Yankee Air Pirate Revamp Works new release: YAP RW Phase Two (2026)

[potentesciamano]

Dear Friends,

the YAP-RW Team is proud to announce the release of a new, improved and updated version of John Shelton’s masterpiece: YAP RW – Phase Two (2026), a full conversion of YAP3 for Strike Fighters 2 in a new and more enriched version.

In the last months we have done our very best to implement the previous release, YAP – RW Phase One Enhanced Edition (2025), trying to fix all the remaining issues, errors and mistakes. The corrections included the complete removal of those assets used without proper permission or coming from unauthorized sources.

Again, we apologize for the past. We were unaware of many of these aspects and concerns, and therefore we did not respect other’s work as we should have done.

Now we are very happy to announce that we have also managed to reach new agreements with some of these authors. For instance, it is with great satisfaction that we announce the return of Sophocles’ magnificent F-5A Freedom Fighter and F-5C Skoshi Tiger, along with and many other improvements. So, we will not forget the past, but let’s look forward!

This new versions offers a total of 202 missions (10 training lessons and 192 historical combat sorties), reconstructing the most important facts of the air war in Vietnam and South East Asia from 1954 to 1968: 102 mission from 1954 to 1966 (already included in Phase One) plus 100 more from 1967 and 1968.

As always, you will fly iconic aircrafts and helicopters for the most important operators of the conflict (USAF, US Navy, USMC, US Army, RVNAF, RLAF, RTAF, VPAF, and the CIA) through the skies and extraordinary landscapes of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia starting from the siege of Dien Bien Phu.

The updated terrains offer more than 60 airfields, bases and dirty strips, 16 historically accurate carriers sailing the Gulf of Tonkin to Yankee and Dixie Stations and other highly detailed ships and natants patrolling the Mekong Delta, such as LSTs and ATCs of the Brown Water Navy.

But there is even more: thanks to the great work of DaddyAirplanes all models are now fitted with a better decal system and lightweight skins, improving and shortening the loading times. Moreover, a brand new HUD protocol made by Alexis99 was realized for most of the used planes, along with custom avionics, in order to enhance the immersion in the game and, at the same time, improve the playability.

You will also find many useful and interesting manuals, also created by Alexis99 to help you master each plane and its peculiar features.

Enough words: now it is time for action!

As John Shelton used to say: “Re-live the heroic experiences of many of the men who fought one of the most intense air combat in history. Re-enact real dogfights, strikes, CAS, transport, rescue, reconnaissance and many other tasks explained by accurate briefings. YAP offers are stories to be told with a joystick”

YAP – Revamp Works – Phase Two (2026) – Real combat missions flown by real people

https://www.yap-revamp-works.com/yankee-air-pirate-rw/

[swambast]

Quote

So, we will not forget the past, but let’s look forward!

Totally agree, Andrea you have done an amazing job with this update.  Your dedication, commitment to making things right and outcomes are admirable and impressive indeed.  I am especially grateful for the incredible detail and attention paid to the mission making as that can by far be some of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks.  Congratulations, I wish you continued success in your project endeavors and thank you for giving us all the chance to enjoy the 'Nam experience!  

[yakarov79]

Your Phantom on screenie....VMFA-334 is a Marine unit, not a Navy unit. Hope it is just a bloob...

I think (If I remember correctly) RF-8 in batch BuNo 146 serials started somewhere at  822. That on-screenie RF is suggesting Ticonderoga on CVW-16, 1969 cruise. So it needs to be RF-8G.

It is just my 5 cents. In a way, I like your work, guys. But going for historical accuracy takes time and a shitload of research. Original YAP lacked there little. Revamped too. I am not saying this in a bad way...more like to encourage you.

keep good work. 

[potentesciamano]

Hello Yakarov!

Thanks for your message and support! Damn... true... I just forgot to switch from Nation=USN to Nation=USMC. Well, it's already fixed. Thanks!

It's really hard to keep and eye on all these detail and keep going on with the project. We still have about 90 more missions to revamp from 1969 to 1975, so it's a long way to the top!

But we're open to any form of collaboration which could be of reciprocal benefit! The main goal of YAP RW is to re-live these mission in the most historically accurate way possible.

As for the RF-8G, that is an original YAP model, and if possible we try to keep those custom assets in a "conservative" way, even if the result is not perfect.

Beside this, the real truth is that we need a great help with skins...

Anyway, here's the correct VMFA-334 F-4B with Marines name.

Thanks!

[Mechman]

Trying to open that page just pulled up a bunch of HTTPS security notifications for me

[Sundowner]

Sorry guy's but VMFA-334 only flew the F-4J in Vietnam...

[potentesciamano]

3 hours ago, Mechman said:

Trying to open that page just pulled up a bunch of HTTPS security notifications for me

Hello! The downloda link works fine here, no issues. You should be directed to a Google Drive public folder. So the notifications you get might be caused by your Antivirus or Firewall. You can try to temporarily disable that, or try another browser.

Let us know if that works. Good luck!

[potentesciamano]

54 minutes ago, Sundowner said:

Sorry guy's but VMFA-334 only flew the F-4J in Vietnam...

Hello Sundowner,

thank you for this useful information. We'll fix that immediately.

In the original YAP3-WOV briefings by John Shelton that mission was assigned to a couple of MFMA-334 F-4Bs, so we just replicated the same assets for the SF2 environment.

Great to know! Thanks you!