AT the beginning of the year, we showcased the best of the best when it came down to modding and how these aircraft, which are all free, would allow you to get a proper start in DCS without spending a dime. Now let's take a look at some projects that are still in development but that show incredible promise!
DCS J35J by BAAS Dynamics
This project, which started not long after the BAAS team dropped their Sk60B mod, has been making slow but steady progress over the past year. The developers seem to be aiming for a similar level of fidelity as the Sk60B, which means that it will be focused on modeling most systems, with some minor exceptions.
The 3D art and texture work by Fredrik "Breadmaker", who we have interviewed before, is on par or better than the SK60B's, which would put it at the level of some official modules or even surpassing some! The amount of work and dedication that has been put toward the creation of this mod is absolutely unbelievable and, for now, it is my most anticipated release. The cockpit model looks phenomenal and the level of detail is astonishing. Everything from the wear on the side panels, the scratches on the stick and even the fingerprints on the radar screen is absolutely brutal. To me, this just shows that the skills of their creators is one that is only matched by projects that have substantial financial backing from companies.
That being said, for these modders their personal life will always take priority over the projects they work on. As of the 05/27/2023, the J35J project will be slowing down development due to Fredrik's personal situation with work and life, as well as the situation of some of the other developers, specially programmers. Here is their statement:
If you want to follow this project, please do join BAAS Dynamic's discord server!
DCS ALPHAJET PROJECT BY SPLIT AIR
The developers that brought us wonderful mods such as the OV-10A Bronco, Mirage 2000D and the Rafales, are now working on a new and interesting mod: The Alphajet. This aircraft was originally a joint effort between West Germany and France due to these countries' very similar needs for a light attack/advanced trainer jet for their air forces.
What came out of that program was the Alphajet, a twin-engine aircraft capable of a versatile set of missions, some of which we will be able to accomplish in DCS World thanks to the work that the developers over at Split Air are putting into the project.
At the moment there isn't much public information available about this project, but what we know does give us a clear idea as to what we will be able to do with it. Multicrew is currently in the works and armament will initially be the 30 mm gun pod! If this mod is anything like their OV-10A, then we will have one hell of a trainer in our hands.
It is worth saying that the developers themselves have stated that this mod is hovering at around 60% completion, with steady progress being made eevery month. Whenever this aircraft comes to our virtual hangars, we will cover it, just like we did with the Bronco! To stay updated on this project, please join Split Air's discord server. Word of warning, this is mostly a French-speaking community. Si vous ne parlez pas Français, vous aurez probablement des problèmes de communication. Bonne chance !
PROJECT LANCASTER FOR DCS WORLD
This project is unique. As far as heavy bombers go, none are flyable in both DCS World and even IL-2 Great Battles. This is where Project Lancaster comes into the scene, mainly because it seems to address this evident hole in aircraft availability.
Having been in development for over two years now, this project has had its ups and downs, but it seems like recently they have made quite a lot of progress. From the look of things, it is still quite a ways away from release, but the quality that has been shown is astounding.
The external model is quite a sight to see, specially after the numerous overhauls and reworked versions that it has gone through. It is specially noticeable that the 3D artist that is in charge of making this model is quite proud of their work, which seems to have led them into a very healthy progress loop that, if used properly, could propel their work to heights never seen before in DCS modding.
The cockpit model and some of the other stations, such as the navigator/bombardier, are also in the works. All 7 stations in the aircraft, including gunner stations, seem to also be functional to some degree, with multicrew being an option that the developers are looking into. Integration multicrew without access to the DCS SDK is quite a challenge, so we will be looking forward to what this team has in store for the community.
Only a couple of weeks ago, the developers showcased the mods in a video! They aimed to recreate the famous Dambusters raid that gave the Lancaster a place in aviation history. You can't see much of the mod during the video, but it does server as proof that this mod not only looks gorgeous, but also has potential for some extremely unique WWII missions for the community to exploit.
To stay up to date with this awesome mod, please join Project Lancaster's discord server!
About the writer:
Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos
Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as the co-founder and writer ever since. Twitter | Discord: Cubeboy #9034
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