JediMaster

That would be funny, because for some reason I'm expecting TK's SF2 Exp Pack 2 today. Maybe my Spidey-sense was just giving me the wrong tingle.

The J-11B is the unlicensed version using indigenous engines IIRC.

Uh, he contradicted himself! First he says to build a new design instead of adapting an existing one costs too much and is irrational, then he says there will be a fair and open competition implying that a new design has just as much chance as an adapted one!

Only half as many as the previous 2 contracts, and half of those are Growlers. Looks like the Super Hornet program is starting to wind down as the F-35C grows closer.

I've done some A2A with the Thud, and while it's risky it's very rewarding if you succeed! It's like the A-10 in that regard, where I've gotten several gun kills by luring MiGs low and slow.

I've actually got some 3rd party A-6 cockpit in my SF2 install, I forget which, and fly it from time to time, but I was just referring to the fact that TK decided not to invest in an SF2-updated cockpit for WOV2 and relegated it to the status of an escorted plane mostly.

Honestly, with a plane like that where all you can do is drop bombs I'm more inclined to want to go the study sim route since the avionics recreation becomes half of the fun. With TK's casual avionics implementation, I'll admit I never spend that much time flying the A-6 either. I've spent more time with mod F-111s, actually, since at least they have AB and go real fast.

See, that's the difference though. You know conceptually that grammar school was long ago. Since I was in late high school, it doesn't seem nearly as long back.

Seems like just recently still, so to realize it's been 20 yrs ago is a shock. Of course, I started dating my wife 15 yrs ago, so...

While Watergate and the moon landings are history to me, the Soviet Union was very real...even though it collapsed right after Wayne's World came out...coincidence?!?!

TK canned the A-6 I believe because it was a pure bomber. You drop your bombs, and you're done. No gun, no AAMs, just get to the target without dying and then get out without dying. Sure, some people like that, but more people prefer either a pure fighter engaging air targets or, ideally, a fighter-bomber that can do both. Considering it takes just as much effort to make an A-6 as any other plane, he felt it was a better use of resources to make the more versatile planes as flyables instead. I can't fault his logic, just his lack of resources.

That way means you program the stick in the individual sims you use it in instead, so if you back up the configs for each of them there you get it.

That's the way I have my G940 set up in Black Shark, actually, with a profile I found online. My Logitech profile is just blank. I was looking for a Logi profile, actually, but this worked just as well.

Granted, some sims don't give you that option and you'll be forced to manually redo your stick setup in those sims on a reinstall.

The difference, of course, is that he'd need a software guy or team to create such a profile program, than test it to make sure it works on XP, Vista, 7, 32 and 64 bit, blah blah blah. In short, it will amplify the costs a LOT...and therefore the price.

While not a legend, I saw comedy central favorite Greg Giraldo has died as well, but he was only 44!

Sunshine Superman and Mello Yello are classics I've loved since childhood.

Alice Cooper did such classics as Feed My Frankenstein and School's Out. He was in Wayne's World, when Wayne and Garth see his concert, didn't you catch that...um, 20 yr old film? 20 yrs?!?!

Depends on if you define human as "what we should be" or "what we are." If the latter, then idiots are the humans, and those who are not are just not human. Fortunately.

You mean Syfy aka "Low Budget TV Movie of the Week" Channel. I have one word for you: Sharktopus.

I suppose a high-bypass ratio turbofan would offer plenty of cool bleed air, akin to the Harrier's or F-35B's method for creating air jets in hover mode. Most UAVs are small, though, so an HBR turbofan wouldn't fit well.

I think the best application would be dual-mode. A plane that can lock its surfaces into a stealthy position in high-threat areas and use the blown air, but able to revert to the surfaces in the event of engine failure or for increased agility under fire (when stealth is already compromised).

IIRC, the B-2 already does this to some extent. It has "drag rudders" by splitting the outboard ailerons differentially (like the A-10's airbrakes just on one side or the other) that it doesn't use in "full stealth mode", switching to differential engine thrust instead. Less precise, but no RCS increase. This takes that idea already used for yaw and applies it to roll.

Usually planes without ailerons or flaps have spoilers, and this seems not to have them either.

If someone could get subs to surface, fire SSMs like Tomahawks, then submerge again, that would ROCK.

However, I know it won't happen, so I'm just spitballing into the wind up the flagpole to see who salutes to the wall when it sticks.

It most definitely will not be out in the next 15 minutes.

BTW, I don't know if there any others, but I'm currently sitting at one of the only active military installations that has wild peacocks on it. They're nicer when they're beyond the areas you walk around, not in them.

How can you not know who the J Geils Band is? Their big hit was all over the airwaves.

"My blood runs cold

My memory has just been sold

My angel is the centerfold

Na na na na-na-na"

Alice Cooper is "just another punk band" in the way that The Beatles were "just another pop group."

I think they mean no wing control surfaces, no flaps OR ailerons. Many planes have existed without one or the other, but those without either are very few and usually belong to the wing-warping club. If this doesn't use that either but just blown air, that's interesting but hardly practical.

After all, what does it do in an engine-out situation?

I'm surprised they remembered Donovan. His music has been largely absent from even the oldies channels for like 20 years.

Beasties FTW!

I was at the Biltmore in the 80s. I wonder how different it is now? Not that I remember it all that well, old vacations tend to blur together over the decades...

I would think that would be a patch/rerelease situation. "Exp 1 now has plane X made flyable with pit, patch available for current owners, so if you haven't picked it up yet, now's a great time!"

Similar to how Rise of Flight did their ICE rerelease lately with the same price point but now more planes included stock.

To put a pit in Exp 2 that only helps those who also bought Exp 1 just doesn't strike me as something TK would do. One thing you can say about TK, he knows how to run a niche business successfully.

Well, to be fair, no one supported ME at any time in its lifecycle.

It's very subjective and AFAIK Dave is usually the determining authority.

General rule of thumb, though, is if someone makes a single skin or modifies an existing one (or some) in some way that doesn't count.

If you're someone like Sundowner who's made literally dozens of great quality skins over the years, that does.

Basically, just because you made a skin you're not automatically a "modder." However, even if skins is all you've done (no terrain, planes, objects, etc) you're not automatically going to be disqualified if it's agreed the contribution is significant (not necessarily in quantity, but quality).

To be honest, we've fallen behind lately when it comes to awarding people "modder" status. Feel free to nominate any you see that you feel are worthy and when he gets a chance Dave will say "yea" or "nay", for he doth be the one that controlleth the appellations of the members...mostly.

I was thinking something that comes with Exp 2 would be integrated into Exp 1, such as a flyable from Exp 2 being put into the campaign for Exp 1 with appropriate skins for the different region. That's the only thing that makes economic sense to me. The Saudi Lightning makes perfect sense in that regard. Exp 2 adds a flyable Lightning for Europe, but if you have Exp 1 you'll be able to fly it in the Israel map with Saudi skins.

As has been noted many times here over the years, cockpits are more labor-intensive than the rest of the airplane, which is why TK gives us more AI planes than we can fly because he doesn't want to spend on those cockpits.

Don't forget his "Exp 1 didn't sell as well as we thought it would" statement...I can't imagine he'd make the money back if he put something that pricey in that would only benefit the smaller (than hoped) number of people who bought Exp1 and then Exp 2.