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Hi, while modding time is challenged these days I've had at least 3 requests to make a very large aircraft hangar, capable of housing something like B-52s, KC-135 fueling tankers and more. As far as I understand, we don't really have too many hangar options of that scale. So I decided to honor the requests and made this one from scratch. This is the version I am using, which is much more typical than what you find in some of the newer reference images (e.g., the newer half-dome / wide arc hangars from recent images are very new and quite rare costing est. $34M). Anyway, let me know of any suggestions you might have; otherwise once I finalize the exterior, I will begin creating an interior version as well. Side note, I've created it so the center emblem is completely customizable - you can remove it altogether, you can easily add your own version, etc. so this should allow great flexibility to use it as you need it. Thanks. /

Just completed the AQL-99 and I will upload it soon.

The Cold War gone HOT in 1972. Who said Vulcan's weren't violent?

Wow, that is ironic indeed and good timing... I would be happy as always to partner with @GKABS on any thing he might have in the works, as we've partnered on similar structures in the past and they really turned out nice!

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that we'll be uploading the first of our four new pilot models soon. By the way, if any of you out there happen to have some pilot squadron patches from the '70s it would be great if you send them my way I'd be forever grateful if you could send them my way. Thanks a bunch!

52 in '94...

Hunters

How I fell right now.. (Do someone willing to share, if there's any CH-46 AircraftData.ini? It's for my 4TB "School Project")

Great job! Your attention to detail is impressive and your work is thorough, you have a sharp eye for detail and always strive for excellence. Working with you is an honor and I enjoyed every moment of our work together. Keep up the excellent work!

Dressing up an old lady in new (4096x4096) clothes. Decals already reworked, now stenciling....

I'm very happy to announce that v0.9.8 of Operation Desert Storm has just been uploaded and will soon be available for download here at CombatACE.com once it's approved. You're advised to read all details on how to properly install and run the mod. In case of issues, also have a look at the offered suggestions included in the mod's page, which have been updated with new solutions. In case you missed the previous announcement showcasing many of the new additions and improvements, you can read about it all here: Since the announcement was made, in a mere month the team has worked much to fix some other long-standing issues and improve the overall quality consistency of the mod even further! Here below a change log of all major tweaks on top of the ones already mentioned in the previous thread: Standardized brightness and range values of landing lights for all aircraft of the mod. Standardized values for the DetectSystem data of all aircraft, namely MaxVisibleDistance, BaseRCSModifier and HeatSignatureModifier. Added brand new Mirage F1CR by the Mirage F1 Team, with specific tweaks for the ODS mod. Added brand new, proper 3d model for the CVA-59 Forrestal-class aircraft carrier, made by guuruu. Added proper Saudi Arabian E-3A 3d model (E-3A with CFM engines) made by Sundowner. Added Victory Arch aka Swords of Qadisiyah landmark to Baghdad, with 3d models recreated by swambast. Added new hi-res skins for the KC-135A by using templates produced by yakarov79, alongside improved tail decals. Added new hi-res skins for the E-3B/C Sentry by daddyairplanes with templates produced by yakarov79. Added improved skins with more accurate panel lines and colors for the F-15C, F-15D and F-15E aircraft, by daddyairplanes. Added unused AI-only Transfer mission type to all cargo aircraft of the mod. Added missing position/navigation lights on the KC-10 and VC10 K2 aircraft. Improved all ECM data (fixed or removed where necessary) in all relevant aircraft of the mod in order to provide more realistic gameplay. Improved aircraft data for all Mirage F1s for proper AI use of ECM and countermeasures, by pvince. Improved SoundList.ini data for better doppler effects, extended sound range for engines and explosions, by guuruu. Improved LandingAimPoint values for the decks of the CVA-63 and CVN-68 carriers to prevent aircraft from missing the deck. Fixed several issues with AI failing to properly land with more than two dozens of aircraft in the mod (mainly cargo planes). Fixed the AI not landing properly on carriers with S-3, F/A-18s and AV-8B aircraft. Fixed inaccurate values of service ceiling, radius/range, empty weight and fuel capacity on AI-only heavy aircraft (cargo planes, tankers, etc.). Fixed missing or wrongly displayed landing lights on several aircraft of the mod. Fixed overlapping parking spot reported by Viper63a on Ali Al-Salem and Ahmed Al-Jaber airfields by Jimbib. Fixed weapon stations for the F-15C and F-15D aircraft, so that AIM missiles won't be hanging in mid-air without CFTs and their pylons. Fixed Harold pod hanging in mid-air on the center pylon of the Mirage 2000RAD. Fixed inaccurate ECM/CM data and avionics for the Jaguar A, by pvince. I want to thank all previous modders and contributors of CombatACE.com mod that have helped make this happen. In particular, I want to thank @guuruu, @Sundowner, @daddyairplanes, @swambast and @pvince for their last minute efforts in producing brand new additions and improvements. Brand new Forrestal-class aircraft carrier with working weapons and night lighting by @guuruu. Brand new Saudi Arabian E-3A (E-3A with CFM engines) 3d model by @Sundowner with skin and decals by @PeacePuma. Victory Arch aka Swords of Qadisiyah landmark in Baghdad with 3d models recreated by @swambast. While you're waiting for the mod to be approved or while it's being installed on your system, you can enjoy this video by fellow YouTuber and flight sim enthusiast "damson", whom I thank for his testing of the mod and for the very useful feedback he provided about it:

check this out tga formatted, althoughim sure you can put them on a jpg if needed. i made them because alot of tgas at the time were showing "FS" instead of "TFS".

Yes, you first have to load objects (*.obj, *.3ds or *.lod) into the TOD editor with File->Object Manager->Load Objects... . Then you can place those object with RMB -> Add or by pressing 'A' onto a TOD. As a 'workaround' to use 'stock' TOD objects you can load a TOD with 'stock' objects, select an object and save this object with RMP -> Save Object. Then you can later load that object as described above.

MiG-33 Grom (Grom .. russ.: Thunder)

How can anyone seriously defend this? This is clearly as @Menrva called it, "ripping-off without shame." Of course my works have been stolen and used without my permission as well - disgraceful indeed. This seems to be more the norm these days, people coming in stealing whatever they want, putting the goods back together in some way and then desperately wanting attention and recognition to lift their egos. Sad from where we once were, but reality indeed and another warning to stay guarded on what is publicly shared...

A little bit wounded, but made it safely back to the base.

Hello Menrva. Congratulations for the very realistic and engaging mod. Just my personal curiosity: I noticed that using the Persian Gulf War campaign with USN aircraft, and I start the mission from deck of a carrier, I don't see the carrier groups appearing, typical of SF2NA, but only the single aircraft carrier. I imagine that the wording of the campaign data dictates this. Or I'm doing something wrong ? Anyway, thanks so much for the fantastic work. Regards. Toro.

I must apologize ... I got the TODEditor confused with the 3W Terrain Editor. THAT's the one that freezes occasionally. I just started looking at the TODEditor this week, so I was not speaking correctly. I do have a question ... how DOES one import the solid and alpha objects? Just the stock ones for now, so I can experiment. I read the readme, but it only seems to want to bring in outside objects (I'm dumb at this, so bear with me!!! :) )

Yes .

Love the update! Good job guys! Thank you!

The info box in the corner shows KIAS. If you enable debug output with DisplayDebug=true in HUDDATA.INI, then you get a lot of additional infos, including KTAS. You can circle with ALT-D through the various display modes. I assume that TK implemented a model of the standard atmosphere that gives the air density at any given altitude and from there IAS is calculated.

Early morning run.

Over Iraq Jan, 1991

First in Defense.....

Old is Gold.

Col Joe Davis Jr's colorful F-84G Four Queens/Olie.

Finito . Will be available soon ... 2 weeks ;-)))

The last eye candy , some additional tests and we're done .

uploaded and awaiting approval

caption this ... looking for a handout, or 'fill 'er up' or, can you help a fellow American who's down on his luck??? (yeah, I fiddled with it to make the probe a manual animation)

Working on Multiple Carriage, "Smart" Bomb Rack BRU-55 for a new project that I am working on with friends.

Some bugs to fix and .... grrrr ... files, but not bad at all

Yep, that one in SEA camo wrap-around scheme is in the pack as well.

First flight, 1943. De Havilland Meteor FB.5

Bare metal Tango Gina

Gloster Meteor NF.6 (Trop) - No.176 Squadron, RAF South East Asia Command, 1945

You all might enjoy this document: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yfwr9x0146x4csf/F-4 USN Tactics Manual.pdf?dl=0 It's from 1972, not Royal Navy but US Navy, Chugster, though you no doubt will find relevant tactics to emulate in SF2. I'll leave it up in Dropbox for a week or so, but I will need the space back at some point. Also, possibly closer to your Royal Navy interests, I am attaching a document titled "Flying and Fighting the Phantom". Technically also a US Navy document from 1968 (52 years ago - holy crap) it was actually written by famous Royal Navy pilot Richard 'Dick' Lord while he was flying on exchange with VF-121. Flight sims like SF2 allow us all a unique window into the past... the ideas presented in both of these documents work quite well in the virtual skies. It's one thing to hear "don't turn with the MiG-17", but quite another to feel the terror as it closes in on you with your inability to continue fighting because you got slow. Enjoy!

Having just played and replayed both the F-4J vs MiG-17 and MiG-19 1v1 missions repeatedly, I have rapidly regained hard wing Phantom proficiency. The MiG-17's only advantage is turn rate, so he can be beat fairly easily by making him try to climb to you. If you are aggressive and good at lag rolling, you can make him overshoot and kill him with your weapon of choice. The MiG-19 is by far the most difficult opponent. He will almost match your power in a climb and can turn better, too. If you try to fight in the horizontal, the MiG-19 will eventually gain on your tail. If you try to fight in the vertical, you will at best stay in a neutral position if you manage your energy well while trying to turn into him. So the MiG-19 requires flawless barrel/lag rolling skill while he is close on your tail to avoid getting shot and forcing him to overshoot. Once he overshoots, you can engage him at will like the MiG-17 with careful speed management. But until then, the MiG-19 will by spraying rounds all over you while you try to roll around his shots. In the original SFP1 series, multiplayer was available and the MiG-17 and MiG-19 were the planes to beat. A player proficient with either of those aircraft was very hard to beat. When Wings Over Vietnam came out, the flight models had changed a bit. The MiG-19 lost unbeatable "UFO" status only to be replaced by the F-8 Crusader, whose original flight model made it a Phantom killer just as the MiG-19 had been. There is reality and there is the game. When you fly in the game, you have to learn two aspects: 1) How the in-game flight models compare (which can be very different between complex/realistic flight model for the player and the simpler flight model used by the AI). 2) AI behavior under various circumstances. The AI in the Strike Fighters series is very different from the AI in DCS World. The AI in the Strike Fighters series varied greatly over the years from the original Walmart version of SFP1 all they way to the final patches releases for SF2 North Atlantic before SF2 development was abandoned. The AI has weaknesses. Learn them and exploit them or be punished for trying to use real world tactics in a game that cannot and does not totally reflect real world physics and pilot abilities.

I just played the F-4J vs MiG-17F 1vs1, which I haven't done for a long time. Unlike a hard fight against a MiG-21, you don't win by spiraling down to the deck in a turn fight. If you try that, the MiG-17 will match your speed, turn on to your tail, and gun you down. So, you have to climb way above him so that his speed stays below 150 knots, which keeps him from flying circles around you. Your speed needs to be high enough to keep turning with him while keeping 5,000 feet or more above him. As long has you have altitude separation, you can afford to drop down to 300-350 knots, but I would try to keep 400+ knots. If you maintain this vertical fight, you will end up at 25 to 30 thousand feet while he flops around at 15 to 20 thousand feet. If you are lucky, you can trade that altitude for a gun or missile pass on his tail, but if his speed comes up as you dive on him, he will out maneuver early AIM-9s. You may get off a snap shot with a gun pod. In 1 vs 1, it is a game of patience. At some point, he will turn tail and run. Then you can hit him with your choice of missile or dare to close for a gun shot. If you study the classic F-4J vs MiG-17 fight of Randy Cunningham in Vietnam, he could not get off a shot and took some gunfire until his opponent retreated. 1 vs 1 in close against a MiG-17 is otherwise close to impossible if the AI is engaging you in a turn fight. The best bet is to shoot the MiG-17 in the face with an AIM-7 or Skyflash before getting into gun range :) Otherwise you will be in a boring vertical fight trying to stall him out.

The stock game has missions: F-4J vs MiG-xx 1v1. Play those missions over and over to learn how to dogfight with the F-4. Of course, you can edit and save them to use your preferred Phantom FGR2. The MiG-21 and the unslatted Phantoms are almost a dead even match. If you maintain your speed above 450 knots close to sea level, you can equal or even out turn the MiG-21. The sweet spot for turning well seems to be somewhere between 450 and 500 knots. It takes a light touch on the stick to hit maximum turn performance and/or control your speed. If you dump your speed below 400 knots, you will be in trouble. But as you get comfortable with avoiding the stalling point, you can fight all the way down to insanely low speeds, which may be necessary against the MiG-17 and MiG-19 to get a shot off. 1 vs 1 against agile MiGs like the 17 and the 19 is absolutely the hardest fight for the Phantom. Horizontal turning will not beat the MiG-17 and the MiG-19 has the power to fight in the vertical, so it is the toughest fight of all. So: 1) Learn to fly at the edge of an accelerated stall. 2) Learn to control your speed while turning. 3) Learn to fight in the vertical to separate from and reverse on agile opponents who don't have as much power as the Phantom (MiG-17!). 4) Hope the MiG-19 is being flown by an inferior pilot because he can match or beat the Phantom in turn and climb performance, it takes real skill to beat a well flown MiG-19. 5) Try the F-4E and F-4F if you want an aircraft that looks like an F-4 but is much better at close-in stall fighting.

The FGR2 lacks the AoA indicator that is so important to flying the F-4 to its limits, but Strike Fighters provides an audio indication of stall warning, so you can live without it. Get your Indicated Air Speed up to 450 knots, if you are down at sea level, this will also be your True Air Speed, which is also indicated in the FGR2. Roll to a 90 degree bank. Engage full afterburner power. Carefully pull back on the stick while watching your speed indication. About the time you start hearing a wind stall/buffeting sound, you will notice the speed really start unwinding. Repeat the same procedure, but hold your angle of attack/pitch to the highest angle you can while maintaining 450 knots, then take a glance at your g-load indicator. Repeat this procedure at 350 knots, 400 knots, 500 knots, and 600 knots. At 500 knots or greater, you should be able to pull 5g or more without bleeding speed, the faster you go the easier it is to pull a lot of g. Below 500 knots, you should find even pulling 5 or 6 g will start dropping your speed and if you exceed the stall angle of attack, it is like popping a drag chute: no additional g, but an extreme loss of speed. I like to fly by the AoA indicator, but since for some reason the FGR2 lacks that indicator, learn to listen to the stall buffet warning. By watching the gauges as you approach that angle of attack, you should learn how much pitch you can pull before killing your speed. You may find you need to stay away from hearing that sound at all or that you don't mind just barely triggering that sound. Just a matter of learning the cost of stalling and learning to fly close to the limit or just past that limit as it suits your needs. Unslatted Phantoms don't like high AoA, but if you try the F-4E and F-4F, you won't ever want to fly a "hard wing" Phantom. They don't solve the problem of bleeding speed in a turn, but they let you pull a decent amount of AoA with resulting increased g and turn rate before dropping the speed so badly. But I love the challenge of flying hard wing F-4B/C/D/J/K/M Phantoms against much more agile MiGs. If you keep your speed up and only bleed it at the "right" time, you can win in hard wing Phantoms just like real pilots did in Vietnam.