• Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning old domain name stealing credentials

  • Special Server Maintenance

    Just when you think you have everything running some what better...

    You get a message from the Hosting company. Short story they need to move us to a new server. I have been working with them to plan a good date for all concerned. Here is what we have come up with as a schedule.

    1. November 4th 17:00 -5UTC shut off the forums and start backup proceedures. During this time there will be no access to the forums or the Resource Section.
    2. November 5th Continue with Backups and download same until complete.
    3. November 6th 7:00 turn over server to hosting company to move system to new server
    4. November 7th - 8th restore backups and upgrade forum software.

    If all goes well we should be back online on November 8th.

    To keep you updated we will post updates on AVSIM forums.

    Thank you for your support.

Virtavia A-4E Skyhawk released

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When I looked around in the cockpit while flying, (I use Tobii) I had to laugh when I noticed the ESCAPAC ejection seat safety (also known as the "Head Knocker" is in the down and safe position.Sure hope I don't have to eject during flight! Oh well, I guess I can just jettison the canopy, go inverted, and let gravity do its thing..... I chalked up a lot of hours, maintaining those seats in A-4, TA-4s, and A-7s...... NC
 
For those asking about the Indiafoxtecho upcoming releases, they only include the TA-4J, not a single seat scooter. So let's hope Virtavia irons out the bugs. The upcoming releases from Indiafoxtecho are: - F-14A TOMCAT - TORNADO IDS/ECR/GR.1 - TA-4J SKYHAWK - EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON - F-16 FALCON
 
I just read the manual. It’s tempting to pick up… Apparently the weapon “preset” model is just one with the config files set up for a full load; you can still adjust the weights and set up a livery with whatever loadout you’d like.

But wow, the manual comments about airbrakes and tailhook make me wonder if Phil has actually done any exploration of what others have done on the sim. It reads like he’s just depending on the (severely lacking) SDK documentation. Even the MS Top Gun F/A-18E has a working air brake and tail hook. Carriers aren’t included in free flight but there are add-ons to enable the MS carriers, there are commercial add-on moving carriers, and there are freeware carriers. You’d think Phil and team would want to support this stuff to make the product more attractive. It’s not required, certainly, to support third-party add-ons, but you’d think you’d look at the ecosystem and see what would make your product more attractive.

I want Virtavia to succeed here. I want that F4D Skyray. I want an F3H Demon, a B-36, and so many of the other awesome planes they’ve done over the years. But those manual comments read like they downloaded MSFS and ignored the ecosystem, resources like FSDeveloper, etc. I hope this stuff gets fixed and that future products reach the state off the art established by devs like IndiaFoxTecho and DC Designs, so that Virtavia is successful enough to keep their library growing.
 
I think Phil is just getting up to speed with MSFS, so these issues appear to be teething pains, and not the end game.

Tommy
 
I hope so. He’s made awesome stuff in the past. But these are things that should have been figured out before taking money.
 
At least for me, the update did not fix the handling of the aircraft on takeoff. Still wants to tip over. NC
 
I did some **** and the manual said that for takeoff, a fair amount of back stick is required. Which I did et voilà!

Priller
 
If this is the same Phil from the Alphasim days (I think he went by AlphaPhill), I have a little negative history with the man and personally don't think much of him as a listener. They came out with a F-5, which is a single seat T-38 with slightly more powerful engines and a radar. I wrote to them criticizing the flight model. Apparently to the FM developer the F-5 could go supersonic in a vertical climb.

When I pointed out the Phil that I highly doubted this was true in RL as I had flown the T-38 and had friend who had flown the F-5 in SEA. (We had once talked about the differences over a few beers.) He wrote back to me tell me I was full of sh%t. I have never purchased an Alphasim product since then and was not surprised, based on my experience with the man, when they went belly up.

I did feel badly for Frank at the time. I like him and consider him to be a decent fellow, unlike his boss.

If this is too blatantly politically incorrect and honest Tom, feel free to trash my post. It took me 10-15 years to tell this story, it is now off my chest. Oh, I am not planning on buying the A4 unless someone else develops one.
 
Anyone have a changelog for the updates to the Skyhawk? (Or impressions?) Still wavering on getting this or waiting on Dino's (which I'll definitely buy either way), and curious if Phil figured out how airbrakes work yet...

Also, ZSoltB, are those A-4 liveries available for download yet? Beauties!
 
Shame about the airbrakes but it has potential, had it for FSX but not fired that up in years.

Would love to get at least FSX level of carrier functionality back and start bouncing it off the Melbourne once the flight model gets sorted.
 
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