16.02.2024 - Lunar Sale | F/A-18C Updates | Digital Coalition MP Server

[Graphics]

 
16 February 2024

 

Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends,  

We’ve extended the DCS 2024 Lunar Sale until the 16th of February at 15:00 GMT on Steam and till the 25th of February at 15:00 GMT on our E-Shop. Enjoy! 

The DCS: F/A-18C is undergoing significant improvements to its flight model and flight control system. These improvements center on F/A-18C landing behavior, landing gear articulation, using altitude autopilots modes, engine response times, and the automatic carrier landing system. Please read about all the new features and improvements we have been working on below.

If you are interested in a comprehensive DCS experience, make sure to check out the Digital Coalition Air Force DCAF servers. DCAF Squadron. 

Thank you for your passion and support.

Yours sincerely, 

Eagle Dynamics

 

Lunar Sale

Reminder

The Lunar Sale has huge savings up for grabs across most of our popular aircraft, terrains, add-ons and campaigns. Please head over to the Shop and check out the exclusive deals. 

Highlights of the DCS Lunar Sale 2024 

Modules with a 50% off

Fixed wing with a 50% discount

DCS: A-10A Warthog

DCS: A-10C II Tank Killer

DCS: Bf 109 K-4 Kurfurst

DCS: C-101 Aviojet

DCS: Christen Eagle II

DCS: F-15C Eagle

DCS: F-5E Tiger II

DCS: F-86F Sabre

DCS: Flaming Cliffs 3

DCS: Fw 190 A-8

DCS: Fw 190 D-9 Dora

DCS: L-39 Albatros

DCS: MiG-15bis

DCS: MiG-21bis

DCS: MiG-29

DCS: Mosquito

DCS: P-47D Thunderbolt

DCS: P-51D Mustang

DCS: Spitfire LF Mk. IX

DCS: Su-25

DCS: Su-27 Flanker

DCS: Su-33

DCS: Yak-52

 

Helicopter with a 50% discount

DCS: Mi-8MTV2 Magnificent Eight

DCS: UH-1H Huey

 

Terrains with a 50% discount

DCS: Nevada

DCS: Persian Gulf

DCS: The Channel

 

Other with a 50% discount

DCS: Combined Arms

DCS: NS 430 Navigation System

DCS: NS 430 Navigation System for C-101EB

DCS: NS 430 Navigation System for C-101СС

DCS: NS 430 Navigation System for L-39С Cockpit

DCS: NS 430 Navigation System for Mi-8MTV2 Cockpit

DCS: Supercarrier

DCS: WWII Assets Pack

 

Modules with a 30% off

Fixed wing with a 30% discount

DCS: F-16C Viper DCS: F/A-18C Hornet

DCS: JF-17 Thunder

DCS: MB-339A Aermacchi

 

Helicopter with a 30% discount

DCS: AH-64D

DCS: Black Shark 3

DCS: Mi-24P Hind

 

Terrains with a 30% discount

• DCS: Syria

 

Modules with a 25% off Fixed wing pre-order with 25% discount DCS: F-4E Phantom II

 

Modules with a 20% off

Terrains with a 20% discount

• DCS: Normandy 2.0

 

That’s not all! Campaigns are also available with up to 50% off. These include Stone Sky’s MAD series, the Maple Flag Campaigns, Reflected Simulation Campaigns, and many more. Check out the Shop. 

Due to database maintenance in the European time zone, you may have experienced downtime and errors whilst accessing the website and online multiplayer servers. This issue has now been resolved and we apologies for any inconveniences this may have caused. We hope that extending the Lunar Sale till the 25th of February at 15:00 GMT provides you with enough time to find your next module or campaign, or both! 

 

F/A-18C

Update

The F/A-18C has been one of our most popular DCS aircraft as it provides a wealth of game play options and is nearly feature-complete. There are though a number of items that we continue to address that will further improve  the realism and attention to detail of this DCS flagship aircraft.

Flight Model

For the past several months, we’ve been improving the flight dynamics of the F/A-18C to represent this aircraft’s unique flight qualities even more accurately. Much of this has been focused on expanding the F/A-18C’s high Angle of Attack (AoA) capabilities by adjusting the stabilizer scheduling. These changes will allow maneuvering up to 50 to 55 AoA, compared to mid-30s earlier. This expanded AoA capability will better allow players to take advantage of the F/A-18Cs outstanding low-speed, high-AoA maneuver capability. Note that this expanded AoA capability can result in a dramatic loss of airspeed, if not careful.

Another important improvement is the handling characteristics in Powered Approach (PA) mode when landing. During landing, you will find achieving and maintaining on-speed AoA easier. This is tied to the flight control system changes.

Nose pitch effects have also been added when the speedbrake is extended and retracted to match the real F/A-18C. Overall aerodynamic damping has also been improved to better match F/A-18C handling characteristics.

Flight Control System

The Flight Control System (FCS) has been completely reworked in all channels, and it provides much improved behavior when switching the control logic system between AUTO flaps mode to HALF\FULL flaps. You will find the transition much smoother with little to no un-commanded pitching moments. This will also make getting on-speed during landings much easier.

Roll characteristics have also been improved to better match the real aircraft with greater stability in the roll and yaw channels. This also applies to improved behavior around the longitudinal axis when taking off.

The yaw channel FCS in PA mode has also been adjusted to improve landing control in a crosswind. In total, the improvements in the FCS will make takeoff and landings much easier.

Landing Gear

The landing gear shock absorbers were adjusted to match documentation and reference videos. The F/A-18C landing gear articulation is a complex and dynamic process that is accurately modeled for carrier recoveries and touch-and-go. This change also provides improved landing control in a crosswind and addresses excessive G loads when landing. Whilst greatly improved, we will continue to tune this mechanic to allow even more accurate nosewheel touch-and-go behavior to allow lower airspeed rotation.

In addition to the landing gear mechanisms, the tires have also been adjusted to provide more authentic friction forces that will be apparent in crosswind takeoff and landings.

Engine

Engine transition thrust time was adjusted to be more accurate between afterburner and MIL thrust modes. The engine transition time is now faster from afterburner to idle. This allows you to reduce airspeed when cutting the engines to idle more quickly.

Autopilot

F/A-18C autopilot operation has been improved by tuning its behavior when initiating an altitude hold mode whilst the aircraft is unbalanced. The updated autopilot also improves holding the set altitude when in a roll and initiating an altitude hold mode. Before, you would often lose or gain hundreds of feet. Last, the autopilot control is much smoother when transitioning through waypoints in coupled mode.

Automatic Carrier Landing System

When activating the Automatic Carrier Landing System (ACLS) in coupled mode, the autopilot will use smoother and improved approach behavior.

Get the DCS: F/A-18C at 30% off now during the 2024 Lunar Sale that has been extended to February 25th, 2024. 

 

Digital Coalition Air Force 

Multiplayer Server

The Digital Coalition Air Force is a fun and engaging way to enjoy DCS online. The members fly on the EU timezone with DCS: F-15E Strike Eagle, DCS: F-16C Viper, DCS: AV-8B Night Attack V/STOL pilots and controllers. 

This military simulation group alternates between training and operation seasons. Q1 and Q3 are training seasons when new cadets are screened and trained as per squadron standards. Operation campaign seasons are Q2 and Q4. 

You can read more about how the F-15E's squadron training season would work here.

DCAF teaches many bespoke training courses that cadets can access and be assessed on. Make sure to and check out their DCAF Discord.

Thank you again for your passion and support, 

Yours sincerely,

 

[SteelPig]

Really nice to see this bunch of love for the Hornet!
Is it planned to bring all of that in the next patch, or is this more a general information about what's going on? 

[giullep]

nothing intersting for me...

Edited February 16 by giullep

[BIGNEWY]

20 minutes ago, SteelPig said:

Really nice to see this bunch of love for the Hornet!
Is it planned to bring all of that in the next patch, or is this more a general information about what's going on? 

Change log will have full details but yes its planned for the next patch 

[SteelPig]

46 minutes ago, BIGNEWY said:

Change log will have full details but yes its planned for the next patch 

Thanks alot!

[AKULA_OPTIMUS]

Awesome hornet news. But would the map MFD be fixed in the Hornet at last? It´s been broken for two years, at least in Marianas and Syria scenarios, been a basic function of the aircraft

[NineLine]

1 hour ago, AKULA_OPTIMUS said:

Awesome hornet news. But would the map MFD be fixed in the Hornet at last? It´s been broken for two years, at least in Marianas and Syria scenarios, been a basic function of the aircraft

Can you point me towards a bug report if you have made one so I can look into it?  Send it to me in a DM, we don't want to hijack this thread. Thanks. 

[joker62]

18 hours ago, BIGNEWY said:

The DCS: F/A-18C is undergoing significant improvements to its flight model and flight control system. These improvements center on F/A-18C landing behavior, landing gear articulation, using altitude autopilots modes, engine response times, and the automatic carrier landing system. Please read about all the new features and improvements we have been working on below.

Finally some good news on F/A-18. I had abandoned this module for over a year because I was really weary about these gaps. I'm really satisfied with your commitment. Thanks a lot.

17 hours ago, BIGNEWY said:

Change log will have full details but yes its planned for the next patch 

Excellent, this means I will soon be taking my seat in F/A-18 cockpit again. On other hand, such an announcement only makes sense if all these improvements will be in the February patch and not in the October one. Thanks again.

[Eaglewings]

That is some very serious rework of the Hornet's flight behavior. Looking forward to flying the upscaled FA-18C.


Sent from my XQ-AT52 using Tapatalk

[Beirut]

Hornet love is good love. Pretty sweet that this thing is still getting quality updates. 

[VDV]

Great that Hornet soon will be out of EA, but it will be still missing some stuff (like DATA card and MUMI page). What about them?

Edited February 18 by VDV

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

25 minutes ago, VDV said:

Hornet soon will be out of EA, but it will be still missing some stuff

"Out of Early Access" doesn't mean feature complete. There was quite a bit of controversy when ED first announced that.

[Gunfreak]

3 hours ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

"Out of Early Access" doesn't mean feature complete. There was quite a bit of controversy when ED first announced that.

Isn't supposed to get the  Mk77 bombs too.

[Silver_Dragon]

21 minutes ago, Gunfreak said:

Isn't supposed to get the  Mk77 bombs too.

 Mark 77 bomb (MK-77) has no exclusive from the F/A-18C, that require changes of the core, to build fire bombs to all weapons.

Has a big Hornet roadmap with appears the "missing" features.

And Before asking where the QuickStrike and Destructor disappearing naval mines are, keep in mind that the naval environment of DCS World is neither prepared nor sufficiently coded to simulate any type of naval mine. That's why they were withdrawn.

Edited February 18 by Silver_Dragon

[BIGNEWY]

Please read the DCS: F/A-18C road map, we have clearly listed what we are doing and how the work has been progressing. We have also listed work that will continue once we come out of early access. 

thank you 

[Smith]

Finally my report gets addressed

I hope ED gets it right. Landing Gear behavior is so important for carrier landings