streakeagle

From the pilot's summary reports: The XB-70 has proven itself to be a very remarkable airplane. It has accomplished every milestone that was set down for it. No aerodynamic changes were required in order to achieve the objectives; but in spite of its tremendous performance, the XB-70 is an unfinished airplane. It was operated in a completely new speed and altitude range, but with off-the-shelf navigation equipment and flight instrumentation that were obsolete for this type of flight operation. This pilot believes that with normal development, including some aerodynamic refinement, some system changes, and better instruments and navigational equipment, this would be a truly outstanding airplane. General: In reading this pilot's summary report, consideration should be given to the fact that the combination of this airplane's size, weight, and speed ranges compares to no other airplane in existence; and that the program was primarily a research program with ground rules that allowed only those changes which were necessary to safely accomplish the test objectives. In the normal sequence of development to an operational airplane, many of the opinions and recommendations expressed herein would have been made after the initial airworthiness flights. They are presented now, for the record, and for consideration if improvements can be made for follow-on programs. In general terms, the XB-70A was an interesting airplane to fly. It had some peculiarities due to size, weight, and configuration that were different from most other airplanes. The movable wing tips introduced some new characteristics in the airplane that had not been experienced before, such as the wide variation in directional stability, roll power, and dihedral effect. The airplane had a tremendous performance capability and was a thrill to fly from that standpoint, but this capability combined with the fact that the airplane was climbed and cruised very near the boundary of the allowable flight envelope quicker and easier than any other airplane this pilot has flown. The duct pressure limits and the low allowable 'g' aggravated the recovery. All this adds to the pressure on the pilot by requiring greater concentration on his part. This was acceptable in a research program of this nature, but would certainly not be acceptable in an operational vehicle. The potential for a great airplane is here, but some refinements are required. More specifically, the pilot's opinions and recommendations are as follows:

I am working on the XB-70 flight model. I had not made any progress for several months. Now, I have extracted a lot more data from the NASA documents and have started to adapt that information into the data ini file for the game. If I am able to model this aircraft's performance and stability correctly, it will be a challenging but rewarding aircraft to fly.

Sudden Strike hasn't died. Sudden Strike 3 is nearing completion.

Other than graphics, I don't find ArmA to be that much better than OFP. However, I still think OFP is by far the most realistic and fun tactical fps ever made and ArmA corrects one of its major limitations: dated graphics. There are still quirks with the physics of the vehicles, especially aircraft/helos, but I don't know of a more flexible and immersive shooter sim. Given that OFP runs well on all the PCs at my house and ArmA barely runs acceptably on only two of the 6 PCs, guess which one I still play when I have friends over?

I believe the multiplayer game engine TK uses is his own coded with Microsoft's DirectPlay libraries... which is free and is part of the DirectX API. DirectPlay makes it relatively easy to make networked MP games... but the interface is notoriously inefficient. Typically having problems with lag and connectivity. I would rather have what TK has provided than no multiplayer at all. Operation Flashpoint started out with DirectPlay technology, but added the option to use sockets after the limitations of DirectPlay became quite apparent with large groups playing together. I believe TK is not a network guru, so it would require far too much effort on his part to make a better MP system. Apparently, hiring someone else is far too expensive for the return he gets coding this sim series.

Therein lies the real problem... very few are willing to put in any time or effort when they can just install something like IL-2 or Aces High and be happy right away. TK has very little interest in MP, so its not going to improve in that area any time soon. So the problem is finding people who enjoy the SFP1 era enough to put up with its limitations rather than going for the instant gratification offered by other sims' MP suuport.

There have always been people on hand to get connection/server issues resolved. Anyone who ever asked for help with MP on the forums or at HL got support if they really wanted it. But every single virtual squadron I have ever seen fly this sim is gone within a month or two. While I never really tire of dogfighting, I can understand why someone who is accustomed to fully supported multiplayer options would get bored. Half the fun of flying together is ruined when you can't even start on a runway much less design training missions that can be flown together. Why struggle so hard to get a less than stellar online experience when other products fill this role much better? I think the squadrons have it wrong. While it would be easier and perhaps better if TK provided the support other sims have, most of the stuff virtual squadrons like to do can be done with the SFP1 series. Instead of complaing about the limitations of co-op, simply take advantage of the flexibility of dogfight mode. There is nothing stopping the host from setting up the spawn points near opposing bases, dividing players up into teams, and having everyone respawn until they start at the correct base. Everyone could land immediately so that runway starts could be utilized. If bombing missions are desired, everyone's installs could include copies of aircraft with edited loadout ini files so that the desired weapons would be carried. For instance, besides the F-4E, there might be F-4E Mk82. Of course there would be no SAMs/AAA or other interesting targets, but it would be perfect for a training environment. Those same teams could then play a corresponding coop mission when they want to face air defenses and/or to play for points.

I am sure this will turn out as well as it should... a fully operational CH stick in the shape of an F-15 dual throttle. I hope the mechanicals of the stick are good enough to be worth the CH insides. I wish I had bought the real F-4 Phantom throttle that was briefly available on ebay. Unlike the B-8 stick grip, I don't know of any other source for F-4 throttle grips other than the few real ones that pop on ebay. Oh well... the money went into things like a very nice Radio Flyer red wagon for my son. But maybe some day he will want to help me build an F-4 cockpit. I could live with the stick you are building. I prefer it much to the stock HOTAS available.

A small crowd is gathering... could it be WOV MP is finally being discovered? Where was everybody else when I had time to play this all night every night?

Your support has always provided a key source of information for people new to the series. Are you closing everything? or just the "links" page? Or are you just going to stop updating it and leave the existing links up? Either way, thanks for the long time free service.

I got a chance to fly with TexAg02, God, and Doghouse last night. It was a lot of fun, though I didn't get to fly long since my wife called me away to put away laundry and go to bed. Hopefully, more people will start showing up. I really want to see an 8 vs 8 co-op. I think it would be awesome.

There are very few who play these series of sims online, but those that do love it. Hyperlobby is a good place to find someone, you just have to hang out there for awhile until someone else pops in. Doghouse checks in almost every night somewhere between 8 pm and 11 pm. He has led the charge for SFP1/WOV multiplayer for many years and is probably the best pilot flying this sim online. I have recently tried to make some time to fly online. My free time is limited, but typically I am checking in around 10 pm and gone by 11 pm every night. Last night, I got lucky. Doghouse, God, and Texag02 were flying dogfight aroun 9:45 pm, so I was able to join and have some fun before going to bed at 10:30 pm. Previously, I have at best found one other person to fly with (usually Doghouse). I suggest you download and install the program called Hamachi. It is a free program that permits you to join or create virtual private networks. It makes the game think that everyone is physically wired together on the same LAN rather than going through the internet. This solves a lot of problems people have with hosting/joining servers. So you use Hyperlobby to find people to fly, then have them join a Hamachi network so that communications will be reliable and independent of Hyperlobby. Good luck on finding people to fly with. This sim is very fun and challenging when the opposition is human rather than lame AI.

One of the people who is going to play creates a network and gives it a password. For instance, I have a network named streakserver1 whose password is streakserver1 Anyone can join and use this network at any time whether I am online or not. However, the free version only allows 16 clients. So, the owner of the network must periodically "evict" people who are offline to make room for people who want to play. If I forget to flush out the network, newbies can't log in because others have already used up the 16 slots available. If I opted to pay them $4.50 a month, I could have up to 256 other pay for clients, but can still only host 16 free clients. So, to me, there is no advantage to subscribing unless there is a very large group and everyone in it is willing to pay. Since the game only allows 16 people to fly at one time, I really see no need for a subscription. Everyone can meet through Hyperlobby, the forums, an instant messenger, or email and agree on when to play and what the network name and password will be for that session. Hyperlobby has provent to be a good place to meet since you not only find the people you are looking for, but may meet some newbies looking for action as well. Of course, getting someone new to play means making sure they have an install that matches everyone else and getting them acquainted with any other software involved such as Teamspeak and Hamachi. Where the system always fails is getting everyone to be online at the same time. Presently, I am lucky if I can make 1 hour every night from 10 pm to 11 pm EST. During that time, I am lucky if I can find 1 person to fly with. When I used to hang out every night from 8 pm to 11 pm, I frequently hosted dogfights with 4 to 8 people. I always hoped that I would one day see 16 people in a co-op mission, which would really bring out the full potential of Thirdwire sims online MP, but it never happened. It looks like there is a sudden interest in MP again... maybe this time?

It is easily found on google or wikipedia, but here is a link to their download page. While there is a pay version, the freeware license is adequate for our purposes. The pay version is a monthly service fee and is really only beneficial if everyone involved subscribes. http://www.hamachi.cc/download/list.php

Teamspeak and the CombatAce Teamspeak server is great for playing online. Gets rid of the annoying typing and you can communicate about host/client problems very easily without having to exit the game.

Forget Hyperlobby... use it as a means to meet people. Once you decide to fly, use Hamachi. It gets rid of most of the headaches people encounter trying to host/join this sim via Hyperlobby. I have hosted on Hyperlobby for years and know how to solve most of the problems. All of a sudden no one can join my host via Hyperlobby anymore. Yet, people can see and join my host via Hamachi without even worrying about the IP address just by starting the game and using its built-in multiplayer LAN interface.

A-10A, no problem! I used to have a green flight jacket from an A-10 pilot. I wore it all the time until I lost it on a work trip to Miami... I think I left it on the rental car shuttle and when I came back two weeks later it was not anywhere in the pile of hundreds of lost & found jackets :(

After MSIP:

How is this for starters:

With the switches, it is effectively direct competition with the CH throttle quadrant. NewEgg's price for the CH product is about $135... so half the product for less than half the price at $60 is fair. Also compared to a HOTAS setup like the X-52 for $130 which has two sticks... again half the product for half the price. The only game I frequently play where I could use such a setup to full effect would be Aces High II, which allows you to control rpm and manifold pressure for each engine on multi-engine aircraft like the P-38 and B-17. If only the SFP1 series had more detailed engine modeling to make a dual throttle useful when flying F-4s. Of course 99.9% of the time, the throttles stay together anyway, so the traditional single axis HOTAS throttle is really adequate for air combat purposes.

Interesting... but I think $60 for only 3-axis control and no pushbuttons is a bit steep... should be more like $30 or $40.

His death does not make me very sad. He lived a full life, far more than some heroes of his caliber got to have. I saw him in person once, but the line was too long. He had to leave before I got the chance to get his autograph on my copy of "...and kill Migs!". The only thing bad about his passing is that one less great American is around to share the history he experienced. The WWI generation is already gone. It won't be long before there won't be anyone left who experienced WW2 firsthand. Unfortunately, most Americans will only know and remember what they learn in the movies. <S> to Robin Olds and his entire generation for bearing the burden of fighting to provide freedom and happiness to the citizens of the USA.

Purchased around Nov 2000, this HOTAS served me long and well in Jane's sims (primarily USAF), Falcon 4.0, Aces High, Strike Fighters series, Xtreme Air Racing, Operation Flashpoint/Armed Assault, IL-2 series, LOMAC, etc. Over the years I only had to fix two things: POV hat needed to be adjusted to make good contact with switches (I wrapped the stem with black electrical tape) and replacing the molded connector from the throttle cable into the stick with a standard shell so that I could resolder the wires. Just the other night, Windows suddenly stopped recognizing the stick. At first, I thought it was simply another cable problem with the USB connection, but even the gameport connection didn't work. Something in the internal logic went away. Now I am back to using my X-45 and I am looking at the possibility of getting an X-52 Pro. Hard to say goodbye to a stick that served me so long and well. [edit]it is a small miracle... after banging on the casing and jamming the usb connector in and out a few times, it decided to come back to life today!!!

I figured out why the stick failed: it was my throttle cable connector repair. Even with strain relief, the ground wire had wiggled its way into shorting one of the other wires (which has too much lead exposed thanks to my less than fantastic wire-stripping/soldering work. I opened the shell, observed the problem and moved the ground lead out of the way (for now until it decided to wiggle its way back). As for the fit of the stick...my hand is just big enough to comfortably use the X-36 pinky switch. The X-45 pinky switch extender was the 2nd thing I removed after the fire button safety cover. My hand barely touches the bottom guard... so it doesn't really provide any support, but that's okay with me.

I banged on my X-36 base with my hand a few times then plugged it in and out a few times... until it finally worked again!!!!! The only sims I fly that would benefit from the throttle quadrant are LOMAC and Aces High... If TK ever went a little more hard core permitting dual throttles for the F-4, I would get it in a heartbeat. If TK would support external instruments/displays... I would be in heaven. Since you obviously have both Saitek and CH sticks, what makes you prefer the CH stick to the Saitek? The Saitek X-36/X-45 sticks fit my hand perfectly and I absolutely love the button/pov hat placement... like the modified Cobra B-8 with an POV extra hat. The pinky switch is a good simulation for the nose-gear steering switch on the F-4 control stick. The only switch missing from the Saitek is the extra one on the lefthand side of the pistol grip, but the extra ones on top provide better functionality. The light pull on the X-36 used to allow me to maneuver very precisely when making small changes. The X-45 has never allowed me to get that. With the spring loosened up a bit, it is ALMOST as good as the X-36.