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Actually, you're right. In fact planes are usually built with a large safety margin, say 1.5 or even 2. Which means we should be able to pull around 50Gs before starting to see problems in the aircraft

Hello, it has come to my ears that the F-15 once pulled 40Gs and not only just survived, it could fly perfectly fine. This clearly means that the DCS F-15's G limit has to be bumped up to 40Gs. After all, we don't care about airframe life and all our planes are factory new. This limit isn't just reallistic, it's also reasonable and based on actual pilot experience. Please ED, make it happen!

Hi Aerges, I've been wondering what will be the weapons available to the Mirage F1. I guess each variant (if they're still happening) may have its own loadout chart, but will that loadout chart be limited to what Spain had or will it be expanded to include other weapons that Spain didn't have? Could we get a list of the planned weapons?

That'd definitely be a welcome addition. I can't help but think their skins don't really look up to standard. Also the Su-25T hurts to see

Hello, I've been wondering if there're any MiG-29 pilots in DCS that could shed some insight into the plane. I'd love to hear about their experience and eventually comment on the upcoming FF module, and who knows maybe even do some tutorials or something like that!

Thanks for posting, Rudel! For the sake of completeness, could you add which squadrons use the MiG-29 and where are they posted within Iran? I think that would also be helpful for mission builders. Although I recall doing some surface-level search and see that most of them are based around Teheran... so not exactly in the PG area

We can clearly see there're 2 types of people playing DCS: those who all they want is capabilities to better strip clean whole maps in a single sortie, and those who care about realism and the more "simulator" aspects of the game. It's actually sad to see to whom Eagle Dynamics is starting to cater now. I personally fly in DCS for the prospect of flying a reallistic depiction of a certain aircraft. Sure, having Iglas would be nice. Sure, having FLIR would be nice. Sure, having Amraams would be nice. But if those are going to be unreallistic, fantasy add-ons glued to the airframe just to make it more capable for capabilities or sales, then don't count with me on that one. If I wanted to have a power fantasy I'd go play War Thunder or Ace Combat, DCS simply isn't that. And now we're having that pushed down our throats, and judging by how ED handles the Datalink and JHMCS on the Hornet and the Viper to adapt them to scenarios in which they didn't have them (ie: they don't), we can only assume the 3rd pylons are going to be a permanent attachment and all that. So yeah, a net negative to DCS in my opinion. I hope we get Amraams, JDAMs and JSOWs on the Apache too.

At least back then it didn't have that third pylon... I don't remember asking for them, but let's say I did. This being a simulator (or at least a game that tries to represent *real* aircraft in a *reallistic* way), if the Ka-50 couldn't use Iglas then it can't get them no matter how hard people asks for them. I haven't seen anything actually saying that it can mount them, let alone use them. EDIT: It'd be a different matter if it could mount them and use them but ED chose to not add them (for example the tandem bomb racks in the MiG-29 9.13S).

Yay, the BS3 is going to be a 100% fantasy module! I wonder why ED doesn't give it a radar, FLIR, Hellfires, Amraams, JDAMs, JSOWs, CBU-107s, Meteors, AIM-260s, SLAM-ER, Triple Mavs in every station and HARMs everywhere. Now that it's basically fantasy why not go the extra mile? People would love to get the SUPER CAPABLE KILLING MACHINE that the BS3 can become. So yeah hard pass on this, good job ED

I'm actually tempted to preorder it. Do we know if the preorder will come to Steam?

Hello, I'd like to know what's the current status of the manual, and if it'd be possible to make it available before the module's release if it's ready.

That super-vague law has already killed the BS3, and it will kill the MiG-29 if ED decides to actually try to make it. I think it's useless to keep hoping to get more modern Russian aircraft from ED, it looks like it'll be basically impossible. At least we're getting the now defunct Mi-24. Thank the Apache for its death. But I guess it could only go that way.

Maybe not whatever the Apache has, but I think most people asking for a movable gun turret in the Mi-24 are asking for it because otherwise the Hind wouldn't be similar enough to the ultimate attack helicopter, the Apache. And that's not good.

Too bad. Because the Apache has that beloved gun turret and the Hind doesn't.

The Apache is the other way, guys.

Yeah well, FC3 was killed by the Hornet, the A-10 is kind of a dying breed already, and the Ka-50 is 100% going to be killed by the Apache. The good old times I guess

How many people do you see flying the modules? How many servers do you see focused on the modules? How many clans, how many tools, how many campaigns? They're there but they aren't the most numerous Just wait. Either the Hornet or the F-16

Well seeing that many of the big systems of the F-16 were pioneered on the Hornet... And how popular is Redfor to make the module not flop? Seeing just how many people fly the red modules...probably not much. In terms of players, attention given to it by the devs themselves, attention given to it by the content creators and mission makers... for example look at the F-5. Sure it has its cult following, but you will never see someone saying it's the main DCS module.

The Hind is just a prototype for the Apache tho. They're making it because it's simple and allows them to spend more time polishing the AI gunner thing, to then use it on the Apache and hang themselves a medal for a job well done. It would have been disastrous if the Apache released without an AI gunner, or if the AI gunner was bad. Just a huge loss of street cred right after the F-16 fiasco. ED can't afford that. But the Hind getting a half-assed or non existent AI gunner at first? That's not so critical. The few who were going to buy the Hind are still going to buy it, the ones that just wanted an Attack Helicopter will probably wait for the Apache anyway, and the Hind is not going to be considered a mainline module by the community or ED themselves, so the blow wouldn't have been that big, if there was a blow at all.

Well the MiG-23MLA was introduced more or less around the time the F-15C was introduced... They aren't, that's the point lol. They're not going to make it.

However that AIM-7 is being used by the best fighter ever made, and the Tomcat was numerous enough to make those Phoenix count. Not to speak of the agility of both planes. They're legends for a reason. Even the AH-1S/J/W is way better than the Hind. Also yes, the Mi-24P is absolutely a contemporary to the Apache because Russia itself still uses it widely. I mean, yes it's kind of boring, but that's just because it's so good it almost fights by itself, and people loves that. They're going to be getting it just for the thought of not having to spend any effort on getting kills. There's plenty of people like that. https://theaviationgeekclub.com/that-time-an-f-15e-shot-down-an-iraqi-mi-24-attack-helicopter-with-a-2000lb-laser-guided-bomb/ It goes by a different name now but in essence is the exact same conflict. That's a shame because ED can't make something contemporary to what Blue has now. Even the MiG-29 9.12 is 20 to 30 years older than whatever Blue has now. And even if we had exact contemporaries they still wouldn't be a huge challenge, their radars are just now getting up to par, their missiles are still abyssmal, and their systems are still prehistoric. Because that's how it is. Comparing timeframes is completely irrelevant if all you want is buy a new module. You're not going to buy a MiG-21 over the Hornet because "The MiG-21 was good for its timeframe so it has to be good for me too even if all I'm going to fight are Hornet-tier opponents". No, if you have 80 bucks to buy a module you'll buy the module that brings more to the table, otherwise it's lost money. That's why you see that many Hornets, because the Hornet is the most capable module with the most things to do. It can do everything better than the rest, so people buys it because otherwise they'd run out of things to do before considering their money has been well spent. And that's a very reallistic situation you see. In Iraq that's all the US did, fight planes 20 to 40 years older flown by bad pilots. DCS brings the most reallistic combat scenarios forth, it's just that they aren't very engaging in terms of gameplay. But that's how modern air wars are. Again, vocal minority. Everytime the MiG-29 comes up I see the exact same people asking for it. But everytime I see an US aircraft come up I see more and more people I don't recognize ask for it. Redfor is simply a minority in DCS, they make a lot of noise but that doesn't mean it's not a minority. The Hind will show ED that the correct way to go is to keep making American modules, the MiG-29 will be cancelled, we're going to see the F-35 soon.

The reason why the Hornet is the most popular module isn't just that everyone loves it. It's by far the most capable module at the moment, and it will still be until Razbam's F-15E reaches a playable state. The Eurofighter is a good *fighter* not a good multirole. People will gravitate towards the most capable thing in general, which the Eurofighter isn't. The F-15E will be the king if ED doesn't release their F-35 soon. And yes, I'm sure many people in DCS plays the modules that they like, but those aren't the majority of people. All I see around are Hornets, Hornets and Hornets. So there clearly has to be something else to it than just pure interest.

I very much doubt it'll sell well, specially in comparison with the Apache. Just look at the MiG-19 and F-14 situation for example. NOBODY owns the MiG-19, meanwhile the F-14 is almost as universal as the Hornet. And the Mi-24, how is it an icon? It's just a fat helicopter from the enemy side, how can that be iconic?

Let me explain why: First of all, Russia. Their laws have already blocked the Su-27 and the BS3 from being made and I don't see any reason why the MiG-29 would be allowed to be made in the first place. Yes, it's older and it's basically MiG-23 tech, but it's still a MiG-29 and surely has stuff that Russia keeps using nowadays and they wouldn't want to have it being seen publically. Even if the laws don't kill the project, it'll be Russia's own complex what will kill it. If the MiG-29 is made in full fidelity, it'll be seen that it was just an overhyped plane during the Cold War, and that there really isn't much to it that could make it a good plane. This is something the West has seen since the 90s with the tens of MiG-29s shot down by US aircraft, but now it'd be clear to literally everyone and the "But it's FC3!" excuse wouldn't be applicable anymore. To save themselves the embarrasment, Russia will probably block the release of the MiG-29 even if by law it could be made. We also have no reason to think the laws won't become more strict in the future. Secondly, the Apache. Yes I know it may seem unrelated, but if ED's roadmap for this year is to be believed, the Mi-24 and the Apache are going to be dropping sooner rather than later. This is pretty much worst case scenario for the Mi-24, because people wanting an Attack Helicopter will by default go for the most capable, most modern, with better "bang-for-the-buck" ratio option. Which will undoubtly be the Apache and not the Hind. The Hind will be left for the enthusiasts and the collectors. You can argue the Mi-24 is a very different beast, and you're right. It is much worse in all the regards that count, seeing how its systems are primitive, its weapons not very good, and it can barely hover. All this for the "advantage" of being able to carry troops, which in reality was never made because it severely reduces your weapon carrying capacity. The truth is that the Hind is an attack helicopter, and in that field it's competing against the Apache. For the first time in DCS, ED will have 2 "direct counterparts" to compare in terms of sales and profitability. And there's simply no chance for the Hind to sell better than the Apache. In fact I'd say the Hind is going to flop massively. Most people is more attracted to the Apache because it's the definition of an attack helicopter, it's used by their home country (mostly the US) and it's a clear powerhouse that has served in many wars, saved many lives and generally has become a legend. Meanwhile the Hind is known for being shot down with an LGB by an F-15E, and I guess that's more or less it. Many were shot down in Afghanistan, while few if any Apaches have been even damaged in that same conflict. So the capabilities are definitely on the Apache's side and the popularity is on the Apache's side. These 2 combined will lead to the Apache selling way better than the Hind, and that's important. ED will see that spending time and resources making Redfor modules is simply not worth it. Why bother making a module like the Hind when you can make an Apache and have it sell 10x more? Similarly, why bother making the MiG-29 and have it sell badly when compared with the Hornet or the Viper? Why not just making an F-15C instead? In terms of systems it's more complex than the MiG-29, sure, but it's no Hornet so it should take less resources. And it's a damn F-15C so it's definitely going to sell lots. So really, why bother with the MiG-29? There's no reason aside from "PVP balance" and that reason alone is enough to *not* make it, because as per ED, the vast majority of the playerbase plays SP exclusively, so the point is moot. This is also a simulator, not a game. Balance is not something we should be aiming for, because real life is never balanced. So yeah, there's no actual reason to make the MiG-29. All the people asking for it are probably just a very vocal minority, and you can't rely on those minorities to determine what you should or shouldn't be making. The MiG-29 is just not going to happen, there's only 1 reason to make it and in the business world it holds no weight whatsoever: "we want to make it". ED is a business, profitability is their main goal and it has been confirmed by Chizh, so the MiG-29 will eventually be dropped. I succesfully predicted that the Apache would be made and it would be a Longbow, I succesfully predicted that the BS3 was going to be cancelled, and I'm sure I'll be proven right on this one too.

Yes, SAMs. SAMs that would get SEAD/DEAD'd on the first day of conflict and nobody would be able to prevent that because the air force that was supposed to protect them simply wasn't good enough. So to prevent complete destruction the sites are switched off, which leaves the fighters defenseless before the horde of F-15s. SAMs aren't a reliable thing either, they're not magical things that when they shoot, shoot something down. And if the airspace is very contested you aren't going to be firing them anyway for fear of hitting your own planes. So really, the air force was alone. The SAMs are all fine and dandy until an actual force comes around with ways to deal with them. So with the main "advantage" of the Soviets neutralized, and their air force posing no real threat, the US is now free to obliterate their ground forces. The truth is that the Soviets didn't have advantages in any domain. Maybe manpower and just because they used conscription, who probably left a lot to be desired in terms of motivation, combat efficency and general trainning.