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Guys the F6F is coming! AMAZING! Probably coming in 2023, a comment under the "2023 and beyond" video that said something like "F6F in 2023, it's gonna be a fun year" received a heart by ED, so yea F6F in 2023 confirmed. I'll provide screenshots of the comment later. This is the main Thread for the F6F developement rumors, ideas, updates and news! Feel free to contribute as you wish. COOL PHOTOS OF THE HELLCAT ARE WELCOME! LET THE DISCUSSIONS BEGIN!

Mariana Islands Map Announcement! Since the release of DCS World, the sole free map has been the Caucasus Map. Although a great map and the recipient of a huge update in DCS World 2.5, we are happy to announce a second, free map for DCS World! For this new map, we want to use our latest map technologies and provide a very different combat environment in a new part of the world. The map must have the following features: A very large ocean area with a few islands. Ideal for carrier operations. Islands that are situated such that airfields have natural red, blue, and contested locations. Home to at least one modern-day USAF base. Feasible for US, Russia, and China operations in the Pacific. Take advantage of the Chinese Assets Pack. Taken as a whole, there is only one natural choice: the Mariana Islands. It will initially be a 400 x 400 km map with the option to expand further in the future. Home to one of the largest USAF air bases in the region, Andersen AFB on Guam serves as an anchor of US forces in the Pacific region, but it is within reach of both Chinese and Russian Pacific forces to the north. The same island chain also served as the backdrop of the World War II battles of Guam, Saipan, and Rota, as well as the carrier vs. carrier Mariana Islands battle. At release, the following islands will be included and modelled at an extreme level of accuracy using our latest map and graphics technologies: Guam Andersen AFB. Weapons storage bunkers northwest of Andersen AFB. Ordnance Annex in south-central next to Santa Rita. Antenna array installation on the west coast. Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport. Abandoned Northwest Airfield in the northeast corner of the island. Abandoned Orote Airfield at Crote Pointe. US Naval station and Guam Port Authority at Apra Habor / Sumay. Fort Soledad and Fort Juan Muna. Urban areas of Talofofo, Yona, Tumon, Yigo, Maggilao, Asbeco, Dededo, Inarajan, Santa Rita, Agat, Piti, Asan, Hagatna, Barrigada, Magilao, and Adacao, Agana Heights, Asan-Maina, Chalan-Pago-Ordot, Mongmong-Toto-Maite, and Umatac. The University of Guam. Leo Palace Resort. Saipan Saipan International Airport. Port of Puerto Rico. Urban centers of Kagman, San Roque, Tanapag, Garapan, San Vucente, Dandan, Chalan Kiya, Susupe, Chalan Kanoa, Afetna, and Chalan Kiya. Golf courses at Agingan, Kagman, and along the eastern coast. Memorial at the east end. Tinian Tinian International Airport. The abandoned airfield at the north end of the island. Urban areas of San Jose / harbor and Marpo Heights. Antenna array along the central west coast of the island. Rota Rota International Airport. Urban areas of Sinapalu, Songsong, and Teneto Village. Golf course on the northern coast of the island. Abandoned weapon storage area on the east end of the island. Aguijan We are very excited to bring this new, free map to you in 2020 that will offer new gameplay, home to new units, and a new chapter for DCS World. Bye Phant

It's surprising the popular B-25 Mitchell is not already in DCS. (probably on ED's "want" list, but for time and resources). I would suggest this be a dual-model module. The PBJ-1J US Navy/Marines version with glass nose and APS-2 surface search radar, and the much better-known US Army Air Force B-25J without radar. Not much physical, systems or flight model difference between them. I think the PBJ-1J would be more interesting and useful in Marianas, Normandy, and Channel maps for sea search, although it requires an airfield to operate from; it's not a carrier-based aircraft (except for the Gen. Doolittle Raid with B-25B's). Of course, it could be useful in any map for WWII-era operations. This could be a 6-position, multi-crew module with about 12 view positions. Perhaps, optional Jester-like AI crew members for positions not occupied by players...primarily for observations and reporting of threat aircraft and surface contacts, and sighting of land. Also, of course, defensive operations of guns. 1--Nose gunner/bombardier with views from seated position, manning the flexible gun and manning the bombsight views. 2&3--Pilot and Co-pilot positions. 4--Flight Engineer, Navigator position with views from manning the top gun, seated for navigation and window down into bomb bay. 5--Radio (Radar?) Operator with views from seated at radios, left waist gun and right waist gun. 6--Tail Gunner It could cruise at about 200 knots with a top speed of around 235 knots, a range of up to about 1,100 NM and a ceiling of around 24,000 feet. It could carry 1 Mk-13 torpedo externally or 3,000 lbs of bombs internally, such as six 500-lb M64 bombs. It also had 6 forward-firing 50-cal machine guns, besides the 7 defensive guns and racks for four 5-inch HVAR rockets under each outer wing. I would also hope, a functional model of the Norden bombsight...or, at least after an Early Access release. As a PBJ-1J, I think it would be quite a versatile aircraft in DCS WWII. As the B-25J, a low to mid-level bomber. I think the APS-2 radar could be mounted in the nose, on the right wingtip or under the belly, aft of the bomb bay. The latter installation should allow a 360-degree azimuth scan to be displayed on a circular, PPI scope, which displays targets in an easy to interpret, natural-appearing, map-like manner. Range settings of 5, 20, 50 & 100 NM, with range rings of 1, 5, 10 & 20 NM respectively. The radar might be able to detect submarine periscopes from inside of 5 miles; otherwise, ships out to 20-25 miles depending on their size/reflectivity and aspect. I'm not sure where the display scopes were mounted in the aircraft, though. Below: I think the right seat was removed for better viewing of this museum aircraft. Under the left pilot's seat is a crawlway to the nose section. Not seen, below the view of the picture, is the forward entry hatch in the bottom of the fuselage. There is also a bottom hatch aft of the bomb bay. Here is the nose section with the bombsight installed and three 50-cal machine guns. Looking aft, from the radio operator's seat, at the left & right waist guns. I include this picture of a plastic model as an overall view of the arrangement in the fuselage, nose section not shown. ...and, of course, this is the throttle quadrant.

Working the Anti-aircraft guns aboard a ship in DCS can be a lot of fun. What we had in DCS to date was crude and inaccurate aboard the USS Samuel Chase, attack transport ship. And manning those guns no longer seems possible in DCS. Since ED is producing the F6F Hellcat, which fits in with the Marianas Map and an Essex class carrier of about the 1943 to 1945 time period, I think these gun systems of this era should be modeled in DCS, and fully VR compatible. And I'd like to emphasize the DCS player would man the gun director, not the gun mount ...except for the 20mm mount. When manning a gun director or 20mm mount, AI would operate the remaining guns of that ship, not occupied by players, as well as those of the other ships. I would like to focus my request on the Secondary Battery Guns used for Air Defense by Aircraft Carriers and those ships escorting Aircraft Carriers. This set of Secondary guns were standard on most Battleships, Aircraft Carriers, Cruisers and Destroyers of the 1943-1945 timeframe. So, once simulated in DCS, these guns could be used on most all US Navy combat ships, both in Pacific Theater and Atlantic Theater. There were primarily three types of guns used for air defense in the US Navy. They are: 5-inch/38 These mounts were generally aimed by the Mk 37 Director mount, with range detecting radar. The director would automatically adjust one or more 5-inch mounts in azimuth and elevation to the target with compensation for lead-angle, ballistic drop, pitch and roll of ship and parallax between gun mounts and director positions on the ship. In DCS, a single player could operate the Director. 40mm These mounts were generally aimed by the Mk 51 Director Mount with a mounted Mk 14 Optical Lead-Computing Gyro Sight. The Director would be manned by two director-sight operators, one to steer the sight in azimuth and elevation by handlebars to keep the sight reticle on the target while firing and the other to set the range to target by estimation and relation of tracers to the target. The gun mount crew would then make sure the guns were fed with ammunition. The Mk 51 director is remote from the gun mount, by usually a distance of around 30 feet or so. In DCS, a single player could operate the Director. 20mm These mounts also had a Mk 14 Optical Lead-Computing Gyro Sight directly mounted and were aimed directly by the gunner, with an assistant to help spot targets and set the range to target by estimation and relation of tracers to the target. One or more additional gun crew would attach fresh ammunition magazines as needed. In DCS, a single player could operate the gun mount. I suggest the following classes of ships be modeled in DCS to carry these guns, at least initially... Cleveland Class Light Cruiser - numbers of guns varied from ship to ship, but I would suggest modeling a common arrangement of 6 dual 5-inch directed by 2 Mk 37 Directors; 4 quad 40mm mounts and 4 dual 40mm mounts, each with its own Mk 51 director; and 21 single 20mm mounts. Sumner Class Destroyer - again, numbers of guns varied, but I would suggest modeling 3 dual 5-inch mounts with one Mk 37 Director; 2 quad 40mm mounts and 2 dual 40mm mounts with their Mk 51 Directors; and ten 20mm mounts. Fletcher Class Destroyer - I suggest modeling 5 single 5-inch mounts with one Mk 37 Director; 5 dual 40mm mounts with their Mk 51 Directors; and seven 20mm mounts. There are several more classes of cruisers I like to see modeled, eventually, and of course battleships and carriers. But for now, I think these three (or even one) will be enough to start to escort the carrier(s) in DCS. I only avoid the battleships because the large number of guns (ten dual 5" mounts, 15+ quad 40mm mounts and 50+ 20mm mounts) might swamp our PCs. Also, there would need to be IJN ships and AI aircraft.

Well, the title of the sub-forum is WISHlist. So if a time comes in some indeterminant future where we have Battleships and Heavy Cruisers I would LOVE to see an OS2U Kingfisher. Take a cat shot off the fantail of an Iowa or Alaska class on WWII SAR Missions for downed pilots, bomb submarines, spot and fire direct 16in Naval guns, return to water land and get craned aboard. I'd sign up for ALL of that.

Hi Some of you, especially french speakers, might know about a comics book series called Angel Wings, by Romain Hugault. The main characters in this series are Angela, a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) and her boyfriend Rob, a fighter pilot. In #5 Black sands, Angela and Rob, are flying Mustangs in the Pacific. I love these comics, I love the Mustang and I love the colors of the planes they fly in the book so I thought I'd give it a go ! Rob and Angela's planes in Angel Wings, ©Romain Hugault via Facebook I am almost done with the liveries. The hardest part was definitely to turn the P51 pilot into Angela . The final result isn't too bad in my opinion. Here are some preview screenies :