LanceCriminal86

This gentleman has an ABSURD amount of F-4 albums, it appears he was at Edwards from the 80s into the 90s. I think I've seen some of the above mentioned units in there. He has them grouped by different events and squadrons. https://www.flickr.com/photos/147861202@N07/albums Weapons School F-4s for example: 4th TFW album All kinds of goodies in there. And Tomcats, Navy F-4s, A-7Ds, Eagles, Warthogs, list goes on! I don't think we're going to get that, but I could see the existing Syria map having some Greek Phantom play, and Caucuses if you want to have them as an "allied" or peacekeeping faction. Same applies for the A-7E eventually. Maybe Greek Phantoms on Cyprus or something. There's been zero talk of new maps so I'd keep the expectations very low. But it's always good to have skins that are plausible for the maps we have.

What squadrons/wings would align with DCS maps we have so far? Were Es ever based in Guam? If a squadron had to be hustled over there any thoughts on likely candidates that would be deployed there during a crisis? Maybe a squadron out of Japan or Korea, Hawaii? Or just choose a CONUS squadron to ramp up? Also thinking Caucuses, squadrons based in NATO countries like Italy or Germany would probably make sense. Spangdenhelm, Rammstein, Aviano, something like that. Nevada may need to stand in for the Edwards commands, how about any Weapons Schools? Nevada ANG? I guess any USAF squadron would fit there, but maybe pick some that attended Red Flag or similar exercises further back. Syria, probably the same situation as Guam or Caucuses, either flying rreeeaallllyyyy long missions with tankers or forward based in Turkey or Israel if you're doing a Cold War type scenario. For modern obviously Turkey and Israel would already be covered. Persian Gulf, did the Air Force base out of Saudi or the region back to the 70s and 80s? And naturally Iranian IIAF and IRIAF would be a given there. Normandy or Channel are obviously way out of timeframe, but perhaps could still be somehow used for some Cold War stuff until something better comes along? I doubt any of the runways would even support an F-4E.

* Reserving for general requests, ideas, corrections, details * USAF Squadron requests - 523rd Fighter Squadron USAF Test/Demo/Commemorative - Final sendoff/demo jets of QF-4E Foreign Operator Squadrons Foreign Operator Special/Demo/Commemorative Special differences for foreign jets (that can be done in textures/normals)

*Reserving for Flight Gear/Helmets* USAF Helmets HGU-2 (single visor) - MBU-5 mask Squadron decoration/Painted Camo painted HGU-26 (Dual visor) - MBU-5 Painted/Stickers Camo Tape - MBU-12 (later)? HGU-55 (End of 80s, Desert Storm, Foreign users) - MBU-5 or MBU-12 ? Primary USAF Flight gear Foreign Operator helmets

Let's get this show on the road! This will be the centralized discussion for all things Livery for the upcoming F-4E. References, stories, photographs, videos, equipment, stencils, patches, all will be helpful towards continuing the tradition of sexy Heatblur skins. First, let's talk about priorities. As I see it, here's how I'd lay out important skins starting from Must Haves and Essential down to Eventually, and group them by the general periods laid out in the announcement: Pre-'74/Late Vietnam E Frontline Fighter Squadrons / Fighter Groups MiG Killers and other notable jets/crews (E crews please, let's hold off on the C/D requests) Squadrons operating in/around existing DCS maps Training squadrons Foreign operators (ideally aligned with the avionics/capabilities that reflect the export variant as best as possible) Special commemorative jets, McD factory paint, etc. Later 70s-80s E Jets/Squadrons from any Cold War incidents, peacekeeping, Desert Storm, etc. Squadrons operating in/near DCS maps Foreign operators (ideally aligned with the avionics/capabilities that reflect the export variant as best as possible) Training squadrons as applicable Special commemorative jets, Demo Team jets, fancy birds I am definitely not THE guy on Air Force jets, so I'm calling to all our AF Phantom folks to help fill in on Fighter Squadron, Wing, Group, etc. structures, training commands, weapons schools and the like to help guide this. Especially would like to find stencil and panel marking guides, maintenance notes or instructions, anything like that. For the USAF I see a few main paint schemes going off of photos and Cybermodeler: Southeast Asia and SEA "wraparound" Europe One And for the later E, the Hill One or modern tactical gray For the Foreign Operators, let's for now stick with "line" jets and leave the special commemorative stuff for later! Japan (F-4EJ stand-in) Greece Israel Republic of Korea Turkey Iran (Imperial and IRIAF) Germany (Stand-in for the F-4F and other upgrades/modernizations) And, if we can find a way to have the pilot and WSO hidden: QF-4E

Many squadrons continued with Cs and Ds through into the 80s, so it may not be a massive list. It looks like with the AF ones the paint was somewhat standard, with mainly tail codes and squadron/fighter group logos changing. It probably depends on how many squadrons operated the E over its lifespan, and during which timeframes. And within that trying to focus squadrons that were involved in any known operations, peace keeping, international exercises, or stationed near hotspots or regions of DCS maps. I may see if we can get a not really request but livery discussion going to start compiling stuff under those headings. Get the essentials sorted out, then the "would like to haves".

Seeing as they did move to F-4Es later in the war, it shouldn't be tough to try and include it. I'd expect like the F-14 HB would like to have at least an example or two from each squadron but the AF probably has a LOT more squadrons to contend with. I think right now the core focus will be representing the core jets from the eras being presented, so actual late VN squadrons and post-war years, and when the later one comes the "Euro One" schemes, perhaps the much later gray schemes, and at least some stand-in liveries representing the export Es like Japan, Korea, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Germany, and of course the Iranian ones. Probably will have some special or commemorative schemes in there as well like the 5000th Phantom and I guess #5057. There's already a growing list of knowledgeable folks and SMEs who can help flesh all that out, I'm used to the Tomcat and how the Navy does things so I need to figure out if the AF had their own training squadrons that would have E models so we can reflect how the Air Force operated, plus any fighter weapon schools or special commands.

Getting the rest of the Forrestal class done will probably be the death of Cobra, if he's able to do it. That said I have a personal hardon for the Kennedy, and it has Tomcat and Intruder tie-ins too. '89 Swordsmen shootdown, strikes after the Beirut bombing, Gulf War, and of course OEF/OIF involvement including VF-103's last Tomcat cruise in 2004.

I'll have to wait longer for the Phantom I desire, but this is the series, and video, that I used to check out from the library multiple times a year. The cheesy music still lives in my head, and despite the technical inaccuracies and recycled footage this will still be THE F-4 documentary to me. If HB doesn't do it I may just have to commission Meteor or someone similar to remaster all that glorious, cheesy synth and guitar backing track. I can't fly a Phantom without it.

Me, it can go to the folks painting F-4 liveries and counting rivets! I may or may not have helped facilitate photos of Col Olds' helmet from the USAF museum, which were kindly provided by Hoglan83 on Instagram. Granted I think he was only flying the Cs and/or Ds, but with that being such an iconic AF Phantom legend (like Top Gun is with the Tomcat), I didn't drag my feet.

Posting for VFlip

..... @VFlip Our friend here is mis-informed. Please, engage in dabbing upon him.

Already being done.

I will again ask, when is ED going to resume providing paint kits for AI assets? Over the last couple of years nice, improved models have been introduced and yet no paint kits were ever released. The SU-34, MIG-31, TU-22, and a number of other AI assets have either been added or reworked with nicely done models, but none have come with even rudimentary paint kits. With the upcoming S-3 rework providing an important part to representing carrier air wings back from the 70s through to the 20-teens, it will be extremely frustrating if yet again, no paint kit is provided and we are handed only a few skins of some arbitrary choice that don't align with the periods 3rd Party modules such as the F-14 or upcoming A-7 and A-6 cover. Please, whether these are being done in-house or outsourced, require at least rudimentary paint kits with separated panel lines and details before they pick up and move on to the next asset. Painting over existing .dds files degrades the quality and the details leaving the only real option being the paint community has to start from mostly scratch, redoing panel lines, rivets, and small details.

But the VR users aren't necessarily the majority of DCS users. That's the point being made, and it's unlikely to increase in drastic numbers between DCS' slow improvements in performance and the current GPU/chip supply issues that have pushed the GPUs needed for VR into absurd price territories. I don't care if I can see the pilot body in cockpit, I already have enough things to focus on when flying to add being bothered if the body doesn't reach out and click buttons as I click them. Because IMO a body that just sits there isn't really adding anything.

Make it worse with the HGU-33 too, part of why lighter helmets were designed and implemented were to reduce strain. Also one of the complaints about the VTAS I system was its weight under G loads.

@Victory205Being the nerd that I am, I have a decent amount of the aforementioned stuff hanging around the house now, and you're not kidding about the bulk the SV-2, MA-2 harness, and an LPU add. It's pretty close to what our plate carriers with mag pouches and such were like but at least you didn't have SAPI plates preventing you from properly bending over. I was also disappointed my wife's clothes didn't immediately blow off her body, but as you pointed out it was probably the lack of a moustache. Oh, and after wearing an HGU-68 for a good hour or two I see why the fitment is important. I wore an HGU-47 that came from VT-27 (still has the LT it was fitted for in 1989 sharpied on the fitted insert) and boy, talk about pressure points. It was uncomfortable to wear for more than 15 minutes, and it's noticeably heavier than the HGU-68 or HGU-55.

I'd rather the option to have them all with SC, or no SC functions, and have it simply swap the versions depending on if the SC module is purchased. That would be the ideal way to do it, let the 3rd parties add all the coordinates and locations to hook into the SC functions. If SC is bought, then it displays the SC crews and all that jazz.

Few remember what Chuck Yeager's Flight Simulator was like on a 286 with nothing but arrow keys, and what felt like a sizzling 2-3 frames per second. And by contrast what it felt like to boot up USNF '97 and see and hear the glory that was Jane's in their heyday. Regarding the pilot body thing I was cursed with the creeperstache genes, hence why I need the new bodies to have a stache so I can live out my fantasy of having a crumb catcher as I ride my glorious metal steed for some sunset volleyball. Or whatever the hell the Navy does when it's in the Philippines....

Imagine coming to the merge and seeing a C-2 or an S-3. Do they even get to say "GUNS"?

Then uninstall.

Pay attention and learn what "weathering" actually is on Navy jets. That's what leads to jets that look real, versus over-weathered like most scale modelers do. "Corrosion Control" is a constant activity, especially with jets on a float. A lot of what folks try to do for "weathering" just doesn't match what's actually going on with the jets. Some of the dark smudges in certain areas are from boots and gloves, particularly around the crew ladders. Those areas could get somewhat grimy looking, but pay attention to where actual darkened areas are from dirt and grime versus paint fade, possibly chipping, and, corrosion control paint. Some areas around the engine nacelles might be a bit grimier but the jets did have to be washed down often at sea to prevent corrosion. Gun residue from live fires didn't last long as it's very corrosive, so it'd get cleaned off at the end of the day. Whenever corrosion would pop up on the jet, they'd usually hit it with fresh paint, possibly after stripping a small area to make sure they got the root of the issue. That's why you see various lighter patches of paint all over the jets. This is a more extreme case: It looks like 114 used a darker paint to perform CC here, but often you would see a light gray. https://nara.getarchive.net/media/a-fighter-squadron-114-vf-114-f-14a-tomcat-aircraft-is-launched-from-the-no-dbbf60?zoom=true Note the places that are getting the CC paint, latches, doors, portions of panel lines. Here's another example, similar concept but this shows the lighter paint along panel lines: https://nara.getarchive.net/media/a-fighter-squadron-213-vf-213-f-14-tomcat-aircraft-taxies-out-to-launch-position-0f1a09?zoom=true Understanding the weathering itself produces better weathering, and also helps to show where the limits ought to be.

No

I sadly must report that I just lost the entirety of my ext01 template, which was overwritten during some kind of memory issue and Photoshop led me to believe I had a different file selected, and lost all progress I had made last night on ext 3 and 4. Anything 80s I was doing including the currently included VF-11 jets just got significantly set back because there were stencil changes in ext01 that are unique to that side of the jet, and stencils that I had added.