Dust off your naval aviator skills because Magnitude-3 and Eagle Dynamics have released the DCS: F4U-Corsair for DCS World. The famous carrier borne aircraft launch comes in a large update that also includes the new DCS: Marianas WWII map, several assets, and the premier of two new scripted campaigns from Reflected Simulations and Flying Cyking. Let’s check it all out!

Ready for carrier launch

After a prolonged development cycle, DCS: F4U-1D Corsair has launched for DCS World in early access. This land and carrier based fighter was used in multiple theatres of World War II but was most closely associated with the battles of the Solomon islands of 1943 and the various island hopping campaigns of 1944 and 1945.

Deemed initially too be too dangerous to operate successfully from carrier decks due to its overly long nose and poor over the nose visibility, new techniques enabled the aircraft to become a key part of the US Navy and Royal Navy carrier borne forces.

The DCS module has been developed by Magnitude-3 and is the lead-in to Eagle Dynamics DCS WWII Pacific content. The Corsair itself is intended to be a high fidelity recreation of the aircraft with fuel, engine, hydraulic simulations and detailed structure-based damage model with full carrier capability.

The module ships together with the USS Essex and eight Japanese ground vehicles which are available to all DCS World users. The module also comes with 8 training missions, 7 single player missions, 42 instant action missions (across multiple maps in the series), and an illustrated manual in English.

The regular price for this module is listed as $59.99 USD and an early access discount is currently in place bringing that down to $47.99 USD with purchase available through the DCS World e-Shop. The module is also available for purchase on Steam.

Before moving on from this, I did want to note that the trailer appears to feature some content that is not yet released. Notably, the A6M5 Zero that Eagle Dynamics has talked about as part of an asset pack doesn’t appear to have come out today and has no known ETA. So while the Corsair is here, it won’t have any traditional Pacific opponents just yet.

Two new campaigns are out

Reflected Simulations’ Wolfpack II: Overlord and Flying Cyking’s Northern Defenders: Phantoms Rising campaigns have just arrived with the update.

Wolfpack II is naturally a follow-on to Reflected’s previous Wolfpack campaign. It features the DCS: P-47, Normandy 2.0 and the WWII Asset Pack through 12-historical missions based on original combat reports and research. There are almost 1,000 voice over messages and original radio broadcasts. It’s available for $11.99 USD here.

Flying Cyking has delivered an F-4E campaign as well called Northern Defenders: Phantoms Rising. It’s a Cold War gone hot scenario making use of the DCS: Kola map and DCS: F-4E Phantom II. It features 13-missions with CAP, CAS, SEAD and Strike missions. It also features 1,000 voice overs and 100 pages of documentation. It’s available for $12.99 USD.

Launch of DCS: Marianas WWII

Adapted from the modern Marianas map that was released a couple of years ago, this free map is intended to be a the home of Eagle Dynamic’s Pacific based content. Marianas island were the site of a major carrier duel (the last big one of the war) and an extensive ground campaign.

The map has been created using documentation and imagery from the period to create a period accurate version with assets and land use that was typical of the 1940s.

The map and several dozen changes for many of DCS World’s modules are available with the update. The full change log is available here!


26 responses to “DCS: F4U Corsair has launched together with Marianas WWII and two new campaigns”

  1. I don’t see any point getting the Corsair if it doesn’t even have an AI Zero to fly against. After such a long development time, I’d hope for a more complete offering.

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      It does seem like a significant piece of missing content.

      Like

    2. yeah thats part of the reason I dont do WWII in DCS. Its basically a museum collectible at this point unfortunately. Il2 is where its at for wwii

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Urgent Siesta Avatar
      Urgent Siesta

      It’s literally one of the most historically significant aircraft of all time and flew combat missions until the 1970’s. It even made the last air to air kill ever by a piston fighter!

      And even if it wasn’t, it’s presently the only carrier-capable warbird available in DCS (not that any of the other flight sims do carrier ops any justice, anyway).

      Carrier ops alone are enough for me to get it. And if I really feel like there’s “nothing to fight against”, I’ll just put on an FAA livery and go to work on the Normandy map.

      Finally, even the late-war Zeros weren’t peer-level opponents for the Corsair. Would be even worse than taking the DCS Spitfire up against the DCS 109 K-4.

      There were other IJ aircraft later on in the war that were able to go toe to toe with the late war Allied aircraft.

      Liked by 1 person

    4. The Pacific asset pack will have one, among many other things.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        That’ll definitely be a crucial piece for Pacific WWII.

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  2. Lol, I was so locked into WWII content when you were talking about the F-4E I was wondering when the Wildcat released for DCS, or if someone had made a mod…

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Urgent Siesta Avatar
    Urgent Siesta

    VERY excited to finally give warbird carrier ops a try in a modern air combat sim!

    But of course I’m out of town on a trip, so will have to wait until next week 😦

    I’ve seen reports of some Early Access bugs – I’ll keep an eye out for those, but they don’t seem overly serious as of now.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I’m out and about as well so sometime next week will be my earliest.

      Hearing mixed reporting and opinions out there so far. Corsair is one of my all time favs so I have to check it out.

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  4. I’m still not sure about getting it. I want to watch a few more video reviews. But I am enjoying the WWII Marianas map.

    My concern with the PTO remains with how long we’ll have to wait for planes and assets. I’m happy to buy into it, but not if “required” modules are scheduled for release years from now. I know DCS moves slowwwwwwly, but a good PTO offering will have to have some oompf! in the release schedule.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I really hope that the ED assets are coming along in short order. That’ll make this effort come together.

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  5. Where to next for Magnitude-3? That question is probably on a lot of people’s minds, right?

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      Hopefully spending lots of time refining this product and not moving on hastily.

      That said, we already know that a 2.0 upgrade to the MiG-21bis and the F-8 Crusader are announced and in the works.

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      1. Oh yeah, I forgot about the F8J and the MiG-21 2.0 version. I remember them saying that they also have two unannounced modules in development and all four projects are going full steam ahead – at least that is what Magnitude 3 said in one of their newsletters.

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      2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        I wouldn’t hold your breath on any of them. Magnitude 3 develops slowly and they have quite a bit to do still with the F4U.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I think that Magnitude 3 should focus on one module at a time rather than stretching their resources thin over four modules. But I am sure that Magnitude 3 have their reasons for doing what they’re doing.

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      4. Keep in mind that these are teams with specializations, and running multiple projects at the same time means that people with different specializations can be kept busy.

        Liked by 2 people

      5. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        Yes absolutely true. Sometimes devs are seen as monolithic entities but really it’s a small group of specialists. The art folks doing modeling or texture work doesn’t slow the scripting and programming folks down if the project is managed right.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. delicatebearddd542182a5 Avatar
    delicatebearddd542182a5

    Hmmm. Deeply unsure about this. Is it just me or does this smack of another classic DCS disjointed, ad hoc release, with missing critical elements due to come at some point in the future? Where are the Japanese opponent aircraft? Kinda what’s the point if you can’t fight; the clue is in the name Digital Combat Simulator. Might as well go down the MSFS route if you just want the fly around (nothing wrong with that, by the way!) Or am I too hasty? The rest of the critical parts just round the corner? I hope I’m wrong but…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It’s very disappointing IMHO. I was expecting a decent module after 6+ years of development and to me this is a let down again. It’s missing functionality such as cooling and temperature dynamics, in the cockpit the engine sounds like a Cessna rather than the throaty roar of an R-2800 that I expected and there seems to be no variation in the sound when rpm changes.
      Add to that the lack of any AI opponents and limited set of naval assets outside of the Essex, it is another classic ED release. When people say they hold 3rd parties to a higher standard, I’m not sure that’s actually true, maybe some of the 3rd party developers hold themselves to a higher standard and Magnitude-3 is not one of them.

      If you haven’t bought this module I’d hold your money.

      Like

    2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I do wish we knew a bit more about what’s in the pipeline for all of this. Corsair is very interesting but you’re right that it would benefit from the rest of the eco system around it.

      Like

    3. looks good , but ill wait for sale to get it, yes its missing alot

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  7. Vojtěch Oujezdský Avatar
    Vojtěch Oujezdský

    I already flew it yesterday and sadly the flight model seem disapointing. The corsair was a bitch and this thing can just hang on the prop as a rc plane.

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I’ve heard and seen some videos of some quirks with the flight model.

      I have yet to fly it. Are those problems at the edge of the envelope, when you stall for example, or elsewhere too?

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      1. Vojtěch Oujezdský Avatar
        Vojtěch Oujezdský

        Mostly on edges with high angles of attack on very high and low speeds. There is a video on hoggit of how bad it is. It is very simillar to the mig21, great in most normal parts of envelope questionable on the edges.

        Stalls are without any buffeting just and very weird.

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    2. It is what it is. The problem is there’s no standard/generic FM making aircraft behave “correct” relative each other. When every third party cook up their own FM from scratch, this relative correctness simply cannot be expected. This is one of the main strengths of Il-2 GB for instance, where lots and lots of work is put into this particular issue.

      I mentioned this in the previous F4U article. It’s not the “correctness” of the FM that really matters, it’s how the FM of one aircraft feels vs the FM of another aircraft.

      “The Corsair was a bitch” doesn’t really mean anything at all, unless this is compared with the aircraft the pilot who said this had flown before. This would typically be the Wildcat or Hellcat, both considered to be very gentle aircraft to fly, much gentler than the “average” WWII fighter, like for instance the Mustang.

      I don’t think the other WWII aircraft from ED are particularly good in FM terms. I think they all are artificially (non-physically) quirky, in lack of a better description 🙂 I have only briefly tried the F4U, less than 10 minutes on another account, and I think it was OK, but perhaps a bit artificially non-quirky 🙂 That said, I did get it into some sort of a spin, and it was “a bitch” to get out of it without getting into a secondary spin.

      I’m not super interested in the F4U to be honest, but with Marianas WWII for free, it may be considered a must-have for many. A carrier follows, and it all looks really good. It will only get better with time as well. Lots of new people will get into DCS due to this IMO.

      Like

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