Mr_Tayto

Bridge-busting with mk.84s, and POL strikes with mk.82s. The first picture confuses me. I'm flying with the 555th TFS at Udorn RTAFB in Rolling Thunder, and some time in 1966 we received an upgrade to F-4D (first pic), but without the TID under the nose? Then in '67 (just a few missions later), the F-4D with the vector RHAW with the TID returned. I couldn't find any reference to a model with a deleted TID except the later Navy models or the RAF export models. What am I missing?

I was on vacation and forgot to check back, so thanks for all the input everyone. Also @RustyKurnass for the edited .ini; can you point me to where the edited sparrow well is in the .ini? I'm still slowly learning this stuff.

It also makes USAF aircraft death traps in the Vietnam campaigns (especially the 105D, which I guess is "realism"!), going back to the original point of the thread.

After the last hour of poring over config files and analysing the figures this is the last thing I wanted to hear

So, after looking through the _data.cfg files for the available ECM pods for 1970, it seems they have a frequency range, usually between 2.000 and 8.000 (but sometimes 1.000 and 16.000) and a strength value (30-75). Can I take this to mean they defeat or degrade threats within their frequency range and strength, regardless of source (Fire Can, Fan Song)? For the later models (with start dates 1970+) the freq. range increases, I assume because radars and SAMs are more varied and operate a more discrete frequencies. Having looked at the Fan Song C (the main threat requiring ECM in RT and LBI/II), the tracking strength is much higher at 80 than, say, the QRC-160's (a common RT-era pod) jamming strengh at 30, which I guess is to simulate burn-through potential of the radar but also weakening of tracking, which induces misses (along with manoeuvring). A final twist in the tale is a value in the .cfg for the ECM pod called "InterfereRWR=TRUE or FALSE". This is TRUE on the QRC-160 but FALSE on the ALQ-101A, which came later in theatre and after the APR-25 was rolled out, suggesting that the QRC-160 is fine on pre-67 aircraft, but problematic later one when you will have been upgraded to Vector RHAW.

I meant under the RHAW, not one of those like in your pics and the other thread discussion (informative by the way, thanks ) I think I saw chaff bombs in the loadout, but not chaff pods like you describe. Do the different ECM pods in game specialise for different threats, like in real life? Or are they cosmetic? If I add any of them will I have some kind of all defeating ECM?

So there was a thread covering a couple of points, from last year: So I will accept I need to juggle loadout to use ECM and chaff. I still have the question if it's possible to use the Pave Spike and ECM pod at the same time?

Yeah, I found a source (an ancient forum with F-4 pilots and ground crew talking to each other about this stuff) before I went to bed and discovered that the ALE40 was post-war, but that Navy aircraft were using the ALE18 after the 1967 refits that included vector RHAW, ECM etc. @EricJ's hypothesis about external vs. internal makes sense too. Somewhat of a shock to the system though, and I'd still like some guidance on how to do RP4+ missions in aircraft which don't have basic countermeasures against the hundreds of SAMs that launch at you from feet dry to feet wet

On the whole SF2 has been very stable for me, only every crashing once before today. The particular issues is the 1966 Dhimar campaign; twice now on a recon mission (the first mission), the game has stuttered and crashed mid-flight. Nothing happening , just crashes. If it's the mission itself that's bugged, is there anything I can do to fix it, such as delete a file which will then self-generate on startup? I should also say I can't find my original installation key for the merged install, I think I deleted the email a year or so back, and I don't want to shell $100 again!

I didn't know that. Wish I'd realised before I re-bought VN last year I've just reset it and have the dls available. Yeah maybe. I could just abort it on the runway I guess. Annoying, though.

Still having fun with Burning Sands, and managed to progress to the frankly awesome (for the setting) F-8D. One issue I'm having is a particular enemy "ace", targeting me meaning I've struggled to complete a fighter sweep mission twice; he always comes for me and shoots me down inside a minute of the merge.

VF-143, my F-4 squadron for Rolling Thunder. For the first time I'm plsying as Dhimari forces in the first campaign. Having fun, too.

ODS is amazing, for modern 4th gen aircraft if that's what you're into. Agree with Eric that you really have to get the full merged install to make everything work as it should though. As a 'nam guy I'd been only playing the Vietnam campaigns for ages, started the Dhimar/Paran campaigns and they're a lot of fun!

Finally got around to sorting out my controls for ODS, and now I get to fly the one plane I was obsessed with as a youngster following the War on TV: the Buccaneer! Got some nice air combat shots, too.

Thanks @Erik Just trying it with file unlocked solved my problem, just had to change flap activation! Almost forgot to mention; RWR doesn't seem to work on my F14? I was getting audible spikes fine, but no symbology on the actual visual set. It did work when I flew the jaguar earlier.

Hi Folks, I have a couple of issues with controls on ODS. The first and most major issue is that my throttle (X-56) never "saves" as the controller for this axis. It is detected by the game but when I start campaign, it always reverts to keyboard. The Stick, also an X-56, works perfectly, however. There are also a few commands I'm used to with the base game which are not in ODS (such as "select ground" for primary target, which, having played one mission already, seems crucial as one target in Baghdad looks the same as any other and there is no range to waypoint display in the Jaguar cockpit). I had a brainwave since I started this post, that the file might be read only, and it was. Could this be the reason? Is there anything to stop me copying and pasting my SF2V controls ini to my ODS folder, as my HOTAS is configured correctly for this already?

Unless you mean mods and conversions. In which case it comes down to what you want to fly, brother.

I often find I have almost too much choice with SF2. I will be dipping toes in Korea again over the next week, but I fancied some Steel Tiger first:

We don't need Expansion 3 when we have the phenomenal ODS and Wings over Korea total conversions. There are others too numerous to mention by name.

What CV is that? I assume YAP?

Yeah I'm a bit scared of that (and getting them all in the right place). I can just about manage mod installation! I appreciate it man. I might just hold back for now. It doesn't affect the acquisition of targets, so it's no biggie for me.

I've run out of reactions, but thanks.

I'll have a look for the HUD mod I think.

All good points, and I do understand that. Unfortunately, being a game, SF2 registers "success" or "failure" on whether or not you destroy arbitrary targets, not on a post strike assessment or by the success of the strike package in attacking its target without incurring too many losses. Suppression, in real life, doesn't necessarily mean destroying the enemies assets, but tying them up while someone else gets in and does their job. In this way, fighter escort missions works correctly in the game, because success is determined by a %age of escorted aircraft hitting waypoints, rather than the escorts shooting down targets. I have passed several escort missions without firing a shot. So I guess I should just do my best and hit what I can. Wingmen are usually a lot more aggressive and precise at hitting SEAD targets than I can ever be, in any case. And as for RWR... I'm still in 1965 anyway

Cool, thanks. Weirdly, I don't seem to have an "Avionics.ini" in my aircraft folders?