First ever DCS: F-4E Phantom II Feedback Thread - May 22nd 2024

[Kirk66]

6 hours ago, Elf1606688794 said:

In reality that crew chief is 10 feet from the aircrew (roughly) and with no external power or engines running if the pilot can't hear his crew chief then he needs to visit the flight surgeon for a hearing test. 

Except you could be on a ramp full of running jets and dash-60s - and you are wearing your helmet - so no you usually can't hear your crew chief. Which is why hand signals are used. As in real life.

Vulture

[Elf1606688794]

25 minutes ago, Kirk66 said:

Except you could be on a ramp full of running jets and dash-60s - and you are wearing your helmet - so no you usually can't hear your crew chief. Which is why hand signals are used. As in real life.

Vulture

I watched aircrews talk to crew chiefs (and vice versa) under those very conditions many times.

You never have a ramp full of running jets and -60's. Well, one time I saw an elephant walk with 104 Phantoms. That was pretty neat, but it was just one time.

[Fisu_MAD]

Here is my feedback, by far the best release of any module I have seen so far, surpassing many modules that are outside of EA. 
This level of quality should be the starting point for any module. 
My most sincere congratulations HB for your high standards of quality and commitment to your work. 
I don't want to make comparisons but this is the model to follow. Active in the community, they listen to users even if the criticism is not constructive and you are 120% proactive.

Thank you for bringing us this beautiful plane back to the skies.
By far the best experience that exists now in DCS

[IronMike]

1 hour ago, Elf1606688794 said:

I watched aircrews talk to crew chiefs (and vice versa) under those very conditions many times.

You never have a ramp full of running jets and -60's. Well, one time I saw an elephant walk with 104 Phantoms. That was pretty neat, but it was just one time.

Just an FYI, Vulture is our main WSO SME, I would say it is safe to say he knows.

[KillingJoke]

I will hold  up my hands and admit that I'm yet to pick up the Phantom (I'll be grabbing it this weekend) but I watched a showcase displaying the included liveries and a part of me was a bit disappointed by the lack of UK Armed Forces liveries. I appreciate that the UK ran their own variants of the Phantom, however, given it's very unlikely we'll ever see these represented, it would have been nice to see some of the liveries utilised by the UK over the years.

Perhaps we'll see additional liveries added to the official roster over time.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

51 minutes ago, KillingJoke said:

Perhaps we'll see additional liveries added to the official roster over time.

If not, I'm sure the User Files will fill up pretty quickly once the official paint kit is released  

 

[Maulet]

8 hours ago, Flying_Osprey said:

Can you add an indicator to the jester menu showing the ins is aligning please. Just a simple indicator saying ins aligning, as without the f14 progress bar and only an audio indication from jester i keep losing track of whether or not the ins is ready on a cold start.

In fact, no other module takes so much time for INS align, during an Auto-Cold start, iirc.... (mayne the checklist goes on, while in the background INS aligns). If we could have some "realism switch" to turn this off... for sure I would like it.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

8 hours ago, Flying_Osprey said:

i keep losing track of whether or not the ins is ready on a cold start

When INS alignment is ready the buttons below your RWR will start flashing like a christmas tree  

[Johnny Dioxin]

2 hours ago, KillingJoke said:

I will hold  up my hands and admit that I'm yet to pick up the Phantom (I'll be grabbing it this weekend) but I watched a showcase displaying the included liveries and a part of me was a bit disappointed by the lack of UK Armed Forces liveries. I appreciate that the UK ran their own variants of the Phantom, however, given it's very unlikely we'll ever see these represented, it would have been nice to see some of the liveries utilised by the UK over the years.

Perhaps we'll see additional liveries added to the official roster over time.

Apparently there will be a naval version at some point if all goes to plan. I think that would be far more suited to having British paint schemes and insignia, as it's far closer visually, to our own F-4K & M types (AKA FG.1 and FGR.2).

[lxsapper]

On 5/23/2024 at 3:01 AM, too-cool said:

Goto Special Tab in options Move burner from 70% to 75%.  TC

Heatblur took a page out of Razbam's book on this one (with the F-15E). And I say well done for it. ED should have made standard on all afterburning aircraft years ago. And it wasn't for a lack of the community asking for it. Seems like something so simple to implement as well. Hope more aircraft makers (AND ED) take notice.

As for the Phantom... Well... It's Phantastic!!! It realy is!

Still haven't spend as much time with it as id like, it's been a complicated couple of days. But I made a video of my first flight, unfortunately my mic wasn't captured so my impressions that I gave in real time are lost. But Here's the video in case anyone cares to take a look, it's a bit long, so with out the narration it's probably best to do a lot of skipping ahead.

 

[bfr]

23 minutes ago, Johnny Dioxin said:

Apparently there will be a naval version at some point if all goes to plan. I think that would be far more suited to having British paint schemes and insignia, as it's far closer visually, to our own F-4K & M types (AKA FG.1 and FGR.2).

Yes, the -J would be the logical choice if HB follow through with a module/expansion for a naval version and that is the model from which all the British Phantoms were derived (and the last lot bought were literally low mileage -J models from US inventory).

[bfr]

13 minutes ago, lxsapper said:

Heatblur took a page out of Razbam's book on this one (with the F-15E). And I say well done for it. ED should have made standard on all afterburning aircraft years ago. And it wasn't for a lack of the community asking for it. Seems like something so simple to implement as well. Hope more aircraft makers (AND ED) take notice.

 

I hope they backfill that configuration option onto the F-14 eventually. Its the only fast jet I own where I have to apply curves to tune where the AB kicks on relative to the detent on my throttle.  Whilst the ED F18 and F16 don't have that option either, they do both seem to kick the burners in at about the 75% mark with no curve required.

[lxsapper]

9 minutes ago, bfr said:

I hope they backfill that configuration option onto the F-14 eventually. Its the only fast jet I own where I have to apply curves to tune where the AB kicks on relative to the detent on my throttle.  Whilst the ED F18 and F16 don't have that option either, they do both seem to kick the burners in at about the 75% mark with no curve required.

I'm convinded they will.

Hey @IronMike... what about this idea?

[Gianky]

1 hour ago, lxsapper said:

Heatblur took a page out of Razbam's book on this one (with the F-15E). And I say well done for it. ED should have made standard on all afterburning aircraft years ago. And it wasn't for a lack of the community asking for it. Seems like something so simple to implement as well. Hope more aircraft makers (AND ED) take notice.

This, please, ED and anyone else!

In 2024 an option to set afterburner and idle detents should be mandatory for every module that has them in real life.

[lxsapper]

On 5/22/2024 at 10:56 PM, BaronVonVaderham said:

 

- controls are in the way of themselves, so you cannot see half the controls, or manipulate them, because you end up manipulating the control in front of it. For example, I cannot see the ignition switches associated with the levers, thus I can only change the levers Formosa to idle, but cannot select the ignition switches.
- you can’t use a single throttle hotas, despite the binding existing for it, as startup requires you to move individual throttles whilst holding a hidden start button depressed. This action also means you cannot do it by mouse.  Couldn’t find an auto start option, so I can’t fly it until I have a dual throttle control, and I’m not gonna buy one for the f4 alone.
- there’s a million versions. I spend hours setting up controls for WSO (which I have no clue what that means), only to find that there is a non WSO version as well. No idea which to choose. Oh and in the trainings and missions they are not called that, so no idea if in a training I have a WSO or non WSO version.

- the control settings between WSO and non WSO are different. For example, the WSO version doesn’t have controls for Landing gear and flaps, whereas the non WSO version doesn’t have antenna elevation or radar range controls. So automatically this becomes confusing the same hardware needs to be set up differently for the same aircraft.

- You can use a binding for the ignition switches.

-You are complaing about the procedure used being a the real one. But not only that that are various ways to get around that issue:

1 - You could just use the keyboard for that.

2 - You can make your axis binding "shifted" in your control assignments so that moving the throttle unshifted moves both, and using one shif moves one and with another shift moves the other. 

3 - This is mostly an non issue, if you start your right engine your left will still be in the OFF position so it will not move. When starting the left engine the right engine will also advance when moving the throtle halfway and back, but the engine will be already started advancing the throttle wont cause an isse, and it wont make the jet move from the chocks eighter.

-Not sure what the problem is about the WSO controls, The WSO has some controls and the pilot has others, not all controls are avaiable on both cockpits.

[bfr]

On 5/22/2024 at 10:56 PM, BaronVonVaderham said:

- you can’t use a single throttle hotas, despite the binding existing for it, as startup requires you to move individual throttles whilst holding a hidden start button depressed. This action also means you cannot do it by mouse.  Couldn’t find an auto start option, so I can’t fly it until I have a dual throttle control, and I’m not gonna buy one for the f4 alone.

Its the same as every other jet in DCS. Win+Home to auto-start.

Edited May 24, 2024 by bfr

[IronMike]

3 hours ago, Maulet said:

In fact, no other module takes so much time for INS align, during an Auto-Cold start, iirc.... (mayne the checklist goes on, while in the background INS aligns). If we could have some "realism switch" to turn this off... for sure I would like it.

Hey, thanks for the suggestion, but same as in the F-14, it isn't really needed, because you have stored alignment, which takes around 2 min. It is though, same as in the F-14, up to the mission maker to provide it.

[Matze81]

On 5/22/2024 at 10:28 PM, Tomcatter87 said:

Did you try to bind the "off" position of your switch to the gear down function? Thats the way i did it. If you assign the key for the gear down function, first press the switch to on, then select the "off" position of this button to the gear down function. Works for me. I believe the "else off" functions are obsolete since DCS introduced the "off" button position. 

I only now had a chance to try it and you were right of course!
I wasn’t aware that we can assign the „off“ state of our two-way Warthog switches. Quite embarrassing actually! 

Thank you very much for helping me out @Tomcatter87! 

[Cab]

After just a couple of days flying, I can now say this is now my favorite module.

Great job, Heatblur.

[Zone5]

Great job HB! You've outdone yourselves again. I have waited a long time (much longer than this module has been "announced") for a detailed F-4 sim, and you haven't disappointed me. She's a joy to behold, a true and original Rhino. The flight model rocks, and Vulture is definitely my kind of guy--an overhead break in a Pawnee! THAT is real aviating.

My only minor disappointment is that there are no IDF skins included (despite them featuring in several of the pre-release videos). I understand the potential political repercussions, but there are IRIAF skins (and that is also a statement... though I am glad they are there; the F-4 has a strong and interesting history with Iran) and Egyptian skins. Will there at least be a paint kit forthcoming?

In any case: Bravo Zulu, She was definitely worth the wait (and the coin), and I look forward to a Navy variant (J? !) down the road.

[lxsapper]

54 minutes ago, Zone5 said:

Great job HB! You've outdone yourselves again. I have waited a long time (much longer than this module has been "announced") for a detailed F-4 sim, and you haven't disappointed me. She's a joy to behold, a true and original Rhino. The flight model rocks, and Vulture is definitely my kind of guy--an overhead break in a Pawnee! THAT is real aviating.

My only minor disappointment is that there are no IDF skins included (despite them featuring in several of the pre-release videos). I understand the potential political repercussions, but there are IRIAF skins (and that is also a statement... though I am glad they are there; the F-4 has a strong and interesting history with Iran) and Egyptian skins. Will there at least be a paint kit forthcoming?

In any case: Bravo Zulu, She was definitely worth the wait (and the coin), and I look forward to a Navy variant (J? !) down the road.

Don't quote me now but I'm preaty sure I saw some IDF skins the other night on the ME. Set the your country to US or USAF instead of Israel, I think they're there. Probably just a wrong setting on the skin's countries. If I'm not mistaken all the skins from several countries are avaiable for the USAF for some reason. If you want the skin for Israel a quick edit on that livery .lua will do it.

[Beirut]

I only got this plane because I insist on having the most up to date flightsim high-tech toys, not because I had any great love for the Phantom. 

 

But I am really digging this plane and the antiquated but oh-so-cool smart weapons. Something joyous about locking up a target while the AAA is pounding away. it's the 1960s version of the Space Shuttle of Death. Just need a good RCAF skin. 

[joker62]

Dear HB, you have done an awesome job. The degree of realism, the richness of detail and the degree of immersion are exceptional.

I took some time to take things slowly; for now I have only tried the first two training lessons (pilot cold start and pilot taxi) several times. My PC is certainly not the latest generation, but I had no problems, apart from some lag in communications with Crew Chief using the Jester menu (sometimes the request must be repeated). Additionally, all of the aircraft's systems that I have tested seem to work as they should, as described in the manual.

Thank you very much for your hard work in giving us a fabulous plane like this.

(specifications of my PC: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz, 32.0 GB installed RAM, WIN 10 64b, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, TrackIR v5)

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

23 minutes ago, lxsapper said:

all the skins from several countries are avaiable for the USAF for some reason

Apparently Heatblur did that on purpose.

[ben_der]

1 hour ago, Zone5 said:

Great job HB! You've outdone yourselves again. I have waited a long time (much longer than this module has been "announced") for a detailed F-4 sim, and you haven't disappointed me. She's a joy to behold, a true and original Rhino. The flight model rocks, and Vulture is definitely my kind of guy--an overhead break in a Pawnee! THAT is real aviating.

My only minor disappointment is that there are no IDF skins included (despite them featuring in several of the pre-release videos). I understand the potential political repercussions, but there are IRIAF skins (and that is also a statement... though I am glad they are there; the F-4 has a strong and interesting history with Iran) and Egyptian skins. Will there at least be a paint kit forthcoming?

In any case: Bravo Zulu, She was definitely worth the wait (and the coin), and I look forward to a Navy variant (J? !) down the road.

They are included! Look for IAF -> Israeli Air Force! 

 

Edited May 24, 2024 by ben_der