Kira

Um.. "meow?" (Kira would like to be added to that list). Friday's probably best. I can almost guarantee that Saturday won't work for me. As an aside, and I know it's an unpopular one, I'm rather against props in DCS. We already have two dedicated prop sims, and DCS really does do jets best. Do we really want to force it as well into the props category?

I have found that a small paintbrush works well as a duster for delicate things. We use 1" around work.

Very nice, especially for $25. Also very dusty, apparently.

Here's an Air & Space article about them. Some things I did not know, for example, the fact that the oft repeated story of unknown U.S. contractors having sabotaged systems did not in fact cause the complete failure of the Iranian F-14s as is often claimed. All of those (only 16) missiles were returned to service - care of parts stolen from the USN. However, the missiles' batteries proved to be a (the?) real issue, resulting in fewer and fewer serviceable AIM-54s as the 1980's war progressed. An interesting read, particularly about the fragility of friendships. Case in point, the section talking about the fact that all but two of the original cadre of the U.S. trained F-14 pilots left the country, to include 15 still in training. "Javad (pseudonym) was one who stayed. He was arrested by a close friend at gunpoint, in front of his family. When the war with Iraq began, he was released." So next time you're country is taken over in a religious revolution, think twice before trusting even your closest friends. https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/persian-cats-9242012/?page=1 More Iranian Tomcat stuff to follow when it is found.

Check out the throttle movement from 2:27-2:55. I believe this to be an F/A-18E or F. Goes to show why Navy engines tend to have a bit of wear and tear. He's attempting to maintain precise placement on glide slope, requiring constant throttle adjustment.

Carrier landings in DCS don't seem to be that difficult, at least with the current F/A-18C Lot 20. Granted, it took three passes, and I got a 1 wire, but I did get my first carrier landing last night. Now to figure out how to disengage the hook from the wire so that I can taxi for the catapult! Notably, no crash-and-burns were involved, just missed approaches. That's one of the nice things about the Hornet's computers. They do much of the work of keeping the thing stable, and thus make it a (relatively) easy aircraft in the actual flying department, which is good, considering the study done during Vietnam that found Navy pilots most anxious not in combat, as would be expected, but around the boat, contemplating, and during, carrier landings. The main critical factor, as with most landings, seems to be angle of attack and velocity vector placement. Another other critical factor (that I ignored, hence the 1 wire) is to maintain one's approach angle and just fly the thing right "through" the deck, despite the increasing feeling that you're going to overshoot the wires. Instead, I did a major Navy sin, the one called "diving for the deck", or as it's been called, "the famous 'We land NOW, Goddamnit!' one wire". Good thing there's no sightless, wining, LSO yet to give me a No Grade for that pass. Quite interesting and rather fun. Well. During the day, anyway. Night and/or bad weather? That's a totally different ball game!

That's it in a nutshell. You said it, exactly as I feel. I can basically only justify the cost of the aircraft directly from the detail. I've done research in the past, so I know the kind of time involved to come up with a polished final product.

For all its really nice representation of the real thing, ED and DCS can be a real headache. Sometimes not worth the time and/or money, it seems.

Uhhhhh, yeah. Sigh. So I'm going to attempt to return them. Here's to hoping they take them back. Sigh again.

Soooo... about RAM. Did I miss something with regards to a requirement to format it or something? I pulled out my old 4GB, threw in one 16 into the exact slot, and the CPU wouldn't start. Got a "long beep, two short beeps" from it, and nothing else. Something tells me a BIOS update is in order to get it to recognize the new RAM...? Update: I'm an idiot. Board does not accept anything over 8GB individual sticks. It's not going to recognize any 16 GB stick, no matter who makes it. Yay.

Not a problem now. Assuming the order goes through, my (computer) memory issues with not be a problem (for a while, anyway)!

Never have understood how electronics like CPUID (which I use as well)could get a good read on physical temps. Unless they're just reading a thermometer already installed on the machine.

So I found a really good price on RAM, roughly half the going rate, but it says "16GB DDR3 1066MHz PC3L-8500R ECC Registered 15-13131-01 CL7 240pin 4Rx4 Cisco Server Memory Module" Note the "Server Memory Module". So, is this ONLY for servers, and not useable on personal PCs, or is this just intended for servers, and being 240 pin DDR3, it'll work just fine in any DDR3 motherboard? UPDATE: So, I got two sticks. I'll have 32GB RAM within a week, hopefully. Plus the 8 I have now. 40GB, here I come. Talked with an old friend who agreed it was the deal I thought it was. If anyone else is interested, here's the link: http://www.madepc.com/16GB-DDR3-1066MHz-PC3L-8500R-ECC-Registered-15-131-p/311018580-08.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8fKupOyI2wIVk4zICh2CZwoKEAkYASABEgIqcvD_BwE

Gypsy, take a good look at the RAM requirements before deciding to purchase the Normandy map. If you're going to do it, make sure you can do it right. They're talking 32 GB of RAM for a "well running, action packed" mission on the Normandy map. 16 is, they say "good enough". I have 8 and Normandy runs-ish. Only a little better than "barely", really, with just my aircraft. Same for the new 2.5 Caucasus map. Truth be told, I'll be looking at a serious RAM upgrade soon. 2.5 alone has forced it.

Yeah, this guy does some spectacular ones, that's for sure.