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AV-8B at the range , having fun with CBU`s and testing the new AN/ALQ-164

We're Jammin'

Final 6 Stormo skin.

"La Muerte Negra"

Tornado S.1 - No.617 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1982

RAF Meteor FR.9

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A subtle one here... there are changes to the Vixen as well but none are visible bar the missiles. Knocked the jet into an FAW.3... pinched the engines from a Lightning, the radar from a Phantom and a nerw pit from a Lightning F.6. Also turned the Firestreak into a Blue Dolphin by ini tweaks and a crude over paint of the seaker head. she'll now do Mach 1.2 and really is all weather capable.

I found some interesting MiG -21 data online so did a mini review of the ThirdWire flight model to see if there was any room to improve the performance a bit. Regarding the aerodynamics everything looked good and any changes that would have been made based on the data would have resulted in slightly worse performance so I left it as is. Best areas to improve performance were some adjustments to rack weights, some potential adjustments to empty weights on some versions but not the Bis, implementation of a combat flap set up for the later versions, and a work around for the Bis series to model the very large emergency thrust setting that was available below 4km/13123ft. There was a 3 minute limit on that system but it's not modeled. Might try something in the future to get an engine blow up at some point past 3 minutes but it's low priority. Here's some info on the changes: Engine Boost: I've been aware of this capability for a long time but didn't think it could be modeled. Turns out, it can! The engine afterburner mach tables use the same altitude table as the dry mach tables so what I did was add a second engine to the Mig-21Bis, but it supplies thrust in afterburner only. It adds additional thrust bringing the total thrust to 21825lbs static. At 13000ft the altitude table included with the second engine starts cutting down on the thrust until it's completely gone at 14000ft. The additional fuel consumption with the added thrust is modeled but it's not as bad as I suggested in a screen shot. After fixing a mistake the fuel lasts around 4 to 4 1/2 minutes but the fuel consumption and thrust can vary quite a bit depending on mach number and altitude. The additional thrust activates at about 98% throttle so to conserve fuel you will want to use the AB with discretion. It just occurred to me now I might be able to set the main engine up so it gets it's max thrust around 90-95% which would leave a bit of a dead zone between the main and second engine. Will give that a test at some point. Combat Flaps: This system appeared on the later versions, possibly first appearing on late production PFM's but not 100% sure about that. A graph showed the additional lift from the combat flaps that was available at speeds up to mach 0.90. I'm not sure how they worked in RL but these ones are just set to automatic mach and are fully deployed at 0.30 mach and fully retracted at 0.90mach with a continuous variation between points. The combat flap system worked between 0deg and 25deg flap angle. With the automatic combat flaps the landing flap setting is no longer available. Rack and empty weights: With the smallish low lift delta wing the MiG-21 suffers badly from increased weight. Any legitimate weight savings would help a lot. Anyway, from the info I was looking at the weight of the main racks was considerably lighter than the TW values so I made some adjustments. Aircraft empty weights need more research but the Bis looks about right and the MF looks too heavy by about 240kg. Any further information on these topics would be appreciated. Here are beta test FM's for the Bis and Bis-B: MiG-21BisFM's0.95.zip

Would that fin fit below deck?

And finally, a few shots of the F-15SE flight I was in (including my wingman limping home after a missile hit):

F-15Cs with 16 AIM-120Ds and 4 AIM-9Xs (plus the 2 CFTs).

Inspired by the F-15X, I loaded up an F-15SE with 20 external A2A missiles (4 AIM-9Xs, 16 AIM-120Ds). The only weapons pylon suitable for the CFT stations that I could find was one produced by the F-14Z team that I had to tinker with slightly. Even then, the undercarriage does slightly clip the CFT missiles. Still, it's one heck of an arsenal bird!

Lockheed Shooting Star FB.2 - No.79 Squadron, RAF South East Asia Command, 1947

The TA-4-Model isn't getting any younger, but that's what we have...Getting there. TA-4H of TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force).

Got my new PC built. $3000.00 and counting. 3D stuff next. Been long time no fly. Have to relearn 3d Max,Ya what Fun. Miss all my friends. Someone wanted a P40S with 50's, Will get on that first.!!

The engine "Sonderregime", special regime of the R-25 engine, increased the thrust from 69.6 kN to 97 kN. The climb rate increased from 180m/s to 225m/s. The limit of 3 minutes was caused by cooling problems. Overheating was possible. Combat flaps were not used on MiG-21. If the pilot forgot to "pull in" the flaps, the wind would do the job from a certain speed. I forgot the correct speed when this happend. Perhaps i can find it in my archive. To release the flaps in dogfight was common for skilled MiG-21 pilots. I have heared it from some pilots of LSK (East German Air Force). The main problem for the MiG-21 was the air intake. The design was not the best. In certain flight regimes the air intake was unable to let in enough air to operate the engine properly. Then the problem of "Pompage" (may be "pumping" in english, sorry dont know the correct term) appeared. Or even worse the engine got a stall and stopped operating during a sharp curve. The design of the wing was as good, that the MiG-21 could have a much smaller circle radius, but the air intake ... In the 80th a different air intake with additionally openings was tested. The plane got a much better agility. The Ye-8 successor of MiG-21PF had the same wing, but a different air intake. The plane was nearly as agile as the F-16A, but 10 years earlier. Flare dispensers were included in some types of ECM pods like SPS-141 for MiG-21bis.

Yes, that's one of my pet hates as well. I'm old enough to recall the original Revell 1/72 FW190A, which had a normal cross decal on the fin and whose 1960s instruction sheet said 'The markings on your model are not historically accurate. Portrayal of the accurate markings would not be in keeping with the spirit of Democracy.' Nowadays even Germany has I think legalised swastikas in such usage, so where is this coming from in CloD Blitz? A Russian influence, perhaps, as they are still absent in Il-2 BoS, - though not of course the Communist stars, the symbol of a regime only somewhat less obnoxious. As a blow against facism, it's about as silly as the airbrushing out of all signs of violence on Airfix box art in the '70s, but these self-righteous lobby groups have many forms. The first Adler Tag mission is definitely broken. Second try, my schwarm gets off, but the rest of the staffel sits on the airfield asking for takeoff clearance while with me mostly in autopilot, we head west down Channel, for the RV. The recce plane meanwhile leaves the area and passes us by on a nearly reciprocal course offset several miles to the ENEMY side of the Channel, flying now at low level close to Dungeness, where the Observer Corps will not only be able to see him, but could practically chuck stones at him. Of course, he gets whacked when 74 Squadron arrive from the opposite direction. We can't even see this. There's a report of Spits on the radio which reads more like it came from a German ground controller than the Dornier but it's way too late and it's 'Mission failed' again. You can see the radio messages below from the rest of the squadron, still trying to get takeoff clearance. Determined to get some fun from the mission I tried a third time and used my knowledge of the bomber's location and route to try to catch it. My wingman came with me, the rest of the staffel (which actually took off this time) headed for the RV miles to the west. I still arrived too late to save the Dornier, but chased after the Spits, knowing from previous plays that they headed north for home. The Spits ignored us at first, even after I started shooting - with MGs only, as I hadn't programmed a button to fire cannon. After I knocked one Spit out of formation the others evaded a bit wthout making any effort to counterattack, before resuming course. I got one of them before heading home - he just flew straight and level while I hosed him down from dead astern. I could give my kazcmarek no orders and he had nothing to do but congratulate me. Patrick Bishop's 'Battle of Britain - a day by day chronicle' confirms this action took place, and presumably the other Luftwaffe campaign missions likewise. So it's major shame if what could have been the making of CloD is as screwed up as this first mission. EDIT - all is not lost. I've just downloaded the RAF and Luftwaffe 'redux' campaigns from ATAG and they appear to be a whole new ball game. I've just started the RAF one and it's a re-work of the stock one with a re-written, more historical storyline. I've just played the first mission and while the action is similar to the stock equivalent, the presentation and execution are visibly better. Darn Asus mobo's power surge protection killed it just after I had knocked down a second Dornier, but I did even better on the replay, including knocking down a 110 whose crew bailed out just in time... My Hurricane has lost its overdone weathering and has authentic 607 Squadron codes... And I don't remember the airfield looking so knocked about when I landed, complete with bomb craters to avoid, in the stock campaign. I'll definitely be giving this one a go!

Lets say it has an extending oleo strut on the nose... nose goes up, tail goes down... problem solved

It was actually easier than I expected, although only certain weapon racks work without clipping and the gear doors for the rear undercarriage always seems to get clipped. F-15Es with 16 AIM-120Ds and 4 AIM-9Xs

This one of the few models with not a single flaw. Simply perfect. Thanks!

Thx ;-) 3 planes are on final stage. - standart RAF strike GR.1 bach 3 and 4 (she's waiting for decals only) - early batch 2 RAF planes - Italian IDS before MLUs.

Most likely. It's what I would do - go into Air Combat Mode once in a dogfight, verify the target locked on is a true bandit then fire.

Panavia Tornado FGR.2 - No.41 Squadron, RAF, 1991

And now the most 'funny' part. they ofc MUST have different camo scheme ;-)

I think this version is better. At least contrast beetwen colors is similar to photos.

Each time, better and better. I love to look at these pictures. Sometimes I look at the picture once in the morning, and then look out the window - it's already evening there ...

Eye in the Sky

please publish it now

Just another rocket test........................

Flaps.

Foxy Lady

F-101A Voodoo...

Soviets on tour

Since no one noticed that something is wrong with F.4 on the pic above... Current correct one.

Glad to have you back, Geezer, and a Happy New Year to everyone at CA!

Yes, when I have had two flights, I have usually had an Air to Air flight and an Air to Ground flight. I think that's why I hadn't noticed this before. Thanks for confirming this is normal. However, we're flying Eurofighter Typhoons, with Helmet Mounted Displays. We can look down and see through the cockpit. We can off-boresight target. We're carrying AMRAAMs. The DASS system protects against incoming missiles. Once the enemy is within AMRAAM range, first flight should launch, do a gradual turn away and then the second flight launches. 8 AMRAAMS; 8 dead Fulcrums. Now first flight is turning back to mop-up. Then onwards to the Ground targets.

I was leading 8 Typhoons on a strike mission into Libya from Sicily. We were carrying Mavericks and a mix of Amraams and Asraams, and I had a couple of Paveways for the Main Target. On the way there, we encountered quite a large force of enemy aircraft. I selected a target for my wingman. locked one up myself, and ordered the rest to engage air. We whittled them down to nothing, and then continued to the Libyan coast. I started to clear a path with my Mavericks, gave my wingman a ground target, and ordered everyone to "engage ground". By the time I had got to the target and dropped the Paveways, there were only three of us left. Absolute disaster. What happened? I did a refly to see where we went wrong. And I am still shocked, because I have never seen the AI aircraft do this before. When I ordered them to "engage air", they dumped the tanks and all the mavericks. So after we had sorted the air attack, they had no ground weapons, but blithely followed my "engage ground" order by attacking Sam sites with bullets. In my experience, this is not normal behaviour. I have never noticed this before in any other aircraft. What am I missing?

Hi, Von S. Why do you think that the engine doesn't rotate to yet on the Nie.23 series? It seems to me that the engine blurs dut doesn't rotate on the Nieuport23_Lewis only. Maybe we have different LODs? By the way, the Nie.23 series is just that case (along with both Pfalz D.III and D.IIIa planes) when the distant LODs are working normally. Nieuport23.OUT Nieuport23.LOD P.S. And what's wrong with the Nieu.27? It seems to me that this is a completely finished model, no worse than Geezer's N17 or N23...

I'm loving it 😁😁

This is an option if you have limited disk space and want to move mod folders to another disk or partition. Obviously bear in mind that if you are moving them from a SATA 3 SSD to a SATA 2 HDD then things will be a bit slower on the HDD. 1. Go to your mod folder (C:\Users\<>\Saved Games\ThirdWire) 2. Backup the game folder you are about to mess about with! 3. Copy (don't cut) the folder for the game you want to move, then paste it on the new location on your other disk / partition. 4. In the new location you can either remove or rename options.ini and version.ini. Here I have just renamed them: 5. Back to the original saved games folder now - just remove everything apart from options.ini and version.ini so you are left with: 6.Now to do the actual redirect open up the options.ini file and scroll to the bottom: [Mods] ModsEnabled=TRUE Directory=C:\Users\<>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Israel Editors=StrikeFighters2 [screenShots] Directory=C:\Users\<>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Israel\ScreenShots Format=JPG Change the paths to the location where you have moved all the folders to: [Mods] ModsEnabled=TRUE Directory=F:\SF2\StrikeFighters2 Israel Editors=StrikeFighters2 [screenShots] Directory=F:\SF2\StrikeFighters2 Israel\ScreenShots Format=JPG 7. then save and test the game.