Community A-4E-C v2.0.0-beta-5.1

Hello everyone. This beta version is a hotfix for the engine sounds for some DCS modules being overwritten by A-4E sounds. Please check the v2.0.0-beta-5 changelog for the full list of changes in beta-5.

Version 2.0.0-beta-5.1 - 30 May 2021

This is a hotfix for the engine sounds for some DCS modules being overwritten by A-4E sounds. Please check the changelog for 2.0.0-beta-5.

Added

• TACAN and MCL training mission

Fixed

• Engine sounds for some DCS modules being overwritten by A-4E sounds

This is a hotfix for the engine sounds for some DCS modules being overwritten by A-4E sounds. Please check the changelog for 2.0.0-beta-5.

Community A-4E-C v2.0.0-beta-5

Hello everyone. This is a beta release for testing only. It is expected to have bugs. This is the fifth beta release for the EFM. Included is a hefty changelog, including some long requested features like full TACAN and MCL (ICLS) support, cosmetic improvements in and outside the cockpit and the first iteration of the exterior sound scheme. There are also many quality of life changes and fixes be sure to read the changelog below to see all the items included in this update.

Version 2.0.0-beta-5 - 29 May 2021

You must delete and rebind all your keys if NOT updating from beta-4

See readme for instructions.

Added

• Manual Carrier Landing (MCL/ICLS) system and its bit test

• TACAN for moving objects (tankers and ships) and portable TACAN stations

• Note for TACAN and MCL (ICLS): The method used relies on the mission file. This means for a TACAN or MCL to be detected the unit (or unit with the same unit name) must exist in the mission file. Replacement objects can be spawned in to replace dead units, however: they must have a name which contains the original name to be correctly found by the TACAN and MCL system. This method should work 99% of the time with regular missions. However, if you run into trouble it is worth checking the following conditions:

  • Unit with TACAN/MCL exists in the mission file (placed in editor)
  • Equivalent unit with a name which contains the original name of the unit placed in the editor
  • Unit does not share a channel regardless of X or Y band

• Quick Start Missions:

  • Adverse weather carrier landing
  • Carrier landing
  • Bomb trucking
  • Aerial Refueling

• 3d Model:

  • Added MCL Panel
  • Added Misc Switches Panel
  • Implemented AFCS Test panel switches

• Textures:

  • Individualised Pilot appearances
  • Damage textures
  • Cockpit normal maps
  • Retouched cockpit interior
  • Countermeasures dispensers

• Sounds:

  • Wing stress
  • External engine sounds
  • Wind rushing sound

• Air data computer AXC-666 for AN/ASN-41 and CP-741/A, no external functionality but lays some ground work for more realistic simulation

• AN/ASN-41 Integrator:

  • Now integrates from starting position functioning correctly
  • Integration happens in D1 and D2 only, set to D1 or D2 to have the correct position. Switching to STBY will pause the integration
  • APN-153 radar is vital to preventing drift
  • Minor errors are introduced for sensors producing drift over time
  • Normal drift is about 2 - 3 nautical miles per hour
  • Drift will increase with lots of maneouvers

• Kneeboard:

  • Startup checklist
  • Taxi checklist
  • Takeoff checklist
  • Emergency procedures
  • Bomb table and CP-741/A procedure
  • Case III landing and APC procedure

• AFCS test (WIP: indicators do not function correctly at the moment)

• Basic wing overstress

• Misc keybinds

• Controls Indicator

• APC Version 2 for EFM

Changed

• Fuel System:

  • New bypass switch will bypass the wing tank in case of wing leak.
  • Flight refuel switch will no longer bypass wing tank, this enables/disables external tank flight refueling.

• Engine damage has now more dynamic effect

• Beta calculated per surface rather than using the overall airframe beta. This fixes some edge of the envelope nastiness

• Rudder pedal animation no longer tied to rudder

• AFCS will not engage with rudder uncentred

• Gunsight colour

• ILS mode on TACAN has been changed to A/A and functions as such

• Slats lift increased slightly

• Increased wing drag onset at > 40 degrees angle of attack

• Textures renamed to be standardised, to prevent all known mod conflicts

• Keybinds recategorised correctly

Deprecated

Removed

Fixed

• M-81 and M-88 bomb negative pylon drag after release from MER/TER rack
• Engine windmilling at low speed
• Airspeed indicator uses calibrated airspeed instead of equivalent airspeed.
• Fuel trans light not displaying when integral wing tank empty
• Wheel animations
• Mid Air refueling not completing with external tanks

Known Issues

• Chocks only partially stop the aircraft (brakes are used as a placeholder)
• Pilot can blackout from cat shot
• Pilot can blackout from rolling too fast
• ASN-41 Navigation Computer - PPOS and Destination knob keybindings do not work (the in-cockpit knobs still work perfectly fine)

You must delete and rebind all your keys if NOT updating from beta-4

See readme for instructions.

Community A-4E-C v2.0.0-beta-4

Hello everyone. This is a beta release for testing only. It is expected to have bugs and not suitable for general use. This is the fourth beta release for the EFM. Included are some quality of life changes, some fixes and a few new things for everyone to play with. See the changes below.

Version 2.0.0-beta-4 - 08 May 2021

You must delete and rebind all your keys after updating to beta-4

See readme for instructions.

Added

• Cockpit engine sounds (preliminary)

• Normal Maps

• Liveries:

  • Community A-4E-C III "Forever Free"
  • Argentine Brigada IV
  • Argentine Brigada V

• Weapon Function Selector: CMPTR Animation position. The CP-741/A is now on this position

• Very basic oxygen system (hypoxia is enabled)

• Keybinds:

  • AFCS
  • TACAN
  • Fuel System
  • Oxygen System
  • Radar Altimeter
  • ECM
  • ARC-51 Radio
  • Gunsight
  • Master test switch
  • Altimiter pressure
  • Missile volume knob
  • ASN-41 Keybinds
  • Weapon Function Selector

Changed

• Textures:

  • Weapon Function Selector labels
  • Canopy Seal
  • Gunsight
  • Roughmets
  • Wheels and gear
  • Engine Exhaust
  • New weathering
  • Cockpit metallic objects for 2.7
  • Cockpit Radar screen for 2.7

• Keybind:

  • "Ship Takeoff Position" changed to "Catapult Hook-Up"
  • Renamed fuel pressurisation

• ASN-41 Navigation Computer:

  • Slew knob can be used to change the destination lat/long in STBY, D1, and D2 modes
  • push-to-set knobs will no longer change lat/long in D1 and D2 modes

• Quickstart missions weather updated for 2.7

• More realistic engine ignitor timing

• Readme: installation and troubleshooting instructions

• Moved keybinds to increase EFM maintainability: this unforuntately destroys all your existing keybinds

• Icons

Deprecated

Removed

• Duplicate multiplayer chat command

Fixed

• Connecting to the SuperCarrier will no longer get stuck
• Empty tanks fueling correctly at tanker
• AFCS to roll out correctly when disabled during heading turn

Known Issues

• Chocks do not stop the aircraft
• Pilot can blackout from cat shot
• Pilot can blackout from rolling too fast
• APC may not respond fast enough
• ASN-41 Navigation Computer - PPOS and Desintation knob keybindings do not work (the in-cockpit knobs still work perfectly fine)

You must delete and rebind all your keys after updating to beta-4

See readme for instructions.

Community A-4E-C v2.0.0-beta-3

Hello everyone. This is a beta release for testing only. It is expected to have bugs and not suitable for general use. This is the third beta release for the EFM. Included are some quality of life changes, some fixes and a few new things for everyone to play with. See the changes below.

Version 2.0.0-beta-3 - 05 April 2021

Warning you will need to delete and rebind your control bindings as described in the installation steps IF you are upgrading from the SFM.

Added

• Sounds

  • New engine igniter sound scheme
  • Huffer airflow valve
  • Fuel sloshing
  • Added touchdown sound

• New fuel system

  • Fuel system simulates all the pumps in the system. This lays the ground work for some interesting failures/damage
  • Negative g effects on fuel flow
  • Zero g effects on fuel flow
  • Boost pump failure effects
  • Engine pump failure effects
  • Wing pump failure effects
  • Emergency transfer simulated
  • Enabled lights for boost and transfer
  • Implemented fuel panel switch functions

• AFCS rolls out when disabling heading mode

• Empty Fuel Tanks

• Sidewinders to outboard stations (thanks to the evidence of VF-45)

• Slats lock toggle keybind (for fomation flying)

• Added Chile to list of Countries.

Changed

• Updated main menu intro sound
• Nosewheel steering range adjusted to match animation
• Standardised liveries lua
• Keyboard: aileron response now resets.
• Sound mixing.

Deprecated

Removed

• Old fuel system

Fixed

• USMC Livery fixes
• Fixed bort numbers on some USMC liveries
• Readme PDF corruption in official build
• Smokewinders
• Brake issue causing brakes to jump to 50% application
• Radar altimiter index knob.

Known Issues

• Chocks do not stop the aircraft
• Pilot can blackout from cat shot
• Pilot can blackout from rolling too fast
• APC may not respond fast enough
• Connecting to the super carrier will get you stuck for a bit, just keep the power high and you will move into position after 30 seconds or so.
• The CMPTR switch has not been animated yet please use the LABS switch in the meantime.

Community A-4E-C v2.0.0-beta-2

Hello everyone. This is a beta release for testing only. It is expected to have bugs and not suitable for general use. This is the second beta release for the EFM. Included are some quality of life changes and fixes as seen below. Please continue to submit issues for any defects or enhancement requests.

Warning you will need to delete and rebind your control bindings as described in the installation steps IF you are upgrading from the SFM.

Version 2.0.0-beta-2 - 13 February 2021

Added

• Slider for FFB sticks at which deflection of the stick to switch into AFCS CSS mode.

• Quick Start Missions (thanks sidekick65, SPINEG, Cubeboy).

• Added SUU-25 Parachute illumination pod for night ops.

• CP741 in range light illuminates when within a distance that pulling up 45 degrees would release the bombs.

• Wheel brake axis for both brakes.

• Sounds

  • Avionics Whine
  • Emergency Levers
  • Illumination Potentiometers
  • Radar Screen Cover
  • Speedbrake switch
  • Flaps lever
  • Spoiler airflow
  • Harness lever
  • Engine ignitor sound
  • Airbrake movement sound.
  • Landing gear overspeed sound.

Changed

• LABS tone is played whenever the pickle is pressed CMPTR mode.
• Improved sound mixing
• Menu icon
• Menu screen.
• Enabled cockpit lights by default between the hours of 1700 and 0500.
• Keyboard commands for roll and pitch no longer reset to centre.
• The radio manual frequency now starts at the channel 1 preset.

Deprecated

Removed

• Bunch of deprecated special menu options.
• Landing gear overspeed message.
• Removed ability for the Gunsight to slave to the radar. The gunsight must now be set to zero when using the CP-741/A bombing computer.

Fixed

• Trim setting in the customisation menu
• FFB pitch trim not working.
• FFB not working AFCS.
• Hook controls not bindable on peripherals.
• Stab Aug switch saying unimplemented.
• Bomblet drag issue for the CBU 1 and 2 allowing the A-4 to go supersonic.
• Radio volume knob starting at 0.

Known Issues

• Chocks do not stop the aircraft
• Pilot can blackout from cat shot
• Pilot can blackout from rolling too fast
• APC may not respond fast enough
• Connecting to the super carrier will get you stuck for a bit, just keep the power high and you will move into position after 30 seconds or so.
• The CMPTR switch has not been animated yet please use the LABS switch in the meantime.

Community A-4E-C v2.0.0-beta-1

Hello everyone. This is a beta release for testing only. It is expected to have bugs and not suitable for general use. This is the first release containing the long awaited EFM for the A-4E-C.

Version 2.0.0 - 4 February 2021

Warning you will need to delete and rebind your control bindings as described in the installation steps.

Added

• EFM

  • Realistic Flight Dynamics (it's pretty nifty)
  • Realistic Suspension
  • Differential Brakes
  • Nose wheel steering
  • Realistic Engine Simulation
  • Realistic force based slat simulation
  • Damage to engine and aerodynamic surfaces (physically simulated only)
  • Cockpit shake effect
  • Wing vapour effect
  • Compatibility with regular carrier
  • Carrier hook up keybind (Ship Takeoff Position)
  • Basic compatibility with Supercarrier
  • Added Salute option to radio menu
  • Added Request Launch option to radio menu

• Sounds

  • Gear door
  • Gear locking
  • Gear hydraulic
  • Flap stop
  • Flap hydraulic
  • Slat stop
  • Gear airflow
  • Flap airflow
  • Speedbrake airflow
  • Spoiler airflow
  • Cockpit rattle at high AOA

• Avionics

  • CP-741/A Bombing computer
  • Yaw damper (stab aug switch on AFCS panel)
  • ILS Navigation (see kneeboard pages for presets)
  • Enabled Radio (see kneeboard pages for presets)

• Basic support for FFB joysticks

Changed

• Added Argentina/ARG to countries and assigned appropriate livery
• Re-wrote AFCS for EFM integration

Deprecated

• SFM Fake afterburner
• Everything on the special menu, except cockpit shake

Removed

• SFM Carrier Launch Mechanism

Fixed

• Hook clickable
• Flap blowback valve
• Carrier Launch Mechanism present on runways (see removed)
• Carrier trap from airstart causes explosion
• Aircraft drift during carrier operations

Known Issues

• Chocks do not stop the aircraft
• Pilot can blackout from cat shot
• Pilot can blackout from rolling too fast
• APC may not respond fast enough
• Connecting to the super carrier will get you stuck for a bit, just keep the power high and you will move into position after 30 seconds or so.
• The CMPTR switch has not been animated yet please use the LABS switch in the meantime.

Community A-4E-C v1.4.2

Hello DCS pilots! Today we are releasing a minor patch that addresses some of the more critical issues with the Community A-4E for DCS World. This is a compatibility patch to address the IC conflict issues in the latest Open Beta (2.5.6.55363) which causes an IC conflict with the AN-M66.

This patch is compatible with both the Open Beta and Stable Release version of DCS World.

This update includes some changes to the filenames of the model files and requires a clean install of the A-4E module.

Version 1.4.2 - 4 October 2020

Added

Changed

• refactor weapon model names and code to remove IC conflicts. Affected weapons:
  • AN-M66
  • AN-M81
  • AN-M88
  • BLU-3B
  • BLU-4B
  • Mk4 HIPEG
  • Mk77mod0
  • Mk77mod1
  • Mk-81SE
  • SUU-7
• update FOV limits to from 30, 120 to 20, 140

Deprecated

Removed

Fixed

Community A-4E-C v1.4.2-beta-1

This minor update is to address the IC conflict issues in the latest Open Beta (2.5.6.55363) which causes an IC conflict with the AN-M66.

This update includes some changes to the filenames of the model files and requires a clean install of the A-4E module.

Here is the list of affected models to check for their working condition.

Affected weapons:

• AN-M66
• AN-M81
• AN-M88
• BLU-3B
• BLU-4B
• Mk4 HIPEG
• Mk77mod0
• Mk77mod1
• Mk-81SE
• SUU-7

Community A-4E-C v1.4.1

Hello DCS pilots! Today we are releasing a minor patch that addresses some of the more critical issues with the Community A-4E for DCS World. This is a compatibility patch which addresses the changes in the lighting engine in DCS World as well as the new MIZ file format that affected the use of the catapult with the Community A-4E. We hope that you have been enjoyed flying the Community A-4E and we hope to see you in the virtual skies!

Version 1.4.1 - 2 September 2020

Added

• added dimming wheel on angle of attack indexer
• ladder lights will now dim when INST LIGHT knob is in any position other than the OFF position for night operations
• glareshield lights will now dim when INST LIGHT knob is turned up past the first 20% (approximately)

Changed

• changed warning lights to use additive_self_illuminated shader as transparent_self_illum has been deprecated in DCS 2.5.6.50321
• updated brightness range for the gunsight
• updated cockpit lighting brightness for DCS lighting changes
• gunsight brightness is now a logarithmic function to allow for better brightness control
• tweaked glareshield annunciator textures for night lighting (a-4e_lights_1, a-4e_instr_details_1)
• updated texture for gear handle (a-4e_instr_bckgd_3)

Deprecated

Removed

• removed payload option to load incomplete buddy pod

Fixed

• fixed clickspots on throttle where they do not track the position of the throttle
• fixed incorrect spelling for TRIMMER SWITCH - LEFT WING DOWN
• updated carrier detection code for MIZ file version 18

Community A-4E-C v1.4.1-beta-3

Hi everyone,
This is a beta release for testing only. It is expected to have bugs and not suitable for general use. This patch focuses on light fixes required by the lighting changes in DCS 2.5.6.50321.

IMPORTANT: As we are trying to avoid bloating the Git repo, I've attached the updated texture zip files below and will only be committed at the release candidate stage. Please download the texture zip and replace the one in the distribution

Please review the changelog before conducting your tests.

If you find any outstanding issues, please file a report on our issue tracker so that we can handle it.

Join us on Discord to discuss the module.

Note: This build was created using an automated build system. Please test with this distributable so we can check if there are any issues with this build system.

Changes in beta 3

• updated catapult code to account for changes to mission file format in DCS World 2.5.6.52437. Code change might cause compatibility issues with older versions of DCS World.

Changes in beta 2

• updated textures for annunciators and gear lever
• updated brightness values

Changes in beta 1

Added

• added dimming wheel on the angle of attack indexer
• ladder lights will now dim when INST LIGHT knob is in any position other than the OFF position for night operations
• glareshield lights will now dim when INST LIGHT knob is turned up past the first 20% (approximately)

Changed

• changed warning lights to use additive_self_illuminated shader as transparent_self_illum has been deprecated in DCS 2.5.6.50321
• updated brightness range for the gunsight
• updated cockpit lighting brightness for DCS lighting changes
• gunsight brightness is now a logarithmic function to allow for better brightness control

Deprecated

Removed

• removed payload option to load incomplete buddy pod

Fixed

• fixed clickspots on throttle where they do not track the position of the throttle
• fixed incorrect spelling for TRIMMER SWITCH - LEFT WING DOWN