MiG-29 Interceptorado

[Don Rudi]

I would like to introduce a mission aimed at providing quick fun - the MiG-29 Interceprorado.

It features 8 randomised intercepts, ranging from simple assistance for lost aircraft to intercepts of sitting ducks to challenging dogfights.

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3347187/

 

Laage Air Base, Northern Germany. Dawn breaks grey over the shelters when the klaxon wails — SCRAMBLE!

You are the quick reaction alert pilot on duty. Your MiG-29 waits cold and dark inside the hardened shelter. No time for comfort, no time for doubts — climb in, bring the Fulcrum alive, and get airborne.

Ground Control will vector you onto unknown contacts. Some will be routine escorts, others simple intercepts for identification. But be warned: not every flight on the scope is friendly. A target may just turn hot… and sometimes you’ll find yourself staring down a fight for your life.

The intercepts are randomized — you will never know what’s waiting over the horizon until GCI gives the call. One mission may feel like a drill; the next could be a knife fight at supersonic closure.

Your tasks:

+ Startup, taxi, and takeoff on alarm.
+ Follow GCI instructions to intercept unknown traffic.
+ Engage only when cleared or threatened. Some aircraft are harmless, others hostile.
+ Return to base if ordered or when fuel is low.

Rules of Engagement: ID before fire unless fired upon. Trust your ground controllers — their radar sees more than you do.

And if you find yourself with time to spare during warm-up or the lonely ride home… perhaps check your F10 menu. Rumor has it there’s something in there to keep you company.

Good hunting, Fulcrum driver.

Features:
+ 8 randomised intercepts, ranging from escort to challenging dogfights
+ custom GCI (output can be toggled between metric and imperial)
+ custom kneeboard
+ quality voiceovers
+ custom soundtrack via F10
+ versions for cold start and hot start
+ intended for quick fun

Enjoy!

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Sounds like fun, thanks! I’ll definitely try this over the weekend

[YoYo]

@Don Rudi Hi, your work is always welcome, thanks! I'd love to play with it . Maybe an online version if you have time, but in the FWAF style: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/news/newsletters/973222a62a8ccce30f2c0bfc1bec055c/ (for 2-3 MiGs)?

How it works:

Quote

 

You can also skip the AI, i.e., use F10 to play as single (which, for example, deletes the AI). Planes are set as Client. Just idea :).

Edited 21 hours ago by YoYo

[YoYo]

Oh no! I had to destroy my favorite Viggen! 

A few thoughts:

Spoiler

1/ Replace those two mechanics in blue uniforms in the hangar, we probably wouldn't meet black mechanics in GDR these days

2/ Hide the map preview on F10 in the mission options, note that everything is visible, so it makes it too easy to know where to fly (especially what we are looking for):

3/ HDG this should show the course the unknow is flying; that's usually how it's reported, not what course it's flying from (Heading/track: IADS, GCI.pdf). So in this case (screenshot above), the message should be HDG 348 (instead of 168), because we're looking for an interception course.

4/ After landing (and when I did the job), it was actually good to have some information about Mission Success or something like that   or information about where to taxi (just idea)

5/ If you can, please provide the communication channels in the briefing, I know the main airport has 0, but I had to guess :).

6/ Change the aircraft number (callsign tab to 159), it is currently 311, so in communication we have a different number than the side one

Many thx!

 

Edited 21 hours ago by YoYo

[Don Rudi]

16 minutes ago, YoYo said:

Oh no! I had to destroy my favorite Viggen! 

A few thoughts:

  Reveal hidden contents

1/ Replace those two mechanics in blue uniforms in the hangar, we probably wouldn't meet black mechanics in GDR these days

2/ Hide the map preview on F10 in the mission options, note that everything is visible, so it makes it too easy to know where to fly (especially what we are looking for) heading/track: IADS, GCI.pdf

3/ HDG this should show the course the unknow is flying; that's usually how it's reported, not what course it's flying from. So in this case (screenshot above), the message should be HDG 348 (instead of 168), because we're looking for an interception course.

4/ After landing (and when I did the job), it was actually good to have some information about Mission Success or something like that   or information about where to taxi (just idea)

5/ If you can, please provide the communication channels in the briefing, I know the main airport has 0, but I had to guess :).

6/ Change the aircraft number (callsign tab to 159), it is currently 311, so in communication we have a different number than the side one

Many thx!

 

It has a 50:50 chance to just turn away, but the little AI Swede seemingly prefers aggression

2 hours ago, YoYo said:

@Don Rudi Hi, your work is always welcome, thanks! I'd love to play with it . Maybe an online version if you have time, but in the FWAF style: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/news/newsletters/973222a62a8ccce30f2c0bfc1bec055c/ (for 2-3 MiGs)?

How it works:

You can also skip the AI, i.e., use F10 to play as single (which, for example, deletes the AI). Planes are set as Client. Just idea :).

Hmm, as I understand it, this FWAF is something only working with some WW2 ED missions?

I could add a second slot to the player group for another MiG-29, but it doesn't make much sense in the given scenarios, as they are all designed for a single player. My helicopter missions are mostly Multicrew/coop though.

[YoYo]

8 minutes ago, Don Rudi said:

I could add a second slot to the player group for another MiG-29, but it doesn't make much sense in the given scenarios, as they are all designed for a single player. My helicopter missions are mostly Multicrew/coop though.

The upside is that the mission functions as a SP, but the players act as clients – although a few trigger behaviors would probably need to be tweaked. A two-player experience would be quite nice (but without the AI), but it's clear that it requires some tweaking and work, so no pressure, just idea :).

[DCS.Fighter.Masi]

Looks really great, but I don´t have the Mig-29 (yet). I would love to see this kind of mission for the Heatblur F-4 Phantom - maybe in a post cold war united germany? F-4 was beside the Mig-29 in charge for air policing over germany.

Edited 7 hours ago by DCS.Fighter.Masi

[Don Rudi]

1 hour ago, DCS.Fighter.Masi said:

Looks really great, but I don´t have the Mig-29 (yet). I would love to see this kind of mission for the Heatblur F-4 Phantom - maybe in a post cold war united germany? F-4 was beside the Mig-29 in charge for air policing over germany.

Have you checked my Cold War Germany Sandbox? It features 20 tasks for the F-4, including intercepts 

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3344728/

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Spoiler

17 hours ago, YoYo said:

After landing (and when I did the job), it was actually good to have some information about Mission Success or something like that   or information about where to taxi (just idea)

You are told you successfully destroyed the enemy while still in the air. And you have the debriefing screen as well... I'd rather not see on-screen messages in huge fonts that break through interdimensional barriers, or some Hollywood-style music that starts playing to congratulate you on doing your job.
Where to taxi is easy: back to the same hangar you started at. It's a small airport and even I didn't get lost there (that's saying something, believe me).

Also:
 

Spoiler

I was a bit surprised to see Poland on the list of enemy countries in the briefing screen. And I was supposed to shoot down 3 Polish MiG-21s. Would it not be more believable to use Dutch F-5s then for example (if you want to stay within in the same generation of enemy aircraft)?

 

[Don Rudi]

20 minutes ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

  Hide contents

I was a bit surprised to see Poland on the list of enemy countries in the briefing screen. And I was supposed to shoot down 3 Polish MiG-21s. Would it not be more believable to use Dutch F-5s then for example (if you want to stay within in the same generation of enemy aircraft)?

 

Keep in mind, this is just for quick fun to enjoy the MiG-29 and the MiG-21 is a nice opponent. Also, I had something in the back of my head a former GDR Air Force officer told me, when we asked him, if Warsaw Pact aircraft navigated freely like NATO ones (like Belgian Mirages doing low level in Germany). He said, had they done that, the Poles and Czech would have shot them down (unless there was a huge heap of paperwork in advance). Wether that was true or not, I don't know. Just see it as DACT

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

4 minutes ago, Don Rudi said:

I had something in the back of my head a former GDR Air Force officer told me

Ok, fairy nuff

[Don Rudi]

18 hours ago, YoYo said:

1/ Replace those two mechanics in blue uniforms in the hangar, we probably wouldn't meet black mechanics in GDR these days

2/ Hide the map preview on F10 in the mission options, note that everything is visible, so it makes it too easy to know where to fly (especially what we are looking for):

3/ HDG this should show the course the unknow is flying; that's usually how it's reported, not what course it's flying from (Heading/track: IADS, GCI.pdf). So in this case (screenshot above), the message should be HDG 348 (instead of 168), because we're looking for an interception course.

4/ After landing (and when I did the job), it was actually good to have some information about Mission Success or something like that   or information about where to taxi (just idea)

5/ If you can, please provide the communication channels in the briefing, I know the main airport has 0, but I had to guess :).

6/ Change the aircraft number (callsign tab to 159), it is currently 311, so in communication we have a different number than the side one

Many thx!

Sorry YoYo, I total missed the hidden part.

1) the GDR had very good relations with socialist African countries, so people of colour were a thing in the GDR.

2,5) this is meant as quick fun for everybody, that's why the labels aren't inhibited either. Advanced players can switch labels off and ignore the map, newbies can use both. Each to their liking. In a dedicated single mission, it would be different.

3) that's a bug in my script, thanks for pointing out! Will correct it asap <shame>

4) as Raven said, you should receive a kill confirmation and be released to RTB in the air. There is a Aerodrome layout on the Kneeboard, I will add a mark, where to park. Though basically it doesn't really matter.

6) Will do, thanks!

[Don Rudi]

Mission is updated to 1.0.2

Changes:

• changed tailnumber to match the voice overs
• GCI displays wrong heading - fixed
• added own parking stand and ATC channel to first kneeboard page
• added missing kill confirmation for the MiG-21s

Thanks @YoYo for the sharp eye!

[YoYo]

Thanks! 

[Don Rudi]

3 minutes ago, YoYo said:

Thanks! 

I have to thanks you, my friend. I guess you know that - when testing ones own missions, one simply doesn't see the most obvious of things. Like in my case the mismatching number or wrong heading - I was simply anticipating the correct ones