VonS

Good info. gents' - this will probably be my (new) future joystick, and as far as I remember it has the twist rudder function too which should come in handy. I still use the Logitech Attack 3d, with the numbers 4 and 5 buttons mapped for left/right rudder. The Attack 3d developed some looseness eventually with the down axis (down elevator), but I managed to solve that with a bit of broken toothpick glued into the loosened plastic socket for the down axis , giving me about 10% down axis by default which now translates to level elevator in FE2/SF2. EDIT: I think there's a (Chinese) knockoff of the Extreme 3d Pro available on Amazon (can't remember the long name of that model now), that also includes force feedback and the twist rudder, but I'm apprehensive about tossing out 50 dollars on a no-name imitation. Happy flying and patching, Von S

The mini-modular approach, yes - I've got a similar set up and it's a more workable way of "doing WW2" in SF2 instead of the all or nothing approach I usually take with WW1 in FE2. Small theaters, smaller groups of aircraft per theater, etc. for WW2 in SF2 - this way I can tweak/tune the FMs in packages and at least have something that looks like a WW2 install. In terms of overall impressions...yes, SF2 works best for the jet age...but the FMs for prop aircraft in SF2 are just fine and can be hammered out well enough (although it is time consuming). Another peculiarity worth being aware of is that, unless entire data inis are revamped, don't assume that real hp/engine watt numbers will give the same "real" results in SF2 right off the bat - I've had to engine-up several of the FM tweaks in my Cold War prop and 1937-1941 packs, and then to put in place speed caps, max. Mach no. caps, etc. This gives, for example, more realistic climb rates and zoom climb lengths, together with tweaking of climb data for airfoils, etc. Another rule I learned...easier to re-tweak FE2 data inis for SF2 than to retrofit SF2 data inis into FE2 (your mileage may vary on this). Can WW2 SF2 surpass IL-2 WW2 (both the 1946 sim and the newer IL-2 packages)?...probably not at this point - but if installed in small modules it's workable for the casual WW2 flyer and, honestly, I've never had more enjoyable WW2 dogfights than in SF2 - and that's saying much since I'm usually a WW1 guy . Von S

Yes Win7 is probably the high point of Windows, I'm keeping a copy of Win7 Ultimate Edition around if I really need it. Install updates slowly in Win10 and it shouldn't break too many things with games and sims. Haven't tested the ENB dx9 extension with other sims but I will try it out with Wings Over Flanders Fields - will be interesting to see if it improves frame rates there too. Might also test it with Rise of Flight - since that sim uses dx9 too. EDIT: ENB dx9 extension does not work well with WOFFue, gives corrupt landscape textures and lowers framerates - best is to use the standard dx9 dll that comes with WOFFue. Didn't bother testing with ROFue since it probably wouldn't be of any benefit. Von S

Glad the info. was helpful, a similar procedure is good to apply, if necessary, to SF2 too - although it might not be necessary for SF2. Also, if having other trouble with FE2 on Win10, I recommend running it (and SF2) in Win7 compatibility mode. Happy flying, Von S

A few more tweaks and then maybe one more biplane for the 1937 - 1941 FM package...perhaps Stephen's Polikarpov I-15. Included MaxG limits for the Mk.1 Gladiator and did a quick Chinese skin too (thank you Paint3D ) - should work well now for mto and pto installs in SF2. Happy flying, Von S

Some tests under way...tweaking the FM for Geezer's Mk.I Gladiator, available for FE2, to work well in SF2...will include this eventually with my 1937 - 1941 FM pack. Doesn't hurt to have a biplane or two in that package. Top speed around 410 kph at around 4200 m alt in SF2, and a climb rate around 10 m/s or so, estimated, if you climb at a speed of about 200 to 220 kph. Not bad at all for a 1930s aircraft. Too bad I can't remove the cockpit canopy since it doesn't open/close anyway, and I think the model is lacking damage tga files, but no big deal - it's a fun aircraft and can hold its own against 1930s monoplane types (I'd say it's better than the early monoplanes). Von S

Thank you for this great skin - wasn't even aware of Stephen's I-15 model...might tinker with the data ini in the future so that I can set this one up in my SF2 Pacific theater install...should be a good complement to the Chinese-flown Polikarpov I have running in that install, and it doesn't hurt to have at least one biplane in that late 1930s' theater. Happy flying, Von S

Hi Stephen, yes the shadows-off part is a long story. I have them set to "medium" in SF2 since I installed it directly onto my Mac Pro 2013 (trash can model) in BootCamp - but FE2 I used to run originally on my Mac Mini (2012) with an integrated vid card (Intel HD 4000) where it was a good idea to keep shadows turned off to improve fps. Now that I've transferred FE2 to the Mac Pro too, I'll eventually get to turning on the shadows - but will probably leave shadows at medium settings since they look fine that way. I just hope I didn't set shadows to false in the general ini files for my 200+ aircraft that I fly in FE2 since that will be a slow process to turn shadows back on. Also I might leave shadows off for any FE1 era aircraft since, as far as I can tell in SF2, SF1 era aircraft with shadows on sometimes cast a strange, thin, long line to the ground (I think this was addressed somewhere in the SF2 or FE2 threads a while back, that it's actually the pilot's shadow that should be turned off on older aircraft, not the aircraft shadow itself). Will look into it eventually. Von S

Thank you Jackson. Fully modded, FE2 is an amazing flight sim and the visuals are great too. I'm flying it again more and more after a small break to do some tweaks for WOFFue. Latest pics. from the Eastern front, an afternoon mission against the rare Pfalz and Fokker Eindecker, and then a lone-wolf mission early in the morning (using the modified mission control and formation ini files from my FM update pack to give lonely and often empty skies, as historical for these obscure theaters). Lone-wolf missions are particularly challenging. I'm thinking of flying a bunch of missions, this time for the Eastern front, using my DiD Rules that I came up with a while back, for even more immersion (https://combatace.com/forums/topic/92423-did-style-single-missions-for-fe2/). Happy flying, Von S

Did some flying again this weekend, first in ROF, but then I ended up spending more time in SF2 and FE2. ROF is definitely a respectable sim with great damage modeling, but I had much more fun in SF2 and FE2. Also the AI is I think noticeably better in the TW sims, particularly in FE2 where, depending on skill, aircraft sometimes disengage and try to head for home, or temporarily disengage and then jump back into the fray. Von S

Spent some time again this weekend in the Pacific theater and managed to capture a couple of nice shots of the early Tomahawk. I should probably start doing some FM tweaks for a small selection of two-engined aircraft, for an extension of my 1937 - 1941 package for SF2, but the flying is just too addictive. Von S

While FE2 runs fine on "average" settings on an Intel HD 4000 integrated vid card (the 4000 dates to about 2012 or 2013) - SF2 maxes out at about 10 fps on the same card. The HD 3000 is likely even worse. I recommend running SF2 on a discrete graphics card, or two. Also, for good measure, download the following generic ENB package (http://enbdev.com/download_mod_generic.htm), and dump the "d3d9.dll" located in that package in the "WrapperVersion" folder directly into your SF2 game folder/directory (not into the user folder/directory). Same tip applies to FE2 on Windows 7/8.1/10 - has improved frame rates both in WineSkin and on the BootCamp (Windows) side of my 2013 Mac Pro for the TW series of sims. (Thank you gTerl for mentioning this tip a while back on the FE2 forums.) Happy flying gents', Von S NOTE: FE2 works fine in either WineSkin or BootCamp...SF2 I recommend not installing in WineSkin since the ENB package doesn't seem to make a difference for SF2 in WineSkin (better to do a direct Windows install and then apply the ENB magic).

After finishing up with some FM tweaks for WOFFue, it's always nice to come back to the TW series of sims. The early morning atmospheric shots never cease to amaze me in SF2 (and in FE2). Some far eastern action in 1941 with the Japanese Me109 (E7) - a tweak of the A-Team E8. Happy flying, Von S

There's a kind of magic to dogfights in FE2 that I think (still) make it one of the best WW1 flight sims out there. Some pics. below, enjoying early war scenarios with ver. 3 of Stephen's Galicia terrain (and ver. 9.7 of my FM pack for FE2). Happy flying, Von S

On a related note, those interested in flying the early Me109 variants in FE2 might want to check over the tweaked FMs for them, available in my SF2 (1937 - 1941) FM update pack under the SF2 threads. Keep in mind that those tweaks were tested, however, only in SF2. One thing that may be necessary is to cap the mach limit number more extremely (to lower it) and to reduce overall engine output too, in order to get historical top speeds in FE2 - I'm willing to look over those data inis for a SCW scenario in FE2 eventually...although currently I can't make any promises regarding other FMs for other SCW aircraft since I'm already swamped with FMs - have to go over several FMs for WOFFue, then a part two (two-engined aircraft) for a 1937-41 scenario in SF2, and then finally I have to revisit FE2 and start working on a ver. 10.0 of the FM update pack. Fun times ahead. At any rate, a SCW scenario is a welcome addition indeed to FE2! Happy flying all, Von S

Forgot to tweak the FM for this beauty, for the Cold War Prop FM pack...will upload it soon with a ver. 1.2 of the package. Have also increased sensitivity of the rudder on the P-47M and N types, with slightly snappier aileron response on the type N too, and desensitized aileron response on the type M, as well as on the earlier D "Razorback" sprint upgrade included with the pack. The 47N is a bit slower than the M variant but still very impressive. Top speed around the 750s kph at about 9800 m alt...one of the best high-alt. prop aircraft in the package now. Does great in dogfights against the Lavochkin 11 if you maintain energy...the LA-9 is a bit more challenging but still workable if you fly the Jug smoothly. Happy flying, Von S

Big update packs with Geezer's latest works-in-progress available on pages 17 and 18 of the new aircraft thread...including the Pfalz D.III and IIIa, and extra skins for the IIIa variant. Latest Caudron R.11 available on page 23 of the same thread, including newer skins by Geezer for one of the Nieups. posted on pages 17/18. Bleriot XI type 2 never released, not even in alpha form - if Geezer ever sends us the relevant files for that one, I'll get to work on the FM for it (but not before late August, currently out of town with internet access only on a netbook ). Von S

I'm sure the forums will liven up in the fall gents' - FE2 is a niche sim within an already niche community of WWI sim enthusiasts, so I'm not too worried. I'm sure that Stephen and gTerl are working on things behind the scenes as they find time, perhaps some updated terrains or aircraft eventually. I will roll out a ver. 10.0 update of the FM pack either this fall or early next year - have to look at the Snipe, also several two-seaters that I never touched, and I'm thinking of whether or not to look at the Bortdafarm Fokk. D.III late variant with the ailerons. There's also a Junkers J.1 that Geezer did which is pretty much complete but it could use a skin or two - that could be released eventually under the "new aircraft" thread, although the Junkers is probably not high priority in the sim since it is only a ground-attack aircraft. Other things that need tweaking include the spinning/static prop on Geezer's latest Nieup. 28 model, available under the new aircraft thread, and it sure would be nice if we eventually get a Bleriot XI somewhere down the road - we've been waiting for that one a long time. I'm a little slow with the ver. 10.0 FM update pack since I'm juggling other tweaks currently...would like to comb over the early Nieups, 200hp Alb. D.Va, also the new Fokk. D.VI and the Spad 13 types for WOFFue. After that I want to finish up with a "Part II" of my early WW2 prop tweaks package for SF2, focusing on some two-engined bombers and a cargo aircraft or two, for immersion...then I'll circle back to the ver. 10.0 FM pack for FE2. Have also been looking at ROF recently (a lovely sim) but there's no way to mod the FMs in that one - I like their FMs but the aircraft seem somewhat too fragile and are thrown around by the wind like those 3/4 sized replicas, also several of the top speeds are a bit too slow in that one. I did manage to grab a bunch of their planes, on sale - for 40 USD you can pretty much fill up your hangar in ROF, just look for when the planes are on sale for a dollar or two each. Doesn't hurt to own all three of the major WW1 sims. WOFF is very respectable but needs SweetFX or ReShade to sharpen the graphics a bit more to max. (since it dates back to the CFS3 days). I've found no need to use SweetFX in FE2 or ROF. The FMs in WOFF I think are fine although loops/stalls work slightly differently on some of the types if they are underpowered, also with some of the stock FMs, than in FE2 and ROF. All in all I think that FE2 is still one of the best WW1 flight sims around, good DX10-era graphics and the modded FMs give a good sense of full-sized WW1 aircraft and their peculiarities. I also like the stall/spin characteristics in FE2. ROF apparently does "real historical" spins but considering the lack of real data for some of the WW1 types - I like the FE2 approach more that standardizes most of the spin problems (to get out of a spin, go opposite rudder, nose down, hope for the best - also in FE2 sometimes you should do opposite aileron to the spin as well, yes counter-intuitive but many of those early ailerons are big so there's a strange logic to going opposite aileron, opposite rudder, and nose down too). One of the other things I've come to enjoy in FE2 are the rare side-slips that sometimes happen, on stall, right into the ground, on a few of the types - perhaps a real possibility on some WW1 types given the high drag numbers and other things. Three areas I think could use further work in FE2: (a) higher-resolution ground/landscape textures - although they are okay as they are, especially from altitude where they look more like what you actually see out of the window of an aircraft than the other two WW1 sims; (b) lack of real turbulence effects in FE2 bothers me at times although it's not an immersion killer (I wonder if TK included code for turbulence but never "documented" such things...would be nice to figure that out); (c) we need some kind of illusion of solid trees in FE2 (something like a mesh of invisible but solid poles planted approximately where more trees are located would be adequate and would give an element of surprise since you wouldn't know which trees were solid - a very scary and realistic prospect when landing or flying low - this would be a good compromise since obviously the trees themselves can't be made solid....wish I knew more about texture planting/coding in the TW sims but hopefully somebody who knows more about this might try tinkering with the invisible poles/mesh solution to make heavily wooded areas randomly "dangerous"). Happy flying all, Von S

These tweaks are specifically for SF2, as is my Cold War prop package that was done about a month ago - I've also tried running a few of the WW2 types in FE2 but the results were inaccurate (the Corsair F4U-5 for example has a realistic top speed in the 760s kph in SF2, but when dumped into FE2 it jumps into the 880s kph - so I don't recommend transplanting data inis across FE2 and SF2 - better to tweak things separately for the two sims).... Apart from the Corsair and one or two other types, I haven't tried running any of the other SF2 aircraft in FE2, the Corsair showed up just fine but the FM modelling is way off when I run it in FE2....I think air density among other things is modelled to be "thinner" in FE2...possibly something TK did for more accurate WW1 biplane behavior...this would explain the difference in top speeds across the two sims....also the fact that I usually need to use higher-than-historical hp ratings in SF2 for the prop types to get fairly historical climb rates...in FE2, even when using estimates, the hp ratings end up fairly close to historical values, and sometimes require even a bit of down-tuning so that climb rates aren't too good/inaccurate. Some of the 1930s biplanes that Geezer and Baffmeister were working on were done specifically for FE2 I think, and then eventually re-tweaked for SF2 - on the other hand "backporting" stuff from SF2 into FE2 may not be as easy. Obligatory screenies below, Aircobra and Tomahawk in the pto theater - SF2 is thoroughly satisfying for my occasional WW2 interests, much better than that CFS3 stuff I tried years ago. Von S

If you like old Counter Strike titles, I also recommend checking out the obscure granddaddy of them all - Damage Inc. (originally a Macintosh title from 1997, based on the Marathon 2 engine, but eventually ported over to Windows). We Mac Heads enjoyed this one on our beige-colored Power Macs back in the '90s, running System 7 or 8 - while most of the world was on Windows 95. The original website for Damage Inc. is still online (http://www.paranoidproductions.com/damage/). I think the game is abandonware now so you might be able to find it by doing some Googling for either the Mac or Windows version. Von S Intro pic. of Damage Inc.

Fighter data ini tweaks now all done for a mini 1937 to 1941 install, will most likely package this soon and upload as a "Part I" package..."Part II" will follow later in the year with five or six two-engined bombers that fit well with a late '30s install. Have finally gotten around to tweaking the P-39 Aircobra (c variant and early d batch), and also one of my favorites, the P-40 (cu and/or early b variant), this should work well for early and obscure pto and mto installs. The Flying Tigers flew the c variant largely but I'll leave that perhaps for a future tweaks package for a mid-war scenario. Happy flying, Von S Can barely get above 8500 m alt in the early P-40 but good enough to create some contrails Some damage from a dogfight with Folgere types but the P-40 is fairly sturdy and can take a beating Couldn't resist getting some of the later-variant Folgeres at their base (Series 9 of the c.202 tweak in the pic below) Keeping good formation on the way back home I always find time to enjoy sun effects in the TW sims

A couple of screenies to refresh this thread...was trying out some of the Entente aircraft in ROFue recently and, similar to WOFFue, I think my two favorites are the SPAD VII and the Tripehound (for some reason the Nieup. 17 seems a bit too fragile in ROF and I've never been much of a Camel jockey to explore those further) - but the SPAD VII is wonderful even against the Dr.1, and at low-level too - simply use power to extend and climb gently, and come back for another slashing attack. Works well most of the time in the 150 hp SPAD VII, should work even better in the 180 hp version. Von S

And let's put up some more updates for the FM tweaks in progress...the Macchi 200 and 202 done by A-Team for SF1 now fly well in SF2...have re-tweaked the old 202 as a series 1 Folgere, while the 202 posted above has been further split into approximations of a series 5 and series 9 of the Folgere, should be enough variety now for an early MTO install. Speaking of MTO installs, I was looking at the nice Spit V.a available at CombatAce and modified the data ini to fit a Mk.II...and it works well in an early MTO install (purists may prefer the tropical Mk.V with the sand filter for an MTO install but technically those fit better for a mid-war scenario in 1942 and later...so I went with a Mk.II instead, and the Mk.I has been re-tweaked for an ETO install)...will take a small break and then onto the MS. 406 and Curtiss variants...also want to include some two-engined types, so I will decide whether to do a small update pack first or maybe continue to expand it and upload the FM tweaks later once I've covered the types I'm using for my 1937-1941 install. Representative shots below of the latest tweaks...hair-raising adventure with Mk.II Spits and the Macchi 200, was out of ammo after the first dogfight so I eventually sawed off the second fellow's elevator with my prop...then chased him to a higher alt. to make him stall and fall into an unrecoverable spin...I then ran out of fuel (probably damage of some kind) and had to find a spot to land. SF2 is every bit as good for WW2 as FE2 is for WW1 in my opinion. Von S Chasing the fellow high after sawing his elevator off He ends up spinning, with no elevator, rudder, or ailerons to correct Looking for a spot to land the Spit Mk.II after the engine conked out or fuel ran out Landed close to what seems like an outhouse (appropriate after the extreme adventure)

Continuing with some FM tweaks for an early WW2 install...this time the A-Team Veltro data ini reworked as an early Macchi 202, with 12 and 7 mm machine guns. Lightened up the camo a bit for myself and took her for a test...can use the vertical very effectively in this fighter...also sometimes displays a tendency towards nasty spins but overall very nice against Mk.1 Hurricanes if you aren't rough on the stick. I'm enjoying this one very much...next up the MS. 406 and to get to the P-39 and early P-40 Curtiss variants...I've never checked out a more enjoyable WW2 install than in SF2...very nice stuff. Von S Up close and personal with the Hurries A lighter skin...tweaks done in Paint3D Got a few on the ground I was out of ammo. here but I think one of the AA guns exploded while I buzzed over it Back at base

Stephen's beautiful model for the Da Vinci flyer got me thinking today about butterflies, dragonflies, mechanical birds, early flight in general, also horse power and ox power and other (obsolete) power measurements and ratios (oxes are like torque since they have more "pull power" than a draft horse, but the horse always has more hp...I think the old rule is that an ox can do about 65% of the work of a draft horse). In other words, it only has about 2/3s of the hp of a horse, but that makes sense since it's not a real horse. It seems that the major problem with early powered flight (man or engine powered) was the power to weight ratio (inefficient) of early engines, especially steam engines. Clement Ader's "Eole" flyers of the 1890s (the ones with bat-like wings) were about 150 to 250 kg in weight (empty), and had cumbersome steam engines to power them...of about 20-30 hp. It's possible that they got off the ground briefly but had no pilot control. The Wright brothers also encountered a similar power-to-weight ratio problem but overcame this with a somewhat lightweight combustion engine of about 15 hp, and a fairly long wingspan, plus the biplane construction that gives further wing area for better lift. The Flyer B and C would be further improvements...with engines of about 25 to 35 hp. The Wright flyers had similar empty weights to the Eole variants, of about 200 to 300 kg, but a better wing design and lighter (combustion) engine - and also the capability for controlled flight. Man-powered "ornithopters" are another problem entirely, since, to speak in very rough averages, a man has about 1/3 the horsepower of a single horse (race horse), even less if you measure with a draft horse (which may be how the Germans were measuring horse power prior to the 1920s...perhaps this is why German hp ratings are lower on the Mercedes D.III engine when compared to British tests on the same engine...an interesting side-topic). Something like the Da Vinci flyer might actually work but you would have to be able to pump out, consistently, about 40 to 60 horses given the construction materials of the time (linen, wood, steel tubing perhaps, etc.). I've gone with estimated empty weights for the Da Vinci and Der Flieger variant of between about 150 and 190 kg - which seems reasonable given historical construction materials - about half the weight of the Eole or Wright flyer - but with an "invisible" combustion engine included to simulate extreme pedal power. This gives the Da Vinci flyers enough power to take off. There were some experiments in the 1980s from MIT with pedal-powered flight, but those required extremely long wingspans for lift, also cutting-edge construction materials, and saving on weight wherever possible - and they flew at something like 45 kph and maybe 20-30 meters alt. (haven't looked up those statistics in a while). To get something like the Da Vinci off the ground would require about 50 hp, from what I've been able to test in FE2, similar to what's needed for the early MS types and Bleriot XI to get off the ground too (those have longer wings for better lift when compared to something like the Da Vinci so the Anzani 25 hp engine works but barely works on those, as was the case historically when Bleriot flew across the English Channel in 1909). For some of the types in FE2, I've gone with a lower-than-historical hp rating since the climb rate and lift was already too good on some of the wing types, and they still fly well enough for early aircraft (often you have to juggle between the engine rating, empty weight, and other values, to get the overall result right, without overhauling an entire data ini). I did some more tinkering today with the Da Vinci and provide one more variant in the package below...for this one, I've shaved off the empty weight to 70 kg (average weight of one man maybe), and was able to reduce the power on the invisible combustion engine to only 10 hp - about the power of 10 to 20 men pedaling away - anything less and it can't take off...and I think a lower empty weight also wouldn't be realistic (even this weight is pushing it) - considering typical construction materials for the type. So, this one is as close as I can get it to how birds fly and how a real pedal-powered contraption might behave (one made from materials in the garage or a WWI factory, not with fancy ultralight components or cutting-edge technology) - something to enjoy in FE2. The ai flies it just fine, but requires some time to get to alt. The ceiling on this one seems to be around 500 m, top speed is only about 65 kph. This one is even more delicate than the other two variants posted under the Da Vinci thread, so watch dives and hard maneuvers. To install, simply rename Stephen's DaVinci aircraft folder to TouringEdition and copy over the skin folder and ini files. Von S EDIT: File removed, will be included in mini ver. 9.9 update of the FM pack under the relevant thread.