streakeagle

If you don't buy it from steam, no. Of course steam has ways to import external games so that you can see them and start them from steam, but that is not the same as having full steam support.

The complete stock plane set available when you have all of the games is amazing. The biggest shortcoming being that none of the red side were flyable. Add in the free aircraft and cockpits available for download, and it is over the top. Razbam doesn't appear to be selling its SF payware any more. Their addons had a few minor glitches but provided some excellent aircraft. Despite YAP's announcement that they were going to cease doing business after Eightlein died, they are still selling their mods. Not my favorite company, but they have some great aircraft and carriers that cannot be found elsewhere.

Even after DCS World releases its F-4E, there is no substitute for the SF2 experience: pretty much every minor variant of very major F-4 that ever served except for the F-4S and the modern updates to the F-4E/F-4F series... and historically themed environments to fly and fight in. I don't fly SF2 very much any more after about a decade of flying for hours nearly every single night I was home with an operational PC, but I still love it and appreciate its many advantages over past and present sims. If you are tight on money, SF2 is rather high priced for such a dated sim that technically isn't even supported past Windows 7. There is too much content to fully appreciate if you buy it all at one time. I have everything TK ever published for SFP1/WoX/SF2 (except for a few of the localized versions released outside the US). But I bought them all piecemeal as they were released, so the cost was spread out over a number of years. The downloads from CombatAce make it possible to get an amazing experience out of SF2 after only owning one core version of the game, which may have contributed to the games financial demise. Unfortunately, SF2NA was more like a naval expansion pack focused on a new terrain engine tested with Iceland, ship-to-ship combat, improved carrier support, and adding the F-14 Tomcat with its unique avionics and weapons. You really need another one of the core games to get the full scale flyable plane set, terrain, and campaign options the game is known for. WoV/SF2V (Vietnam) was always my favorite with WoI/SF2I (Israel) a very close 2nd. Both of those historical settings are very much centered on the F-4's actual combat record. SF2V's inclusion of aircraft carriers makes it a natural match for SF2NA. If you want to focus on flying F-4s on historical missions, SF2V and/or SF2I are the games you really need. SF2I has a unique stock flyable aircraft that may interest you: the F-16A. It also has the F-15A. SF2I also has Expansion Pack 1 that adds the flyable P-51 Mustang. But for many people, one of the most cost effective and best ways to expand your SF2 install is to get SF2E (Europe). The big score in SF2E are the flyable F-15A, A-10A, and Harrier. SF2E also has Expansion Pack 2 that adds the flyable RAF Lightning series and more importantly includes the mission editor so you don't have to buy it as an addon. Once you have the SF2E/Exp 2 setup, you can come to CombatAce and get the free NATO Fighters addon that provides a comprehensive expansion of the flyable plane set in one package. SF2NA's core theme of a hypothetical Cold War gone hot at Iceland from the F-4 to the F-14 time frame overlaps the SF2E NATO vs Warsaw PACT Cold War gone hot in Germany from the F-4 to the F-15 time frame. So if you are enjoying SF2NA but don't have the money to buy all the core sims and expansion packs, I would strongly consider buying SF2E and Expansion Pack 2 as the most cost effective way to vastly expand the gameplay options. But if you have a strong interest if flying F-4s in historical rather than hypothetical conflicts like me, you might be better off with SF2V and/or SF2I. The odd man out in all of these posts about what is needed to enjoy SF2 when on a budget is the original SF2 game based on the original SFP1 game: a fictional war between two fictional middle eastern countries with one side backed by the US and the other backed by the USSR. On the surface, it is not historical in any way starting with the fictional terrain, but it represents many real world situations where the USA and USSR went head to head via proxy countries like Israel and Egypt. If you don't mind the fictional aspects, it is essentially the same as buying SF2I with one substantial difference: it is the only SF2 game where you can fly a campaign as a mercenary and build up funds to upgrade your aircraft/squadron. If you enjoy a dynamic campaign where you can make a difference and steadily improve your hardware as you successfully complete missions, you might like this one more than any other. I am not much of a campaign person. I like to recreate historical missions. But if I am going to fly a campaign, this is one of the most fun ones due to the ability to get rewarded with more than living to fight another day when you succeed. Whereas the Vietnam campaigns are historically accurate and therefore somewhat dull and repetitive, hitting the same targets day after day with limited air opposition that can be completely killed off in a few missions leaving you to face tons of AAA and SAMs. SF2I is a much more exciting campaign environment: a lot happens in a short time in the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur. But you don't have the fun of building up your aircraft and unit that a mercenary campaign offers. So, enjoy SF2NA and the many free mods you can use to expand it, but if you really like it and would like to get a lot more out of it, also consider buying one of more of the other core games and associated expansion packs as dictated by your interest and budget. There is nothing quite like owning all of the games/expansion packs which ensure maximum compatibility with all available SF2 mods.

But I can remember years ago, that if I typed in a book title... tons of pdf references would come up. Some sites required users to be paid members, but just about any book I could think of was showing up as a downloadable file. In the old days, I could go to a hobby shop or book store and check out a book's contents before buying it. Not many places carry the types of aviation books I buy and the ones that do can only afford to carry the most popular ones (i.e. Osprey books at hobby shops). Being able to check out a low-res poorly scanned pdf helped fill my shelves with tons more books than I would have bought otherwise... but then there were countless others whose content was worthless. It is very nice to see the entire contents of the book, especially when you know exactly what facts/specs/references you are hoping to gain from purchasing the book.

Have fun!

I found it odd that I couldn't find even one downloadable PDF reference for this book. Either google is blocking links to less than honest file hosting sites, or this book is really rare and not very popular.

Amazon may be a giant evil corporation slowly taking over the world, but they are great for finding odd things and getting them shipped internationally, books and toys especially. I had to get a Gormiti toy from the UK via Amazon once because my son loved Gormiti, but they never caught on in the USA whereas the UK had nearly everything ever released for Gormiti.

Navigation in Europe for low level was usually by practicing routes visually. i.e. I know for a fact that A-10s only had the map on their leg and their experience flying the expected routes during training. The A-10s flew low and slow enough to actually get under weather that other aircraft weren't even allowed to fly through. If the cloud cover/fog was low enough to shut down the A-10s, no one else was flying low either without terrain following radar like the F-111. One can only imagine the expanded capabilities in night/adverse weather once A-10Cs had gps rather than just the Mk 1 Eyeball of A-10As.

There are two keys you need to learn and/or map to your stick. 1) the key that cycles air-to-air weapons. 2) the key that cycles air-to-ground weapons. By default, your DirectX Button 1, usually the trigger on most flight sticks, will always fire the guns. If this isn't working, you have somehow changed your stick mapping. Your DirectX Button 2, usually a button on top of the stick, is the default button for firing other weapons like missiles or dropping bombs. You have to use the appropriate weapons select button to cycle until you get to the weapon you want to use. In the case of LGBs, you need to cycle the air-to-ground select button until you have selected LGB. I don't normally use LGBs as I am more of an air-to-air guy and typically used dumb bombs and rockets when I pound the ground, but if I remember correctly, you need to select a ground target using one of the target select keys. Once a valid LGB target has been selected by one of the various target select buttons, if you have a way to lase the target, you should be able to drop the LGB using the DirectX Button 2 or whatever have mapped for releasing secondary weapons. I don't recall the ways to lase the target in the SF series. Does it require your aircraft to have a built-in designator or pod? Or can ground units provide designation? I don't recall. A veteran ground pounder will have to step in and clarify game mechanics for that aspect of using LGBs.

Is this a trick question? It is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Avro-CF-100-Larry-Milberry/dp/0969070306

But, if you have to use PGM, I don't like GPS based guidance of any kind. It may be convenient against low-tech threats, but a real enemy will be capable of corrupting GPS signals, or in an all-out war actually taking out the satellites. Laser guidance done right requires an undetected ground team, but even if you have to use an aircraft to spot your bombs, it is far more secure than gps delivery. But if GPS is up, you can't beat the stand-off range, and GPS combined with B-52/B-1/B-2 platforms is a nightmare for an enemy unable to defend against them.

I don't like either. I prefer B-52s carpet bombing. Nothing better than turning everything within the target area into moonscape.

Congratulations on your new rig. It sure looks pretty, but can it run DCS World? Have you tried VR yet? I have the Oculus Rift. Despite its horrible resolution, the experience is so good that I split my flying time almost 50% between VR and flat panel/TrackIR.

Once again I have defied my better judgement and gone for the DCS pre-purchase. But if the F-14 is as good as the AJS-37, it is a good investment. I have a DCS beta install, but it is on a slow 7200 rpm hard drive, so I don't run it very often. I use it to pre-stage files for the stable version updates. Therefore, I have the new MiG-29, but probably won't fly it until the stable release gets updated. The Hornet is great, but I prefer older, less digital aircraft, so the F-14 may be a better fit for me than the Hornet until the F-4E floats back on ED's priority list (apparently the F-16 has become the priority after the F/A-18). But it is hard to favor any one aircraft. I fly the F/A-18 a lot due to its fantastic flight model and excellent gunsight, but I have all of the other modules and still alternate between most of them to keep up proficiency and enjoy each one's unique handling in both combat and takeoff/landing. DCS World had already become my preferred flight sim a long time ago when it added the MiG-21bis, UH-1H, and F-86F. With the addition of the MiG-15bis, Bf109K4, and Fw190D-9, I seldom played any other sim. But from the 2.5 release forward, combined with VR and the upcoming aircraft modules, it just keeps getting better exponentially despite the painfully slow development time for any one project. I can expect a MiG-19, MiG-23, F-4E, F-16, Mi-24, AH-1S, P-47D, F4U-1D, and who knows what else beyond the F-14 and Christen Eagle. It will never have all the minor versions that SF2 supports, but what they already have is amazing: simultaneously a plane specific detailed hard-core sim and a wide variety survey sim.

When I bought my first PC in fall of 2000, there were so many choices for flight sims it was overwhelming. I was a "poor starving student", so I couldn't afford to buy them all and had to pick based on the features/aircraft/graphics listed on the back of the boxes. Years later, when I could afford to get most if not all sims available, the market had dried up. Right now is pretty impressive again. This sim is rapidly catching up to where IL-2 1946 was in terms of plane set and maps while overcoming the limitations that kept me from enjoying 1946. At the same time, DCS World is providing an alternative for those that want more systems and flight model detail / realism at the cost of historical maps/objects and plane set. Then there is FSX/P3d with TacPack that pretty much covers anything and everything not covered by IL-2 BoX and DCS World... and if you want a really diverse plane set at the cost of realism / detail, you can play the War Thunder / World of Planes type games. Not to forget the longstanding champion of realistic online massive multiplayer, Aces High. With a diverse market, adequate funding, and a machine that can run them all, my only problem is not enough time to appreciate them all. I principally fly DCS World with some time spent on Aces High. Every now and then I fire up IL-2 BoX. I only use FSX/P3d/TacPack for flying the F-4 Phantom. I have never even bothered to try the War Thunder / World of Planes type games, I just don't have the time or hard drive space... P3d with full Orbx files is a real hard drive hog and DCS World + DCS World beta installs isn't much smaller. This looks great, but given my time limits and how little time I spend on IL-2 BoX despite its being a first rate WW2 sim, I will buy this when it goes on sale... maybe Christmas this year or next.

I don't know if this is the correct webstore page, but the package available at the store describes the Strike Fighters package, but doesn't list it in the available choices dropdown: https://store.razbamsimulations.com/product_info.php?products_id=50&osCsid=0dd104452202071500f1e95f6bb948aa The F2H Banshee and A1 Skyraider packages still list the SF addons as being included in the download. I would contact Razbam to see if you can still get it. They have a Facebook page and probably answer that fairly quickly.

I went on a tangent while browsing and ended up here. I think it is fair to say Fighter Ops finally got released, but it is called DCS World: Nevada. Instead of the T-38, you have the F-5E. But if you are itching for a two-seat trainer, the L-39 does the job. There's no F-16 (yet!), but you can choose between the A-10A, A-10C, F-15C, and F/A-18C. It is amazing how much has changed and how much has stayed the same since this thread started. Third Wire no longer makes a proper PC flight sim. IL-2 is flown and for sale in three flavors: IL-2:1946, IL-2: Cliffs of Dover, and the IL-2: Battle Over series. Fighter Ops and Jet Thunder never reached public release. DCS World is pretty much the last man standing in fighter jet combat flight sims unless you count Falcon 4.0 combined with the free BMS addon. Prepar3d with TacPack deserves an honorable mention for bringing MS FSX to the brink of being a true combat flight sim and a hard core one at that.

This is the first modern fighter jet I have flown that performs better the slower you go. The Hornet has such a low max g limit that you have to get under 300 kias to do well against a the DCS AI MiG-21bis. It is like walking a tightrope... I either have too much energy and have to chop the throttle or have bled too much and have to go afterburner and unload to recover. But when you find that sweet spot with the speed, throttle, and AoA at optimum position, she pitches/turns like no other supersonic jet I have ever flown in a PC simulator.

The DCS F/A-18C Hornet has impressed me enough that I have considered ditching my quasi-F-4 home cockpit for a decent Hornet pit suitable for both VR and conventional monitor/TrackIR flying.

Looks great, but I am more interested in the MiG-19S, or more accurately the Chinese J-6 derived from it as flown by the VPAF.

While I very much want the A-4E in DCS World and I will have to settle for what I can get, I want a professional/external flight model. Also, I don't see how they will be able to model the ground search radar. With simple flight model and systems, SF2 A-4's remain the best way to fly in combat. Until DCS has a Vietnam or Israel map, SF2 still remains the best sim for either of those air wars. But a DCS A-4 would be nice for Nellis Top Gun themed missions.

They most certainly modified some F-5's to have twin tails, however crude it may look upon close inspection of the joints. The real entertainment was their display of a new stealth fighter which looked worse than a cheap kit-car conversion of a VW Beetle and taxied around like it weighed nothing. The test flight footage was clearly a small-scale radio-controlled model. I am not sure they could build decent jet engines even if they could make decent airframes. But the F-5E was an amazingly simple, cheap, effective design. It would be a good starting point for producing a first supersonic fighter and trainer. Suppose that they have actually produced one complete, functioning aircraft from scratch outfitted with modern avionics/sensors purchased from an ally... how many have they built and how fast can they build them? If it is only one aircraft built every 5 or 10 years, it is still nothing to brag about. But if they can finish one per month, they could start fielding a useful number of truly new aircraft. You know you are in trouble when they start leasing Su-27 Flankers from Russia for "flight testing/evaluation" like China did... then shortly thereafter announce a completely new airplane built locally that is a perfect copy of the leased aircraft.

If it is a re-manufactured existing fighter, it means nothing. If Iran can produce new F-5's from scratch, it is a huge step forward for Iran. Consider China, it has taken them decades, but they have finally transitioned from reverse engineering to designing their own aircraft. You can count the number of countries capable of producing supersonic fighters on your fingers. Despite the age of the technology and the fact that they copied it from, this is a real achievement... But if they just performed an overhaul on existing airframes, they haven't really achieved much more than they have already been doing for years.

I can remember when I got my first HOTAS, a Saitek X-36 USB back in the fall of 2000, not long after I got my first PC. I can't imagine playing flight sims all these years without one. T.16000M should get the job done very well. Enjoy! I hope you get the DCS F/A-18, it is incredibly fun to fly even with it being a feature incomplete early release will should be the perfect complement to your new HOTAS :)

Mostly off-topic... but I remember enjoying instant action on the original SFP1 Wallmart release over and over. I had an F-4E with an SEA Shark-mouth paint scheme with a full air-to-air loadout and a sky full of commies in front of me. It flew and played so much better than Jane's USAF and looked so much better than Jane's Fighters Anthology. It was the start of many years of fun.