The missing P-47s.

[Allen]

We've all seen the 2 P-47s in the INFO folder but I don't know the stoy behind them. I know they were to be AI aircraft as in my CFS2 "Pilots manual" on page 237 above the P-39 says "In addition to the seven player-flyable aircraft, Combat Flight Simulator populates the skies of the Pacific theater with 13 computer-controlled planes for you to defend or attack." Microsoft own site also list 13 as well (Linked below). We only have 11 but if we count the 2 missing P-47s we would get 13.

Dose any one know the stoy behind them?

Click link and go down to "Other (Non-Player-Flyable) Aircraft"
http://www.microsoft.com/games/combatfs2/planes.aspx

[bearcat241]

Leftover traces from CFS1, obviously forgotten or overlooked (same thing right?). Remember that the box stock sim was released unfinished in many respects. But our talented developers took great care of the P-47 thingy after the fact. Hoozah! :icon29:

[Allen]

Leftovers? I don't think so the models are CFS2 quality.

6133461335

If anything they were cut and the P-47d razorback model was ported over to CFS3.

[bearcat241]

Leftovers? I don't think so the models are CFS2 quality. If anything they were cut and the P-47d razorback model was ported over to CFS3.

As i said Allen, unfinished business with regard to using them in CFS2...meaning, the actual models never made it into the CFS2 stock hangar in spite of the noted quality, but the images were still shipped nonetheless within the sim. I'm guessing it was an oversight, but hey, maybe they thought we'd like some more pretty airplane pictures.

If they indeed skipped CFS2 and were ported over to CFS3 according to your assumption, then it sounds like you have half of the story you were seeking. Maybe someone else can provide more insight.

[Allen]

What I think is they are the missing computer-controlled planes #12 and #13 but they were cut and the book and website still list 13 total. Why were the cut...

In the Pacific theater The P-38 worked better overall. So there would be no need for the P-47d razorback. As it is the P-38 isn't even used as player aircraft in the US campaign if I'm recalling right. The later P-47N was made with the Pacific Theater in mind to escort B-29s but CFS2 end in 1944 before the P-47N was a front line fighter.

I don't know how far the models were done but the 3D renders for both were done so that is over half the battle. It dose make since to port the unused P-47d razorback model to CFS3 that came out 2 years later. I don't have CFS3 or I would screen shot the CFS3 P-47d razorback at the same angle as the one seen in the CFS2 info folder and see how close they are.

[bearcat241]

The core focus of the stock CFS2 is the naval campaigns from Midway to the climax of the Solomons - you get that hint from the big honkin' Corsair in the box art, all of the screens, backgrounds, videos, medals and rankings. Thus the involvement of USAAC Fighter Command becomes a secondary afterthought in the minds of the developers. Even though the flyable P-38 was shipped with the sim, no missions or campaigns for this model were. They may have been planning an AAC expansion in the next phase which never materialized. Future developments were scrapped after MS pulled the plug, disbanded the team and shifted focus to CFS3 and the European theater. The writing the P-47's role in the Pacific died with the CFS2 team. That's where the community steps in and fills that void.

As for the appearance of the -20/22 rendering you posted, its nothing like the actual stock CFS3 model. The stock model has a texture mapping very similar to the KM Malinowski -20/22 models. You can practically massage any CFS3 Razorback skin onto any CFS2 KM P-47-20/22 models. I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn that Malinowski was involved with the MS CFS3 team for this model. Same possibility applies to their stock P-51D. Its mapping can be compared to A.C. Wai's P-51D for CFS2 which was also released around the same time as CFS3. I've modified a couple of CFS3 P-51D skins to fit Wai's CFS2 model without much effort at all.

[Seagull V]

It's a shame MicroBuck$ did not allow for more cross-pollination between CFS2 & CFS3. Fans of both Sims along with the older brother CFS1 have done much !!!!!!

Have also looked at the AWai CFS2/CFS3 Mustang - would like to convert the Korean War skins I did over to CFS3 for any Mud-Moving fans in CFS3.

[Talon]

Bearcat,

You may be right about the CFS3 P-47 being KM's.His CFS2 JU-88 was converted to be used for the CFS3 Ju-88.

[Allen]

The P-38 has 2 mission. Aces-Bong's Mission and Aces-Mc'Guire's Mission

I must agree Malinowski was involved with the MS CFS3 team. The skin is too close. I have felling that the model we have for CFS2 is early CFS3 version that was later made to work in CFS2. Also Malinowski/CFS3 P-47 is not the same as the CFS2 render. Malinowski/CFS3's P-47 fuselage is more round in the tail and nose.

[bearcat241]

The P-38 has 2 mission. Aces-Bong's Mission and Aces-Mc'Guire's Mission

I stand corrected. I completely forgot about those two, having never flown them in the 11 years of owning this sim. I have flown a number of addon P-38 missions and campaigns though. But the fact there are only two stock AAC missions still serves my point about the potentially unfinished aspect.

Regarding the missing N model, the rendering is very similar to the early FDG P-47N model. The former FDG team apparently picked up on this missing piece and provided something with the same paint scheme.