FC2024 | Kola Development Progress | Virtual Carrier Wing 17

[Graphics]

 
26 April 2024

 

Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends, 

At last, the ORBX Kola map is coming to DCS and will be released in early access on the 3rd of May, 2024. The Kola peninsula region, the extreme northern Europe, is a world of raw beauty and quiet grandeur where rolling hills meet dramatic fjords and a myriad of lakes. This region has a conflict-laden past and hosts geopolitical tensions today. Read more below about this epic map.

We are also thrilled to announce Flaming Cliffs 2024 that will be coming soon to DCS!  After the recent free texture updates to most Flaming Cliffs aircraft earlier this year, we are excited to offer the addition of the MiG-15, F-86F and F-5E to the Flaming Cliffs experience! For all existing FC3 owners, FC2024 will be offered as an upgrade for only $9.99! Check out the details below.

The Virtual Carrier Air Wing 17 operates the DCS: F/A-18C and the DCS: F-14B Tomcat, simulatin§g the composition of the real CVW-17 in the early 2000's, aboard the USS George Washington. Members can act as a mission commander, AIC, Marshal, and LSO. Don’t miss the action and head over to the Virtual CVW-17 Discord.

Thank you for your passion and support.

Yours sincerely, 

Eagle Dynamics

 

Kola

Development Progress

“The DCS: Kola map by Orbx will be released into early access on the 3rd of May 2024 bringing a new and engaging region to DCS. Based on the current day, with allowances for Cold War scenarios, the map covers more than 575,000 sq km of land and large areas of the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. The early access release will feature summer textures with the highest detail area stretching along the Russian/Finnish border from the Murmansk region of the Kola peninsula in the north to the shores of the Baltic Sea in the south. This area is home to the Russian Northern Fleet, the submarine pens of Polyarny, strategic air bases such as Severomorsk and Olegnegorsk, and several Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian air bases, and road runways!

We at Orbx are delighted to collaborate with experienced campaign creators including Baltic Dragon and Reflected Simulations to bring exciting campaigns to this map.

Following the early access release, we will deliver major updates starting in June 2024. This includes winter textures and additional airbases such as Andoya, Bardufoss, Evenes, Vidsel, Kilpyavr, Alakkurti, and others. Many military installations and training areas across the Kola map will be further developed with improvements added to terrain detail based on high-resolution aerial orthoimagery. New cities and towns, more custom POIs and vertical obstructions, and complex industrial sites will also be added.

We have recruited a large team of active DCS players to help with all aspects of testing, optimization, and prioritisation to help tune and improve the map.”

– Orbx

Please check out the Development Screenshots. Stay tuned for the early access launch of DCS: Kola.

 

Flaming Cliffs 2024 

Announcement

Coming Soon! Flaming Cliffs (FC) 2024 is the next chapter of the popular Flaming Cliffs series that features an expanded list of aircraft: The FC: F-5E, FC: F-86F, and FC: MiG-15bis. As with all FC aircraft, these additions are easy-to-learn, with less complex controls, and includes their DCS Professional Flight Models. The more accessible FC-style concept allows new and existing players to quickly jump into the action and have fun at an exceptionally advantageous price point. 

Flaming Cliffs 2024 provides an unrivalled sense of flight that only DCS can offer. With impressive and highly realistic 3D modelling, powerful authentic weapons and ease of use, Flaming Cliffs is specifically designed for those of you looking for an unbeatable combat experience, without having to learn all the systems and a very large number of cockpit inputs typical of the full fidelity aircraft in DCS. 

Existing Flaming Cliffs Aircraft:

• F-15C
• A-10A
• Su-27
• J-11
• Su-33
• Su-25
• MiG-29
• MiG-29S

Three New Flaming Cliffs Aircraft:

• F-5E for Flaming Cliffs 2024
• F-86F for Flaming Cliffs 2024
• MiG-15bis for Flaming Cliffs 2024

All aircraft will be available both as part of the Flaming Cliffs 2024, as well as individual FC dedicated modules for those of you who wish to purchase a single fighter from the pack.

 

Virtual Carrier Wing 17

Multiplayer Server

The Virtual Carrier Wing 17 operates in the Central EU time zone. Throughout the year, vCVW-17 alternates between training and deployment periods. New student pilots and RIOs are trained by experienced air wing members and human LSOs / AICs are available during missions to add extra realism.

The vCVW-17 strives to mimic real CVW operations in the early 2000s, with every bit of the naval aviation experience imaginable. They take a realistic approach to their operations that covers Cyclic Ops, Close Air Support, Strike Packages, and more. Briefings and kneeboard pages are provided before each mission or training sortie and debriefings are used to provide post-mission evaluation that results in better virtual naval aviators. What are you waiting for? Join Virtual CVW-17 Discord.

Thank you again for your passion and support, 

Yours sincerely,

[Keith Briscoe]

Well this is cool!!

[ThorBrasil]

KOLA: What I most want to see are the road runways! I hope there are some images and locations on the map so I know how many there are.

[hannibal]

wondering if the upcoming FC2024 additions will keep the clickable cockpits...

yea for Kola!

[ThorBrasil]

1 minute ago, hannibal said:

wondering if the upcoming FC2024 additions will keep the clickable cockpits...

yea for Kola!

FC does not have a clickable cockpit.

[Кош]

6 минут назад, Leichtester сказал:

Just to not get confused, the FC modules that are coming are not FF or am I wrong?

 

It's a downgrade of existing FF modules obviously.

[Otulf]

WOW! Kola is coming...

GREAT NEWS!

Looking forward to buy!

Looking forward to see F21 Kallax in Luleå!!!!

 

Best regards!

Otulf

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

3 minutes ago, Leichtester said:

the FC modules that are coming are not FF or am I wrong?

No, they are simplified versions of the full-fidelity modules we already have - as announced initially for MAC - Modern Air Combat.


Exciting news about Kola, but will the new FC version include new 3D models for all of its aircraft?

[Blackdavis12]

What is with modern Fighter Jets like F-16 or F/A-18 or some Helicopter for FC4?
 

[Jayhawk1971]

What? Kola is already going into EA?! That was...unexpected.  

Quick question: Kidneys. Are they really that important? 

 

[P1l0t]

We have been waiting for 6 years for the J-11A to get the real N001VE radar and TWS 2 mode that it can in reality!
No secret document is needed for this, just correct the J-11A as they corrected the radar of the F-15C because it was weak!

[Gunfreak]

Not sure what to make of the FC4 thing...

But my body is ready for Kola! 

[notproplayer3]

Now this is what I like to see, no big fuss, no pre release hype and endless delays, just a straight up release date. If it gets released with no major issues and the quality is actually good, well, my hat's off to ORBX for this one.

Looking forward to seeing how it'll turn out.

 

[ngreenaway]

13 minutes ago, Кош said:

It's a downgrade of existing FF modules obviously.

A simplification would be a better phrase. It's not bad to the target audience of FC. It would be nice if there were full clicky versions of the current FC aircraft available separately, the way the newer additions are

[Minsky]

@BIGNEWY @NineLine I have all the Flaming Cliffs 3 aircraft purchased separately. Will they be "upgraded" to their equivalents from the Flaming Cliffs 2024 bundle? Or, aside from the new title and three new jets, there is no functional difference between the FC3 and FC2024?

Edited April 26, 2024 by Minsky

[P1l0t]

3 minutes ago, Minsky said:

@BIGNEWY @NineLine I have all the Flaming Cliffs 3 aircraft purchased separately. Will they be "upgraded" to their equivalents from the Flaming Cliffs 2024 bundle? Or, aside from the new title and three new jets, there is no functional difference between the FC3 and FC2024?

 

It would be nice to have more detailed information about what FC2024 means!

[virgo47]

I'm glad... probably, but also confused. I'm glad that FC style is not dead. I'm confused about the choice of modules... Immediately the first thing that comes to my mind is negative - the FF modules will not be cared for that much more and their future is in FC-style. I hope that is not true (as I own all three) but it's a strange choice at least. It makes some logic though, you've got the know-how about those modules.

I guess it will be an upgrade, which means paid... no prob as long there is a good upgrade from FC3 as a package. I expect this, this part is mostly done right by ED.

And yes, Kola... I fly so little on other maps, but whether I buy it or not (eventually I will), Kola seems a great choice from the start. Something similar. Something cold-war-ish, although it never happened. But it still might, you never know. And it's distinct.

[Raisuli]

9 minutes ago, notproplayer3 said:

Now this is what I like to see, no big fuss, no pre release hype and endless delays, just a straight up release date. If it gets released with no major issues and the quality is actually good, well, my hat's off to ORBX for this one.

Looking forward to seeing how it'll turn out.

 

I have other Orbx products, and they're top shelf.  Really happy to see them in DCS; hope they do well and continue to produce more content here!

[Qcumber]

22 minutes ago, Jayhawk1971 said:

Quick question: Kidneys. Are they really that important? 

You only need one!

48 minutes ago, Graphics said:

Three New Flaming Cliffs Aircraft:

• F-5E for Flaming Cliffs 2024
• F-86F for Flaming Cliffs 2024
• MiG-15bis for Flaming Cliffs 2024

All aircraft will be available both as part of the Flaming Cliffs 2024, as well as individual FC dedicated modules for those of you who wish to purchase a single fighter from the pack.

Will the existing FF F-5E, F-86 and Mig-15 get a cockpit refresh? 

Edited April 26, 2024 by Qcumber

[Exorcet]

13 minutes ago, virgo47 said:

I'm glad... probably, but also confused. I'm glad that FC style is not dead. I'm confused about the choice of modules... Immediately the first thing that comes to my mind is negative - the FF modules will not be cared for that much more and their future is in FC-style. I hope that is not true (as I own all three) but it's a strange choice at least. It makes some logic though, you've got the know-how about those modules.

That would be incredibly silly.

Personally I'm not all that interested in simplified versions of FC planes but I am curious to know if the existing FC aircraft will receive any changes.

Kola being available already is unexpected but welcome.

[ricktoberfest]

20 minutes ago, Minsky said:

@BIGNEWY @NineLine I have all the Flaming Cliffs 3 aircraft purchased separately. Will they be "upgraded" to their equivalents from the Flaming Cliffs 2024 bundle? Or, aside from the new title and three new jets, there is no functional difference between the FC3 and FC2024?

 

To me, it looks like they are just adding 3 aircraft. All the other FC3 aircraft have been getting updates over time already. 

[BIGNEWY]

47 minutes ago, hannibal said:

wondering if the upcoming FC2024 additions will keep the clickable cockpits...

yea for Kola!

Folks the additions to FC2024 will be flaming cliffs level. 

Current full fidelity versions remain as they are, they will coexist. 

 

[Coxy_99]

For all the whining murh clicky clicky, No one is forcing anybody to buy a non clickable F-5 or whatever, Then most servers if not all servers, Use hot starts because they dont want to (And cant be bothered) To do the full start-up and alignment in there clicky clicky, I for one cant be bothered to go through so called procedures, Its for those that just want to jump in and fly, This is not a bad thing and a great idea by ED, Few jets missing out of it tho. So i back ED on this move.

Edited April 26, 2024 by Coxy_99

[Exorcet]

1 minute ago, Coxy_99 said:

This is not a bad thing and a great idea by ED, Few jets missing out of it tho. So i back ED on this move.

As someone with a complete preference for FF, while I won't be purchasing FC versions of existing planes the aircraft are still fairly good simulations. From the cockpit of an opposing fighter FC planes are hard to tell apart from FF ones and even simplified as they are, they are more complex than the AI. If they bring more players in, it's a win for everyone.

[Raisuli]

1 minute ago, Coxy_99 said:

For all the whining murh clicky clicky, No one is forcing anybody to buy a non clickable F-5 or whatever, Then most servers if not all servers, Use hot starts because they dont want to (And cant be bothered) To do the full start-up and alignment in there clicky clicky, I for one cant be bothered to go through so called procedures, Its for those that just want to jump in and fly, This is not a bad thing and a great idea by ED, Few jets missing out of it tho. So i back ED on this move.

 

I've never had much trouble aligning the F-5 or F-86 on a cold start.  One of the charms of flying those aircraft, in fact.  A little nose wheel steering and I'm aligned.

So we have full fidelity or not full fidelity, pick your favorite.  When the full fidelity -29 comes out that was going to happen anyway.  Not seeing any cause for heartburn here, seems pretty clear cut.