Not being a FS9 owner yet ...

[Snuffy]

I have a few questions.

Can I set up a squadron of planes and have the AI follow an assigned flight route? Or am I regulated to flying only one aircraft?

Is there a group that would be interested in doing something on the order of squadron flights online?

Can more than one skin be applied to the same model ... (ala FB/IL2/AEP)?

Do these planes come with actual load outs to replicate the feeling of take off under loaded conditions?

If I get loads, can I drop em, and is damag modeled on the drop?

I assume these planes come with damage boxes and etc., when someone decides to incorporate their axis planes?

Are the entire crew positions available and accessable?

When is it coming out in U.S? (again.)

Thanks.

:salute:

[46th_BlackWatch]

As far as I know, in the stock version, FS2004 is designed for the pilot to fly a single aircraft. More along the lines of practicing individual flying skills as opposed to arial combat. I am sure with the new AirPower add on this will change. If you are interested in flying missions with a group, try us at 46th.net. There are add ons available for guns and rockets; and possibly bombs for FS2004 military aircraft add ons. Combat Flight Simulator 3 with FirePower sounds more like what you have in mind, and is what we use for our missions.

[Scott - A2A]

Blackwatch is absolutely right., though we are looking into all the possibilities with FS9.

AirPower is just moving into beta now. The on-the-retail-shelf date will be sometime in July - the closer we get, then we'll announce an official date.

Scott.

[GT182]

I just found your new forums Scott by way of Snuffy_Hadden. Congratulations and hope they are an ongoing success for a long time to come.

[Snuffy]

As far as I know, in the stock version, FS2004 is designed for the pilot to fly a single aircraft. More along the lines of practicing individual flying skills as opposed to arial combat.

Okay it's cool, at least I'll get to practice up on my proper flying of the bird then when the add-on comes out.

I am sure with the new AirPower add on this will change.

I'm not the only one hoping it does. I know of at least one other individual that is pretty committed to believing that this will be the future of flight sim for MS and their CFS series.

If you are interested in flying missions with a group, try us at 46th.net.

I actually joined for a bit, but before I could get any game time in Life called me away. I'm just now getting things back under control, so we'll see what's up with my application. :salute:

Combat Flight Simulator 3 with FirePower sounds more like what you have in mind, and is what we use for our missions.

I've got the CFS3 and Firepower ... I'm having a bit of a problem when I jump positions and am trying to get it resolved.

I've tried only two missions for the B-17 and each time I do, switching from pilot to bombardier and back to pilot tends to shut my engines down and my plane just kinda hangs ... The first time it happened, my plane and crew went down in the river just in front of the sub pens in Brest. The second time, I was actually able to get from pilot to bombardier by using ctrl/shift/a for autopilot, and dropped successfully on Brest, however when I hopped back into the pilots seat and did the ctrl/shift/a to regain control, the engines died again. I set the trim for a slow floating decent and worked feverishly to get the engines started, autostart refused to cooperate, and only after several attempts and hitting autopilot again did they start back up, after whichi I was able to take auto off and regain control of the plane and made it back to Bassingbourn??!!?

So until I can get this glitch figured out ... I'm prolly not a good candidate for a squadron any time soon.

:salute:

[Scott - A2A]

Snuffy,

Email me at [email protected]. Give me a time and number I can call you while you are at your computer. I want to have us both to try something while we are both at our computers.

Scott.

[Sean Doran]

Can I set up a squadron of planes and have the AI follow an assigned flight route? Or am I regulated to flying only one aircraft?

Yes you can, you need an understanding of AFCAD's, TTools and yroute, which are all available on the net as freeware. These allow you to do any flights with the ai.

[Snuffy]

Thanks Irish, This is GREAT stuff! I just paroused the site and think I got an overall feel of what they're doing.

I can see how this could be used and modified and used as a flight scheduling for Allied Aircraft and missions.

If I read it right. of course. I also can see how this could be set up to spawn interceptor flights as well.

Any verification that I'm leaning the right direction?

Thanks!

:salute:

[Sean Doran]

Oh yeah you could schedule the flights any way you wish, as for spawning Ime not sure how FS9 handles that if it does at all.

[Snuffy]

What I meant by the "spawning" of interceptors, was simply that, as you scheduled the flights of formations for penetration, you could set up a set schedule of axis airfields to "spawn" their plane at a predetermined time.

i.e., You have the 1st bomber wing headed for schwinfurt, as your wing progresses there are certain axis airfields that should have overlapping cap radii. Those fields could be set up on schdule to launch their CAPs at a particular time, and if planned appropriately, actually intercept the bomber wing.

It would be similar to the MB except you would have the ability to set times for take offs and flights. (Not like MB where everyone launches at a set time and you have to put a loiter waypoint or two in for your interceptors while they wait for the bomber stream.)

Make sense?

:salute:

[Sean Doran]

yup ..makes sense.

[Dave R]

Hi guys.

I seem to be coming the other way to most of you guys, being a fan of MSFS2004. I've never been able to get into combat flight sims due to my lack of reactions, and a bad habit of target fixation
But I can answer a few questions for you, I hope

[quote="Snuffy_Hadden"]I have a few questions.

Can I set up a squadron of planes and have the AI follow an assigned flight route? Or am I regulated to flying only one aircraft?

You can't with the basic FS2004, but there is a 3rd party add-on called Ttools which is used to set up AI flights. But even with that you won't get a true formation, at best you'd be able to set up a string formation as the RAF bomber Command used for night ops. You will be able to set up a single AI aircraft OK, but it will simply be a drone for you to chase and fly in formation with.

Is there a group that would be interested in doing something on the order of squadron flights online?

I don't know of any combat centred groups. FS2004 does support multi player flights, but I've not realy looked at this so can't say how good it is

Can more than one skin be applied to the same model ... (ala FB/IL2/AEP)?

Yup. FS2004 aircraft are fully skinable, and there is an active modding community out there, though I guess the main thing will depend on the copyrights constraints placed by the developers

If I get loads, can I drop em, and is damag modeled on the drop?

As FS2004 stands the short answer is no. At the moment the game engine doesn't support any sort of detachable objects, so there can be no falling bombs as such. There are a couple of 3rd party teams looking at this, but at best it will be just an artistic impression then actual modeling

Are the entire crew positions available and accessable?

Again, it can be done, but often relies on 3rd party code, the standard FS2004 only incorperates the pilots position. But quite a few 3rd party add-on aircraft often have the co-pilots position modeled.

Dave R