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    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview With Spectre8750
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    Interview with Spectre8750 "I've had a lot of help and support by the community here at CombatACE, and have always felt welcome and enjoyed my time spent here, with such a great community of people…" -Spectre8750   In this week’s CombatACE Spotlight segment we interview a member that has been here since 2009. Spectre8750 has been a part of amazing projects such as the TMF F-14 and Fairchild A-10C projects that has 10,821 between the two of them I’ve you haven’t checked them out yet, you owe it to yourself to do so.   Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Spectre8750. So, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I was a Structural Design Engineer. My interests have led me to Graphic Design and Audio Engineering, Mastering, Restoration. What interests you about aviation? Well I've always been fascinated since a very early age with World War II era Fighters.  Their design revolved around speed and maneuverability and I was taken aback by their shape and beauty.  They were the thoroughbreds of their time in a very interesting period of history. What is your favorite aircraft and why? I would have to say the F-4U Corsair always fascinated me with its shape and power. It's ability as a Fighter and Ground Attack platform.   What got you interested in flight simulation? Probably WWII movies and Documentaries; all the aircraft involved during that period.   Do you remember the first flight sim you ever played? It was the F-15 Strike Eagle by Microprose back in 1985.  I would take the stick while a family member would take the keyboard as Weapons Officer and we would switch off.  I was hooked for life.   I remember playing the version that was on SNES and still love that game to this day. So, what motivated you to arrive at CombatACE and stay over the years? I was at a Gaming Store when someone told me about European Air War and how popular it was, which led me to do some skinning and modding and the community online that offered so much in that area. This led me to some of the Mod sites and eventually learning about Strike Fighters Project One.    When did you start modding? With Strike Fighters I found the CombatACE Community through searching for updates and through the Strike Fighters Forum at TK's Third Wire Productions.  I was a late comer with the Series and signed up here in 2007.  I downloaded a lot of mods at first, messed with them a little and was out of touch with the site till 2009 when I started a new account.  Then I started out skinning at first and gradually learned some of the ins and outs of Strike Fighters modding through a lot of reading.    What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing and neat hobby etc? It's one of those things that helps keep your mind busy and what better than Strike Fighters, at least for me, though I have to split my time up more these days with other projects, it's still my favorite.    What modding tools do you use and why? Just the usual 3DSMax '09 in my case, DXTBmp, SF Terrain Editor, Adobe PhotoShop CS5 and Paint Shop Pro 7. Those are I think probably the most used Tools in this Sim Community and the simplest to use and the ones i happen to have on hand.    I see you were part of the TMF F-14 Tomcat Superpack project. What motivated you to join that project? Well it started with me wanting to update the F-14 that the Mirage Factory had on hand by Flying Toaster/Olivier to Strike Fighters 2 standards back in 2011 with what I could dig up on the aircraft and deciding to do all the skins for all the active Squadrons that flew the F-14.  Of course I wasn't going to do every scheme ever, but to at least have all Squadrons represented plus a few schemes when they changed down through the course of the Tomcats life. I had some skins already to use as a base to start from by some that had worked on them previously like Dave, Column5 and EricJ.  Then Caesar who is a huge part in the whole project jumped in and made a big difference in keeping the F-14 and the variants real and up to date, along with SupGen and Brain32's work on the Cockpits.    What was your role in that project what did you do to help develop it? Mainly the skinning, but tweaking the flight model and cockpit modding in the beginning and adjusting some effects. But it is become what is today because of Caesar, SupGen and Brain32.  We have them to thank along with Olivier and Dave for what it is today.    How long did it take to work on the project until everyone was satisfied for it to could be released? In the beginning it was just my work on the project for a short while till Caesar and Dave joined to make it even better.  There have been several updates since it was started in 2011. It's been about three years since the Project began, so it gradually grew into what it is today.    Now, about the Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II project, I love using that mod by the way. What prompted you to join that project? It was another aircraft I thought needed updated, but mainly these projects were started so they could be included in the newer Strike Fighters 2 campaigns and other mod projects in the Community.     Was it easier to work on the A-10 than the F-14? I would say both were equally challenging with their own quirks or difficulties, being different types of aircraft with their own strengths and characteristics.   Would you ever work on a group project again and if so what plane would you like to make? I would work on other projects in this community because of the great input and team work available here.  There's some great modders here at Combat Ace. I haven't mentioned that my favorite modern aircraft is the F-16.  It's really designed to be a Dog Fighter and takes the modern role that the P-51D had back in its day.  But the guys here at CombatACE have already done it and continue to make the mods of the F-16 better and fun.  If I was to start a project from scratch or an updated existing model? It would be the F4U Corsair, but Wrench has that one covered, it's in good hands.    What is your favorite mod that you have created? I guess that really the only mods I can take full credit for are the campaign maps, terrains that I did for Modern Warfare Korea and Operation Hydra, which the latter is going to be all new in the future if and when I can get the time. A lot of the projects here usually have more than one modder's work in it in some form.   What is your favorite mod that you did not create? Well there's so many great mods and it's hard to pick, but I would have to say Olivier ANGUILLE (BPAo) and Kesselbrut's F-18 Hornet is one of the best mods I've seen offered here at CombatACE.    Who is a modder, or group of modders, you admire or inspired you to start modding? That would have to be Olivier (BPAo).  One of the first projects I took on at CombatACE was a simple Strike Fighters 2 conversion of Oli's and Kesselbrut's F-18 Hornet back in 2009, and he was very kind to let me take it.  Also I have to say that EricJ took me under his wing for a bit in the beginning and i owe him a lot for his help.   Do you have any favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at Combat Ace you’d like to share? I've had a lot of help and support by the community here at CombatACE, and have always felt welcome and enjoyed my time spent here, with such a great community of people, with such a range of expertise, interest and great camaraderie.  I hope to be around to enjoy it and share what I can with the community here.   A BIG thanks to everyone here at CombatACE, especially the Staff who put so much work into the Site here, and to those at Third Wire Productions for creating such fun moddable Combat Sim that makes this area of modding possible and great fun.   And thank you Skyviper   On behalf the community and me, you’re welcome and thank you, Spectre8750, for being here with us. Thank you for taking the time to tell us your story and for sharing your hard work with us. To those reading this segment today, thank you for being here because, like Spectre8750 and so many others have said, its people like you that make this an awesome place to be.   If you wish to check out the TMF F-14 Project you can click here and download it or if you wish to check out the Fairchild A-10c Project you can click here to download it. Please read all download instructions and warnings including the associated readme files to get the best enjoyment out of these files. Until next time I'm Skyviper wishing you all good hunting and happy landings.

    IL2: Defence of the Reich
    33LIMA
    By 33LIMA,
    Flying a classic Western Front campaign...in a classic Eastern Front flight sim!   I don't know about you, but the sim that came closest to my ideal of a WW2 flight sim was (and in some key ways, still is) European Air War. For one thing, EAW had - in spades - many little but oh-so-immersive touches that later sims seem to omit or neglect. There was something resembling a decent pilot logbook; basic but effective verbal campaign briefings; and a between-mission representation of your bunk in a Nissen Hut complete with creaking bedsprings, coughing (but invisible) companions, and a radio set which you could tune into renderings of appropriate popular music of the day. Break off from the campaign and you got an on-screen day pass complete with tickets to an appropriate show and a picture of your 'floosie'!   Not only that, but EAW featured the two aerial campaigns that defined the European Theatre of Operations air war and always interested me most: the Battle of Britain in 1940, and what might be called the Battle of Germany, 1942-45, where the tables were turned and it was the Luftwaffe's turn to defend the Homeland against swarms of marauding bombers. In EAW, I could escort Stukas or Heinkels in 109s or 110s or try knocking them down in a Hurri or a Spit. And I could take to the skies over the Reich in my favoured German mount, the venerable 'Gustav' or Bf109G, and lead my staffel into deadly firing passes on huge combat box formations of B17s or B24s, braving swarms of tracers and watching my kills go slipping or spinning out of formation trailing smoke. If I fancied something different, I could slip into an FW190A or D, a later Bf110, or even a jet Me262. Or I could swap sides and take on the Luftwaffe in a P47, a P38 or a P51. My idea of sim heaven!   When CFS2 came out, I enjoyed the better graphics and the change of scenery to the Pacific, as well as the opportunities afforded by many add-ons that enabled you to experience Pearl Harbour, fly with the Dambusters and all the rest. I spent a lot of time back in the ETO with CFS3, which failed to add better ground control and seemed worse in the air-to-air department, tho it was reasonably good in its declared aim of simulating tactical air ops, albeit in a weird version of WW2 where German shipping traffic plied the English Channel in daylight and an invasion could have been mounted in either direction.   Battle of Britain 2 'Wings of victory' I played as well, loving its superior AI tho ultimately finding its odd combination of wargame and flight sim not quite to my taste. For the Battle of Germany, 'B17  the Mighty Eighth' was a really superb bomber sim but its fighter capabilities were much more limited.   As for IL-2...well I bought and played, on and off, just about all the successive versions and some add-ons but while the rather dry single-player campaigns were jazzed up somewhat over the years, the Eastern Front never really floated my boat. Despite the 'Battle over Europe' add-on, coverage of the ETO remained very limited, while IL-2's drive to the Pacific seemed to me to have many fine aspects like the ability to defend Singapore in Buffaloes or later, take the fight back to the Japanese in a Beaufighter, but ultimately, to fall somewhat short, not least due to a hopelessly inadequate set of ship types.   I longed for the tussles with the fleets of bombers that EAW brought to my screen, especially the missions against the 'Amis' in their 'viermots', the big, four-engined Flying Fortresses and Liberators, with their attendant swarms of 'little friends', the Thunderbolts, Lightnings and later, the Mustangs. EAW was still in business, but I wanted to experience its massive battles with the graphics, AI, damage and flight models of a modern sim. IL-2 Battle of Stalingrad might be an interesting diversion to the East, and DCS-1944 might get there one day, but what of the present...?   Having rediscovered the delights of IL-2 in the form of the excellent Dark Blue World mod - surely, the ultimate single-player add-on for IL2 - and found there existed a version of Boelcke's "Defense of the Reich" campaign just for DBW, I thought it was time to revisit the virtual skies over the crumbling Thousand Year Reich. I wanted to see if I could rediscover the thrill of sailing, cannon blazing, into a combat box which filled the skies around me with tracers from dozens of .50 cals. Would IL-2, DBW and Boelcke's campaign hit that spot?     ...to be continued!

    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview With Brain32
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview With Brain32 "For the most part it was the spirit, the enthusiasm of all modders to make something for everybody to enjoy by investing your own free time and sometimes even money and asking nothing in return, now that's really inspirational for me."-Brain32                                                         In this week’s CombatACE Spotlight we focus on Brain32. He hails from Zagreb, Croatia, and has been a member here at CombatACE for nine years. Thank you, Brain32, for taking the time to do an interview with us.   So, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Well I'm 32, born and live in Zagreb, Croatia currently working in Public Notary Office and attending Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb   What interest you about aviation? Well flying is the obvious answer but to put it more precise what really "rings my bells" are fighter aircrafts built without compromise for performance that allows domination.   What is your favorite aircraft and why? Well if there can be only one, then it's the F-15 Eagle, reason is described in the answer to the previous question plus it really looks perfect   What got you interested in flight simulation? If you can't fly the real one, this is as close as it gets...     That’s a pretty good reason. Do you remember the first flight sim you ever played? I think it was TopGun on Gameboy, not 100% sure as I was a kid...   I remember playing Top Gun on NES as kid too … good times. So, what motivated you to arrive at CombatACE and stay over the years? Originally I stumbled on BioHazard Central, I think I was searching for il2 skins? Not completely sure to be honest, then I got SFP1 but it was pretty basic and the mods were not so highly evolved yet, when I got back a few years later I was in shock and awe so I stayed...   Your most downloaded file the Vietnam SEA tile repaint. What motivated you to make that mod? Well I was looking to improve the aspect of the game where we either had the least modders or were in other ways falling behind with other parts of the game, at that time learning 3dmax was too much for me so I decided to improve terrains same reason why I now do cockpits in 3d while can't make an external model to save my life.     How long did it take you make it? A few months but I first posted WIP screens when it was almost done to have peace making it...   How much research did you put into it? It didn't really take much research as it was all about sampling photo-real textures; I did a lot of sampling though. First time I did major research for a mod was for F-18 cockpits, still researching.    When did you start modding? Guess it was 2007, when Vietnam tiles were released...did some trials and errors before that, squashed a few installs after messing it up...usual stuff   What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing, a neat hobby, etc? Yup, mostly "winter hobby" my other major relaxation thing is basketball and fitness.   What modding tools do you use and why? Hex editor, notepad, photoshop, 3ds max, and some other stock and 3rd party tools for the game, sounds like a lot but with those you can master any moddable aspect of the game.   What is your favorite mod you have created? F-18 cockpits, hands down.   What is your favorite mod that you did not create? Uhhh that's hard to say, love the Stary's mods so much I don't even use my terrain mods anymore, as for other stuff I don't really want to start mentioning all that are a must have for me because I'm doomed to left somebody out and that would be a shame.   What is a mod that you would like to make? Hmm good question, a nice new cockpit for something but I haven't decided what yet...you will know when you see it in the download section    Who is a Modder you admire or inspired you to start modding? There's no single person, for the most part it was the spirit, the enthusiasm of all modders to make something for everybody to enjoy by investing your own free time and sometimes even money and asking nothing in return, now that's really inspirational for me...   Do you have favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at Combat Ace you’d like to share? Can't really say, I did like the Eels and the LaTvIaN MaFiA though   Once again, thank you Brain32 for taking the time to do an interview with us and for telling us your story. I wish you well as you continue your research for those F-18 cockpits that I’m sure will turn out nicely. Well that’s it for this week’s CombatACE Spotlight, until next time, I’m Skyviper, wishing everyone out there good hunting and happy landings.

    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview With Fubar512
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    CombatACE Spotlight With Fubar512 "Being at CombatACE has been a long ride; one that I hope never comes to an end..."                                                                                                                                                   -Fubar512     In this week’s CombatACE Spotlight segment we shine the light on Fubar512. He’s been a member here when this site was known as BioHaz. For ten years he’s contributed a number of files as well as sound advice and support for those that needed it. Thank you, Fubar512 for agreeing to do this interview.         So, Fubar512, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?   Well, let see....I am (or rather, was) an ASE-certified diesel mechanic, I hold a Coast Guard 200-ton offshore master's license, I've held an FAA recreational (novice) pilot's license, and I have even once jumped out of a perfectly good aircraft, and paid for the privilege to do so!  For the past 15 years or so, I've been involved in the IT field, in essence turning what was once my hobby into my career.         What interests you about aviation?   That's a tough one to answer.  I can probably sum it up best by saying that the mechanics of flight itself fascinate me, and have done so from an early age.   What is your favorite aircraft and why?   I'd have to say that it would be a tie between the F-4 Phantom and the MiG-21.  Both set benchmarks over 50 years ago that modern aircraft are still judged by.                     What was your most memorable flight and why?   I once flew as a passenger in a Champion Citabria, with one of the instructors that I had befriended at the controls.  He managed to pull a few maneuvers that approached 4 to 5 Gs over the Hudson river, and even flew under the George Washington bridge, which is considered a big no-no today. Compared to the flying Corollas (Ooops, I meant Cessna 172s) that I had flown, the Citabria was a sports car. It was a tail-dragger with tandem seating, sported a stick instead of a yoke, and had exactly zero creature comforts.   What got you interested in flight simulation?   With my interest in aviation, moving onto flight sims is almost a given.  I can sum it by stating that it allows me to indulge and immerse myself in situations and scenarios that are unlikely to occur (or that I am unlikely to be a part of), in real life.   Do you remember the first flight you ever played?   Oh yes, that would have been Falcon 3.0   What motivated you to arrive at CombatACE and stay over the years?   CombatACE (Or BioHaz as it was known back then) was probably the only site that hosted mods for Strike Fighters back in late 2002, so joining it was a no-brainer.  The camaraderie among the modders and flight sim enthusiasts here is what really set the hook, and I soon found myself a part of the community, and started contributing not long afterwards.  The next thing I know, Dave sets me up as a moderator, so now I felt obligated to stay.     What kind of mods do you like to make and why?   I've produced flight-dynamics models (FMs), ground object data files (mostly ships), visual effects, sound effects, environment mods, and...have I forgotten anything?   Of all of them, I get the most satisfaction from creating realistic flight models.  The calculations, the research, the tedious hours of testing, all pay off when you get everything just right.   When did you start modding?   Almost as soon as I got into the hobby, back during the 1990s. With the SF series, I started modding it right off the bat in November of 2002, and if I'm not mistaken, uploaded my first mods in 2003.   What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing, a neat hobby, etc?   Modding allows me to tweak a simulation to the level of realism that satisfies me, and while I can say that I have found it relaxing at times, believe me when I tell you that it can be just as stressful.   What modding tools do you use and why?   Kreelin's Aeroconvert for creating FMs, Fastcargo's "big ruler" for pinpointing locations on an existing model, to name just a couple. The best tool, however, is research.  In short, Google is your best friend.   What is your favorite mod you have created?   Probably the flight models for the F-86 series, and specifically, for the F-86E.   What is your favorite mod that you did not create?   Any of Stary's terrain sets.   What is a mod you would like to create?   A complete terrain mod for the TW series that elevates SF2 up to modern flight sim standards, and bringing the series that much closer to realism.   Who is a Modder you admire or inspired you to start modding?   There isn't just one.  There's Streakeagle, Column5, Kreelin, Wrench, Bpao, Deuces, Julhelm, Crusader, and of, Course, Dave.  My sincerest apologies to anyone that I've left out!   Do you have favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at Combat Ace you’d like to share?   Being at CombatACE has been a long ride; one that I hope never comes to an end. The friends that I have made at CombatACE over the years have certainly made my time here worthwhile.   Thank you, Fubar512, for telling us your story and for being here over the years and doing, like many others do, what you can to make CombatACE a great place to be. Until next time, I’m Skyviper wishing everyone good hunting and happy landings. Here’s a picture of Fubar512 with a nice catch.      

    DCS 1.2.6.19532.290 Update 3
    Dave
    By Dave,
    - Change Log for Update 3

    DCS World: Fixed static aircraft submerged in ground on some airfields. FARP ATC will now respond to "Abort Takeoff" if the player starts with engines running. Fixed GUI error after attempting to delete a unit under some conditions. A Ground Vehicle Group can now be placed from ME menu. Multiplayer: Fixed crash when one player performs belly landing. Su-25T: Fixed crash when Kh-25MPU is launched when seeker deflection is too great. New Su-25T quick missions has been added (EN). New Su-25T interactive training lessons has been added (EN). Flaming Cliffs 3: The Kuznetsov aircraft carrier ATC will now give permission for landing. DCS: A-10C Warthog: Fixed missing texture for LITENING II IR pointer beam. Yaw SAS channels will no longer disable when switching between EGI and HARS. Fixed A-10C landing gear damage (main tire and rim were removed while main gear was floating as if it was still there) DCS: UH-1H Huey (Beta): Fixed typo and changed picture in UH-1H module installer. Fixed crash when firing Miniguns if "Lights=1" set in options.lua file. Fixed loss of ADF indication with no change in signal strength. Added input command for controls of the pilot's sight* You may need to delete the user input files for UH-1H for these changes to take effect.

    Interview with Sundowner
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    CombatACE Spotlight: With Sundowner "All modders are inspiring in their own right no matter what they do. It’s the work of other modders that constantly get us to strive to improve our own work." -Sundowner    In this week's CombatACE Spotlight segment we focus on, Sundowner, who has been a member here at CombatACE for ten years. His most notable file with 1,281 downloads is the Jaguar GRI For SF2 Series. Thank you Sundowner for taking the time to do an interviw with us.   So, Sundowner, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  I'm 50 years old [well nearly 51 now] and come from a farming family. Right from an early age I was interested in all things mechanical & spent most of my childhood messing around with all sorts of equipment & by the age of 10 I could weld as good as anybody else on the farm. About 15 years ago I got tired of working 100+ hours a week and left the farm machinery behind me and took a job in a warehouse, everybody said I'd never stick it but even though I do sometimes miss the "grunt" of using heavy machinery [my last 5 years were spent operating a 450hp grass chopper] I love being home by 4.30 pm & no weekend work.   What interest you about aviation?   Everything, big or small, old or new, flight is a marvelous achievement.   Yes, flight is a marvelous invention. So what is your favorite aircraft and why?  Wow......that's a really hard question, I have favourites from every era but if I was forced to pick just one it would have to be the mighty F-4 Phantom....any version, there's just summat (British for something) about them that's addictive.   What got you interested in flight simulation?  When we were buying our first pc for the kids in 1998 I saw a "Suncom combo crate" joystick & throttles, I asked the sales person a few questions about it & BINGO! Up went the spec of the pc, so did the price and the wife’s blood pressure!   Do you remember the first flight sim you ever played? Novalogic  F-16 & Mig 29....purchased with afore ** mentioned joystick, after that it was Janes USAF & IAF......I was hooked big style!   What motivated you to arrive at CombatAce and stay over the years?   Dave [uSAFMTL], we met through the Strike Fighters forums at SimHQ & once CombatAce was "formed" for want of a better term we all migrated over here, it was a natural progression. CombatAce has become the number1 site for everything Strike Fighters, the amount of knowledge and talent here is unbelievable, there is no doubt in my mind that without this community the SF series would of died out long ago.     When did you start modding?  As soon as SF1 was released [not the Wal-Mart version] I ordered a copy from the states & after about 6 months I took my first steps into skinning, it was the first thing I'd done for any sim, I had no Photoshop experience, everything was trial & error.....mainly error, it's only by doing summat wrong that you learn how to do it right....lol   What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing? A neat hobby, etc?  Modding is a hobby, it has to be. I get paid to be stressed at work not in my spare time, if [and when] skinning gets stressful it's time to walk away and do summat else.   I see that your most downloaded file is the Jaguar GR1 for the SF2 series with over a thousand downloads. What prompted you to make and release the Jaguar GR1?   The Jag that I released is basically V2.0 of the original Mirage Factory model, BPAo and I were working on it right up to his death, I decided to carry on as best I could as I know that Oli would want us to finish all his projects. It needs an updated pit but that is way beyond my limited capabilities, I just tidied up the loose ends.   What modding tools do you use and why?  Photoshop for skinning and 3ds Max for my limited modeling skills, working with the max file while skinning the plane or whatever is far, far easier than trying to identify the parts on an already painted map.    What is your favorite mod you have created?  I quite like my version of Baltika's UK terrain......I put an awful lot of work into that, mostly stuff that I'd never tried before.....or is it the TSR2 model [ started by Craig Brierley & finished by me] it's a wonderful "what if"   What is your favorite mod that you did not create? There are sooooo many.....could be any of the terrains or aircraft wise it would be anything with Ravenclaw_007's name on it or the TMF F-14......I think.   Who is a Modder you admire or has inspired you to start modding? All modders are inspiring in their own right no matter what they do. It’s the work of other modders that constantly get us to strive to improve our own work.   Do you have favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at Combat Ace you’d like to share?  I've made a LOT of good friends here over the years; it's great to have such a large amount of likeminded folks from all over the world and all walks of life all working together to make our hobby even more enjoyable.   Nicely said, Sundowner, once again thank you for taking the time to do an interview with and for telling us your story.   Well that’s it for this week’s CombatACE Spotlight segment. If you’re interested in using Sundowner’s most downloaded mod you can simply click here and download it. Please carefully read all of our downloading instructions and associated readme files to get the most enjoyment from Sundowner’s and BPAO’s work. Until next time, I’m Skyviper with the CombatACE news team wishing you all, in the word’s Wrench, happy landings.

Portal by DevFuse · Based on IP.Board Portal by IPS


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