Caesar

I could try, but I'll be the first to admit, I've lost other aircraft to flat spins from which I couldn't recover. Might need more skilled virtual pilots to do other airframes they're more familiar with.

I friggin' knew it! We never CANX'D the ABL. I'm just waiting now for a Man o' War 747 with 4 laser turrets on either side of her fuselage, which will allow her to engage enemy fighter formations a few hundred miles away. We'll need a special Napoleon-era naval uniform for the laser commander, so that he can give the command to laser-broadside the enemy formation while wearing a ridiculous hat. (Yes, we discussed this at the labs a few times).

Virtual Turkey, Turkey Beast and Super Turkey driver! HARRRRR! As a secondary, I'm fond of the Super Fox Scooter.

Actually, that's a critical step I didn't list up there, Eric: idle throttles. Every time I was in a spin, the first thing I did was idle the throttles! Second step, lift the flaps if down, because you're trying to kill the lift that's holding the bird in the spin. Since in-game you can't shift the wings back, it goes to the more classical spin recovery efforts compared to the less orthodox but more effective ones you could use in reality. Rudder opposite spin, stick back. There have been occasions where throwing in some spoiler or even forward stick has helped "kick it out" as the spin slows and the nose drops (think I've done that on one or two occasions), but be careful when you execute because if it is too early, you can exacerbate the spin. On the original subject, I've been enjoying your videos, ZL!

Strange, considering the Tomcat's flat spin mode wasn't irrecoverable, but the Phantom's could be. Usually if I spin the Turkey, it's rudder opposite spin, stick back and it spits out after a few revolutions. Never lost one to a spin in the virtual world. If I had to guess, you probably got below 50KIAS in a turn somehow and the bird "auto departed" like the TW models are wont to do. Real world you could do hands off stick (incipient phase), or manual sweep the wings past 58 deg, then counter spin using rudder and the plane would recover from loss of lift combined with shifted aft c of g. The NATOPS procedures were kind of...egh...at least as described by pilots who used the former procedures to recover their birds. EDIT: There has been an occasion when it was stick forward, usually after the nose began to dip, but I've only spun the bird about 5 times.

The Turkey's plenty agile, just don't go into a dogfight with the Buffalo slung underneath! Obviously, if you want more of an edge, use the GE powered birds. There is one thing to always remember, as you get more modern with your aircraft/campaigns, the OPFOR weapons are going to better match your own, so if you get in too close, expect to see some face-shooter heaters or active missiles coming your way!

Worth adding, then, 'cause it certainly did do those missions, and to excellent effect. I don't know why we never added it. Not sure when the next update will be, though.

Not sure what you mean by "benign"? The F-14's in the Super Pack all have strike capability, check all the F-14x_96 birds and you should have Strike and Recon options. I don't think we gave it CAS, even though the bird did do the CAS mission, though I can't remember why? Might be worth adding, but it might have more to do with the F-14's loadouts. It was able to carry smaller bombs and of course had its 20mm Vulcan, but didn't operationally carry rockets, Maverick missiles, etc, typically used in the CAS role.

Well, it's kind of hard to say, because the actual RMax of Phoenix is still classified, the D-AMRAAM is still fairly new (OT phase), and as recently as July 2012, they were still running into problems with the motor (Raytheon). Using open-source, the A model Phoenix was fired at a target 110NM away, the crew began tracking their target at 132NM while in TWS (Gillcrist). Something else to note, however, is that the missile only traveled 72NM from its firing point, due to closure rate (i.e. the drone kept forward velocity towards the missile, resulting in a shorter necessary travel distance). The drone was jamming at the time. These things being said, I actually hope the D-AMRAAM does outrange Phoenix, or works its way to outrange Phoenix, because Phoenix is both retired, and over 50 years old! I'd assume the latest mark of a newer missile which has the express purpose of being very long range can beat the old benchmark. Not that the C-7's current max range is anything to sneeze at...

Pair of Gypsies

Think your takeaways are good, Eric. If I had to provide a Tomcat aspect, it'd probably be the exact same thing, jam, fire the Phoenix as far away as possible and run! The AMRAAM-D ain't some missile you wanna dick with when its coming your way! I can't list how many times I've been bagged after killing the launching aircraft when active missiles are involved, even those with a smaller RMax than Phoenix, especially when I'm dumb enough to get inside their launch range. ACEVAL/AIMVAL still beckons from 36 years ago; shoot the guy before he knows you're there, and never fly into his envelope!

Yes, EricJ, it does seem we have a "tit-for-tat" with our two respective birds. And it is a good point that I was also jamming at the time. Something I do wonder, is if the AI immediately initiates jamming upon takeoff or what, because I got lock on the Bug at over 80NM, which tells me he may not have been jamming at the time, or it could be just due to the APG-71's humongous power output. It wouldn't surprise me if the Super Bug got lock on the Turkey at very long range, even contending with the ASPJ, due to the Tomcat's size and lack of any sort of passive stealth characteristics. What else I will say is that in both our cases, the AI did not try to pole the incoming missile. The Bug in my case kept straight on, and the Turkey in your case did the same, so that probably didn't help the AI aircrew. I'm thinking about trying to mess around with the thrust and drag characteristics of the Phoenix and other weapons based upon the fact that real-world missiles effective ranges are affected by their target's aspect. This does seem modeled in the TW early Sidewinders and Sparrows (fire an AIM-7E-2 at Rmax against a turning target and it runs out of juice), but not necessarily with improved models. Will report back on this later (maybe a few weeks later; I'm working on early Turkey schemes at the moment.)

From the Tomcat perspective, a lot depends on the variant of AIM-54 you're using. Using the C ECCM the result against a Echo Super Bug was this: Not very surprising. The APG-71 burned through the ECM the instant the Bug took off and I had a Phoenix on the way as it raised its landing gear. An A or B or baseline C, however, and the story is different. Expect several misfires and a few of your missiles to go stupid, and probably eat an AMRAAM as a result. As it stood, my first C ECCM/Sealed went dumb and I fired a second immediately after. This one hit. (Shot 2) I think something to bear in mind is the modelling of missiles in the TW series. If you go off and shoot a missile, AMRAAM, Phoenix, X-ray Sidewinder or otherwise, at Rmax, it ain't gonna hit if the target turns 90 degrees or beyond to the launching airframe. This is entirely open-source information. If you were to shoot a F-model Sparrow at, say, 12 miles, but your target has an RWR, notices your lock, and breaks hard left or right, the distance the Sparrow has to travel to intercept increases compared to a target that continues on the same velocity vector (i.e. right at the launching aircraft), and the likelihood of the missile getting a kill is far less, or impossible. Thus, if you fire Rmax AMRAAM or Phoenix at a target, and that target changes its vector, in the real world, don't expect your missile to make the intercept. In the TW world, however, it's a bit different. Even turning and running can get you shot down if the opposing missile is shot at RMax.

Some progress... CVW-14 VF-14 CVW-1

Early Gull Gray F-14A Tomcats. VF-1 VF-2 VF-14 (WIP) VF-41 (WIP)

Awesome stuff, RC!

A friend of mine and I killed a redirect infection on my parents computer two days ago (lucky we were home for the holidays!) It was basically doing the same thing. The malware had affected the hosts file on the computer (redirecting all search engines to the same IP), but we were unable to modify or delete the infected file in Windows, or with any other Windows-based application due to the tight permissions the malware had applied to the infected hosts file. We ran xubuntu 12.04 from a CD since Linux doesn't care about Windows permissions very much, generated a new hosts file, and killed the infected one. Rebooted the machine, ran malwarebytes, C cleaner (because why not) and their antivirus program. The computer has stopped redirecting and there were no other infections found.

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Easy way to survive getting killed is to make it to friendly territory/land, then punch out of the jet. Your status goes from dead to wounded. One of the ways you can tell whether or not you're "dead" is if you have debug on. Check the damage status of the jet, if it is "DESTROYED" you'll die if you land and hit escape, but be alive if you eject, if it is a damage status "LIGHT" or "HEAVY" you'll be wounded.

Massively increase the AS-6's launch reliability and accuracy?

I've gotten my F-14 into a flat spin on two occasions with the new FM and recovered both times, but I haven't seen any of my AI wingmen flat spin in the F-14. I have seen some other aircraft depart, and have never seen an AI recover from it, so I assume they wouldn't be able to recover the F-14 either.

Well, TWS-A/M with the AWG-9 (no data link) could track a small fighter sized target, such as a MiG-21 at 90NM and, based on one of my books from the early 70's, could initiate multiple target launch of 6 A-model Phoenix from about 52NM, or nearly 100km (96.5?). So the possibility is there. In-game, you can fire further out, but then, we can't adjust the missile ranges to match radar modes (PDSTT provides enough signal strength to give Phoenix an Rmax shot against a small fighter, for example - same source). EDIT: On the original topic, anyone else here have their wingman crash into them when told to "attack my target"? I recall one flight where I had an F-15 on my wing, we spotted some baddies off to the right, told him to attack, and WHAMMO! There goes my port vert stab and the port engine is on fire! Wingy goes down - needless to say, it wasn't a very successful mission!

Just took a few up. Awesome work, Wrench, et al! Absolutely great.

Ah, my old arch nemesis from the arctic...the damn Polar Bear. Stay safe!

I backed up my mod folder to a BD a few months ago, so I don't think your mod folder should be the issue.