KWard

I did receive a preorder confirmation email when I placed my order through the website.

If an arc is what is used in real jets, why would I want a rail instead? Genuine question from a beginner, why is this controversial? ETA: never mind, someone posted the answer just before I posted the question.

The same company, DOF Reality, makes some larger (and more expensive) platforms that mount the controls as well as the seat, so that your controls move with you. I'm thinking of saving up for one and hunting for reviews.

It is an unofficial mod, so probably it won't be released with any official DCS update. It'll be released when its developers are ready.

Same. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

I have only the Index, so I have no basis for firsthand comparison. But I chose it because of its slightly wider FoV compared to most headsets currently available*. I had been learning toward the Reverb because of its higher resolution, but then I read a couple comments here that turned me off it. One poster compared it to wearing a scuba mask, and the other said they pulled a muscle in their neck checking their six. I've only had the Index for a few days now, and I'm still learning to fly in DCS so my experience is limited. The resolution is high enough that I can read the cockpit instruments, but the treeline bordering the airfield is blurry. Overall I'm happy with it, and I'm still tinkering with the settings. *Of course the Pimax has an even wider FoV, but I just couldn't afford that. Even the Index was more than I could afford, really, it took me months to save up for it.

I have a Buttkicker. If I understand correctly, to use it with DCS it looks like I need SimShaker for Aviators, the SimShaker Sound Module, and an add-on sound card. Right? What ports or other features do I need to look for when shopping for a sound card? I'm using the built-in audio of my VR headset, if that matters. And now that I know it exists, I will want to add the JetPad FSE whenever I can scrape up the money. Do I need a particular type of sound card for that? Apologies if this has already been answered. It's a long thread to go through.

Thanks for the help! I figured out where I was goofing up on the trim controls. I was in Axis Commands. That's why I only saw one keybind for each option. Once I switched to All, I was able to map left/right, up/down etc. I found out from this guide that I could go into the UI Layer and set up a joystick button as a modifier. Now I've got it set up so the three levers on the Saitek throttle are flaps, propeller control and throttle, and then the modifier+left and middle levers are the wheel brakes. I also mapped the combined brake keybind to the joystick's brake lever. Hopefully that will work. It took me a while to figure out which keybinds were the right ones to move the VR camera view around, but I finally got it. I can see over the instrument panel at least. I think I'm ready to move on to lesson #2. I'm really excited. I've been working on this since November of 2019--and dreaming of it since 1983 at least. This is like Christmas morning when I was little.

Tinkered with it a bit more. I ran Steam VR's play area setup again, and this time instead of up too high and back and twisted, I ended up mostly positioned right, except vertically--I was sitting halfway through the floor. Also, flight controls work in VR now. I just need to move UP maybe a foot or so. Also, after seeing it in VR, I get now that the Mixture Control Lever is actually a 3-position switch; it doesn't slide. Well, maybe it does in the real aircraft, but when I clicked it with the mouse it just flicked between those three settings. So those keybindings now make sense. Still have no idea how to bind the Propeller Control Lever, trim knobs or brakes. On a side note, this is my very first time experiencing virtual reality, and I am just blown away by the experience. It's incredible. I kept reaching out and trying to touch things. It feels wrong that there's nothing there.

I've been lurking on these boards for awhile, but I only recently finished building a new PC that could actually handle DCS. I haven't actually played a flight sim since MicroProse's Strike Eagle on the Apple IIc. I could use a little help. My ultimate goal is the F-14, but I'd like to start with the TF-51 and master basic flight before I spend any MORE money. So far I've done the first training mission where you just sit in the cockpit while a voiceover explains all the instruments. I have the Chuck's guide for the P-51 and I've watched Wags' control setup video, but I still can't figure some things out. Like how to map some of the controls. I have Saitek's Pro Flight throttle, which has three configurable levers. I've got the left one successfully mapped to the throttle, and I wanted to map the Mixture Control and Propeller Control to the other two levers, since they're next to the throttle in the actual aircraft. But I can't figure out which item in the huge list of keybinds is the right one. There isn't one "mixture control lever" keybind, there's: Mixture control (rotary) Misture EMERGENCY FULL RICH Mixture IDLE CUT OFF Mixture RUN And I can't find anything that matches the propeller control lever either. I'm also not sure how to bind the trim controls. I would have thought they'd be bi-directional. and I was planning to use the hat switch on my joystick, but each one has only a single keybind. I'm also not sure how to bind the brakes or what to bind them to. My VKB rudder pedals are otherwise pretty great, but they do not have toe brakes. Do I need to map the left and right brakes separately, or is it okay to map both of them to one control (say, the pinky lever on the joystick)? I mean, as long as I'm not planning to take off like Tim Matheson in 1941... Adding to the confusion, my Valve Index VR headset arrived today. After going through the Steam VR tutorial, I loaded DCS, clicked the "use VR headset" checkbox in Settings, didn't change anything else, and then launched the same first instrument lesson again. When it loaded, instead of being in the pilot's seat, I was about 12" or so behind it, raised up the same amount with my head clipped through the canopy, and twisted about 15-20º to the left. I have no idea how to fix that. Also, my controls no longer worked. Thanks in advance for any help.

If there used to be force feedback joysticks and FF is plentiful in the racing sim hobby, why are there no force feedback sticks available today? How hard would it be to create some kind of aftermarket add-on? Is it only hardware that's needed, or would DCS have to add some kind of coding to tell the hardware what to do?

That was a fantastic experience, listening to all those real-life F-14 drivers and RIOs talk about their experiences.

It would be nice if we could use our own voice, either live or making our own recordings, like custom skins only audio. Failing that, I hope there's a selection of pilot voices to choose from.

I would love a Cold War map with enough water for carrier ops. F-14, F/A-18, Viggen, plus Redfor aircraft, hells yeah! What about the zoomies, though? Does this map have a suitable base for Vipers and Hogs?

Why not?

It does look like a good module and I'm seriously thinking of buying it too. But it can't land on a carrier.

I would welcome an S-3 eventually and buy it, but I would prefer to see Heatblur work on other modules first.

Yeah, but again, overcoming that problem could very well be the "huge milestone" that will "melt our brains". An F-15C module is neither of those things.

What he said. Glove vanes and the old hi-viz paint schemes, that's what I want. :lol:

Fourthed.

Is the one in the real aircraft plastic or metal?

Tell her girls can be pilots too. :D

I would absolutely love to have the T-2. And if it's not a free module I would gladly pay for it. Not only is it a great trainer that generations of naval aviators learned on, but I grew up 20 minutes away from where they were built. That would RULE. It would help me enormously to have an experienced pilot in the back seat while I'm learning, and someday I'd like to pay it forward and train others. I think it would make it easier for people to get into DCS if they could have an experienced hand to help them get started.

I get my tax return on Tuesday and I'm terrified it will sell out before then and be out of stock for two years. I want this stick so much!

Maybe I was wrong when I said "never ever". There's more support for the T-2 than I thought.