Announcing the F-4 Phantom for DCS World!

[WarbossPetross]

They do pre-orders for third-party modules now? Last I heard they don't since the Hawk debacle.

[Lieuie]

24 minutes ago, WarbossPetross said:

They do pre-orders for third-party modules now? Last I heard they don't since the Hawk debacle.

Heatblur did for the Tomcat.

[Lurker]

11 hours ago, WildWeasel303 said:

Heatblur is primarily based in Poland. 

What? Since when? Heatblur used to be Leatherneck, which was a Scandinavian+Serbian development team. They then split into Heatblur and Magnitude. Since when have they become primarily based in Poland?

[Horns]

17 minutes ago, Lurker said:

What? Since when? Heatblur used to be Leatherneck, which was a Scandinavian+Serbian development team. They then split into Heatblur and Magnitude. Since when have they become primarily based in Poland?

I think @Cobra847said that during the Air Combat Sim podcast episode he featured in

1 hour ago, WarbossPetross said:

They do pre-orders for third-party modules now? Last I heard they don't since the Hawk debacle.

I think I remember ED putting a ban on crowdfunded modules because of the Hawk, is that maybe what you're thinking of?

Edit: Part of the F-4 FAQ: "Q: Will the Heatblur F-4 Phantom be released as Early Access?
A: The F-4E will be released as Early Access first..."

Edited January 10, 2023 by Horns
Added last part

[Nahen]

14 minutes ago, Lurker said:

What? Since when? Heatblur used to be Leatherneck, which was a Scandinavian+Serbian development team. They then split into Heatblur and Magnitude. Since when have they become primarily based in Poland?

Perfect - Poland is half way

And it hads the Phantom from a few days  

Edited January 10, 2023 by Nahen

[Nahen]

So now I thought that one F-4E PhantomII is better than 48 Korean FA-50s

[WarbossPetross]

4 часа назад, Horns сказал:

I think I remember ED putting a ban on crowdfunded modules because of the Hawk, is that maybe what you're thinking of?

Edit: Part of the F-4 FAQ: "Q: Will the Heatblur F-4 Phantom be released as Early Access?
A: The F-4E will be released as Early Access first..."

Nope, Early Access != pre-order. Early Access is the Jeff coming out without the air refuelling thingy or the Apache coming out without the radar hat. It means they are releasing a product they know is not fully complete that they intend to finish later, but as it is you can pay and play straight away. A pre-order is when they take your money before they release anything at all. I can fully see why they would release the Phantom in EA seeing how they intend to follow with a naval variant later and whatnot, but a pre-order for a third-party module would be a first in a long while after the Hawk thing. Maybe ED might allow it now if they know HB has passed the point of messing around, but I haven't seen anything about that and I've read "pre-order" and "pre-sale" and whatnot and got a little confused.

[Omega417]

12 minutes ago, WarbossPetross said:

Nope, Early Access != pre-order.

No Coding here. 405 Not allowed

[Horns]

40 minutes ago, WarbossPetross said:

Nope, Early Access != pre-order. Early Access is the Jeff coming out without the air refuelling thingy or the Apache coming out without the radar hat. It means they are releasing a product they know is not fully complete that they intend to finish later, but as it is you can pay and play straight away. A pre-order is when they take your money before they release anything at all. I can fully see why they would release the Phantom in EA seeing how they intend to follow with a naval variant later and whatnot, but a pre-order for a third-party module would be a first in a long while after the Hawk thing. Maybe ED might allow it now if they know HB has passed the point of messing around, but I haven't seen anything about that and I've read "pre-order" and "pre-sale" and whatnot and got a little confused.

My bad, I didn’t read carefully enough. Can confirm what others have said though, they did accept preorders for the F-14.

[DelRoy]

You had me at Zone 3 

null

[Czechnology]

3 hours ago, WarbossPetross said:

Nope, Early Access != pre-order. Early Access is the Jeff coming out without the air refuelling thingy or the Apache coming out without the radar hat. It means they are releasing a product they know is not fully complete that they intend to finish later, but as it is you can pay and play straight away. A pre-order is when they take your money before they release anything at all. I can fully see why they would release the Phantom in EA seeing how they intend to follow with a naval variant later and whatnot, but a pre-order for a third-party module would be a first in a long while after the Hawk thing. Maybe ED might allow it now if they know HB has passed the point of messing around, but I haven't seen anything about that and I've read "pre-order" and "pre-sale" and whatnot and got a little confused.

Actually the plan they seem to be running is to release two different USAF F-4E variants, one "early" and one "late", getting the early first. The naval variant they decide to go with will be a different module, I would imagine with another early/late variant pack, as their doing with the F-4E and have done with the F-14. Becoming a bit of a heatblur signature for modules.

[Gianky]

6 hours ago, WarbossPetross said:

Nope, Early Access != pre-order. Early Access is the Jeff coming out without the air refuelling thingy or the Apache coming out without the radar hat. It means they are releasing a product they know is not fully complete that they intend to finish later, but as it is you can pay and play straight away. A pre-order is when they take your money before they release anything at all. I can fully see why they would release the Phantom in EA seeing how they intend to follow with a naval variant later and whatnot, but a pre-order for a third-party module would be a first in a long while after the Hawk thing. Maybe ED might allow it now if they know HB has passed the point of messing around, but I haven't seen anything about that and I've read "pre-order" and "pre-sale" and whatnot and got a little confused.

Beside what Czechnology said, and just for the love of precision (or mere fastidiousness), the last pre-order for a third party module, as someone already said before, was in october 2018 for the F-14.

[RaceFuel85]

3 hours ago, Czechnology said:

Actually the plan they seem to be running is to release two different USAF F-4E variants, one "early" and one "late", getting the early first. The naval variant they decide to go with will be a different module, I would imagine with another early/late variant pack, as their doing with the F-4E and have done with the F-14. Becoming a bit of a heatblur signature for modules.

The options for this are an F-4B/F-4N  (N's were remanufactured B's) or the J/S (S's were rebuilt J's)

 

[FlightLover]

A must see film of Israeli Air Force Phantoms during operation order 20 (1971). Great cinematography, be sure to watch in HD.

Here are some interesting timecodes:

1. Retrieving of the film roll - Beginning 

2. Arming - 7:00

3. Preparation, takeoff, bombing the target - 8:05 until the end.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by FlightLover

[Omega417]

I see this happening a lot to our beloved phantoms in a few months

[Andrew8604]

On 1/10/2023 at 10:50 AM, Czechnology said:

Actually the plan they seem to be running is to release two different USAF F-4E variants, one "early" and one "late", getting the early first. The naval variant they decide to go with will be a different module, I would imagine with another early/late variant pack, as their doing with the F-4E and have done with the F-14. Becoming a bit of a heatblur signature for modules.

I think it would be a pretty good deal if they could release twin-packs, like you say, "early/late".  If money is important to them for continued products:  Navy F-4B with the F-4N as a module.  Then the F-4J with the F-4S as a module.  Then the F-4C with the F-4D as a module.  After that...?  F-4K?  RF-4B or RF-4C?  And with that, the F-4 should be done...4, 5 or 6 separate modules out of it at $69/module, without an all-up start-out of a new aircraft...just modifications.  Take full advantage of McNamara's "Commonality" concept!    ...and during the same time (a few years) working on the A-6A / A-6E / KA-6D, I hope!

I think the F-4E, at least, is going to be hugely popular/successful.  Seeing it in the "2023 and Beyond" video, I had to wear a bib...I was drooling like a St. Bernard looking at a plate of prime rib.  I even barked a couple times.  I myself, will purchase every F-4 module they put out!  And even the F4U Corsair, F4F Wildcat, F4D Skyray and Boeing F4B 'biplane'.  The Phantom II being the F4H before McNamara changed it all...which is probably why he changed it, LOL.  The F4 can't lose!

[Kalasnkova74]

1 hour ago, Omega417 said:

I see this happening a lot to our beloved phantoms in a few months

Well, yeah. A modern unrestricted Fox 2 visual fight is basically suicide-by-IR-missile regardless of aircraft type. 

[Kalasnkova74]

1 hour ago, Andrew8604 said:

I think it would be a pretty good deal if they could release twin-packs, like you say, "early/late".  If money is important to them for continued products:  Navy F-4B with the F-4N as a module.  Then the F-4J with the F-4S as a module.  Then the F-4C with the F-4D as a module.  After that...?  F-4K?  RF-4B or RF-4C?  And with that, the F-4 should be done...4, 5 or 6 separate modules out of it at $69/module, without an all-up start-out of a new aircraft...just modifications.  Take full advantage of McNamara's "Commonality" concept!    ...and during the same time (a few years) working on the A-6A / A-6E / KA-6D, I hope!

I think the F-4E, at least, is going to be hugely popular/successful.  Seeing it in the "2023 and Beyond" video, I had to wear a bib...I was drooling like a St. Bernard looking at a plate of prime rib.  I even barked a couple times.  I myself, will purchase every F-4 module they put out!  And even the F4U Corsair, F4F Wildcat, F4D Skyray and Boeing F4B 'biplane'.  The Phantom II being the F4H before McNamara changed it all...which is probably why he changed it, LOL.  The F4 can't lose!

I think the F-4E is going to be the big seller between all the versions HB is working on. With 11 nations flying them historically and four still using them in frontline service today it’ll be the moneymaker.  

The “bullet nosed” Phantoms won’t be as strong sellers, as only a limited number of countries operated them. Besides the US/UK Navies, you have Spain , South Korea and Iran. 

[F-2]

3 hours ago, Kalasnkova74 said:

Well, yeah. A modern unrestricted Fox 2 visual fight is basically suicide-by-IR-missile regardless of aircraft type. 

As I understand it this is actually one of the big reasons for the shift to BVR.

[Gianky]

5 hours ago, Omega417 said:

I see this happening a lot to our beloved phantoms in a few months

Well, there are a lot of Cold War servers and scenarios in which that won't be a  problem.

Nice video, BTW, very interesting!

3 hours ago, Kalasnkova74 said:

I think the F-4E is going to be the big seller between all the versions HB is working on. With 11 nations flying them historically and four still using them in frontline service today it’ll be the moneymaker.  

The “bullet nosed” Phantoms won’t be as strong sellers, as only a limited number of countries operated them. Besides the US/UK Navies, you have Spain , South Korea and Iran. 

Honestly, I never bought a module paying any attention to what Country had it in service: I have to like/want the aircraft, everything else is secondary. I might be wrong, but I'm guessing there is a lot of people out there that thinks in the same way.

[Kalasnkova74]

29 minutes ago, Gianky said:

Honestly, I never bought a module paying any attention to what Country had it in service…

It’s rational for many peoples’ interest in the Phantom II to come from its service in their air arm. 

[Cab]

29 minutes ago, Kalasnkova74 said:

It’s rational for many peoples’ interest in the Phantom II to come from its service in their air arm. 

Absolutely. Many people will buy the module for exactly that reason.

But the F-4 was only operated by Australia, Greece, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain, West Germany, Great Britain, Turkey, and the United States. I'm confident a whole lot of people from countries not on that list will be buying it too.

[Phantom88]

 

IMG_0702.MOV

Edited January 12, 2023 by Phantom88

[RevampedGrunt]

Do we know if the bort numbers will ever be made dynamic for the F-4? I recall the reason why the F-14 wasn't made that way, but does the F-4 suffer the same issue? I wouldn't mind downloading a ton of livery just for the numbers if it weren't for the limited space I have, and would also like to use for other future game assets. I know it's nitpicking on my end but it'd definitely be nice to know that I could give my storage a little break in the future. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by RevampedGrunt
typo

[MemphisBelle]

Link below from reddit, I havent seen the thread here in the Forums where it originally came from, but I leave it here now anyways.

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by MemphisBelle