comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim FAQ

It's not fack, it's eff aye queue, damnit

Ezekiel saw the wheel
A-turnin' way up in the middle of the air.
The big wheel turned by faith
And the little wheel turned by the grace of God.
 - Old Negro spiritual and Prayer for Helicopter Pilots

Brought to you by XV
Flying Yesterday's Aeroplanes Today

Welcome to the comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim FAQ. Enjoy your stay.
This is a proto-FAQ, and subject to additions and changes.

Contents

  1. Introduction
    1. Introductory blurb
    2. Rules for a happy life - Guide for newbies
    3. Contributors
    4. Personal note
    5. Copyright notice
  2. The FAQ
    1. The Sims
    2. Hardware
    3. Software
    4. Networking
    5. Useful Websites
    6. Random Questions
    7. Useful Resources
  3. The FUQ
    1. Sections 1 to 40

Welcome to the comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim FAQ

1. Introduction

The internet newsgroup comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim is for the discussion of flight simulators on the Macintosh, and related issues.

The purpose of this document is to pool the knowledge and experience of the contributors to the newsgroup comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim (hereinafter referred to as the Froup), and to set it forth in a convenient format. It is designed both for the use of newbies, and for that of oldies who have rusty memories/can't be expected to know *everything*.

In a semi-deliberate reflection of life on the Froup, this document is in two parts. The FAQ is a serious attempt at addressing perennial questions and difficulties, and gives some technical information that may be of use to the Macintosh flight-sim community. The FUQ is a more light-hearted look at things. It's a foretaste of what you might find in some of the more off-topic moments on the Froup. It's a bit silly, in fact.

All facts claimed in this document are open to scrutiny. All opinions expressed are open to challenge. Contrary views are positively invited for inclusion. Please address any points you feel need addressing. Additions, corrections and suggestions for improvement are welcomed and should be sent to biggles@rg-d.com, where they may or may not be acted upon. Life's like that.

Rules for a happy life

- Guide for newbies

If you haven't done so already, you should read the regular postings in news.announce.newusers. In fact, why don't you go and do that now? We'll still be here when you get back. Second, you might like to check out the Mac games FAQ. That's a little dated but is a good place for more information.
The Froup is fairly easy going by Usenet standards. I guess there's a charter somewhere. Rule - what little there is - is by consensus, but we would ask you to take note of the following:

Direct advertising is unwelcome, although new game announcements and publication of reviews on flight sim-related products are encouraged. Bug fix and update notices are welcomed. Spammers will be nuked.

With the exception of PGP signatures, the posting of binaries or other encoded data files is not permitted. All postings must be in plain text; HTML and other forms of formatting markup are not nice and we get upset at them. Pointers to relevant external information sources (Web or FTP URLs, for example) are positively encouraged.

Posters to the Froup are encouraged to follow established netiquette (such as placing trimmed quotes before fresh text and using signatures of 4 lines or less) as described in the various regular postings to news.announce.newusers.

This is a Mac newsgroup. People of Other Persuasions who have wandered in will find that irony is used against them. Cross-posting to/from the Dark Side's group is acceptable if it's to do with games/hardware available on both platforms, or matters of interest to both sets of users. Additionally, some gamers are ambi-platform, and may have valid reasons for cross-posting. Otherwise, it's probably not worth it, if only to avoid the antagonism that can arise.

The one thing that can be guaranteed to annoy the Froup's regulars is being asked to help PIRATES. There are numerous ways in which software pirates ask for help getting around copy protection, and we are wise to them. Don't do it. See below for a discussion of why piracy is a Bad Thing. However, before you leap down someone's throat in self-righteous indignation, be aware that there are occasions when what seems to be a request to break copy protection is a genuine request. We recognize most of those, too. Find out the facts before making unwarranted accusations.

Contributors

Richard P. Grant (maintainer)
Harro de Jong Jonathan Sanderson Charles Kooy

Except where indicated entries have been written by the maintainer.

Personal Note

When I first started reading this Froup, back in '94 or '95, it was not the friendliest of newsgroups. There seemed to be a cadre of regulars who would strictly enforce the no off-topic rule and were very unhelpful towards newbies and those with simple questions. Since then, things have slowly got a little bit more relaxed. Some might contend that it's too relaxed. It is true that a lot of nonsense goes on (as I write, there's something weird going on about quantum cats and ducks. Go figure). However, I hope that the Froup is a welcoming place for newbies, and that people feel free to ask the dumbest questions. We've all been there. As to the off-topic nonsense, I have been trying to mark such threads with [OT] to make it easier for those who don't wish to follow them. It is possibly worth remembering that those posters who do seem to wibble on about non-flight sim things are frequently those with a lot of experience, and who are most willing to help you if you have difficulty.

Related to this, I have discovered that many groups - once they have a FAQ - tend to use it like a shield. People who ask a question that is covered in the FAQ are flamed to hell and back. I don't think that we want that. The reason for compiling this document was so that when someone - new or regular - asks 'What is the best sim for an iMac', or 'Why won't Falcon 4 run?' or whatever, they can be referred to this document without everyone on the Froup either (a) feeling that they must throw in their tuppence or (b) ignoring it because they think everyone else will answer it. It'll also help if the gurus who can answer a particular question happen to be not around at the time.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This document was created and is maintained by Richard P. Grant. The articles it contains have been written and contributed by members of the newsgroup comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim. All contributions to this document remain the copyright of their respective authors and may not be reproduced elsewhere without their prior written permission.

Contents

2. The FAQ

2.1 The Sims

Contents

2.1.1 What is available?

A summary of current Mac flight sims may be found at http://www.macgamer.com/features/flightsim/flightsims.html [external link]

The following table lists past and present sims, and their status. More in-depth reviews (where they exist) are hyper-linked from this table.

http://www.flightgear.org/
Name Publisher Latest release Rating Comments
A10 Attack! Parsoft 1.5 (1997) 9/10 A10A Thunderbolt, Germany (present day)
68K/PPC
A10 Cuba! Parsoft 1.2 (1997) 9/10 A10A Thunderbolt, Cuba (present day)
PPC (& 33 MHz 68K)
Dawn of Aces IEN 2.74 (early 2000) 8/10 On/offline WWI era
PPC only
F/A-18 Hornet GSC 3.1 (2000) n/10 Hornet, Gulf (1991)
PPC only
F/A-18 Hornet Korea GSC 1.1.1 (2000) n/10 Hornet, Korea (present day)
PPC only, 3D
F/A-18 Hornet GSC 2.0.1 (1995) n/10 Hornet, Gulf (1991) & Korea (present day)
68K/PPC
Falcon 4 ? 1.06c (early 2000) n/10 F16, Korea (present day)
PPC only > 350 MHz G3
Flight Gear ? 0.75 (late 2000) n/10 Civvy sim, open source project
PPC only > 300 MHz G3
Hellcats
& Leyte Gulf add-on 		Parsoft 1.04 (1992)
1.02 (1992) 		10/10 F6F Hellcat, Pacific Theatre (WWII)
68K
Hind ? ? n/10 Chopper, ? (?)
processor ?
Virtual Wings Pro Cat 3 . . .? ?
?		 10/10 Civvy IFR sim, incredibly good,
PPC only
SF 1945
(ex Skyfighters 2000) 		Bullseye Software 1.0.3 (March 2001) 9/10 PPC only
Warbirds IEN 2.76r1 (mid 2000)
v3 in beta		 8/10 On/offline WWII era
PPC only
X-Plane Laminar Research 5.4 (mid 2000)
v3 in beta		 7/10 Expandable, 70 planes included,
PPC only

Section 2 contents

2.1.2 Individual sims

Falcon

xxx Reviewed
Name
Publisher
Latest Version
Rating
Minimum Hardware
Comments
 Contributed by
Where can I find mods/patches for Falcon?

The Falcon site for the Mac that seems to have the most activity (working and active forum) is http://home.woh.rr.com/rprior/macf4/index.html [external link].

Utilities

Theatres and Campaigns

There is also a MacF4-FORUM at Delphi

[Mapi]

You have to weed through the PC stuff, but people have downloaded cockpit files from http://www.falcon40.com/ [external link].
This Mac site appears to be dead, but who knows, it may come back to life — http://sites.netscape.net/jbentony/ [external link].
This PC site seems very good, and probably an excellent reference site for Falcon — http://f4c.krawall.de/ [external link].
 [M Stetson]

Section 2 contents

SF1945 Reviewed
Name SkyFighters 1945
Publisher Bullseye Software [external link]
Latest Version 1.0.3 (March 2001)
Rating 9/10
Minimum Hardware PPC 603/180 or faster
32MB RAM
3D hardware accelerator 4 MB VRAM
Comments Online/Offline WWII combat flightsim with emphasis on fast and furious online game. Easily set up games with up to 8 participants. Generally stable and low latency connections.
 

[A Grand-Clement]

Section 2 contents

Virtual Wings Pro Reviewed
Name Virtual Wings Pro
Publisher Cat3 systems [external link]
Latest Version
Rating 9/10
Minimum Hardware
Comments Professional IFR sim. US$250, 2 civvy planes, everything from preflight check, engine crank, to emergency procedures. Set any sort of weather conditions. Time-limited demo available (3 minutes flying time, but can pick up where you left off on restart)
 

Section 2 contents

X-Plane

X-Plane Reviewed
Name X-Plane
Publisher Laminar Research
Latest Version Version 5.x (this is the base-version, updates occur on a monthly schedule, current version 5.42)
Rating 7/10 (I'd give this sim 10/10 if the interface was less clunky and un-intuitive, and the manual more informative)
Minimum Hardware PPC Only, G3 with GPU recommended
Comments Included: X-plane (the actual simulator), Plane-Maker, Part-Maker, World-Maker and a (weather) Briefer. The base-install includes some 70 planes from different WWII up to very modern. Everything from fighters to large jets. Planes and scenery is available through Laminar Research site (http://www.x-plane.com/ [external link]).
The recent beta (5.43b3) includes multi-player support over TCP/IP, so I guess it will be multiplayer within a short time
 [Contributed by Johan Rundberg]

Section 2 contents

2.1.3 What is the best sim for my iMac/G4/LC475?

Section 2 contents

2.1.4 What is the best sim of All Time?

 [Contributed by CK]

This is a difficult one; it all depends on what you want. I personally like the A10 series best of all. It is a combination of the feel of the sim, the aircraft's behaviour in various stages of destruction and because there is something totally skill about being able to reduce your speed by firing the very, very large gun (GAU). The gun is truly a MultiFunction device: apart from the more obvious tasks it can undertake it also acts as an effective speed brake. Assuming your engines are shut down (and you're on the ground) you can also use it to reverse. It makes a mess of any nearby Galaxies  [i.e. C5s - Ed] :-)

For online flight, Warbirds and Dawn of Aces come out tops. Warbirds is set in WWII, with a reasonably good range of aircraft from the major powers, ranging from fighters to heavy bombers. However, its physics model can get a little funky, allowing silly things such as taking off in a loaded B17 from an aircraft carrier without a steam catapult.

Dawn of Aces, Warbirds' stablemate, is set in WWI. It doesn't have many aircraft, but does include a Zeppelin, which has many, many guns. However, unlike Warbirds, gun positions don't fire automatically, and there are a few bugs, like the spin of near death, which seems to afflict your opponents. Think constantly turning loops, without losing altitude and you get an idea. One of my personal favourite things in DOA is the ability to call in artillery strikes. I've never managed to hit anything other than a horse and cart, mind you, but seeing those rounds coming in is quite satisfying. It is worth remembering that bailing out of your DOA aircraft will instantly void any insurance.

Section 2 contents

2.1.5 Online flying
- see also networking
Brief ROE for Hornet Competition Ladder
  1. Official matches are guns only, silent first pass
  2. Mission is 'Red Strike'. Both pilots start on the carrier, as Red Team
  3. Upon launch, the host will turn 180 and fly away from the other player
  4. When both players are ready, the host sends 'TURN' and both pilots turn to engage
  5. The first merge is silent, i.e. no firing until the 'planes have passed
  6. To ratify a kill (and score a point), the victor must land on the carrier. If a pilot manages to land a damaged 'plane on the carrier no point is scored by the pilot making the kill
  7. First to five points wins
SF1945

See below

Section 2 contents

2.2 Hardware

Contents

2.2.1 Processors & RAM

The more the better.
Some flightsims go as far in this as to require you to go buy next year's computer.  [HdJ - but in reality this is more true of the Dark Side - RPG]

2.2.2 Sticks

Q: Running Sprockets 1.7.5 with CH F-16 stick and throttle - do I keep and use the CH control panel?

A:

  1. Try HappyGear
  2. The CH Control Panel is old BUT STILL WORKS - and in some cases is more configurable than inputsprockets. Korea and Hornet, for example - you can bypass sprockets completely and use the control panel
2.2.3 Pedals
2.2.4 Graphics cards
2.2.5 Thunderseats

2.3 Software

2.3.1 MacOS 9
2.3.2 MacOS X
2.3.3 Older OS
2.3.4 Gamesprockets

Current version (October 2000) is 1.7.5 v1.1 available from Apple [external link].
Check the International or North American areas for updates [external links].

Q: Running Sprockets 1.7.5 with CH F-16 stick and throttle - do I keep and use the CH control panel?

A:

  1. Try HappyGear
  2. The CH Control Panel is old BUT STILL WORKS - and in some cases is more configurable than inputsprockets. Korea and Hornet, for example - you can bypass sprockets completely and use the control panel
2.3.5 Video Drivers

See http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11545 [external link] for the latest OpenGL version (1.2.1 as at 26Apr01)

2.4 Networking

2.4.1 Getting online with SkyFighters 1945
2.4.1.1 Quick access (get me online fast !)

  1. Get the latest update on http://www.dogfightcity.com/ [external link]

  2. Get an IRC client e.g. Ircle http://www.ircle.com/ [external link]

  3. Launch Ircle
    In 'Connections' window (cmd-K) highlight one server, click 'Server'
    In the 'Server List' dialog again highlight one server and click 'Edit..'
    In the dialog enter irc.jmack.net
    Leave the port number on default (6667)
    In the 'Server' pop-up select 'none' at the bottom of the list.
    In 'Connections' window now click 'Edit' and enter info at your discretion (Nickname and Username are required)
    With the server still highlighted click 'Connect'
    When connection is established, under 'Commands' menu select 'Join' (cmd-J) and type #skyfighters in the 'Channels' field and click OK. If anyone is present in the chat room they can help you with the rest, but in short someone will take upon him or herself to act as host and give you an IP number. Copy this number to the clipboard (highlight and cmd-C).

  4. The host will then usually quit Ircle to go and set up the game. Now it's your turn to quit Ircle, launch SF1945, click 'Cancel' and choose 'Join Game' under 'Game' menu, click 'Internet', paste the IP number in the IP field and choose your plane. After a short pause you should now have joined a game.

  5. A more extensive walk through can be found on : http://people.we.mediaone.net/lrkirsch/fgol/ircwalkthrough.html [external link]

[A Grand-Clement]

2.4.2 Getting online with Falcon 4

http://home.woh.rr.com/rprior/macf4/ [external link] is (supposedly) a good place to start

2.5 Useful Websites

http://www.macgamer.com/features/flightsim/flightsims.html

2.6 Random Questions

  1. Is this board dead?

  2. What's an FUQ?

  3. What is a MiG Sweep?

  4. What's the magic key combination to get Falcon 4 to show me the frame rate?

  5. Where are the STRiKE! mission sets?

  6. How do I fly an offline game in Dawn of Aces 2.75?!

Answers to Random Questions

  1. Is this board dead?
    This board used to be packed with messages regarding flight sims, and now it just ain't so.

    • No, this board is not dead. Your server is stuffed. Why don't you start a thread?

    • The state of Mac F-S development is poor. If there were lots of new games, or even just lots of games, we'd be discussing those.

  2. What's an FUQ?
    See below

  3. What is a MiG Sweep?
    An Air Combat Patrol, clearing an airspace of enemy units. Viet Nam era.

  4. What's the magic key combination to get Falcon 4 to show me the frame rate?
    Pretzel-Z then R.

  5. Where are the STRiKE! mission sets?
    [External links]
    Main site: http://homepage.eircom.net/~frontacsb/strike/
    Tactical area (bits & pieces): http://homepage.eircom.net/~frontacsb/strike/Tact.html
    Liberation site (F/A-18 Korea Things): http://homepage.eircom.net/~frontacsb/Liberation/index.html

  6. How do I fly an offline game in Dawn of Aces 2.75?!
    From http://www.dawnofaces.com/faq.html#gameplay [External link]:

    Mac users can select the different offline game types by typing .offgametype [game_type] in the Radio buffer.
    Where game_type is one of:

    • free
    • dogfight
    • dawnpatrol
    • followleader
    • landing

    Example: .offgametype dogfight Selects the dog fight offline game

Section 2 contents

2.7 Useful resources

Other Mac gaming questions answered at http://www.pasteur.fr/infosci/FAQ/macintosh/games-resource-guide [external link]

Contents

Top of FAQ

3. The FUQ

  1. What is an FUQ?

    Consult the FAQ

  2. Jargon

    Regular members of the Froup refer to each other, but never themselves, as 'flight simpletons.' The term is vaguely derogatory.  [RPG]

  3. Abbreviations

    • LIFE = Leisurely, Interesting Flight for Entertainment  [CJ, in answer to "get a life!"]
    • ROE = Things we don't keep to  [CK]
    • REMFs = Spammers  [CK]
    • RVAF = Royal Virtual Air Farce  [HdJ]

     

  4. What and where is the RVAF site? [Michelle P]

    Michelle,

    Not a problem, and it's not considered ignorance. As you've probably seen by now, the Royal Virtual Air Force is a web site dedicated to csmgf-s and flying Macintosh combat flight simulators. It is created and maintained by One Good Man in Cambridge, England who, in his spare time, does some sciencey stuff that is only occasionally mentioned in this newsgroup. (Heretofore referred to as "the froup". See the RVAF FAQ for more information regarding that point.)

    He and his squadron mates and their motley band of European followers and general hangers-on (riff raff of the 'merkin' sort) are all devotees of the long faded-out sub-species of computer software known as (cf.) Mac ComFltSims.

    There may be a general Usenet FAQ for this newsgroup (froup), but denizens herein (and they come and go) nowadays consider the Royal Virtual Air Force's Frequently Answered Questions to be the guiding light of the froup. And very few Usenet groups also have the advantage of a document containing Frequently Unanswered Questions. The csmgf-s is so blessed. All these - both FAQs and FUQs - you will find on the RVAF site.

    I see that some squadron members and even the Wing Commander of the RVAF have taken time out of their busy schedules of dawn patrolling along virtual frontiers (and smuggling port) to answer your plain question of "what is, and where will I find, an RVAF?".

    I will let you winnow the myriad replies that precede this to find the URL... Nawh, I can't do that. Here it is: http://www.xv.flyer.co.uk/

    I have noted that your presence here has not been completely ignored by the Squadron, nor by the other unruly members of this froup. You can take that to mean that - while you have not yet regaled the froup with tales of your daring exploits in A-10 Attack!, F/A-18 Hornet, Warbirds or the other Mac ComFltSims - they have recognized the presence of another airborne companion who prefers the Macintosh platform.

    Pull up a chair, get a glass of your favorite EtOH adult beverage, and observe the froup radio traffic. I assure you that you will be entertained, and if you observe closely enough you might even catch the rare and fleeting On Topic message or (!) thread.

    Your credentials as a qualified real flyer along wit your first post of an excellent technical question - which none of the denizens of either the froup or the RVAF have an empirically proven answer - have also won you early recognition as a legitimate participant in the froup. You even qualify for your first demerit, being a (fellow) merkin and all, but that only serves to make you even more a part of the froup.

    I hope you are not too offended by the shabby company you have elected to keep by posting your sig in this company, and decide to stay awhile and enjoy the show.

    Good luck with your posting and your flying. (And by the way, posting QuickTime movies of your best flights, be they victory or spectacular crash-and-burn) are most welcome to a website you can refer us to. As is customary in Usenet, binaries are not accepted in this non-binary group, but referring URLs to your website and said QT binaries will generally serve to provide months of ready shack (and barside) analysis, and is probably the quickest way to achieve fame and notoriety in the froup. (A good first movie is shooting tanks falling from Russian transport planes.

    Alternatively - and for an experienced flyer such as yourself this should be no problem - a QuickTime movie from the cockpit of your aircraft as you fly inverted through a hangar deck by entering and exiting through the open elevators - will make a good impression and win you considerable respect.)

    Finally, I warn you that you will find little to no tales of male victories of the bedroom sort; in fact I think it is safe to say that you will find absolutely none of that sort of tales of sport that are normally practiced by the least experienced but most energetic of combat flyers. Fortunately for this froup, most computer gamers of that age and type are to be found almost exclusively in comp.sys.pc.games.* and when they biannually get lost and wander into comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim with a "Dude, PC games rule!" they are generally treated with such disdain that they are clearly confused (as trolls are wont to be) and disappear at Mach >>fast.

    Lastly, I will steal and quote the sig of one of the senior members of the RVAF and an illustrious citizen in his own right:

    If I'd had more time I'd have written a shorter letter.

    Good luck, and welcome to comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim.

    Dano (aka Daniel O'Donnell)
    .5nm from the site of the historic Dougals Aircraft Company
    Santa Monica, California

  5. Aviation dictionary

    • Airspeed - Speed of an airplane. Deduct 25% when listening to a Navy pilot.
    • Bank - The folks who hold the lien on most pilots' cars.
    • Carburetor Icing - A phenomenon happening to Aero club pilots at exactly the same time they run out of gas.
    • Cone of Confusion - An area about the size of New Jersey, located near the final approach beacon at an airport.
    • Crab - The squadron Ops Officer.
    • Dead Reckoning - You reckon correctly, or you are.
    • Engine Failure - A condition which occurs when all fuel tanks mysteriously become filled with air.
    • Firewall - Section of the aircraft specially designed to let heat and smoke enter the cockpit.
    • Glide Distance - Half the distance from an airplane to the nearest emergency landing field.
    • Hydroplane - An airplane designed to land on a wet runway, 20,000 feet long.
    • IFR - A method of flying by needle and ripcord.
    • Lean Mixture - Nonalcoholic beer.
    • Nanosecond - Time delay built into the stall warning system.
    • Parasitic Drag - A pilot who bums a ride and complains about the service.
    • Range - Usually about 30 miles beyond the point where all fuel tanks fill with air.
    • Rich Mixture - What you order at the other guy's promotion party.
    • Roger - Used when you`re not sure what else to say.
    • Roll - The first design priority for a fully loaded KC-135A.
    • Service Ceiling - Altitude at which cabin crews can serve drinks.
    • Spoilers - The Federal Aviation Administration.
    • Stall - Technique used to explain to the bank why your car payment is late.
    • Steep Bank - Banks that charge pilots more than 10% interest
    • Tactics - What a clock sounds like when it needs fixing.
    • Tail Wind - Results from eating beans, often causing oxygen depletion in the immediate vicinity.
    • Turn & Bank Indicator - An instrument highly ignored by pilots.
    • Useful Load - Volumetric capacity of the aircraft, disregarding weight.
    • VOR - Radio navigation aid, named after the VORtex effect on pilots trying to home in on it.
    • Yankee - Any pilot who asks Houston tower to "Say again."
    • Zero - Style and artistry points earned for a gear-up landing.

    [A Grand-Clement]

  6. How realistic is your favourite sim?

    • [G Laurie]

      OK, last night about 2.00am I was engaged defensive in a rather nice furball in Warbirds, flying in my faithfull Spit IX, I knew I was in a relatively sticky spot but I reckoned I could get out of it.

      Anyway, a bogey took a pot shot at me, there was the usual rat tat tat of minor hits and then the louder bang of major damage from my right headphone accompanied by another louder BANG from my joystick which suddenly flopped about like the Wingco after 18 G&T's in the RVAF Mess...

      It turned out later that one of the springs in my Thrustmaster had broken but I pretty nearly wet myself when it happened, I wondered for an insane moment if Warbirds was now really accurately modelling flight control damage in the real world.

      PS The broken spring was easy to fix, getting into a TM is pretty much the same as opening the CH stick as so eloquently described earlier.

    • [M Emrys]

      Ah, it's moments like that that make flight simming worthwhile, isn't it?

      A few years back I was flying a mission in A-10 when a semi-major earthquake hit the region and my entire apartment began shaking and roaring. I thought the ZSU had gotten me for good.

  7. Tom Clancy - Mad, Bad or Sad?

    It is seemingly impossible to discuss Clancy rationally. I am among those who hold the man in profound loathing and contempt. Others gobble him up like honey and molasses. I read _Hunt for Red October_, which I actually mildly liked, and _Red Storm Rising_, which is what inspired my loathing and contempt. I have read no more of his fiction since that time. I have read a couple of his non-fiction books (if indeed that is a proper description for them) and tend to agree with what someone said about him: He never met a weapons system he didn't like. He is very rah-rah America-can-do-no-wrong in his outlook. If you find any of that your treat, you will probably love him.

    I think a lot of people read him just for entertainment value, and they may know what they are doing, the same way I read Robert B. Parker. We know that is not reality, but it's kind of fun anyway. The thing that might make me uneasy about him is the number of people who seem to take his perceptions as expressed in his writing as the reality.

    [M Emrys]

  9. DoA - Extra weapons

    CK: Well, you could stick a few [GAU-8] into a zeppelin and even use them as manouvering thrusters. That'd be really quite cool. Ooh, a WW1 puff the magic dragon gunship, but filled with hydrogen.
     
    OK, who knows how to hack DOA??
     
    JJS:ROFL! I like the way you think!
    Crumbs, can you imagine the faces of the SPAD drivers after they'd climbed up to 12000ft?
     
    FLIGHT LEADER: Right chaps, break to attack, starboard side, third segment, thirty second line-astern stream. All the incendiary you've got.
    [music swells as SPADs peel off and round on the lumbering Zeppelin]
    [cut to manic grin of flight leader as he squints down his gunsight]
    [Cut to nonchalant Zep gunner, laughing]
    [Cut back to manic flight leader]
    [cut to wider shot as his SPAD disintegrates, shredded into confetti by the GAU]
    [cut to MCU flight leader]
    FLIGHT LEADER: (TO CAM)
    Merde.
    [a short pause, then he plummets earthwards]

  10. DoA - Afterburners

    RPG: I still think poking a hole in one end of the Zep and igniting the escaping H2 (hmm, might need to mix w/ O2) would make a cool afterburner. For emergency use only.
     
    JJS:
     
    FLIGHT LEADER: Right chaps, break to attack, aft segment, thirty second line-astern stream. All the incendiary you've got.
    [music swells as SPADs peel off and round on the lumbering Zeppelin]
    [cut to manic grin of flight leader as he squints down his gunsight]
    [Cut to nonchalant Zep pilot, laughing]
    [Cut back to manic flight leader]
    [Cut to Zep pilot as he pulls a lever. Reveal small rubber bung yanked out of tail section of Zep; Heath-Robinson contraption of levers moves lit candle up to hole]
    [Cut back to manic flight leader]
    FLIGHT LEADER: Uh-oh...
    [Flight leader's SPAD caught in immense fireball, burnt to cinder within seconds. Cut tight to Flight Leader's charred face]
    FLIGHT LEADER: (TO CAM) Merde.
    [a short pause, then he plummets earthwards. In the background, the Zep is performing a burner-augmented zoom climb, barrel-rolling in victory]

  11. Friendly Fire - which ones are our friends?

    If you're American, remember that anyone with their back to you is probably on your side, unless you've managed to persuade Turkey to allow access. Your allies generally sport bright fluorescent orange markings and national insignia. Your enemies tend to hide behind the skirts of women and children, wear turbans, and do not shave for months on end.

    The crew of a Tornado with stations empty, and Weaps pouring tea from a Thermos, is unlikely to be hostile, until you shoot at him.

    To date, your enemies do not use NATO vehicles. This may change.

    If all else fails, remember that the bad guys are generally the ones pointing their guns towards you.

  13. Basic Orientation

    The green/yellow bit is the ground. The blue bit is the sky. Sky is 'up'.  [JS]

  14. Basic Orientation - 2

    Crashing is an acceptable part of simming. It saves you from all that annoying jumping out of your aircraft and hanging around on a parachute (there are exceptions). The manouvre must, however, be performed with a certain amount of panache, as demonstrated.  [CK]

  17. Fly 'em low

    Any RVAF officer found flying above treetop height will be summarily shot down.  [JS]

    • 17.1 Treetop height is defined as the height of trees, except in the non-3DFX-accelerated Hornet 3:Korea environment, where a closer approximation is at the junction of the trunk and the foliage.  [JS]

    • 17.2 In the absence of trees, any height low enough to produce a '0' readout on the altimeter will be considered 'low'.  [HdJ]

  18. Buccaneers

    Q: Is it true that a Buccaneer once took out a US Carrier in a NATO exercise?
    A: Yes. HTH, HAND.

  19. US Navy

    The DOD has spent billions at coming up with the combination of SSN's, Aegis Platforms, CIWS, Sat Intel, NAVCAP, Point Defense and EW to offset the threat of that Buccaneer to our Carrier Battle Groups.  [Adm. Surfer, USN]

  20. Buccaneers - 2

    Should you wish to acquire a Buccaneer, or perhaps a nice shelving system, please visit http://www.mod.uk/index.php3 [external link]
    Sale of complete Buccaneers, or parts thereof, to US nationals is prohibited.  [CK]

  28. Off-topic posts

    Any off-topic posting is acceptable as long as it's funny (concept of 'funny' to be defined elsewhere).  [HdJ]
     [Editor's note: there has been a 'Funny Judge' for a while (CJ) but he's been off the map recently]

  29. Off-topic posts II

    Members of the froup should make at least a cursory attempt to steer offtopic threads back towards flight sims, or flight related topics. It is acceptable to have this attempt take the form of merely thinking about it.  [CK]

  35. Holy Wars  [RPG]

    1.     Matters of fact are irrelevant in a holy war.
    2.     The Phantom is NOT a fighter. (see (i) above)

  36. Can an F22 fly lower than a Tornado?

    Yes. See http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/crashes2/movies/f22_pio.mpg [external link], and compare with http://www.xv.flyer.co.uk/AV/GR1Gulf.mov.
     [some pedants may dispute the classification of the F22's manouevre as 'flying', but seeing as the Merkins can't even choose a leader without making a hash of it, they need all the help they can get - Ed]

  37. MRCA

    The Tornado is NOT a fighter.

  38. Is too.

  39. Is not.

  40. Is too.

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