Caesar

Just ran the patch myself, it didn't break any of my installs.

I saw this with some of the other CGOs out here at the labs and not a single one of us liked it very much. The reasons varied, but for me personally, the reason I was so frustrated with it is that it is so mediocre. Nothing stands out about it compared to other superhero movies, but it certainly wasn't bad either. It is that which made me hate it: the fact that I couldn't dislike it for poor quality or poor acting (since the quality was good and the acting was fine), but that I couldn't like it either because it was like every other superhero and/or giant robot movie I've seen since 2005. The CGI is, of course, top notch, but I don't really care for that because every modern blockbuster movie has excellent CGI. There's a fight sequence in which most of a city is destroyed - been there, done that with Transformers, Avengers, every other related movie (Iron Man, Hulk, etc.), and the trend continues with the upcoming Evangelion/Big O combo movie "Pacific Rim" which has also advertised gratuitous city destruction in the previews. It's getting old. I don't think fans of Superman will be disappointed with this. Like I said above, the acting was fine, the story was, well, another superhero origin story, and it is flashy with big explosions and city destruction like a comic book. For me, I don't think I'll be checking out any more superhero movies anytime soon.

Excuse me! Do you have a cup of sugar? Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move! Aardvark headed to the TACTS range

Affects both Ops and Ops Support worlds, lot of cuts in the R&D sector too.

"Hey Joe" Parsons was NOT the guy who shot the F-4 down. He was a Tomcat RIO who knew some of the folks involved. This was a subject of discussion over at Tomcat-Sunset and Jon asked "Hey Joe" for amplification on the incident back when the subject got brought up here.

Were you able to define the folder during setup? Also, where does the folder chain break? (i.e. do you have a ThirdWire folder, but no StrikeFighters2 folder, or do you have no ThirdWire folder at all, or...)? Might recommend a re-install, then run once, then check your Saved Games folder.

In Windows 7: C:\Users\[Name]\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 [Version]\ This is the location of where your mods go. EDIT: Or just go to your profile, to Saved Games, then you'll see ThirdWire, etc. rather than typing in the above (in case you have a different breakdown). EDIT 2: Did you boot the game once before looking for the mod folder?

You know, I saw something similar to this on NOVA back in the late 1980's (episode called "Top Gun and Beyond"). The system was being developed for the F-16, included a female warning voice when the aircraft was on a trajectory to hit the ground and at low altitude, and then automatically leveled out if the pilot kept his hands off the controls after the a/c met a certain altitude. I wonder if this is the culmination of that technology/R&D effort from 20 years ago or if it was originally killed off back then in the post-Cold War budget cuts, then picked back up in the past few years after the we continued to lose "healthy" aircraft. (Funny enough, they also showed a helmet that projected a 3D rendering of the world in the pilot's "visor" like a super early F-35 helmet running vector graphics a-la Asteroids). Good find, will be nice to see this implemented.

Block 90 Aardvark Tomcat loaded for a fight Fox 3 Long!

ALCON, The Gulls skin pack has been updated! The major update is the addition of VF-114 Aardvarks and VF-213 Black Lions; a couple minor updates/changes were made as well, listed in the Read Me/subject discussion. While my initial plan was to do this in 2 halves (6 and 6 squadrons), things keep getting in the way. I'm glad to be able to release at least two of the remaining squadrons I had planned on right now. Please let me know if you have any trouble with the pack. V/R, "Caesar"

WIP VF-114 Aardvarks Some aerial testing No kill like a guns kill! Going fishing with dynamite...

OK, Gents, here's what I've got: Flew two missions against IRIAF F-14's in USN F-14A's. I selected two different loadouts for the IRIAF birds: one with Phoenix and one without. Without Phoenix: The mission started with launch, we flew a distance, and the IRIAF F-14's began taking off (2 of them). I got them on TWS at about 140NM. At 120, I designated them as targets and checked the AI Action. No change. Continued to fly and track until inside of Rmax. I waited until 74NM to fire, still wanting to see if they'd spot me on their own. When I fired they immediately changed from WAYPOINT to RHM_ATTACK (i.e. they turned into me and started lighting me up with their radars). Once in RHM_ATTACK, I immediately got the normal slow strobe warning from my RWR gear. Their radars would have been in RWS mode at this point. As the new Phoenix peak at a slower speed than the older ones, it took them more time to get to the target, and eventually I landed in the firing envelope of their AIM-7's (I have to change the settings since they shouldn't have either F or M Sparrows) and they fired at me. My RWR went to fast strobe warning, signalling incoming missiles. The 14 diamond had a circle in it, signifying they were tracking me (PDSTT). My missiles made it to target first, and the bandits were splashed. Their missiles fell harmlessly. So, from fight 1: if you're being shot at by an F-14 by AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, you WILL hear slow strobe when the AWG-9 is illuminating you, and fast strobe when it is tracking you. With Phoenix: Same setup, but once the IRIAF birds were airborne, and had traveled minimal distance, at about 120NM away, they began illuminating me, and I heard the slow strobe warning. They would have been in TWS for this portion already if Phoenix was to be fired. At Rmax, I fired first, then a few miles later (70-ish) they fired back. My RIO/Flight gave me the "MISSILE INBOUND" warning, but my RWR did NOT transition to fast strobe warning, in fact, it silenced. It began intermittently transmitting slow strobe until all Phoenix were fired, and I then had only slow strobe warnings as the missiles were inbound. Again, the IRIAF guys ate the incoming Phoenix from my side. None of theirs hit. So, if the AI is in TWS, you SHOULD still get at least slow strobe warnings, however, you will NOT get fast strobe warning if a missile is launched at you, and your warning tones might cut out completely. If that happens, expect a missile is headed your way! I'd think at the minimum your RWR gear should maintain the slow strobe warning so long as an F-14 is tracking you in TWS, not sure why it cuts out when a missile is fired. Also, the AI will more aggressively prosecute you if it has a weapon that can reach out and touch you. If not, it might not even try to turn into your direction unless you fire at it/make yourself a threat. EDIT: All F-14's involved were from the Super Pack, not ThirdWire. I'm guessing, since the avionics are nearly identical, the result should be the same with TW F-14's. That's my report!

The AWG-9 in TWS updates every 2 seconds. While Phoenix is flying to its target, it receives information updates from the AWG-9, and you won't get the constant pinging of the radar in single target track, only every time the radar re-scans the target (every 2 seconds). When Phoenix goes terminal, you should start getting the constant pinging because the missile is now on its own internal radar and it's updating as quickly as it can to make the intercept. That's the way it works in reality, anyhow, and I think this is how Fleet Defender modeled it; when an aircraft or ground radar was illuminating you, you'd get a "BEEP" wait 1, wait 2 "BEEP", etc. When either the opposing aircraft locked you up in STT, or a missile went active, then the RWR would make the constant beeping. In ThirdWire, you should see a diamond with the number 14 in it if the Tomcat's radar is on. If it is in TWS, you wouldn't get the constant pinging of the aircraft in PDSTT (I actually noticed this when I did the AIM-23 test, when it shot the semi-active AIM-23, I got all the RWR noise I'd get from a Sparrow or AA-7, 10, etc. when the aircraft goes to PDSTT). BUT! I don't think you get audible tones at all when the aircraft is in TWS, nor when an active missile is launched at you with the radar in TWS in the ThirdWire games. Either that, or my RWR tones are jacked up. Thinking about it in the context of watching the debug, I don't notice enemy aircraft break until the missile goes terminal (i.e. object becomes visible to the AI pilot), even when I select them to launch at in TWS mode (the AI action stays WAYPOINT, and doesn't switch to BEAM_RADAR like it does for STT). So, unless a second RWR sound effect becomes available to indicate a radar scanning, or a missile going active, I don't think you'll hear anything until your opponent goes to STT. EDIT: Classical radars will have the second sound effect (the slow rate strobe) and kick up to high rate strobe when the radar has locked you up. I'll need to fly against the F-14 to see if its radar does this in RWS. I still don't get warnings if its in TWS.

Really, it is experience - in game, I'm more liable to get shot down in an F-16 than I am in an F-14A! (And it REALLY shouldn't be so!) With respect to takeoff flap setting, even at max weight (>74K pounds) the aircraft's takeoff roll is under 4400 feet with a very hot runway, no headwind, using NO flaps, so, you wouldn't need full flaps even to take off of a medium runway with 6 AIM-54, unless you're talking a high altitude runway, or a different center of gravity (e.g. TARPS-equipped).

Looks awesome, Dels! Much thanks for your hard work.

CT, Check your SpecificStationCode values; mismatch, maybe? ALCON, Did anyone notice any major differences between this DLC and what we've already got?

The refueling probe cover door was removed from the majority of IIAF F-14's when delivered (there is pictorial evidence of one on here or there, but it would have been removed some time shortly after - very early deliveries, maybe?). If I had to guess, this probably had to do with the metal baskets used by IIAF/IRIAF tankers; USN F-14 units during ODS started removing the probe cover door also. The USAF's KC-135 used an all-metal basket that could knock the door off, either FOD-ing an engine, or otherwise damaging the aircraft. But based on the pics Dave posted, the "new" IRIAF F-14's still have the probe cover door on.

Kind of wondering the same thing myself. The difference between the Iranian F-14A and mid-1970's USN F-14A are minuscule and wouldn't warrant any changes in the model, cockpit, etc. Maybe TK made the thing's avionics work with pre-SF2:NA installments? I'm holding off on this for now.

Depends on the airframe. I did a video for recovering the F-14 and posted it here a few months ago. For that particular aircraft, in-game it's flaps up (if down), rudder opposite spin, engines to idle, stick aft and, as the aircraft slows, into spin, and that should kick it out. Real-world, those are the recommended controls if rudders opposite, idle engine and forward stick doesn't work. In the game, stick forward does work, but not as quickly as stick aft. Real world, you idled the engines on the F-14 for two reasons, first was to hopefully prevent a compressor stall if one or both of the engines were still running, second, due to the large gap between the engines, asymmetric thrust could easily exacerbate the spin if the inboard engine was out and the outboard one (relative to the spin) were still running. I haven't been able to recover the F-4, but that's likely because I haven't tried enough times, I think I've spun in twice in that aircraft. I recall from the previous conversation on spin recovery, proper procedure is stick forward, rudder counter, don't recall if lateral is used, nor the engine setting. Best thing I'd suggest is to take some time and fly a few missions departing aircraft and seeing what it takes to get 'em out! Sometimes, it might just be "hands off stick"!

Congratulatio Consuli Typhoidi! (Roughly, Congratulations to the Consul Typhoid! OK, the ancient Roman position of Consul and modern City Council positions probably aren't very close, but Congratulations anyway!)

Ah, yes, I forgot, the Super Pack requires SF2:NA and would thus require that folder to work right. My bad! Again, awesome work!

RC, Awesome job with these! Can't believe just how high def you got the missiles. One thing I've got, the StationSpecificCode for AIM-54 stations for the F-14's in the SuperPack and the ThirdWire Tomcat are now "AIM54", not "F14." Had to fix that to get them to appear. Once they did, daaaaaaaaamn, they look good! Thanks for your continuing efforts and hard work!

I'd just get David Bowie to do it. Only, I'd have to wait 'till 5 Years. And if I did that, I think I'd blow everyone's minds.

CNAF, It can and has been done, but it's a royal pain in the ass! A lot easier if you've got heaters, but it otherwise stalemates quick unless you've got a few tricks up your sleeve (low altitude helps, 'cause you can use terrain as a weapon!). The TW F-14 is a lot more sluggish and doesn't accelerate as well as the TMF F-14A, though it too is underpowered as it should be; I like to think of the TW one as a "pre-Block 90" Tomcat. If you get slow, get him in your gunsight in a turn and he reverses, good luck following him (roll rate is glacial); you're looking at another circle unless you anticipate where he's going, or do a decent snap-roll. Also, catching him is next to impossible unless you've already got some speed on. After implementing the new F-14B flight model, I did fly this mission again and it's kind of the same as the one from a year ago, a bit worse on the energy at high speeds, a bit better sustaining the turn at lower ones. I think it took me a bit longer, but I also haven't been playing as much so I'm sure I'm a bit rusty. Crusader, I'll have to check out those numbers and see what happens. Thanks for the info!

"God D$%@ army Jeep!" - Ibidem HARRRRR!