Caesar

Took me a moment to find it: Page 51. Have the report for F-5E vs F-4E, F-5E vs F-14A, F-14A vs F-5E, then a little further down the page, F-14D vs F-5E, followed by F-5E vs F-15C (79) and vice-versa, vs F-16C blk 30 and vice-versa. I did not fly it against the F/A-18.

I was pretty impressed with the new F-5 myself. I flew it against the F-14, 15, 16, and I think 18 and posted the results in the DACT thread. Very capable little bird. I recall what made the old F-5 kind of "meh" in dogfighting in the past (when controlled by the AI) was that one of the patches kind of broke it during defense. If you got on its six, especially at slow speed, it would start this "pitch/push" porpoising motion. What was happening (you could see it if you turned the debug on) was that it was pulling hard in a defensive break, running into its stall limit, and unloading for stall recovery. It would then immediately pull back to the limit, and unload, then pull back to the limit, etc. making itself an easy target. The new F-5 doesn't do that, and I want to say there had been FM updates in the past to fix that problem on the old model, but I can't remember for certain. For the AI, you're never going to have player-like skills. Different patches had better AI, the current one is kind of "dumb" because people complained they were getting killed too easily in some of the former patches. That being said, if you want to test out an F-14 with a limiter on it for AI, here's what you can do: Copy the desired F-14 folder and add _AI to the file. E.g. if you want to make an AI F-14D_96, copy F-14D_96 and rename the folder F-14D_96_AI. Using the same example, open the new folder and rename the F-14D_96.ini to F-14D_96_AI.ini. Open the .ini and change the aircraft name to differentiate it from the player F-14. In this case your AircraftFullName= becomes: AircraftFullName=F-14D Super Tomcat (96-AI) Save. Now open F-14D_96_DATA.ini. Under [Fuselage], in the SystemName[] section, add the following entry: SystemName[030]=CAT1_G_Limiter Then, below the last [RightStab] (just a convenient place to put it) entry, add: [CAT1_G_Limiter] SystemType=HIGHLIFT_DEVICE DeploymentMethod=AUTOMATIC_G_loading CLiftdc=-2.7500 CDdc=0.0 Cmdc=-0.350 AreaRatio=2.000 SmoothDeployment=TRUE Setting[1].Angle=45.0 Setting[1].DeployValue=7.33 Setting[1].RetractValue=7.25 MaxDeflection=20.0 MinDeflection=0.0 ControlRate=5.0 ModelNodeName=Internal Save. Now you have limited the AI to a maximum 7.33g turn, which will prevent it from pissing away all of its energy right at the merge. If the AI gets slow, it can still perform high-alpha maneuvers, since this is a "g" based limiter, not an "alpha" based limiter. This makes the plane much more survivable. (Think it was Fubar512 who figured out this limiter. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Snailman, I'm pretty sure I have that mod installed. Had basically every Red missile from AA-1 to AA-12, correct?

All a matter of personal preference. I'd prefer the F-14B or D over any other aircraft in the series for dogfighting, bar none. Long range, I generally do as well, until you get into 5th gen fighters; then there's no contest at long range. Can't shoot what you can't see! That's where the F-22 is just ridiculous. Other folks here can fly the snot out of an F-4, or a Mirage III, EricJ's common mount was the Super Hornet; haven't seen him around much lately, though. So, if you feel the F-5 is your mount for dogfighting, great! You might also try the Viper or Hornet pack. One thing to note that the community is generally aware of: the AI does NOT handle big fighters well at all at visual range. Airplanes such as the F-14, F-15, Su-27 and the like aren't the most challenging opponents in a dogfight. We made a set of AI F-14s for the next patch which have limiters on them, and they handle a lot better in the hands of the AI. They're still not super challenging, but they survive a heck of a lot longer than before, that's for certain!

I was doing kind of an ACEVAL/AIMVAL mission set with numerous aircraft against the MiG-21 armed with R73s flying F-4E AUP, F-14/15/16/18, and the F-22. Visual ID before shooting basically nullified any advantage held by the newer fighters, excepting initial position and thus (usually) first shot. We were always outnumbered. The biggest advantage I found against the AIM-9M and R73, is if you cut your afterburner and dump flares, you can usually fool a few of them. I'm guessing the game has some logic for burners; if I ever forgot to drop out of afterburner, I almost always got hit by an IR missile regardless of flares. If I did drop out and dump flares, I at least had a chance.

Good luck! Hope for a speedy recovery.

Tappedops, Recommend reading this entry in the Knowledge Base: http://combatace.com/topic/44798-adding-aircraft-to-campaigns-in-sf2/

Radar guided missiles do not create a "tone" - only infrared (e.g. AIM-9, AA-8, Python, etc.). So, your fire cue for the AIM-7 and AIM-54 in the Turkey are the HOT TRIG light on the ACM Panel, and "IN SP" or "IN PH" on the TID Repeat.

The F-14 Super Pack v1.21 is the one I use. Currently working with the team on updating it. A word of warning, though, because it uses AvionicsF14A.dll, you need to have StrikeFighters 2: North Atlantic installed for it to work properly. In terms of where/how I fly the bird, just check out the DACT thread, got a number of videos and typed reports in there with the Turkey. Hope you get good results with the A-7!

Just flew a 2v8 recon mission in the A-7E against a flight of MiG-21PFV Fishbed-Ds. I'll upload the video in a little bit. I remembered flying against the Fishbed in a few 1v1s in the A-7 (page 18 of the DACT thread), and the Corsair isn't the worst plane to be stuck in if you get jumped. Thing is, I've generally noticed the AI isn't very aggressive with the A-7 like it is with the A-4. The A-7E is a fair enough turner, and it'll hold decent "g" at low altitudes and high subsonic speed, but with no afterburner, it takes a while to rebuild speed if you exchange energy for nose position. One of the biggest weapons I had was low altitude. Keep on the deck if you can, and it'll take care of a lot of your troubles. The result of the 2v8 was all 8 MiG-21s splashed, 5 by crashing, 1 by AIM-9 and 2 by M61A1, with no Corsair losses. My wingman basically turned into bait, but was able to evade the one missile that was fired at him. EDIT: Here's zee video:

As the LOD viewer shows, it is the ALQ-100 radar warning receiver fairing. Similar fairing is used under the TCS and TCS/IRST pods to house ALQ-126 and ALQ-165 receivers in later model F-14s.

When I initially saw this in the news, I had been hoping it was another one of those celebrity death hoaxes. Didn't know the man had cancer. Sad to him go. May he rest in peace.

S!

Beautiful! Congratulations on the release!

Thanks for sharing. Based on that preview, I'm not sure how I feel about this. The capture makes it look kind of like Assault Horizon, and I felt that one was terrible. BUT! I will reserve any actual judgement until more info becomes available.

v1.22 became v1.30 while we were working on the update. It is near-complete, but final testing and reviews of the package are in progress; it will be released once the team is satisfied everything is good to go.

Nice flying, Saisran! Here's a pair of fights in the Mirage IIICJ with the expanded CDL tables: Biggest thoughts on this are that the airplane feels more "natural" - not sure how to describe it, more of a seat of the pants thing, but I felt I had an easier time fighting the MiG-21 with the updated tables.

Baffmeister, Will try to check it out this weekend.

Turkey Fight!

Well, I'm not particularly experienced with the Mirage IIIC - those findings I posted are from my few first flights with the plane (in several months at least), so that's what I found worked - high energy, looping over the MiGs resulted in significantly greater success for me. In my earlier fights, getting low on energy just allotted the MiG a free nose position. That said, in a multi-bandit environment, exchanging energy for position worked pretty well (like I said under "EDIT 4v4") to enable a quick kill, so I'd agree with you on that point. I'd just be hesitant to burn down too far. If it enables me a good shot against a bandit and my tail is clear, that's one thing, but it's quite another if there's another guy behind my 3/9 line and I burn all of my energy for a kill that's going to expose my 6, hence why I didn't want to let my speed much below the high 300's of knots - leave some to maneuver in case someone gets back there, especially in a plane I'm not very familiar with. As to the Shafrir-2, maybe I have to work the MiG down on energy more, because from a direct 6 o'clock, about 2800ft shot, the Fishbed was able to out-turn the missile when it came off of my rails with a good, solid tone. Missile came off tracking, but couldn't make the corner, nor did any of my wingmens'. I don't have that problem with the later 60's-early 70's model Sidewinders (AIM-9G/H), but I do with the AIM-9B, hence the comparison. Would be great if you posted a report using better TTP! I'm sure we could all take away a lot more learning points than from what I found!

Just flew a mission in the Mirage IIICJ Shahak against a MiG-21F-13. I came out on top, but it took probably 8-9 minutes or so. Some general thoughts: The Shafrir-2 sucks. On the occasions where I was able to get the MiG-21 dead-on the nose, the missile would not achieve tone. It not only has to have the target's exhaust pointing at the missile, it has to be DEAD CENTER with no other possible heat-source in the way (e.g. ground, sun, etc.). Even on the occasion I achieved tone, the missile came off stupid. Reminds me a lot of the AIM-9B. I actually fired my first missile in frustration when the MiG's tailpipe was in the middle of my windscreen, thinking "maybe the tone is just jacked up?" Nope! Came off stupid. The Mirage IIICJ has pretty decent alpha capabilities, but not as good as the MiG-21. The MiG-21 was always able to get its nose pointed at me before I was able to get mine pointed at it at slow speeds. Generally, the Mirage III was able to sustain about 23-24 degrees true alpha in the low 200's of knots. The Mirage IIICJ's sustained turning performance against the MiG-21 is mediocre, but adequate. I was able to achieve around 5.5-6g sustained turns at between .8 and .9M at 10,000 feet, around 5.8-6.2g at 5,000 feet between the same Mach numbers, and 6-7g on the deck. As the fuel burned down, I did get an over 9g turn on during a harsh break turn, but both the "g" and the speed burned down pretty quick. Problem is that the MiG-21 was always able to accomplish its turn more quickly than I was. It would always get nose on before I could, and was typically in the 250-350KIAS region, while I was in the 500+ region (wider radius). Where there seems to be the most mismanagement of energy by the AI MiG-21 is when it pushes into the vertical. I found that I could fly vertical loops with the MiG, and it would run out of energy before I did, since it entered with less. I would enter with at least 450KIAS, if not over 500, and burn down to the mid-300's by the top of the loop. The MiG would enter with around 350, and could usually follow me through one loop. By the second, it would run out of energy, or fall out and start turning. This is how I got onto the MiG's tail twice. The problem from here is that while pulling down from the top of the loop, I'd have less energy, and less ability to follow the MiG. He'd be on the run, just outside gun parameters in a right or left turn. I'd have to drop my nose to gain some energy, and rudder the nose up to try to get the pipper on. What caused the fight to end was that I drove the MiG into BINGO fuel, and he was trying to escape. He flew relatively straight and level trying to escape, which allowed me to get nose on, and as he began a right turn to try to shake me, I finally knocked him out of the sky with the guns. Other thoughts I used low altitude to help me on a number of occasions. After my first one-circle turn with the MiG at around 8,000 feet resulted in the MiG firing a number of gun rounds at me that I had to evade, I decided to start a descending turn to the deck so that any time he wanted to shoot at me, he'd have his nose pointed right at the dirt. This saved me probably four times, as I padlocked the MiG and saw him break off his attack several times and pull up to avoid the ground. When I say the deck, I mean THE DECK - I was just above the little houses on the desert terrain. If you're flying campaign mode, that might be dangerous, because of the possibility of anti-aircraft guns being in the area. So, I still have to try a 2v2, 4v4, etc. but in the 1v1, my thoughts right now are that the Mirage IIICJ is comparable, but not quite to the same level as the MiG-21. Also, I flew with the Flight Model set to HARD. The AI always defaults to NORMAL, so I might lose energy a bit quicker, or handle less optimally, which could have tipped the balance at any point to the MiG-21. Regardless, it seems that if you keep fast and use the vertical, you should be able to come out on top (I believe Crusader talked about energy fighting last page). Both times I executed vertical loops, I wound up in the position of advantage, it just took forever to capitalize on it. EDIT: 2v2 As is typical with 2v2 scenarios, an individual aircraft's capabilities don't matter as much if you can off-set shortcomings with good Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP). Although the AI is not particularly smart, simply having the second plane in the air made either one or both MiG-21's change focus to my wingman. I was in good position to go for a Shafrir shot when both MiG-21's eventually started following my wingman. Unfortunately, my wingman crashed. Fortunately, the MiG that was immediately on his tail also crashed. Now it was a 1v1 again, and I got tone with my Shafrir. Perfect! Oh wait, it came off stupid again. Again, it turned into a dogfight. This time, I used the vertical as much as possible through the fight. It ended much more quickly, and like last time, the MiG ran out of gas, I shot him down with guns at very close range as he ran out of energy making harsh evasive maneuvers. EDIT: 4v4 The 4v4 resulted in utter dominance displayed by the Mirage IIICJs over the MiG-21s. This was probably helped by the fact that one of my wingmen shot down one of the MiGs at the merge with gunfire. This made it a 4v3 at the first turn. One of the MiGs was turning towards the tail of one of the Mirage IIIs, and not paying attention to me, so I lined him up and shot him down with guns about 90 seconds after the merge. There was another who was either turning against me or my wingman, who then switched targets, and I was able to get tone on him, fire a Shafrir, and it tracked! Unfortunately, the missile can't turn worth a damn, and both my missile and one of my wingmen's missed when the MiG broke right. Somewhere here, the fourth MiG crashed. While trying to shoot down this last MiG, one of my cannons jammed, and the other ran out of ammo. Two of my flight also ran out of ammo trying to gun this sucker! It finally took number 2 to catch up (he was probably why MiG 4 crashed), miss with both Shafrirs, then finally shoot the last MiG down with guns. The fight took 8 minutes again due to our incompetence with guns, but the first 3 kills were achieved in under 4 minutes. Something I noticed about this fight is that we were doing a lot of harsh pulls at very high mach numbers (~.9-1.1M), so instantaneous "g" levels could reach into the 9g region. I was careful not to let my airspeed drop below the high 300's, and because of the variety of targets and early numeric superiority, was able to easily slide behind the MiG-21s.

For the modified MiG-17s, they're on page 57: http://combatace.com/topic/62762-sf2-series-dact-reports-and-related-a2a-discussions-game-only/page-57 Think it's about 9 posts down. I only did the MiG-17F. Drop into the MiG-17F folder (I think if you make them read-only, the game won't try to delete them). You can then modify the other MiG-17s if you desire. With respect to the Mirage III vs the MiG-21, I'll have to take the bird up and see how it flies. Will check it out and post my findings.

Yep! That's prezactly it. With respect to the MiG-17's, I did upload a limited variant of the Fresco data.inis a couple pages back to try to match the real-world reports of loss of control authority at speeds around 450 knots+ (caused by no hydraulics helping the pilot to overcome the aerodynamic forces on the tail). If you choose to use that, keep your energy up, and if the Frescos try to turn with you, they'll wind up sitting ducks. BUT! Remember that if they slow down (use speed brake, for example), they'll get that authority back quick! Otherwise, yes, the MiG-17 is one of the most UFO-like aircraft in SF2.

Stratos, I think there's a few Mirage III fights in here; last one I did was back on page 30, towards the bottom. http://combatace.com/topic/62762-sf2-series-dact-reports-and-related-a2a-discussions-game-only/page-30 This was before we were doing videos commonly, so it's pretty much a written debriefing. Don't have too much time in that bird, though, so I probably did a lot wrong.

Great vids, Cougar! One thing I noticed, when the bandit in the second video fires his first missile at you (gets lock and immediately shoots), you start chucking flares, rather than chaff...seemed a little odd to me? Or was that particular bandit only carrying only IRMs?