I miscalculated, as the time-distance-fuel calculation isn't working yet, and got just a wee bit lower on fuel than I'd wished. Trapped aboard with 740lbs total remaining. Anyone best this yet? Also, anyone have a good measure on how much the F/A-18 burns at sea level (for bingo calculations)? My guess is that about 2000lbs is "it's time to go tanker hunting". Thanks, all!

Ah, so you know! Yep, I definitely find the Hornet lacking in the hardpoints department as well, especially after so many years of A-10ing. One thing's for sure, though: It can (and almost assuredly will) only get better!

And now you can! (In theory, assuming you can pull the A-10 from the mission and throw an F/A-18C in in its stead.) Just so you know, the F/A-18C Lot 20 is now available in Early Access. Not so sure about your comment about half the time. Yes, it's faster, by a lot, but its ordinance load is, I'd guess, roughly half that of the A-10. Also, like the F-4, fuel is always an issue with the Hornet, so staying time on station is limited. I'm not a fan of the real deal, but I bought the F/A-18 specifically to train for the F-14. However, it looks really, really, good. As with every other DCS platform I have, I am, once again, thoroughly impressed with the level of detail and "realism" in this aircraft. As close to the real deal as I'll ever get, and it's pretty damn close compared to other flight sims I've flown over the years. It is a "study sim", after all. The fact that it's a naval aircraft helps immensely in my book as well. Per realism, I immediately noted that it does have two of the things I hate most about the Hornet: Lack of sufficient internal fuel and loads of drag from the fixed hardpoints... plus even more drag from the external fuel tank(s) you're pretty much required to take on any mission of any duration - even with a tanker nearby. Semi-thread jack complete. We now return to your normally scheduled thread. :music_whistling:

An excellent thought. I like it!

That's precisely what the Iranians used it for (one of the roles, anyway) during the conflict with Iraq in the 1980s. Single jet missions that made certain not to cross the border.

Okay, who's old enough to ID those "colour videotape cartridges" at 2:12? What's that piece of cutting edge technology called?