The Hornet Has Landed

There wasn't much fanfare on DCS's Facebook page but the F/A-18C is now available for download for those using DCS Open Beta. There's a 2.3 Gb update that needs to be installed before you can download the Hornet but once it's all said and done you'll finally be able to fly the bug off the Stennis, fire Aim-7s and Aim-9's at bandits, and drop some bombs on those poor enemy soldiers on the ground.

As promised by Eagle Dynamics the moving map is available on the 3rd display in the cockpit and the radar symbology is showing correctly. There's a lot that still needs to be done with the Hornet (we need the Aim-120's and the laser guided bombs still) but for an early access it is in very good condition. Expect a lot of large updates to come in the future for this module.

So, if you pre-ordered the Hornet, go ahead and start up your DCS Open Beta and get the update and start downloading that plane. You'll have a lot of fun with it. Also keep an eye out for Chuck's Guide to the F/A-18C. He'll be publishing one in the next few weeks once he learns how everything works.

Happy flying.

Persian Gulf Map Out Now

I just wanted to make a quick post to let all of you know that the Persian Gulf Map is out now. So, if you pre-ordered it and you are running DCS Open Beta you can start downloading it right now (which is exactly what I'm doing as I type this). If you're running the stable version you might need to wait up to 7 days for it to be available to you.

The downside to the map being available now? The $10 discount has ended. So if you haven't pre-ordered it you'll need to pay the full $49.99 for it now. Or at least until it goes on sale at some point.

With that being said we are now just 7 days away from the Hornets release. If you have pre-ordered it, or plan to by the Hornet soon, I'd suggest you take a look at the Matt Wagner's or the Grim Reapers F/A-18C introduction videos to get an idea on how the plane works. I've been reviewing them for the last few days myself.

Until then, enjoy your flights over Iran, Oman, and Dubai.
Happy hunting.

Hornet and Persian Gulf Map Release Dates Confirmed

Eagle Dynamics has just released their latest news on the Hornet and Persian Gulf map. The big news is we now have a definite release date for both. The Persian Gulf map will be released first on May 23rd, which is coincidentally my wifes birthday, and the Hornet will be released seven days later on May 30th.

Originally the Hornet was slated to be released first but Eagle Dynamics stated they wanted to work on the Hornet a little more. They wanted to get a few more systems completed before they release it to early access. The systems they want to work on still are:

1. Completed radar-directed AA Gun, AIM-9, and AIM-7 symbology
2. AUTO bombing mode
3. Radar contacts on the Electronic Warfare (EW) Page
4. The Moving Map

While we wait for the release dates to come and for us to download everything why not take a look at YouTube. I'll continue to post the BFM videos but I want to share with you a very amusing DCS group I found while looking for information on the Hornet and the F-14. The group is called Grim Reapers and they have some very funny videos out there such as Taxi Way Ground Racing and Strange Viewer-Requested Tests. If you have small children around (like I do) you might want to put headphones on because there are little slips where cursing does happen. Or watch it at night when the kids are asleep.

I just wanted to let you all know that we have release dates out now for the Hornet and the Persian Gulf map. So if you haven't pre-ordered yet and you do want to get the modules I would highly suggest you do that now because once the early access is released the $10 discount for the map and the $20 discount for the Hornet will be removed and you'll need to pay the full price of $49.99 for the Persian Gulf and $79.99 for the Hornet.

I hope you enjoy the Grim Reaper videos. Honestly, if I had TrackIR, an SSD, and faster internet I would not hesitate to try and join their squadron on DCS. But, I'll have to settle for laughing while watching their videos instead.

See you in the skies. DCS is going to get a lot more interesting very soon. 😉

THE HORNET IS COMING!! THE HORNET IS COMING!!!

As the title suggests Eagle Dynamics is set to release the F/A-18C this month. That's right! we have just a few weeks at most before the Hornet is on our computers. But that also means an end to the $20 off. If you haven't bought the Hornet and want to, then I'd say you probably should do that now before it goes up to it's regular price of $79.99.

Also, The Persian Gulf map will be released this month "shortly" after the F/A-18C comes out. That's straight from the horses mouth. Matt Wagner posted this video on Facebook and YouTube stating everything we need to know about the state of the F/A-18C. And what Matt Wagner says for DCS goes.

He stated that the Hornet will come with Aim-9 and Aim-7 missiles for air to air engagements. We will eventually get the Aim-120 but that won't be for a while after release. He also stated that we will get free fall bombs and rockets for air to ground attacks. Again, we will get guided weapons but not for a while.

I'm looking forward to the F/A-18C and the Persian Gulf map coming out. But, I'm more thrilled that with the Hornet getting released we'll be just a few months away from seeing the F-14 from Heatblur coming to us. There's no release date for the F-14 from Heatblur or ED, but I'm thinking we should see it between July and September. Of course Heatblur or ED could decide to release it earlier or later than I'm expecting. But that three month period seems reliable from what I've seen from ED and their partners before.

See you in the skies over Iran.