EricJ

Me: Typhoon beta with 4 x AIM-132 ASRAAM and tank, gun Opposition: F/A-18C with 2 x AIM-9 and 2 AIM-7 Sparrow Started off neutral as I wanted to take a test drive with the new (but old) Typhoon beta. Turning into the Hornet wasn't too difficult and after one energy circle the Hornet decided to go vertical which allowed me to launch an AIM-132 and splash him. Takeways. Nothing new just a good indication that the beta is still as maneuverable as the older version. It looks great and now I need a dynamic campaign in Norway to finish it out. But if it was anything the Typhoon beta still delivers the same bang for the buck and allows you to take on those pesky light fighters (I honestly expected a more difficult fight with the Hornet, but that shot was too good to pass up).

File Name: VX-9 Century Of Naval Aviation File Submitter: EricJ File Submitted: 30 April 2012 File Category: SF2 Series Add On Skins For the F/A-8F, this is one of the aircraft shown by VX-9 during the Century of Naval Aviation ceremony. Click here to download this file

VX-9 Century Of Naval Aviation

Yep, here are some steps if you have a Mission Editor: 1. Start a mission, any mission, Fighter Sweep is the most easiest to deal with. 2. Delete EVERY flight except your own, mainly the enemy flights as that's a reason for you to not get a mission success for no enemy aircraft around. Note that you'll have to tweak some missions as you have to destroy a specific flight, so set it to like Reconnaissance and you will be able do delete the targeted flight. 3. Enemy Air Defenses to NONE (up to you on that one, but if you want to just roam the countryside...) 4. Save it under whatever name 5. Exit the game, open the mission file in the Mission editor (Only if you want to remove the waypoints) so your waypoints look like this: Waypoint[01].Command=TAKEOFF Waypoint[01].Position=592783.114518,626169.345070,0.000000 Waypoint[01].Size=100.000000 Waypoint[01].Speed=244.800003 Waypoint[02].Command=DEPART Waypoint[02].Position=602008.805437,626965.727796,3048.000000 Waypoint[02].Size=1500.000000 Waypoint[02].Speed=244.800003 Waypoint[03].Command=APPROACH Waypoint[03].Position=587757.364197,601099.446080,1524.000000 Waypoint[03].Size=1500.000000 Waypoint[03].Speed=282.944183 Waypoint[04].Command=LAND_LINEUP Waypoint[04].Position=586164.592951,619550.827918,762.000000 Waypoint[04].Size=1500.000000 Waypoint[04].Speed=72.862740 Waypoint[05].Command=LAND_TOUCHDOWN Waypoint[05].Position=592677.048501,626063.279053,0.000000 Waypoint[05].Size=25.000000 Waypoint[05].Speed=54.020000 Or just leave your flightpath there, this is what I do for carrier free flight missions. Save and test. If you did things right it will A) work, B) Give you a mission complete message as soon as you start the mission. Then everything you do will be clocked and recorded until you get done with your flying. It just takes some time to work out and you'll get it.

Me: F/A-18F EPE with 2 x AIM-9X and 8 x AIM-120D, gun Opposition: F-14D (06) with 4 x AIM-9M or X and 4 x AIM-7, gun Started off neutral and when I turned right I ensured he came off my left side and he flew past, I turned into his pass, blacking out and then I relaxed and got sight of him, turned into him and then almost overshot. Dropped throttle to idle and deployed my brakes and he flew on, again I'm thinking its more of a visual thing so he extended. I didn't risk a 9X shot (flares mainly) and instead shot him down with an AMRAAM. Takeaways. Reaction time is more important on this one rather than anything else, and the better turning capability of my aircraft. Sure the D had more powerful engines but sometimes you have to use your long reach. But that's becoming a point with most of the DACT sessions I posted today and also the ones I didn't post but did. Flares are becoming more effective in SF2:NA and shows something else, if you don't feel good making an IR shot, and you have a radar homer, shoot that instead. Then again the other point is just reaction time and aware of what you're about to walk into. Had I not paid attention this session wouldn't work out as it should, it would just mean I got shot down.

Me: F-14D (06) with 4 x AIM-9M and 4 x AIM-7M (I think), tanks and gun Opposition: F-4E with 4 x Sidewinder and 4 x Sparrow, gun Strike Fighters 2: North Atlantic Started off neutral and one thing I learned was somehow the F-4 turns better than "normal" but then again an FM update may have happened so I'll leave this one alone. In previous DACT sessions if I turn in and hesitate I get fed a sidewinder (in a Tomcat) so when I turn into him on full burner I let him pass and then enter an energy circle. The F-4 does this for a couple times and I'm forced to drop flaps in order to maintain my turn (readers have to realize... well new readers have to realize I don't fly the Tomcat much, so still stuck in Super Hornet mode here) and keep my nose generally on him. After he ends up near the ground I retract my flaps and then get behind him, as he's out of energy and now I have him to myself. And after taking the second shot I almost managed to overshoot him and so I throttled down to idle and let him get some distance. The third shot I fire my first 9M and it explodes him. Takeaways. I honestly expected an easier fight as I've kinda wanted to try more Tomcat flying as opposed to Super Hornet flying (hell I've flown the s#$# out of it) and learn a new plane. But to the beginner pilot: Take it easy and sometimes just starting with the easier jets gets you more in tune with how the aircraft flew. Back on topic the F-4 isn't a bad plane to start with and fairly easy to get behind. Usually when it starts to run out of energy it'll start leveling off (or it just can't see you) and then jink to try and throw off whatever you may throw at it. But it's good to learn something different.

Intruder7011 has hit it on the head. There's no "free flight mode" for the games. However, it is possible with the mission editor and some creative editing to make a "free flight" mission.

I would say no unless you had the 3D model of the carrier to work off of, which you can't because it's locked. The only other carrier is SkateZilla's carrier but it has more modern jets as opposed to the older ones.

Don't worry, sometimes your wingmen will still make you scratch your head...

Fighting Omars WIP

Training flight (WIP Malay skin)

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It's been around since... March? or earlier patch, I just ran a quick fight and the same thing happened, I pegged my target in the front and had to get a rear shot to bring him down.

Honestly I think I got lucky on that 'winder shot from the F-14 as opposed to flares, remembering the trail he tried to pop me as I was coming up vertical and I zoomed too fast for a good intercept. But I like that "kill group" as that's what they did, the first to were the bait and the second pair hung around like vultures waiting to get me.

Me: F-16C Block 50 with 6 x AIM-9M, gun, centerline tank Opposition: Four F-14A(82)s with 4 x AIM-9L and 4 x AIM-7M (I think) each, guns Started off neutral and how I turn into the attackers (since I start "neutral", with their backs towards me all the time) and when I tried it to the left, I eventually got shot down. Did the normal turn to the right, heard the high growl (lock) of the missile, fired, and killed the first one. I think at that point I targeted a second one and eventually made a shot (don't remember it all) and killed the second one. Then the third one tried to spike me with a 9L and managed to miss along with some flare dumping, but the more I think about it was probably luck, my first bout had one fly right past my nose... I target him when I eventually come around on him and eventually we get nose on and I try and reflex fire and still miss, two more 'winders left... Eventually I maneuver onto him and fire my fourth 9M at him and kill him. Number four sorta just tried to get me into an energy circle and probably lost energy and I slowed down slightly as he tried to force an overshoot, and despite being on afterburner I managed to stay behind him and eventually killed him with a Mike 'winder in the tailpipe. Takeaways. As said before you have to be aware of what's going on with you. As you'll see below an overhead map showing the two remaining Tomcats. What I can think of when I was doing the engagement macelena was to just worry about reducing as many fighters as possible at the merge. Since I was at the "merge" I placed faith in the 9M and in the first few seconds I got a kill. Of course I get the benefit of a more nimbler jet but even the TW Turkey isn't something to just sit there and take lightly. As turkeydriver mentioned and demonstrated by Ceasar the Tom isn't a joke. But I digress, the key points is to worry about these things at one time: 1) Reducing numbers 2) Working for the shot on a closer bird Number 2 against multiple MF birds isn't recommended sometimes as they like to stay around the periphery and snipe at you, at least that's my read on the engagement from the previous to this one. Two will engage while two will circle like vultures. Blind fire... only when you know you have a shot, as there's a graphics bug at the beginning with the mode in AA mode. Know your weapon systems and you will be better at your game, because part of maneuvering is to simply give your weapon the best parameters for a good shot. Most of my kills with the 9X are HUD shots while in the rare cases I'll do a HOBS shot. The 9X is a great weapon but that's my thinking on the matter anyway. 3) Speed management The thing with the Viper is that it's a rocket with wings that's guided by you. It has a tendency to overshoot therefore setting you up for a kill by them. And also your turn radius will be higher due to that speed, don't "turn and burn" all the time, as said keep it fast but also "turnable" speed as well to keep you in the fight. Brakes, no burner, etc. help in getting your nose on target, hard turns due to SF2:NA's over-g problem is manageable with stick usage, etc. 4) Keep your eyes on the threats. If it seems like you got a second, take it by looking at the overhead map, it'll refocus your energies in planning the next move. By the way that's what was going on my head when I was doing the engagement. Unfortunately there isn't an ACMI program that works with Strike Fighters 2 for people to nitpick but sometimes if it works and doesn't get you killed, but kills the bad guy, works in my book. And maybe hit ALT+D to remove your bottom left information if you don't already. Even with it on I don't look there during ACM due to habit. And a good reason why multiple bird engagements make these DACT engagements "disjointed" when I get down and type, it's that much information going through your mind that causes you to not remember much.

Returning after JDAM testing

Flight testing...

Just shooting...

Me: EA-18G Growler with 4 x AGM-88C, two tanks, ALQ-99 jammer pod Opposition: Various This is a personal training mission and weapon load that I like to just shoot at radars with. Since I have a mission builder I just like to roll off the deck and shoot at stuff that doesn't shoot at me. Essentially all it really is a tactical trainer for weeding out radars in mountains. Maybe something to try for yourself. Anyway, I roll off the deck and head north to my target area. After a minute I get the RWR display of a Skyguard AA radar and it locks me up and I turn on the jammer and get myself situated as it came as a surprise (good thing there wasn't a missile on the way...) but I let the jammer silence the radar after a few seconds and then turn into the radar and launch my first HARM, killing it. After that I fly around some more and wait for something out there to emanate as again, I have a wide variety of radars setup so type isn't important, accuracy in the shot is more important due to the restrictive terrain. A few minutes later I detect a TTR Radar and then launch it. Again it was a tight shot and I managed to hit it. Again after a few minutes of flying I get the whiff of an SA-3 radar and again take the shot and it hits. After that I get locked up by an SA-6 and lose the contact, and then lock up a Flat Face and shoot it as well. Then a Fire Can comes in closer by detection. This is where it got a bit dicey, yes I know Wild Weaseling by yourself without a reason is boring but there's something a little important here that I will go over. Then I take the shot and kill it again. 4 out of 4 shots, my best since using this mission. Takeaways. The main thing that I want to do is angles are important, which when Slartibartfast goes over basic ARM (Anti-Radiation Missile) use I'll go advanced before he does. But this mission is important as you need to be cognizant of a few things: First, make sure you're aligned properly, and if it can set off your RWR, you have line-of-sight, which is more important on the SoCal terrain more than most others. But it also is good to extend as much as possible to give your HARMs some time to maneuver. They're not air-to-air missiles, they're very slow in maneuverability due to high speeds, so the best angle you can get, and distance means the missile has to work less. Of course your RWR doesn't give exact range (would be very nice) but it still works when you get closer in as it'll get closer relative to your aircraft location.

Put them in your Mod folder, create a folder called "Missions" and it'll see them.

Okay

Ohhhhh an evaluation of the defensive systems on the new beta? Never played with it on a strike mission, guess I'll have to

Spectra? What's that?

Any specific systems?