Hi everyone!

We are busy with F/A-18C, which is incredibly complex, but at the same time F-4E is still having some love.

Here is development progress of F-4E since our last update:

First of all F-4E made its "maiden flight" with its test bed flight model
VOR/ILS AN/ARN-127 system created;
IMU Internal Measurement Unit created and Gyroscope added to it;
LORAN receiver coding in process;
Auxiliary Digital Display Indicator added;
Digital Display Indicator added;
Work on DMAS started its complex system and its starting to appear piece by piece.


Mi-24P update:

3D model is not at the state when we are ready to flash it to tease you yet.
We've finished modelling of hover, takeoff and general performance in the air of this helicopter.
Currently team is working on Mi-24P crew AI. Mi-24P crew AI will be available as pilot or as gunner.
We are aiming to implement control over AI functionality with help of AI GUI which will allow you to use only 4 buttons to give AI specific commands regarding:
Heading
Speed
ALtitude
Maneuvers
Hover menu
Target choice
Also we are working on AI crew targets detection logic. It will not be just all-seeing AI copilot/gunner, as you can see on pics below, AI behaviour will not be simplistic and during spotting its being modelled to mimic real pilots training logic for spotting targets. Things like distance, angle and illumination will be taken into account among many others.

Mira napsal:

Pokud vím žádná střela nemá IFF, to je součástí palubních systémů dotyčného letounu. V BMS jsem zažil že i AMRAAM si po přepnutí do MPRF režimu vybral v chumlu letadel pro něj nejvýhodnější cíl, bohužel friendly. A jak se mi to povedl tenhle vlastní sestřel? To by mně taky zajímalo ? Nevím, jak se můžu připlést do cesty střele, kterou jsem sam vypalil..Ale řešení je jednoduché. Prachsprostý lag ve spojení s ne zrovna super netkodem, kdy jsem byl po odpalu warpnut o kus dopředu tak rychle, že jsem předběhl i tu R73 a ta místo Mirage na kterou byla vypalena trefila mne. To se to pak válčí v MP, když si nemůžete být jistí ani vlastní zbraní

As a Holiday "bonus", check out these shots from my Aggressor Training against the vanilla F-14. I even had a former TOPGUN student instructing me throughout!

Viggenites!

We're kicking off 2018 with some thunder and lightning!
We've spent some time working on quality of life features pertaining to the data cartridge system, mission planning and have fixed some longstanding visual issues.

As mentioned in our update, 2018 will together with the Tomcat be the "year of content" for the Viggen, which includes additions such as the J-35 Draken, two free Caucasus based campaigns, many new liveries, a complete exterior sound overhaul and more. The ultimate goal in the medium term is to mature the Viggen, consider it feature complete and major bug free and "release" it out of Beta status.

We're also currently working with Eagle Dynamics to provide an update to the BK90 cluster bomb dispenser.
Our current implementation for this particular weapon is a complex concoction of workarounds. With a future update, the BK-90 will work exactly as intended and have parity in both SP and MP.

Thanks for your support and for your warm Viggen recommendations we've been seeing. We really appreciate it!
We hope you're all enjoying your time hauling ass and practicing your future Forrestal and Kuznetsov attack runs.

Here's the latest:

DCS AJS-37 Viggen changelog

New feature! auto-generated data cartridge. Choosable in the kneeboard (# 6)
The Auto-generated data cartridge is a cartridge with five pre-programmed waypoints, where the third waypoint will be located on the first expected enemy units. This waypoint will take into account projected target movement and if you follow Time on Target cues, you will intercept your target. ** This is a work in progress feature **

* You can now load a data-cartridge file stored in the saved games-folder without respawning.

* New Export of ELINT-analysis data to Saved games-folder added! It will be located in the %SAVED_GAMES%/DCS_AJS37/ELINTData.info file

* Added new JA-37 “Akktu Stakki” Livery by Magnus Almgren
https://imgur.com/a/FiYYE

* Fixed FORMLJUS not illuminating tail with deferred rendering on
* Fixed fuselage FORMLJUS (slimelights) not appearing with deferred rendering on
* Corrected landing light sprite movement
* Landing light distance and attenuation reworked for deferred rendering
* Landing light will no longer illuminate the cockpit
* Landing light will now follow nosewheel strut rotation.
* Wing nav/formation lights will now cast dynamic lighting

* Fixed static airfield AJS-37 missing canopy & ejection seat issue.
* Adjusted PBR materials for new tonemapper gamma
* Fixed missing Bare Metal livery due to errant commit
* Fixed missing ordinance icons
* Fixed duplicate material name of canopy glass & rocket pod (Thanks Home Fries!)
* Replaced default Viggen briefing UI image
* Corrected AKAN Gunpod size

* Fix to RWR showing ghost signals
* Fixes to Time On Target calculation accuracy
* Fix to second BK90 MJ1 not releasing
* Fix to Glideslope indication issues.
* Fix to inaccurate DYK and NAV - bombing
* Fix to Maverick-sight going off target
* Fix to Easter egg triggering erroneously. (or, rather, in common flight parameters)
* Fixed Lysbomb not releasing and FÄLLD LAST light not activating
* Various Fixes to U22 and U22/A pods
* Fixed B9 breakpoint not getting stored from ME
* Updated CN localization
* Fixed a CTD caused by the RWR
* Updated cockpit shader material defs for appropriate brightness
* Adjusted TILS touchdown position


Thanks,
The Heatblur Viggen team

Our Development Plan in 2018
Happy New Year, everyone!

Since the announcement of the DCS: JF-17, all our developers have been very pleased with the DCS community’s attention and enthusiasm. We are thrilled to be given such recognition in our work. We will be pushing ourselves forward in the following year and many more to come.

With the growing numbers of the DCS third party teams, they've brought various aircrafts to the player. As for us, a very new addition to the DCS world, a lot of pressure have been brought to us in order to keep up with the quality levels of those well reputed teams. We, as well as many players, have experienced that with some products, the sky is the limit. We look forward to investing all that we can to bring you the best products we can offer. For the DCS: JF-17 project, we are proud to announce that the external model has been finished, and we are very satisfied with the accuracy of the model.

The development process was able to run smoothly by the following reasons:
1. During that period, our external modeler was not technically married to his current wife.
2. Chinese Aviation Museum located in Beijing, China, currently has an FC-1 on display.
3. Long live the friendship between China and Pakistan.
4. Our photographer friends generously provided us with hundreds of gigabytes of JF-17 photos for our reference.

Unfortunately, our cockpit modeler doesn’t have the same kind of luck. There isn’t much document or photos for cockpit reference at the very beginning, especially for: control panel, ejection seat, control stick, sizes and positions of cockpit devices. The outcome from different production batches of the real aircrafts did not help with our modeling process either. Aircrafts of different batches and different tail numbers were of slightly off from each other. However, we still believe that with a little harder work and dedication we will be able to finish the cockpit model with our current documents. During the early stage of development, there were some “errors” in tiny details that we believe no one would notice, but we insisted on correcting them when documents became available to us. However, the perfectionism has costed us much more time and workload.

Next, let’s talk about the simulation. Since JF-17 is a multi-role fighter aircraft, it equipped with a KLJ-7 multi-function radar. It is a small but still capable radar, with 7 different A2A modes: RWS, TWS, VS, ACM, SAM, STT and DTT, as well as several A2S modes, such as AGR, MAP, BCN, GMTI, SEA1, SEA2, TA, and WA. Currently, we've finished targets detection, track and lock in A2A and A2G modes. Our next work will focus on drawing interface and implement related HOTAS logic for those radar modes, as well as the transition between those modes under different conditions. In conclusion, this “tiny” (less than 120 kg) X band multi-function Doppler fire control radar will cost us great amount of work. The work is well worthy, since it is the handful multi-function radar in DCS: World.

After radar, let’s discuss about another highlight part of JF-17: it’s digital/mechanical hybrid flight control system. This system can not only act as a safeguard for the rookies, but also can make sure the experienced pilots focus on his battle. It can change its control law based on different stages of the flight such as takeoff/landing, combat and A2A/A2G missions. We demonstrated some features of the flight control system last year and we already finished most working modes in DFCS (digital flight control system). After DFCS, we will start working on EFCS (Emergency Flight Control System). As a backup for the DFCS, EFCS will take over DFCS’s job when DFCS has malfunctions. Of course, you’d better RTB immediately when you have to use EFCS. Another important part of the simulation is the flight performance, such as aerodynamic characteristics, center of gravity characteristics, weight characteristics and thrust characteristics. Currently we are working on matching excessive thrust characteristics (Thrust minus drag) with document under standard configuration of the aircraft. RD-93 is a Russian made turbofan afterburner engine, we get it’s thrust data from our Pakistan friend. But if we want to calculate its thrust when its installed on the aircraft, we must consider total pressure distortion and dynamic distortion of the inlet, suction of the boundary layer, thrust loss due to nozzle malfunction, power extraction to generators and bleed air system, etc. We are performing calculation under these conditions, our simulations of the remaining thrust characteristics in different height with half fuel, clean loadout is accurate. Next, we’ll working on calculate aircraft’s drag in different loadout. We will consider the drag change when a same loadout mounted on different load points, and aerodynamic interference between different loadouts, etc.

Regarding the sub-system of the aircraft, I want to start with the damage model. We already finish the damage part subdivision and the test of the damage determination. DCS: JF-17 has 66 different damageable parts and each part has its damage effect related to aircraft aerodynamics, equipment and systems. this will depend on what equipment/systems are located on the damaged part, and depend on what equipment/systems are connected to the equipment/systems on the damaged part. Here is a very simple example, when the main landing gear bay is damaged, not only the hydraulic and pneumatic devices will be affected, landing gear’s position sensor and the main gear’s load sensor may also malfunction. Thus, DFCS’s approaching control law may not be activated, which leads to a different landing control characteristic compared to a normal landing.

This refined pattern of damage model involves every piece of equipment on the aircraft, and for our avionics, all of the subsystems must be completed and associated. For a fully functional modern multi-purpose fighter, the workload is tremendous, but for our leader of the avionics group, who is physically in China while works in US time zone, this is not a problem.

Before the last, I want to talk about China Asset Pack. The original intention of the China Asset Pack is actually very simple, not only the welfare for Chinese players, but also for world-wide players. We therefore adhere to a simple principle: an addon free of charge. But free does not mean shoddy - our members kept on improving and testing the China Asset Pack during the national holidays, giving up personal vacations and running out of many bottles of hair growth shampoo.

Currently we are aiming to fully dedicate our effort in the JF-17 project, therefore the updates for the China Asset Pack will slow down. However, we are pleased to see several community members volunteering to contribute to the China Asset Pack. In the near future, we plan to release the KJ-2000 AWACS AI based on the A50 provided by ED, and KJ-200 AWACS AI developed by Zeyuan Fan. We hope to see their efforts will bring more Chinese units to DCS World.

Lastly, we greatly appreciate all your attentions and support for our projects. Although we are not able to provide frequent updates, our work never stops. DCS: JF-17 project has been undertaking smoothly as planned. We welcome our supporters to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Weibo, and Bilibili for our official news and updates. Please be aware that these are our only official channels.

We hope to bring you the best of our work in 2018!

magot napsal:


Btw by mě zajímalo kde berou u JF-17 k tomu KLJ-7 multi-function radaru informace ..