BPF Operation Meridian (BETA) Uploaded

[Devildog73]

Okay,
Operation Meridian is completed, both OM1 and OM2.

I have flown both several times and they both work fine on my machine.

I am able to fly back to and find the carriers to land. Even with the Corsair II with bombs and no drop tanks as long as I do not dogfight and do not fly with more than 66% throttle. I need drop tank with wing bombs on the Corsair II.

However, not with the Firefly as of yet. We have a friend here that is reworking the DP to give us the extra external fuel.
They had an operational range of 1130 NM. This one doesn't even get half that without the wing tanks.
That said, is there anyone of you texture or weapons gurus willing to seize the opportunity to make the Firefly accurate with external tanks?

Here are some photos.

[Talon]

DD,

I sent you both planes with fixes. See if it helps.

[Devildog73]

Thanks Talon,

In and testing......

DD

[UncleTgt]

DD73

I haven't seen any WW2 photos of Fireflies with tanks, & certainly the 100 gal slipper tank was post war.

It suggests the airfile needs reworking to get the quoted range.

If you need drop tanks, I'm pretty sure the 45gal tank, fitted just inboard of the 20mm would be the only one available at that time. I would go for those used on Sea Hurricanes earlier in the war ... the Sea Fury tanks are another option, but my guess is the BPF was not flush of "new design" ancillaries such as drop tanks by that time ... plus there are some photos of Royal Thai Fireflies with these tanks mounted.

(the BPF ended up scrounging old US/RAAF/RNZAF P-40 52 gal drop tanks & jerry-rigging them as centreline tanks for the Seafires - giving them increased operational radius for fighter bomber sweeps over the Japanese Home Islands - not something it would do if it had access to freshly designed drop tank models?)

The Aeroplane Heaven Hurricane IIb pack converted by RobH will supply the eye-candy. But the airfile still needs the necessary entries to make them useful of course ...

[Talon]

I put the 45 gal.Seafire tanks on it.Here's some pics.

[Devildog73]

Thanks to Talon and DJ for your assistance with aircraft files.

These are beta missions. I am the only one who has flown them, so give me feedback and I will tweak as necessary.

You must follow these instructions for the British Carriers:

Ship.CFG File Tweak - All Essex Class Carriers by Collin Glenndining

To optimize the takeoff and landing positions on the decks of these vessels, make the following changes to the Ship/CFG file in each ship folder and save.

In the flight deck secton, illustrated below, change the first number in TAKEOFF_START and TAKEOFF_END to a -2.
And change the last number in TAKEOFF_START to -119. This will optimize your takeoff position on deck and set your takeoff and landing paths down the center of the deck, not the centerline of the ship.

[flight_deck_section]
width=32.577024
length=262.128
takeoff_start=-2,16.7801544,-119
takeoff_stop=-2,16.7801544,120
landing_start=0,500,5000
landing_touch_down=1.279999,16.7801544,-126.0524784
landing_stop=1.279999,16.7801544,0

I suggest you just copy and paste it into the ship.cfg. Some ships make it necessary to change the -119 to -110, or -100 on takeoff_start.
and change the -2 to -1 or 0. Different carriers have different dynamics. You might have to play with them a bit.
If you are looking at the fantail before you crash into the water upon starting the mission, here is your problem.


"Fair winds and following seas."

[Devildog73]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/soh_ftp/uploads/imageuploads/569113828576682910.jpg
A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Missions Add-Ons

Description: BPF Operation Meridian is the first in a series of British Pacific Fleet missions and eventual campaign. These missions are where the BPF proved to the USN that they had what it took to take on the Imperial Japanese military in the Pacific. Thanks to Talon and DJ for all of your assistance on these. The missions have not been tested by anyone but me, so I am uploading as is and will tweak them from all the feedback I get before I include them as missions in the upcoming British Pacific Fleet Campaign. NOTE: There is quite a bit of tweaking of carrier take off positions and aircraft power files. Follow the instructions or you will fly off the end of the flight deck into the ocean, which is probably accurate from the historic files. There was no wind to turn into for the carriers on the first day of ops.

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit BPF Operation Meridian (BETA).zip (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?linkid=17603&catid=43)
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[Rami]

Devildog,

Thank you so much...hopefully you will get the feedback you're hoping for to release the final version! When that happens, let me know and I can swap them out for you.

[stuart277]

Hi Devildog
I will have some Royal Navy Dido and Bellona Class AA Cruisers finished in the next couple of days. They may be of use to you in the BPF Campaign.
Cheers
Stuart

[hewman100]

I have found a photo of Fireflies outfitted with the Hurricane 44-gallon tanks:
http://www.ozatwar.com/navy/1771sqn11.jpg

[UncleTgt]

Good catch Hewman :applause:

[Devildog73]

Hi Devildog
I will have some Royal Navy Dido and Bellona Class AA Cruisers finished in the next couple of days. They may be of use to you in the BPF Campaign.
Cheers
Stuart

Much appreciated Stuart!

Currently, in the BPF missions Formosa to Okinawa, I am using the AF_SHA_ENTERPRISE_CV-6 as the carrier with blue deck, renamed as HMS Victorious. It presents no take off problems. I may go back in and substitute it into the Meridian missions.

I had to use VN's Prince of Wales renamed as HMS King George V and as HMS Howe for my battleships. I did the same thing for several of the light and heavy cruisers. The escort carriers were much easier because of the number of VN escort carriers available of the same class as those used by the BPF, some actually indigenous to the TF57 of BPF.

So, bottom line: they will make it into the missions and campaign just as soon as they are sea worthy and commissioned.

[Devildog73]

I used one of the many that I found for the upload of the missions. They were fairly far out on the wings.

[Devildog73]

Some more:

[Blood_Hawk23]

Some more:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=94844&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1382169929 (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=94844&d=1382979721)

Isn't that the radar in the first pick.

[Devildog73]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=94844&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1382169929 (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=94844&d=1382979721)

Isn't that the radar in the first pick.

No, there is a matching one on the other side. According to what I have read on the Firefly, those are extra fuel tanks.

[Devildog73]

I used one of the many that I found for the upload of the missions. They were fairly far out on the wings.

If you look just inside of the fuel tank in the first color photo I believe you can see the radar nodule on the Mark IV.

[Devildog73]

Update:

During the SOH holiday I redid the missions based upon more accurate information supplied by JB.
I also built my first airfield, Manna Sumatra, for use in the missions.

They are all completed and I awaiting advice from those testing them for me and revamping of the airfield to make it better.

Should be ready to replace the BETA version at least by US Thanksgiving.

[Captain Kurt]

I'll be waiting for it DD. Thanks.