Geary

Wilches, Check you PM.

File Name: TW_MystereIVA_HiRez_Templates File Submitter: Geary File Submitted: 11 March 2016 File Category: Skin Templates TW Mystere IVA Hi-Rez Templates for SF2 / SF1. Templates for the ThirdWire Mystere IVA at 2048 pixels in PSD format. You must have a software program that reads and works with PSD layers. These were built in Photoshop CC 2015. Gimp and Paint.net are two free programs that work with PSD layers. Opacity is adjustable for all layers. These can be saved in JPG format for SF2 or BMP format for SF1. Add your own paint, dirt and weathering. I have no references for this plane so there's not a lot of detail in the templates. I just redrew the lines and rivets from the existing Mystere IVA skins. I'm releasing this under the Combat Ace Fair Use Agreement. Use it anyway you wish for personal use. For any other use, please contact me first. If you find any problems with it, please PM me. If you improve it, please PM me a copy. If I forget or miss anyone who deserves credit for anything I release, I apologize. I have no intent to abuse or misuse anyone's property or claim it as my own. Please contact me to correct any error. Geary Click here to download this file

File Name: La-15_Fantail_Templates File Submitter: Geary File Submitted: 11 March 2016 File Category: Skin Templates Semi-HiRez Templates for Pasko and Column5's La-15 Fantail For SF1 and SF2. Redrawn Panel Lines and Rivets at 1024 pixels in layered PSD format. You must have a program that recognizes and works with PSD layers to work with this template. Two free programs, Gimp and Paint.net work with PSD layers. Opacity adjustable for both lines and rivets layers. It's and old plane and has a couple of lod inconsistencies but it's the only Fantail we have. I have no references for this plane so there's not a lot of detail in the templates . Add your own paint, dirt and weathering. Thanks to Pasko and Column5 for this early soviet jet. I'm releasing this under the Combat Ace Fair Use Agreement. Use it anyway you wish for personal use. For any other use, please contact me first. If you find any problems with it, please PM me. If you improve it, please PM me a copy. If I forget or miss anyone who deserves credit for anything I release, I apologize. I have no intent to abuse or misuse anyone's property or claim it as my own. Please contact me to correct any error. Geary Click here to download this file

"yakarov79 said, 'La-15 is like Vespa amid other jets...'" One of my favorite 'Vespa' skins by paulopanz with new rivets and panel lines, etc... La-15 Fantail in green and red.

La-15 Fantailing it circa 1951.

Eole, WOW! Your template for the SMB2 is beautifully detailed. I can't imagine mine is useful anymore. I think I'll wait on your skins!

A bit more tweaking. Still in primer gray skin. Hopeful it'll be ready for paint soon.

Thanks. Will be on the look out for them. Safe journey.

Eole, Do you have a template for the Super Mystere / Saar that is better than the TW one? I had started working on one but no sense in duplicating efforts if you are willing to share.

Wilches, Do you know if there is a decent template for this plane? The only ones I found here for the Super Mystere and Saar are the old TW templates for the SF1 series. These would have to be relined and riveted to start with. Will take more time to recreate the template than to paint the plane. But if no other templates are available and I find the time, I will give reworking these templates a shot. No promises.

Good idea … bad execution – in aviation. Throughout my time in the US Army I heard the phrase, ‘Good idea … bad execution’ many times. It usually referred to an idea that sounded good in our heads or on paper but didn’t work as hoped or expected when the idea was implemented. In the past few years as I’ve learned more about one of my favorite airplanes, the F-86 Sabre. More specifically I’ve learned a bit about the design, ‘idea’ and implementation of the F-86D/L and K models of the F-86 Sabre ‘Dog.’ The advantage to MY hindsight and without having unrestricted access to the government procurers and aircraft designers and USAF expectations, requests and problems, is that it’s easy for me to offer my opinion on how ‘stupid’ I think the lack of defensive capabilities were on the D and L models of a good jet. For those of you who don’t know about the F-86 D/L and K models, the US government at the time, mid-1950’s, was terrified of Soviet long rang bombers entering US airspace and dropping nuclear bombs on the continental US. The F-86D/L was designed as an interceptor almost specifically for shooting down bombers. The F-86D was designed without guns or later the capability to carry missiles. It was designed with a ventral pack that carried 24 mighty mouse folding fin aerial ‘unguided’ rockets. The ventral pack would lower from the fuselage beneath the pilot, fire the rockets at the bombers, retract into the fuselage, and the pilot would probably need to leave the area quickly in case he missed or since he had little to do once the rockets were expended. The USAF never changed the weapons capabilities on the D/L models. Within a few years it gave most of the D/L models to the Air Reserve and Guard units in the USA, a sign the USAF wasn’t too happy with the plane. Although, in the USAF’s defense the F-100 Super Sabre was being fielded at the time and was to be a replacement for the older F-86 models. In the meantime … Italy came up with a ‘good idea.’ It licensed the F-86D/L, got rid of the mighty mouse rocket ventral pack, added four 20mm guns in the nose and later the ability to carry AIM-9 Sidewinders. Most European/NATO countries that acquired this particular plane opted for the Italian built F-86K model. To me this was a ‘No Brainer.’ Again, without knowing all the problems faced in designing and procuring the F-86D/L for the USAF, but understanding the fears of the time, it’s easy for me to disparage a plane I like but think it had a major design flaw. In other words, ‘Good idea … bad execution’ on the part of the USAF. Although I do concede that ‘timing’ played a part in this plane’s history, the Italian re-design supports my opinion. So … I’m considering an ‘award’ to give to planes that were possibly ‘good ideas … bad execution.’ I considered calling it the Albatross Award, but the Albatross soars like an angel once it’s off the ground. Any ideas on what to call the award? And any other aircraft idea that might be deserving of this award? Thanks for your time and support, Geary

I don't think unguided rockets are a terrible idea. I think they are a terrible idea as the only A2A weapon. I created a 'what-if' plane by combining the F-86D/L and K models weapons. The guns and sidewinders of the K are for A2A and the rockets of the D/L are for ground attack. I know this may not have been feasible in reality with space and weight being premium in all fighters, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

claw, The DoDo Award is definitely a front runner for the award name. The F-86D/L were also 'Designed for very specific circumstances.' Thanks for the suggestion. ironroad, Rocket only interceptors seemed to be the thinking of the day by the 'future' planners of their time. Unfortunately, their thinking carried over to the next decade where they may have managed to get pilots killed, captured and maimed in the Vietnam War in the gun less F-4 Phantom IIs. Luckily, the plane was improved during that war to become the premier fighter of the day. It may still receive the award for the specific f*&% up of not initially installing a gun and sending pilots into close-in dogfights in a plane designed to shoot down the enemy from distances well beyond gun range. Luckily, the F-8 got guns and eventually AAMs. The F-89 and F-94 were overtaken by technological advances, but the F-102, although being a super cool jet, is a candidate for the award for the very specific design flaw of NO GUNS. But, it's still super cool. The F7U Cutlass is definitely going to receive this award. It's attempt at winning over Buck Rogers fans with its futuristic design may have been successful but it did almost as much harm to pilots as the Top Gun movie. It's only possible redeeming quality is that it seems to have a roomy cockpit with a great view of the stars at night, much like the back seat of an AMC Pacer of the 1970s. Thanks for your input.

AH-1Z Viper from YAP's Fighter Weapons School (adjusted for SF2)

IDF Suez Mossi (DAT PTO Skin; Wrench's (slightly modified) IDF decals)

F7U Cutlass

Does anyone have a Strike Fighters profile for the VAC (Voice Activated Commands) program they are willing to share? I'm running Windows 7 64-bit. I've tried the Shoot program for which there's a profile here at CA but the program doesn't run well on my computer for SF2. I'm guessing it's the 64-bit that confuses it. I've also tried other voice activated command programs but only obtained spotty results at best. Although it could just be unresponsive wing men. VAC looks like it might work, but it's a rather extensive program with lots of confusing command entry choices that don't all make sense to me. ( I think you need a doctorate degree in filling out block spaces to set up a profile for this program.) And, unfortunately, the VAC site does not contain a profile for Strike Fighters. Any help, especially a profile, is greatly appreciated. Geary

Does anyone know which USAF unit flew these colors on their F-86H? (This isn't a quiz. I don't know which unit this is and I would like to. Also any info on the F-86H that's more in depth than Wikipedia would be greatly appreciated.) (This skin is based on an old F-86H Day-Glo Orange skin by Foureyes I found at AVSIM. )

Does anyone know of a good, safe batch file converter to convert .bmp files to .jpg? I just took my Europe install from over 21GB down to 14GB by converting skin texture files from .bmp's to .jpg's. It loads faster now and doesn't rev up my computer as much as it did before. I'm using the image processor function in Photoshop CC 2015 and it works ok, but you have to convert one folder at a time. I haven't learned to use the batch processor in Photoshop yet, but when I tried, it stumped me. May have another try later. Need something that allows me to pick and choose multiple folders and doesn't touch the original .bmp's. Took hours to convert my Europe install. Trying to cut down the time considering I have about 33 SF2 installs. Any help is appreciated. Geary

Wrench, Another masterpiece set. Thanks.

Beauty or Beastly? I can't decide if this skin is pretty or pretty ugly.

Yeah. I leave two installs alone for the night...and like rabbits, they multiply. I actually have 34 but one is just a test install.