gruntygame Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 For those who are unaware, the F/A-18D trades some of the fuel capacity of the C variant for a second seat. Although the US Marines used it in combat roles most operators used the D variant as a trainer. Ever since the A-10C, DCS has lacked a trainer worthwhile flying in combat and capable of teaching deployment of modern weapons. The F/A-18D is the perfect aircraft to fill this void. Instead of having the trainee share their screen to the instructor, the instructor can check and change the aircraft and weapon configuration, and demonstrate how to perform maneuvers all whilst sitting in the same aircraft as the trainee. This would be particularly useful when teaching skills such carrier landings, smart weapons employment and ACM. The skills learnt in the F/A-18D would be directly transferable to the F/A-18C and act as a great basis of knowledge when transitioning to other modern multi-role fighters. Better yet, the F/A-18D would be perfectly capable in a modern DCS mission (even without the WSO equipment found in the USMC planes). I don't imagine it would take much work for ED to make since most of the work would be done once the F/A-18C is out of early access. As for selling it, I think selling it as a standalone aircraft and in a bundle with the F/A-18C would work well if ED charged extra for the bundle (proportional to how much extra work was required). For owners of one of the standalone aircraft a discount could be applied for the one they don't own allowing current F/A-18C owners to become instructors and graduated F/A-18D pilots to transition to the single seat fighter. 15
VIXEN413 Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 Hi, I would say it would not be such a bad idea. I like it although, I dont consider it as a top priority in any way but it might be a nice addition. What we do with some friends, when we CARQUAL, if somebody wants coaching, he will share his screen via Discord and we will then see what he sees. We even checked with one flying in VR and me looking at his stream on Discord on the cellphone. It works too but hard to see what's on the DDI and stuff and also quite shaky (VR output) So yes coaching can be done even without a D but 2 men cockpits are so fun, We enjoy the Tomcat too much and also now the Huey in multi crew, not to forget the Albatros or the C101... So why not, but again, not the most important thing in the to-do list I guess.... 2 Rig: MB Gigabite z390UD, CPU Intel I7 8700k, RAM 32G DDR4 3200 Gskill ripjaws, GPU MSI RTX2080SuperOC, HDD Crucial mx500 1tb M2 sata, PSU Corsair 850W, watercooling Corsair h100, Controlers TM f/a 18 stick on Virpil warbrd base, TM cougar f16 stick on cougar base, Cougar F16 throttle on TUSBA, ch pedals, TM cougar MFD 27" monitor with trk IR 5 and HP Reverb HMD. Modules F18, F16, F86, Mig15, FW 190D9, Nellis range map, Aggr campaign, Middle East map
VpR81 Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 +1 for the Delta model. This could also be handled as an upgrade for the Charlie Hornet module and not neccessarily be a separate module. Just add WSO cockpit and multicrew coding and offer this for a reasonable price, i'm sure a lot of people would upgrade their existing Hornet module to get that extra fun multicrew comes with. I definately would. Also a good alternative to the questionable F-15E from RAZBAM, as i'm afraid we won't see this baby coming out of EA prior to 2030... if ever 3 Phanteks EvolvX / Win 11 / i9 12900K / MSI Z690 Carbon / MSI Suprim RTX 3090 / 64GB G.Skill Trident Z DDR5-6000 / 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD / 2TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD / 2TB SATA SSD / 1TB SATA SSD / Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora Pro 360 / beQuiet StraightPower 1200W RSEAT S1 / VPC T50 CM2 + 300mm extension + Realsimulator F18 CGRH / VPC WarBRD + TM Warthog grip / WinWing F/A-18 Super Taurus + F-15EX / 4x TM Cougar MFD / Slaw Device RX Viper V3 / HP Reverb G2
Swordsman422 Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 I'd get a D Hornet if one came down the pipe. All the USMC A-6 squadrons went to Ds, plus with liveries it could be used to represent 2-seat legacy hornets in any national service. The fuel sacrifice is worth it for the extra set of eyes. 5
JackCooper Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 +1 Good addition, if even we'll have it for added price - I'm all for it, and know dozen of people that are ready to get one 5
Valkyrie Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 +1 Totally agree. A double-seat Hornet would be a unique opportunity to get a trainer which is already a really competent jet) 5
obious Posted March 9, 2021 Posted March 9, 2021 +1 Intel 12900k @ 5.2Ghz, RTX 4090, Samsung 1TB NVME, Thrustmaster Warthog & F-18 stick, Pendular Rudder Pedals - Quest Pro AV8B N/A UFC Build Log AV8B N/A PCBs for sale
Brass2-1 Posted March 10, 2021 Posted March 10, 2021 I’d gladly pay for the addition. It would be a game changer for introducing newbies, which is always beneficial. In addition to the training value, the USMC FAC-A application as well as foreign Air Forces (Malaysian) have made great uses of the Delta Hornets. 1
Evoman Posted March 10, 2021 Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) ED has stated that they are in the process of changing the free aircraft that come with the DCS download. All they have said in the matter is that they are looking for aircraft that would better attract new comers to the flight sim. And since the F/A-18C was developed in house it would be a great candidate since it would not be too much work to feature a full fidelity F/A-18D trainer variant with limited weapons functionality to be included with the free download. But a fully functional version could be available for extra for those that want it. The only other two seater naval trainer jet would be the T-45 Goeshawk. Edited March 10, 2021 by Evoman 3
Snowy55 Posted March 10, 2021 Posted March 10, 2021 I would be up for buying a dual seat Hornet 1 Rig: RTX 4080, 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11700K, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 3xSSD Drives, TM F/A18 Grip on Virpil WarBrd base, Honeycomb Bravo throttle, VKB-Sim T Rudder Pedals MkIV, Virpil MongoosT-50CM throttle, Varjo Aero.
Northstar98 Posted March 10, 2021 Posted March 10, 2021 +1 I'd be up for it. 1 Modules I own: F-14A/B, F-4E, Mi-24P, AJS 37, AV-8B N/A, F-5E-3, MiG-21bis, F-16CM, F/A-18C, Supercarrier, Mi-8MTV2, UH-1H, Mirage 2000C, FC3, MiG-15bis, Ka-50, A-10C (+ A-10C II), P-47D, P-51D, C-101, Yak-52, WWII Assets, CA, NS430, Hawk. Terrains I own: South Atlantic, Syria, The Channel, SoH/PG, Marianas. System: GIGABYTE B650 AORUS ELITE AX, AMD Ryzen 5 7600, Corsair Vengeance DDR5-5200 32 GB, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070S FE, Western Digital Black SN850X 1 TB (DCS dedicated) & 2 TB NVMe SSDs, Corsair RM850X 850 W, NZXT H7 Flow, MSI G274CV. Peripherals: VKB Gunfighter Mk.II w. MCG Pro, MFG Crosswind V3 Graphite, Logitech Extreme 3D Pro.
Buzzles Posted March 10, 2021 Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) On 3/9/2021 at 8:07 AM, gruntygame said: I don't imagine it would take much work for ED to make since most of the work would be done once the F/A-18C is out of early access. Not much work at all, you know, barring completely re-doing the cockpit, re-doing the flight model (the aircraft is different), wiring up the new cockpit and underlying systems for multicrew etc... only those small things. Sure, it'd be cool and all, but just pointing out it's actually a fair bit of effort, and not really worth it over other planes currently when we already have some 2 person trainers. Edited March 10, 2021 by Buzzles 1 Fancy trying Star Citizen? Click here!
gruntygame Posted March 10, 2021 Author Posted March 10, 2021 51 minutes ago, Buzzles said: Not much work at all, you know, barring completely re-doing the cockpit, re-doing the flight model (the aircraft is different), wiring up the new cockpit and underlying systems for multicrew etc... only those small things. Sure, it'd be cool and all, but just pointing out it's actually a fair bit of effort, and not really worth it over other planes currently when we already have some 2 person trainers. I won't pretend to know what it takes to develop a DCS module but working from an existing aircraft will substantially cut down on man-hours. However much effort it would take them I'm sure they'd reflect it in the price. Just look at how quickly the A-10C II was brought to market and how cheap it was to upgrade to. And almost nobody spends $60 for a L-39 (or soon MB-339) when they want to learn because there are less instructors and they know they'll hardly use it once they've finished training. Don't get me wrong, this shouldn't be a priority for ED. I'd hate to make the Viper pilots wait even longer for their aircraft's final features. 1
gruntygame Posted March 10, 2021 Author Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, Evoman said: ED has stated that they are in the process of changing the free aircraft that come with the DCS download. All they have said in the matter is that they are looking for aircraft that would better attract new comers to the flight sim. And since the F/A-18C was developed in house it would be a great candidate since it would not be too much work to feature a full fidelity F/A-18D trainer variant with limited weapons functionality to be included with the free download. But a fully functional version could be available for extra for those that want it. The only other two seater naval trainer jet would be the T-45 Goeshawk. TA-4F Skyhawk could also make for a really good free plane if ED or a 3rd party wanted to make an official module. They could do as you suggested and limit the payloads on the free version and then the paid version could even be the kiwi version. From what I can tell it's a better modernization than the Viggen got. Edited March 10, 2021 by gruntygame 4
Kev2go Posted March 10, 2021 Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) absent an F/A18F, the next best thing would be a USMC F/A18D, and only becuase they have more sophisticated software for APG73 A/G employment allowing higher resolution SAR mapping, a "stripmap" mode and customizable levels of magnification more akin to what you have on the strike eagle, and the marine USMC F/A18D's are used for combat operations capable of otherwise employing all the weapon types the F/A18C can. Edited March 10, 2021 by Kev2go Build: Windows 10 64 bit Pro Case/Tower: Corsair Graphite 760tm ,Asus Strix Z790 Motherboard, Intel Core i7 12700k ,Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 64gb ram (3600 mhz) , (Asus strix oc edition) Nvidia RTX 3080 12gb , Evga g2 850 watt psu, Hardrives ; Samsung 970 EVo, , Samsung evo 860 pro 1 TB SSD, Samsung evo 850 pro 1TB SSD, WD 1TB HDD
Didier Jules Posted April 26, 2021 Posted April 26, 2021 En 10/3/2021 a las 6:14, Evoman dijo: ED has stated that they are in the process of changing the free aircraft that come with the DCS download. All they have said in the matter is that they are looking for aircraft that would better attract new comers to the flight sim. And since the F/A-18C was developed in house it would be a great candidate since it would not be too much work to feature a full fidelity F/A-18D trainer variant with limited weapons functionality to be included with the free download. But a fully functional version could be available for extra for those that want it. The only other two seater naval trainer jet would be the T-45 Goeshawk. What about F-16D/F versions (with and without PARACHUTE HOUSINGS, with and without CFT`s), or the LOCKHEED MARTIN T-50A TRAINER (same engine as the HORNET), TEXTRON AIR LAND SCORPION model, SU-30MKM (malaysian Flanker with VECTORING THRUST and SAGEM instruments and systems), MiG-29UB (dual seat trainer), SU-27UB (dual seat trainer), in terms of trainers there are the LEONARDO M345 (former S211 MARCHETTI JET) and M346 trainers, Hawk T Mk2, Dassault Alpha Jet A+ (German type with pointy nose - now with TOP ACES) AND Alpha Jet E+ (French/Belgian/Morrocan type with shorter nose), TAV-8B dual seat HARRIER, T4 DUAL SEAT HARRIER, T38C TALON (exists for other simulators with very good functioning cockpit but not sure if there is for DCS WORLD), TEXTRON AT6 TEXAN II, TEXTRON AT6 WOLVERINE LIGHT ATTACK, PILATUS PC-9, PILATUS PC21, ...). 1
Didier Jules Posted April 26, 2021 Posted April 26, 2021 En 10/3/2021 a las 12:05, gruntygame dijo: TA-4F Skyhawk could also make for a really good free plane if ED or a 3rd party wanted to make an official module. They could do as you suggested and limit the payloads on the free version and then the paid version could even be the kiwi version. From what I can tell it's a better modernization than the Viggen got. Also a great option is to turn the already existing A-4 single seat into a added value as a TA-4J dual seat and have the A-4M/A-4N/A-4S modelled with an "engine upgrade" (singapore did so with the A-4S putting a F404 NON AFTERBURNING engine in it with 11.500lbs thrust at SEA LEVEL which was 2.200 lbs OR 1.000kgs extra thrust over the original PRATT with 9.300 lbs thrust). Imagine that as a AGGRESSOR aircraft. I believe the ARGENTINA AIR FORCE had A-4`s upgraded too by LOCKHEED MARTIN with a cockpit that has F-16 technology on board. How about the MiG 15 UTI (dual seat MiG-15 trainer), L-29 DELFIN or "SUPER DELFIN" to go pylon racing in a NEVADA SCENERY that has a (virtual) engine upgrade to 3.700lbs with a RR VIPER 611 turbojet. It does exist as a STC pack on the civil warbird market so I suppose programming the higher thrust would not be so much of an issue. It doubles the original thrust. And what about other warbirds like JET PROVOST, HAWKER HUNTER (TOP ACES and other defense subcontractors), FOUGA MAGISTER, SHORTS TUCANO T Mk1 (with the TPE331 engine)... 1
jojyrocks Posted April 27, 2021 Posted April 27, 2021 (edited) Yet another Hornet...not much difference. Would rather have a F-18F Hornet than flying the same ol...same ol. Better to go with fresher designs. Edited April 27, 2021 by jojyrocks
Tank50us Posted April 27, 2021 Posted April 27, 2021 51 minutes ago, jojyrocks said: Yet another Hornet...not much difference. Would rather have a F-18F Hornet than flying the same ol...same ol. Better to go with fresher designs. problem with that is that much of the Super Hornet is still highly classified. So much so that ED has stated the only way they'd be able to make it is if they did one of the earlier versions of it, otherwise they simply won't be able to make it. That's not to say we'll never see it of course, but I don't expect to see a Super Bug any time soon, although no one really expected to be seeing Longbow, so, there's no telling.
jojyrocks Posted April 27, 2021 Posted April 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Tank50us said: problem with that is that much of the Super Hornet is still highly classified. So much so that ED has stated the only way they'd be able to make it is if they did one of the earlier versions of it, otherwise they simply won't be able to make it. That's not to say we'll never see it of course, but I don't expect to see a Super Bug any time soon, although no one really expected to be seeing Longbow, so, there's no telling. My point was...it would be better to go with a FRESH design and, yes, I am aware of the fact that Super Hornet series is still very much classified and in full service. Just pointing out, A super hornet would have been better, even if some of the cockpit does look the same as legacy. Having the F-18D as AI would be pretty good though... As yet another fresh module, it is only good for Multiplayer folks/crowd. The pilot seat would be mostly the same as our current Hornet model. I'd rather have ED input more time and effort focus on Game engine and or some Fresh modules, like the Phantom for instance...
Recommended Posts