It’s the end of the week and time to round-up some DCS World news from the DCS World Weekended Update and from a few other sources. This week we’ve got a hot off the presses new F-4E video from Heatblur called “Episode I – Introduction” that you probably won’t want to miss. We also have a really nice update on future plans for the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet. Plus IndiaFoxtEcho adds a new livery for the MB-339 and teases us with a new module and Miltech-5 shows off Bo-105 pilot animations. Let’s go!
Heatblur introduces the F-4E
Even if you’ve hung on every update, word and note from the Heatblur team from the last couple of years, you’ll probably still thoroughly enjoy this module introduction by Heatblur for their upcoming DCS: F-4E.
The video covers a broad overview of the two versions of the F-4E that Heatblur are bringing to life with this DCS World module. They also touch on some of the extended and unique features that the aircraft has including deep simulation of the aircraft’s systems right down to the individual components of a gauge in the cockpit.
Hornet updates planned
Eagle Dynamics are still working on tweaks to the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet. Though the module is largely feature complete, there are some items that the team want to tackle. This week we’ve learned what their goals are.
One of the core updates is the flight model with adjustments to the aircraft’s modeling to make it more accurate. That includes adjusted “stabilizer scheduling” enabling the aircraft to reach 50 or 55 degrees AoA compared to 30 AoA previously achievable. Another adjustment is in PA or Powered Approach mode when landing where adjustments should make it slightly easier to maintain on-speed AoA. Further, nose pitch effects with the speed brake deployed have been added to match the real jet.
There are also adjustments to the flight control system with better transitions between Auto flaps and Half or Full flaps. Less or no uncommanded pitching moments.
Another area of updates are in the landing gear systems. The update notes that the gear system is quite complex and the adjustments will likely be ongoing. More accurate and improved landing control in crosswinds is one of the outcomes.
Similar to the other updates, adjustments have been made to better match the real world for idle to afterburner throttle changes with a faster response. Autopilot, and ACLS landing in coupled mode have also apparently been tuned.
New MB-339 skin and teases future IndiaFoxtEcho module
IndiaFoxtEcho are adding a new T-Bird II livery representing the modified MB-339 presented as part of the American Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) program. The T-6 Texan II ultimately won the competition but we get the livery for it anyways!
We also have a tease for a future IndiaFoxtEcho module for DCS World after their current G.91 project is complete. Developer 6S.Duke confirmed that the results of a recent poll have resulted in some decisions being made within the developer and a license having been secured.
We are going to consider your preferences for our future projects, taking into account also the access to the real aircraft and documentation. For the moment, we want you to know that we got a license for a new exciting project for DCS World. We can not provide any details yet, but we can say that the next project after the G.91 won’t be Italian nor European, but it is an aircraft that flew in Europe during one recent conflict.
6S.Duke on the DCS World forums
Let the speculation begin!
Miltech-5 show off custom animations, facial features for Bo-105 pilots
A few updates from Miltech-5 this week too with them showing off the animated rigging and facial feature changes that they are planning to program into their pilot/co-pilot models on the DCS: Bo-105. I can’t share the videos here so you’ll have to visit their Facebook page to see them in action.
Stormbirds 
Those are some killer textures on the Phantom. I’m actually surprised this thing isn’t twice the price. I’ll definitely spend a few hours just tooling around aimlessly when I get it, just for the fun of the sights and sounds.
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Volume of sales matters too of course. I think it’s priced right although clearly they are pushing the envelope, again, with how detailed they are modeling everything.
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Quality and attention to details that Heatblur is showing is mind blowing. I hope all that simulation of altitude indicator dials and other aircraft systems and tiny elements won’t kill the performance.
When F-4 was announced I had no plans to purchase this module, however I quickly changed my mind and now I can’t wait to start learning flying and operating this jet.
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Yeah, I find myself pondering that ‘I hope the resources given over to things I occasionally glance at aren’t at the cost of something else’ question too. Time will tell, and you’ve definitely got to admire the ambition.
The failure modelling will be interesting too. I don’t really want something where a random ‘unforced’ gauge failure on itself scrubs a mission i’m half an hour into. However, if they couple it into a granular battle damage model where hits in very specific areas nobble very specific things in a certain way it could be fun.
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I might’ve been concerned before Multi-Threading was a thing.
Similarly complex modules in other sims don’t seem to weigh too heavily on resources relative to lower fidelity modules.
IMHO it’s usually visual stuff that cuts the FPS most drastically, especially things like digital displays (e.g., the F-16 Viper in Prepar3D, the pending perf improvements in MSFS glass cockpits), scenery object density, shadows, AA, LoDs, etc., etc.
The Phantom, in particular, is mostly steam gauge so as long as HB have optimized the textures and 3D “enough”, and include proper LoD optimization, the calcs for the components shouldn’t weigh heavily, relatively speaking.
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All good points! We’ll have to see how this comes together in DCS but the anecdotal info we have is that it runs about as well as the F-14 does which sounds encouraging.
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SOOOO glad to see work continuing on Hornet! And, IMHO, in areas that are genuinely important. (also IMHO I think HBs ongoing upgrades to Tomcat are part of the reason ED continues to polish Hornet 😉 ).
Very curious about the new IFT project – non-European aircraft in a recent European conflict. Hmmmm….
Phantom sounds like it’s going to be the A2A Simulations of DCS World. And just like my A2A birds, I can see choosing to fly Phantom more, not because I’m interested in the bird itself but rather because i’m interested in the highly component-ized module architecture. Light bulb filament variability – INDEED!
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Would like to point out only small mistake there in the title of the article. I would say it should read IFE teases, not IFT.
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Right you are!
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