MigBuster

In the event of war, RAF Tornados based in West Germany would have had to penetrate the formidable air defence system of the Warsaw Pact. Their pilots were among the best in the world, one of them was Michael Napier. https://hushkit.net/2016/04/23/interview-with-a-tornado-pilot/

Yes it still has a learning curve.....I used to think the 500+ manual in that was nothing more than a quick start guide. Things like the radar modes in BMS are still there.............and you will want to learn where some things are because accidentally switching your engine off during flight was not fixed with a single key. Also switching between the 2D and 3D pits was a bit of a pain. You need to get the latest patch from 2009 and there are a few mods around..there are some on here still. There were some payware ones like Toms hitiles and Aeyes widescreen 2D pits that I still have...........don't know if they are still available though.

Release of P-51D: High Stakes Campaign The "P-51D: High Stakes" campaign is a single-player, story-driven campaign for DCS: P-51D Mustang. The premise of the campaign is that a powerful businessman and gambler named "Maslov" has employed the pilot-for-hire pilot Vasily Sinitsa by promising him mountains of money. In return, Vasily needs to fly and master the venerable Mustang over a string of 15 missions that will test his skills. Maslov will put the Vasily at more risk as the campaign progresses and Vasily will need to use all his skills to not only to fulfill his assigned tasks but to also save his life and, in the long run, his honor. In order to fully complete each mission and proceed to the next, Vasily will need to land his Mustang at the assigned point at the conclusion of each mission. Additionally, due to the plot of the story, Vasily will need to take care of his Mustang and minimize damage to proceed through the story. All of Vasily's missions include detailed briefings and mission map graphics. Each mission also includes kneeboard briefing and map pages. Are you ready to join Vasily on this epic journey? Visit Digital Combat Simulator E-Shop for P-51D High Stakes Campaign DCS: P-51D Mustang Sale From 22 April 2016 at 1500 GMT to 25 April 2016 at 0900 GMT, DCS: P-51D Mustang will be on sale for just $19.99 USD. The DCS: P-51D Mustang offers both highly-detailed simulation and easy-to-play "game" mode options for both hardcore and casual gamers. When in simulation mode, this is the most authentic simulation of the P-51D Mustang that has ever been done for the PC. Enjoy both the thrill of flying this warbird and operating its various weapons against a variety of ground and airborne targets. An interactive training system puts you in the cockpit with an instructor as he walks you step-by-step of learning to fly the Mustang. A powerful yet easy-to-use mission editor allows you to create your own missions and campaigns. A one-click Mission Generator also allows you to instantly create battles as small or large as you wish. Visit Digital Combat Simulator E-Shop for DCS: P-51D Mustang Mustang Bundle Sale For this Mustang weekend, we are also offering a bundle deal of DCS: P-51D Mustang paired with the new P-51D: High Stakes campaign for $24.99 USD. This bundle deal will start on 22 April 2016 at 1500 GMT and last until 25 April 2016 at 0900 GMT. Visit Digital Combat Simulator E-Shop Special offers Have a wonderful weekend, Eagle Dynamics

Japans Mitsubishi X-2 (formerly ATD-X), 5th generation fighter prototype (XF-5). First flight was from Komaki JASDF (Mitsubishi works) to Gifu JASDF (same fonction than Edwards AFB).

Prince dies at 57 The hugely popular, acclaimed and influential musician Prince has died at his home in Minnesota at the age of 57. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news I thought it was April fools again...............considering the string of celebs/legends we have lost this year!!! Bit of a shock when a very famous English comedian Victoria Wood passed a few days back! RIP

Happy Birthday to her........no complaints really.

Well according to these guys: 1946 was the zenith of piston-engined fighters. The bloody lessons learnt from the hundreds of thousands of dogfights fought in the War had been carefully noted by designers. This knowledge had been distilled into the creation of a generation of aeroplanes wildly superior to their peers from the recent past, but these perfected killing machines faced fierce competition from immature upstarts with an unfair advantage: the first generation of fighter jets. To make this list, aircraft had to have been in operational service during the year in 1946 – hence no Sea Fury, La-9, Twin Mustang or MiG-9 (likewise, also no Me 262 or Ki-84 for example). https://hushkit.net/2016/04/09/the-top-ten-fighters-1946/

For every military aircraft that makes it into service, a thousand projects only live on as tattered blueprints in filing cabinets, gung-ho artworks or sit silently as lonely prototypes in museums. (You’ll be delighted to hear we haven’t included the Arrow, TSR2 or F-20) https://hushkit.net/2016/04/17/ten-incredible-cancelled-military-aircraft/

U.S. Army Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters performed their final US training flight. On Apr. 15, a formation made by 30 OH-58 Kiowa Warriors from 1-17 CAV, part of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, took to the skies of Fort Bragg and Fayetteville, North Carolina, for a farewell flight over the base and the local community for the years of support. http://theaviationist.com/2016/04/19/record-formation-of-30-u-s-armys-kiowa-helicopters-perform-farewell-flight-over-fort-bragg/

The MiG-25s most certainly did have flares and were used to great effect in one encounter with F-15Cs.....there is a chance several Iraqi types did have countermeasures but this is quite detailed information I have yet to see much about. There are some examples of ECM and chaff use here: http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=247&Itemid=47 http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=249&Itemid=47 Several Iraqis did engage defensive.......most likely never got the opportunity though. This had nothing to do with the individual pilots and everything to do with having little to no situational awareness, they were totally outnumbered, and the equipment they had was mostly no match for the technology and tactics they were up against.

Some were BVR yes and some accounts do give range (<12 miles). There are some sources that claim certain number of BVR kills but not certain where they have obtained the actual firing ranges from. The two downed on the 17th (the first day of Desert Storm) were attacking a large US formation head on when they got taken out..........the Iraqi air force were not quite ready to run just yet. https://ospreypublishing.com/mikoyan-gurevich-mig-21 https://ospreypublishing.com/arab-mig-19-mig-21-units-in-combat-pb

2 were claimed by FA-18s on 17 Jan by VFA-81 (Fox/Mongillo ) ACIG list them as Bis although not updated for a while.......hopefully some newer research might shed more light. http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=62 This was a blog I'd saved with various sources listed so not verified. http://www.rjlee.org/air/ds-aakill/

Mirage F-1s apparently carried effective Jamming pods vs Iran so may have had some capability in 1991 GCI and C&C was likely taken apart / jammed early on. Even early MiGs had SRO-2 type IFF transponders and basic Sirena/SPO type RWR......thing is if they had them it doesn't mean they were all updated or able to pick up allied radar signals etc. The MiG-25s probably did have RWR because multiple accounts of engagements from the 80s to that period show them going defensive when locked up. IFF is of limited use by itself.......... no response does not actually mean it's a bad guy.............you will note F-15s used it as part of an EID matrix they were not allowed to fire on IFF only.

What sources are you using? MiG-21s didn't see much action and 2 sources list the 2 x MiG-21s shot down as either bis or F-7B.

Sorry never heard of them

I could be wrong but I thought Edge added a terrain engine with many changes and improvements but it could still be dependent on needing a tile set.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36064659

MiG-23BK / BN / MS / MF / ML MiG-21F-13 / PF / PFM / PFMA / MF / UTI / UM (MiG-21bis delivered in 1983 but not present in 1991) F-7B MiG-25P / PDS / RB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdtYE160lPc Caucasus Map Texture DLC by Starway This DLC is a complete retexturing of the existing DCS World Caucasus map to provide a new and improved look and feel. The objective of this DLC is not just to create more modern graphics, but to also make the map more resemble this geographic region. This has been accomplished by basing most of the textures on satellite images of the Caucasus region. Specially, the fields and grass areas much better match this region than the default map textures. Beyond that, a great deal of time and effort has done into creating new building textures. They are high resolution now and are also based on the actual region. This is also true for the trees, surface textures beneath urban areas, and of course the mountains. These are remarkable changes to giving this map a huge level of improvement. This DLC also contains features that are less apparent, such as: all the lua files (files for terrain configuration) has been improved, better road textures, updated noise and clutter textures, and the border textures between fields. Caucasus Map Texture DLC by Starway Features: – Noise/base textures in for all seasons – Overall HD building textures for all building except airports – Completely new field and grass textures for all seasons based on satellite images of the Caucasus region – Tree textures for all seasons with a volumetric look – Mountain textures based on satellite images for all seasons – Distant terrain textures for all seasons – New textures/noise for all cities, towns, and industrial areas for all seasons – Border textures for all seasons – New road textures for all seasons – Adjusted terrain configuration files It will cost $ 14.99 and will be available very soon! Happy flying! Starway http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=164817

Weekend Bundles Deals This weekend we offer two new bundles deals that are focused on DCS: P-51D Mustang: DCS: P-51D Mustang + DCS: NEVADA Test and Training Range map for $59.99 USD. DCS: P-51D Mustang + DCS: Fw 190 D-9 Dora for $59.99 USD. This deal will start on 15 April 2016 at 1500 GMT and last until 17 April 2016 at 0900 GMT. Special offers: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/special_offers/ DCS: Spitfire LF Mk.IX Update Work continues on the Spitfire LF Mk.IX at a rapid pace! This week we integrated the long-awaited RAF pilot to the cockpit. Primary development on the flight dynamics is nearing completion and we believe you will be very happy with the results. We think it is our best work yet. Our efforts are now moving to the Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20 mm-caliber automatic cannons. These will include realistic ballistics for all main ammunition types used during WWII. DCS World 2.0.2 Update Today we will release the next update to DCS World 2.0, version 2.0.2. This will include all the new changes from DCS World 1.5.3 and some new fixes you can review on the DCS forum. DCS store: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/modules/ Have a DCS NTTR weekend! The Eagle Dynamics Team

A type of combat flight simming you get paid for but it doesn't seem to be much fun. Who will pilot unmanned aircraft is becoming an issue In 2012, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh wondered aloud about what to do with MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft when they returned from Afghanistan. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with them,” he mused at a press briefing. “Buying more right now might not make any sense.” Fast-forward to 2016: The Air Force, still under the leadership of Welsh, is in the midst of a full-scale effort to expand its remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) force—and reduce the morale problems that have plagued it since the earliest days of the Predator in the early 1990s. Once seen largely as a niche capability for counterinsurgency warfare, the service’s unmanned-aircraft force has a new lease on life thanks to the rise of the Islamic State group, a resurgent Russia, and the Obama administration’s decision to fully exploit the political advantages of an air asset that can conduct clandestine strikes in places such as Pakistan without risking the lives of aircrew. The relentless demand for this capability has forced the Air Force to acknowledge the need for a long-term strategy to grow its RPA workforce. The service has been losing more unmanned-aircraft pilots than it trains; about 250 leave while about 150 are pushed through the training pipeline annually. The shortage puts tremendous strain on the existing force. RPA pilots fly for six days, conduct nonflying duties for one day, and then receive two days off. “Every combatant commander wants you,” Gen. Welsh told RPA crews during a March visit to Creech AFB in Nevada. “But you also understand the strain it inflicts.” To relieve some of the pressure on aircrews—and prevent the situation from deteriorating further over the next decade as it boosts unmanned-aircraft combat air patrols (CAP) to 70 from 60—the Air Force in 2015 launched an effort known as the “RPA Get Well Plan.” Central to that are plans to increase the number of RPA pilots trained to more than 400 a year by 2019. The pipeline has historically been constrained by the limited number of qualified unmanned-aircraft instructors that can be pulled away from ongoing combat operations. The Pentagon’s decision to allow the Air Force to fall back to 60 from 65 CAPs in 2015 created some breathing room, and under the Get Well Plan the Air Force intends to improve the training infrastructure at Holloman AFB in New Mexico to support the throughput increase. The Get Well Plan also includes controversial proposals such as the use of contractors to fly unmanned aircraft, a decision that has raised complicated legal and moral questions about the role of civilians in combat. Separately, the Air Force announced in December 2015 that it would allow enlisted pilots to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk starting in late 2016 or early 2017, with a possibility of expanding their role to the Predator and Reaper in the future. Another major focus of the plan is an increase in aviation incentive pay to attract and retain RPA pilots. During a March Senate hearing, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) complained the Air Force had failed to allocate congressionally authorized $35,000 retention bonuses for unmanned aircraft pilots, instead capping incentive pay at $25,000, commensurate with the manned aircraft pilot community. Welsh countered that he plans to work with lawmakers to introduce legislation this year that would increase aviation incentive pay for both manned and unmanned aircraft to $35,000 a year. In addition to these policy changes, the service launched a Culture and Process Improvement Program (CPIP) in 2015 to address cultural inhibitors to RPA force development. Low morale has been a pervasive problem in the community, largely due to the fact that a majority of RPA crews are former manned aircraft pilots who did not volunteer for the assignment. A study of 114 RPA pilots and sensor operators for the Air Force’s professional journal found that crews often felt they were perceived as “second-class citizens.” The CPIP heard that phrase “over and over again” from RPA pilots, according to interview results obtained by Aviation Week. The CPIP made a series of recommendations to improve RPA pilot morale after conducting nearly 2,000 face-to-face interviews and more than 1,000 electronic surveys. In response to the findings, Welsh announced in December that the Air Force would pursue a $3 billion plan, subject to congressional approval, to respond to the concerns of overworked RPA crews. The plan proposed adding 75 Reapers to the current fleet of 175 Reapers and 150 Predators and adding 3,500 new RPA pilots, sensor operators and other enlisted personnel. The service also announced plans to increase the number of unmanned aircraft squadrons and to stand up a new wing to complement the only existing one, currently located at Creech. It remains unclear whether the Air Force’s plans to boost unmanned aircraft capacity will effectively institutionalize high-demand RPA capability in something more than an ad hoc fashion. While David Deptula, chief of Air Force intelligence in 2006-10 and a major RPA advocate, says the service’s proposals represent an “appropriate effort,” he cautions it is “too early to say” whether they will actually deliver meaningful change. http://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf-wrestles-remotely-piloted-aircraft-workforce-issues?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20160415_AW-05_105&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2&utm_rid=CPEN1000001360373&utm_campaign=5608&utm_medium=email&elq2=99e9cb9a7f5f45a5bda006b31910cfec

The MiG-29 was 9.12B Have the MiG-21 variants if you want them?

They had a French designed IADS run by a computer system called KARI.(IRAK backwards).......... The SA-2 was apparently SA-2F / S-75M2 type. There might be some changes from this old source (SA-7 was also used I have)