VNAO

[Pop]

For those who have not had the experience of flying FA18's, F14's in LOMAC/FC2.0 you may want to visit our web site:

http://www.virtualnavairops.com/forum/forum.php/index.php

 

We have "modded" sim A/C into these two USN birds. We fly off US Cariers, with US weapons.

 

We have just begun using the KA50 (skinned into a AH 64) as a FAC. A few nights agao we had 2 AH 64's, 1 A10, 3 FA18's, and 3 F14, on line, fighting a the bad guys! We use both AI and real pilots as the "bads".

 

We have pilots from all over the world flying on our "stallturn" and "VNAO" servers.

 

Our training is second to none! RW carrier ops is our goal!:pilotfly:

 

Ron "Pop" Folse

RADM VNAO

USN CDR (ret)

[636_Castle]

Cool! Long live the Rhino :drunk:

[Ripcord]

Ron,

 

Question for you -- will this US naval carrier ops mod work on LOMAC Platimum. I was kinda leaning toward picking that up and starting to get into LOMAC. If I can fly off the boat, then I am really interested.

 

Somebody has a Russian Far East / Chinese border terrain mod in the works that is BEGGING for some US Carrier ops out in the Sea of Japan (no US carrier will ever venture in the Black Sea, but still, kinda fun if no other choices are available).

 

Ripcord

[Moa]

Yes, the VNAO FC2 mod will work with LockOn Platinum (which is essentially LockOn 1 + Flaming Cliffs 2).

 

Here's a screenshot from last weekend's mission. The screenshot doesn't do justice to 59th_Jack's amazing skins, and the flight model tweaks made by VNAO's Wraith [known on these ED forums as jalebru, so thank him when you see him]:

Edited July 18, 2010 by Moa

[astrospud]

Moa, the link for screeny is broken. Could you please repost?

Thx

[Moa]

Thanks for pointing that out (the VNAO forums have been re-organized very recently so it is accidental that you are unable to see that picture).

 

Here's the same picture on mediafire:

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=a5494keho4gqzd2&thumb=6

[636_Castle]

Be careful installing this....it majorly F-ed my FC2 install up. Getting lua errors left and right now. Installed this on a vanilla FC2.

[104th_Crunch]

Thanks for pointing that out (the VNAO forums have been re-organized very recently so it is accidental that you are unable to see that picture).

 

Here's the same picture on mediafire:

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=a5494keho4gqzd2&thumb=6

 

 

Clicking the link works. Screenshot looks excellent. Just so yo are aware, Mediafire does not support hotlinking pictures. For that you must use photobucket etc., or attach the pic to your ED post. Cheers.

[Moa]

Thanks Crunch, will do next time.

[Ripcord]

OK, then here is my next question... I know FC has a pretty robust mission editor/builder, or I have heard that. Can one design missions for FC2 that involve AI and player aircraft launching from and recovering on the carrier (eg, like in Janes FA-18 )?

 

Look, if this thing is only $20 I'll probably go get it, so I'll find out for myself, but I was just curious and thought I would ask.

 

Still cannot get excited about the Black Sea theatre (served there in RL), but I am VERY excited about the possibility of Carrier Ops and New Theatres being in the works.

 

Ripcord

[Moa]

OK, then here is my next question... I know FC has a pretty robust mission editor/builder, or I have heard that. Can one design missions for FC2 that involve AI and player aircraft launching from and recovering on the carrier (eg, like in Janes FA-18 )?

 

Ripcord

 

Yes. Most VNAO missions have an E2C launch before the Tomcat CAP and F-18 strikers launch.

 

At the moment VNAO are experimenting with BlackSharks as Forward Air Controllers marking targets with smoke for when the JDAM armed F-18s come over.

 

Using the little-dog's excellent EFA mod I tried adding in AV-8B Harriers but there is a bug in LockOn where their fuel consumption is not determined by their LUA aircraft configuration file. That means they barely have enough fuel to launch from an airbase and get 15 nm before running out of gas (I've posted about this in another thread). Shame as it would have been nice to have the Av-8B also buzzing around (the A-10A cockpit isn't too bad a representation of capabilities).

 

The VNAO mod isn't perfect but it is the closest thing in LockOn to modern US carrier ops (the Soviet carrier ops are already covered by the Su-33 and Admiral Kuznetsov).

Edited July 21, 2010 by Moa

[Ripcord]

OK, got Lockon Platinum up and running, trying to learn it now. Made one runway landing in an A-10, love it. But still got that Superbug on the Carl Vinson in the back of my mind. Where do I get it?

 

Ripcord

[Bearitall]

OK, got Lockon Platinum up and running, trying to learn it now. Made one runway landing in an A-10, love it. But still got that Superbug on the Carl Vinson in the back of my mind. Where do I get it?

 

Ripcord

 

 

http://www.vrsimulations.com/

[Ripcord]

No man, not for FSX. I already have that. I am talking about this carrier ops mod for Lockon FC2.

[Moa]

Post a link in the VNAO forums asking for it:

http://www.virtualnavairops.com/forum/forum.php

I know it is not generally publicly available as some of the mod authors don't wish for their stuff to be released, but VNAO is seeking to remove those limitations.

 

Also, I strongly recommend you make a backup of your 1.2.1 patched LockOn installation before installing the VNAO mod (or any major mod in fact). With a little work you can have the vanilla LockOn and the VNAO mod installed and available on the same machine (not simultaneously, of course), mostly that is to do with making proper desktop shortcuts available.

 

You will also need the excellent ModMan 7.3 if you don't already have it (search these forums).

Edited July 25, 2010 by Moa

[Robin_Hood]

I don't know about the VNAO mod, but if they won't give it easily, you can always try efA Mod in the meantime; makes almost all planes flyable - only A and C variants of the F/A-18, though ;)

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=52783&highlight=efA

[Moa]

VNAO mod is much better for F/A-18 and F-14D flight models, meshes, and skins than EFA. But you are right, EFA is more freely available. I run both on the stallturn server (EFA test mission during the week, VNAO on weekend).

[Sel94]

If I got this, would it be good to make a Lock On install only for VNAO mods? I only have(and heard of) the Eurofighter VNAO mod but have not installed it yet.

[Mercury]

If I got this, would it be good to make a Lock On install only for VNAO mods? I only have(and heard of) the Eurofighter VNAO mod but have not installed it yet.

 

Eurofighter VEAO (Virtual European Air Ops)

 

VNAO (Virtual Naval Air Ops)

 

I would definitely recommend a separate install for FC2.0 especially for VNAO mod. It makes a lot of changes in LUA files and will seriously cripple the sim if other mods are involved. So a clean install of FC2.0 with the VNAO mod and there's nothing to worry about.

[ALF7]

If I got this, would it be good to make a Lock On install only for VNAO mods? I only have(and heard of) the Eurofighter VNAO mod but have not installed it yet.

[ATTACH]41122[/ATTACH]

[Sel94]

Eurofighter VEAO (Virtual European Air Ops)

 

VNAO (Virtual Naval Air Ops)

 

I would definitely recommend a separate install for FC2.0 especially for VNAO mod. It makes a lot of changes in LUA files and will seriously cripple the sim if other mods are involved. So a clean install of FC2.0 with the VNAO mod and there's nothing to worry about.

 

Oh gosh I feel dumb! I can't believe I didn't catch that. Anyway, thanks.:)

[Ripcord]

So what is the situation with the cockpits? I fly the FA-18F and I get the cockpit for the Su-33. That's not by design is it? Is there part of the VNAO mod that I am missing? I have VNAO FC2 FC3.

 

Ripcord

[Moa]

So what is the situation with the cockpits? I fly the FA-18F and I get the cockpit for the Su-33. That's not by design is it? Is there part of the VNAO mod that I am missing? I have VNAO FC2 FC3.

 

Ripcord

 

Cockpits are not moddable in FC2 (or DCS at the moment). The VNAO F/A-18F uses the MiG-29G cockpit as that is the only true multi-role aircraft in the game at the moment that also uses Western measurement units (feet and knots). It does allow you to perform A2A and A2G with some guided munitions (eg. TV guided bombs, Maverick K, but no HARM).

 

I'm considering making either a 3D F-16 or F-18 cockpit and placing it onscreen using a DirectX 'overlay' to get around this limitation (you'll lose fps unless you have a second video card, but its the best I can think of at the moment while development for cockpits is closed in DCS). I won't start this work until next year as I have a bunch of other stuff I want to finish first (online stats and dynamic campaign).

 

Yes this is not ideal, but it is the best we can do for the moment (and I personally don't mind having an inaccurate F-18 rather than no F-18, for me it's the flight & engine models that matter and these are reasonably accurate).

[Ripcord]

This is a deal-killer for me, I need that familiar cockpit to work in. I'll have to just stick to flying the USAF jets.

 

Hell, I guess I could learn to appreciate flying the Russian planes -- at least I speak the language so from that standpoint, it is kinda cool.

 

So do we anticipate all some wiggle-room in allowing us to mod cockpits at some point?

 

Ripcord

Edited July 28, 2010 by Ripcord

[Moa]

No 'wiggle room'. You can re-skin a cockpit by changing the bitmap ('texture') for that aircraft. Doesn't change the instruments, so is cosmetic only.

 

The only other current way around is to do an overlay - as I mentioned.

 

There is no DCS:Hornet planned (at least not in public).

 

So your choices are:

1) Do nothing.

2) VNAO mod. Visuals great. Cockpit not accurate. Good simulated combat.

3) FSX (eg. SuperBug). Cockpit good. Simulated 'combat' is rubbish.

4) X-plane. Mod it yourself. Combat better than FSX but still not good, or

5) seven-G (freeware). Cockpit good. Limited combat. A work in progress.

 

Of these the VNAO mod is the least-bad IMHO if you actually want to do carrier and combat ops, although clearly not perfect (if that matters, then number 1 is your best option).