A few more screen shots.
I am getting the hang of operating the various systems while in the full realism mode. Takes some time as there are literally dozens of command functions to put to memory.
I found a few bugs. I limped back to the carrier in a thoroughly trashed A-7A due to a mysterious SAM. I was flying a strike sortie when I was lit up by a SAM radar. I turned on my ECM gear which jammed the radar for a short while. However, the radar will eventually switch frequencies and I'm guessing the ECM doesn't catch up quickly.
Anyway, I see a SAM launch ahead of me, then another and still another SA-2 launch. Since a heavily loaded A-7 cannot maneuver well, I elect to spiral down to 300 feet and bypass the radar by flying between hills. Sure enough, once I get a hill between me and the radar, I break the lock. However, I spot an SA-2 rushing in from behind. I take evasive action, turning perpendicular to the missile, which should have gone ballistic as soon as the lock was broken (these are passive sensing missiles, requiring a reflected radar signal to home). At the last moment I break hard left and climb. The warhead goes off close by and I get an immediate Master Caution light. Fortunately, the aircraft handles well enough, but is slow to respond to roll axis inputs. Satisfied that the A-7 won't fall out of the sky, I continue on to my target, a railroad bridge. I zoom up to 6,000 feet and dive in. I put two 1,000 lb bombs on the bridge, dropping it into the river. Coming off the target I fly weed-high until feet wet. Once well out to sea, I examine the airplane and find that the port-side aileron has been blown off. That'll make it really sluggish on short final when speed is around 120 knots. However, its not dangerously damaged, or so I hope.
Arriving at the Saratoga, I fly the pattern. my first clue that there was trouble was when my tailhook failed to lower... No hook. Ok, there's always alternatives and this one can be overcome by rigging the crash barrier (which is not modeled in the sim). However, When I attempt to lower the landing gear, the port-side main mount will not come down. I cycled the gear several times, but no joy. Well, this rules out a barrier recovery. I am forced to eject.
The first screenies show the launch off of Cat-2 and the condition of the A-7A upon returning to the ship (nice damage modeling). A third screenie shows a VF-103 F-4J during a night-time Mig Cap sortie.
That mystery SA-2 is certainly a bug. If you can break the radar lock, the missile should fly straight off until it runs out of fuel, or until another radar lock is obtained.
This is a fun sim, but that SA-2 radar bug is annoying.
My regards,
Widewing
