FastCargo

Hey KB, Could you go over what in the SF2 engine is case dependent, so I know what files I shouldn't change to all caps? FC

That's because it isn't a JSOW... I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Actually, you've seen it already, it's just not out yet. Oh, and btw folks, the F-15SE is hella fun, especially when it's in CFT weapons only mode. Though you only have 4 weapons, the fact that you're flying around with F-100-229s wearing nothing but CFTs in a Strike Eagle airframe makes for some fast times. Damn thing is basically a Streak Eagle except it's armed! FC

There have been problems with certain aircraft being released for Gen 2 sims that even after following instructions here do not appear in Gen 1 sims. The problem as Spinners alluded to eariler is that the newer sims can read Unicode and ANSI encoded ini files, whereas the Gen 1 sims can only read in ANSI. The solution is simple....resave the ini files in ANSI format. Here's what should be done: First, backup all your ini files in the aircraft you are converting over. In XP, use Notepad to open the file, then go to the File, Save As... menu. You should see an option to save the file and it should default to ANSI. You will see the ANSI option in the Save As... menu, you may not see it in the Save menu. Make sure you are overwriting the specific file you opened...otherwise things could get ugly quick. In Vista, the instructions are very similiar, except the default is Unicode. Make sure you change this to ANSI or you'll have wasted your time. Otherwise, the instructions are the same. That should be it, enjoy your Gen 2 third party aircraft in your Gen 1 sim. FC

Well, crap on a stick. I just noticed for the first time that Notepad in Vista natively saves text files in Unicode. Never noticed an option until a few minutes ago while working on something unrelated. This confirms what others have noticed. The solution is to open the particular ini files and resave them in ANSI. I will add this step to the 'Converting SF2 aircraft to SF1' thread in the knowledge base. FC

No problem...I probably need to tweak that area of the knowledge base a bit... FC

Also folks, for you ALCM fans, be aware I'm working some minor upgrades to it to allow for proper loft operations (mainly to avoid the 'shallow attack angle' problem where you hit the ground just before the target, though with nukes that may not be an issue...). Awesome work Dave! FC

Falcon, Dude, you're talking about a C-5 as a gunship and you're worried about a realistic loadout? I think it'll be okay to take a little liberty with that if you want... FC

Sweet, Put that 757 in FedEx colors and you're good to go! FC

The top one I could see someone doing...but the bottom one is basically an F-22 with a set of small canards. FC

This also means that if you do it right, there can be RCS changes when using external stores if you put 'hitboxes' around the pylons. Not as much as in real life (ie unlike a stealth aircraft where your signature can change by orders of magnitude with external stores, your RCS in the game would only change in proportion to the size of the hitboxes added to overall hitbox size)...but it does add a measure of 'how stealthy do you want to be' in the loadout. Like in the upcoming Silent Eagle... FC

Silent... and... Deadly. New Style... or Old School. FC

That's some sweetness there! FC

Welcome back Pappy! FC

Not necessarily. Folks who've worked on them could tell ya better, but I know that lot's of F-16s have been retired due to fatigue...lots of hard hours flown. Unlike the older days, where engineers tended to put extra 'beef' on the airframe because the precision wasn't there and they erred to the cautious side, as STORM said, more modern aircraft tend to cut lots closer to the bone on specs...resulting in less overall life due to wear and tear. Anyway, because of this, you'd have to put a LOT of work into an airframe to get it back up to speed...verses just spending a little extra money and getting a brand new airframe. In some cases it makes sense (T-38), but in other cases it doesn't. FC

I think the person who created is (SaE) said that the cockpit is still pretty crappy overall. FC

We won't buy them for the same reason we don't buy the B or C model F-35. All that extra dead weight that gives no advantage to operations on a land based aircraft. The simplest option is buying more new build F-16s. The logistical tail already exists, the training program exists, most of the operators are already familiar with the type. Probably could even get a discount. FC

Guys, Before anyone gets too spun up...I would remind you that there is something called Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Basically, you could be called up (or volunteer), even though you have been separated completely out of the military life for some time. Depending if this guy had a particular specialty that the US Army was critically short of, they may have more or less simply activated him, threw a uniform on him and shipped him to the desert with a waiver because his he's an expert in a particular field. Yes, it's scary to see in general (ick) but if he's right at the beginning of his IRR service, the Army has time to get him back into fighting shape...assuming he doesn't die of a heart attack beforehand! FC

Any small aircraft near a large aircraft's wingtip vortex will have a problem...the tragic accident that resulted in the loss of 2 aircraft and 2 pilots was not something endemic to the XB-70. FC

Hey mike, If you look in the F-18s data.ini file, you'll find the entries for the flaps. Make a backup of the data.ini first! One of the lines within will read something like AUTOMATIC_SPEED, or AUTOMATIC_MACH, or AUTOMATIC_AERODYMANIC_LOAD, or something similiar. Simply change that line to read MANUAL or MANUAL_WITH_BLOWBACK, and that should work for you. FC

The question is, when does the unicode kick in? I only use notepad or WinMerge for ini editing, and it doesn't tell me when it's saving in ASCII vs Unicode. There has been some other weirdness, especially in the T-38s/F-5B models. For some reason, the nozzles don't work in the T-38, but work fine in the F-5B series, and it's the same damn MAX model! Also, using the multi LOD setup has caused issues with some LODs being visible at much longer distances than they should be. It's all minor, but very annoying. FC

Part of the SWOTUSAF series. I'll get more pics when I fly in to harass Dave... FC

You know, while searching through this thread...I found this post. Ed, stop teasin' folks with photoshop! FC