KLu recce zippers.

+yakarov79 · 2025-11-22T13:31:17Z

Quick question to players.

Situation:

In 1973-74, the Orpheus pod was introduced to KLu. All old RF airframes were modified to carry this pod.

We all know Ravenclaw's work.

At this point, RF were not yet equipped with any characteristic antennas on the nose (high band and low/mid band) and a high-band antenna on the rear fuselage.

Somewhere in 1976-77 ECMs were added to the fighter-bomber zippers and to reconnaissance airframes as well. And this is the time when antennas were present.

and one characteristic intake for cooling new electronic equipment

I can make ECM antennas pop up in a specific year (weaponstation mode) and add ecm in aircraft data.ini. Then antennas will be present according to the year, but ECM will be embedded in the aircraft anyway. Done for many years on other aircraft and on all aircraft in ODS30AE. ECM is working, visually everything is correct, and we are happy with it considering game engine limitations. This is more or less clear, and that was the plan.

But going this way, the intake should not be present on early aircraft.

So the question is:

Do you want another variant? Example RF-104G(O) '78 with ecms and early variant RF-104G(O) '73 ?

Or you can live with that intake on early birds. Personally, I would make two birds (how I will have in my mod folder anyway) but I am considering your opinion (thing I am not doing usually) before uploading.

I can also make two variants anyway and those who want two will have two and those saving space can do some modding on your own and have one "inpure" mod.

I am not going to mention that there were small differences between old refubrished RF and new converted from ex-AWX airframes (when 322 and 323 squadrons retired airframes) - this I simplified and it is solved.

Of course, the process of refurbishing to RF(O) and ECM took some time (not overnight), but in mod this is simplified for - 1973 for Orpheus and 1977 for ECMs.

And this situation will also occur with the fighter-bomber variant also. Just intake is in a different position. So there I will have the same problem to solve.

So whatever will be done with RF will be done with the fighter-bomber variant too.

Here is an example:

D-8138 in 1975

8138-75.jpg.df57059f59def753a3b91544a71aaac1.jpg

And a few years later, with antennas and intake. D-8138 was the last one to receive IFF/SIF and ALQ-126 mod in January 1978.

8138-79.jpg.4a7526bff372990cda63e5a5fbe0c679.jpg

Or you simply do not care about such small details. Downloading for free is more important for some users than "what and why" modders are really doing.

Should not been that way on the sim forum where downloads are based on modders' work, but hell ..You know nothing, Jon Snow...