New Aircraft Addons: Vote for your favorite!

[IrishDeviant 10]

Edit: This is not an addon request thread. Please stay on topic.

I finally have a little extra time to do some modelling for Arma II. I am likely going to do a few more missle/bombs for Myke's GLT Missile Box, however, I want to start in on some aircraft. Ideally, I'd like to make 3 or 4 aircraft for A2, time permitting. I've narrowed down my selection to the following:

A-10C Thunderbolt II:

I have been considering making a replacement for the BIS A-10. This replacement would include a better looking aircraft mesh/textures/normals/etc, multiple loadouts, realistic damage models, and multiple paint schemes.

F-35 Lightning II:

As I'm sure most of you know, the BIS F-35 is actually the X-35 prototype. I have been contemplating making the proper F-35, and all of it's variants. (F-35A [CTOL], F-35B [sTOVL], and the F-35C [CV Carrier Based])

F-22 Raptor:

I actually started on an F-22 model a while back, but life got in the way of completion. Plus, at the time, hi-res 3-view reference images weren't available. Therefore, I'd be starting fresh. I will include multiple loadouts, paint schemes, etc

EA-6B Prowler:

I have wanted to model this aircraft for some time. It isn't a mass murdering ground pounder like the A-10, or a 'king of the skies' air superiority fighter like the F-22, but it is a great looking aircraft that offers a wealth of strategic enhancement to just about any mission with it's electronic warfare capabilities.

RAH-66 Commanche:

The RAH-66 is actually fairly low on my priority list as it never actually made it into active service. It is true that the prototype is fully functional, and if it weren't for lack of funding, would likely be playing an important role in the US Army and US Marines. However, due to not being an active service aircraft, I doubt I'll be making it any time soon.

B-1B Lancer:

The B-1B is another aircraft fairly low on my priority list due to the fact that it would over-power the relatively small game world of A2. It's take-off would be unrealistic due to the short runways in A2, and until larger maps are made to support such a high speed/large payload bomber, I just don't see it being required as an integral part of the typical mission. (but, it is on my list of eventual projects)

AC-130 Spectra:

I'm not adding this to the vote because I'm under the impression that this aircraft is currently not possible. (engine limitation) However, if scripters would like to work on a way to implement a realistic weapons system (complete with animations of all cannons), then I would gladly model this aircraft for the community. Actually, who am I kidding, I'd be modelling this for myself. (I can't wait to be able to get a Spectra in game.) lol

For all aircraft above, I will be modelling as many variants as possible. Include multiple textures/skins, and would also like to include static objects for populating air bases. (such as removed engines on carts, a static GAU cannon for display, etc.)

Also, I am only a modeler. I dabble in scripting, but not on the level required for a realistic integration of an aircraft. Therefore, I will be looking for addon creators to work with me on creating the in-game scripting for these aircraft. I know that most of those who I would like to work with (such as Rock from RKSL, and Myke from GLT), are currently working on other projects. However, hundreds of hours go into making a high quality aircraft model, therefore, I'll likely be needing a scripter (or Mod Team), sometime within the next couple of months. If you're interested, please contact me.

Although, I already have a very good idea of what I'm looking for in terms of features, and will expect that scripters working on these models will at least make an attempt at adding the features and functionality that I'm wanting for these aircraft. (I'd rather not simply hand off 200+ hrs worth of work and not have a say in how it's implemented)

I have added a poll for the Arma II community to vote on the aircraft they would like to see started on first. I likely won't be able to start modelling for about 2 more weeks (sometime early Oct), so there should be time for plenty of people to vote before I get started.

Edited September 27, 2010 by IrishDeviant

[TomatoArden 0]

Hello there, and welcome! Could I vote EA-6B Prowler, and suggest that youd make an A-6 Intruder version as well :). Both those aircraft are odd and interesting

2nd preference would beF22 Raptor, not yet featured

Have you considered the following:

AH-1 Cobra (Original single engined cobra like in OPflash

A-4 Skyhawk - awesome for a bit of ship to air combat like in the Falklands War

UH-1 (different variants ,like twin hueys and with different armaments (or without) and animated doors)

Thank for your time and effort in advance!

Edited September 27, 2010 by TomatoArden

[TRexian 0]

At the risk of being one of those jerks who argues in one of these threads (and I'll apologize in advance), let me first say 'Thank you' for contributing to the community mods, and opening yourself up to advice from the community like this. :)

But, I feel compelled to offer you a bit of a different view. The F-35/F-22/B-1, while all are sexy aircraft, would be severely limited in all of the ArmA theaters. At least, if done realistically. Don't get me wrong - as an aficionado of aircraft and flight sims - I like all of them for what they represent. But for ArmA, they are just a big 'Huh?' to me.

Of the remaining, the A-10 certainly belongs, and when you say EA-6B Prowler, in my mind I hear 'A-6 Intruder' which would also belong. I love the idea of the Commanche, but recognize the realism issues with it.

If I may be so bold as to make some alternate suggestions? Perhaps the Rafale (which might still suffer my complaints about the F-35), Jaguar, Tornado, or Hawk, or to spread a bit further, the AMX or Super Tocano (this one has an order from the US special operations command, I believe). (My personal favorites are the Jaguar and AMX.) ;)

Again, I do apologize if this comes across as argumentative. Best of luck to you, though, in your decision!

[IrishDeviant 10]

The F-35/F-22/B-1, while all are sexy aircraft, would be severely limited in all of the ArmA theaters.

I did say in my descriptions that the B-1 would be difficult under current game world conditions. If a large world addon is made, then it would be a more practical aircraft. I added the B-1 to my list because it's a personal favorite of mine, and missions could be made to realistically support the B-1, It just wouldn't be used very often. However, because I live in Wichita, KS, and have spent most of my life listening to B-1B's from McConnell Air Force Base blast over my house and rattling shite off of my walls, I've kind of grown a love/hate relationship with them. As for the F-35/F-22, the F-35 is already in game, I'm just considering replacing the existing BIS model with something more accurate, as well as with additional features and functionality. And, the F-22 would be a complementary aircraft to addons such as the Su-33, that have already been made for A2. Fighters play an important role in many A2 missions as Air Superiority is a key element to winning many battles.

As for the A-6, same issue I have with the RAH-66: Though a cool aircraft, it is no longer in service. The A-6 Intruder was retired on 28 February 1997. It's role was moved to the LANTIRN equipped F-14 Tomcat. And, after the Tomcat's retirement, all F-14 roles were moved to the F/A-18 Super Hornet. I would prefer to focus my efforts on aircraft that are currently active in the US Military.

I may at some point work on retired aircraft, but not likely at this time unless there are enough votes for the RAH-66. And, the only reason I would consider the RAH-66 is because it fills a role that currently does not exist within any military. The argument for de-funding the project was that UAV's were a lower cost alternative. However, UAV's don't pack the punch of an AH-1Z in addition to it's stealthy recon capabilities. (the MQ-9 Reaper comes close, but is a fixed wing aircraft with little armor to protect it, though it doesn't have human lives on board, human ground troops depend on their air support for survival)

I don't mean to sound combative, but please fully read posts before commenting. I acknowledged all of you're points, with explanations in my main post.

Hello there, and welcome! Could I vote EA-6B Prowler, and suggest that youd make an A-6 Intruder version as well :). Both those aircraft are odd and interesting

2nd preference would beF22 Raptor, not yet featured

Have you considered the following:

AH-1 Cobra (Original single engined cobra like in OPflash

A-4 Skyhawk - awesome for a bit of ship to air combat like in the Falklands War

UH-1 (different variants ,like twin hueys and with different armaments (or without) and animated doors)

Thank for your time and effort in advance!

A-6 Intruder: like stated above, it is no longer in service.

AH-1: really doesn't interest me as a modeler.

A-4 Skyhawk: Was retired in 1998 by the Marines, and 2003 by the Navy.

UH-1: I am somewhat interested in the UH-1. I actually game with a bunch of guys who love those aircraft. However, the UH-1 in game serves it's purpose well, and it's not really an aircraft that I fly very often. Typically, I'll only model something if I have a personal interest in seeing it in game.

...Thank you guys for your comments and votes. TRexian, I usually just take people's comments with a grain of salt, so don't worry about sounding argumentative. You made some sound points, but I had already covered them in my post. Though, the further explanation will likely help other readers.

P.S. EA-6B already has the lead.

Edited September 27, 2010 by IrishDeviant

[wolfbite 8]

I voted prowler although I would like to see the f-35 done properly with working missile doors and proper fan cover etc...

[Dr. Horrible 10]

P.S. EA-6B already has the lead.

Jup from the available ones definitly the most desirable.

But my favourite would have been an OPFOR plane...we have the F-14, F-15, F-16, soon F/A-18 and the F-35, but only one MiG. (The MiG-23 from the LoBo Mod)

Well but at least the MiG-21 is going to be made. Shame there is no Armed Assault MiG-25, because porting is something I can do myself.

[TRexian 0]

hehe

I was hoping to be the little angel on your shoulder, whispering the words your conscience was already telling you. ;)

[joking mode]

You KNOW it would be wrong to do the fast-movers/strategic aircraft! Don't do it!!!111eleventyone

[/joking mode]

:D

I would, however, encourage you to expand into non-USian a/c, although a good compromise might be the Super Tocano.

And thanks again for your efforts!

Edit:

Oh, and I voted A-10 (even though my dad flew A-6s). CAS FTW. :)

[[frl]myke 14]

Also voted for the EA-6B Prowler.

Maybe think about those as i would like to see them ingame aswell:

Grumman E-2 Hawkeye AWACS

McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender

[IrishDeviant 10]

Dually noted. I agree with both of you that we already have a wealth of US aircraft, and not many Axis aircraft. However, I prefer to model American. And, the F-4/F-14/F-15/F-18 models aren't exceptionally well made. They work, but if I actually cared to fly any of those aircraft, I'd probably re-model them. I don't mean to downplay the work their respective modelers put into making them. But, I have a high standard of quality that I like my games to meet. ...And, yes, I will consider making a Mig, but not the MiG-25. That thing is a piece of shite! It weighs far more than it needs to, it's engines are unreliable, it's airframe might have well been made from toothpicks, and all of it's so-called record breaking stats... It is only able to achieve those high mach numbers and altitude for short durations. Any actual combat scenario would preclude the pilot from taking advantage of the higher end of it's performance envelope due to priority of survival being higher than that of speed.

---------- Post added at 11:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------

Myke;1758279']Also voted for the EA-6B Prowler.

Maybe think about those as i would like to see them ingame aswell:

Grumman E-2 Hawkeye AWACS

McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender

Hey Myke. Yeah, I'd definitely consider the E-2, but not at the moment. Will probably add it to my list of aircraft to model this year, though. As for the KC-10; If I were to make a refueler, I'd really only want to make the KC-130 Stratotanker. Which then falls under the same "too big for Arma" category as the B-1B. But, would still consider it.

[TomatoArden 0]

I did say in my descriptions that the B-1 would be difficult under current game world conditions. If a large world addon is made, then it would be a more practical aircraft. I added the B-1 to my list because it's a personal favorite of mine, and missions could be made to realistically support the B-1, It just wouldn't be used very often. However, because I live in Wichita, KS, and have spent most of my life listening to B-1B's from McConnell Air Force Base blast over my house and rattling shite off of my walls, I've kind of grown a love/hate relationship with them. As for the F-35/F-22, the F-35 is already in game, I'm just considering replacing the existing BIS model with something more accurate, as well as with additional features and functionality. And, the F-22 would be a complementary aircraft to addons such as the Su-33, that have already been made for A2. Fighters play an important role in many A2 missions as Air Superiority is a key element to winning many battles.

As for the A-6, same issue I have with the RAH-66: Though a cool aircraft, it is no longer in service. The A-6 Intruder was retired on 28 February 1997. It's role was moved to the LANTIRN equipped F-14 Tomcat. And, after the Tomcat's retirement, all F-14 roles were moved to the F/A-18 Super Hornet. I would prefer to focus my efforts on aircraft that are currently active in the US Military.

I may at some point work on retired aircraft, but not likely at this time unless there are enough votes for the RAH-66. And, the only reason I would consider the RAH-66 is because it fills a role that currently does not exist within any military. The argument for de-funding the project was that UAV's were a lower cost alternative. However, UAV's don't pack the punch of an AH-1Z in addition to it's stealthy recon capabilities. (the MQ-9 Reaper comes close, but is a fixed wing aircraft with little armor to protect it, though it doesn't have human lives on board, human ground troops depend on their air support for survival)

I don't mean to sound combative, but please fully read posts before commenting. I acknowledged all of you're points, with explanations in my main post.

A-6 Intruder: like stated above, it is no longer in service.

AH-1: really doesn't interest me as a modeler.

A-4 Skyhawk: Was retired in 1998 by the Marines, and 2003 by the Navy.

UH-1: I am somewhat interested in the UH-1. I actually game with a bunch of guys who love those aircraft. However, the UH-1 in game serves it's purpose well, and it's not really an aircraft that I fly very often. Typically, I'll only model something if I have a personal interest in seeing it in game.

...Thank you guys for your comments and votes. TRexian, I usually just take people's comments with a grain of salt, so don't worry about sounding argumentative. You made some sound points, but I had already covered them in my post. Though, the further explanation will likely help other readers.

P.S. EA-6B already has the lead.

Thanks for consideration.

seems we all want to see EA-6B Prowler in game! Although on that note Id suggest the new EA-18G Growler which is to replace the EA-6as well?

Other Ideas (Just putting stuff down until something peaks your interest, ignore it if it doesnt!)

UH-72 Lakota

CH-53E Super Stallion

T-45 Goshawk - Navy jet trainer, based on BAE Hawk

P-3 Orion

P-8 Poseidon

B-52 Stratofortress

SOme of those have already been done for Arma, but usually are ports from older games and dont look nearly as good as more recent models!

Thanks again!!

[dominikxD 10]

Other planes

A4E for vilas P85

F-4B or J Phantom for vilas P85 too

Mi-24 Superhind

Mig-29 for takistan air force

Mig-21 too

[ei8ght 11]

A-4 Skyhawk

F-4 phantom

A-1 Skryraider

F-105 thunderchief

HEHEH Vietnam style!!:yay:

[Banderas 0]

Whooooo stop for a little bit before he cracks under the weight of the requests :)

Voted for F-35 variants, but do them as you wish.

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

I voted EA-6B, although I would LOVE to see a properly done A-1 Skyraider.

[IrishDeviant 10]

This is not an addon request thread. Please stay on topic.

[ei8ght 11]

sorry :D:D

I vote for the B1 bomber because I think it's the world:yay:

[icebreakr 3140]

Guess Prowler is winning. If you watch movie Flight of the Intruder you'll see the "simulation" is like in A2 - a peasant with an old rifle can aim and make a headshot with a single bullet :)

[cannonouscrash 12]

Ill refrain from requesting a different aircraft other than ones available to vote for.

I went for the prowler, There is something not quite right with the 'fast' jets dont get me wrong, i pish around in RKSLs Eurofighter on an almost daily basis, but i feel the game needs another ground pounder :-)

2nd vote would be for the B-1b

[konrad1 10]

dont vote for A 10 and F35 there are good enough

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

Guess Prowler is winning. If you watch movie Flight of the Intruder you'll see the "simulation" is like in A2 - a peasant with an old rifle can aim and make a headshot with a single bullet :)

It is possible. It's caled "The Golden BB", and it happens in everything from fast attack jets, to slower CAS types, to helicopters. Its all dependant on somebody firing at the right angle (accidently obviously) at the right time, for it to hit the right spot where it either disables some vital system, or hits one of the pilots. There were waaay too many golden BBs in Vietnam, but there have been plenty in the iraq/afghanistan war this decade. Even with all the technology we have these days luck plays a big factor.

@Irish: If your munitions are any example, any aircraft from you is going to be absolutely amazing

[Dr. Horrible 10]

That thing is a piece of shite! It weighs far more than it needs to, it's engines are unreliable, it's airframe might have well been made from toothpicks, and

...its the only MiG who ever shot down a modern 4th generation fighter :p

Yes, logistically its a nightmare, but (modernized) MiG-25s are often seen as the only chance low-tech countrys have to defend themselves from well-equipped adversaries. Seriously, I dont care which MiG you make (well the MiG-21 is already in works twice, as is the MiG-29, and we have ported the outstanding MiG-15 model from ArmA 1), but apart from that the MiG-25 was just an example. And there is always the MiG-31.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Dr. Horrible

[HyperU2 11]

I voted A10. Prowler isn't all that heavily armed so it wouldn't be of much use. There aren't any cable cars in the mountains of ARMA.

[Dr. Horrible 10]

I voted A10. Prowler isn't all that heavily armed so it wouldn't be of much use. There aren't any cable cars in the mountains of ARMA.

Yeah but seriously, A10 is already ingame. Why make a new model? If you look at all the addons which have been released so far for ArmA 1 & 2, in all honesty, even the most graphical advanced ones (Red Hammer BMD, MiG-15) were still just "as good as" the stock BIS ones. Because of RVMAT and Co. the Operation Flashpoint times are over when the User content surpassed the stock content graphically.

So horray for new scripts, but modelling a new A10?

[HyperU2 11]

If I had to pick freely I'd probably come up with a different aircraft, from this list, A10.

[Banderas 0]

Yeah but seriously, A10 is already ingame. Why make a new model? If you look at all the addons which have been released so far for ArmA 1 & 2, in all honesty, even the most graphical advanced ones (Red Hammer BMD, MiG-15) were still just "as good as" the stock BIS ones. Because of RVMAT and Co. the Operation Flashpoint times are over when the User content surpassed the stock content graphically.

So horray for new scripts, but modelling a new A10?

I would argue with you in this context, the mentioned BMDs (and other RHS models) are even more detailed than BI ones, the MiG-15 was far above BI standards in its time. Even in A1 had addons that looked much better than vanilla (Johnny's Marines and SF for example).

But if you don't beleive me, take Mateck's M1A1 (either A1, A2, can be found in ACE 2 too) and compare it to the default BI models. For texturing, you should compare BI ones with Topas' works, I doubt you won't recognize the difference between the two.

I didn't say BI made bad job on the models, but sometimes theirs are too generic (C-130 is the best example), lacking details that addonmakers would do, or just not presented completely realistically (M1A2 TUSK).

If he has the initiative, talent and the inspiration to make a better A-10, then I say bring it on! But we're not the ones who has to determine him what to do.