Crusader

Found the pics in the Life mag archive some years ago. Probably hand-outs for the press. The three HUD pics, two of them were scanned/filed away upside down. MiG-23 pics are not directly related to the 1989 HUD camera pics.

More on the J/N/P variants AIM-9J (original version), 1970-1983 (approx. date of conversions finished) AIM-9J-1 (original version, USAF improved variant introduced in 1977, then renamed to AIM-9P in 1978 Will only be available as AIM-9P in game, from 1977 (I try to simplify as much as possible..) AIM-9J-1 (new version) from 1979 with new optical fuze AIM-9J-2 new upgraded version with SR116 motor and old influence fuze AIM-9J-3 new upgraded version with SR116 motor and optical fuze I set the start date for them to 1980, thats about the time when supplies the new components became available The availability of the new motor and fuze lead to a complete new set of new and upgraded J/N/P missile variants. Existing stocks of AIM-9J could be upgraded to AIM-9N (Danemark N-2, Belgium N-3, more for other NATO members (Spain)). The 9N has the same variants like the new 9J series, but the Guidance and Control Unit (GCU) was updated with all solid-state electronics. That made it better than the 9J GCU, but still not as good as the all-new 9P GCU. The new-production 9P series - again same variants as 9J/N, with the additional AIM-9P-4 with all-aspect capability and improved seeker range(1986), and the AIM-9P-5 with a further improved GCU/seeker for better range/guidance(1989). P-4/P-5 are the only versions with the electronics for SEAM mode and seeker look angle feedback. All E/J/N/P series GCU's have electric-powered cooling, P-4/5 inclusive. To be continued.. EDIT

Open the canopy of the cockpit, linked to the animation of the external model Does not look perfect, the canopy bow is a single mesh = no framed canopy glass with the canopy open In the cockpit ini, add Instrument[063]=OpenCanopy1 Instrument[064]=OpenCanopy2 Instrument[065]=OpenCanopy3 Instrument[066]=OpenCanopy4 ... // ----------------------------------- open canopy [OpenCanopy1] Type=EXTERNAL_ANIMATION_LINK NodeName=Canopy_Frame MovementType=POSITION_Y ItemNumber=4 SmoothDeployment=TRUE Set[01].Position=0.0 Set[01].Value=0.0 Set[02].Position=-0.55 Set[02].Value=1.0 [OpenCanopy2] Type=EXTERNAL_ANIMATION_LINK NodeName=Canopy_Glass MovementType=POSITION_Y ItemNumber=4 SmoothDeployment=TRUE Set[01].Position=0.0 Set[01].Value=0.0 Set[02].Position=-0.55 Set[02].Value=1.0 [OpenCanopy3] Type=EXTERNAL_ANIMATION_LINK NodeName=Left_Mirror_Frame MovementType=POSITION_Y ItemNumber=4 SmoothDeployment=TRUE Set[01].Position=0.0 Set[01].Value=0.0 Set[02].Position=-0.55 Set[02].Value=1.0 [OpenCanopy4] Type=EXTERNAL_ANIMATION_LINK NodeName=Right_Mirror_Frame MovementType=POSITION_Y ItemNumber=4 SmoothDeployment=TRUE Set[01].Position=0.0 Set[01].Value=0.0 Set[02].Position=-0.55 Set[02].Value=1.0

Only TK really knows what the AI is doing with them Cant really see any thing different with AI jets compared to the player. Their hit rate with early missiles is miserable as well!

Yep, I do remember the test with the Magic. I have also changed/updated the warhead explosive mass for my mod. Most stock missiles have the complete warhead weight set for the explosive mass. The real amount is much less. Ive gone one step further. Ive converted the several different explosive types to their TNT equivalent. The results are between 4.9 kg and 6.2 kg explosive mass for the AIM-9's. Combined with the increased fuzing distance, the results are more damaged targets and less immediate fiery explosions.

Excellent summary by Gunrunner And the default values for all AI attack profiles are in the AIRCRAFTAIDATA.ini (ObjectData001.cat).

Found in my saved files, Egyptian launcher vehicle with the backside of the turret visible.

AIM-9 project - next point: the "reduced smoke" motor. One probably reads about that when reading/finding info (old books, lists with AIM-9 variants) in connection to the AIM-9E-2. Its true, but it is only the tip of the iceberg :D And it was not in use in the late 60s. The new motor has a new grain which burns cleaner, producing less smoke. Theres more to it, the motor also has more thrust and gives the missile a higher impulse. Production of the new SR116-HP-1 motor started in 1978, with first deliveries 1979/80. While thrust per second is slightly increased over the old Mk17 motor, the burn time is 3.2 seconds versus 2.2 seconds of the Mk17. The new motor is used with variants of the 9B/E/J/N/P series. The combination of motor and fuse define the AIM-9 variant in combination with the Letter-specific Guidance and Control Section (GCU), the basic variants have no dash-suffix (e.g AIM-9J = basic J variant) Variant = motor + fuze 9J = Mk17 + Mk303 9J-1 = Mk17 + DSU-21 9J-2 = SR116 + Mk303 9J-3 = SR116 + DSU-21 This matrix applies to all B/E/J/N/P variants, the 9P has two more: 9P-4 = SR-116 + DSU-21 9P-5 = SR116 + DSU-21 Fuses: the Mk303 is the original IR influence fuse, the DSU-21 the new optical/laser fuse available from ~1979. Thus the -2 and -3 are generally the best variants, with the 9P-4/P-5 which have all-aspect capability having a further improvement.Of all the variants mentioned above only the 9P-4 and 9P-5 seeker can be slaved to the radar. For all other variants it is required to point the seeker directly at the target to obtain a lock-on. To be continued.. EDIT

AFAIK some Tomahawks, and decoys as well. EDIT: And the Kuwaitis attempted to shoot down Silkworms with SA-7.. no hits!

Naw :) No, Ive not attempted to shoot down a cruise missile with IR missiles. Probably wont work because the game doesnt "categorize" the cruise missile weapon as a target for IR missiles, only for radar missiles. Another thing is that while IR missiles do turn skywards for the sun (after loosing lock or with too much "sun" in the seeker FOV", there is no change of the IR acquisition tone if the player points the seeker at the sun.

Some additional proxy-pix

AI F-4 with AIM-9J - the target Mirage is still within the seeker FOR and the 9J makes the turn and hits

Good that you mention fuzing distance - thats my next point to elaborate on :) Stock missiles have a fuzing distance value of 0 or 0.5 meters. Ive changed that to values (for AIM-9) of 6.0 and 8.0 meters, depending on the type of fuze of the AIM-9 variant. The result is that about 75% of the hits still result in fatal destruction, with 25% causing damage and the target keeps flying on. Some crash after a few minutes or catch fire. Big bombers sometimes need a second AIM-9 hit. Beagle screenies: first a proximity-fuzing hit which caused damage to the right wing, second Beagle is hit fatally.

Yes, the SeekerGimbleLimit= value is the angle measured from boresight 0 to the max angle the seeker can move off-boresight. The whole Field Of Regard (FOR) that the seeker can cover is 80° with a GimbleLimit=40 The AIM-7 will receive some attention as well. For example, max flight time of the 7E's is 40 seconds. And the 7E-2 does not have a shorter range than the 7E, it only has a shorter minimum range. But I digress...

You have a (ini) problem with the missile launchers. Nice metal though

What if you use a "Light" function, to turn off the unused part of the pit ? Light "Off" mesh is not rendered, isnt it ?

From MBDA website, a twin-launcher also exists, the Mistral ATLAS

Standard sight is OK.

Without looking for detailed info, the upper photo shows a Night-Sight, the lower photo the standard daylight Sight Unit.

Sieht jetzt ganz danach aus...

The "super seeker" In the TW weapon Editor, the IR missiles have a option "Seeker Uncage" which can be set On/Off By default, all AIM-9 starting with the 9E have this option enabled. What does it do? The seeker will search the whole Field of Regard (FOR) as defined by the Seeker Gimbal Limits (generally +/- 40° for all -9 between the B and the X) with the speed set by the Seeker Tracking Rate value. And that is the "super seeker", covering a large area in front of the aircraft in SF2. Such a seeker function is correct for few real missiles, the French Magic series is one type which does have a seeker covering a large FOR and scans it with a very high rate. The Magic has been designed as a close-combat missile able to be used in a dogfight without the need to use a radar or radar-lock. So, "Seeker Uncage" has been disabled - is that bad/does it affect the AIM-9 in a bad way? No. The game has functions which are automatic, out of player control. What I call "auto-uncage is one of them. with the seeker locked-on to a target, the seeker is automatically uncaged and keeps tracking the target until the exceeding the Gimbal Limits / the Tracking rate / background noise / decoys break the lock. A second function is a automatic preference for the target positioned closest to the players center of view. Even with a radar lock and a missile with a slaved seeker. That is close to a real "Manual Boresight" function, where the pilot manually re-cages the seeker (back from the radar slave mode) to point the seeker (by maneuvering) to another target. The screenshot shows that I have locked the target on my left, but the seeker circle is on the target in front of me. Missile used is a 9L. To be continued..

Make the cover a part of the missile and use a function of the missile data? (animation or booster node separation?) to remove it at missile launch.

In connection to the Type=EXHAUST_GAS_TEMPERATURE_INDICATOR function, the ItemNumber= line refers to the EngineID # in the data ini