Mini DCS A-10C Review By Eric J               The A-10C is perhaps one of the best aircraft to fly, along with the A model Hog I reviewed beforehand.  However the A-10C is the jewel in my opinion of the study modules (FC3 is still good don’t get me wrong) and deserves note as it’s perhaps the most complex aircraft compared to the other modules.  That and its wartime record (of which I’ve used in Afghanistan myself) gives the aircraft an excellent reputation for an old aircraft still doing

This is the best time of year where we each spend time with our families and loved ones to remember a year gone bye. Our holiday wish for each of you is that in the joy of the festive lights and wonderful food you take the time to remember the people that mean so much to you. Fill your heart and the hearts of other's with the joy of the season and remember the true meaning of the holiday. Give thanks to those who have fought for and defend our freedoms today. Remember what has been given so we m

Flying a typical Single Player campaign mission in the new Eastern Front air combat simulator!     At the risk of being promptly if figuratively burned at the nearest stake, I have to confess that the original IL-2 never really kindled my lukewarm interest in the air war between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. However, the latest sim to carry that name has managed to do so, to the extent that I have been flying mainly Soviet planes from the outset in IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

The verdict!       Before we get down to brass tacks here, as a lead-in I'm going to run briefly through another SP campaign mission, illustrating some of the features that I think are worth highlighting at this point and have influenced my own verdict on IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad.   This was a third effort at flying an intercept in a Yak-1, from our base north of Stalingrad to an area south of the city. Previous efforts had failed to meet my personal objectives, partly as I'd be

Mini DCS F-86F Sabre Review By Eric J                   For me to go into the history of the Sabre would be utterly not worth the effort because it is a well-known jet as well as being one of the first US production jet fighters.  Having gained experience in Korea during the Korean War, only matched by the Mig-15 and Mig-17, the jet is simply iconic for that reason alone, so a dissertation in the history wouldn’t be applicable for this review, but is applicable in setting the tone for the m

The Single Player campaign     The SP campaign is nicely tied into the historical battle. When you kick it off, you get a campaign selection screen; this lists only Stalingrad but the fact there is such a screen suggests other campaigns could be added later. Having selected the campaign itself, you get this screen. From it, you can see that BoS divides the battle into 'Chapters' (which though not totally sequential, historically, could have been more militarily termed 'phases'). You must ma

The environment, the options and Quick Missions   The BoS 'map' covers what you'd expect - Stalingrad itself and a large swathe of the area around it, especially to the west, where the Soviet pincers struck. You can see the area covered by the map in the Quick Mission setup screen below. Stalingrad itself is centre right, in the great bend of the River Volga. The ground left of that is the area between the bends in the Volga and the Don, where the Soviet counterattacks came in. First in late