Review: DCS World F-100D Super Sabre by Grinnelli Designs

Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos
11 minutes ago
6 min read

I will be honest, even with some of the developments and improvements that have happened in and around DCS World, there have barely been reasons for me to fully come back to the platform. That is, until a certain fish entered the scene.

The DCS F-100D Super Sabre by Grinnelli Designs has been a module that I have been personally following ever since its development went public over 1400 days ago. Being one of my all-time favorite aircraft, the Hun was solidly locked on my radar.

I had the privilege of being part of the pre-release press access group, so I got to fly it for quite a bit before it went public. This also gave me access to some members of the development team, such as Aero, JNelson and even Grinnelli himself!

Let's take a look at this module from a very unique perspective, one that will go more in-depth into what made this module possible and the lengths the team went to deliver the best aircraft possible for us to enjoy.

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL 3D MODELS

3D modeling for DCS, and the standards that are expected by the users, have always been a rising hill for developers to meet and surpass.

From the earlier years of DCS with Flaming Cliffs, the first third party module in the shape of Leatherneck's MiG-21Bis, and the release of Heatblur's Tomcat and Phantom; the standards of quality and realism have only increased. That being said, I only carry great news with me today.

Grinnelli's team has not only met, but easily surpassed, all current standards of quality set by the industry. The cockpit is immaculately modeled, with a clear use of LIDAR scans as a base, but optimized for in-game use. The canopy railing, instrument bezels, gunsight components, seat and console panels have been brought to life with immaculate attention to detail. Hell, there are components in the cockpit that react to changes in acceleration, making everything feel alive.

I thought the cockpit on Heatblur's F-4E Phantom was excellent, but Grinnelli Designs have surpassed what I thought was possible with the addition of properly optimized meshes and lower texture memory usage. Brilliant!

The exterior model is nothing to scoff at, either. Based on 56-2995's airframe, a restored airframe for display at Georgia's Museum of Aviation, this F-100D has been revived and detailed with excruciating detail. From the supports of the slats to the engine feathers and the rigged refueling probe; this model has nothing to envy from other developers. Its texel density is excellent, and the quality of the normal maps and paneling is something that rivet counters will thoroughly enjoy.

The liveries included are excellent, and the variety of them is exactly what I would expect from such as lively team such as Grinnelli Designs. What amazed me the most, for as dumb as it might sound, was the inclusion of what-if liveries and fictional designs like the Catfish livery. Those touches of humor make the module feel more personal, more human.

FLIGHT MODEL

That being said, I think this plane's character is quite the experience. It both feels alive, as if it wanted you dead, and silky smooth with the dampener on. It reacts to all my inputs in a raw, almost mechanical feel, but it is not afraid to let me know that I have f***** up when I pushed it past its limits.

The engine simulation is also top-notch. Do not go in expecting this engine to be easy to operate, as it is extremely sensitive to sudden throttle changes and its propensity to flame-out and die on you is notorious. Watch your throttle, treat the engine with respect and be prepared to learn the air-start procedures like muscle memory, because you will need it.

The flight model itself was modeled by Aero and JNelson, both incredibly talented developers. I have personally worked with JNelson in the past during the development of the A-4E Skyhawk' EFM, so I was pleasantly surprised to see his involvement with the Hun project.

They both used and developed their own tools, especially ' TheTool™ '. This software allowed them to more accurately model and streamline testing of the FM, something that has always been a nightmare for DCS developers. We will go into a lot more detail about the development of the Super Sabre systems and flight model in an upcoming interview with both of these developers!

For now, as a user, all you need to know is that this aircraft has been accurately modeled.

SOUND, SYSTEMS AND EASE OF USE

The sound design in this aircraft was made, in part, by a familiar face for me. Plusline, the same dev who aided in the sound design and art for the A-4E, had a hand in the project. Strain sounds, the rattle of the aircraft on the ground and the growl of the engine, as well as the scary sounds of an engine surge or flame-out. All of these sounds are excellently implemented, which only adds another aspect in which the Hun shines brightly.

If you are familiar with aircraft of that era, then you will feel right at home with the Hun. Simple procedures, deceptively complex modeling and a non-standard cockpit layout. All aspects that make this generation of military aviation very unique.

You won't see a radar screen, or even an advanced RHAW, because the Hun was made in an era where many of these technologies were still very new or even unprecedented. The RHAW is one such technology that was at the vanguard for its time.

Designed around the SA-2 Guideline SAM system, and its radars, it is very limited when it comes down to accurately displaying much of the electromagnetic spectrum present in DCS. You will not get your usual launch tones, or emitter type displays; instead, you get the raw radar returns in a green phosphor display that will beep and boop at you in ways that you have never heard before. It is raw, it is hard to read, but you will be able to at least sort of tell when someone is looking at you just by listening to the change in tone coming from the RHAW.

Be prepared to have your eyes out and scan the sky, that is all that you will be able to do to compensate. This is not a standoff aircraft, nor is it one that can move through the battlefield unnoticed. So, you Rd the only factor that will be the difference between being alive or being rubble.

WEAPONRY

GUNS

SIDEWINDERS

AGM-45 SHRIKE

ROCKETS

BOMBS

CLUSTER DISPENSERS

ZELL AND UNIQUE FEATURES

The Hun was one of the only aircraft to ever be fitted with the Zero Length Launch System (ZELL). To put it simply, this was the West's answer to the possibility of having their airfields vaporized during an initial nuclear exchange with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They strapped a big rocket motor to a F-100D, put it in a truck with a launcher and just launched them like surface to air missiles.

In fact, that is one of the reasons this program existed, since it dates prior to the invention and proliferation of SAM sites and complex air defense systems. So, if you ever wanted to feel the same as a rocket does during launch (short of becoming an astronaut), then you need to try this out.

This is not the only unique system that the Hun has, as it is the first module in DCS with a fully customizable instrument cluster! Just go to the website, select your layout and input the code it gives you into the aircraft's special options! You will now be able to enjoy an instrument cluster made to your specification!

CONCLUSIONS

If you are thinking about buying this module, then let's point out some aspects first.

If what you want in a module is to:

Experience the height of the golden age of aviation from inside the premier fighter of the mid 50s.
A relatively flexible platform that is capable of giving you the chance of performing many mission profiles
An immaculately made flight model, as well as incredible detail in the 3D models you will be using.
A fully simulated electric, hydraulic and mechanical simulation system that does NOT eat your FPS.

If what you don't want is: