KiwiBiggles

The load-outs I'm aiming for (no pun intended) are 9x 500lb AN-M64 GP bombs, and 16x HVARs. Should be a lot of fun in game!

Best wishes for you and yours GKABS, will keep your family in my thoughts. Steve

Khe Sanh Kiwis Still loving this game after all these years, especially on my old legacy Windows 7 homebuilt rig with Dan's awesome A-4K upgrades.

Hi R, Yes, it's a game limit, and yes there is a way to get the correct number. It's not too difficult to create a 'dummy' EP or FT store from the various racks available in the stock game or from the community. These get loaded on to the pylon at one weapon stores group level. The actual rocket pods (limit 32 rockets per pod) 'attach' to the rack at the next weapon stores group level, by carefully co-ordinating the positions of a weapon station for each pod in the aircraft .ini file. I've had an A-4K loadout of nine x nineteen shot RPs, loadable in-game just for sh1ts and giggles... totally impractical loadout of course, but 2x19-shot or 3x19-shot setups per 2x pylons are very applicable for A-4, F-4 etc. The only loadout I haven't been able to fully simulate are triple pods of 2-inch Launcher No.7 for Brit Phantoms, but only beause these puppies are 36-shot pods, or 108-shots per pylon! The compromise is that there is a game limit of thirty or so total weapon stations (I want to say 29 but I can't quite remember?). And I've never reached a limit for the number of group levels (in the aircraft and loadout .ini files), but only six groups are loadable in the hangar in-game, and ether the simulated rack or the separate pods use one group (a hassle with the F-4 particularly, so I usually have the AIM-7s and ECM pod loaded per the loadout.ini to earn an 'extra' in-game group). Hope it helps. Kiwi

Hi Macelena, I'm reasonably sure those are an early, oval version of the F/A-18's drop tanks, and I'm pretty sure I saw in a thread that a model of them had been made for SF2 at one point, but I don't have them in my own install.... Yup... these are them: From the ARC scale modelling forum: External Fuel Tank FPU-6A (Oval) External Fuel Tank Size 185.30 X 32.99 (Max. Axis) X 24.50 (Min. Axis) Inches (470.66 X 83.80 X 62.23 Centimeters) External Fuel Tank FPU-8A (Round) Size 188.98 X 29.82 (Dia.) Inches (480.01 X 75.74 Centimeters) ...and I found where I read about them here at CombatAce: Cheers, Steve

Evening all from Aotearoa New Zealand, I have recently been flying (in a stock TW period - so up to 1984 - SF2:NA install) and absolutely loving the legacy F/A-18A which I have "cut out" from the HORNET BETA 1.0 BASE, 1.1 BASE and BETA 2.0 downloads. As you do, I've been tweaking and playing around with effects, loadouts, numbers, decals, some minor texture editing (very rough and ready, I'm definitely no texture artist but my modest and minor tweaks work well-enough in-game) and so on and so forth... which by the way I'm more than happy to share if anyone is interested. I've got four USN and five USMC squadrons represented reasonably nicely in game (all credit to the original creators). I've cheated a little bit by including GBUs and Laser Mavericks for my install, which I don't believe F/A-18s would routinely have carried in this period, but I'm also routinely flying over North Korea which didn't actually happen either, so fair play I figure. In any case, this plane is great fun to play, and an absolute credit the community, and I think it easily rivals the TW F-16 for quality. To simulate laser guided missions I'm using the community's AAS-38 Targeting FLIR, which is also very nicely done, mounted correctly on the port hip mount. In the real world in-period the AAS-38 did not include a laser designator (it was introduced later for the AAS-38A) but I've set up my AAS-38 as a designator anyway and it plays great in-game (I just imagine there's a terminal guidance team of Force Recon Marines doin' there thing down there in the bush). The AAS-38 also did not include a Laser Spot Tracker--instead the Hornets would carry the AN/ASQ-173 Laser Spot Tracker/Strike Camera on the starboard hip mount. I've created a very simple 'dummy' EP pod to simulate the ASQ-173, but I've not been able to find a nice LOD and texture for it. The closest I've found is the TW AVQ-23 LOD, like so (and there's no pylon so it just 'floats' there in my install): This beautiful bird really does deserve a nice ASQ-173 model if anyone knows where one exists (?) or if one of our brilliant 3D artists is interested in creating a model of the pod, including a pylon similar to the AAS-38 model (but mirrored to fit the starboard side)? Here's the very few images I've been able to find of the ASQ-173 in the real world (and the scale modelling world): Kind Regards, Steve

I found a few more images, including a rare shot of the aft section of the ASQ-173: Cheers, Steve

And I've attached here the weapon folders from my install for reference. Steve AAS-38.7z ASQ-173.7z

Some images from a very nice scale model I came across on the interwebs: ...and one more real life: Kind Regards, Steve

Agree with all of the above. SF2 has gradually drawn me in and taken more and more of my hobby time (from my other favourites IL-2 1946, MS Flight Simulator X, Orbiter, GT Legends and GTR 2 on Win XP and Win 7; and Forza Motorsport 4 on XBox 360). My installs have slowly evolved to where SF2 Vietnam is a Cold War Pacific based environment--with a detailed A-4K version of course, and I've really enjoyed recently installing Vampires, Venoms, Canberras (Kiwi and Australian) and USAF B-57s. I have some really nice customised Vietnam era F-4s naturally, and I like to have accurate historical loadouts for all my planes (but customised to suit my preferences for SF2 gameplay too). SF2 has a "sim-lite" reputation, but I find it interesting how many times it actually reflects real world experience. Just the other day I was reading about real world experience with convergance of the B-57B's 4x20-mike cannons, then found myself adjusting the "aim angle" ini parametetrs in the sim, and creating new weapon stations to support dual 5-inch HVAR racks per images in the real B-57B flight manual. I find similar parallels in gameplay too, for example modding the inis for my AI wingmen to fly lower in Europe; or working out methods for low-altitude level-bombing with Tornadoes and F-111s, and high-altitude bombing with B-52s. And my SF2 mod folders are becoming nice libraries of documents and references that I've found online. My SF2 Europe install specialises in mid to late Cold War USAFE and RAFG models, plus a growing collection of French Mirages. I'll be exploring the Hawker Hunter here too in the near future (including the Swiss Air Force models which I really admire). SF2 North Atlantic is home to some very nice customised Royal Navy models (HMS Ark Royal takes pride of place, and I have a cloned 'Royal Navy' terrain to get RN CVBGs and Amphibious Ready Groups for campaigns and single missions too). SF2 NA is also home to a customised Arctic terrain for my Air Defence Command interceptors (with customised Soviet Long-Range Aviation to create the style of gameplay I like for my interception missions). I've started exploring IAF aviation in my SF2 Israel install, and enjoy a customised KAW install too. My computer is very old--so I have to make lower rez versions of some mods to get good frame rates. I actually have a decent budget to build a modern Win 10 replacement, but I haven't done it yet--partly because the price of PC components (especially GFX cards) is outrageous right now, but partly because I still get so much enjoyment from my old but treasured sims on my ancient dual boot XP/Win 7 machine. Kind regards and much thanks to the community, Steve (Auckland, New Zealand)

I've long been a fan of the A-4K having seen it fly often as a youngster, but have only recently started learning about the Vampire, Venom and Canberra in RNZAF service and integrating some excellent mods here at CA into my SF2 install. I was hunting around on the internet for images to figure out which roundels RNZAF used at various periods when I stumbled across this blog by Air Commodore Jim Barclay RNZAF (Retired) which is too good not to share. I'm sure there are other posts on Jim's blog which will interest readers too. Enjoy! https://jimbarclay.nz/flying-vampires-with-75-squadron-1969-1970/ Best Regards, Steve

Superb!

...and this is a nice piece on the history of the RNZAF Silver Fern and Kiwi roundels. https://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/blog/50-years-of-flying-kiwis/ Steve

Customise your loadouts. For example F-4Ks (off Ark Royal) with TV Martels will do nicely against the Kiev battle group (or go with more realistic Buccaneers if your computer can handle the high-poly models). I"ve also upgraded my Martels with armor-piercing warheads (which are more realistic than HE). Go big with your roster. I take 12 birds in my strike flights, plus the computer-assigned SEAD and CAP flights etc (think Alpha Strike). For US missions my first 8 strike birds carry Standard ARMs, the last 4 carry Walleyes for the coup de grâce. Go low. Under 100 feet will do nicely. Your AI wingmen will do their own thing, but it will help you survive against the SAMS. My AI F-4s are customised with a lower-altitude flight model, which helps them a little. Go slow. I throttle my F-4 back to 50% so I can get all four Martels off the rails and keep them out in front. Then I hit the "burners. Stay out of the engagement zone of the rotary cannons, they're deadly! FWIW I use the 'classic' Iceland terrain, and my difficulty setting is normal. I actually have a cloned UK-only version of the terrain for Royal Navy missions, which gives me a "Commando Carrier' amphibious group, and prevents US Navy flights launching from Ark Royal--nice but not necessary. Hope it helps, happy hunting! KB

Interesting topic. Here's my take on it. When you take the 200 billion odd galaxies in the observable universe, with around 200 billion stars each, its inconceivable that there aren't billions of planets and moons with liquid water. From what we've observed on Earth, we know that everywhere there is liquid water there is biological life given enough time--in the order of billions of years. Score one for the aliens. Of all the millions upon millions of species that have existed on Earth, only one has evolved to develop technology of any kind, let alone interstellar space travel. The only other species that even came close in evolutionary terms was the Neanderthals. Score minus one for the aliens. People tend to underestimate the vast distances involved in interstellar travel. With known technology it would take in the order of 40,000 years to reach the nearest star beyond the solar system (and it doesn't have a habitable planet). It would take the resources of all humanity to mount such a mission, and economics argues that you'd never even try. Andromeda, our nearest major galaxy, is 2.5 million light years from Earth: so forgeddaboutit! Score minus one again for the aliens. What about exotic physics? There's nothing to suggest that ephemera of the quantum world like tunneling and entanglement can ever apply to the macro world of space ships and space travelers. Even in theory, wormholes require "negative energy" to remain stable--there's no evidence negative energy can exist, even in principle. To "warp" space-time by even 1G requires the mass (or equivalent energy) of our entire planet. The most plausible exotic propulsion system would be matter/anti-matter annihilation, which has an energy density around 100 times greater than nuclear fusion, and suggests interstellar voyages of perhaps hundreds of years. There's no evidence it would be feasible to produce anti-matter in such quantities because... economics. But not impossible in principle, so let's score this one even. On balance it's highly unlikely aliens have ever visited Earth given the vast distances involved, and the billions of years it takes for a species to evolve in any particular interstellar neighborhood. It's far from certain our own species will survive long enough to attempt interstellar travel, although I believe we should try; otherwise what exactly are we doing here? The most likely "aliens" to have visited Earth aren't little green men. They're machines. Google Von Neumann probes: https://futurism.com/von-neumann-probe Just my $0.02

Wow, awesome Dan! A squadron of these bad boys (2 Sqn RNAZF?), 75 Sqn A-4Ks, C-130s and a couple of AAR Boeings for logistic support, plus some UH-1s and NZSAS troopers for laser designation and CSAR, all would have made for a hell of a Kiwi expeditionary air wing back in the 70s thru 90s...

'Tough Day at the Office', Kuwaiti Theater of Operations, 1991. Big thanx to all the modders here at Combat Ace this holiday season. KB

What Menrva said. My rig is so old I can't even remember (my kids were preschoolers when I built it, and my oldest is finishing high school next year!) and even then it was very much a budget machine. Even so it will run stock SF2 on unlimited acceptably well, most of the time. I recently added the latest Combat Ace version of Operation Desert Storm to my SF2 collection, and very cool it is too. As downloaded, it was unplayable on my machine (like three seconds per frame!!) so I'm currently optimising it to my own machine, and to my own personal taste as well (menus and sounds for example). I have to reduce skins to 2048 x 2048 wherever they are higher, and use the stock TW environment system (stock sky with just a very basic cloud mod for a nice fps-friendly boost in appearance) and stock TW effects too. After a holiday weekend of tweaking it's already very playable. Fortunately I enjoy this "optimisation" process (I know it's not exactly what Menrva meant) as much as playing the game -- to me modded SF2 is like the best 1950's to 1990's jet combat puzzle-game ever invented! I also enjoy customising mods (within my modest ability) and Iearning the potential (and limits) of the game engine. I have a very nice customised version of the F/A-18A mod flying over Kuwait and Iraq these holidays. 2019 is the year I finally get a new rig. It will be home-built and still somewhat budget, but should be able to play titles like FSX, Falcon 4.0 BMS, DCS World and IL-2 Bodenplatte on high or ultra at 1080p at 60fps. It will be interesting to see how it copes with SF2, but I imagine I'll be keeping my old dual boot XP/Win7 machine around for many years yet to play all my favorite old titles. All the best Kiwi

Hiya all, I've been loving playing around with Dan's A-4Ks, so here are some .ini edits for custom rocket loadouts that people might enjoy: These custom 'rocket' TERs are fake electronic pods. I've used fake fuel tanks in the past, but read in a thread recently that the fake tanks may increase the vulnerability of the model to enemy ordnance, so to be on the safe side, I've converted to fake EPs (which work just as well): Triple centre station RPs and mixed-twin wing station RPs all selectable from the loadout menu: These were all authentic RNZAF loadouts back in the day - at least for public displays and firepower demonstrations. With these custom weapon stations, all nine RPs are filled with a full complement of munitions, and are selectable all-at-once from the cockpit (unlike 'left-and-right' multi-pods). This setup sacrifices LAU-7 rails for the 'winders (which some of my other custom stations include) due to the game limit of 6 StationGroupIDs; I don't mind so much since this is the A-4K (70) and the RNZAF didn't get AIM-9s until July 1975 (Don Simms) so I don't normally use them with this model -- AIM 9s are still selectable for the outboard wing stations of course, just minus the LAU-7s which is the same as stock TW, so no harm, no foul. This Mixed RP and Fuel loadout is a bit more practical(!); selectable from the loadout menu for any mission, but a really nice loadout for SEAD missions with a mix of artillery and armoured targets: Here's the code for anyone who is interested: // --------------------------------------------------------- [LeftPylonRack] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=6 StationGroupID=2 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=-1.91,0.10,-1.00 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=200 AllowedWeaponClass=EP AttachmentType=NATO,USN ModelNodeName= PylonMass=31.75 PylonDragArea=0.03 SpecificStationCode=A4RNZAF_TER [RightPylonRack] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=7 StationGroupID=2 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=1.91,0.10,-1.00 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=200 AllowedWeaponClass=EP AttachmentType=NATO,USN ModelNodeName= PylonMass=31.75 PylonDragArea=0.03 SpecificStationCode=A4RNZAF_TER [LeftWingStationTwin1] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=8 StationGroupID=4 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=-1.91,0.10,-1.24 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 [LeftWingStationTwin2] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=9 StationGroupID=3 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=-2.05,0.10,-1.01 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,45.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 [RightWingStationTwin1] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=10 StationGroupID=4 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=1.91,0.10,-1.24 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 [RightWingStationTwin2] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=11 StationGroupID=3 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=2.05,0.10,-1.01 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,-45.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 [CentrePylonRack] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=13 StationGroupID=5 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=0.00,0.27,-1.04 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=200 AllowedWeaponClass=EP AttachmentType=NATO,USN ModelNodeName= PylonMass=31.75 PylonDragArea=0.03 SpecificStationCode=A4RNZAF_TER [CentreStationTriple1] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=14 StationGroupID=6 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=0.13,0.10,-1.04 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,-45.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 [CentreStationTriple2] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=15 StationGroupID=6 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=-0.13,0.10,-1.04 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,45.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 [CentreStationTriple3] SystemType=WEAPON_STATION StationID=16 StationGroupID=6 StationType=EXTERNAL AttachmentPosition=0.0,0.27,-1.28 AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0 EjectVelocity=0.0,0.0,-2.0 LoadLimit=360.0 DiameterLimit=0.44 AllowedWeaponClass=RP AttachmentType=NATO,USN PylonMass=0.00 PylonDragArea=0.00 All the best, KB

Here's another fun custom mod inspired by Dan's A-4Ks. This one is an early A-4K 'Euro' mod for the stock TW Red Lightning '79 campaign. It has the Euro 1 paint scheme from Dan's mod which I managed to edit with chaff and flare dispensers (I didn't make the prettiest job, but good enough ) and ALQ126A electronic counter measures from the A-4M. It's armed with AIM-9Ls, Mavs and GBUs, but with the pre-Kahu steam-gauge cockpit. It has proper LAU-7 and LAU-117 camouflaged missile rails. Mod also has Pave Spike, and NZSAS and NATO ground laser designation teams. This thing is great fun to fly in Red Lightning, and doesn't disappoint as a WVR dogfighter with 4 AIM-9s on recce missions (although it doesn't have the legs for true Intercepts, CAPS and Sweeps); it's also a real can-opener with 4 AGM-65Bs! It has an .ini edit for low-level flying (AI pilots) and is almost invisible with the wraparound Euro 1 paint-scheme--the Kiwi Stealth Fighter! Backstory is that 75 Squadron RNZAF traveled to Europe on the deck of a US Navy LHA in mid- '79 as NATO reinforced Germany. An NZSAS detachment traveled with them, and may, or may not, have had anything to do with the acquisition of ECM, laser pods, GBUs, Mavs and Lima-model 'winders... the Kiwis aren't talking, and the Marines aren't either! Mod is properly .ini edited into Red Lightning (rather than using the stock TW campaign editor) and flies beautifully in the campaign. Cheers to Dan, Ravenclaw and Nyghtfall for their awesome mods, on which this little mod is heavily based! KB

... and this is what the code looks like for a weapon pylon as a fake EP: [WeaponData001] TypeName=TER_A4K FullName=A/A37B-5 TER ModelName=TER Mass=43.090000 Diameter=0.000000 Length=0.500000 SubsonicDragCoeff=0.020000 SupersonicDragCoeff=0.770000 AttachmentType=NATO,USN SpecificStationCode=A4RNZAF_TER NationName=USN StartYear=1956 EndYear=2050 Availability=3 BaseQuantity=12 Exported=TRUE ExportStartYear=1956 ExportEndYear=2050 ExportAvailability=2 WeaponDataType=4 StoreType=2 NumChaff=0 NumFlare=0 EjectPosition=0.000000,0.000000,0.000000 EjectVelocity=0.000000,0.000000,0.000000 Asymmetrical=FALSE HideStationPylon=FALSE Cheers

Good Morning Ravenclaw from Aotearoa New Zealand, Thank you so much for all the wonderful work you do for this community. I have downloaded so many of your wonderful mods my PC is almost bursting with them! I know you are a very busy man, but if I can be a bit cheeky, I have a request for a re-colour of three of your launcher rail skins, for some .ini updates I am making for Dan's wonderful A-4K Kahu mod. It's probably easiest if I show you: Here are some images of a special loadout I've called 'Firepower Demonstration". Firepower Demonstrations were a mission RNZAF 75 Squadron would fly from Ohakea airbase, north to the NZ Army Training Group ranges at Waiouru: I'm not 100% certain of the provenance of the launchers, but I think they are all your originals? I've taken the LAU-117 Maverick launcher rails from your Swiss Hunter Mod, the LAU-7 Sidewinder launcher from the Vietnam Scooters pack, and the TER from one of your rocket pod packs. I have added them all to Dan's A-4K Kahu using the "Fake Fuel Tank" method so they are selectable from the in-game loading menu, as well as via loadout.ini: Crikey, just spotted a spelling error in my loadout.ini... typical! I used your green LAU-3C pod and the WDU-50001 rocket (from Dan's Kahu pack I think?) to make my own version of the RNZAF CRV7 system - it's probably not 100% accurate, but it's close enough, and it plays very nicely in the sim. Here are the launchers and racks: In RNZAF service, the launchers were camouflaged. According to my research, the technicians were fairly haphazard in the paint they used: effectively they just grabbed whatever was lying around the hangars. Apparently one the most common colors was an olive/yellow shade of green, which I would take to be about R:93 G:83 B:56, corresponding roughly to the main olive green colour of the GBU-16s. Another common RNZAF color that would look very cool in the game is R:83 G:85 B:75, or R:84 G:86 B:74, which would correspond to Dan's various A-4K camouflage schemes (and be another paint color the armorers would have found lying around). I don't have the skills to re-color or re-paint the launchers and racks myself, and not even remotely close to your exceptional standard, but I was hoping you might be able to add a "green" repaint to your schedule? If you're too busy, I completely understand, and I love the gray/white launchers too. I've attached my zipped up files in case you do have some spare time to take a look at the skins for these launchers/racks. Here are some RNZAF images (just a few! ): I know that when default bombs are selected, the default gray/white TER/MER racks load in the game, I haven't looked in to a solution for that. Thank you again, Ravenclaw, for all your many wonderful mods, they truly are outstanding! With Warmest Regards, Steve LAU-7_A4K.zip LAU-117_A-4Kahu.zip TER_A4K.zip

Ravenclaw's RNZAF MER and TER fully integrated on the 'Kahu', selectable from the in-game loading menu and working beautifully as exact replacements for the stock ThirdWire ejector racks. I could not be happier, thank you Ravenclaw and Nyghtfall! So sweet! Steve