QUESTION: What was the first combat aircraft...

[TEShaw]

...modeled in a commercially offered computer flight simulator?

And, wasn't that the first publicly available computer airplane armed with weapons?

That would have been Microsoft Flight Simulator circa 1985-ish, wouldn't it?

And just what airplane was that?

So, if you're asking what brought us all to Aces High here and now... just what computer airplane was that?*

(Someone mentioned Derek Robinson's "Goshawk Squadron", a book I recommend as well; but, if you want to read real non-fiction memoirs [amazing ones], find "The Wind in the Wires" [Sounds like a play on "The Wind in the Willows"] , and "Bristol Fighter 4615" [I don't exactly remember the four digit number.]) (Who said you can't have three puctuation marks in a row?)

regards, Airman T. E. Shaw, RAF

* use of the term 'cartoon airplane' just demonstrates a lack of imagination

[gyrene81]

...modeled in a commercially offered computer flight simulator?

And, wasn't that the first publicly available computer airplane armed with weapons?

That would have been Microsoft Flight Simulator circa 1985-ish, wouldn't it?

And just what airplane was that?

So, if you're asking what brought us all to Aces High here and now... just what computer airplane was that?*

1982 Microsoft Flight Simulator "dog fighting" with a Sopwith Camel.

Actual first personal computer flight simulator was SubLOGIC FS1 1980 for the AppleII.

[NoBaddy]

Spitfire Ace & Hellcat Ace - 1982 Microprose.

[Harp00n]

F15 Strike Eagle by Sid Meier...played it on a Commodore64 in the early eighties.

[Brooke]

The first home flight sim (I believe) was, as mentioned, subLOGIC's FS1 Flight Simulator in 1980.  In your Sopwith Camel, you could chase around an enemy dot on the screen -- man, I thought it was great!

[SirFrancis]

F15 Strike Eagle by Sid Meier...played it on a Commodore64 in the early eighties.

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  am I that old now? I remember the days very well. I loved my commodore64.

[RipChord929]

For me, I remember a game called "Rickenbacker".. It sat outside a Woolworth store in downtown Tacoma WA...
You know, the kind with the metal stick, single red button, connected mechanically to a toy SPAD, behind a pane of glass... It only moved left or right, and targets popped up mechanically, on a blue sky backbround, with clouds that moved back and forth kinda Jerkily, like a windup toy...

LOL, for most, a little bit before your times, I think... But some might remember those days....

RC

[smokey23]

F15 Strike Eagle by Sid Meier...played it on a Commodore64 in the early eighties.

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Oh man i remember this i played this on my moms hand me down commodore ages ago. God i feel old 

[Becinhu]

Strike Eagle was an excellent game for its time. I remember it well. The C64 was my first "computer". Before that was PONG, Atari 2600, 5200.

[Vulcan]

Anyone remeber playing this

[Brooke]

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Anyone remeber playing this

ABSOLUTELY!  I *loved* that game. 

[Guppy35]

The first home flight sim (I believe) was, as mentioned, subLOGIC's FS1 Flight Simulator in 1980.  In your Sopwith Camel, you could chase around an enemy dot on the screen -- man, I thought it was great!

And the ultimate irony of that game, was it was impossible to get a tail shot.  The only shots you could get were head ons

[dedhero]

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Anyone remeber playing this

Right on, I still have that game. The books are looking a bit tattered but my son and I play regularly. Right now it stands at 243 wins for him to 364 for me muhahaha! Last night he did win all four fights 

Red Baron II, that big sit down arcade game was my addiction back in the 80's. I may have spent more money on that one than all Gauntlet addicts combined 

[TEShaw]

Vulcan, what is that game, or book, or whatever?

I want to get a copy of that in my library for sure.

[Mister Fork]

IMHO, there were a couple of 'bar' setting flight simulators. There were a handful out in the 80's but nothing was really immersive as the following:

1. Chuck Yeagers Air Combat - it included WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  It was hard, exciting, and very cool for it's age. It set the bar for interesting stories with historic engagements, and actually had a very challenging flight and damage model.

2. Red Barron - this game included the ability to customize your own aircraft, update your planes when they historically became available, fly for multiple countries in a semi-dynamic campaign, and get invited to fly with other squads by their historic squad leader.  Nothing has come close IMHO since it's release in immersion and great gameplay. Customizable paint! Come on - that RULED!

3. Su-27 Flanker - it set the bar for realism in any simulator to date. Ultra-realistic weapons and damage models, flight model was close enough that real fighter pilots played the game to see what the Su-27 could do WRT weapons and flight characteristics.