I'll post the first two videos now and next time I'll add two more.
Enjoy.
31 January, 2018
DCS: Basic Fighter Maneuvers Part 1
As promised to all those who have been following the DCS posts here is the start of the BFM or Basic Fighter Maneuvers series. At first glance this will all seem to be so simple that it's not worth noting. However, to try the more advanced maneuvers you first need to get good at the basics. I've watched every single on of these videos and it did help me in dogfighting. So sit back, relax, and pay attention and you'll see the usefulness for each one (especially when you combine the maneuvers in combat).
I'll post the first two videos now and next time I'll add two more.
Enjoy.
I'll post the first two videos now and next time I'll add two more.
Enjoy.
22 January, 2018
Types of Rosin
Hey everyone. I'm back to writing on here and now I'm going to finish up on what you need for the violin to play and that's the rosin. With the rosin you'll be able to make the bow stick to the strings and get the sound out of them. If you try to play without rosin then the bow will slide across the strings and you'll get nothing.
So, what rosin do you choose?
There are three different rosin types: light, dark, and jade. The differences between them are rather straight forward.
Light Rosin: This is a harder type of rosin primarily for violins and violas. It's also a better fit for playing in warmer temperatures.
Dark Rosin: This is a softer type of rosin and works better in cooler climates. It's usually used on cello bows and not recommended for violins or violas. If used in a very warm weather it could get extremely sticky and cause a lot of problems while playing.
Jade Rosin: This is more of a "catch all" rosin. It can be used with violins, violas, and cellos alike. So, if you play the cello and the violin or viola you might want to get this one just to save yourself some money.
Now, I've used both light and jade rosing for my violin and I personally prefer the light rosin. It seems to let the bow grip the strings better than the jade does but it's still a good rosin none the less.
I like to use Pirastro Goldflex Rosin:
For me, it just seems to give a better sound than the jade rosin I used. Of course it's all up to personal preference.
When you apply the rosin you might (key word there: might) need to scratch the top of the rosin a bit to get it to stick to the bow hairs better. If you put the rosin on a brand new bow you'll need to go across the hairs slowly and a number of times. Once your bow has had rosin on it for several sessions then you'll only need to go over the hairs three times for the following session.
Next time I'll give you a heads up on the Suzuki and Rubank methods. All of my teachers have had me use the Suzuki method but the Rubank seems a bit more methodical. I'll get into that next time. Have fun making some noise with your newly rosined violin bow.
So, what rosin do you choose?
There are three different rosin types: light, dark, and jade. The differences between them are rather straight forward.
Light Rosin: This is a harder type of rosin primarily for violins and violas. It's also a better fit for playing in warmer temperatures.
Dark Rosin: This is a softer type of rosin and works better in cooler climates. It's usually used on cello bows and not recommended for violins or violas. If used in a very warm weather it could get extremely sticky and cause a lot of problems while playing.
Jade Rosin: This is more of a "catch all" rosin. It can be used with violins, violas, and cellos alike. So, if you play the cello and the violin or viola you might want to get this one just to save yourself some money.
Now, I've used both light and jade rosing for my violin and I personally prefer the light rosin. It seems to let the bow grip the strings better than the jade does but it's still a good rosin none the less.
I like to use Pirastro Goldflex Rosin:
For me, it just seems to give a better sound than the jade rosin I used. Of course it's all up to personal preference.
When you apply the rosin you might (key word there: might) need to scratch the top of the rosin a bit to get it to stick to the bow hairs better. If you put the rosin on a brand new bow you'll need to go across the hairs slowly and a number of times. Once your bow has had rosin on it for several sessions then you'll only need to go over the hairs three times for the following session.
Next time I'll give you a heads up on the Suzuki and Rubank methods. All of my teachers have had me use the Suzuki method but the Rubank seems a bit more methodical. I'll get into that next time. Have fun making some noise with your newly rosined violin bow.
15 January, 2018
Gone for a while.
Hey everyone. Sorry I was gone for the last two months. I don't like posting personal stuff, so sorry I can't explain why I was gone. But I'm back now and ready to go. Hopefully I won't be away for so long again but you can never tell what the future holds.
Speaking of what the future holds:
For those who play DCS World, Eagle Dynamics has just put the F/A-18C module up for pre-order. I already bought my copy the moment I saw the news letter. If you're interested in this highly recognizable aircraft in the US Navy I'd recommend you get it before pre-orders are over. This module is expensive ($79.99 for the normal price) but while they are doing pre-orders it's down to a more reasonable $59.99, which is normally what we see for jet fighters.
For those who like my violin section I will be continuing with that even though my lessons won't pick back up until after September. There's still a lot of information I can give you and I will as soon as I take care of a few loose ends.
As far as the Unity tutorials go... I'm honestly not sure if I should continue on with that. I've been taking looks at the Unity tutorials and I'm finding that the later videos are very very difficult to follow since Unity's interface and C# language has changed quite a bit since those videos were made. I'm not sure there's much of a point in continuing that thread. Perhaps if I can find better tutorials that use the latest Unity version I'll start it up again. Until then, I'm just not sure it'll be helpful for all of you.
I'm going to go for today. But, I'll be back with the newest violin post first and then the DCS Basic Flight Maneuver videos after that.
Speaking of what the future holds:
For those who play DCS World, Eagle Dynamics has just put the F/A-18C module up for pre-order. I already bought my copy the moment I saw the news letter. If you're interested in this highly recognizable aircraft in the US Navy I'd recommend you get it before pre-orders are over. This module is expensive ($79.99 for the normal price) but while they are doing pre-orders it's down to a more reasonable $59.99, which is normally what we see for jet fighters.
For those who like my violin section I will be continuing with that even though my lessons won't pick back up until after September. There's still a lot of information I can give you and I will as soon as I take care of a few loose ends.
As far as the Unity tutorials go... I'm honestly not sure if I should continue on with that. I've been taking looks at the Unity tutorials and I'm finding that the later videos are very very difficult to follow since Unity's interface and C# language has changed quite a bit since those videos were made. I'm not sure there's much of a point in continuing that thread. Perhaps if I can find better tutorials that use the latest Unity version I'll start it up again. Until then, I'm just not sure it'll be helpful for all of you.
I'm going to go for today. But, I'll be back with the newest violin post first and then the DCS Basic Flight Maneuver videos after that.
19 November, 2017
DCS: Chuck's Guide
Now that you've picked your plane you've likely looked into the in-game tutorials. But are you really going to be able to remember everything when you start playing campaigns, online multiplayer, or making your own missions? Eventually you will but in the mean time you'll want a quick guide.
You could do what I originally did and write down every little thing in a notebook and try to follow that... but it gets difficult when you start using aircraft with lots of switches or with Multi-Functional Displays. So the best thing to use is Chuck's Guide to the various DCS planes.
His guides were extremely helpful to me when I start flying new planes or go back to one that I haven't flown in a while. Some of the guides are a bit old and might not hold fully to current iteration of the plane but the startup, radar, and weapons implementation are usually still faithful.
There are only 2 guides that I am aware of that have some small problem here or there. Those are the Viggen and the Mig-21bis guides. It's natural for the Viggen guide to be off simply because the plane is still in early access and things are going to change. I'm certain once the Viggen is complete Chuck will create a new guide that will reflect the completed state of the aircraft. The Mig-21bis guide is only off on one aspect: Landing. This is due to Eagle Dynamics changing how DCS World itself works while working up to version 2.5. I'm unsure why Magnitude has not kept up with the changes and updated the Mig-21 but they seem to be focusing entirely on either making a new module which they have not announced yet or they are still dealing with some internal strife left over from their split with Heatblur.
The landing part of the Mig-21 guide that is currently incorrect is easily corrected. On page 41 the guide states to be at 0-5 degrees angle of attack at touchdown. This is currently incorrect. Magnitude had posted a landing video, which I linked to in a previous post, where they say you need to be at 10 degrees angle of attack, as shown by the UUA dial, upon touchdown. That's the only problem for that guide. Everything else is still accurate and you're good to go.
Here's the video again:
You could do what I originally did and write down every little thing in a notebook and try to follow that... but it gets difficult when you start using aircraft with lots of switches or with Multi-Functional Displays. So the best thing to use is Chuck's Guide to the various DCS planes.
His guides were extremely helpful to me when I start flying new planes or go back to one that I haven't flown in a while. Some of the guides are a bit old and might not hold fully to current iteration of the plane but the startup, radar, and weapons implementation are usually still faithful.
There are only 2 guides that I am aware of that have some small problem here or there. Those are the Viggen and the Mig-21bis guides. It's natural for the Viggen guide to be off simply because the plane is still in early access and things are going to change. I'm certain once the Viggen is complete Chuck will create a new guide that will reflect the completed state of the aircraft. The Mig-21bis guide is only off on one aspect: Landing. This is due to Eagle Dynamics changing how DCS World itself works while working up to version 2.5. I'm unsure why Magnitude has not kept up with the changes and updated the Mig-21 but they seem to be focusing entirely on either making a new module which they have not announced yet or they are still dealing with some internal strife left over from their split with Heatblur.
The landing part of the Mig-21 guide that is currently incorrect is easily corrected. On page 41 the guide states to be at 0-5 degrees angle of attack at touchdown. This is currently incorrect. Magnitude had posted a landing video, which I linked to in a previous post, where they say you need to be at 10 degrees angle of attack, as shown by the UUA dial, upon touchdown. That's the only problem for that guide. Everything else is still accurate and you're good to go.
Here's the video again:
I hope this has been useful to all of you. I know this is kind of a short post. Next time I'll be posting the video's that have helped me remember Basic Flight Maneuvers. This will be helpful in combat no matter what plane you chose... except maybe the helicopters. See you next time.
13 November, 2017
Violin String Types
Today I'll be going over the different string types and letting you know which I have been using. Keep in mind that the quality of the string is very important. A more expensive steel string will likely give a better sound than cheaper gut strings. But, it would not sound as good as an expensive gut string.
The first type of string has been used for centuries. That would be the Gut string. As the name suggests, the strings core is made out of animal (specifically sheep not cat) intestine. Now that doesn't mean that the string is one giant line of intestine. Instead it has silver or copper lines entwined along the length so when you pick up the string you're handling silver or copper, so no need to be grossed out if someone recommends that you use that kind. Gut strings don't stretch very easily so you'll spend a lot of time retuning your violin until they finally do stretch.
Gut strings have 2 different types, thin and thick. The thin strings will have a brighter sound but won't be heard very well in a large area. The thick strings won't be as bright as thin strings but will carry the sound through larger areas. I have not used gut strings personally but many people who play classical music prefer using them.
The second string type is Steel. This is the string type you'll likely have on your violin the moment you buy it. With these strings you have a core of steel instead of animal gut. The ones you have on a newly bought violin are likely cheaper ones which, in my personal opinion, have a very "tinny" sound. Better quality steel strings do have a good bright sound but I only like using them for my E string.
The final string type is Synthetic. These use nylons and composites instead of gut for the core and are still wrapped in silver or copper. These ones produce the best sound to my ears and you save poor little Lamb Chop from becoming a musical instrument.
The first type of string has been used for centuries. That would be the Gut string. As the name suggests, the strings core is made out of animal (specifically sheep not cat) intestine. Now that doesn't mean that the string is one giant line of intestine. Instead it has silver or copper lines entwined along the length so when you pick up the string you're handling silver or copper, so no need to be grossed out if someone recommends that you use that kind. Gut strings don't stretch very easily so you'll spend a lot of time retuning your violin until they finally do stretch.
Gut strings have 2 different types, thin and thick. The thin strings will have a brighter sound but won't be heard very well in a large area. The thick strings won't be as bright as thin strings but will carry the sound through larger areas. I have not used gut strings personally but many people who play classical music prefer using them.
The second string type is Steel. This is the string type you'll likely have on your violin the moment you buy it. With these strings you have a core of steel instead of animal gut. The ones you have on a newly bought violin are likely cheaper ones which, in my personal opinion, have a very "tinny" sound. Better quality steel strings do have a good bright sound but I only like using them for my E string.
The final string type is Synthetic. These use nylons and composites instead of gut for the core and are still wrapped in silver or copper. These ones produce the best sound to my ears and you save poor little Lamb Chop from becoming a musical instrument.
Doesn't she look happy?
These are the types of strings I prefer for the G, D, and A strings on my violin. They just have a nicer sound compared to the steel strings and they stretch a lot easier compared to the gut strings. I was originally very unsure about using synthetic strings because the term "synthetic" often brings up bad images of shoddy work and easily breaking items. But in this case it works very well.
I've tried a number of different strings made by different companies and here's the ones I personally like:
Fiddlerman Synthetic Strings:
Pirastro gold Steel E-String:
Next time I talk about the violin I'll give you a quick rundown on the different rosin types. Until then, pick up some strings and see what you prefer. Each person likes a different sound after all. 😊
05 November, 2017
Unity Tutorial 2: Space Shooter
We are now on the second tutorial for Unity: The Space Shooter game.
This is where we start to run into problems. I've looked through and found that there are problems with the code between when the videos were made (2013) and now. There are 2 ways to go about figuring this out quickly and with as little headache as possible. First is to look at the comments section of each video (time consuming but helpful since people give explanations). Second is to go into the pre-made game folder and copy the codes from there (faster by far but there's no explanations).
Here's the video's. I hope they're helpful.
This is where we start to run into problems. I've looked through and found that there are problems with the code between when the videos were made (2013) and now. There are 2 ways to go about figuring this out quickly and with as little headache as possible. First is to look at the comments section of each video (time consuming but helpful since people give explanations). Second is to go into the pre-made game folder and copy the codes from there (faster by far but there's no explanations).
Here's the video's. I hope they're helpful.
Introduction - 00 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Setting up the project - 01 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
The player gameobject - 02 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Camera and lighting - 03 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Adding a background - 04 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Moving the Player - 05 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Creating shots - 06 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Shooting shots - 07 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Boundary - 08 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Creating hazards - 09 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Explosions - 10 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Game Controller - 11 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Spawning waves - 12 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Audio - 13 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Counting Points - 14 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Ending the game - 15 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Building the game - 16 - Space Shooter - Unity Official Tutorials:
Those are all the videos for this tutorial. Remember if you find that a certain code is not working properly to go into the completed game file in Unity and compare that code to what you have. You'll find the problem and the correct code.
Next time I'll post the videos to the Survival Shooter Tutorial.
Next time I'll post the videos to the Survival Shooter Tutorial.
28 October, 2017
DCS: Easy & Hard
First I want to apologize for being a week late. A part on my computer got damaged and I needed to get a few parts for it. I'm still waiting on the big piece but I have enough to make it usable for now.
Anyway, I promised I'd go over which DCS modules were easiest and which were the hardest. I'll need to break this into several parts since there's a lot of different things to look at for each of the modules.
First things first.
All Around Easiest:
This honor would go to Flaming Cliffs 3.
Startup is very simple: use one key bind to turn on the power and one for each engine and your started. The key binds can be changed to make it easier for each individual. I use Right Shift + L for power (standard key bind), and Right Alt + Home for the left engine and Right Alt + End for the right engine.
Navigating is also very easy: press 1 to go between current waypoint, return to base, and landing. Use Left Ctrl + ` to change between waypoints while in "Nav" mode (heading to a waypoint) or to select a different airfield from the original if you are in either "RTN" or "LND" (return to base or landing) modes.
Landing is easy as well: just go to return mode and follow your HUD to the airfield.
If you are flying one of the Russian planes just keep the circle in the middle of the HUD (unless you are landing on an aircraft carrier with the Su-33. Then you need to follow the big circle until the small circle is in the center of that big circle and try to keep it there). Just keep your engines to the point where you stay at 250 kph (kmh, k/h however you'd like to abbreviate kilometer per hour). Also keep your vertical decent to 5 m/s (meters per second). Press G to get the gear down, F to get the flaps down, and H for the hook if you're landing on the carrier. Then just turn your speed to 0 and use P for the drag shoot for the Mig-29, Su-25, and Su-27 when you touch down.
If you're flying one of the two American planes then you'll need to put the + symbol at the begining of the runway, keep your speed around 150 knots with a vertical decent of 1 foot per second. You won't have a drag shoot so you'll need to press B for your air breaks to help you stop. Also you'll want your fuel below half and little to no weapons. The Russian planes can handle the weight of extra fuel and weapons but the F-15 won't. I've bent or collapsed the landing gear a lot that way.
Air to Air Refueling has about the same difficulty in FC3 as it does with the A-10C and M-2000C. The F-15C, A-10A, and Su-33 are the only 3 aircraft in FC3 that has air refueling capabilities. In this case the Su-33 is easier to connect the probe to the drogue rather than the F-15C and the A-10A which use the boom. I tried using the F-15C and ended up exploding when the bomb hit the wing instead of entering the refueling trap.
Easiest to Fly:
Personally I'd have to say the easiest to fly without using autopilot is the F-5E 3. Even the Hawk (which is a trainer) in it's current state is not as easy to handle as the F-5E. So, if you're new to DCS but you like clicking on the cockpit and you don't mind only having heat seeking missiles for combat then the F-5E is for you.
Easiest to Startup:
Again, the F-5E has this one. There's no need to setup a computerized navigation system which can take several minutes in the M-2000C and requires you to enter coordinates and altitude or else you'll be sent off who knows where. The only thing special you'll need to do is contact the ground crew and get air supplied to your engines before you start them up.
The Mig-21bis is a close second for this spot. You don't need to contact ground crew (unless you want them to supply ground power during startup) but there's a lot more switches to mess with.
Easiest to Fight in:
This one solely depends on how you fight. If you like gunning your enemy down then the Fw-190 or F-86F is for you.
If you like firing missiles then I'd suggest the Mig-21bis. You get up to 6 missiles on one extremely fast fighter. Just don't get into a low speed or turning fight with this one or you'll get shot down (or stall out) almost every time.
If you like turning fights and missiles then the F-5E will be for you. Just be careful, it's not the fastest bird in the sky and can be outrun by the Mig-21bis and other more modern fighters.
If you want to do ground attacks only then the easiest plane would be the AJS-37. The plane that's the most accurate would be the A-10C but it takes a lot to learn how to operate it.
A good combination aircraft (air to air and air to ground capabilities) are theMig-21bis and M-2000C. The Mig-21bis has a pipper that will help you aim your bombs while the M-2000C has a computerized HUD that will help you aim and release any bombs. Both can carry air to air missiles. Just be careful with the M-2000C. It's radar guided missiles have a very short range when compared to other modern fighters in the game.
Easiest to Land:
This one goes to the M-2000C Mirage. I'm tempted to say the F-5E again but there is one big reason why I won't. The Mirage has an ILS (Instrument Landing System) that shows you not only where the airfield is but also displays an outline of the airfield on your HUD to help you out. The F-5E, although very smooth on landing, only has a TACAN that points you in the general direction of the airfield. Useful but in bad weather that outline on the HUD is a lifesaver. The only thing you need to do is keep your airspeed within the indicator displayed on the HUD and keep the Flight Path Marker on the runway. You'll do fine.
Easiest Air to Air Refueling:
There are currently only 2 non-FC3 planes able to perform air to air refueling: the M-2000C and the A-10C. Between the 2 the M-2000C is the easiest. You would think that having a drogue being extended on a flexible tube would be harder to refuel with. But it's actually the opposite. If you can keep your plane steady and moving up and down slightly to follow the drogue it's very easy for the probe of the M-2000C to connect and stay connected throughout refueling.
Easiest Helicopter:
Helicopters are the hardest aircraft to learn. It's even harder to fly if you don't have rudder pedals (which I don't). With that in mind The easiest helicopter currently available would be the Ka-50. The various autopilot functions are very helpful. These features include Bank Hold, Pitch Hold, Heading Hold, and Altitude Hold. Those 4 buttons on the right side of the cockpit are extremely helpful.
Now for the hardest.
Hardest to Fly:
Just flying around and taking in the view is easy no matter what plane you're in. But some are more difficult than others. I find the Hawk somewhat difficult simply because it's constantly bobbing left, right, up, and down. all aircraft do this to some degree but the Hawk is really exaggerated. Also the Bf-109 seems to have some difficulty while turning. The engine starts making odd noises and I have a hard time keeping it under control. So, it's kind of a tie here.
Hardest to Startup:
I'll be completely honest here. There's only one plane I have a hard time getting started up and ready for combat before I even take off. That's the A-10C. There's just so much to do between starting the engines, getting the navigation system set, getting the MFDs (Multi-Functional Displays) set, and getting the weapons selected, armed, and ready to go. I can get started, I can take off, but I can't get the weapons to work and I haven't figure out the navigation system yet.
Hardest to Fight in:
This one goes to the Bf-109 and the Mig-15bis. I find it very difficult to use guns in most of the planes (I blame it on my very cheap flight stick) but both the Bf-109 and the Mig-15bis are absolutely the hardest in my opinion. They both only has 3 guns and they run out quickly (the Mig-15bis runs out of ammo very quickly so accuracy is a must). Also when firing there's a very noticeable kick to both planes which makes getting a hit very difficult. I'll have the pipper on target, I'll be in range, then when I pull the trigger my nose points up and I miss completely. The Fw-190 has a similar problem but there's more guns so there's more chances to hit the target. Same goes for the F-86F.
Hardest to Land:
This one goes to one of my favorite planes in DCS. The Mig-21bis. I love this plane and do pretty well with it taking out 2 F-4E's in a sneak attack before clobbering the B-52 they were escorting. But the landing is a problem. Why? Because of those short wings it has. You can't land it like you would the F-5E, or the F-15, or the Mig-15bis. You need to go low, fast, and only pull the nose up at the last second before you touch down. If you don't you're going to bounce all over and break the landing gear or end up rolling on the ground somewhere. There's a good tutorial on Youtube that the designers made to help you see what to do. It helped me a lot. Take a look.
Hardest Air to Air Refueling:
This one goes to the A-10C for a number of reasons. First, keeping up with the tanker is harder than in the M-2000C simply because the A-10C is a slower plane (as all attack planes are). Second, the boom used by the KC-135 to refuel all US Air Force planes is a bit more difficult to attach to. Yes, in DCS the operator on the KC-135 does move the boom to try and make connecting easier but keeping the A-10C in place so the boom can make contact is very difficult with the turbulence from the 135's engines.
Hardest Helicopter:
The hardest helicopter goes equally to the Mi-8TV and the UH-1H but for different reasons. The UH-1H is difficult to get flying straight if you don't have rudder pedals but at least you can get the UH-1H off the ground without it spinning uncontrollably. The Mi-8TV on the other hand is difficult to get to stabilize when taking off as it wants to spin but if you can get it straightened out then you can use the autopilot to keep it straight and fly forward. Landing with both is pretty difficult as I have a hard time keeping the helicopter from moving sideways when trying to touch down.
Well, that's my list of easiest and hardest modules. I know what's hard for me will be easy for others but this list is a good starting place for people new to DCS and flight simulators.
I didn't mention carrier operations (takeoff and landing) in my list simply because as of right now there's only one navy plane available: the Su-33. Once the F/A-18C and F-14A/B are released and I have a chance to practice with them I'll add that to the list.
Take a look at DCS's website for new modules. The AV-8B is now available for pre-orders. I'm not going to get it just yet. I'm saving up for that F-14 and F-18 first. 😉 Have fun trying out those planes.
Anyway, I promised I'd go over which DCS modules were easiest and which were the hardest. I'll need to break this into several parts since there's a lot of different things to look at for each of the modules.
First things first.
All Around Easiest:
This honor would go to Flaming Cliffs 3.
Startup is very simple: use one key bind to turn on the power and one for each engine and your started. The key binds can be changed to make it easier for each individual. I use Right Shift + L for power (standard key bind), and Right Alt + Home for the left engine and Right Alt + End for the right engine.
Navigating is also very easy: press 1 to go between current waypoint, return to base, and landing. Use Left Ctrl + ` to change between waypoints while in "Nav" mode (heading to a waypoint) or to select a different airfield from the original if you are in either "RTN" or "LND" (return to base or landing) modes.
Landing is easy as well: just go to return mode and follow your HUD to the airfield.
If you are flying one of the Russian planes just keep the circle in the middle of the HUD (unless you are landing on an aircraft carrier with the Su-33. Then you need to follow the big circle until the small circle is in the center of that big circle and try to keep it there). Just keep your engines to the point where you stay at 250 kph (kmh, k/h however you'd like to abbreviate kilometer per hour). Also keep your vertical decent to 5 m/s (meters per second). Press G to get the gear down, F to get the flaps down, and H for the hook if you're landing on the carrier. Then just turn your speed to 0 and use P for the drag shoot for the Mig-29, Su-25, and Su-27 when you touch down.
If you're flying one of the two American planes then you'll need to put the + symbol at the begining of the runway, keep your speed around 150 knots with a vertical decent of 1 foot per second. You won't have a drag shoot so you'll need to press B for your air breaks to help you stop. Also you'll want your fuel below half and little to no weapons. The Russian planes can handle the weight of extra fuel and weapons but the F-15 won't. I've bent or collapsed the landing gear a lot that way.
Air to Air Refueling has about the same difficulty in FC3 as it does with the A-10C and M-2000C. The F-15C, A-10A, and Su-33 are the only 3 aircraft in FC3 that has air refueling capabilities. In this case the Su-33 is easier to connect the probe to the drogue rather than the F-15C and the A-10A which use the boom. I tried using the F-15C and ended up exploding when the bomb hit the wing instead of entering the refueling trap.
Easiest to Fly:
Personally I'd have to say the easiest to fly without using autopilot is the F-5E 3. Even the Hawk (which is a trainer) in it's current state is not as easy to handle as the F-5E. So, if you're new to DCS but you like clicking on the cockpit and you don't mind only having heat seeking missiles for combat then the F-5E is for you.
Easiest to Startup:
Again, the F-5E has this one. There's no need to setup a computerized navigation system which can take several minutes in the M-2000C and requires you to enter coordinates and altitude or else you'll be sent off who knows where. The only thing special you'll need to do is contact the ground crew and get air supplied to your engines before you start them up.
The Mig-21bis is a close second for this spot. You don't need to contact ground crew (unless you want them to supply ground power during startup) but there's a lot more switches to mess with.
Easiest to Fight in:
This one solely depends on how you fight. If you like gunning your enemy down then the Fw-190 or F-86F is for you.
If you like firing missiles then I'd suggest the Mig-21bis. You get up to 6 missiles on one extremely fast fighter. Just don't get into a low speed or turning fight with this one or you'll get shot down (or stall out) almost every time.
If you like turning fights and missiles then the F-5E will be for you. Just be careful, it's not the fastest bird in the sky and can be outrun by the Mig-21bis and other more modern fighters.
If you want to do ground attacks only then the easiest plane would be the AJS-37. The plane that's the most accurate would be the A-10C but it takes a lot to learn how to operate it.
A good combination aircraft (air to air and air to ground capabilities) are theMig-21bis and M-2000C. The Mig-21bis has a pipper that will help you aim your bombs while the M-2000C has a computerized HUD that will help you aim and release any bombs. Both can carry air to air missiles. Just be careful with the M-2000C. It's radar guided missiles have a very short range when compared to other modern fighters in the game.
Easiest to Land:
This one goes to the M-2000C Mirage. I'm tempted to say the F-5E again but there is one big reason why I won't. The Mirage has an ILS (Instrument Landing System) that shows you not only where the airfield is but also displays an outline of the airfield on your HUD to help you out. The F-5E, although very smooth on landing, only has a TACAN that points you in the general direction of the airfield. Useful but in bad weather that outline on the HUD is a lifesaver. The only thing you need to do is keep your airspeed within the indicator displayed on the HUD and keep the Flight Path Marker on the runway. You'll do fine.
Easiest Air to Air Refueling:
There are currently only 2 non-FC3 planes able to perform air to air refueling: the M-2000C and the A-10C. Between the 2 the M-2000C is the easiest. You would think that having a drogue being extended on a flexible tube would be harder to refuel with. But it's actually the opposite. If you can keep your plane steady and moving up and down slightly to follow the drogue it's very easy for the probe of the M-2000C to connect and stay connected throughout refueling.
Easiest Helicopter:
Helicopters are the hardest aircraft to learn. It's even harder to fly if you don't have rudder pedals (which I don't). With that in mind The easiest helicopter currently available would be the Ka-50. The various autopilot functions are very helpful. These features include Bank Hold, Pitch Hold, Heading Hold, and Altitude Hold. Those 4 buttons on the right side of the cockpit are extremely helpful.
Now for the hardest.
Hardest to Fly:
Just flying around and taking in the view is easy no matter what plane you're in. But some are more difficult than others. I find the Hawk somewhat difficult simply because it's constantly bobbing left, right, up, and down. all aircraft do this to some degree but the Hawk is really exaggerated. Also the Bf-109 seems to have some difficulty while turning. The engine starts making odd noises and I have a hard time keeping it under control. So, it's kind of a tie here.
Hardest to Startup:
I'll be completely honest here. There's only one plane I have a hard time getting started up and ready for combat before I even take off. That's the A-10C. There's just so much to do between starting the engines, getting the navigation system set, getting the MFDs (Multi-Functional Displays) set, and getting the weapons selected, armed, and ready to go. I can get started, I can take off, but I can't get the weapons to work and I haven't figure out the navigation system yet.
Hardest to Fight in:
This one goes to the Bf-109 and the Mig-15bis. I find it very difficult to use guns in most of the planes (I blame it on my very cheap flight stick) but both the Bf-109 and the Mig-15bis are absolutely the hardest in my opinion. They both only has 3 guns and they run out quickly (the Mig-15bis runs out of ammo very quickly so accuracy is a must). Also when firing there's a very noticeable kick to both planes which makes getting a hit very difficult. I'll have the pipper on target, I'll be in range, then when I pull the trigger my nose points up and I miss completely. The Fw-190 has a similar problem but there's more guns so there's more chances to hit the target. Same goes for the F-86F.
Hardest to Land:
This one goes to one of my favorite planes in DCS. The Mig-21bis. I love this plane and do pretty well with it taking out 2 F-4E's in a sneak attack before clobbering the B-52 they were escorting. But the landing is a problem. Why? Because of those short wings it has. You can't land it like you would the F-5E, or the F-15, or the Mig-15bis. You need to go low, fast, and only pull the nose up at the last second before you touch down. If you don't you're going to bounce all over and break the landing gear or end up rolling on the ground somewhere. There's a good tutorial on Youtube that the designers made to help you see what to do. It helped me a lot. Take a look.
Hardest Air to Air Refueling:
This one goes to the A-10C for a number of reasons. First, keeping up with the tanker is harder than in the M-2000C simply because the A-10C is a slower plane (as all attack planes are). Second, the boom used by the KC-135 to refuel all US Air Force planes is a bit more difficult to attach to. Yes, in DCS the operator on the KC-135 does move the boom to try and make connecting easier but keeping the A-10C in place so the boom can make contact is very difficult with the turbulence from the 135's engines.
Hardest Helicopter:
The hardest helicopter goes equally to the Mi-8TV and the UH-1H but for different reasons. The UH-1H is difficult to get flying straight if you don't have rudder pedals but at least you can get the UH-1H off the ground without it spinning uncontrollably. The Mi-8TV on the other hand is difficult to get to stabilize when taking off as it wants to spin but if you can get it straightened out then you can use the autopilot to keep it straight and fly forward. Landing with both is pretty difficult as I have a hard time keeping the helicopter from moving sideways when trying to touch down.
Well, that's my list of easiest and hardest modules. I know what's hard for me will be easy for others but this list is a good starting place for people new to DCS and flight simulators.
I didn't mention carrier operations (takeoff and landing) in my list simply because as of right now there's only one navy plane available: the Su-33. Once the F/A-18C and F-14A/B are released and I have a chance to practice with them I'll add that to the list.
Take a look at DCS's website for new modules. The AV-8B is now available for pre-orders. I'm not going to get it just yet. I'm saving up for that F-14 and F-18 first. 😉 Have fun trying out those planes.
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