EricJ

Nose area revamped:

Right wing done, now for the mid-fuselage and the Nose area. And in reflection this to date (after a decade of skin work) this is the longest taking skin ever (using a corporate PSD, the Super Hornet template for Strike Fighters 2 was all new so I had to put more work in, and I was in Afghanistan during that time as well so I had other things to worry about). Second longest was redoing the Mig-29 template for a custom skin back then (03-04 timeframe) and the damn thing still needs to be worked on...

Ahh so that's why it was easy

Sequence of progress shots

Still trucking on this, rearranging the splotches and keeping them together as possible...

Some little work here.

More progress... The Hornet was just a test to see how my SF2 colors are rendered so I guess it looks good...

Lol we can't win them all But yeah you got lucky with the Cat firing a Phoenix at you, good move as usually I just go for the deck and pray Me: F/A-18F Super Hornet EPE with 4 x AIM-9X, 6 x AIM-120D, centerline tank, gun Opposition: F/A-18A 03 with 2 x AIM-9X, center tank, gun Takeaways: The added push from the EPE engines gave me the edge compared to the older model Hornet. While I'm a Super Hornet jockey I have to look at other means to engage and have some variety. Anyway I thought I was recording my voice but didn't happen so the actual time in-game was 3:25 but I cropped it after the death of the Hornet (I gave a rather short takeaway session that also didn't record). Despite the glitch it was fairly fun actually but the higher thrust gave me the edge to keep with the still agile Hornet. Didn't take as long as it was a done deal but overall the takeaway is that the Hornet is still a good opponent and while short it was a good kill and a good fight.

Along with the Nevada map...

The newsletter explained some delays so it could be anything...

Now that I'm starting to get back into the ED forums I've noticed an "elitist" feel for A-10C pilots, like all of a sudden they're special and better then everybody else, especially when you got more experience than them, but that's just a personal reaction to them. Nice vid though and yeah too bad you failed the mission anyway.

It's still a number...

Finishing touches and she'll be done:

Nice work man!

Me: F/A-18F Block II EPE with 2 x AIM-9X, 8 x AIM-120, gun Opposition: 2 x R-27R, 4 x R-77 and 6 x R-77, gun Here's a BVR DACT (I tried to arm the other jets so I'll have to see what the deelio is with that) but the Su-30MKM was armed to the teeth so it was offered up for sacrifice. Takeaways: I could have done my nails in that time (just kidding) but most extreme long range shots are like that, once you get the missile off the rail it's just waiting until it hits or misses. Given the "death ray" AIM-120D was used it was fairly boring as the AI simply couldn't get in range to even think about launching a missile, but if I had missed well... it would have locked onto me and that would be that another BVR slugfest (well if he was launching at max range then I may have a chance with the small islands below me to try and break a lock or attempt to. No ECM was used (if he had locked me I would have turned it on but still I had a range advantage. But the only thing to note is that when the enemy aircraft isn't vaporized into a fireball you'll see the range triangle at the top of the AIM-120 seeker circle go crazy. Granted the game allows you to watch the kill and of course a vocal message saying you shot him is enough but overall fairly standard and fairly boring. Again I'll redownload the -27SKM and fix the loadouts of the other jets.. as it was kinda old shooting an MKM down.

Thanks! It took some fixing from an Arma 3 version (now that I got my head fixed on that issue...) but it's getting there... slowly

Right engine work:

Left engine work.

I took a spin (track file included) of the C model and while I flew the mountains I had no issue pushing it (was actually quite fun) around, maybe bounced around a bit (as you can see if you have the module) but I landed and was satisfied with it, though I don't fly it as much... Joyride.7z

Some more tail work

More work:

Its the fact that they're so anal retentive with the details. It seems easy to the non-modder to bring in something but the level of work and detail is that way so it'll take some time to shift gears and so on. It's not an easy process in the Eagle Dynamics/TFC mindset. Granted they've had the Mig-29 code for a decade or so but still... it's not like they can turn on a dime and all of a sudden DCS: Mig-29K shows up. There's a lot of research that goes into one jet. Russian birds are easy granted but they'll (if they change it) will be probably be working on it within a year or two, not just swtich models and call it a day. DCS under the hood is very complex so it'll be a minute before they remove it. I mean the F-14 is still in there but my bet is once the Super Hornet gets introduced it'll disappear.

Usually the Russian AAMs modeled in-game (as realistic as possible) don't have as much range as everybody would like to believe... Makes me snicker at those pro-Russian pictures showing that in the end the Flanker will eventually outshoot a Raptor but that remains to be seen and obviously this is NOT the topic to discuss that. Me: F/A-18F Block II with 4 x AIM-9X and 6 x AIM-120D, gun Opposition: Su-30MKM with 4 x R-73/74s and a lot of R-77s, gun In any case the video: Takeaways: My friend who sent me the stick said it would be good and he wasn't lying. Although the detent is beginning to grow on me (still think it's annoying, but that's just Arma 3's crap throttle settings and had to do some touch and goes to get familiar with the stick more so it's better) but man... as well at around 1:40 in my video yes I could have kilt him good but again it wasn't so much that it wouldn't have taken so long its that well... had to play with the guy a bit (as while recording I wasn't too thrilled at his performance) I ended up obviously right on his twelve my six. Not much more to say as it was pretty obvious towards the end of the energy circle I managed to work myself out much better than normal, and managed to get a good shot in. I guess the only piece is that for missile shots (to reiterate) is that if the bogey is perpendicular to your rate of travel and regardless of angle he's going on your HUD then don't shoot, wait until he's more "stable" relative to your own flight to take the shot. And eventually I'll figure out how to add voice after the fact (it was much easier in Flanker 2.51) so I may have to see how that goes or record while doing the engagement, but that's for the future. And also shows how long I've been away, need to add more Sukhoi's to my list as that's Operation Daruis timeframe (the MKM). Thrustmaster Hotas X Review: Overall I don't do reviews because really, some people beat me to it so it seems a wasted effort. My first DACT with the new stick sold me as far as Strike Fighters 2 goes. The stick despite the redonkulous detent (I really think that thi stick is good for FSX, but I don't fly commercial so...) is still something I've been missing out for a decade or so. But even then I managed to still manipulate the throttle quite well (actually much better than the Logitech stick) and the HOTAS is still something new (again I've been playing with similar sticks to the Logitech since Flanker 2.51) so it's a departure from my "norm" but overall I'm happy with it. After the engagement I took it on some low level flying (same configuration) and overall still have to get some more stick time in but otherwise I'm sold.

My only thing for that video is that around 1:46 you could have pulled tighter and if you had a 'winder or ASRAAM you could have gotten a good shot as he was traveling straight for a good while there (sitting duck) but good one nonetheless. Granted its not my engagement but when the opposition gets like that then its a good window. And as Do335 said it's worth a shot because after the launch you could have leveled out and not stalled... but good shooting though, I just don't have the patience for gun kills most of the time...

True, but the type of play reminds me when Flanker 1.5 was out... for some stupid reason I never flew stick, was kinda against it. Then Flanker2.0 rolled around and got a Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2 and been flying stick since. I flew the same way with OFP to A3 helicopters with mouse and keyboard and earlier this year figured out how to fly helos with a stick as well. So yeah... can't not fly without a stick and so on. but its good to know there is some realism in a mobile game...