Doc3908

Incredible works!! Kudos!!!

Trying out AAR in the new stable A-4E. Excellent!!

I've made it a point to set "No talking" before entering a dogfight...

A Mosquito raid on the port of Dunkirk (Channel Map, Growling Sidewinder Server)

I'd love to find servers with I-16 - whatever side. The only server I fly routinely on when I get the itch for the Mosca is Clash of Wings. I've seen the I-16 listed on the Korea 1952 server, but with everyone flying Mig-15s and F-86s, I ain't gonna jump in an I-16 just to give them a "stationary target" (though i should really try it once... LoL!). What other servers host the I-16? Any info is much appreciated.

Just logged off the server: it's always lagging, but today was literally a slideshow. Played on another server afterwards - no issues. Maybe the GS server needs to be restarted every now and then. Anyone else experiencing severe lagging today?

Practicing carrier landing. It's still the hardest plane to trap properly, but the FM has definitely been tweaked since the 2.0-beta first came out. There's less pitch up with throttle application and the engine doesn't take nearly as long to spool up as it used to do. Now both traps and (especially) AAR are much easier (AAR is actually very easy now).

Su-57 vs. three F-15s (ace AI). Guns only.

The AI often stops attacking you when it thinks it's caused enough damage. This is in every module - the F-5, the F-18, the JF-17, etc. And, yes, you can then chase them and destroy them and they keep on flying straight and level.

Bf-109 adventures on the Growling Sidewinder WW2 server.

Figured I'd start the New Year with a quick hop in the I-16 on the "Clash of Wings" server. Short video - takeoff, a quick scuffle with a Bf-109K4, then a landing back at Novo.

I-16 vs. Bf-109K4 (PvP - Clash of Wings server)

Either the F4U or the Lavochkin La-7 being developed by OctopusG.

I tried attacking a U-Boat with rockets yesterday. Used the 25lb warheads - a salvo of 8 rockets. As the video shows, I waited till I was literally on top of the boat using the rockets. The damage after the initial pass was 92%, which I thought was amazing. However, when I reviewed the video later, I saw that my initial hits (with the cannon) raised the damage of the boat to 60%. Since this was on the Growling Sidewinder server, I can only assume that someone else had attacked the boat before me and probably damaged it somewhat (at lest 30-40%). The rockets themselves, fired from point-blank range, probably did about 20-25% damage - not nearly enough to sink the U-Boat. It took all my ammo to finish off the U-Boat (my bad aim notwithstanding). Next time, I'll try to team up with another Mossie driver on the GS server and see a pair of Mossies can sink a fresh, undamaged U-Boat. Anyway, here's the video:

Recently, I developed a liking for engaging naval targets. Here's a Mosquito mission to attack a German U-Boat with rockets and cannon.

An interesting plane - never heard of it till now. With a 2-bladed prop, too... Thanks for bringing it up! That said, I don't think OctopusG will be developing any of the I-16 opponents: As they said, they are a small team and have their hands full with the I-16, the upcoming La-7, and projects related to other games. I'm grateful for all their work on the I-16 and can't wait for the La-7. Meanwhile, I would love to see other developers come up with "competition" for the I-16 - planes from the 1939-1941 time frame. Unfortunately, everyone is playing the market, which is small enough for WW2 (most players want to fly mach-2 and fire fox-3s all day). And even within the small WW2 market, the early war period appears to be of little interest (e.g. many US buyers want to fly US planes, which are from the second half of WW2 in Europe and from the Pacific theater). However, BoB is such an iconic period in WW2 that, I imagine, sooner or later someone will produce a Bf-109E4 and that will open the flood-gates for other pre/early WW2 planes.

My vote goes for an early Bf-109 (A through E). It can be used in a variety of scenarios - from the Spanish Civil War, to the Battle of Britain, to the early days of Barbarossa on the Eastern Front. Speaking of the Spanish Civil War, there were He-51s that were much more prevalent before the Condor Legion brought over the -109Bs. It'll be an interesting duel - biplane vs. early monoplane. And, of course, there was the I-15, though it's a stablemate - not an opponent - for the I-16.

Lavochkin La-7. See the last picture from yesterday's update.

Back in the Mossie for some ground/water target strafing...

Wow!!! Let me be the first to say.... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! Thank you for all the hard work on the I-16 - by far, my favorite DCS module. And a HUGE thank you for the FANTASTIC news on the long-awaited Lavochkin!!!! Put it up on pre-sale and take my money right now! Wishing you, your team, and your families a wonderful holiday season and much happiness and success throughout the New Year!!! Cheers!!!!

Lately, every time I log in, the weather over the Channel is overcast. I wonder if GS has set it up like that on purpose (Is the weather always that bad over the Channel?) I'd really like to see a nice clear day sometime...

Lots of great tips and advice here. I just wanted to add that a radar lock on a target you are engaging with guns at close range eliminates the need to guesstimate the lead. It's deadly effective.

I've been enjoying the GS WW2 server since it came out a couple of months ago. One wish I have, however, (in case GS is reading this) is to have larger formations of AI aircraft. Currently, we have AI flights of 4 bombers with no fighter escort trying to get to the opponent's side. I can easily take out all bombers by myself (assuming they survive the ground fire). I'd like to see BoB type formations - perhaps not 100 aircraft, but 20-30 bombers and 10-20 fighters escorting them. That will raise the stakes and force us human players to play as a team rather than as solo hunters. The primary purpose of flying a fighter was not to engage in dogfights for fame and glory, but to stop (or protect) the bombers. Hope GS can make it happen...

"With a landing like that, you can park it in suburbia."

I'm not an expert, but in my experience "hammerhead" is synonymous with "stall turn", i.e. fly upwards until the speed bleeds to 0 (or so), then kick (usually left) rudder so that the aircraft yaws around the left wingtip until pointing straight down. Then let the airspeed recover and pull out. (Obviously additional control inputs are needed to compensate for torque and other effects). I believe that what you are describing is a push-pull humpty bump: Start vertically as you would with a stall turn, but at the top, instead of kicking the rudder, push the stick forward (with a quick blip of throttle) so that you flop over the top straight ahead and you end up pointing down. Of course, this only works with a neutrally balanced aerobatic aircraft with large control surfaces. The Spit is simply not designed to do advanced aerobatics - its control surfaces are not large enough, do not deflect sufficiently and the engine will likely overheat if you "prop-hang" it. Not to mention that the engine will stall out when you push forward on the stick a the top. I'll see if I can jump in DCS later today and see what I can do in the Spit...