Props

I've been pondering moving to the AMD AM5 platform in a new PC build, but then Hardware unboxed just did a vid comparing my 58003XD to the AM5 9700X and the performance was almost identical. My MSI RTX4080 has been outstanding in all my flight sims at high/ultra settings, running cool to boot. So maybe I'll just wait a bit till after release and the reviews are out before heading into a new build just yet. That will give me some time to save up a few bucks for the splurge should I decide to take the plunge.

Back in my IL2 Sturmovik days I used to share my DVD set of Piece of Cake with a flying buddy. He lived a couple of hours from me and whenever we'd visit we would pass it back and forth. The DVD case was pretty torn and tattered the last time I saw it. I wonder if he still has it?

You know you're old when you bend over to adjust your rudder pedals and wonder "What else can I do while I'm down here?"

You young pup😅! Hell I'm pushing 70 and though I don't want to wait to fly my Zero I guess I'll have to, because I want CP to take their time and do it right! But I'm also all for financially supporting the team so Patreon, kickstarter, or pre-sales work for me.

It's also better than both Midway movies by far. Though after reading Shattered Sword and finding out that Fuchida's account is quite flawed Tora! Tora! Tora! is as well, considering when it was made it borrowed heavily from Fuchida's book which at the time was considered almost gospel. Regardless it is extremely well done for it's time.

They also posted system specs on the forum. Glad to see I am still in good shape for the higher end specs, though I don't think I'll shellout the bucks for 64 Gb ram just yet. They also opened pre-orders today. I'm going to ponder that for a few weeks though to see what other previews and possible early reviews have to say.

I couldn't find a good interior shot to confirm my guess. Funny things is I walked the classics line at Oshkosh this year because I love some of these aircraft of that era and even took some great photos, but couldn't always get a good look inside as most are marked Do Not Touch....

I am thinking a Waco Standard Cabin series due to the yoke and windshield bracing.

At first glance I thought it might be a Beech D17 Staggerwing due to the 2 blade prop and the diagonal braces in the windshield, but the instrument panel don't look right and neither do the Yokes. Maybe a Spartan? definitely from the period of swanky business radials.

I've read both of Lundstrom's First Team books a couple of times now and agree that it's pretty much required reading if you want to truly study early WW2 carrier combat. I just finished John Bruning's 53 Days on Starvation Island about the early days of Guadalcanal focusing on the Marine aviators like Marion Carl, John l. Smith, and Dick Mangrum and the sheer hell those outfits went through at the 'Canal. Highly recommend this one too.

Uh, technically Lexington was CV-2 and not an Essex class carrier, and she did sink at Coral Sea. This photo is the explosion that occurred sometime later after the IJN attack. They thought the damage was under control and they were making way, but aviation fuel fumes had built up below deck in the interior and ignited spectacularly, then setting off a bunch of secondary blasts and fires that doomed the ship. CV-16 USS Lexington, the Essex class replacement was commissioned 17 Feb. 1943. Just noting. Explosions like this would be awesome in sim, but like Boo pointed out I have to wonder how much PC power would be needed to give us this kind of ka-blooey.

Whoa guys, we are off topic here as this Developers Diary was initially about engine failures and such. Maybe a new topic around spotting would be a more appropriate setting for this discussion.

This discussion is kind of a moot point. We all want to express our opinions about what we would like to see happen with this sim and that's normal. I am sure Jason and his team are going to provide plenty of options for all levels of experience, including things like icons, etc. I apologize if I sounded like I was coming down hard on anyone who wants to see things like icons, technochats and such. That was unfair of me. Frankly those options will be up to the folks who decide to build any MP servers that will be available once the sim is ready and released to the public so I think everyone will get to play as they like. I guess I was speaking to the folks that might build those servers and that is obviously a long way off, so we'll see what shakes out when that time comes. I think we all have to keep in mind that MP is actually a small niche within the flight sim world, inhabited by the more hardcore pilots like myself, and that SP is a much larger segment. Once again I am sure that there will be plenty of options available for all players and their particular level of experience and expectations. And actually Yeager and a few others were known to ID from even greater distances than that and you're right we don't have that ability on modern PC equipment (as I noted above). I know some friends who can do it at 5 miles easily in VR, and I usually can't, but I get by all the same. The Unreal engine might provide some better spotting, we'll see. No need to get hot under the collar until we get this sim in our hands and try it out for ourselves.

Well during my 20+ years of combat flight simming I for one have never used Icons, HUDs, technochats, etc. I have only flown WW2 sims (with the exception of MSFS and X-plane when I want to fly GA where I do not use Icons, etc. either) and those real pilots from those days did not have those options so why should I? From CRTs through to my 32" IPS 1440p monitor today, I do like they did. I see the dot in the distance, I approach trying to setup a good interception with advantage and ID the bogie when we get close enough. Sure there are limitations to the PC technologies we have to work with, but no icons give you a sense of the Fog of War. In SP and less hardcore MP servers that's fine for new pilots and I have no problems with that. I just hope we get some full real hardcore servers from good folks that cater to all us old salts who prefer it difficult and as real as possible, from engine management to aircraft ID.

Excellent work! The Big E is looking fantastic (my personal favorite carrier considering it's outstanding career), but I know I'll probably be flying mostly in a Zero from the IJN decks so the the Akagi is also beautiful. Great survey! Make it as real as possible keeping in mind that this is a sim and some players, even some seasoned players, don't handle engine management well. Personally I want to hear some detonation when I don't manage my mixture well, feel the engine running rough when things are going south, etc., but also bear in mind that some of these big radials kept running even when they had a cylinder shot out albeit rather shakily:-). It would be interesting to have to babysit a F4F's radial while trying to get back to the fleet. I trust you guys will do you best to make this as good as possible with options as needed for all levels of experience.