DCS 2.5.X Screenshots (2018)

Took DCS out for a spin after a very long hiatus. Did a KA-50 arcade mission to kick the tires.

I guess there’s a saying, “May the number of your landings equal your number of takeoffs”. Technically, i landed, but I don’t think the maintenance guys back at base will happy.

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Bah!
That thing was made to fly without a tail! :wink:

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Cool to see someone actually use the game features on DCS! does it work? Is it fun?

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Any landing that you can walk away from…

…and why is it that the maintenance guys get up set when you prank your aircraft? That’s job security for them…overtime hours…MONEY!

Meanwhile all we get is yelled at by the squadron CO and a “B” in airmanship on our next fitness report…just say’n.

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Any landing (without flames) is a good one :grin:

Hadn’t touched the Bug mini campaign in a couple weeks, so decided to come back to it after doing the first mission a couple weeks ago. The second mission was a bit tougher, as I had been trying to take out some of the AAA and my Mk83s kept falling short, so I stepped away from it. This time around, no problems getting my bombs to hit! Unfortunately, my track was way to long and so didn’t record the awesome stuff I did, like nailing a Gaskin at 12kft, my wingman taking out the BMPs, followed by me taking out a Fulcrum overhead with two Sparrows, and a ZSU kill. I even took out all the helicopters with the gun! The track just didn’t want to play nice, so I ended up taking control to get a few less glamorous shots:


This VFA-147 skin has certainly brought me luck! Every time I use it, things go real well. Curiously enough, VFA-147 got Night Attack Lot 12 F/A-18Cs in December of '89. Note: this is technically an inaccurate skin for '89 as the tail art represents a '00-01 year.


Mk83s probably remain my favorite weapon to employ with the Bug, but I retained 4xCBU-99s in case my wingman had difficulties taking out the convoy (my SOP for this mission is always to take out air defenses while my wingman goes for the BMPs).


Having to setup the dispenser programs every time kinda sucks. Track recorded that part just fine!


Mk83 on its way to blowing up a Gaskin!


Dead ZSU. Wingman had actually got shot down at this point in the track (he survived in the original playthrough).


I prefer to use the gun on helicopters since they might as well be invulnerable to missiles, especially Hinds. A burst of cannon fire usually takes out the tail pretty good, if you line up just right.


Second Hind thought he could get away by going low. I was like “LOL no.” Sawed his tail right off.


Not even the Hips were safe!


Believe it or not, but he survived this. Went down in flames and had a hard landing, but the crew was alive.


Gun smoke made a nice touch, but for some reason you could only see it from further out.


Second Hip was hit much harder and went down over a forest, so he went kablooey!


Sometimes you’re the Hip, sometimes you’re the Bug.

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Yeah I’m a big proponent of the idea of having user or mission specific data files to be able to have that kind of stuff pre-loaded.

In the meantime, you can put the dispenser switch in Bypass (I think, it’s whatever is the full up position) and just dispense one flare / one chaff for each ECM forward / aft respectively.

I pretty much have to do that exclusively in instant action, since there’s just no time to set up the programs. Don’t thing the semiauto or automatic modes work either.

It’s raining bombs.

Chinese J-15 (Deka Ironworks actually plans to do a proper model)

MiG-29SMT

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It doesn’t have thrust vectoring, does it? :stuck_out_tongue:
I once saw that thing spectacularly flame out during a Paris air show. What a bummer. It was shaping up to be spectacular indeed.

Su-37 has the best shapes a Flanker can have, and the best paint scheme probably too.

Hadn’t heard this. That makes my day :smile:

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Take a look at this post. Their Liaoning carrier model looks promising as well.

Hey Franze and boomerang10,

There is something you can do to help with this. You can modify the following file to basically mimic having a cartridge loaded for your flights. Just modify the values to what you want them to be for each program and each time you fire up the 18 you will be ready to go! Just make sure you make a backup copy of the file so that when DCS pushes an update you don’t have your work potentially erased.

\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\aircraft\FA-18C\Cockpit\Scripts\TEWS\device\CMDS_ALE47

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I assume you mean every time you climb into the jet. If not, never mind.

If so. It may be a pain but probably realistic since you get assigned different aircraft every flight based on what the Main Dept has ready to go. You may get the same bird for two flights in a row, however, who knows what stuff the maintenance guys do between flights.

I thought there was a data cartridge for setting that stuff up before the flight? Because we can’t set the programs up on the ground, seems like a needless distraction to have to fiddle with them in the air.

The normal programs should definitely be pre-loaded, the only time you’d ever really modify them is if you need something different, like a training program.

I defer to actual FA-18 drivers. From the intel perspective I know that you planned your mission in CVIC Mission Planning (the system used to be called TAMPS Tactical Air Mission Planning System…no idea what it is called now) and the loaded that into the jet.

Our part in CVIC was to make sure the intel database in TAMPS as up to date.

Off to take out a couple Sa-8’s and the bridges they are defending!

Saying bye to the tanker after a quick top off.

En-route to the bridges. Georgia sure is pretty in the winter.

Dodging a launch from one of the Osa’s.

Magnum!

One of the bridges mocking me after it shrugged off to GBU-12 hits.

Two more 12’s sure showed him!

Its the other bridges lucky day. I’m winchester and don’t have a wingman.

Feet dry.

In the break!

Another happy landing.

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Fourth Bug mini-campaign mission is probably my least favorite, because it takes unorthodox tactics to combat the Foxbats. Given the Foxbats have a superior cheat look-down, shoot-down radar, killer Acrid missiles, and a damage model made from delta wood, the only solution seems to bring them down low and slow – going at them from altitude just doesn’t jive for me. I suckered the first Foxbat down low, dodging two of his Acrids before I could turn to engage, at which point I fired off a Sparrow that subsequently missed. After he got closer, split around and was quickly on his butt where I popped him with a Sidewinder. Delta wood showing its strength, this was inadequate to kill him, so I tried to close in for a gun kill but a second Foxbat engaged me and so I elected to make sure the first stayed dead and put a second Sidewinder into him.

Once again, I had to perform my massive flailing around in the air as I reacted to the Great Patriotic Motherland Super Duper Cyka Blyat Acrids, causing both to miss and I finally got my first Sparrow kill this time. My number 2 decided this was the time to engage and fired a Sparrow shortly after I did, and though my missile hit slightly before his, he cheerily shouted “Splash bandit!” Yeah, fine, usually takes two Sparrows to pop a Foxbat anyways. After all this, some Floggers decided to join the fun and one sent an Apex my way, fortunately from way too far out so I was easily able to dodge it. I line up for a Sparrow shot and send it on his way… And “lost!” First Sparrow goes stupid! Send off another one, which is also readily deceived by his chaff. I think I’d have more luck using harsh language by this point!

At the very least, the Flogger is now on the defensive and in a good position to use guns. He flies over me and tries to draw vertical, but it’s no good; we go about 180 degrees and I finally pop him with 40 rounds from about 1500ft out. Another Flogger is on my RWR so I turn to engage him, but my wingman is on him and I elect to cover him while he guns down the other Flogger. I think we’re clear but my number 3 is working on another Flogger north, in the mountains, so I collect my wingman and start heading out, just in time to see 3 get a lucky Sidewinder hit. Equipment made by the lowest bidder sure sucks sometimes.

Anyways, because of how problematic the Foxbats were for me early on, I only got a few shots of the final Flogger engagement, followed by the absolute trainwreck of carrier landings.


3’s Flogger kill. I’m surprised he ejected because I’ve seen them take multiple Sidewinder hits and keep on flying.


Smoke from the hit and his flares, which seemed to not work this time. Usually Sidewinders just love flares!


Returning back to the boat, my flight starts giving off bingo calls, so I tell them all to RTB. Number 3 apparently doesn’t pay attention and stays in formation all the way to the boat, then ejects. Number 4 diverted to a neutral airfield in Georgia. Number 2 stayed with me, until…


Fortunately, when I entered the pattern, the ATC warned me of this. Holy cow! 304 was a striker that dropped bombs, the VFA-94 was a SEAD bird. This is where the trainwreck began.


This 304 is my wingman. I don’t think he got the ATC’s memo. Either he’s running on fumes or he really has to go bad.


Yeah, that ended about as I anticipated it would. His panicked calls of “I’m hit!” elects this response from me:


Number 2, seemingly a bit smarter than the others and more adept at problem solving, elects to follow the footsteps of the old adage, “If brute force doesn’t solve your problem, you’re not using enough!” He happily plows into the VFA-94 aircraft and turns it into a fine smoky mist of flame, dust, and used Bug parts, likely solving the spare part problem for the rest of the cruise.


You would think that number 2’s thirst for Bug butt would have been sated after one, but no! He screamed a great war cry, shouting “MORE BUG PARTS!” and happily plows into the other 304, turning it into smoke and dust. The radio once again sounded out with a barbaric roar and another “I’M HIT! RAAGGHH! BUG GUTS! RIP AND TEAR! RIP AND TEAR! BUG PARTS FOR THE BUG GOD!”


Now, you’d think that would be enough chaos and battle cries for this session, but no, not in DCS: Barbarian Bug Thirsty Pirate Operations. No, another SEAD flight, having witnessed the carnage and war cries, elects to crash his aircraft right into the deck, starting a couple of decent fires and likely causing the deck crew to shout out in celebration, throwing off their shirts and rolling out the hot dogs and marshmallows. While this is going on, an S-3 approaches and, upon seeing the carnage, gives a loud “Eff this shee-yiiittt, I am out,” subsequently ejecting and splashing into the water. An F-14 crew apparently feels the same way and after flying past the boat, elects to risk the frigid water rather than a cannibalistic deck crew thirsting for Bug parts. Don’t want them getting a taste for Tomcat parts, too!


Number 2, barbecuing his nose on a fire, quite proud of his accomplishment. As I’ve hit my bare minimum for gas, I reluctantly decide to trap, making sure my pistol is off safe and keeping one spare bullet in case I need to go out on my own terms. I land and taxi to the front end and I’m pretty sure I hear chants of “Two men enter, one man leaves!” but that might just be my imagination.

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