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.

DCS: 2.5.1 Update Ready for OpenBeta

Eagle Dynamics has just released the 2.5.1 update for DCS. This is the first major update since 2.5 was launched and there is a lot of content in this update. It's over 11 Gbs in size but that's to be expected with everything ED put into it.

Here's what they posted about the update:

"DCS 2.5.1

Today in the Open Beta.

Introduced two new features:

The first version of the video memory manager is presented, which will purge the video memory when the video memory budget allocated by Windows is reached. The resources that were not used in the last 10 seconds are first to be purged.

New OFFLINE mode is now implemented. User can turn on OFFLINE mode that allows the game to be used without internet identification and without a time limit. Note: user must turn off OFFLINE mode on the same PC. OFFLINE mode cannot be turned off from another PC even with the same user's login.

DCS World
Kh-25 and Kh-29 will follow the laser beam target point of the Su-25/25T optical station when player to shift the target point after launch.
Aircraft AI will be changing altitude between waypoints less aggressively.
Removing scenery objects via trigger will not be stay in the invisible mode, they will be removed completely.
MP. Added additional list of checkboxes for advanced IC server options: require pure textures, require pure models and require pure clients.
If an airbase has multiple runways in parallel the ATC will indicate which runway the player should take.
GUI. Input window. Device names in Input table can be customized.
Added China Asset Pack.
AI helo crew will not sink into FARP surface.
StaticObject.destroy() on cargo object will removes the cargo instead of killing it.
MP. Client will not gets wrong briefing from last played single player mission instead of the right briefing from current MP mission.
Fixed crash with Transport.dll
F10 map. labels in high resolution (1440p, 2160p etc) with turned on Scale GUI option will be in correct position on the map.
Fixed crash when briefing is set by trigger.
LAU-61 and LAU-3 rocket launcher will not looks empty when rockets in the tubes.
Multi Display. Fixed some freezes in 140 degrees FOV.
Deferred Shading render locked in the game and can not be turned off. DCS ceased support of old graphic render without Deferred Shading.
The SF key linked to user's account can't be activated with another account.

DCS Flaming Cliffs
MiG-29. R-27R aligned on launcher.
MiG-29A fuel tanks position corrected.
MiG-29. External light adjustments, headlight color tuned.

DCS Hawk T1 by VEAO
First round of changes to the FM behaviour.
Improvements to departure from flight logic.
Improvements to electrical system logic.
Fix for the taxi bug.
Improvements to AoA calculations.
System damage improvements.
PBR improvements to the external model and skins.

DCS AV-8B N/A by RAZBAM
EHSD Moving Map Enabled
EHSD Data pages
DMT axis control enabled
ECS System operational (oxygen and cabin pressure logic)
Hypoxia modeling enabled
Auto-start functional (deployed with EHSD updates)
Auto-stop functional (deployed with EHSD updates)
SAS Pitch, Roll, Yaw WCA indications functional
DEP RES WCA indication functional
Radios functional in non-easy comm (only controllable from UFC/ODU currently)

DCS M-2000C by RAZBAM
Added 9 Training Missions for NTTR from Baltic Dragon
Corrected overall hydraulic logic and fix loss of control when engine going off and using emergency hydraulics
Corrected control surface hard-over when on ground for high AOA (tail wind on aircraft when sitting on deck)
Corrected fuel pump switch being able to move when engine start cover it
Corrected Gun ARM, else SAFE joystick abstraction not working when going back into SAFE
Corrected transfer light not coming on during refuel

DCS SA342 by Polychop Simulations
Added SA342Minigun module
Added SA342Minigun addendum.txt file in module Doc folder
Corrected PBR textures, no more "roughmet" textures are used, according to particular light conditions some issues may still show
Multicrew mode, Nadir use has been moved to copilot, pilot is no more able to use the Nadir if a copilot is aboard.
Corrected Rockets range and effect
Corrected Mistral missile, now it's all aspects and 7km range
Corrected HOT3 effect regarding unarmoured vehicles (infantry, trucks ...)
Added Copilot Intercom functionality
Corrected Cockpit glasses
Reworked Gyro and AP logic
In order to prevent conflicts between the main joystick and a possible second joystick when targeting with the camera, a new option has been added in Options/Special/SA342 named "SECOND JOYSTICK FOR CAMERA", it has to be unchecked if you don't use a second joystick for the Camera (Viviane or else) and it has to be checked if you use a second joystick.
Due to latency issues, ability for the copilot to pilot the helicopter in multicrew mode has been removed.
Added missing keyboard or joystick assignments in controls, Warning, Due to new input additions, it could be needed to re-assign some inputs.
Restored behavior at ground, the helicopter will begin to roll or pitch around 45% torque
Corrected controls position for FFB or non-FFB sticks, including diamond, 3d stick in cockpit view, 3d stick in external view
Corrected ADF guage CAP flag
Cockpit lights have been fixed including writings flickering, issues may persist under specific light conditions
Replaced "Improve your skill" mission 2.5.0 version
Corrected sun glasses
A new document has been added to the module doc folder, named "Gazelle Multicrew 24-04-2018.txt" talking about multicrew limitations.
Damages due to negative g has been added
FM has been refined in some areas
Corrected camera control when in slaved mode
NADIR, Auxiliaries will display continuously i.e "AUX 1-6". Pressing AUX key again or using the EFF long key press will revert to previous display.
Weapons training missions changed for Caucasus and Nevada.
Minigun gunner animation is still WIP and will be corrected
The Gazelle module goes out of beta state, potential still existing issues will be corrected in time.

DCS A-10C
Adjusted default VR View.

DCS Combined Arms
UNCONTROLLED checkbox will disabled control of ground forces from F10 map for all roles except Game Master.

DCS Ka-50
Fixed crash in the Beslan airport when user asked taxiing.

DCS F-5E
Taxi/Landing lights corrected.

DCS F-86F
Corrected missions: training F-86F Bomb and 4 singleplayer Street Sweeper, Flight Suit Attitude, Sabre Strike, First Jet Strike Fighter.

DCS NS430
fixed backwards scrolling breaks autofill/info for App/Dep
fixed NRST USR WPT screen not working.
fixed Night time kills pop out window.

Campaigns
A-10C BFT Campaign
BFT01 - Some minor vehicle updates.
BFT02 - Corrected voice over.
BFT04, BFT09 - Corrected bug after missed approach.
F-15C The Georgian War - missions 2, 11, 12 updated.
Mi-8MTV2 The Border - missions 6, 11, 13 updated.
A-10C Sturmovik - mission 10 fixed.

New Skins:
F-86F IIAF Imperial Iranian by carss.
KC-135 Turkish Air Force by c@sper.
F-5E IRIAF 43rd Tactical Fighter Squadron by jponti.
F-5E IRIAF by drPhibes.
MiG-29A IRIAF Sand-Blue skin by bounj.
Mi-8MTV2 NAJA Special Police by OfficerAMR.
Mi-8MTV2 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Blue by OfficerAMR.
Mi-8MTV2 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Sand by OfficerAMR.

Known Issues
The some radio points in the radio menu is broken: Ка-50 do not works request to night goggles and helmet sight, Bf 109 do not work request for inertial starter.
Maverick picture on A-10A MFD is corrupted.
The names of cities on F10 map broken when map moved or zoomed.
SA342 TV sight is inoperative."

That's a lot! I've been downloading the update for the last 8 hours and I'm only 64% done. But, to be honest my internet is not the fastest in the world.

In anticipation for the Persian Gulf map we see they put a lot of Iranian skins for a number of their planes. This will work well with the F-14A since Heatblur has plans to release that with Iranian skins and possibly Iranian made weapons... but there's no real confirmation on that last one.

We also see that they have a China Asset Pack. This is the flyable J-11A for FC3 Deka was announcing and maybe even some Chinese weapons will be available too. I'll know once the download finishes and I can give it a try.

They did roll out the new video memory manager with this update. For those who don't know, DCS 2.5 was plagued by memory problems and stuttering. ED stated that this was not a memory leak and that they were working on the problem. With this update we get the first fix for the problem. The reason I say "first fix" is because as time goes by I'm certain ED will improve the memory manager making DCS smoother for us.

They also improved the Offline Mode for DCS. In the initial release of 2.5 you had 3 days of offline play before you couldn't use the modules you had bought. After those 3 days you'd need to start DCS while connected to the interent and log in to get another 3 days of offline play. In pure honesty this was a really bad idea and caused me some problems when my modem died and I had to wait for the phone company to supply me with a new one (they don't allow third party modems to be used with their interent). The new system is a selectable option for offline play. This is going to be of great help to me and I'm sure I'll be using Offline Mode quite often since I don't play in multiplayer.

Nothing is perfect and there are problems. This is especially true with Beta programs and updates. You can see under the "Known Issues" sections that there's some radio problems with the Ka-50 and Bf-109 as well as some graphics problems with the A-10A and the map. Don't worry about those problems they will be fixed. We just need to give ED time.

If you don't use the Open Beta version of DCS you'll just need to wait 1 or 2 weeks more and you'll get the whole update and there will likely be fewer bugs. After all, Open Beta is mainly for testing.

Enjoy the update and happy flying.

DCS: Basic Fighter Maneuvers Part 4

With the J-11A coming out when FC3 gets updated, F/A-18C coming out in a few months, the Persian Gulf map in May, and the F-14 coming later this year it's time to learn a few more maneuvers.

The first is the Immelmman turn and the next is the Rudder Reversal. Both can be done by jets as well as prop planes but the Rudder Reversal is most effective with prop planes. So while we wait for those new planes and map to come out give these maneuvers a try. Learn them well and you'll be a good pilot in a fight.

Enjoy.

DCS: News from Deka Ironwork Simulation

Just yesterday Deka Ironwork Simulation posted on Facebook some news about a project of theirs. They Announced that DCS FC3 will be updated soon with a "new" plane: the J-11A. The reason I say it's "new" is because they're basically taking the Su-27 that's in FC3 already and making a few tweaks to the model to allow it to carry R-77 missiles (currently only the Mig-29S can carry those in DCS) and they will give the "new" plane anti-collision lights similar to the F-15C.

They did admit that they don't have the resources to make a completely new cockpit but are looking toward trying in the future. Since Deka is a new company that's just starting out on DCS and they are busy with the JF-17 module they are making I'm willing to give them a pass on that one. It would be nice to have an accurate cockpit but they have a lot on their plate right now, and I'm sure most reasonable people would be understanding about that.

I'm looking forward to seeing some Chinese planes making a debut to DCS. China is fast becoming an air power so it makes sense they would be represented in DCS.

This is a very busy time for DCS it seems. The arrival of the F/A-18C is fast approaching, the Persian Gulf map is now on Pre-purchase, the F-14 will be out later this year, and now we're getting our first Chinese plane in DCS via an update in the coming week or so. This is all very exciting. I hope you all enjoy the new planes and map coming out.