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[Shadow Wolf 07]

A coupe of quick screenshots using the new VF-5 F4F-4:

[Shadow Wolf 07]

A setback: my install crashed Tuesday evening... but fortunately I had just completed a full backup last Friday. I was i the process of building my next mission:
"On 23 January 1943, Saratoga launched 18 F4Fs of VF-3, 24 SBDs of VB-3 and VS-3, and 17 TBFs of VT-3 for Henderson Field, retaining 16 F4Fs and 15 SBDs for self-defense. The next day they attacked the Japanese airfield at Vila, Solomon Islands after it had been bombarded by 4 Allied light cruisers. The aircraft returned to the carrier without loss later that afternoon."
I was trying to switch from UT's Solomon Islands (87 Days) scenery to Solomons_Airbases_43late, so I would have the airfields at Vila and later, Buka. Both MB, when I try to load a mission and Free Flight et al crashed.

So I quickly updated a copy of my back up. This time I will read the instructions more carefully and if necessary PM Uncle Tgt for assistance or clarification.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Having solved my scenery issues, I am moving on.
I inserted a new mission, the Vila raid described in the above post. Building it from scratch it took me a couple of days to complete but I finished it yesterday:


[strings]
"title_string"=Sara-G2_Vila Interdiction Strike_1-F4Fa
"summary_string"=Good morning men! Your mission for today is a strike on the airfield at Vila. Ottawa you and Chippewa will take off at noon, 1200 hours, and climbing to 12,000 feet, link up with the first wave of Strike Group Warrior. Proceed 175 miles on a 303-degree heading to RP-COPPER, arriving there at 1300 hours. Continue SW on a 225-degree vector for 30 miles to the target area. Ottawa, you are to provide high cover over the airstrip, intercepting any CAP present and any aircraft that try to take off. Once the strike concludes, you will be informed by the bomber leader. Then you are free to engage targets of opportunity with gunfire before regrouping at RP-SILVER - 10 miles SSW of the target airstrip. From SILVER, proceed due south for about 70 miles to rendezvous with Saratoga at RP-LEAD.
"objective_string"=The Japanese had developed the base at Vila Plantation as a staging area for strikes out of Rabaul against Guadalcanal. It had become a nuisance and the Allies had decided to neutralize it with shelling and bombing strikes. On 23 January 1943, Saratoga launched 18 F4Fs of VF-3, 24 SBDs of VB-3 and VS-3, and 17 TBFs of VT-3 for Henderson Field, retaining 16 F4Fs and 15 SBDs for self-defense. The next day they attacked the Japanese airfield at Vila, Solomon Islands after it had been bombarded by 4 Allied light cruisers. The aircraft returned to the carrier without loss later that afternoon. Note: Despite this and subsequent strikes, the Japanese managed to keep Vila operational until it was abandoned in September, 1943.
"intelligence_string"=The weather for your mission looks good. Winds are 10-12 knots out of 120 degrees, with visibility of 15+ miles and scattered cloud cover above 10,000 feet. AA ground fire should be degraded by the 4-hour naval bombardment, which will lift just prior to your arrival over RP-BRONZE. The duration and intensity of the barrage should also prevent any enemy CAP from taking off to oppose you.
"player_aircraft_name_string"=F4F-4 Wildcat VF-5
"airfield_string"=Henderson42

This will be the last mission employing the Wildcat. Saratoga takes on CAG-12 with Hellcats next mission. MY only question for now is whether to make missions on the same strike, but with the player in an Avenger or Dauntless. These I would set up as random alternatives to the core mission (F4F). Your thoughts?

Cheers:
Shadow Wolf 07

[highpockets]

Avenger.
One of my comic characters I read as a kid during WWII was Buz Sawyer and his gunner , Roscoe Sweeney flying the Avenger, Hence my Avatar
Nothing too technical about that, just like the look of the "beast".

[UncleTgt]

Another vote for the TBF.

This would help as a transition link between the Wildcat airgroup & the Hellcat airgroup

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I finished tht SBD version and will get to the Avenger version Tomorrow.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

This is from the Dauntless version:

"title_string"=Sara-G2_Vila Interdiction Strike_2-SBD
"summary_string"=Good morning men! Your mission for today is a strike on the airfield at Vila. Ottawa you and Chippewa will take off at noon, 1200 hours, and climbing to 10,500 feet, link up with the first wave of Strike Group Warrior. Proceed 175 miles on a 303-degree heading to RP-COPPER, arriving there at 1300 hours. Continue SW on a 225-degree vector for 30 miles to the target area. Ottawa, you are to attack and destroy the fuel storage facility about 500 yards east of the center of the runway. Make as many passes as necessary to ensure its elimination. Expend any remaining ordinance on targets of opportunity. Once the strike concludes, you will be informed by the bomber leader. Then you are to break off and regroup at RP-LEAD - 10 miles SSW of the target airstrip. From LEAD, proceed due south at 180 degrees for about 70 miles to rendezvous with Saratoga at RP-GOLD.

I'm going to work on the Avenger version this PM. Meanwhile, I thought about makinng and adding some recon photos:

Cheers!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Currently working on the SBD and TBF missions for the strike on (UT's) SI_Buka. I just test-flew the F6F-3 version and all went as it should.

Cheers

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I've completed the Buka raid missions and now I'm working on the attack on the Japanese cruiser force in Rabaul Harbor, 5 NOV 43. Again I am doing a triple - F6F, SBD, and TBF missions.

These missions are large (70+ KB) and complex with over 70 aircraft, many triggers and events. When I finish the first mission, (an F6F mission) I will test fly it and try to get some decent screenshots.

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[scoobyman32]

Very much looking forward to these SW, this campaign will be dynamite.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Very much looking forward to these SW, this campaign will be dynamite.

I hope so,Scoobyman32. I've just completed my weekly backup. I have finished so far 28 out of 60+ missions. I'm currently working on the TBF version of the raid on the Japanese cruisers in Rabaul harbor, Nov 1943.

With quite a few "life" interruptions scheduled for the immediate future, I really don't expect to finish this campaign before the beginning of next year.

Cheers:
Shadow Wolf 07

[highpockets]

Shadow Wolf 07
Hmmm. Me too.
I completely understand life interruptions. Happens a lot when we get in our age range. Love your work. Hang in there.
I'm in no hurry as my interruptions are in process.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

As of this PM I have completed 33 missions. I am going to take a couple of days break from MB and do some test flying.

Cheers:

SW07

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Well I'm back in the arms of the medics again. I returned to the hospital Saturday morning in incredible pain from my feet to my lower back. They did a series of tests an scans and managed to get my pain down to tolerable levels - tolerable with medication. I am in a rehabilitation facility as of this afternoon and I'm resuming work on my campaign project.

Before I fell apart, I managed to complete the SBD version of the Nauru strike and will start my TBF mission this evening. I have no joystick with me so there will be no flight testing until I get home.

Cheers to all:
Shadow

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Actually I am glad I have this work of love to do while I am recovering in this rehab center. It provides me with something satisfying to do. Time passes more quickly and my morale is high.

Thus far I have finished some 35 missions and currently I'm working on the TBF version of the attack on Wotje Island in the Marshall Islands - 29 JAN 1944 - Operation Flintlock. Little air opposition in this set, they are mostly ground attack in nature.

Moving on...

Shadow Wolf 07

[UncleTgt]

Glad to hear you are on the mend, Shadow Wolf

Also great to hear you're still making progress with the mission-writing too...that's dedication to the Cause!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I go home from rehab on Wednesday, NOV 29th. The first thing I'm going to do is fix a good dinner - then back to work again.

I just finished mission number 44 - an SBD-5 strike on Sabang, Sumatra. Number 45 will be the same mission but with the player leading one of the Avenger flights.

I've already redone the Sabang CAP mission an one of the 3 Surebaya raid missions. Once I've done the last 2 of those it's off o the coast of Japan.

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[Shadow Wolf 07]

How about the stock campaign to work with all the new scenery etc. I prefer something you can fly either side.[/I]

Looking back into the history of this thread, I noticed (again) Deathwind's post. Hmm... I may put this idea on my to do list. I'll do the USN side and see if I can convince someone to do the IJN/IJAAF side.

In the meantime, I am getting a severe case of "campaign fatigue." I'm getting tired of plotting player and AI courses, waypoints and triggers/events. I think I'll take a few days off from mission building to refresh my pitiful brain. I have 47 missions built, but not flight tested.

I intend to stay creative though. Some work needs to be done on campaign related stuff, like opening videos, and cleaning up my downloads list. This will be an auto-loader installer, so a long, in depth listing won't be necessary - just a list of the credits, campaign synopsis and an installation readme.

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[highpockets]

SW
47 of 60 missions! Landing back on the carrier 60 times! Maybe just hit X for me.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

SW
47 of 60 missions! Landing back on the carrier 60 times! Maybe just hit X for me.

Hi, Highpockets:

LOL: You won't have to make 60 landings. It is 60 total but in the campaign itself, you'll only have to fly about 25. Many are duplicates with the same mission for F4F/F6F, SBD or TBF randomly selected. Besides the mixed version there will be 3 other campaigns - a pure fighter, pure TBF and a pure SBD version.

The Japan missions should prove to be the most challenging. They all start after sunset. The earliest take off is 1900 hours. I don't remember if there is any lunar illumination... You'll love it, I'm sure.

SW07

[highpockets]

At my age with my eyes, I may need some flares.

[stuart277]

Hi Shadow Wolf
I hope that all goes well with the recovery.
Let me know if you need any ships.
Cheers
Stuart

I go home from rehab on Wednesday, NOV 29th. The first thing I'm going to do is fix a good dinner - then back to work again.

I just finished mission number 44 - an SBD-5 strike on Sabang, Sumatra. Number 45 will be the same mission but with the player leading one of the Avenger flights.

I've already redone the Sabang CAP mission an one of the 3 Surebaya raid missions. Once I've done the last 2 of those it's off o the coast of Japan.

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Hi Shadow Wolf
I hope that all goes well with the recovery.
Let me know if you need any ships.
Cheers
Stuart

Thank you, Stuart:

My recovery is coming along fine. I discharge tomorrow to home and at-home physical therapy et al. My walker is going to be my newest best friend.

As for ships, I didn't want do bother you but since you asked... In my Joint TF missions the OB calls for 3 Q-Class Royal navy DDs. I couldn't find one in our Warbirds, so I used your R-Class ship. If you have the time and inclination could you build us an RN Q-Class DD 1944? It would be nice to have and, of course very much appreciated.

Cheers:

Greg

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I got home from rehab a couple of weeks ago and though I haven't test flown any old or built any new missions, I've cleaned up and fixed several. I'm still floating in the waters south of Surabaja, Java. I have yet to do the TBF Avenger version of the raid/mission.

Once i get the Java raid competed, Sara returns to the States for a refit and night operations training. She was then, formed up in Ulithi with USS Enterprise to compose the nucleus of TG 58.5, Night Carrier Division 7. She had aboard the 53 Hellcats and 17 avengers of Carrier Air Group (Night) 53. I'll pick up my work after that point, off the coast of Japan in FEB of 1945.

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Well, I finally got ff my 6 and finished the SBD version of the Surebaja raid mission. Wondering if I should do a TBF version too?