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Helicopter's flight model is really tricky, requiring lots of work, time, testing, tuning. If someone would invest such a big amount of time and money making high detail cockpit, external model - and especially high fidelity flight model - (all mandatory for FC3 module), it would be stupid not to finish its avionics and not releasing full fidelity module. That's why ED was selling Huey, Mi-8, Ka-50 and Gazelle as a pack. Full fidelity pack. A helicopter is mostly its FM. And a helicopter with simplified FM wouldn't be enjoyable. Spitting a pack of FC3 style helicopters with high fidelity flight models would require many years of hard work - for a few bucks as revenue. Normal DCS full fidelity H-21, Mi-26, Ka-27 or H-34 would be great though.

Add MiG-21bis and MiG-23, still the mainstays of the WarPac in the '80s.

True, though i thinkt they will be profitable as full fidelity modules. MiG-23 is already being developed.

Making FC3 standard aircraft out of already existing full fidelity module is easy, just delete some systems and simplyfy others. Like FC 2024 did. Making a new FC3 standard aircraft from scratch is absolutely NOT profitable: it still needs high fidelity flight model, high quality cockpit, external model, animations, weapons models, interaction with the whole enviroment - just saving time on made up sipmlified avionics - and selling it for a small fraction of full fidelity module... If a developer has already done the tedious work of modeling the flight model, cockpit, external features, weapons, interactions, etc., it would be far more profitable to finish the full fidelity avionics and sell it for some 400% more. Plus FC3 means simplified (F-15C, Su-27S, A-10A, Su-25 etc.) - not unrealistic / fictional / made up (Rafale, F-22, MiG-29SMK, Su-27SM2, Gripen etc). That's why FC3 didn't bring classified aircrafts with completely made up guestimated avionics. Classified unrealistic aircraft with classified fictional systems = MOD.

1) The global number of trees is approximately 3.04 trillion. 2) Kola Peninsula has significantly higher tree density compared to Vietnam.

This one thing is going to improve the whole experience a lot. The end of the endless list of doom. Great job.

Yes, pilot instead of an empty cockpit adds a lot.

Fictional liveries are ok-ish, but obviously they shouldn't be mandatory. Only optional. Modules are big enough even without them.

With the new Dynamic Campaign and CSAR missions it will be a must. Especially it's easy to code in a rudimentary way, even the old sims had this function.

Yes, I'm not sure how exactly, but something should be done. I think about something simple, like a map on a kneeboard. F10 is kind of experience-breaking and silly, let alone zooming, let alone GPS in WW2/Cold War era

Thanks for this map! To be fair it was always the most obvious choice for a Middle Eastern map, two major all out wars: 1980s Iraq-Iran War and 1991 Gulf War. I have nothing against "anti-terror operations", but let's be fair - all out conflicts, with both sides using tanks, artillery, air power, logistics, SAMs etc. are where DCS shines. 1950s Korea, 1960s Vietnam, 1970s Israel-Syria, 1980s Iraq-Iran or Fulda Gap or GIUK, 1991 Gulf War. I appreciate THE MAP

True, a pilot body, even if made just so so, adds a lot, especially in VR.

When it comes to identification: such extensive two factor identification was proper in assymetrical warfare over Vietnam, escalation control not to shoot Soviet/Chinese aircraft etc. Not for near-pear opponent, like NATO vs WarPac over Europe.

Any 1960s-1980s-ish Fulda Gap will be a good representation. Only a "modern day" skyscreaper futuristic architecture Germany, trying to 'imitate' Cold War, hot border, divided Germany would be a really bad choice. A gamebreaker. Without proper vibes/atmosphere. Our Mirage 2000, AJS-37 are 1990s variants. Cold War 1980s Mirage 2000C and AJ-37 would be nice in the future. A-7E, A-6E, Su-17M4, MiG-23MLA, MiG-29A, Tornado IDS, Bo-105, C-101, Gazelle L, Mi-24P, F-14A/B, L-39, Huey plus most of AI assets, AI aircrafts, SAMs, EW radars etc. are ~1980s variants. Mirage F.1, MiG-21bis, IAI Kfir, F-5E, F-4E are 1970s variants. Still used during 1980s MiG-17F, F-100, A-1, F-104, MiG-19, G.91R are likely 1950s/1960s variants. MiG-15bis and F-86 are early 1950s.

I propose an AWACS/GCI module, with reasonably realistically recreated legacy E-2, A-50, E-3, some NATO and WarPac EW radar. With their basic limitations, radar rotation time, radar resolution with range, merges, IFF, symultaneous tracks limit, terrain masking, ground clutter and weather filtering etc. Just like current DCS modules do. Not a strictly classified modern one, just a legacy platforms. Something like 2001 F-22 TAW AWACS, but more ambitious. It would add a lot to the overall experience, realism and it would be a ton of fun coordinating an air combat in reasonably realistic AWACS with its basic limitations and capabilities etc.

Add A-7E, A-6E, MiG-29A, Tornado IDS, F-14, F-4E, Gazelle L, MiG-21bis, F-100, F-104, MiG-17, MiG-19, G.91, A-1, Su-17, Bo-105 and many more. According to the last polls Fulda Gap and Vietnam are the most requested maps.

Yes. This would be usefull and realistic. In fact breaks malfunction was always a real risk, an often failure. That's the reason USAF have sarcificed some mass and drag only to have this hook on their high performance fighters.

Fulcrum looks awesome, i like the pilot model, GCI integration, new cockpit model. GCI API may be a gamechanger. Thanks!

100% agree. 1980s was the last time when some kind of natural balance existed IRL and Soviet aircrafts could put up a fight. Both in tactical engagements and on a strategic scale. And "artificail" balancing is not a job of a simulator, its job is to pick the spots/timeframes where some kind of real life balance occured naturally, like WW1, WW2, Cold War air campaigns of Korea, Vietnam, Middle East wars like Iraq-Iran war etc. Before the 1990s AMRAAM, R-27ER, Link16 etc and collapse of the Soviets. 1980s with a mix of a bit older 1970s and brand new 1980s aircrafts like full fidelity F-14A/B, Mirage F.1, Huey, Gazelle L, MiG-21bis, L-39, C-101, MB-339, F-5E, Mi-8, Mi-24, Bolkov-105, Tornado IDS, Kfir, F-4E, MiG-23MLA, MiG-29A, A-7E, A-6E, with low fi FC3 A-10A, Su-25A, F-15C, Su-27S is one of such sweet spots. AJS-37 Viggen and Mirage 2000 could nearly squeeze as well into the 1980s with small modifications. Early Cold War with MiG-15bis, F-86, G.91, MiG-17, MiG-19, F-100, F-104, A-1 would be the other one. That's why MiG-29 9.12 is a perfect variant, fitting the timeframe with the biggest number of DCS modules.

Wasn't F-104 limited to some Mach 2.2 - 2.3 by its tail?

Basically both schemes are needed, newer ones for the F/A-18, F-15E and the F-16. And current legacy ones for F-4, F-14, Tornado IDS, Mirage F.1, F-15C, A-7E etc.

Strike Fighters had some great warlike atmosphere. And really nice, moody music.

Cold War lightweight super nimble F-16A, especially early "small tail" pure dogfighter like Block 10, with analog cockpit would be awesome. F-16A Block 10, in Israeli service, scored vast majority of all F-16 air-to-air kills. Cold War full fidelity F-15 from 1975 F-15A, up to 1985 F-15C MSIP II, would be great as well. Our low fidelity FC3 F-15 represents ~late Cold War/Desert Storm F-15C MSIP II, but it's simplified, lacking most of radar modes, many electronic devices etc. Or early lightweight F/A-18A, even more maneuverable then our late F/A-18C. For now full fidelity F-14A/B, F-4E, Mirage F.1 and low fidelity F-15C will fit the 1980s timeframe as well.

Exactly. Short test serie for evaluation squadrons of both AMRAAM and R-27ER were tested since 1988 during the final phase of the Cold War. Though both entered operational service in 1991, they are for completely different scenarios in a different world, when Desert Storm ended, USSR collapsed.