If all goes according to plan, the Hornet will be coming out sometime today for DCS World 2.5 beta and that means a whole lot more Hornet to talk about. Here’s a really quick look at some related stuff around what we’re getting, what is yet to come, and a few other cool things.

This is early access

We’re getting, what appears to be from many community videos, a quality release right away with the Hornet having a great many systems and features already enabled. You’ll be able to fight in the air and attack targets on the ground. But not everything will be available right away.

Starting with training missions, we should have a good selection right off the bat:

1- Introduction and Basic Controls
2- Cold Start
3- Airfield Taxi and Takeoff
4- TACAN Navigation
5- Waypoint Navigation
6- VFR Airfield Landing
7- IFR Airfield Landing
8- Air-to-Air Radar Overview
9- Aerial Refueling
10- Carrier Takeoff
11- Case I and II Carrier Landing
12- Air-to-Air Gun
13- AIM-9
14- AIM-7
15- AG Gun and Rockets
16- Unguided Bombs
17- Defensive Systems

As for early access sensors and weapons, this is what we’ll be seeing:

Sensors:

• A/A radar with RWS, STT, and ACM modes

Weapons:

• Mk-82 series
• Mk-83 series
• Mk-84 series
• CBU-99 and Mk-20 Cluster Bombs
• BDU-33 Training Bomb
• BDU-45 Training Bomb
• 2.75 inch rockets
• 5 inch rockets
• 20mm cannon
• AIM-9L/M and CATM Sidewinder
• AIM-7F/M Sparrow

Of course, the final list is much more extensive:

Sensors:

• A/A radar with TWS, SCAN RAID, AZ/EL
• A/G radar with MAP, EXP1, EXP2, EXP3, SEA, GMT, PVU, AGR, IRA, and TA
• AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR Targeting Pod
• Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS)
• Link-16
• AWW-13 Datalink Pod
• NVGs

Weapons:

• AGM-88C HARM
• AGM-45A/B Shrike
• AGM-84D Block 1C Harpoon
• AGM-84E SLAM
• AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER
• AGM-65E Maverick
• AGM-65F/G Maverick
• AGM-154A JSOW
• AGM-154C JSOW
• Walleye I ER/DL
• Walleye II ER/DL
• GBU-10 Paveway II
• GBU-12 Paveway II
• GBU-16 Paveway II
• GBU-24B/B Paveway III
• GBU-38 JDAM
• GBU-31 JDAM
• GBU-32 JDAM
• AIM-9X Sidewinder
• AIM-7P Sparrow
• AIM-120B/C AMRAAM
• Mk-40 Destructor Sea Mine
• Mk-63 Quickstrike Sea Mine
• Mk-77 Fire Bomb

Decoys:

• ADM-141 TALD
• GEN-X

So, we’re getting a decent start. A jet with systems and sensors for taking out aircraft, for putting weapons on target, navigating around, and generally doing what the Hornet does. We can do BVR and visual range air-to-air combat which I suspect will be a focus for multiplayer in the early days especially. And there’s lots of fun to be had with the MK82s, MK84s, Zunis, etc.

I’m very interested to see how the JHMCS and AIM-9X are done. This being the first jet in DCS to get the AIM-9X. Interesting to see the potential for 90 degrees off boresight target engagement and how that affects air combat. That, will come later.

A few more Hornet videos

I’ve absolutely loved watching the Hornet videos from the community members who got a preview version of the aircraft. I have two videos I wanted to share that you should definitely check out.

Ralfi and Hellreign82 set out to intercept a Russian Bear and get into some trouble. Superbly flown mission with great teamwork, professional flying, and good visuals.

If you watch just one video, it’s RedKite’s strike mission. Atmospheric, cinematic, well flown, and more than a little tense, this mission looks incredible. In the comments, more than a few have compared it to Battlefield 3’s single player Hornet mission. That’s a good thing but DCS of course takes it to that open world simulation that Battlefield really doesn’t cater to. Check it out!

One more thing

Everyone will be hearing this woman’s voice from inside the DCS: F/A-18C cockpit very soon. The woman, known as “Bitchin’ Betty,” retired a few years ago but her voice remains inside the cockpit of every Hornet ever produced.

A short story on Boeing’s YouTube channel sums up her work as the voice inside the cockpit.

Eagle Dynamics licensed the use of the cockpit buzzers and sounds from Boeing (so far as I know) and that’s why the voice you’ll be hearing is very authentic – these are the same sound files as in the real one. Fun fact!

DCS: F/A-18C Hornet arrives today.