Falling in love with the Superbug!

[Jimmy RFR 406]

A few days ago I finally decided to purchase the VRS TacPack. I've been back and forth on this for quite awhile, but with the amazing trio of Dino's planes all supporting it to some degree, and a few other exciting jets from other developers on the way, plus the rather exciting prospect of the FSX@War package being released in the next few months, I figured now was the time to jump into it.

 

Of course you can buy them separate now (the TacPack and the Superbug that is), but a discount was offered at checkout time on the Superbug... it wasn't much of a discount, but I decided what the heck and bought the Superbug as well.  In the past, I've been on the fence about buying it as well; I'm more of a fan of the older jets.  But... the discount swayed me, plus perhaps the fact that I'm currently working on an FSX version of NAS Lemoore.  So in the cart it went, on the credit card it goes, and I downloaded them both and got them installed.

 

Oh. My. God....

 

I am completely smitten with this one... Without meaning any disrespect to any of the other developers of the many, many, very fine aircraft I have in my simobject folder, this add-on is seriously head and shoulders above anything else I've flown inside my sim.  The extremely extensive systems depth, the fine detail in the cockpit, the amazingly deep configuration utility, the inclusion of 40 liveries that cover every single active F/A-18E squadron,  there's just so 'much' here.

 

But of course all of that is meaningless if the plane doesn't feel right... While I am not a real world pilot, and certainly not a pilot of anything such as this, this thing flies like a dream!  Last night I punched in one of the military training routes that starts near NAS Lemoore (IR-203) into the plane itself (you can do it in the config app as well, but it was seriously a joy to do it in the plane!) and took off while the sun was getting a bit lower in the sky, returning at the very last bit of dusk.  What a sublime experience...

 

It speaks highly of the ergonomics of the plane that I've been able to figure so much of it out without serious effort.  It helps of course that I've flown a lot of different jets in FSX, and I still have some studying to do to figure out some of the little details (and I haven't even gotten close to diving into the weapons systems) but I found it actually very easy to operate.  I was figuring some of it out between waypoints - the autopilot for example is quite simple and complex all at the same time; it seems to have a mode that controls the heading, while allowing you to change vertical speed with your stick and hold it when you let go.

 

Anyway, I know that this bunch here is more into tubes and airlines and such, and that many will skim though this or not even open the thread; that's all right, we all have our interests.  But if any of you have looked at the Superbug and have been on the fence about buying, as I was, it's doubtful that you'd regret the purchase.  Indeed, the only thing I regret is that I hadn't bought this a long time ago!! :lol:

 

[Varmint007 2]

Thank you Jimmy:) It's not often people go out of their way to write something positive like that. You get a lot of the negative/neutral stuff, primarily because people are forced to post when they need help, coupled with the fact that it's a very comples simulation. So it's always a nice surprise when the positive stuff appears organically outside of our support forums.

 

Glad you're enjoying it!

 

--Jon

VRS

[twharrell 38]

If they ever release a P3Dv2.2 version, I may have to try it. I'm more a biz jet guy, but this one intrigues me.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Todd

[Aamir 2,907]

Would definitely buy a P3D 2.2 version. Make it happen, guys!

[fullmetal02 23]

Wow! What a great mini review. Makes me want to purchase.

[Wolflikespie 39]

I too enjoy the Superbug. Simply the best military simulation we have for FSX and probably for flight sims in general (DCS ain't got nothing on this!)

[Jimmy RFR 406]

 

 

Glad you're enjoying it!

--Jon
VRS

 

That I sure am, thanks to you folks for producing such a superlative add-on.  :lol:

 

I'm glad you all enjoyed the 'mini review'.  It wasn't intended to be as such; I had just finished a flight with it and I needed to gush to someone about it and well, my wife stops listening when I talk about simming, aircraft, computers or any combination of the three!

 

Just a heads up - I uploaded an item to the library today that might be of interest to anyone currently flying the superbug on the west coast: http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxscen&DLID=184080

I updated the TACAN beacons in California to be able to transmit bearing, since by default in FSX they behave like you only have a civil VOR/DME and only transmit distance.  I might do some more states as I need them.  They're easy to do, but slightly time consuming to cross check info and, I have to admit, a bit on the boring side.

 

It's a funny story though why I did these:  I didn't realize that the FSX TACAN beacons were 'crippled' in this fashon, and as I did that military training route I mentioned in my original post, I came out of the route past the last waypoint, tuned in 80X to find my way back to Lemoore in the dusk and 10SM visibility, and was a bit surprised when I had distance info but no bearing... :lol:

[fuelpumps 3]

VRS. Very realistic Simulation

[Howellerman 104]

Heya Jim, 

 

I have a question for you: what is the extended range of the Superbug?

 

The reason I ask is that if I have a long flight out of a continuous set, I like to use the default FSX F-18 but with the Blue Angels mods. There is a "bug" in the code that allows a LOT of range if you put the aircraft in "first afterburner" at high altitude, to the point you can pull Mach 1.0 with only 3-4 lbs/nm. Yeah, I know: quite a feature!

 

But, it makes the stock F-18 into a real good eat-up-the-miles flyer. 

 

I really like the F-18 in general, and am wondering if the Superbug can provide the same long legs.

 

Thanks! 

[Capt Speirs 52]

Deal Breaker - *FSX DX10 "preview" mode NOT  supported. Although a DX10 or DX11 GPU is fine, FSX itelf has an experimental DX10 mode called "DX10 preview mode". This mode, or setting within FSX must be disabled in order to achieve compatibility with certain TacPack functions if the Superbug is used with the TacPack.

[kdfw__ 539]

deal breaker...  just don't enable dx10 preview when using the f/a18.   or if you insist on using dx10, don't enable the flir function.  quite simple.

 

dx10 isn't needed for this a/c--this isn't a pmdg tuber with huge memory footprint, will not cause oom.  

 

-------

 

if you want long legs on the vrs f/a18, just do air-to-air refueling like the real thing.  it simulates the real thing like no other payware.   

[Jimmy RFR 406]

If there was still the post 'buttons', I'd of hit all the positive ones on kdfw's post. 

 

In my humble opinion, there is no such thing as a 'deal breaker' on the VRS Superbug. Quite simply put, if you're looking for PMDG quality in a military jet simulation, there's nothing else released that even remotely comes close to this.  It then becomes a choice between DX10 and this level of simulation; which means that either choice will be the right one for you.  (i.e. If DX10 is the right choice for you, then this jet may not of been.)

 

I can't answer the question regarding range, I've never looked into it.  However, I'd say it's likely safe to assume that you could look up the range of the real thing and it would closely match that of the simulation.  However, like kdfw recommends, use air to air refueling to extend your range.  If you have the inclination, it would extend the range indefinitely.

[ryanbatc 12,816]

It's a neat plane, one of my favorite features is the NV through HUD...

 

But I just don't fly it much.  My intent was to use it for a fast aircraft for IFR/VFR cross countries.  The autopilot is really poor and defaultish unless you buy the tackpack.  Then I guess they made a custom one.

 

Though the hand flying is superb I just don't like the missiles and guns aspect - doesn't do much for me. 

 

It gets installed and uninstalled every so often though

[Jimmy RFR 406]

 

 

Though the hand flying is superb I just don't like the missiles and guns aspect - doesn't do much for me.

 

It's likely to be everyone's cup of tea.  For similar reasons, I don't have any PMDG installed in my sim.

 

I've never flown it without TacPack, so I can't comment on the functionality of the base plane.  I really do like navigating in it though, even inserting custom waypoints is easily and quickly done.  It's also one of the few 'fast' planes that I can successfully hand fly a DME arc with so yes, hand flying is superb. 

 

Also, and this may be not relative to most, but it has really excellent popup 2d gauges that allow one to use a touch screen monitor positioned below your main monitor to really, really great effect.

[JB3DG 225]

Heya Jim, 

 

I have a question for you: what is the extended range of the Superbug?

 

The reason I ask is that if I have a long flight out of a continuous set, I like to use the default FSX F-18 but with the Blue Angels mods. There is a "bug" in the code that allows a LOT of range if you put the aircraft in "first afterburner" at high altitude, to the point you can pull Mach 1.0 with only 3-4 lbs/nm. Yeah, I know: quite a feature!

 

But, it makes the stock F-18 into a real good eat-up-the-miles flyer. 

 

I really like the F-18 in general, and am wondering if the Superbug can provide the same long legs.

 

Thanks! 

 

The bug you describe is present in any jet loaded in FSX Acceleration that has an afterburner.