DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) Catch-All

I found something worse in the F-14A than compressor stalls: engine fires.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/LcXxUET.jpg)

I apparently overheated the left engine while maneuvering in full afterburner. Asynchronous thrust in a Tomcat's a pain particularly in landing. And these things always happen when I use the Black Knight livery; it's like the VF-154 Tomcat's like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

My attempts to recreate the JAG Christmas episode where Harm in a Tomcat guided a cargo plane to a landing in the middle of a blizzard have at least taught me how to not crash in the middle of a blizzard:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/ZINZgNR.jpg)

The trying to fly formation with a C-130 in a blizzard didn't go so well. Couldn't see it within 500 feet and the AI didn't turn its landing and formation lights on until it was about to land.

So there's another free-to-play event for DCS going on between now and a couple weeks of now. Curiosity and temptation got the better of me...

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/B5JXZoc.jpg)

The F-16CM (which I know quite well from Falcon 4) and the Nevada map, which is new to me. Taking off from Nellis Air Force base in Las Vegas, I naturally had to fly over the Strip:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/TCfJgye.jpg)

And of course Groom Lake, aka Area 51:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/lwTUebB.jpg)

And I landed back at Nellis without any difficulty despite not having flown the Viper in over a decade:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/ZHHTn6Y.jpg)

The Viper's still in EA and in a much earlier state than say the Hornet. The F-16 has a clear speed advantage over the F/A-18, though it noticeably much less maneuverable. That said, I can see by the end of the free trial that the Viper might replace the Hornet as my preferred multi-role fighter in DCS. Not a Tomcat, obviously, but I can see why she's the preferred fighter in multiplayer.

I downloaded and tried out the P-47 today. It's always been one of my favorite WW2 warbirds. I get a kick out of the 20 minute tutorials going through startup, where you're energizing magnetos and hand-pumping the hydraulics and you have to time the flywheel spin-up before engaging the engine starter and trying to get the engine to fire off and catch. It was a good hour before I was finally in the air.

I tried a few lazy turns, then spotted a train below and rolled in for an attack run. Then I somehow ripped my own tail off and augered in. So not an auspicious start. I guess that's the new damage model they've been so excited about.

I am so familiar with the Viper that I can fly it when I'm half asleep (again):

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/UhvbO00.jpg)

And land, thankfully:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/o0IDw42.jpg)

Definitely putting money down on this during the sale. Probably the best multi-role fighter in DCS and I say that putting 200 flight hours in the Hornet. I probably won't go back until the next update to Supercarrier.

Rat Boy, those screenshots look great!

I'm just getting (back) into military flight sims so I'm using the free trial period to sample DCS. I'm leaning towards the Hornet as my first aircraft, as a modern, multirole plane. Based on the tutorials, the Hornet seems reasonably intuitive so far, although it is not cheap -- 30% off is still A$90 before any maps or campaigns.

As for other aircraft, I was intrigued by the Mirage, but the tutorial asking me to turn on the autopilot and then flying me into the ground did not make a good impression. I didn't enjoy the free Su-25 or find it at all user-friendly. I haven't tried the FC3 aircraft or the F-14 yet.

Looking forward to my HOTAS arriving. Hopefully the free trial will still be on then.

Mind Elemental wrote:

As for other aircraft, I was intrigued by the Mirage, but the tutorial asking me to turn on the autopilot and then flying me into the ground did not make a good impression.

With the Viper now basically a must buy for me, I was thinking of giving the Mirage a spin in the free trial, though the language barrier's made me hesitant. The autopilot from a 737-Max even more so.

How does the Viper fly compare to Falcon 3/4? I've flown v3.0 extensively (proud founding member of the 510th TFW) and quite a bit of v4.0, so was felling pretty cocky when I jumped into the seat in "Back to Baghdad". That did not end well.

I do like how DCS have implemented VR (put the pipper on the button/switch and click to activate) and now I have my reverb I'm tempted to get back in. It's either a modern jet (and I have very fond memories of the Viper) or back to W-W-I-I and the Spitfire.

Moggy wrote:

How does the Viper fly compare to Falcon 3/4?

Almost identical from what I remember, though DCS' far more accurate wind and wake turbulence adds a new layer of challenge. Just bear in mind that the Viper's far from feature complete, so a number of functions like the Terrain Following Radar aren't functional yet.

Yeesh, I was only trying to shoot off his wings, not leave him looking like Sonny Corleone:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/bd1uc6R.jpg)

I also tried out the Mirage. Unfortunately the default chaff/flare key is the same as my screenshot key, which makes it look like the engine's backfiring:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/DA8lABm.jpg)

In an interesting discovery, there are cars racing on the Las Vegas Motorspeedway track:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/Pt2a3YA.jpg)

Bought my first modules during the Steam sale! I picked up the F-15C and the Georgian War campaign. I'm also planning to buy the Hornet on a future sale - it was a delight to fly during the free trial.

Do we have an online group for sims?

Mind Elemental wrote:

Bought my first modules during the Steam sale! I picked up the F-15C and the Georgian War campaign. I'm also planning to buy the Hornet on a future sale - it was a delight to fly during the free trial.

Do we have an online group for sims?

We used to have the GWJ Mud Movers channel on Discord, but it's been a few years. I just don't have the time to stay current with sims but I really should fire it up to try VR.

I might be convinced to get back into it if I had some wingmen!

El-Producto wrote:

I might be convinced to get back into it if I had some wingmen!

Might be fun to fly with the rest of GWJ! Time zones will probably be tricky though - I'm in Australia.

God, this game can swing from exasperating to sublime and back.

I've spent several evenings (interspersed with training and practice instant action missions) trying to beat the second mission in the Georgian War F-15 campaign. After beating my head against the MiG wall for this entire evening, I finally manage it after what must be 8 or 10 tries. I get the 'mission accomplished' message, confirm my result is 90 (which should be enough to pass), end the mission...

... and find DCS didn't save my progress.

Edit: Managed to progress by editing my logbook file to manually set the campaign to the next mission. I think that for the sake of my blood pressure, that was preferable to having to replay yet again.

In new news, I got a TrackIR which makes DCS way easier to play. In other new news, last week saw the addition of a crapton of new campaigns, ranging from the very technical and realistic:

To the downright crazy:

Finally, today Eagle Dynamics teased their new weather and clouds, but everyone was talking about the plane seen in the thumbnail:

Heatblur has confirmed that in addition to the NPC A-6 and KA-6 Intruders coming as part of the F-14 module, they're developing a flyable version.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/fO8eEec.jpg)

Nice thing about TrackIR is that you can leave the stick on and still be able to look around it to see the screen it blocks. Also, didn't know until today that you can display the FLIR on the lower MFD in the Hornet.

Version 2.7 dropped on the Open Beta version today, which includes the new clouds:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/rRiuW7d.jpg)

What didn't drop was my framerate; almost no hit to my performance at all.

IMAGE(https://media.tenor.com/images/bd0b607c9479ec87e17cab0dc84e0878/tenor.gif)

DCS remains near the top of my list of "Games I'd pour myself into if I had the time, but I do not have anywhere near the time so I'll never play this."

Prederick wrote:

DCS remains near the top of my list of "Games I'd pour myself into if I had the time, but I do not have anywhere near the time so I'll never play this."

*sigh* Me too.

They stealth-patched the wheel brakes on the F-16 and my god, landing that thing's no longer a nightmare.

I mean, seriously. I used to overshoot Taxiway B at Nellis by a country mile in the Viper. Now I slow down long before I get there:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/rZIFfYb.jpg)

I look forward to the Viper getting fleshed out more now that development on the Hornet's nearing the end... ah, who am I kidding? I'm ditching the F-16 for the F-15E Strike Eagle as soon as RAZBAM releases it:

IMAGE(https://forums.eagle.ru/uploads/monthly_2021_04/A4726E1E-D2B0-4F50-91A6-38B65FE4C6A2.png.07fe4fb4c9813f9833bb98f767839da0.png)

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What HOTAS do you use Ratboy? I have an old Saitek Rhino. The stick is fine, but I'm not a fan of the throttle. Its always been "noisy" with potentiometers going off when they shouldn't. I'm using a powered USB hub and everything. It works well enough and I've put a lot of hours on it between elite and flightsim before I got my current yoke and throttle. Now I'm actually looking to downgrade to a t16000m. Most of my simming is of the non pew pew variety, and the biggest reason is that the t16000m lets me switch to a left handed configuration as Airbus and most GA aircraft with control sticks are.

I suppose I could keep the stick and try my "regular" throttle quadrant for DCS but that seems like it wouldn't feel right.

An ancient CH Fighterstick and CH Pro Throttle, which doesn't have a lot of range of motion.

I posted this in the Flight Sim group but didn't have any takers, so x-posting here.

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I have completed my HOTAS "downgrade", finding a t16000m joystick at MSRP and will keep my Alpha/Bravo combination. The t16000m allows for both a left and right configuration which is really what I needed, since most GA aircraft with a stick are configured for the left-hand.

So that means I have a Saitek X-55 Rhino (equivalent of Logitech X-56) now taking up space that I don't have in my apartment. It's served me well over the years. I'm happy to give it to a US located, flight simulator playing GWJer for the cost of shipping (I think it will fit in a large USPS one-price box). I have the set of tension springs, and everything as far as I can tell works well. You absolutely need a powered USB Hub (not included) with 2 free ports, or you'll get a ton of ghosting on the throttle quadrant. Works natively in MSFS, Xplane 11 and Elite Dangerous, and I'm sure in the other HOTAS supporting sims as well.

ps. just so you know its a SAITEK X-55. Logitech names its Warthog, X-55.. this is NOT a Warthog.

Carlbear - sent you a PM about this.

Someone got in before you Boudreaux sorry. If that falls through I'll go down in order of message receipt.

No worries!

It's free. System intensive especially over Guam at launch, but it's free.

Showing off a lot of the F-15E, plus the A-6, expanding the Normandy map to include London and Paris, the South Atlantic map, and a bit of the new dynamic weather. As for the teasers at the end:

Spoiler:

The lat and long coordinates are for Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan (edit: in reference to a type of aircraft that used to park there) and the gunsight is from an F-4E Phantom.