darklight

Hah, that seems fairly realistic though (ignoring the colours). In most books I've read about fighter pilots in Vietnam, they all complain that when things get heated, radio chatter is full of messages with no context. Pilots under pressure need to get a message out quick, and often forgot to mention who they were, and who they were talking about.

Hi, I'm an indie game developer (read $0 budget). I'm making a game, not a 3D simulation, more 2D, but still a simulation to a degree, and I want to feature large numbers of combat planes from all ages. I cant imagine this game ever having mass market appeal, it will more than likely only ever be seen by hundreds / possibly thousands of people over time (this is generous). What are the legal issues with using the names of manufacturers and aircraft, and art (that I've drawn) of real aircraft? Do all paid flight sims / add ons license the names of the aircraft they depict? Please PM me if you have an answer you aren't willing to post publicly. I'm guessing I really shouldn't use the manufacturer's name, or the name of the aircraft i.e. General Dynamics Fighting Falcon. Can I refer to aircraft by their military codes (e.g. F-16), or does the manufacturer / anyone have rights over that too? What I'm looking for here is what the lower-end content producers do, as I believe their situation is the most similar to mine. I know I should consult a lawyer - I will, I'm just trying to research the issue beforehand. Thanks for any help, I hope I'm not asking awkward questions.

Food for thought Snailman - thanks. Some of that pertains to usage of trade marks on the box art, and some to unfinished in-game assets.

Thats interesting - so it sounds like I could have at least an initial version with all the planes I want, and then remove on request? In my travels around the internet I've mainly heard of Boeing & Lockheed being the main culprits, along with Bell Helicopters (DCS Huey). I wonder what the problem was with that particular plane - other Grumman planes appear in the game. At least in later versions.

Yes - I find a few people hypothesizing. Really I'm interested in what is the common approach of content creators, which is why I posted here. BTW F-16 was just an example - as mentioned I'm looking at lots of aircraft.

I cant figure out how to edit my post. I wanted to add I am based in Australia, not the US, in case that affects what laws apply to me. Also I'm not planning on using the names in the title of my game, just as reference within the game.

If windows shows the correct value (i.e. you've actually seen the red bar move left & right from the center when you move the rudder), then are you sure you've got the correct axis mapped within the game? What happens if you try full opposite rudder to counteract the roll?

These events should be recorded & shared on youtube for posterity!

I've never heard of this before, and cant find any references to it in google - what was this aircraft?