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DCS World News for 18 Dec 15


By Dave, December 18, 2015
  Created by “Baltic Dragon”, The Enemy Within is a story - driven campaign that puts you in cockpit of an A-10C Warthog, sent as a part of small US detachment to Georgia in order to help contain a growing threat from a terrorist organization calling itself the “Caucasus Liberation Army” (CLA). As the story unfolds, you will be faced with a variety of challenges, including close air support, precision strikes, combat search and rescue, anti-ship strikes and even air to air combat. Striving to be as realistic as possible, the units featured in the campaign are based on their real-life counterparts. It also uses a sophisticated radio control system, meaning that you have to tune your on-board radios to the correct frequency to be able to hear more than 670 voiceovers included in the campaign. There are also over 80 pages on FRAGOs (fragmentary orders, based on the ones used by US Air Force), 50 pages of briefings and 40 maps and recon photos designed to help you successfully finish all the 21 missions.     RAZBAM’s DCS: M-2000C is now undergoing final testing prior to its Open Beta release next week. This Open Beta will work with both DCS versions 1.5 and 2.0. Once the Open Beta is released, the pre-purchase sale price will end, so get your copy now and treat yourself to this outstanding new entry to DCS World.   DCS World 2.0 Open Alpha Update 1 We are now preparing the first update to the Open Alpha of DCS World 2.0. Highlights of this update include:
L:39 updates: SPU communications fixed, flashing lights on ADF dials, ADF frequency dials in rear cockpit getting stuck
Signal flare brightness increased
Fixed multiplayer client loss when changing slots
Localization fixes for Russian, German and Chinese
F-86F: Improved rudder control, corrections to manual, AN/ARN-6 CONT position now selectable, added input for accelerometer and fast gyro slaving, updated rudder trim
Mi-8MTV2: Corrections to manual, added window heating regulator
Fw-190: Fixed left gun not firing
MiG-15Bis: New Chinese livery for MiG-15
Bf-109: Updated wind sound
UH-1H: Added UHF ARC51 channel frequency table, fixed ARC51 presets
Encyclopedia corrections
Entire flight refuels when player refuels now
Corrected missile plume visual from certain angles
Further stabilization fixes
Corrected Moskva attack distances
Adjusted display of airfield ATC frequency on F10 map
Fixed crash as a result of client cargo unhooking
Corrected VORTAC frequencies
New imposter data test parameters
Corrected S-8 rocket smoke
Added KAB-1500LG to encyclopedia
Adjusted BMP-3 100mm gun
Reduced memory allocations
Improved Combined Arms “Arcade Camera” view
Corrected AI A-10C and A-10A landing gear damage
Changed MAXFPS to 180   Happy holidays and have a wonderful New Year’s!
The Eagle Dynamics Team http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/
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Canvas Knights Year End Review


By v. Deutschmark, December 4, 2015
And as we come to the close of another year lets have a look back at what was done by modders for the Canvas Knights game.
 
Skins;
59 by Voenlet
6 by Deutschmark
4 by OC_Tiger
1 by RAF209_Benge 
 
Missions;
4 by RAF209_Benge
5 by Deutschmark
2 by Joule Gayatte
 
Maps / scenery's;
Two Zeppelin base add-ons by Deutschmark 
 
Game Tools;
Mission maker by RedEagle
 
Sea Vehicles;
4 Ships by Kostas
1 Sub by Kostas
1 Re- release sub chaser by Kostas, French and Royal Navy by OC_Tiger
 
Land Vehicles;
1 Renault FT17 tank with cannon by Pascal72
1 Re- release Renault FT17 tank by Pascal72, with MG by RAF209_Benge
 
Air Vehicles;
23 Airplanes by Deutschmark
1 Zeppelin by Deutschmark
 
Miscellaneous;
2 Animated sea crews by Pascal72
Canvas Knights 2016 calendar by Darkfall_45
 
 
What a year!
Thank you all modders who participated in making the Canvas Knights experience better for everyone.
 
_____________________________________________
 
And here is a small preview coming for 2016!
The Europe map!
 

 
Its every thing in that large white square! 
This map is 1,864 miles wide and 3,462 miles high that is a total of 6,453,211.41 square miles big!, we know that about two thirds of it is water but that still levees us with about 2 million square miles of land... and that to me is enugph for anyone to get lost on...lol
 
Now let me explain how this map works, we call it a ( collective Europe map ) when this map is put into your game scenery folder and you go into game and choose it, it will then plug in all other scenery's you may have for that part of the world, then you can click on a scenery and get the start points for that scenery and go into game.
 

 
In my photo I have the Northern_Italy and a island off of France Ouessant, if I was to start on the Northern_Italy and fly to Ouessant when I levee the Northern_Italy scenery and I dont have any other scenery's from there to Ouessant the Europe map will then kick in and give me the correct topographic land / sea till I get to the Ouessant island and then that scenery will show, that's how it works. 
 
The Europe map is all working fine and I am in the process of making a few scenery's for this that will also be put out at release of the Europe map that I will make the Zeppelin and Gotha raid missions on Great Britain with, we will be looking at release around mid summer 2016.   
 
We will also start having in 2016 ( The CK Fun Days ) where we will announce days and times that we will all meet for some online fun with the Canvas Knights game.
 
 
That's it!
Thank you to all that have supported the Canvas Knights game.
Wish you all happy holidays.
Deutschmark        

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Canvas Knights Calendar 2016


By v. Deutschmark, November 27, 2015
Canvas Knights Calendar 2016 by Darkfall 45 You can print it out on card or heavy paper.     All screen shots and making of the CK calendar 2016 by Darkfall 45.   Download; CK_Calendar_2016   I would like to thank Darkfall 45 for this wonderful calendar gift. Hope you all enjoy your holidays.
Deutschmark  
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Canvas Knights Christmas sale!


By v. Deutschmark, November 1, 2015

 
That's right for the month of November 2015 CK full game is now only 20 USD!

You can get it here: DOWNLOAD AND BUY


 
Deutschmark
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FastCargo's Helicopter Lesson


By FastCargo, October 25, 2015
How a supersonic pilot flies at 0 knots (a hint...not well).  
Back last year, during vacation time, my significant other 'gifted' me with an introductory helicopter lesson for my birthday.  Said vacation time including the flight would be done in Lake Tahoe, Nevada/California.  The school willing to take on this monumental task of taking a fast jet operator and slow him down is (redacted due to embarrassment of actually letting me fly with them).
 
This is the story of that 30 minutes.  As with all flying stories, it will conform to the fighter pilot 'rule' that at least 10% of the story is true.
 
Your author here has had real world experience in many types of fixed wing aircraft, from soloing a glider to operating supersonic multi-ton bombers, with just about every type of fixed wing in between.  
  Pictured: God's gift to aviation.  
Rotary wing?  Well, I grew up in the world of LHX, Apache, Jane's Longbow, Black Shark and several other PC based helo simulations.  So I was well prepared, right?
  Pffft...helo's are easy.  
My steed for today would be the Robinson R44, a 4 seat, piston powered light helicopter.  
  Specifically, THIS helicopter.  
The R44 has proven to be very popular all over the world due to its price, ease of maintenance and relatively benign flight characteristics.  But my helo simming has all been combat aircraft, so I felt it needed some 'improvements'.
  Seems legit.  
Now that I was in the proper mindset, i was introduced to my instructor, an older gentleman by the name of TC.  He spoke with an Eastern European accent, and as we got to talking, I found out he had flown helos back before 'the wall' fell.  He named what he had flown 'stackin' which I didn't understand at the time.  Unfortunately, I have no good pictures of him because the withering look he would give the camera caused it to glitch every time.
 
I found out after my flight that TC is a nickname given to him by the other instructor pilots and means 'Taught Christ' (to hover).  And that 'stackin' was actually 'Stakan' or 'Стакан'...which roughly translates as "Drinking Glass"...a name given by Mi-24 pilots to early models.
  Perfect container to hold some fine wine.  
With the preliminaries out of the way, TC asked what kind of flight I wanted...a general 'forward motion' flight over Lake Tahoe, operating the helicopter like a light aircraft but getting to see the sights, or actual 'hover' instruction, where the majority of the flight would be only about 10 feet off the taxiway.  Of course, I selected the 'hover' instruction...what's the point of a helo flight if you don't hover.  I immediately received the warning that the 'hover' flight was a lot more work.
 
How little did I know.
 
After that, I was given a FAA mandated brief on the dangers of unloaded flight.  In a nutshell, in a two bladed helicopter, during forward flight, if the cyclic is suddenly pushed forward, the aircraft will unload much the same way a fixed wing aircraft would.  The difference is that an uncommanded roll can occur, and the initial reaction of using cyclic to counter the roll may A) not work at all and B) cause the rotor to flex past limits and hit the rotor mast or another part of the fuselage.
 
Noted here in the Robinson Safety Notice SN-11 (revised November 2000):
   
Which basically is saying that if you push too far forward too quickly, you may cause spontaneous disassembly of the aircraft.  Of course, I was assured that this would take some effort to achieve and so rarely happens.  
  Sure.  
And they were so glad I still wanted to fly with them that they even wanted my autograph!  The paper I signed had wording on it, something about "hold harmless"...
 
Now we were off to the helo!  As I recalled from my flight sims, the collective was like a handbrake, with a throttle thumb wheel, the cyclic and rudders were controlled by a stick and pedal arrangement similar to most fighter type aircraft.  Annnnd...not so much in the R44.
  Is that a yoke?  
I've never heard of a helo controlled by a yoke...  And why is there just one stick and it's between the front seats??  What kind of crazy helo is this?!?  Who signed me up for this flight anyway???  Did I mention I had recently increased my life insurance coverage?
 
Turns out, the 'v' part of the 'yoke' doesn't actually do anything directly.  It's a clever way to have dual flight controls without having dual control sticks.  Instead, there is one cyclic control stick, and the 'v' merely places a handle the pilot holds in front of him as it would be in a conventional helicopter or aircraft.  In practice, it doesn't feel any different than a normal flight stick (except you can't fly it with your knees).
 
It was time to get flying!  Startup reminded me of my initial training in a Cessna...even down to keeping the door open and calling 'Clear!' before engine start.  
 
The initial part of the flight was a 'box' pattern at the standard VFR altitudes in an aircraft.  TC flew most of this part, with me taking the controls at altitude to start getting familiar with how the aircraft felt.  The procedures during this part were similar to how you would fly something like a Cessna, with the exception that 'taxiing' a helocopter is still an airborne exercise.  I found for the most part, the helo felt lighter than a Cessna in overall mass, and at speed, seemed to fly like you would expect a light prop to fly.  The exception was if I was ham handed with the cyclic (lots of overshoots).  The rotor would audibly create a 'slapping' sound, with an associated vibration.  A combination of aerodynamics and physics unique to a flexible rotary wing causes this phenomenon.  If you're rattling like that, you're not being smooth.
 
Opening a carbonated drink would not have been a good idea on my flight.
  Don't be this guy.
  After the initial intro to the aircraft, we came back to the airport and settled on the taxiway...way the hell away from any buildings.  Almost like we had to give me plenty of room...  My wife and friends stopped taking pictures after a while because I was more or less sitting there, from 0 to about 10 feet, and not moving much at all.
 
In the cockpit, it was a different story.
 
Something that still has not been able to be conveyed completely successfully in a PC based flight simulator is the feeling of inertia and mass.  Oh sure, lots of PC sims have tried to a lessor or greater extent to mimic this using physics models.  Even multi-million professional simulators have limitations in this regard, and the comment is always how the "sim" doesn't quite fly right.  Nothing yet has quite been able to truly master the combination of inputs your somatosensory, semicircular canal, and otolith organs provide to augment the visual picture.
 
My actual flight experience has mostly been in aircraft that weigh at least 9,000 pounds, with the majority being either 10,000 - 12,000 lb aircraft or 200,000 - 350,000 lb aircraft.  I've had experience in aircraft outside of those ranges, but they are mostly outliers.  The feeling of mass behind my inputs is a tangible factor in my crosscheck.
 
A R44 grosses out at 4,000 lb.  We were probably closer to 3,000 lb all total.  My typical fuel loads in one tank are higher than the entire weight of this helo.
 
I swear that I would just belch and the damn thing would change its flight characteristics.  We started with one axis at a time.  Collective only first, then rudder only, then cyclic only, while TC would hold the other controls.  Then combinations...collective and rudder, cyclic and collective, cyclic and rudder.  And finally, all 3 together.
 
This was all needed to just try to keep the helo on the same spot on the taxiway, holding a heading, and staying somewhere within +3 feet of altitude.  Any twitching on one axis immediately required an input on another axis.  There were small triumphs...momentarily keeping it in the same general space.
  "I've got it in a steady hover!" "Holding 50 degrees off heading." "Dammit!"  
I was basically doing the whole 'patting my head, rubbing my stomach' thing, while on a tightrope over a lake of fire.  Balancing a pencil on its point...which is also on fire.
 
TC was infinitely patient..."Relax your grip", "Small inputs", "Keep your crosscheck, don't channelize".  Yea, yea, I know that, sheesh!!     Wait, that's almost the exact instruction phrasing I used to use on my students back in the day.  Dammit, I sounded like a giant pain in the ass.
 
So this helo flight not only was humbling me in the present, it was retroactively giving me grief for the past.
  "I suck." "You have always sucked."  
After about 15 minutes of this "exercise" (so called because I lost 10 lbs of water weight), TC decided it was time for some instructor demos.  He shows me a rapid acceleration, where he uses of combination of collective and cyclic to move forward quickly.  Of course, as anyone knows most helos will nose over dramatically to do this...which we did at 10 feet altitude.
 
All I could see was taxiway, really close going by really fast.  I swear I saw ants that were blue shifted whizzing by.
  Pic corrected for redshift.  
Then, he did a demo of flying backward...again at 10 feet.  Next, a demo of landing and taking off of a hill.  Yep, first land one ski and then let the helo 'tilt'.  Taking off is the reverse...enough collective to get the helo level first with one ski still on the ground, then lift off straight up.
 
The final demo was going back out to the pattern, where I got to fly the helo some more at altitude, then he showed me an auto-rotation.
 
Here's what it felt like:
   
The timing for the flare has to be fairly tight...too soon and you'll run out of lift before you're close enough to the ground.  Too late...well, that's self critquing.  It was an eye opening demo...though not as abrupt as I thought it would be.  It helps that the R44 is pretty light overall.
 
After that, I practiced hovering a few more times (which I sorely needed) and finally, TC 'taxied' us back to the ramp.
 
As we staggered out of the helo, I asked TC what the requirements are for getting a private helo license.  He said fifty hours is the minimum before a checkride. But then he looked me in the eye to say some people probably need more hours than that.
  The only helicopter they would trust me with...right up until I dropped it.  
And thus ended the adventure of me flying a helo.  It was a great experience, that reinforces the lesson that less speed doesn't always mean less challenge.  It also shows that although we have come a long way in PC based simulation, it is still better as a supplement than a substitute for the real thing.  I would recommend that anyone go out to try the real thing...most flight schools (fixed wing or helicopter) offer the 'intro' lesson at a substantial discount.
 
Keep 'em flying!
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An Interview With RAZBAM; Mirage M2000 for DSCW


By Dave, October 4, 2015
With the pre-purchase of the Mirage M2000C for DCSW (DIGITAL COMBAT SIMULATOR WORLD by Eagle Dynamics) now available I wanted to get some more information on the project and share it with the simming community. Ron at Razbam was kind enough to answer a few questions I had whipped up and I think you will come away from this a little more educated on the process that is involved on getting a new plane into DCSW. So let’s get into it shall we? CombatAce: Ron thank you very much for taking the time to answer these few questions. What made you decide on the M2000C when people were asking for Vipers, Mudhens and Hornets?   Razbam: We have many projects in different stages, since RAZBAM and M2M are close teams(RAZBAM made the M2M M-2000C coding for FSX/P3D) and M2M had this beautiful mesh, we decided to move it forward and make it our DCS debut with this project, not to mention the fact that the M-2000 is an iconic aircraft, with very attractive lines. M2M did an outstanding work on this model   CombatAce: How long has the development time been?   Razbam: The complete M-2000C project took almost 2 years to be completed, and it´s still going for the DCS version, but the good part is that we´ve learned tons of new information and expertise that will reflect in future projects, shortening development time. Our future plans involve a 1 year dev time for our next project and then we could go for 2 a year, depending on the complexity.   CombatAce: What was the hardest part about this project? The 3D modelling, the avionics, the weapons systems?   Razbam: Well, being myself a 3d developer, and knowing the quality of level in M2M work, I’ll say that the 3d part was the easiest and that says a lot about it!
DCS is a complete different beast compared to what we have been doing lately, a whole new world of coding needed to be understood with absolutely no Rosetta stone, but we did have extensive support from ED to complete some gaps we had in coding knowledge, but it was (and still is) extremely complex, we are very fortunate to have in our team a highly committed programmer, so it’s safe to say that´s the hardest part   CombatAce: How does this compare or contrast to making aircraft for FSX?   Razbam: It´s like comparing English with Spanish, both are used to express ideas but are completely different languages. 10 plus years developing for the MSFS series of simulators makes it a natural for us, while DCS being completely new, gave us a lot of speed bumps, like i said, 3d development is almost the same in every stage, once you get the model were you want it, you have to "teach" it to speak either FSX or DCS (to use simple terms), but once we get more comfortable in DCS i have no doubt we´ll become naturals!
At the same time, DCSW gives us a bit of more freedom regarding military planes, since it´s basically a 100% combat able platform, while FSX/P3D are not! I can´t number the tremendous strain it is to "bend" a software to do something it was not intended to, no matter the amount of info you have on x,y,z weapon, FSX/P3D are NOT created to handle them, so they´ll NEVER behave closely like it´s real counterpart, sure, there are amazing developments like Tac Pack and some others but is completely unfair to compare them with combat intended flight sims.This is absolutely NOT an issue in DCSW, all we need to do is concentrate in recreating properly the aircraft and the sim does the rest, as a matter of fact, this really speeds up development in that regard.   CombatAce: Were there any setbacks that almost made you throw in the towel?   Razbam: Of course! DCSW is always evolving, the stuff that uses to work once, all the sudden doesn´t, and it´s extremely frustrating! we have gone thru some major changes in every aspect of the development, some putting us back to square one (from square 100), and the feeling of being on a dead end (with a full team of very frustrated devs) is very intense, and I’m sure we´ll hit more walls as it keeps evolving, but I also have faith on the team, I’m pretty sure we can conquest all the challenges that lay ahead, and try to keep on top of the game   CombatAce: What were some of the resources you used to make this project?   Razbam: There is one rule of thumb I never break: Never get into a project unless you can get 1st hand information on it.
Having said that, and since the M-2000C began as a M2M project for FSX/P3D, making the lion´s share on finding/hunting information about this aircraft, all information was gathered from top sources, I can´t mention them due to many NDA´s we have regarding this issue, but you can rest assured that is the best on the subject CombatAce: If this is successful what are your future plans for the DCS World?   Razbam: Well, if this goes the way we hope it does, I can say with no doubt that RAZBAM will close the FSX/P3D shop as for military planes regards, focusing solely on creating aircraft for DCSW with the same spirit we have done previously for FSX/P3D. Don´t get me wrong, we´ll still be developing for FSX/P3D but 100% civilian use aircraft, creating 2 branches a "soft rock" branch (FSX/P3D) and a "hard rock" branch (DCS) so at the end you decide what kind of "music" you want to listen.   CombatAce: Ron, thank you again for taking time from your busy schedule to answer these questions. Rest assured the community is anticipating this with baited breath. If you wish to pre-order the M2000 it can be ordered at the link below at the pre-purchase price of $47.99. http://razbamsims.com/store/   You can get DCS:World for free at   http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/        
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