Boom

Agree. Would be wonderful to see vessels of all sizes initiating evasive manoeuvers under attack.

Great cast, but the movie (to me) was underwhelming.

A greatly underrated comedy. Such a bummer it was ended after only two seasons.

Exciting news.

Fantastic photo's guys. Please keep them coming.

Excellent video of a beautifully designed carrier fighter. Thanks for posting Trooper. This link details the actual history of Zero A III 29. https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/6544.html The original Type 21 engine was a Sakae-12, developing 950hp on takeoff, dry weight 590kg. I wonder what effect the fitting of the P&W R-1830-75 (developing 1350hp ontake off, dry weight 666kg) to the reconstructed Zero featured above had on it's performance? Faster? Better climb? More fuel usage?

That is a really excellent question Sobilak. Right to the heart of the matter. What is the most important aspect for the longterm development and playability of the Sim? One off 'eye candy' battles? Or a realistic campaign mode developed and refined over time? Hopefully the developers have the second in the forefront of their minds. In saying that it would make sense to launch with Midway, marketing wise. After all just about anybody who has an interest in this combat sims knows of it. But as this is a Pacific Theatre sim it cannot stand on Midway alone. A full campaign mode has to be developed in conjunction with Midway, so that after initial release it too can roll out. The burning question is how will the developers achieve this. Will the Midway release also include Coral Sea and the early carrier raids of '42? So the Midway battle is the culmination? That would make a good campaign. Or will 'Combat Pilot' be a release of stand-alone Module campaigns bought by the player as add-ons; eg Midway first, perhaps Gualadcanal next, followed by New Guinea and so on. It'll be interesting to see how the game develops in the year ahead. Only time will tell.

Yep, it's a monster.

Other than the bombing of Darwin in '42-'43, and B-29 bomber campaign against Japan in late '44-'45, the Pacific air campaign is tactical. Both on land and at sea. So for me the primary factor(has to be within the top 3 game considerations) is for very detailed ground objects, AAA, airfields and landscapes. And yes, ground objects must include ships down to the barges the Japanese used for landings troops and transport in Malaya, New Guinea, DEI, Philippines etc. I want to be able to attend the mission briefing, and then fly out and actually see and recognise the target object from 8,000 to 10,000ft; the usual mission altitude. In the face of strong AAA, especially later in the war eg 1943 onwards. Air combat is fun, and a integral part of any flight sim. Gaining air superiority was a key factor for all belligerents in the various stages of the war. But only as a means to an end e.g. for the Japanese in their bombing attacks on Malaya, DEI, Philippines, New Guinea and Guadalcanal; and later for the US in their fight back in the Solomons, New Guinea, and the Island hopping campaign. The bulk of missions flown, both land-based and naval, involved strike missions. That is Mid and low-level bombing, strafing, and ground attack whether that be airfields, islands or shipping. That, to me, should be the main focus of the Sim. That is realism.

I know it's very early stages in the development of this sim, but when it comes to skinning aircraft I sure hope the developers use Michael Claringboud's superb "Pacific Profiles" series of books as THE guide. The accuracy in this series (now 15 volumes) is unsurpassed.

Oh they look really good! 😄

Hunting B-29's in Rowan's classic MiG Alley. Graphics are awful compared to today's offerings, but the FM is superb.

I'm a fan of Hugh Laurie too. He is a very polished, and versatile, actor.

Oh dear, that's embrassing!

I really don't care how long it takes. Progress is being made, irrespective of the pace. For that I am grateful.

On the Forums main page, next to each of the subheadings, there is a top down plan image of an aircraft. Can you guess'em? Mine are: F4F - The Rules A6M - FAQ F6F - Announcements D3A - Intro SB2C - General SB2C - Wishlist B5N - Iron Bottom F4U - Joysticks G4M - Virtual Reality TBF - Comp Hardware TBF - Free Subject Yeah, I know. I'm bored.

Excellent video Plurp posted. Robert Taylor sure got a lot of work from both the USN and USAAC for film voiceovers.

Luv the look of the 1.1 inch/75 cal 'piano'. Would be a real buzz to be able to shoot it in game!

Oh yeah!!

Yeah, it's a shame to see Jason Statham being locked into mindless action movies. He has so much more to offer eg Snatch; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Killer Elite; Operation Fortune, to name just a few. One of my favourites is the role Statham played in Spy (2015). Surprisingly comedic as the macho, hyped-up superspy caricature who turns out to be a loud-mouth bumbling clutz. Every apperance had me laughing. Saved an otherwise dull movie.

New book soon to be released, covering the Central Pacific Carrier campaign. Should be great for developing historical carrier missions.

I'm guessing the crew back in those days were quite a bit slimmer than now. And fitter.

A couple of movies that Ernst Udet actually acted in (lines and all) in the early '30's. Of course he played the hero pilot. Storm Over Mont Blanc; and The White Hell Of Pitz Palu

Yeah, it's a fun movie.

Shock and horror!! Sand Pebbles is indeed a very good movie. But In Harms Way is a classic in so many ways. It's easily one of John Wayne's best movies, he really acts in this one. And it has a stellar supporting cast. Most importantly, for me, is the story. Other than the climatic battle at the end, there's little in the way of action. Instead it shows a more true version of war, ie people going about their business in the backwaters of the war. Very refreshing.