Thank you! Incredible first mission

[DesertDog]

I wanted to say thanks for creating this campaign, for a number of reasons.  But my experience today was something I have not experienced in a flight sim in a long time, if ever.  It was incredibly fun and tiring and stressful.  I can only imagine what the pilots felt in real life, though this gave me the smallest of glimpses into it.  All from the safety of my office.

 

first, this campaign has really helped me learn the P-47, even if I only just completed the first mission.  Long, it may be,  but plenty of practice for trimming the aircraft, trying to fly formation (harder than it should be for me, but betting better), and engine management.  As well as spotting and oh yeah, flying!
 

But the main reason for my post: an incredible start to the campaign - I had to nurse a badly damaged P47 back home from very far away, and mostly on my own..that’s what I get for hitting a 190 with my left wing!

 

take off was good, and I joined up with my group and then got lost (I’m still learning how to estimate closure speed and fly with the AI!). Got formed up on the wrong flight and didn’t join my flight until we had crossed into France.  Had some equipment issues (trackIR clone) and when I got that sorted was separated again.  Rats.  Caught up, then engine sputter as the drop tank emptied, far earlier than I wanted.  But reformed, and let’s say had some excitement (to avoid spoilers).

 

 I completed the first mission with 2 kills, though having had to fly most of they way back with 3-4 feet of my left wing missing, as well as the aileron, due to clipping a 190 in a dog fight!  Somehow, I gained control and could trim out the aircraft, though my pitot tube was gone and I had no airspeed.  And no radio!  
 

Dead reckoning and a general knowledge of which way to fly, got me to the channel, running low on gas.  Was my engine going to hold together?  Heck, was the aircraft going to hold together, despite some buffeting and vibration?  I so wanted to F10 but said, no, gotta try to do this.  Sure would have liked a better map (note for next time, get one ready on my iPad!).

 

Somehow I crossed the coast, and said, I can get to base, I think!  Spotted some returning fighters And found Detling, got the gear and flaps down, and well, survived the landing!  Wasn’t pretty but wow.  Felt like I hadn’t taken a breath in a very long time.

 

I really felt immersed in the mission, and was sweating trying to nurse my wounded P47 home.  The sheer number of planes in the air, the radio call outs, etc.

 

I haven’t had this much immersion in a flight simulator in a long time.

 

thank you!

 

dave

[Reflected]

Hi @DesertDog! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, this is the best reward a campaign maker can hope for. I'm really happy to read what you wrote, this is exactly what I was aiming for. I'm really proud of you that you refused to use the F10 map and navigated home the way it was done IRL.

 

I also thought about having a more detailed map, but the kneeboard is just too small for that. I suggest you change your realism settings so that the F10 map shows no icons, not even your aircraft - then you can use it in flight, zoom in and out as you desire.

 

Looking forward to reading more about your next missions. I'm going to share what you wrote on Facebook if you don't mind

[DesertDog]

Sure!  feel free to use the post, though I would have done a better job capturing it.

And good point about changing the map settings, I will do that.

 

also, I watched in TacView and it was interesting.  Looks like I may not have survived the mid air after all, but honestly it didn’t change a thing about how I felt about the mission.  I’ve seen photos of badly damaged P-47s so figured it was doable.

 

and was still a blast.  Even dealing with my drunk fellow pilots (DCS AI is entertaining in the turns!)

 

very well done. I’m alternating between this and the Zone 5 campaign, and only have limited time, so it may be a while til I do the next mission. Hopefully this week.

 

thanks again!

[ASpiderfromMars]

Came here to give my Thanks for this awesome Campaign.  DesertDog says is so well I want to shout hear hear. I have just crash landed at Detling after my first mission - mission 2- everything else went perfect . And the mission was a blast. Magnificent.

Just need to pratice landing on small grass fields. But wow , I rate this campaign 10/10

[Tychon]

Thank you for a great campaign! Very realistic!

[PluckyUnderdog]

I have been getting into this, the first mission I managed to (mostly) keep up with the AI when climbing etc, managed to shoot down a 190 (and felt pretty bloody chuffed) and got cocky on the way back to the coast, tried to shoot at some artillery and got turned into Swiss cheese. Riddled with bullets and crashed

 

Determined to keep at it, though. The campaign is brilliant.

 

I will add that the DCS AI climbing behaviour is bonkers. As is their sudden propensity to bank in different directions without warning!

Edited April 3, 2023 by PluckyUnderdog
Addition of a sentence