Emp_Palpatine

I do agree with my german neighbour.

Guys, Indeed, the bombs are there even if not present when loading out the plane. Well, that's good enough for me.

Download once again the package and start with a fresh mod folder, following religiously the read-me.

Well, it's better than the Shaffrir or the Atoll. Still. Crappy missile. I've wasted my Cruze all my load against things as maneuvrable as Tu-16 or even An-2 with all going away. And I am damn cautious when using it. Going in a fight with the AIM-9B is like going in a fight with a gun loaded with only one live bullet among dull ones. You'd better be damn lucky. Hence my dislike of no-gun fighters like MiG-21 PFV or F-102/-106. Useless in the air in our sims. Typical of that late 50's early 60's "no-gun" frenzy. At least the F-4 has decent BVR capabilities and even early sparrows are good weapons when used correctly. But if you're gonna dogfight armed only with AIM-9B (what it was supposed to do), you're gonna have a baaaaad time.

Flying straight is true for all missiles, but vital for the early generations.

Forget about AA-2A, as useless as AIM-9B or Falcons. You get a good chance to kill from the AA-2D onward: fly straight (indeed) and do respect the missile enveloppe. You should do as good (or better) as with the AIM-9D/E. Same advices: a target that does not move too much, not to close, not to far and above the horizon line. For the gun: you have very, very, very low ammo. Only a few bursts. So, precision shooting it is. You'll typically fire when you have zero'd the ennemy at very close range and at 6'o'clock. And given the balistic of the MiG gun, you'll forget about deflection shot. Unless you are very good at them. I can score one kill with the gun. Two if I am very lucky. And most time, not a single one. Finally, it depends on who's the ennemy: Mach 1 fighters: vertical fighting. Mach 2 60's : YOU are the dogfighter, the most nimble. Dogfight at close range it is as soon as the BVR "death zone" is crossed. Mach 2 70's-80's: beware. Agile fighters and deadly weapons. Hit and run might come handy.

New issue: Problem with Meteor F8 loadout: I was assigned a strike mission. As you can see, my default loadout isn't a strike one. Even more: I can't load any of the bombs listed on the side anywhere on the plane.

Depends on the 'winder generation. Earlier generation aren't that deadly if you do violent maneuvers. F-100 and F-8 should'nt be a problem. Super Mystères and Hunters neither. Just try never to expose your ass long enough for a AIM-9 D to L to lock and follow you, and it should be ok. Use the ground clutter also. All aspects ones (AIM9-M onwards) are deadly. Shoot first, or you're dead. Especially without any flares. If you ever get downed by a AIM-9B or a Falcon, you are the unluckiest guy ever. You shouldn't have much issues (well, not speaking of the 21's very short legs and low ammo) until the late 1970, actually, if you are cautious against BVR capable fighters.

Same here. Against BVR armed opposition, you must stay low. And by low, I mean below 200ft. Then, classic hit & run approach: low, and when you are in visual range, climb try to put yourself behind your ennemy, then enter the fray. If you have usefull missiles (AA2-D onwards), use them, and switch to guns. If you are fighting planes using good sidewinders or, worse, all-aspect ones, well, may the Gods be on your side! Even in dogfight you might have a harsh time. Proper use of missiles and of the wingmen (each one its own target) is crucial as you won't last long if you are outnumbered. Striking first and decisively is a must have. I do dislike planes without guns so tend to ignore them, can't say much about the PFV.

Sweet! Any chance for the dhimari planes and your campaign files?

A little break from my Roller-Thundering. And an opportunity kill! (If someone has a good Vautour pit or suitable what-if, I would be most in dept!)

He WILL try something in the baltic if we (westerners) sit on our hands once again. Just as he is just doing. We didn't move for Crimea, hell, he's pushing his advantage. If we don't move, that is send some ballsy task forces for some "exercises", he'll go on. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia harbor sizable russian colonis... er... minorities that Putin would love to "liberate". And what will we do? Nothing? That'd be a shame... It's time for the europeans to understand that history is back on his track, that armies aren't just something to cut and that we should be ready, "just in case". Armies sole purpose aren't ill-thought humanitarian interventions in Africa. Time to re-arm.

Precision strike, the early years.

Any update?

I guess you won't have such an easy time in 1962 with a F-106. Good luck shooting something down with its useless missiles. I've always found NF campaigns to be quite well balanced. Of course, some planes are easier than others, but most of the time the skies are quite deadly.

Nice flemish beer.

Practice. You will find your own personnal method. I've become quite accurate with the crusader and I know how and when I have to release my bombs. The drawback of my tactic (actually, quite classical dive bombing, but a "low altitude" one) is it's risky.

No, I guess they lack texturing.

And the same, from another angle...

So... Good points: - Original set up; - Nice use of a gorgous map; - Most of the planes and skins are nice. Things to improve: - Weapons & loadouts, even with your update. For instance, no plane can load a designator for the LGB. So basically, no chirurgical strike. And the bombs go wild. You should add the said laser/tv designator and dumb versions of the bombs for A.I planes. - I lacked sounds for the F-16 and the F-5, but got them in other add-ons. You should check anyway if they are in. - Trees are somewhat bulky, but I guess it's the terrain's fault. - Spanish infantry is black; - Still some loadouts issues: some weapons are listed on the side but I can't equip them. You should also add some generic weapons like MK82, 84, CBU... Well, a good job but a job that needs polishing. :)

You can't be more wrong, mein Freund! :D

@Reblok Well, just played my first mission with Aim-9D in Rolling Thunder (B). I already knew it, but that's a whole new world indeed: three launchs, three kills. If you use them properly, post AIM-9B missiles are efficient enough to be used with success in combat.

Most of these are modeled. I don't know for the sun or ground, though. I would add: launch at close range, below 1.0 nautics : the lesser the range, the lesser the chance to loose lock or go wild for the missile. Both my kills in my current campaign were at very close range (for a missile launch), with and almost balistic flight for the missile and not enough time for the MiG to change its course too much.

Is it not already the case, more or less? I am sometime ahead of schedule when I fly CAS mission, and I have to fly around a few minutes until the ground units do spawn.