Wildcat

[Daube]

Hi all,

I tried to perform a search, sadly the search engine won't allow me to enter such a "common" word as "Wildcat", even for searching in titles only :blind:
Anyways... I'd like to get your warbirds-lover advises => I'd like to get a Wildcat in my FSX hangar. Which one should I choose ?

I tried the freeware Wildcat already ("escort carrier group"), but I'd like a more complete one. I saw the one at JustFlight packages but I didn't really understand what I should get ?:
- Wildcat & Martlet
- Wildcat & Martlet - Pack A
- Wildcat & Martlet - Pack B
- Wildcat & Martlet - Pack C
... What should I do ?
Is there any other Wildcat around that would be worth a look ? What do you recommend ?

Thanks in advance :ernae:

[roger-wilco-66]

I bought the Justflight Wildcat and found it to be a good model!

Cheers,
Mark

[vora]

AFAIK the Justflight Wildcat is currently the only payware available. Vertigo seems to be working on one currently.
I have the JF Wildcat&Martlet and am very satisfied with it. I don't use the packs ABC so I can't say anything about it.
There are some nice repaints around for the JF bird.

[Daube]

Thanks for these replies.
So it seems, for the moment, that the JF is the only Wildcat available.
Can anybody describe what is concretely offered in the A-B-C packs, compared to the "normal" package ?
Are these just additionnal repaints, or additionnal features as well ?

[expat]

Think I bought the "main" pack that has four models. Nice VC, good paints available and good value IMHO. Fun to trap on and fly from the early straight deck CVs and patrol around the Solomons.

[Daube]

Concerning the packs A, B and C, are they addons for the main pack, or are they all stand-alones ?

[huub vink]

Daube,

The way I ready it are all 4 packages stand-alone. but they all include different version and liveries.

But when you want to be sure you can perhaps contact JustFlight directly: http://www.justflight.com/contact-us

Cheers,
Huub

BTW shouldn't you be watching the Tour de France? They are almost crossing your backyard!

[expat]

Have to say I don't know and also I get annoyed when there are multiple packs where it is not clear to the customer the tradeoffs between each of them.

[vora]

Note: This add-on does NOT require the larger Wildcat & Martlet (http://www.justflight.com/product.asp?pid=548) add-on for it to work. There are several Wildcat & Martlet packages available, with differing content, and each works in FSX without the need for any other add-ons.

^^ That should be pretty clear ^^
The ABC packs came out later.

[Daube]

Daube,
The way I ready it are all 4 packages stand-alone. but they all include different version and liveries.

Thanks for the explanation. I guess I'll first take the normal pack, and then I'll see if I take one of the additionnal packs.



BTW shouldn't you be watching the Tour de France? They are almost crossing your backyard!
Indeed they are. That's why I'm working from home today (and yesterday), to avoid the catastrophic traffic jams created by the blocked roads :isadizzy:
But I'm not really interested in that 'sport'. I never watch it, excepted when they go next to Switzerland, just for the beauty of the landscape.

[Deacon211]

Maybe a little late to the party but, I have the JF Wildcat Main pack. It's a nice addon. Not state of the art (it is a few years old), but still a good looking and fun flying model. In the detailed description it will tell you what liveries come with what pack.

For the most part I believe that the Main Pack is essentially Pack A and B combined, while Pack C came later and has completely new skins.

Wildcat and Martlet:

Included modelsF4F-3 F-15 - flown by Lt (jg) E H 'Butch' O'Hare....

F4F-3 3-F-9 - belonged to Fighting Squadron VF-3 flying from USS Saratoga in the Spring of 1941. Overall light grey paint scheme.

F4F-4 'White 18' - flown by AP/1c Howard Stanton Packard of VF-6, USS Enterprise, August 1942. ....

Martlet I - EJ569 F - flown by Sub Lt Parke, RNVR, when he, along with another Martlet pilot, scored the very first aerial victory for the F4F series in WWII.....

MartletI IV - Nose art of any type was usually strictly frowned upon by Naval 'brass' but this Martlet, 'That Old Thing' - flew from HMS Tracker during Operation Overlord, D-Day and the invasion of France in June 1944.

F4F-3 MF-1 - the mount of Major Robert E. Galer, who totalled 13 confirmed victories and was a recipient of the Medal of Honor....

F4F-4 BuNo 5093/’White 23’ - flown by Lt Cdr John S Thach, Officer Commanding VF-3, USS Yorktown, Midway, 4 June 1942....

F4F-4 22-F-1 - displays the later tri-colour scheme adopted by all US naval aircraft in the Pacific Campaign. The machine was on board USS Independence in April of 1943, flying with Fighting Squadron VF-22.

Martlet I ‘French 2’ - an F4F-3 ordered by the French AeroNavale, prior to the fall of France in 1940....

Martlet IV 9Z - an 893 Squadron machine at the time of Operation Torch, the joint allied invasion of French North Africa....



Pack A:


F4F-3 F-15 - flown by Lt (jg) E H 'Butch' O'Hare, perhaps the Wildcat's most famous ace....

F4F-3 3-F-9 - belonged to Fighting Squadron VF-3 flying from USS Saratoga in the Spring of 1941. Overall light grey paint scheme.

F4F-4 'White 18' - flown by AP/1c Howard Stanton Packard of VF-6, USS Enterprise, August 1942....

Martlet MkI - EJ569 F - flown by Sub Lt Parke, RNVR, when he, along with another Martlet pilot, scored the very first aerial victory for the F4F series in WWII....

MartletI MkIV - 'That Old Thing' - Nose art of any type was usually strictly frowned upon by Naval 'brass' but this Martlet flew from HMS Tracker during Operation Overlord, D-Day and the invasion of France in June 1944.



Pack B:


F4F-3 MF-1 - the mount of Major Robert E. Galer, who totalled 13 confirmed victories and was a recipient of the Medal of Honor....

F4F-4 BuNo 5093/’White 23’ - flown by Lt Cdr John S Thach, Officer Commanding VF-3, USS Yorktown, Midway, 4 June 1942....

F4F-4 22-F-1 - displays the later tri-colour scheme adopted by all US naval aircraft in the Pacific Campaign. The machine was on board USS Independence in April of 1943, flying with Fighting Squadron VF-22.

Martlet MkI ‘French 2’ - an F4F-3 ordered by the French AeroNavale, prior to the fall of France in 1940....

Martlet MkIV 9Z - an 893 Squadron machine at the time of Operation Torch, the joint allied invasion of French North Africa....



Pack C:


F4F-3 - Before the USA entered WWII, US Navy aircraft were painted in an array of different bright colours, contrasting with silver fuselages. It was not until Pearl Harbor that the need for more subdued camouflage colours became clear! This machine flew from USS Ranger and carries the distinctive 'Willow' green tail signifying that it is part of Ranger’s complement.

F4F-4 'Black 53' - flown by Capt. Joseph J Foss at Guadalcanal in early 1943....

Martlet MkI BJ562 - an 804 Squadron machine. The Royal Navy flew these aircraft as land-based aircraft....

Martlet MkI S7-L BJ561 - another 804 Squadron machine....

Martlet MkIV FN114 - this aircraft was on strength with 893 Squadron Royal Navy on HMS Formidable in the Western Mediterranean in early 1943....

Martlet MkIV FN148 - based on Malta, where 893 Squadron served in 1943.

[Sieggie]

The basic F4F contains all the planes from A & B. C appear to be 6 additional model/skins.

Dave

Looks like Deacon beat me to it :)

[Bomber_12th]

If it helps any, here are some screenshots I've taken of the JF Wildcat over the time I've owned it. It has some great short-field take-off and landing habbits, like the real aircraft - both take-offs and landings are always done in a three-point attitude (either all wheels on, or all wheels off, at the same time). Its also got very good visibility forward, over the nose.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/wildcat_3.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/wildcat_3.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/wildcat_8.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/wildcat_8.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/wildcat_2.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/wildcat_2.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/wildcat_11.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/wildcat_11.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Wildcat_BW_5_zps1312ec3d.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/Wildcat_BW_5_zps1312ec3d.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Wildcat_BW_2_zpsa63546cd.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/Wildcat_BW_2_zpsa63546cd.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Wildcat_BW_4_zpsb4fad2a9.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/Wildcat_BW_4_zpsb4fad2a9.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Wildcat_BW_3_zps5aefbaa9.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/raiden/Wildcat_BW_3_zps5aefbaa9.jpg.html)
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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/J26%20Mustang/screen6.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/J26%20Mustang/screen6.jpg.html)

[Daube]

Thanks a lot for this list. In fact, I was actually taking a look to these descriptions on the JF webstore, to understand what was included in which pack.
Somebody also brought to my attention the existence of another package, nammed Pacific Combat Pilot, which seems to include both the Wildcat and the Zero (which I'd like to get too), with a very interesting price. However, this package seems to be available only in boxed version, no download...
I don't want to get the boxed version, I'd prefer to get these planes as download... but the price sure is motivating, don't you think ?

[Daube]

:icon_eek: :icon_eek:

Fantastic screenshots John ! :applause:
("as usual", I should add)

[Daube]

For anyone who had the same "Search" problem than me, this topic might be of interest:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?53221-Wildcat
It appeared in the list of "similar topics" in the bottom of the screen. It's full of useful information, mainly about the existence of alternative VC textures, a fix for the tailhook position, and the notification of potential problems caused by the official patch (service pack) for that plane.

I have already downloaded the alternative VC textures. I think I'm going to take the standard Wildcat package. Thanks for the advises, gentlemen :ernae:

[dhasdell]

Yes - the Wildcat and Martlet pack is the same as A and B together. C is addon skins. Any one of A, B or C will run on its own, so see Deacon above or the Just Flight site to see exactly which variants are in which pack. All packs include at least some F3F-3 and -4, and RN equivalents, Martlet I and IV, and they are different - folding wings as appropriate, armament, engine, cowling flaps as well as just colours, and all are in two versions, with or without drop tanks.

The freeware one is the FM-2 with the tall fin, and therefore not strictly accurate for some of the paint schemes available.

i bought the Wildcat and Martlet pack in the recent JF sale and liked it enough to buy Pack c as well.

[Sieggie]

Thanks a lot for this list. In fact, I was actually taking a look to these descriptions on the JF webstore, to understand what was included in which pack.
Somebody also brought to my attention the existence of another package, nammed Pacific Combat Pilot, which seems to include both the Wildcat and the Zero (which I'd like to get too), with a very interesting price. However, this package seems to be available only in boxed version, no download...
I don't want to get the boxed version, I'd prefer to get these planes as download... but the price sure is motivating, don't you think ?

Looks like PC Aviator has the boxed version on sale for $24.95.

Dave

[WarHorse47]

Wow. Good stuff here. Thanks for the links. I really like to updated VC textures.

I have the initial package of the Wildcat and Martlet and was debating as to the other packages. Looks like I'll be getting Pack C based on the comments.

Thanks

[Daube]

I finally bought the normal package, and I'm quite pleased with it.
Sure, the model shows its age, and the lack of bump-mapping on the wings from the VC is not so nice, but overall I have to say that I like that plane.
I tried a few landings on the freeware Victorious, and I understand that I really need to update the hook coordinates, as stated in that other Wildcat topic.
The sounds are nice, the external model is very nice, the cockpit is pleasant with the alternative textures. A good addition to my hangar, in my opinion :)

Thanks to all of you for your explanations.

[dhasdell]

You might find this Just Flight link useful:
http://www.justflight.com/supportfaq/wildcat-and-martlet