Aerges have managed to release three out of the four variants of the DCS: Mirage F1 that they have planned as part of the module. The latest one, release recently, brings forward a two seat trainer version with some interesting differences to the earlier models, some interesting technology, and a new weapon option for all of the Mirage F1s. Let’s have a look!

The two seat Mirage F1

Aerges are basing their work on the Spanish Air Force versions of the Mirage F1. Six of the BE variant were delivered in 1980 and 1981 themselves very similar to the French Mirage F1B.

The two seat variant was considered an operational conversion trainer bringing pilots forward from training aircraft into the combat aircraft. The F1B and F1BE we have in DCS is fully combat capable with the two seat conversion adding 30 cm of length to the airplane while reducing total fuel and removing the twin 30mm DEFA 553 cannons. The aircraft also weighs an extra 200 kg over the single seat versions.

What does the back seat look like?

Aerges have, of course, now fully modeled the back seat. Visually its quite similar to the front seat and the layout was immediately familiar. Nearly everything you have in the front seat is back here too with a few differences.

The back seat doesn’t have as good a view forward, unsurprisingly, so Dassault managed to create a remote camera system that pipes a video feed of the HUD area into the back seat making the back seater fully aware of what the pilot can see through the HUD. Aerges have modeled this extremely well with the black and white and bit grainy video being piped into the rear seat. Its fast, responsive, and I’ve had no problems with it. You can make out what’s going on while also feeling like this is based on technology of yesteryear.

The master arm switch and weapons controls are located only in the front so the rear seater can only observe that part of the process. There is a panel with lights that are arrayed in the same way as the front seat weapon selection which means you can still see what’s selected but you can’t select it yourself.

Aside from that, everything else that I went looking for appears be there including the various radar controls and radar display. The display, by the way, is in a slightly different spot located front and center rather than off to the side.

What else is new?

A lot of what Aerges have been doing recently have been in the realm of bug fixing. Making the ILS glideslope work more accurately or resolve a missile tone audio bug. That sort of thing. There was one new toy that came out alongside the BE and that is the CC-420 gun pod.

With the internal DEFA 30mm cannons removed on the BE mode, some sort of gun solution is needed and Aerges took the opportunity to add the pod for the BE as well as all of the other models. The pods are functionally the same as the internal guns. Both being examples of the 30mm DEFA cannon.

The pod(s) can be mounted under the fuselage on the centreline or on the inner wing stations. They can be fired alongside the internal cannons on the CE and EE variants adding plenty of saturation fire if you need it. Air and ground targets are possible targets.

What comes next?

Aerges have established a reputation, first as AvioDev and now as Aerges, of being a developer that commits to a project and sticks with the development at a relentless pace over the course of years. The early C-101 project lacked a lot of features but the developers stuck with it adding capabilities and technologies for several years. The same, I’m pleased to report, is happening with the F1.

Ongoing bug fixes plus new feature updates have been an underway. With the F1 BE delivered only the F1M remains. Aerges reports that the RWR and a significant texture update are planned prior to the launch of the F1M so we should have a sense of where things are at as these features and revisions are delivered.

So RWR will be worked on after release of the BE and before the M. There’s a texture overhaul to be released in the update after the BE.

fausete (Aerges developer) on the DCS forums

New RWR sounds (the model currently uses sounds off of the F-15C as placeholder), a dynamic noise system for the radar, a new pilot model, new cage/uncage logic for IR missiles, new missions a campaign and additional weapons are still planned as a part of the roadmap.

I fully expect that Aerges will continue to support the development of the module for quite some time yet. A modernized Mirage F1M will add some interesting additional features to the jet while revisions all around will bring all four variants further along – if history with this developer is any guide.