Vonrd

Merry Christmas HL! And to all creatures, Great and Small...

If only we could have the content with the present day graphics. It is what it is and Be Here Now

Yeah, I understand the "Sad" reaction but these were requested by Flyboy and others.

Depicting a Junkers Ju 88A6 of 8.KG78, F1+GS, France, summer 1943 with remains of temporary black undersurfaces and swastika overpainted black. (Therefore no need for two skins). You will need WW2 Assets Pack. Place the two skin folders in X:\Users\XXX\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Liveries\Ju-88A4. You probably don't have a Ju-88A4 folder. Just create one and name it just as shown here. Many thanks to Warlord64 for his excellent template. Link: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3313581/

Thanks for the help @Klaiber! Depicting a Junkers Ju 88A-14 operating with the Stabstaffel St.G 77 in the spring of 1943 in Kalinowka, Poland. Includes one skin with and one without swastika. You will need WW2 Assets Pack. Place the two skin folders in X:\Users\XXX\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Liveries\Ju-88A4. You probably don't have a Ju-88A4 folder. Just create one and name it just as shown here. Many thanks to Warlord64 for his excellent template. Link: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3313581/ and to JG1_Klaiber for his very helpful research. A link to his post: https://forum.jg1.org/topic/10866-ju-88-of-stab-stg77/#comment-86778 Note the Schwartzkopf heraldic badge alongside the death's hand emblem, also more clearly visible in the pictures below. This emblem was designed to honour an earlier Geschwaderkommodore, Oberst Günther Schwartzkopf, who was killed during the Westfeldzug. The Stabsstaffel StG 77 operated both the Bf 110 and the Ju 88 A-4. The Totenhand emblem has previously and mistakenly been attributed to the Stab. NAG 1. The photo shown was taken during the time that StG 77 and StG 2 were being reorganized, both operated the Bf 110 and Ju88A. Both units had about 12 Ju 88 A-4s. According to unit strength records from May 21, 1943 both units were disbanded and their crews reassigned to bomber groups. LINK: TBD

Candy Apple F-5 skins for practice visibility testing / training. F-5E.zip

Great stuff as always. Thanks!

Anyone have any idea what this says? Accorcing to what I've been able to find: "This emblem, the Schwartzkopf heraldic badge alongside the death's hand emblem, was designed to honor an earlier Geschwaderkommodore, Oberst Günther Schwartzkopf, who was killed during the Westfeldzug."

That's actually a thing. Often specified in the Maint. Manual. I don't know anyone who's actually stood there for an hour counting drips however...

This is old but still good: Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas’ pilots (marked with a (P); and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers. ———————————————————————- P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement. S: Almost replaced left inside main tire. P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough. S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft. P: Something loose in cockpit. S: Something tightened in cockpit. P: Dead bugs on windshield. S: Live bugs on back-order. P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent. S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground. P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. S: Evidence removed. P: DME volume unbelievably loud. S: DME volume set to more believable level. P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. S: That’s what they’re for. P: IFF inoperative. S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. P: Suspected crack in windshield. S: Suspect you’re right. P: Number 3 engine missing. S: Engine found on right wing after brief search. P: Aircraft handles funny. S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious. P: Target radar hums. S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics. P: Mouse in cockpit. S: Cat installed. And the best one for last … P: Noise coming from under instrument panel, sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. S: Took hammer away from midget.

After setting things up in DCS with advise from @Mouce and @Flyboy on Wednesday I was pretty happy with the spotting but didn't like the oversaturation, especially in the cockpit. The radar screen in the MiG-21 was way too saturated red to where I couldn't see the lines / pips. After messing around for a couple hours tonight I wound up with this FrankenHell. I'm going back to my original settings until I can overcome my aggravation. With all the talk of "Advanced" AI like chatgpt, I hope that it will evolve to the point of me just saying... "Siri, adjust settings for best long range spotting" or "Siri, give me best close-in identification" or "Siri, give me best graphics and spotting be damned" OK, rant concluded.

Holy Crap! That's a lotta satellites! (all the white dots are sats... right?). Looks like a snowglobe.

Our poor dogs have to put up with Karin's annual Christmas costumes. At least they get treats afterward. Bean is the little black and white, Maggie is the larger brown and white.

No comment

Candy Apple MiG-19 skins for practice visibility testing. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7ognjxfnjrlebp2ug59uj/MiG-19P.zip?rlkey=3ok4bqjt753pogztq24nltkok&dl=0

Agreed, the video doesn't look like satellites. Just responding to you friend in Japan's speculation about Musk's Starlink. Would that not be the correct time and bearing (looking east) for whatever it is to be reflecting sunlight? I'm not doubting you at all. I would really like to see something like that myself.

Would that be the correct position for satellites to reflect the sun? What time was it?

Starlink satellites images. Maybe atmospheric lensing gives the illusion of movement? (I'm still hoping for actual E.T.s)

There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy

Depicting a Junkers Ju 88A4 of Stab. II./KG 77, 3Z+AC, Pilot Heinrich Paepcke, Sicily, October 1942 You will need WW2 Assets Pack. Place the two skin folders in X:\Users\XXX\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Liveries\Ju-88A4. You probably don't have a Ju-88A4 folder. Just create one and name it just as shown here. Many thanks to Warlord64 for his excellent template. Link: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3313581/ Based on a model by Hoss WA. Link: https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/p/191445/2206341.aspx II.KG77 took part in the Siege of Malta. Hauptmann Heinrich Paepcke commanded II.Gruppe during this period up to his loss with his crew on 17th October 1942 over Malta, during one of the most intense aerial battles in history. Over this period KG77 perfected close ground support and anti-shipping tactics, and developed shape disrupting camouflage as seen on this aircraft. The blue upper surface blotches (on sand + RLM70&71 splinter) are to disrupt the shape of the aircraft against coastline etc to make them harder targets for AAA and enemy fighters at low altitude. KG77 also supported the AfrikaKorps including the Second Battle of El Alamein, and resisted the Allied invasion of Sicily, probably destroying the U.S. Liberty ship SS Robert Rowan on 11 July.

Still waiting...

The beginnings of "Skyhook"... amazing what people are willing to try. Hey, hold my beer...

And here's the second one: Junkers Ju 88A4 of 4.KG54, B3+AM Catania, Sicily 1943. I cheated somewhat and used the default Ju 88 skin for the weaving paint on the undersides. This aircraft actually had more uniform "squiggles" but I just didn't want to spend the time on an AI only skin. KG 54 'Totenkopf', the 'Dead's head' was based in Bergamp, Italy in September 1943. The unit operated over the Sicily/Salerno beachheads. The painted green and white stripes over the original Mediterranean two-tone camouflage on the upper surfaces gives very specific appearance [easy ident over beachhead]. This painting scheme was named 'Wellenmuster'. Link: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3334469/

A couple of Ju-88a4 skins... Depicting a Junkers Ju 88A14 of 1.KG77 3Z+DH flown by Johannes Geismann Sicily,1942. Included are one skin with and one without swastika. I'm hoping to see some torpedo attack missions. Johannes Geismann, (DOB: June 6, 1920 in Hattingen/Ruhr). (R, DKG). November 15, 1939 volunteered for the Luftwaffe and began training with Fl.Ausb.Rgt. 63. (n.d.) received further training with FFS A/B Marienbad, then with FFS C 1, then BFS 1 and Grosse KFS 1. Summer 1941 trf to 1./KGr. 606. 19.01.42 Lt., KGr. 606 WIA - Ju 88 A-4 crashed 9 km W of Corigliane as a result of motor trouble. 10.08.42 Lt., awarded Ehrenpokal. 08.42 appt Staka 1./KG 77. 01.09.42 trf to I./KG 77 when his unit was renamed. 27.10.42 Lt., awarded DKG, 1./KGr. 606. 12.11.42 claimed to have sunk a passenger ship of about 20,000 GRT, possibly the Awatea (13,482 GRT) or the Cathay (15,225 GRT). 21.12.42 Lt., 1./KG 77, awarded Ritterkreuz for sinking 98,000 GRT of enemy shipping, mostly in the Mediterranean. 01.04.43 in KG 77, promo to Oblt. 06.43 returned to Germany to train on torpedos. 11.43 Oblt., appt Staka 10./KG 77 (to 07.44). 03.44 flew some torpedo missions in the Mediterranean. 08.44 retrained on fighters. 01.10.44 promo to Hptm. c.11.44 converted to night fighters and assigned to IV./NJG 1. 05.45 was a Staka in IV./NJG 1. 30.09.79 retired from the Bundeswehr as an Oberst i.G. †15.08.94 in Aurich. Credited with sinking more than 71,000 GRT of shipping. Link: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3334470/