LanceCriminal86

FYI, for any waiting for these I had a complete HD failure and the skins and templates in any form that I'd feel happy releasing are gone for now. I will re-do them with what I learned in the process, however I think I'd rather do Century of Naval Aviation ones for squadrons that flew F-14B. I will eventually do the squadrons that had D models, and A-equipped squadrons who if around by the Century of Naval Aviation might have upgraded to B/D in an alternate universe. Lastly, I do want to re-do the full set of "throwback" ones in case you'd like a whole squadron's worth of plane numbers to use in missions. So far here's what I am thinking: F-14B Operators: VF-11: Aircraft 100 or 101, flew F2H Banshees in Korea in 1952-1953, with tail code "T". Lineage goes back to 1927 and through WW2 with various designations to include VF-4 & VF-41 to pull from as well in action during Operation Torch, and later in the Pacific in the Philippines and beyond: VF-24 Renegades flew F8s in Vietnam and were one of the first "Ace" Squadrons of the war with 5 MiG kills in the squadron during their 1967 tour. VF-32: USS Leyte 1950, Aircraft 203. Ens Jesse Brown flew Corsairs off the Leyte with Fighting 32 as the first Black US Naval Aviator, and was killed in action after crash-landing his Corsair due to engine failure. His wingman, LTJG Hudner in 205 crash-landed his aircraft alongside Brown's aircraft to try and extract him for rescue after he was not seen leaving the aircraft. Sadly ENS Brown would perish in his aircaft due to wounds incurred in the landing and was pinned in the cockpit. LTJG Hudner would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his selfless actions. VF-74: Flew Corsairs in 1952 and later transitioned to F4D Skyrays. Korea scheme and maybe a later F4D style one. VF-101: Throwback to VF-10, the original Grim Reapers, with either a Wildcat or Hellcat style scheme. Could do one of CDR James Flatley, whose family lineage would include no less than 3 other Grim Reaper pilots. VF-102 flew F2H Banshees on their establishment. I may do an F2H scheme or their later Phantom style scheme somehow grafted onto a Tomcat: VF-103 Sluggers: Established flying FG-1 Corsairs, later F9F Cougars and eventually Crusaders. VF-142: Originally VF-193 in Korea, flew Corsairs and later transitioned to F2H Banshees, then F3 Demons before eventually being redesignated VF-142 after transitioning to F-4Bs in 1963. Korea skin is simpler, F3 Demon type scheme is dificult as fuselage flash doesn't transfer itself well to the F-14's shape. Vietnam scheme is similar to their high-vis F-14A scheme which has already been done (but would have also been a realistic option for a CoNA scheme) but an F-4J style might be neat to see. VF-143 - Flew Corsairs as VF-871, a reserve squadron. Later designated VF-123 with Panthers and returned to Korea. VF-53 with F-3 Demons, and finally as VF-143 in '62 when they went to Phantoms. As with VF-142 their F-4 scheme doesn't transfer well to the Tomcat and wouldn't look too dissimilar to their later Tomcat schemes.

So, digging around on seaforces.org I found the same pic in B&W, and on the site it says courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum. Specific notes were VF-32 off the Kennedy in 1981. My bet is if you contact the NNAM in Pensacola, they can help you with a print request or digital copy if they have it in color that can be blown up to poster size. http://www.seaforces.org/usnair/VF/Fighter-Squadron-32.htm

I believe they deferred to next week as it's going to be a big update on the Cat. I know I saw a reply from Cobra on Reddit with this week's first OB patch. Then Razbam crammed a bunch in on a second OB patch the next day, and IIRC Friday ED was gunning for a stable release maybe?

A Heatblur Navy/USMC F-4 family would be mind-bogglingly cool. I think there was enough similarity between the variants that it could be done, like the F-14 A and B. F-4B, choose a common Vietnam production block to implement, something that would go perfectly if HB went ahead and threw an A-6A in. From the F-4B you can then do the J model, with some minor performance improvements and newer radar, the wing bulges for the larger wheels, stabilator slat (not leading edge wing slats like F-4E), and delete the IRST under the nose, and model the aileron "droop" with gear/flaps down. The external engine model would have the longer afterburner section. The J also added an improved bombing system and could use the Bullpup ASM. Also 1-way datalink for automatic carrier landing system. From the B model, you can then model the improved N model, with "smokeless" J-79s and some of the F-4J's airframe upgrades (stabilator slats, etc.) Finally from the J model you can implement the F-4S, which served well into the 80s and even 90s right alongside the Tomcat. You'd just take the F-4J model and give it the "smokeless" J79s and leading-edge slats. Obviously each one will still have various external visual cues like antennas and their varied locations, but choosing either the F-4B or F-4J to model gives you a Vietnam era aircraft so that era can finally get the love it deserves, AND you would have the basis for taking that work as well as some of the work previously done to the F-14 in order to also offer a modernized version to complement the F-14 through the 80s or even into 90s scenario if the J/S pair were chosen. Let ED come back to the F-4E, I'd rather have a Heatblur carrier Phantom instead.

Well in that case, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Thrustmaster and Logitech have some kind of offering again. I'm sure there'd be R&D time needed, cost analysis, etc. for them to decide if it's worth it and what tiers to offer it at. Probably a longer effort for smaller shops.

In my mind I was thinking you'd need something like how a cassette tape deck works, only allowing you to have one button pressed at a time (yes I know they also allow more than one but you get the idea). The rotation you just do like those A6 ones you have there, cylindrical button body, a slot that wraps around like a "screw" that would probably interface with a pin or some kind of guide, and then copy how cassette tape players push other buttons up when you press another. Something like that should be printable right? Cassette players should be cheap enough to find at goodwill or other old electronics stores.

My understanding, licensing cost. Basically one company is squatting on the patents/copyrights that include FFB under a "haptic feedback" patent/copyright, and they mercilessly pursue anyone that doesn't pay to play. And if you're doing smaller, niche market sticks and bases like VKB/Virpil the cost to volume they sell would probably put a huge hole in their sales. So in cases like Fanatecs (racing wheels) or the above mentioned super spendy FFB stick bases, they just bank on low volume high pricing. And Fanatecs seems to have a pretty hefty following so I'd bet they move more than enough volume to cover it. A larger company like Thrustmaster or Logitech *should* be able to license it and have a lower impact on their bottom line, but for whatever reason it seems they've decided not to pursue it. Other comparison is Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft including haptic feedback to include rumble and vibrations in their smartphones and console controllers. That's who the patent squatters are targeting because they can easily absorb the cost compared to how much they will make per device.

I mean, with time and effort a full squadron skin pack with each MODEX could be done. You'd just need to at least cross check the BuNOs to the MODEX when you can, probably via anft.net, and you could at least have planes with line skins and differing MODEX. Then if size is a concern you could bump the DDS down to DXT5 or use other compressions to at least have passable line birds. Downside, obviously, having to sscccrrrooollllll through every time in order to set up your missions. But if your're doing a lot of LUA mission writing I suppose that can be eased by standardizing your skins file format and some copy/pasta action. As an example, the 8 "Korea" VF-31 Tomcat skins I made take up about 2 Gigs, high compression zipped, when I used the BC7 compression in DDS tool. Super high quality but very fat. But I plan to do a DXT5 pack that's a lot smaller, so something like a more compressed pack to flesh out the rest of a squadron/wing and not have clones should be helpful no? The Heatblur templates should make it easy enough. It's just a time/effort/accuracy question, and everyone has different desires as to what they think they want. Accurate MODEX and BuNO but not having the right pilot names, or any pilot names, might be a no-go for some of you guys. Spending time to custom wear each plane so the paint has different variances. All that jazz adds up in terms of time spent but if it's really something desired, it should be doable.

Not going to lie, if I get my VF-31 1950 package ever finished up I'm just going to tell everyone to steal your pilot textures. Yours turned out way better than anything I've come up with to try and replicate the old yellow vests and 50s gear.

From what I'm getting it's proprietary to their base, and they only at one point offered an adapter to add a Warthog stick to their base, but not the other way around. They also don't offer the base separately, so you have to get it in one go and per their FAQ.

Is the stick only compatible with VKB bases? I know the Virpil works with Warthog base but two of the axes would only work as buttons with that base.

This may be more outside the scope here, but some way to capture and end-of-mission state and import that into a following campaign mission. Less asking for dynamic campaign, but allowing for continuity between a set of missions. Example: Let's say in Mission 5 of a user-made campaign, I decide to hit a SAM site with unexpended ordnance. I'd like the mission to be able to read an end-stat file where if the unit name or "pilot" matches one that was destroyed or damaged in the previous mission, that unit is now damaged/out of comission in the next one. This probably is more on the dynamic campaign roadmap but it would still be useful for scripted campaigns where you can spend a whole bunch of time building up the whole theatre of units, and allowing attrition to happen.

- Allow setting of available fuel for a tanker aircraft to give - Allow scripted or random failures of tanker aircraft fuel delivery - Random or scripted failures for AI aircraft - Display visual model of loadout in loadout/livery window - Allow for groups/formations of large bombers (ie B-52, B-1, TU-22 etc.) - Allow for larger formation sizes - Allow assigning of BORT/Aircraft tail # for static aircraft - Easier changing or adding of factions/countries and modifying coalitions inside mission

Usually HB is pretty on top of a reported CTD like this, my guess is ED really changed something and it has borked more than just a quick code tweak can fix. I wonder if there's some autopilot logic added or modified by the Viper that shifted or entirely replaced a value or function the auto throttles relied on?

Is there a collection of PSDs or skinning templates for the VSN aircraft? Namely looking for the F-4, F-14A, F/A-18 E/F, F-104 but maybe a consolidated folder of templates would be nice. I like using the VSN F-14A for the Iranian Tomcats instead of the default or Heatblur model, but would also like to add some other F-14A squadrons like the Hunters and Superheats who only flew A models.

After some time and practice, I think I'm ready to tackle the Hunters, maybe even VF-202 Superheats as well. I know they flew As all the way until they transitioned in '98 but they were local to me and I want to see them in DCS sooner than later. I'm planning to try and do the CO's bird around when they transitioned, the standard tactical scheme, and then the tac scheme with the partial color tails. Eventually I'll do High-Vis with the Superheats too, and since I'm on a what if bender maybe even Superheats in a modernized lo-vis scheme as though they didn't disband. Other thing to note, Hunters were supposed to have gotten a bunch of birds back LANTIRN capable but I guess those got sent off to a fleet squadron instead.

I'll give the campaign another run after I'm done with that one converted Jane's F-15 campaign. I had the slideshow issues too so I'm eager to give it another go.

I think you already got your answer on the $700 dollar switch, short of completely reverse engineering it with its own controller logic to release a magnet or something to allow it to spring back. If I ever get around to building some F14 replica panels I think I'll stick to momentary toggles as mentioned. Momentary up will engage the autopilot, the momentary down will disengage it, as would the paddle on the stick. Same with the AFCS switches, Auto throttle, etc. It would be nice if we could get some generic "plans" or stencils exported from Heatblur's cockpit model, at least to get the rough shapes of the panels 1:1 sized, and go from there.

Short version: You need to pull the "HB_F14_LOD1_3in1.dds" file from another skin, ideally one that's similar in case you don't redo every single texture. Next, take each dds texture, shrink it to 512x512, and paste it into the LOD file. It helps if you have some of the grid snapping turned on in Photoshop. Otherwise you have to zoom in and align them. Once you've placed each texture over its respective spot, save it like you did the other skin .dds files and voila. Oh, almost forgot, you need to add this to the description.lua: {"HB_F14_LOD1_3in1", 0 ,"HB_F14_LOD1_3in1",false};

I have that skin pack as well, VFA-204 400 or 401 (2009) CoNA I think is the name of that skin maybe? I felt like the deck would be a bit empty if only the Tomcatters were set up Korea style, so I also started working on a Hornet skin that would mimic other wings that were on the Leyte while VF-31 was from 50-51 off Korea: Once that one is refined I may go ahead and post it up as well. I did finish up the LOD 3-in-1 files for each. I'm kinda tempted to just fill in the last of the blanks and do 104, 109, 110, and 111. That would give enough for 3 full flights worth of Tomcats for one to swap out in existing missions/campaigns. I'll just dig for some more pilot names and BuNos. It's all semi-historic anyways.

Finalizing some 50s style USN skins based off of squadrons that flew in Korea and later became Tomcat squadrons, starting with VF-31 Tomcatters:

Old School Tomcatters

After losing my hard drive with all the work I had done, I've decided to re-approach the 50's Navy style skins as a series of "what if" Centennial of Naval Aviation skins, to represent what might have been had the Tomcat served at least to 2008 and the years to follow when the Navy authorized and promoted various heritage schemes across fleet aircraft. The first group will be skins for F-14B squadrons, I will then follow with F-14D equipped squadrons, and lastly F-14A squadrons who in an alternate universe would transition to the A+/B/D over time to include squadrons that were disbanded or transitioned well before the Tomcat's final years. [RELEASED] VF-32 : ENS Jesse Brown, F4U-4 of USS Leyte, October 1950 in action at Chosin https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3307191/ Planned: F-14B VF-11: VF-5 F4B 1920s/30s, F4F-3 Early WW2 silver/yellow markings and/or WW2 Operation Torch VF-24: Vietnam F8 Crusader scheme representing 5 kills during 1967 in squadron VF-74: Corsair or F4D Skyraider scheme VF-101: VF-10 Tricolor CDR Flatley scheme VF-102: F2H Banshee or F-4B Phantom scheme VF-103: VF-29 Jolly Rogers WW2 Tricolor & VF-103 Sluggers (still deciding on which era) VF-142: F2H Banshee VF-193 or F-4J scheme VF-143: VF-871 or VF-123 lineage schemes or VF-53 F-3 Demon scheme F-14D VF-2: Fighting Two Curtiss F6C Hawk ca. 1926 or Vought VE-7s ca. 1921 VF-31: VF-3/VF-6 Butch O'Hare Wildcat scheme, VF-31 Korea USS Leyte 1950 VF-213: 1958 F4D Skyray scheme F-14A (Ficticiously transitioning to F-14A+/B) VF-14: Curtiss TS-1 USS Langley, F4Bs, so many options from the longest serving Navy squadron TBD etc.

Which template layer did you pull the red ejection stencils from, or did you get them elsewhere? I need to re-do most of the safety labels on my Korea VF-31 skins I'm working on and trying to convert the originals to white had unsatisfactory results.

Yes, not only invisible pylons but they seem to be mounted at varying distances from the fuselage.