isoul

I was wondering how annoying would that be since FC2.0 doesn't utilize a so realistic flight model or a clickable cockpit thus making it less demanding than DCS in terms of CPU.

You are right about the Aero being a RAM/CPU hog but... even if I disable it I see no big difference in DCS! One thing I 've learned is that DCS isn't the best optimized game. The proof is that over towns the FPS drops 50%. This is quite much and for a FlightSim, where every frame counts, its too much! By the way my rig is : Core2Quad Q9400 2,66 4 GB RAM 800MHz nVidia GTS250 1GB Windows 7 x64

I am thinking of purchasing FC2.0 but I have one simple question... Since FC2.0 utilizes more or less the same graphics as DCS:BS, does it have the same performance "issues" as DCS:BS? Let me be more precise... For example, in DCS, when you are closing in a town the FPS drops quite dramatically (from 65 to 35 for me). Does this happens to FC2.0 too?

Real life helicopter pilots goes over "maintenance of skill" again and again. Once they haven't flown for some reason they go for a maintenance.

I think this is possible. For example, if someone fired a SA-7 (which is somewhat old technology) at the Kiowa and you happened to pass between the missile and the Kiowa exhaust ports, there is a strong possibility the missile will be distracted by your exhaust ports and follow you instead...

Its odd to me you think DCS is a good game but the lack of a more compact GUI design is its black spot. I could make a list with many things that needs to be fixed, redesigned or added before even getting close to think of the GUI and menus!

Don't be so sure! Actually if a convoy is ambushed its quite easy to stop it even if it passes at the highest speed. This may seem odd but, in case you won't stop you can be almost sure that the casualties among the passengers will be great! The best thing in real life is to stop un-board the vehicles and scatter.

Personally I would like to have some realistic scenarios before even thinking of a Dynamic Campaign. This is what people have to understand first. When I see people saying that they loved a mission where you fly for 5 minutes to reach target area, you fire a dozen Vikhrs and go for a rearm in-order to return and kill the rest of the targets and accomplish mission, I understand that automated software like a Dynamic Campaign system can't be satisfying for both me and them!

1. Read (the manual) 2. Watch (the training) 3. Practice (your skills) 4. Search (the forum) 5. GOTO step No 1 (once more!) (*) The question has been placed and answered numerous times before. Search the forum and you 'll have tons of info on that matter!

First of all Collective Brake isn't a switch or function you enable or disable. AFAIK, in real life its a lever you have to press in order to move Collective up or down. Instead of that you can just disengage ALT HOLD. There are two types of altimeters : 1) Barometric Altimeter - Uses atmospheric pressure to determine the height. The height measured is actually the vertical distance from seal level(zero altitude) to a given point(where the barometer stands). 2) Radar Altimeter - Uses radio-wave signals(which bounce on the ground) to determine the distance from the ground beneath you. If you want to maintain the same (barometric) altitude, or just level flight, you : 1) Set ALT HOLD on 2) Set Altimeter Switch to Baro (means Barometric) 3) Use Collective Brake at desired altitude 4) Let alone the Collective stick *) Dangerous when flying low at mountainous areas. If you want to maintain the same radar altitude, which means your flight level will follow the morphology of the ground below, you 1) Set ALT HOLD on 2) Set Altimeter Switch to radar 3) Use Collective Brake at desired altitude 4) Let alone the Collective stick *) Useful when flying NoE.

"Early 2010" can be extended, using simple reason, till 30 June! Whatever prior to 30 June may be considered as early. In best case the first 3-4 months of a year is actually "early". On to the point, I prefer a delay of 1 or 2 months instead of having an unfinished product at the date promised! It happened before(not with ED), now I know the consequences!

Remember to have patience while training! You won't master the Shark with 20hrs of flying(amount is depending on your experience with serious flight sims).

What you mention is true in RL but in the fictional scenarios in FC2/DCS servers, where you will have to strike a target and an F-15 has to defend it, the jet pilot will know in advance where to look for you. In real life things would be more complicated, with long range SAMS threatening the jet, medium&short range SAMS lurking, with their radars turned off, waiting for the right time to switch it on and fire the missile. In such environment things would be easier for the Ka-50. But are these threats present to deny the enemy fighter every freedom of movement? Do you think that most people who build missions bother with providing an ultra realistic environment?

Given the Ka-50's lack of even the basic CM such as chaff, even if someone tells you that an AIM-7 is coming to you, technically, you don't have any means to evade it... I won't mention an AIM-120 fire&forget missile with 30nm range! I don't want to see me as a doom-sayer but, in such "What If" scenario like FC2/DCS server, modern jets(with all the modern equipment) pitted against Ka-50... well, it will be helpless unless Ka-50 pilots develops some real attack helicopter pilot skills!

Its not that obvious on the screen above but when you are shooting a tank sitting on the green field of Georgia it is nice to have it on sometimes!

Not necessarily if you ask me! In case you have a joystick that already has a "twisty" rudder and a throttle-stick then "stick" to it... at least for the beginning. Then you may judge by yourself. If someone asked what would make the Shark's handling better for me I would mention the rudder pedals(instead of the "twisty" rudder on my X52) after TrackIr and a "heavier" less-soft joystick.

I know that US has at least 1 Mi-24 Hind in its possession for training purposes of ground troops and anti-aircraft units. Its possible that they used that one. Since the exercise took place in Nevada I doubt that any Russian unit traveled there. I think that if you search youtube you 'll find at least one video showing the Hind used in training US troops and the US Hind pilot telling stuff about his "enemy" great helicopter and its capabilities.

I think this button is located in the left panel(near to the Laser switch and Autoturn to target). Correct me if I am wrong!

An exercise where Hinds were pitted against western jets? Really interesting! Which nations took part.

Actually this was the idea of how Ka-50 units would operate! The idea is still considered awesome in a theoritical level! Still in practise, given the funding that Russia dedicate to its Army till today, problems in production line, the geo-political situation and many other reasons of lesser significance, this idea seems illussionary, unless there are dramatic changes. Actually the Ka-50 was to be complemented by the Ka-52, not the reverse. The Ka-52 is technologically more advanced than Ka-50 and can operate on its own, day or night, without any problems. The only problem would be is that Ka-52 isn't a low-cost unit like Ka-50 is BUT given the limited funding its better to have 10 Ka-52 rather than 5 Ka-52 coordinating 15 Ka-50(the numbers are fictional). As for now, according to Russia's Air Force chief, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, deliveries of the first 12 Ka-52 Hokum-Bs to the Russian Air Force must have started in 2009(RIA Novosti article). I think that I 've red somewhere that 2 have been already delivered to Russian Army. According to other official, the manufacturers plan is that 30 Alligators will be delivered by 2012. None ever said, as GGTharos posted earlier, that this number is ordered to supplement the existing Ka-50.This probably means that Ka-52 seem to go into production without close dependency to the Ka-50 numbers currently in service. So, we can expect that Ka-52 will be operating alone in many occassions, especially in missions were Ka-50 isn't properly equipped for. Still there is no official word, as far as I am aware of, that Ka-50 will fall into disuse or that Ka-52 will replace it. On the contrary, in late 2004 Russian official denied that in press. According to same source's(RIA Novosti news agency article here) info back in 2007, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister(at that time), Sergei Ivanov, said that Ka-50s is included(!) in 2008 state's defence order and that Russia will buy another 12 until 2015. This is a quite small number but it would help not closing-down the Ka-50 production line. No much further info is available since Russian keeps numbers and details a secret. What I get from all this is that in today's world much are changing when it comes to military matters that affects the equipment which has been built and is being developed. More or less the equipment is changing according to what armies need and what nations have to spend. We may see new needs to rise or old ones to be reconsidered/redesigned. Its almost a year since US President decided to halt the more-than-20-year-old "F-22 Raptor progmam" with the comment "I'm grateful that the Senate just voted against an additional $1.75bn to buy F-22 fighter jets that military experts and members of both parties say we do not need", this alone should say something. The fact is, as GGTharos mentioned, that the next module is much depend on what the next ED military contract will be and which one will be approved to "leak" to the commercial market. This contract may differ largely from what we are asking in here. After all, the army paid for much of the DCS we have in our computers today... let it do its job so we can benefit once more!

Glad to see that we have one more with real knowledge of helicopter mechanics! PS: Note that the one who really knows keeps his mouth shut!

The obvious... I would vote NO! Still from the outcome of the voting procedure I see that there was nothing to vote for in the first place. I believe that most people will mainly fly Ka-50 or A-10 for other reasons than the fear of confusing the controls. I doubt that someone, when A-10 will be released, will dedicate the same amount of time to Ka-50 as before and that this time will be equal to the one dedicated to A-10.

I think that you have more chances of finding someone with such experience in the russian section. Russian use co-axial rotor-crafts that western people, right? If you want someone who has enginnering experiesnse on the Ka-50 specifically, I think you have to search a lot since Ka-50 are too few so I am guessing that its engineers will be few aswell. Nice to see that we have someone with real knowledge of helicopter mechanics among us! Good luck finding one!

The real problem is... "What happens if I run out of activations/deactivations?" If we contact ED do we get additional activations/deactivations for free?

Actually SEAD aircraft know that they will be the target of SAMS and they are supposed not to jettison their precious ARMs. Instead they use approach tactics that would minimize the possibility of a shoot down. I think you do understand too that something is wrong to the AI behavior of SEAD if something like this happens.