If you are wondering where the Free Month Preview comments went … take a look over here:
The current (possibly former?) film Superman/Clark Kent.
Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Justice League.
I hopped onto HPN with @komemiute and @Cib joined us later for a little 109 familiarization. I’m still incredibly sloppy with the takeoffs and landings and Komemiute was much better than me at staying on the runway. Unfortunately, my conveyance of the automatic propeller governor didn’t reach him until the fourth or fifth takeoff! 
He almost made it to an alternative field when he burned out the engine, but alas still ended up in a fireball:
Cib did a sloppy takeoff and got it up, but then something went wrong; he, too, ended up as a flaming wreck:
Tally for the night: 2:1 in favor of the Bf-109K-4!
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A bit of early evening flying tonight in an aircraft I haven’t flown in quite a while. Forgot how much I enjoy this little trainer.
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I hopped on again after doing some bug checking for @WreckingCrew, I hopped onto HPN for some more familiarization with the Bf-109K-4. I still can’t quite keep it straight and narrow on the runway for takeoff or landing, but I’m getting slightly better at it. I have some choice words about the AI’s UFO FM, same as I do their general stupidity, but I’ll keep this one short.
This AI Spitfire engaged me and despite all my diving, turning, and maneuvering, he never lost me. A single little pelt from 1km out hit my fuselage, causing me to leak fuel, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake him. I managed to get a lucky pelt on him with my 13mms to his starboard wing, but that of course didn’t phase him. Somehow, we ended up over friendly flak, and it pelted him a bit; after which, he lost an aileron (again, no effect), then for some inexplicable reason… Just leaves me! I come around and watch him and he’s suddenly hauling butt at maximum throttle, making for Luna! Naturally, I can’t match his 4,000fpm climb at 90kts, but on closer analysis he was trying to catch some Ju-88s that had flown overhead at 15,000ft. Priorities, right?
Anyways, I manage to make it back to a friendly base before I ran out of gas, though I did get an opportunity to take out a P-51 on my way back. Repaired and heading back out, I was more successful; I scored a P-51 attacking friendly forces.
I followed this up with a Spitfire clipped wing doing the same, shredding him with my 30mm cannon.
While climbing back to speed and altitude, I witnessed an AI 109 doing their UFO thing with an AI P-51:
Throwing ammo around like candy! No way was I going to get up to these guys anytime soon, so I let them go at it. I saw this 109 later so he must’ve survived. Flying further north with altitude, I witnessed UFO Spitfire going around and destroying everything in its path. After he shot down a 190 and a 109, I managed to clip him with my 13mms good. His engine or fuel tank were set on fire by a quick burst and he wasted no time in getting out.
His buddy also got another 109, but I was there and cut his tail off with 13mm fire, cutting his victory celebration short. My camera shutter game is weak and you can only see the front half of his Spitfire; it’s missing the tail.
After this, some P-51s are getting feisty, so I have to oblige:
The second P-51 tried to hang on his prop, but ran out of juice at a point that was highly advantageous for me:
After a short breather, I saw more P-51s strafing friendly forces, and with 13mm ammunition running low, focused on 30mm cannon shots. Against fighters, this weapon is deadly. But it’s very hard to land a hit, so you have to be very close to get sufficient time on target. A quick burst takes off his left wing (he dipped below the sight when I took the picture).
As it never seems to end, a clipped wing Spitfire was attacking friendly forces as well; again, he invited 30mm fire. This Spitfire had the misfortune of losing a tail and a wing to a burst of 30mm shells:
Finally, another P-51 is strafing one of our roadblocks (see a theme here?); I pull around above him, then catch him on his pullout, lining up my cannon and raking his aircraft with fire.
I lost track of my final tally at the end of these sorties, but it doesn’t matter. I made it home and only slightly deviated from the runway on landing!
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The Albatros is such a nice little thing 
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If you haven’t played it yet, and enjoy flying non-combat missions, I can wholly recommend the Kursant training campaign for the L-39.
It’s very well put together, with a virtual instructor that actually wants you to pass, unlike the Maple Flags training campaigns.
I have flown most of it in 2.5.6 and all the mission triggers seemed to work. In fact the only problems I encountered, were a few minor discrepancies between the written briefings and what the instructor is telling you, but nothing too severe.
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Interesting…I may have to try that. See my comments in the Free Releases track. To date the L-39 has not been “my friend”
Thanks. I will take a look at it.
After having run out of gas in leading @schurem, @Victork2, and @komemiute around the desert, I attempted a landing with gear down, but must’ve hit a rock at some point and spun over. On bailout, I found that I had become one with the 109:
I took a hole here and there, gave a few holes here and there, watched a Spitfire auger in, a MiG-15 get sandblasted by the desert floor, and I lost track of what happened to Dora the Explorer. Fun stuff!
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I feel the pull of the ME109…
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Regarding those 6 GBU-31s on my Warthog, I set up 6 Mark Points in Erl Sis at the RR Yard, and was able to cycle through all on one pass. 5 bombs came off, but #5 caused a GCAS Warning (Pull up, pull up!), and that prevented #6 from releasing. I had a little down angle, and think #5 got seen by the sensor.
Here we go -
Mark Point A -
Mark Point F - all 6 GBU-31s released -
#1 is a bullseye on the armored bunker -
Followed by #2 through #6 -
Set the Mark Points, and come in on the right heading to fly over all. Release, thunk, Designate, repeat.
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Splinter is lit yo
One of the sad losses in 5th gen stealth fighters - the smooth lines are now going all angular. Some of it looks sharp, other times not so.
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