I only have the old ALPHASIM Lightning, but this one does tempt me, looking at your shots.

You seem to have forgotten the ground shadows in the first?

No matter, the texture detail you achieved in the tanking shot makes up :wub: we do need to see one hooked up, you know!

I only have the old ALPHASIM Lightning, but this one does tempt me, looking at your shots.

You seem to have forgotten the ground shadows in the first?

No matter, the texture detail you achieved in the tanking shot makes up :wub: we do need to see one hooked up, you know!

 

Ah, thanks for pointing out the lack of ground shadows in the first one, something was bugging me about it. If I squint I think the plane is casting a bit of shadow, but none of the ground equipment is, I'll keep an eye out for that in future.

 

I'll post one 'hooked up' when I can manage it, too much time spent this week on re-paints, not enough refueling practice!

One more 23 Squadron plane, XS936

 

 

Amazing jump in the third pic.

For those who want to hear the Lightning, short video clip here:

 

http://forum.avsim.n...s-of-wattisham/

 

Be warned though, it's loud!

The air to air refuelling, is that simulated in sim? Or did you photoshop it?

Hi captjames, it is simulated in the sim, AI tanker, hand flown F6.

 

The shot was taken from FS Recorder and I didn't get the same quality as the other shots. The tanker looks a bit rough round the edges for sure, but I'm still messing about with my settings in FS recorder. The only photoshops steps between taking the screen shot in the sim and posting to here were re-size and save for web.

Mmm it is tempting. How in dept Is the a2a refuelling?

The F6 is NOT supplied with a2a

 

This is something I have put together myself from freeware add-ons.

 

First you'll need to add a refueling gauge to your aircraft, search for 'In-Flight Refueling Gauge for FSX'

 

Then find yourself a tanker, can be AI, or flyable. If flyable you'll have to fly a tanker mission and record it in something like FSrecorder to play back later as traffic. Or get a mate to fly it for you. Really of course you want something with extended/extending hoses! The advantage of flying it yourself is you will be able to keep a much more steady course and altitude than AI aircraft.

 

The gauge works when you get in position behind the tanker, takes some practice but you don't have to link up with the drogue - just get in the right position behind the tanker and it will top up your tanks. After a few hours practice I can regularly get my fuel back to 100%

 

I started to do this because I was flying missions intercepting Bears over the North Sea in the F6 and the fuel kept going below bingo, ditching in the North Sea or running out of go juice on approach is no fun!

 

So now I set-up the Bear for intercept, and then go find myself a tanker.

 

It would be nice of course if the refueling probe could actually engage the drogue and the in-flight refueling switch was functional in the F6 - but hey, it's not the age of miracles quite yet, if I knew enough I might have a go at doing all that stuff but I'm already on a steep learning curve with things as it is.

what an interesting bird. how is the cockpit like?

Really great screens; looks like a fun addon! We just got a Lightning at our local air museum in the last month, which is a welcome addition. First time I've ever seen one in person, as they didn't make it across the pond too often.

 

http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=402

First time I've ever seen one in person, as they didn't make it across the pond too often.

 

Trouble is ...it's not so much her looks but her sound. I saw one stand on her tail at Duxford ....an experience I will never forget! :wub:

Well I'm allowed one more picture on this thread so:

 

 

If I had one very minor complaint it would be about the Navigation Display Unit - in ILS Mode it does not display the runway localiser beam representation or selected heading on the actual cockpit display... though the equivalent information is displayed on the pop up HSI and the ILS can be visualised on the built in radar - that is being a bit picky though. Also if they really wanted to go for it they would provide a fully modeled Tacan Mode too, which would make my day, but alas, you get the HSI and ILS cross hairs or a basic nav mode (pictured) and that is it. It's good enough for IFR nav and approaches but just lacks a bit on authentic feel as I need to use the pop up HSI to take over the role of the TACAN display.

 

My favourite feature has to be the horizontal speed display, Mach 2 please! In all though a very nice period office, with plenty of things to click on, which I've been happy spending quite a few hours in.

Trouble is ...it's not so much her looks but her sound. I saw one stand on her tail at Duxford ....an experience I will never forget! :wub:

 

I blame that sort of experience for a lifetimes interest in aviation and fortune spent on real world flying.

 

I lived just a few miles away from Wattisham when I was growing up, the sky was always full of fast jets and military traffic. One day my Dad decided to take me for a 'day out'. I thought it was going to be really boring going to this airfield in the middle of nowhere - guess who got to see two lightnings do an operational scramble out of Wattisham - I was never quite the same again lol! I've been to a lot of air displays since and for sure there is some pretty impressive stuff about, but nothing quite was ever like seeing and hearing those two treble one Squadron F3's hug the runway, then literally sit on their tails and go vertical. Once seen never forgotten.

So true... You never forget a Lightning take off. My teenage was in the 70s and in the Air Cadets. The RAF really was a force then. To me, that was a heyday of the RAF, and any airshow was a treat when it included a Lightning going straight up, and a Vulcan performing like a fighter. Now, if the UK could only get the CAA to relax the rules and let them fly the Lightning again.

 

Kenneth