USAF w/F-5 Red Hammer campaign

[WACOwaco]

I am planning on modifying the Red Hammer campaign (copying it first) to emulate a USAF that would have bought the F-5 in numbers for front line units...lets face it, the US could stand to buy cheap fighters for a change...

Sounds like the F-5 was 1/4-1/5 the cost to buy and operate than the F-4. I was thinking of using the F-5E from here even though 1968 was before the F-5E. My justification is the F-5E probably would have come about pretty quick if the USAF opted to field the F-5 on the front in strength.

To emulate the change in operating cost, I was thinking changing the maybe 1/4 of the F-4 squadrons to F-5Es, upping the squadron sizes to the size of a typical Soviet one (24 if I remember right). Then add a bunch of new squadrons with the F-5E (probably = to 1/4*# of F-4 squadrons).

The F-5Es will be of a lower skill level with the F-4s going up in skill. F-4s would switch to an air-to-air focus and F-5Es multirole without doing escort or interception missions and keeping them short ranged.

What do you guys think? Maybe use something closer to the 'Skoshi Tigers' which I think is the CF-5A or maybe something closer to the F-5N?

I am toying with the idea of applying the F-5 in-force to the rest of the NATO forces. Probably not the French or British...I imagine they would not buy a US aircraft in numbers. Replace all the F-100s and Korean War era subsonic fighters.

Also toying with making it 1/2 instead of 1/4 of the F-4s.

I'm at work right now and cannot remember if the F-105 is in Red Hammer...if so, 1/2 would be replaced too.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Tailwinds,
WACO
 

[xrearl]

I like it

[Derk]

Do you mean F-5N or NF-5(A), the most formidable of the F-5A's with roller map, stronger engines, manouevering flaps, radar altimeter, BT9 bombing computer etc etc, something half-way to the F-5E?

[+Wrench]

btw, I deleted you double post.

carry on!!

[WACOwaco]

Sorry Wrench had no idea I double posted!

Derk the F-5N is/was the US aggressor with a tweaked LERX, updated RWR, radar, and some other changes so I think that is the ultimate F-5. I know the NF-5A has some pretty nice features in SF2 like chaff and flares.

I would like this to be usable with what we got as-is on here.

If I remember right, the F-5E has a better radar and more thrust than the NF-5A/CF-5A. 

Am I wrong?

I hope the end result is to simulate the hi-lo fighter mix concept in its purest form.

[Sheriff]

As a prior Nortrop employee and having familiarity with F-5 at Top Gun , I suggest going with earlier intro of F-5E as planned and add / edit chaff and flares in data ini. file. Also add NATO , France to allowed types for those and for IRM to reflect flexible basing options.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Sheriff

[WACOwaco]

Cool thanks Sheriff!

[WACOwaco]

Sheriff, do you know if the F-5E/F-5 was always intended to just carry 2 sidewinders? Could you comment on what roles it was envisioned to operate in with a scenario like that? 

I read it was designed from the beginning as a day air superiority fighter of low cost (like the original YF-16). 

I replaced all the subsonic NATO fighters used in the campaign with the F-5E. Still to early to tell how that is working out.

I am realizing that I should not have large squadrons but rather MORE squadrons so that the sim generates more sorties...or am I mistaken?

[WACOwaco]

So I went through the 2 campaign txt files in a new campaign folder (just copied and re-numbered the Red Hammer one). Changed the 100's, Hunters, 84, F-4C, and G91 squadrons to F-5Es. Then added 10 more F-5E squadrons. Clearly I am not doing this right...

No new squadrons show up on the map, none of the previous squadrons mentioned are flying the F-5E, and none of the F-5E squadrons with pilot and aircraft max's set to 24 are at 24 (they are still at 16 in game).

 

I also updated the F-5E's user list.

I followed this to edit the campaign:
http://combatace.com/topic/44798-adding-aircraft-to-campaigns-in-sf2/

 

Any ideas?

***EDIT***

Really stupid simple...forgot to make sure the DataFile called for in the campaign ini was the right one. It was still pointing to the other Red Hammer campaign! Applogies, I'm learning.

Edited April 3, 2016 by WACOwaco

[WACOwaco]

Finished a test campaign! F-5s make a big difference. The seem extraordinarily vulnerable when doing strategic strikes, but the small size allowed them to sneak through some pretty heavy fire. SAMs were the big killer. Proved to be better in CAS and dogfighting than the F-4 (no surprise there). Losses were about even or in many cases LESS than the F-4Ds! Fewer allied ground assaults were getting repelled and the MiGs were getting slaughtered frequently like they do in the Red Lightning campaigns. The F-5E is just too good of a dogfighter! The MiG-17 was the only one that could turn the tables. Most air-to-air losses were attributed to those.

Got more tweaking to do but:
F-5s forever

[Sheriff]

The basic F-5 design was simple but very adaptable to wide range of weapons and systems options. Look at the various F-5 upgrade aircraft available in downloads and you get the idea. I like to fly F-5 in CAP/Sweep missions where I'm outclassed by other fighters ,e.g. F-14 , F-15, Mig-29 . I usually mount ECM pod on centerline and decoy dispensers on a couple of hard points and have a very good chance of winning 2 v 2 or 4v4 engagements. One fun "what if" version I fly is basically an F-5N with F-18/F-20 avionics and weapons capabilities. Almost invincible!!

Here's a couple.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Sheriff