Arrow

Well I probably won't get to the Super Hornet, but I will get to the F/A-18 Hornet before I'm done with my northern campaigns, as it's one of the birds my country flies. I think a lot of my enjoyment with the A-6s is all the "stuff of legend" surrounding them; the Coonts novels and the cheesy, but entertaining movie all add to the fun I have with it. I've read little non-fiction about the Intruder so I can't gauge how realistic its flight model is in SF2, but its handling does seem remarkable to me. Especially its ability to maintain energy after performing some serious mud moving. That seems to make it a suitable bomber for a n00b player or one that's returning to the series. Too bad it wasn't made available as a default aircraft in the 2nd series.

Actually, now that I look at my screenshot of the A-6E more closely, I can see that the Diane needs to be slightly shifted to the left as toggle switches are poking through the right-most screen - doh! I don't even know where that position setting is, but tonight I'll dive into the INIs once again and figure it out. I can see where one could spend more time tweaking this game than playing it.

Thanks for the reply Menrva - I figured as much, but wanted to be sure. I can live with the old engine water, as the trade off is definitely worth it. I have to be honest that the default Iceland land terrain is probably my biggest disappointment I've had with any 3rd Wire product. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just that the default ground looked like the tabletop mats I do miniatures gaming on, but it didn't even seem to function correctly around radar homing. I'm very grateful once again that this series has such a terrific modding community.

I really like everything about the reworked Iceland terrain with Stary and Gerwin's excellent work, but I miss the default terrain's cool ocean. At least, I've gotten the impression that the NA ocean is different after adding the terrain. Is there anyway to have both, or does the reworked terrain make the stock ocean in NA not doable? If I had to choose, I'd stay with the reworked terrain, because I can now fly missions and see the ground in less than ideal light. As well, before the reworked terrain I had Floggers firing homing missiles up, over and down the far side of mountains at my wingmates and I. We now seem much more able to use geography and ground clutter to avoid them. So is there anyway to have the 2 coexist?

I managed to bring over my A-6A cockpit from WoV and integrate it with Homefries and Malibu43s' A-6 Superpak for the A-6E - haven't gotten to the A-6E 79 or A-6E 90 yet. I followed Wrenches's guide in the KB re. using cockpits from other aircraft and the A-6E is working well, with the 1 exception that my pilot has his helmet stuck out of the windshield like he's expecting to fly up to a Starbuck's take-out window and pick up an expresso. I'm loving the CCIP bomb site by MigBuster - previously was dive bombing in the Thud and that Intruder CCIP seems seriously, deadly accurate in comparison! It was a steep learning curve for a n00b like me, for navigating the INIs and figuring out where edits needed to be made. In the end, I'm still left wondering if I got it all right? The mock-up DIANE screen and scope seems to be correctly situated, but the scope on the bottom pilot side is just blank and never displays anything. As well, the radar in the TV windows above is also different than what it was in my stock A-6A. So...I'm wondering if there's anyway to take it 1 step further and make that blank scope function, or is it that just due to some limitation when integrating a WO cockpit or a limitation in the SF2 engine? I've attached screenshots of how the A-6E looks and what my converted, stock WoV A-6A looks like. If anyone can give feedback or suggestions, I'd be appreciated.

Thanks for the link and info baffmeister, I'll try you flight model. I did copy over my CF-5A folder from my old WoE NF4 install to a temp location - remember tinkering with values based on suggestions here and arriving at something that seemed correct. The settings you posted look familiar, so it may very well have been one or a few of those. I'll definitely try your FM first though, as that'll no doubt expedite the process most.

Ahah - knew I had forgotten something. I do have the WO Cat Extractor so I can do that. Thanks for the info and pointing me to the AI plane article - will read it when I get a chance.

If it's texture shimmering with a Nvidia GPU we're talking about here; I haven't experienced it with Strike Fighters 2, but I experienced it to a terrible degree initially with Flight Simulator X. I mention it, because there's a well written basic tuning guide for FSX at avsim.com that at one point involves tweaks with the Nvidia Inspector. I've read posts where some gamers have applied the same Inspector tweaks to correct shimmering in other flight sim games. I wish I could provide a link to the guide or recall the exact settings that are tweaked within Inspector, but can just say I was very impressed with the result.

I think I must be missing something. I dug out my old gaming rig drive and copied the A-6A folder from the WoV \Aircraft folder. The problem is, there's less of a cockpit in the WoV installation than what's contained in the A-6A Superpak and guderian1's A-6E cockpit archives I downloaded and installed. Yet the A-6E doesn't show up in my SF2 NA install as an available aircraft for single missions or campaigns? I assumed that it was just the absence of an A-6E_cockpit.INI, but there's no such file in a plain vanilla WoV installation. Or is it that the cockpit.ini files are something new with SF2 and without one the A-6E won't be enumerated an available aircraft? Or is there yet some other INI that needs an A-6E entry? Very confusing for a n00b like me.

I had the A-6 Superpak pre-downloaded and have now installed it. I also found and downloaded guderian1's A-6E cockpit, but Sadly the archive doesn't contain an A-6E_cockpit.INI file. I'm far too much of a novice to cobble one together (especially with the large amount of graphics files in the \Cockpit folder), so I'll have to keep searching. I'm wondering about the possibility of using the A-6 cockpit from my WoV install - I still have the drive with the files and IIRC I installed a mod that added the DIANE?

I did come across the Northern Cape campaign earlier, but it mentions a requirement of SF2 and SF2 Vietnam and I only have SF2 Euro and SF2 NA. The theater it contains is very much of interest to me. I have been discovering that with browsing some of the mod readme's, they don't always require what they state or can be partially installed to fit what you have installed. So on that note, I will download and read through the Northern Cape campaign. BTW I'm really enjoyed the Alaska Bering Strait terrain, although I haven't sited a polar bear or Walrus yet? Just a bunch of Russian bears in the cockpits of Migs.

Thanks for that Era specific install link - looks to be info that I'll be able to use. Yes to some extent I am trying for a Northern Atlantic - Arctic theater. I have the Alaska Bearing Strait and Sweden Baltic Rim Terrain and have been running missions in both with a 1962 timeline with the what-if CF-105 Avro Arrow and RCAF edition of the CF-105 Thunderchief. Of course the Thud, with the Arrow having actually been deployed, would have probably been given a different designation (maybe in my what-if it's the F-106 and the Dart was designated something else), but I don't know how and if it's possible to do that in SF2? Currently I'm just running both of those terrains with SF2 Euro as the base install. I'm hoping somehow to use the SF2 NA Iceland terrain though and its support for off map USSR bases, as both terrains border the USSR. I'd really like to run a full campaign in the AlaskaBR and SwedenBR terrain, but the only campaign I could find was a WW II one located in SwedenBR. Ideally I'd like to run a Red Thunder campaign with all 3 of those terrains, but haven't got a clue how to do it, or if it's even doable?

Many thanks for the info. I think I'm following you - you're suggesting I generate a new SF2 Euro INI, because it will reflect some of the content from SF2 NA. More specifically the new INI should make the AI late gen Intruder, E-2C sentry, Prowler, Backfire B and Yak 38 available to SF-2 Euro. That correct? I already have the Intruder mod downloaded and waiting to be installed - was just awaiting my purchase of SF2NA or SF2V so I could make it so. [Edit] One thing I noticed immediately the 1st time I ran SF2 NA, was that although it still had the correct mapping for my Stick, rudders and throttle quadrant all the other button mappings were missing. I'm assuming those are stored in the Default.INI in the \Controls folder & I should be able to just copy that into to the \Controls folder for other mod folders to get the assignments back - that correct?

I've been flying SF2 Euro for about 2 weeks now and are enjoying it as much or more than I did the WO series. I miss the Intruder though and I'm keen to try the state-of-the-art radars (viewed through an early 80s set of glasses) in SF2 North Atlantic. I've learned how to create a Mod folder via my installation of the Nato Fighters 5 patches. What I'm unsure of, is if and how I update an existing mod folder to use SF2 NA once I've done a merged install of it. Ideally I want all of my content for my Strike Fighters 2 Europe mod folder to use the new, updated features in SF2 NA; is that even possible? If that is possible, is it as simple as renaming my existing StrikeFighters2 Europe.EXE and then making a copy of the StrikeFighters2 NA.EXE and then renaming it to StrikeFighters2 Europe.EXE? Note: I have no intentions of attempting to have NF5 use the NA exe - that will be strictly kept as a SF2 Euro mod. Any info, tips or cautions on doing this, would be very much appreciated.

I'm flying the CF-5A, but I find the rudder to be strange in how it effects the aircraft. The behavior I'm not liking is that applying any rudder causes extreme roll and only the slightest bit of yaw. I remember having the same problem when I was flying the CF-5A for WoV, but I found the correct setting in an INI file that allowed me to change the value. Unfortunately I've lost the source for the correct setting. I believe I still have the modded INI on the gaming drive I used when playing WoV, so if someone could point me to the correct setting I should be able to determine what I set it to If someone could point me to the correct INI and setting for this, it'd be much appreciated.

I've always wanted to do level bombing in jet aircraft, but have only ever tackled it in WW II prop planes. I do almost all of my jet bombing from a 20 or 30 degree dive at a speed of 500 KCAS and have become reasonably accurate with it. Now that I have the Range terrain installed and are flying my what-if RCAF CF-105 Thunderchief in a campaign, I'd like to try to master level bombing in the Thud. One of my problems with starting though, is determining what the bomb sight depression setting should be? I have Bunyap's Weapons Delivery Manual and his Ripple Planner, but the Sight Setting tables in the WDM only contains dive angles as shallow as 10 deg. That leaves me wondering what DefaultDepression should be set to in the F-105 cockpit INI for a 0 deg/level release? I could probably fudge with the math in the WDM Sight Setting tables and eventually extrapolate a setting for a 0 deg. dive, but I'm a bit too lazy for that. So...I'm hoping someone here might know of another reference source, or what the depression setting should be? Or for that matter; whether it's even possible to have a bomb sight setting for a level release? Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Well I have had the same result in 2 missions now, in which I fired all 4 of the Sparrows against Beagles. I'm flying the CF-105 in a what-if campaign during 1962 using SF2 Euro, so it won't be possible for me to jump to a Crusader. I'd consider running another campaign as a comparison, but as sad as it sounds the RCAF didn't acquire a jet capable of carrying semi-active or active radar missiles until the CF-18 in 1982. I'm aware of the F-104S with it's capability for Sparrows, but no way in hell I'd consider flying a campaign with the Zipper; not a fan at all, not to mention it claimed the lives of 39 RCAF pilots despite never being flown in combat. I am considering running another what-if with a RCAF version of the F-105 Thunderchief, but to the best of my knowledge the Thud only ever carried AIM-9s. Still, it'll be nice to do some real mud moving. :) [Edit] If it helps shed any light on this...I downloaded another CF-105 (confusing because there's 4 different versions in the downloads section) that added the more historically accurate and attractive RL201 -through- RL206 liveries. However, when using a CF-105 with one of those liveries I could never get a lock with any missile (radar or heat-seeker) on any type of aircraft? Needless to say, I didn't use any of those RL### model numbers for my campaign and instead used a model from the original download.

The Weapon is the AIM 7-D Sparrow from Weapons Pack 2. The Aircraft I'm flying is the CF-105 Avro Arrow by FastCargo. The Beagles I was up against were at roughly 5,000 and 8,000 feet. I fired from as far as 5 nm, as close as 1.3 nm and a number of distances between those. Like I said, the missile performed admirably against 2 Mig Fishbeds, even slightly turning to match their last second attempts to evade.

I certainly seems more propaganda than innovation. I'm a big fan of the F-5 though and have to say that glass cockpit with what looks like 3 MFDs is sweet.

Well I'm definitely not being beamed, because I can see in my boresight acquisition screen that I'm in the six of the beagle - have Bunyaps Weapons Delivery guide & follow its procedures faithfully. :) That sophisticated & large tail turret on the IL-28 should be presenting an optimal reflection. I'm also within 5nm - 3nm when firing, which has been optimal for striking the Migs with a Sparrow. It's weird; what works reliably with Migs, just doesn't cut it with the Beagles!

I ask because the Beagles I'm up against are definitely breaking the radar lock on my AIM 7 Sparrows, as if they have some jamming capability. Shots with the AIM 7-D that are effectively locking up and hitting Mig 21s and Mig 19s are woefully missing the IL-28s. That's occurring despite my painting them with my boresight radar more accurately and longer than the Migs. When I go to the [F9] missile view, it looks like my missiles' lock is being jammed and it veers off, downward short of the target. I'm playing the Red Thunder campaign and I was under the impression that the IL-28REB wasn't in service as early as 1962? Or is there some other countermeasure on those early Beagles that I'm just not aware of?

Thanks for the reply kblomkvist, I did have WP2 and did install it in my SF2 Euro mod folder. I was wondering if it was also required for the Nato Fighters 5 mod, but after becoming a bit familiar with the contents of pack, I browsed the NF5 folders and it appears the upgraded weapons and effects are already there.

Never mind, figured it out. I had indeed incorrectly assumed my boresight center was lower on the CF-105 Arrow cockpit windshield than it is. I'm locking up those Frescos and picking them off with ease now. Unfortunately the bear fighter jocks in them can really get on your tail and shoot accurately. Had to bail out once - at least I ejected over land! I'm going to have to do some experimenting with getting the right speed/acceleration on closure while painting them. In my 1st encounters, I'm bleeding off too much speed and can't accelerate out fast enough to shake any Mig that jumps on my tail. Fun stuff!

I applied it to my Striker Fighters Europe mod folder, but I'm wondering if it should be applied to Nato Fighters 5 too; i.e. does the NF5 mod already contain it? I've also noticed a lot of discussion and screen shots on a Weapons Pack 3, but couldn't find it in the SF 2 files section. Is the Weapons Pack 3 available in some form, or still a WIP? Lastly only a slightly related question, as I really forgot to ask it in my last post, but is Bunyap's Weapons delivery guide still available somewhere for download? Any answers to those would be much appreciate.

Well I knew it was going to be a challenge using the F4-Ds with the CF-105 with it not having an aiming sight, but I've only gotten a boresight radar lock twice. Meanwhile my wingmen can shoot down the Frescos with them like fish in a barrel; 2nd time I obtained a lock, one of my pilots had that Mig going down in flames before I could launch! The only thing I can think of is that maybe what I think is my boresight radar center might not be correct; hard to be certain with the CF-105's funky cockpit design. So I guess there's the possibility I'm not painting those Migs very effectively. Meanwhile the growl for the AIM-4 Falcons, never seems to reach the right pitch. I'd post a screenshot to show what I think should be the correct location of the Arrow's boresight radar center, but I'm returning to Strike Fighters after a long absence and I'm not even sure how to do a screen capture - doh! Anyhow...if anyone here's had experience using the AIM 7 Sparrow F4-Ds in the Arrow, I'd appreciate any feedback as to what the correct technique is. [Edit] BTW I'm loving flying the Avro Arrow. Really a dream come true, so thanks to all the modders here who put some work into it!