Game Jams are magical places where vague concepts need to be distilled to create a working game loop in a short amount of time. They are a mixture of personal challenges for indie developers to better their skills and find motivation, while also having their works submitted for judgment in competitions. From time to time, I love digging through the smallest of the smallest, most niche flight games. There are fewer places better to look than game jams. This time around I was digging through Game Maker's Toolkit Game Jam 2025 . Running from July 30th to August 3rd, about 9,614 games were built and entered for competition in just those five days. The developers were given the loose theme of "Loop" to build their games around. The different teams took this theme and interpreted it in literally thousands of different ways. I now have a nice list of death loop games, music/rhythm games and some heart jerking love stories. While sifting through the 40+ pages of games, the image of a sky writing aircraft flashed across my screen. Skywriter Academy was created by team Trash Pilots (an amazing team name). When asked about how this game fits the Loop theme of the game jam, the team said: "In Skywriter Academy, you're tasked with writing messages in the sky by using smoky loop-de-loops to pass challenges!" All controls are done with basic keyboard inputs for maneuvering the aircraft, throttle selection and an interact button to click specific controls in the cockpit. This was a quickly assembled game, so it's fair to not expect full controller support here. I suggest downloading the game to get the best experience. From the beginning the dev team intentionally designed this 3D flying game to be difficult . While the flight model is very arcade-y with the aircraft more than capable of performing unbelievably tight turns in just a few seconds with little to no risk of departing from flight, the cockpit is where the game design intentionally overrides aircraft functionality. The cockpit was purposefully designed with a somewhat problematic layout. The aircraft has unusually low visibility and the bare minimum amount of flight instruments. Even the switch activating the smoke generator is placed behind the pilot seat, forcing players to look away from the direction of travel to turn it on or off. The screen in the lower-center console of the cockpit is the game defining flight instrument. That screen is showing a live camera feed from the hangars of the runway players takeoff from. The shapes or messages players must sky write, as referenced in their document folder, are to be drawn above the runway according to the perspective of that camera. This creates a pretty wacky dynamic where players both need to look straight down in the cockpit to monitor their progress. Looking forward out of the cockpit while skywriting is actually a detriment. The camera feed is vital for getting the shapes as correct as possible, but it is also the only way players can ensure they will not collide with terrain while flying. This is probably one of the most awkward ways to attempt flying an aircraft through aerobatics I've seen. Collisions are bound to happen, and squiggly shapes are expected. Though, after a few attempts this odd style of flying becomes easier to understand and the game itself is decently lenient with its grading system. So don't sweat failing a few times. A key part of the experience is the challenge of trying to succeed in intentionally difficult conditions, rather than revel in the accuracy of how real-world skywriting is done. The Trash Pilots team made a pretty odd little game in a matter of a few days. While I do not expect this style of game to "take off" anytime soon, I do think that Skywriter Academy could probably get away with a standalone, paid game release if it added more shapes to draw and a consistent grading system and maybe some unlockable aircraft with different flight characteristics. Using these aircraft could also act as a score multiplier for shapes drawn. That is just me thinking out loud though. If you have a few minutes and a working keyboard and mouse, try something unusual. Take a look at Skywriter Academy. Connect with 'Skywriter Academy / Trash Pilots' Game: Itch.io Art: Ties Groen Music & Sound: Nik Buchowski Programming: Bart van Egten Programming: Victor Ghys . About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile ]

Ask anyone who’s ever played Ace Combat - video games can be far more than mere entertainment. When intended as such by their developers, they can be incredibly powerful vessels for storytelling , possessing a trait unique to interactive media: while a well-written book will certainly immerse you in the story, a video game allows the author to place the audience directly inside it. This format’s potential for storytelling is in fact so great that, sometimes, a story will be told even though it was never really intended to have a story at all. Many years ago, when I didn’t yet have a PC powerful enough to play DCS or one of the newer IL-2 games, Strike Fighters 2 was my go-to combat flight sim. We’ve covered this old gem before , but suffice to say that while it does have several campaigns, there’s not really any narrative. No characters, no cutscenes; no storytelling. It does, however, have two features which in conjunction resulted in an experience I’ve been wanting to talk about ever since. Of Rosters, Rookies, and Aces The first is the game’s Custom Campaign feature. Players can take one of the game’s campaigns and change settings such as your unit’s aircraft and even the country it’s from - you can even pick certain squadrons from air forces around the world. In conjunction with the game’s vast modding scene adding more aircraft and maps to the game, this allows the player to create almost any scenario imaginable, from French Mirage IIIs intervening in the war between the game’s fictional countries of Dhimar and Paran, to JASDF F-4EJ Kai fighting Flankers over the Kuril Islands. Apart from having unique ammunition cost mechanics, custom campaigns in Mercenary mode let you really feel like Shin Kazama with these terribly mix-matched formations. The other feature of note is the pilot roster system. Pilots in your squadron are given a name and surname at random, picked from the game’s remarkably expansive list of available names for each country - and if it’s a mercenary campaign, you will have a hodge-podge of names from all over the world. They each have their own set of stats for various skills, and even fatigue - which forces the player to constantly rotate which pilots go out on sorties. The combination of these stats change the way in which individual pilots behave, fly and respond to threats. As pilots gain experience in combat, they sharpen their skills and can also be promoted. The simple fact that these NPCs have names and their own behaviors changes how the player interacts with his wingmen as opposed to flight sims where they remain nameless. You will certainly end up having your favorite pilots to fly with, that one inexperienced rookie you always have to take care of at the start and ends up growing into a solid pilot - and, because this is a combat game, some of them will almost inevitably be shot down. If they manage to eject, they might be rescued by friendly forces, hospitalized due to injuries, or go missing in action; if they don’t, they’ll be KIA, and be permanently crossed out on your roster. This is of course not unique to SF2, and the fascinating phenomenon of player attachment to characters simply because they have a name has been explored at least since 1993’s Cannon Fodder. What is interesting though, is that under the hood, the same system is being applied to all pilots in the campaign - not just to the player’s squadron roster. This means that each NPC has their own skill stats, they also earn experience, they can also get promoted, and their number of kills is tracked - even though you can't see it. That is… until one of them gets five kills. When an NPC becomes an ace, their name becomes visible to the player. Every time you come across them while flying, you will be able to see their rank and name; and in the pre-mission planning map, when looking at an airbase, it’ll tell you which squadrons are stationed there - as well as listing out known aces belonging to these units. In certain base game aircraft, aces even get their own kill marks! The thing is, for the longest time, I had only seen friendly aces ( I guess the poor Fishbed pilots never lived long enough to get five kills...) and thus I thought this feature applied only to pilots on the BLUFOR side. It made sense to me at the time - this is a flight sim, after all. It doesn’t have the narrative drive of an arcade game like Ace Combat; the whole point is that it’s attempting to simulate aircraft behavior to a point where you must use the appropriate tactics when fighting them. In this context, enemy aircraft are simply targets for you to practice against; there’s no need for characters to be attached to them. There’s no use for a story. This is the story of when I was proven wrong, and all of that changed. Setting the Stage SF2’s custom campaigns gave me many memorable moments - like that one time in a Starfighter campaign, when I took a rookie pilot along for an easy recon mission to get him some experience, only for my F-104G to end up being blue-on-blue’d by a Sidewinder when we came across a pair of MiG-21PFs and the rookie turned out to be dangerously trigger-happy. Goddamnit, Lt. Banzhaff. However, of course the most memorable one of them all had to involve Northop’s masterpiece: the F-5E Tiger II. When starting this campaign, I wanted to fly the F-5E in the classic matchup of Tiger II versus Fishbed. For the squadron, I picked Brazil’s 1º/14º GAv/Ca (Grupo de Aviação de Caça - Fighter Aviation Group), “Pampa”; all that was left was to pick the area where the campaign would take place. But where would it even remotely fit? There was no South America map. And then it crossed my mind - during WWII, Brazil sent an expeditionary fighter squadron to fight alongside Allied forces in Europe - what about a what-if scenario where the same happens in a Cold War gone hot? A completely insane proposal, but it was enough for me - and so, the campaign would be set in Europe. This scenario would’ve been set in the mid to late 70’s (the F-5E first flew in 1972, and entered operational service with the FAB in 1975) - however, this would mean facing tons of MiG-23s with their semi-active radar homing R-23s. What I wanted instead was to face MiG-21s in close-range dogfights, some classic Fox 2 and guns only action; and to achieve this, I cheated a little bit, and set the campaign’s year to 1968, a time-travelling journey for the “Echo” Tigers which SF2’s campaign editor happily allowed. This was, after all, a completely casual campaign - just to have some fun. Little did I know I would get way more than what I’d bargained for when asking for dogfights against MiG-21s. The Story Begins The campaign starts with 1º/14º GAv/Ca (Grupo de Aviação de Caça - Fighter Aviation Group) “Pampa” being forward deployed to Brüggen airbase, West Germany. On the 21st of August, Warsaw Pact forces cross the inner German border, seeking to unify the two countries under the GDR’s banner. What shall be the F-5E squadron’s first assignment as this conventional conflict deflagrates? SF2's automatically generated missions are always a box full of surprises, after all. I look at the game’s briefing screen: we’re being sortied as a four-ship, callsign Kingfish. Mission objective: “Provide close air support to friendly units defending Fulda.” Oh. Oh no. Looking at the squadron’s roster, I pick the three other pilots who will be heading straight into the jaws of the Pact’s armored push alongside me. Armed with a pair of Mk 82s and two 70mm rocket pods each, the four little F-5Es head towards Fulda, where the battle already rages on both in air and ground. There are F-104Gs dropping bombs on columns of advancing T-55s; on the other side, Su-7 Fitters lob rockets at the defending NATO forces. Heading to the gap. In the ensuing onslaught, two of my wingmen get shot down by anti-aircraft gunfire. One of them bursts into a fireball after being hit by 23mm gunfire from a ZSU-23-4; the other one manages to eject, and parachutes straight into the battlefield below. The scenery of the onslaught. At the end of the day, NATO forces succeed in repelling the assault. The fields of Fulda lay covered in smoldering hulls of T-55s and BMPs; and apart from strafing armored columns with rockets and guns, the 1º/14º gets its first air-to-air kills when, spotting an opportunity, I slot behind a pair of Su-7 Fitters setting up for an attack run and let off a pair of AIM-9Bs - one of which surprisingly connects, while the other misses entirely, leaving me to finish off the lead Fitter with my two 20mm M39 autocannons. Strafing run at the Fulda Gap. However, for me, this victory was a bittersweet one. Of the four F-5Es which sortied out, only two are coming home. On its very first sortie, the squadron lost two aircraft and one aircrew; while one of the pilots was rescued by friendly forces after the battle and returned to the squadron’s roster, 2nd Lt. Janelson Monteiro is KIA. The following sorties went a lot smoother; however, it was perhaps because of this initial shock that, after a successful armed reconnaissance mission, I ordered my wingman to return to base while I searched for targets of opportunity. I still had nearly all of my weapon loadout - two Mk 82s and two rocket pods - and sure enough, after a while I came across the mother of all targets of opportunity: an airbase with most of its air defenses knocked out, and a bunch of MiG-21s just sitting there on the flight line. I look at my map - Merseburg Airbase. Not exactly near the frontline, but not super deep inside East Germany either. I figure I can make a run for it if something goes wrong; and after looking around to make sure no bandits are in the area, I line up for my attack run on the airfield. Look at them all lined up! It was just too tempting! A barrage of rockets rains down on the parked MiG-21s. Very little AAA fire comes to meet me in response. Emboldened by this success, I decide to go for a second pass, and my two Mk 82s vaporize a section of revetment where Fishbed-Js had been parked. This MiG-21S is about to have a very bad day. Thankfully, no one's in it. However, after I pull up from this attack run, I notice I've got company. Approaching fast from my east is a lone MiG-21, armed with four heatseekers and a massive 23mm gunpod on the centreline - it's a Fishbed-J. I figure he must be from this airbase, and he's probably not very happy about what I just pulled off. But something else caught my eye immediately and sent chills down my spine: This guy had a name. Instead of "MiG-21S Fishbed-J", the red letters on my screen read out: "K-n Dmitri Kostilev" . My heart races. What on earth? A named enemy ace? I didn't even know that was possible in this game! What is this fight going to be like? How different will it be from a common enemy MiG-21? As I tried to process what I was looking at, the distance between us was closing fast. I didn't have an escape window to bug out of this fight - I had no option but to face him on the merge. The dance begins. I do not remember the details of this fight as much as how it felt - this guy was a lot more difficult to deal with than anything I'd been across before. Most SF2 enemies are nearly trivial to fight - but this guy knew how to move his Fishbed around, and most importantly, he was aggressive . And, this being an F-5E versus MiG-21 fight, our performance was very evenly matched. Whether it was due to the shock of this being the first time I'd seen an enemy ace, or whether it was actually that good, the fact of the matter is: for the very first time in a Strike Fighters 2 playthrough, I actually felt like I could end up losing a 1v1 dogfight against the AI. After a good few minutes of the most tense fighting I'd ever had in this game, I finally managed to get him in a rolling scissors, where the low-speed performance advantage of the F-5E over the Fishbed gave me enough of an edge to put him in my gunsight. Gotcha! As the twin 20mm cannons roared to life, the Fishbed-J's right wing was sawn clean off. Flames erupted from the wing root; and a second after the canopy blew off, the plumes of the ejection seat's motor dashed out of the cockpit. Splash one Fishbed! I circled around as I watched the smoking MiG-21 plummet to the ground, and sure enough, a white parachute canopy opened up. Mr. Kostilev would live to fight another day. My victory came right in the nick of time, as two East German MiG-21PFMs showed up to the party - thankfully too late. "Hallo, ist hier der Luftkampf?" After returning home with barely any fuel left, I went straight to the game's planning map. Sure enough: at Merseburg Airbase, there was an unknown Soviet unit, and in the list of known aces: K-n Dmitri Kostilev, with five confirmed kills. Unfamiliar with Soviet rank abbreviations, I did my best to look up what "K-n" was supposed to stand for - and, while inconclusive, my best guess was that it indicated the rank of Kápitan - or Captain. Though he had appeared alone this time, it was very well possible I'd see him leading a flight. My next sortie, a combat air patrol over friendly territory, was uneventful - but, in the second sortie after that encounter, our mission was to attack the runway at Neubrandenburg Airbase in a two-ship formation. I figured we'd have escort, so our loadout was full air-to-ground - all Mk 82s. As we approached the target, however, it became clear there would be no escort - the enemy air defenses were cleared out, but if someone jumped us, we'd have to fight our own way out. And what would you guess - as we're just getting ready to line up on the runway, Red Crown comes through the radio: Bandits at 12 O'Clock. Fishbeds - no less than eight of them , heading straight for us. And on the lead MiG-21S, was none other than Dmitri Kostilev. 8v2 isn't even close to a fair fight to begin with, but running away is hardly an option - we're deep inside GDR territory, and the Fishbeds are faster than us. We wouldn't make it to friendly lines in time. I order my wingman to jettison his payload and head back home; as he does so, I fly directly at the Fishbeds, the four Mk 82s still bristling under my wings. My plan is to push straight through and head for the target - faced with the option of an F-5 that's running away and one which is heading for their airbase, I figure the MiG-21s will choose me and leave my wingman alone. I just need to survive the head-on pass; whatever happens later, we'll see. I had no reason to fear crossing the bandits head-on: their missiles, just like mine, were rear-aspect only. SF2 AI also typically only uses guns when they have a textbook firing solution - I had never seen one go guns head-on. But, of course, there's a first time for everything. As the eight dots in my windscreen grow larger and larger, I see bright yellow shapes coming from the lead MiG-21. "WHAT!? They can do that?" "What the?" Instinctively, I roll hard to the right and pull back on the stick; the tracers fly screaming by, just barely missing my poor F-5E. Just barely missed it! Completely astounded, I try to keep my focus on the runway as the Fishbeds streak by - none of the others tried pulling off something similar. I had never seen an SF2 AI being anywhere close to that aggressive - I now dreaded the fight that awaited me. Got the runway, though! After successfully dropping my bombs on the runway, I weigh my options. Should I try to disengage? But there's no way - trying to run away would only put me deeper in enemy territory, and accomplish nothing but delaying the inevitable as the horde of Fishbeds catches up to me. Once again, Kostilev has left me out of options - I must turn and fight. Look at this madman, full afterburner, guns blazing. What a vibe. After dodging another nasty head-on cannon burst, the mad furball began. I remember dodging more than a couple missiles, but overall, apart from Kostilev the other fighters thankfully presented little challenge. After shooting down two jets, I finally managed to down Kostilev again - and once more, he ejected. After that, the enemy fighters disengaged and returned to base. I took the opportunity to head straight for friendly lines; nearly out of fuel, I opted to land at the closest friendly airbase I could find instead of trying to reach home plate. This pattern continued for several sorties - we'd have a handful of uneventful sorties, and then Kostilev would appear and force me into a situation that completely ruined my game plan. Kostilev and his gang showing up to ruin everyone's day again. He'd somehow manage to show up at the most terribly inconvenient times - such as when I was going back home after a deep strike into enemy territory, in an area covered by a bunch of SAMs; or to attack a flight of friendly bombers I was escorting just as another enemy unit had drawn us away. Kostilev throwing everything at two defenseless B-57 Canberra bombers. Every time, I managed to shoot him down after a long and difficult fight; and every single time , he ejected successfully, a parachute popped up, and he lived to fight another day - preferably, at precisely the worst possible time for us. Usually he'd show up with a two-ship, sometimes with a four-ship; but luckily, he never showed up with the massive eight-ship formation again. That is, until he did. We were scrambled to intercept an incoming attack; A group of Tu-16 Badgers was headed straight for our airbase. Eight F-5Es went up in full air-to-air loadout. Usually these bomber interception missions were fairly easy - but this time, one of their escort groups was none other than Kostilev's squadron - an eight-ship formation led by the man himself. It was a cliché at this point - Kostilev always showed up head-on, letting rip the 23mm gunpod. By this time, Kostilev's rank read "P-k", which i can only guess means Polkovnik - Colonel. Somewhere along the line, he'd been promoted - presumably for successfully managing to be the largest possible pain on my squadron's butt. But this time, it was an even fight. It was 8v8 - and my squadron was full of experienced pilots. Confident, I ordered one of my four-ship flights to deal with the bombers while me and my three best pilots dealt with the Fishbeds. I managed to shoot down Kostilev once more - and once again, he ejected successfuly. The poor guy's spine must have been compressed a few centimeters by now. At the end of the day, the bombers were destroyed, and all of our F-5Es came back home safely. It's hard to believe, but Kostilev managed to get out of this unscathed - he always does. You can see the whole three pixels of the ejection seat near the top right corner. For several sorties after that, I waited for Kostilev to come back, as he'd always done before. But he never did. I wondered how could that be - after all, I saw him eject, and he had a good chute. But then it hit me - of course! If the game applies the same system for enemy pilots as it does for the player’s squadron roster, then that means the same logic applies for what happens with them once they're shot down. And, since Kostilev bailed out well within NATO-controlled territory, that meant he was now a POW. I felt a sense of relief knowing Kostilev - this fictional character who didn't even have a face, nor a backstory, nothing but a name - was still alive; and a slight hint of sadness knowing I’d never see him again. As it turns out, this was the last dance. Flamenco guitars, please. The fact is, after the enemy ace which had long been my nemesis was no longer a factor, the campaign felt... empty. It was like something was missing. No longer did I go into every sortie wondering whether he'd appear; no longer did I have to worry about him showing up with a four-ship and forcing me to abort a ground attack mission. After Kostilev left the stage, I became the head-on menace. A few sorties later, I encountered another enemy pilot which had become an ace - from the same unit as Kostilev. However, it just wasn't the same. For the readers who played Ace Combat 04 - do you remember how it felt like to fight the fraud that was Megalith’s “Yellow Squadron” after defeating Yellow 13 over Farbanti? That's how it felt to face this new ace after Kostilev was gone. Sure, he put up a slightly harder fight than the average MiG-21, but compared to Kostilev it was laughable - so much so, that I don't even remember the bloke's name. There was none of the challenge, none of the thrill. “You’re not him” , I thought to myself. “Here, catch this Sidewinder. See? Kostilev would’ve dodged that.” A few more missions came and went. With one of the only enemy pilots which posed a genuine challenge out of the way, the experienced pilots in my squadron and other BLUFOR units - some of which had become aces themselves - established complete air superiority over East Germany. As NATO forces pushed into East Berlin, and it becomes clear the Soviet plans of a quick takeover of West Germany have failed, the campaign ends with talks of a peace treaty, and thus we come to the end of our F-5E saga. At the campaign's end, NATO air forces had five aces up their sleeve: apart from the maniac F-5E driver (the player), three USAF Phantom pilots and one RNLAF Starfighter pilot had achieved over five kills. I came across them in several sorties, and the game even made it so the F-4 aces escorted some of our strike missions. Look at this absolute legend who managed to live long enough - in a Starfighter - to get five kills! And yet, the only ace from this campaign whose name I remember off the top of my head is Polkovnik Dmitri Kostilev. In a game where there is no fixed story, where names are semi-randomly generated and where nothing is scripted, it is impossible for me to share this experience as one would with facing off against Yellow 13 in AC04, or against Pixy in AC Zero. But despite this inherent limitation of a story which is by definition personal, I've always wanted to share it because I cannot deny it: Kostilev left as much of a fond memory to me as any of these legendary Ace Combat characters. So much so that, years later, I even decided to draw that fateful first encounter. Sometimes, a name is all it takes for a story.

A look at our training mission to be released in the future I can confidently say that when it comes to Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) , pretty much all the Skyward Flight Media staff prefer multiplayer experiences over single player experiences. Not to say that we dislike well-made solo pilot missions and campaigns. We just deeply enjoy the teamwork aspect of online multiplayer missions. Instead of solely learning by offline independent study, our lead DCS mission editor, Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto , created a controlled training environment that can be used in multiplayer servers or for offline play. Known as the Skyward Marianas Training Range, it features various training tools players of all levels could use to learn any module (aircraft) in DCS world with other human participants. These include valuable bombing ranges and a strafe pit that uses in game assets and .lua scripts, not requiring the download of mods , to provide users with information they can use for training. While the Skyward Marianas Training Range has been operational for many months now, a version specifically made for public release is still in development. Consider this a preview of something good to come. F-5E on approach to the Skyward Marianas Training Range. The Traditional Training Process In November 2020, when I started my serious effort to get started in DCS, I did plenty of offline study and practice. Reading the provided manual, single player tutorial missions included with the module (aircraft) I purchased, video tutorials, expansive PDF guides - I spent a lot of time just trying to wrap my head around it all. But when you have other friends that are online slinging AMRAAMs and landing on aircraft carriers, the desire to get out there yourself often overtakes the "traditional" study approach. The same certainly happened to me. At the time, we thought the best compromise would be to find public servers running 'training missions' for me to learn while flying along them. I learned quickly that calling these missions "training missions" is a bit of a stretch. It is hard to learn and retain knowledge when there is a sprawling battle taking place against an opposing force. You could potentially have new players that can barely take off from the airfield, fumbling through basic aircraft systems while there is an unforgiving AI enemy actively trying to destroy them at every moment. Learning something new while under enemy fire is always less than ideal. While I did persevere through the dozens of deaths during that time and until I was finally comfortable with DCS, I have never forgotten the grind and how few training environments there are in DCS multiplayer servers. AV-8B Harrier firing its underslung cannon. Training Environment To clarify, when I say "training environment" I mean a scenario that does not force players that are trying to learn their first aircraft or their latest aircraft while in the middle of a full-scale wartime scenario. A training environment would be something where players could learn how to aviate, navigate, manage aircraft systems and become familiar with weapon capabilities long before being fired at themselves. A place where they could get comfortable enough with their aircraft with other players around, if desired. This same environment would also have the option for players to voluntarily enter into limited combat scenarios when they felt as though they were ready. That is a basic idea of what I would consider a training environment. Skyward F-16CM dropping practice bombs. The Skyward Marianas Training Range includes every aspect of what I've described a training environment to be (for the record, I personally had nothing to due with its development, all credit goes to Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto). Since this is a preview of sorts, I will not be detailing them all just yet, but my personal favorite features in this mission are the Bomb Range and Strafe Pit. Preview: Bombing Range The Rota Island Bombing Range is designed for guided bombs, air-to-ground missiles, unguided rockets, air launched cruise missiles, guided rockets, glide weapons, and unguided bombs. Using a .lua script, munitions that explode within its range provides specific players with their accuracy in the form of in-game text messages. For unguided weapons, this is especially useful. As pilots practice CCIP or CCRP weapons delivery, they become more familiar with the dive angles, air speeds or distances they need to maintain to consistent hit targets. While multiple bombs can be dropped at the same time onto the bombing range, the ideal application is to drop one bomb at a time to truly practice refining accuracy. Preview: Strafe Pit 6 nautical miles north-east of the Rota bombing range is the strafe pit. This pit is set for West to East gun only attack runs when aircraft roll in below 5000 feet MSL. As long as aircraft stay within the valid strafe pass zone, information on the number of hits on designated targets and the accuracy of those impacts are also communicated via in-game text messages. Coming Soon ™ The public release of the Skyward Marianas Training Range will be handled similarly to how we provided the Syria COIN mission. When the time comes, a similar product page will be setup with an online event scheduled. There is no hard date for release of this mission file, but work is actively being done to prepare the public version for release. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

In a simulator designed for combat and high action flying, one would think that something like a big, slow and "unamusing" aircraft such as the C-130 would not even be able to participate in basic scenarios. After all, this is Digital "Combat" Simulator, right? Well, it turns out that I have been finding myself flying such an aircraft inside actual combat missions, and in multiplayer too! But before we talk about that, let's talk a bit about the mod itself and how it works. ORIGINALLY POSTED: 08/27/2021 MINOR UPDATES 1/20/2024 A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN DCS: WORLD As a mod, the C-130 is pretty well-made, except for the cockpit model and textures. It is impressive how much work went into the systems and displays inside the cockpit. Aside from only a couple of mods such as the T-45C, this one has got to have one of the best implementations of digital displays, even the Heads-Up Display (HUD) has its graphics done with .svg files, which increases their definition by quite a bit ("a bit" being infinitely scalable)! The textures are quite plain and lack depth (same goes for the model), but the displays more than make up for it. Additionally, she does fly the way you expect her to. She is heavy but not maneuverable, making flying this bird quite a joy. I suppose that is natural when you have a pretty decent external flight model (EFM) and not a simplified flight model (SFM) driving the aircraft. Is the handling a 1:1 replica of the Hercules? No, but that is ok. When it comes to features, the Hercules has some of the most interesting ones I have seen in quite a while. From deployable paratroopers to droppable pallets with spawnable cargo inside that bring the airlift powerhouse that is the C-130. It also has a functional navigation computer that allows for waypoints to be entered. The computer can also calculate reference speeds for landing and take-off according to your weight and flap configuration, cool, huh? External model's good, nothing spectacular but it does its job! The external model is pretty good, too. It is properly animated and has enough texel density to look good while not taking up hundreds of megabytes of textures. It is not the highest poly model you will ever see, but it is just enough to look excellent with the help of the amazing texture work that it has, which was made by other community members! Although it might not be able to directly attack air targets and despite it having some ground attack capability thanks to its mounted cannon option, that does not mean that this bird is completely defenseless. It has the largest amount of chaff and flares dispensers that I've seen in DCS World (840 of each). Something that is beautifully represented by the attention to detail that the devs had in implementing these, seeing as even the dispersion pattern is spot on. Check this angel out, quite the looker: Now that you know a bit about the mod, let's take a look at how I've been finding myself using this bird in a multiplayer scenario! THE RIGHT PLANE FOR THE RIGHT JOB Lately, I've been playing a lot with my group of close friends on a private server. In that server, we are currently running a sandbox-like mission which utilizes scripts and dynamic triggers to make the battlefield more alive. We also run mods in the server, such as the A-4E, A-29B and of course, the Hercules. If we are victorious, we are usually left with a capturable airbase! Prior to us setting up the Hercules for the mission, it was usually the AI who randomly chose to capture the airfield whenever it wanted. We kind of got tired of that, which is where the C-130 comes in. After the clean-up is done, one of us (usually me) gets into the C-130 , starts it up, and heads straight for the airfield that we just freed. This part is usually fun as the rest of the players will have to escort this slowpoke of an aircraft for hundreds of miles , usually having to defend me from enemy fighters that are trying to intercept me. This has led to some pretty exciting and interesting scenarios, some of which have ended with me dead in the middle of the desert. Let's say that, after a long flight, I reach the airfield with my Hercules. As long as there are no enemies inside the zone and I land safely, bringing the aircraft to a halt, the neutral airbase will be captured, and allied ground forces will spawn! This, in turn, has made our experience much more gratifying as we have direct control over what happens and how it happens. This is the kind of scenario in which a cargo aircraft such as this shines bright like a diamond. After capture, we can now safely spawn and enjoy the protection of our SAM network in the airfield. This gives the mission a much-needed sense of progression that only the Hercules could bring. It truly is the right plane for the right job. A HERCULEAN CONCLUSION While it might not be the ideal platform to fly in the middle of a contested airspace, this aircraft and many more of its kind have a definite place inside DCS: World. They present the player with a completely new experience and one that no other sim can offer today, with the closest game that has something similar to it being Bohemia's ARMA 3. Give the Hercules a try, you will not regret it. You can even cold start it, that's always a plus! About the author: 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 a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter | Discord : Cubeboy

Introducing an early project, touching base with a familiar face Hey howa' doin, FlyAwayNow here again with the third indie highlight article, brought and produced by yours truly. Nova Squadron and Supermaneuver are the next of the indie flight games we'll be looking at today: One of them has been a known contributor to Skyward Flight Media, and as for the other, it's their first time through! So before we get to it with direct questions, I'll lay both of them out from the top down: Nova Squadron , the synthwavy, rougelity, Jupitery acelike, whose demo has been available and continued to be updated as it works up to its 1.0 is a game that I have known ever since my own work Project Wingman: the neighbor over the fence, and in many ways still a few steps ahead with ideas and notions about roguelite integration and location and even flight characteristics that comes with the higher sci-fi setting. Once you know what Nova Squadron is, you'll always recognize it when you see it between floating installations, aerial navies, and the tooth and nail rougelite climb that is ripe for the taking in our genre. Speaking of unmistakable, Supermaneuver at a casual glance, for Ace Combat fans out there, you will know the aesthetic immediately: This project by developer Gabriel Solon is, and I don't use this term lightly, the spiritual successor to the Ace Combat game made at the End of History; the game that confronted the oncoming future of technology. The internet was a thing not yet truly known of its nature and formation, and in that surreal weave of danger, War, as a constant fixture, was made partner with it. Supermaneuver then therefore will take us back in time to the days of the Electrosphere. As a general disclaimer before we get underway, I am a producer on both of these games, as I was on Project Aggressors in the prior article, and in games to come, hence my ability to provide you these insights! However, the questions I ask are not those offered by these developers, and some of them are even interrogative in nature; the project of this genre demands that all of us collectively ask these questions, so that, in some very funny form of the Socratic method, we get closer and closer to a more perfect union of plane games. Nova Squadron Website Links:   Steam  | Bluesky  | X.com Who are you? Hey, I’m Clara, I’ve been a professional games programmer for 4 years and, in my spare time, lead developer of Nova Squadron for 5. Why are you making this game and this type of game? Back when I was in my first year of university, we had an assignment to make a small game where you flew a plane in 3D; we were only given a few weeks to make it, so I wasn’t able to fit in everything I would’ve liked. The desire to revisit that assignment and do everything I originally hoped to (and, dare I say, some feature creep) eventually blossomed into Nova Squadron a couple of years later! What do you want this game to be? I always aim for Nova Squadron to be “baby’s first acelike”, so to speak - something with a solid tutorial and forgiving mechanics. It’s definitely not there yet, but I think some of this ethos shines through with things like the shield generator and fire support request system. I’m looking to start simpler than other games, and gradually build the player up to higher complexity gameplay. Acelike Rougelite, then. As opposed to acelite roguelikes, where the enemy planes can only move when you move.” This does raise a few questions in me then, what do you consider that simple floor, and what do you consider higher complexity than that? I’d say the core of it is that the player is free to make mistakes without being punished for them. For example, in most games where you’re in a plane, if you fly into something, that’s the end of the mission - not pulling up at the right time resets you back to the start, something I think we’re all painfully familiar with from ground-attack missions! The floor I want to start the player at is one where they’re free to learn the ropes and figure out how to control a plane in 3D space, and the game will give them the breathing room they need to do that. Then the complexity builds up as I stack more on top (weak points on ships requiring specific attack vectors, roguelite upgrades adding extra mechanics, and so on). Well, if we go all the way to the very end of the campaign, you’re going to have to fly through a tunnel. In fact you’re going to have to dogfight inside one! The more upgrades you stack on, the twitchier and less easy to control your plane’s going to be; and the most powerful upgrades are ones with trade-offs that force you to hone your playstyle. There’s an upgrade with a trade-off that prevents your shield from recharging until you get a kill, for instance, which forces the player to play more aggressively and deal more damage to stay in the fight. Nova Squadron is also mentioned to have a campaign, how does that work into the rougelite formula? In the demo, you can work your way through a series of 4 missions - for the first three, you can pick what type of mission you sortie into from the tactical map, but the fourth is fixed. A demo run always ends with a massive naval battle between your forces and the enemy, which is then interrupted by the appearance of Sceptre Squadron (or a certain suborbital superweapon...but that's a secret!) The full campaign takes this and expands it into a series of 3 mission sets, each 3-4 missions long, each ending with a fixed climactic battle. In the first set, you'll be ambushed with a random boss enemy; in the second, you'll chase after that same boss and eliminate it; in the third set, you'll charge deep into enemy territory for the final battle. We're talking tunnels, superplanes, antimatter reactors, the works! And everything you accomplish in each campaign run before your plane explodes will then link back into Renown you can use to request R&D on your planes, as well as conversations and bonds with your wingmen, allies, and even certain enemies.  What type of tone and writing are you looking for in this story then? We’re looking to make something light-hearted and filled with goofy over-the-top moments, but still with enough stakes and internal logic to keep you invested! To give an example, Nova 5 got their callsign by taking out a battleship via a controlled orbital dive at Mach 8, using their shields to absorb the impact. That’s the kind of “logical silliness” we’re pursuing. I’ve brought in a second team member to make sure we absolutely nail this. Robin  is busy writing the script and in-game archives and polishing them until they sparkle. Some of her work’s already in the demo - she rewrote all of the mission briefings for 0.4.0! How's development going since we've heard from you last? Slow and steady! I’ve been taking some of the oldest systems in the game, reworking them, and locking in their “final” versions - so with each new feature I add, it gets exponentially easier to add the next. The patch I’m working on now for July leverages all of those systems to add the craziest missions and weapons I’ve made so far, and moving on from there on I’ve got my eyes set on the metagame outside of regular missions - collectible dossiers, interactions with other members of your squadron and so on. Are there any gameplay decisions that you're on the fence about adding in? The core gameplay loop is pretty much set in stone at this point, I think (in design, at least - there’ll be a lot of changes to the demo in 0.5.0!) What’s still up for debate is a lot of the weirder prototype upgrades and mission objectives. Train heists, EMP fields, that kind of thing. What do you say about people who are otherwise turned away from NS due to its visual identity? Please bear with me, I’m working on it! 0.4.0 kicked off the visual overhaul with new shields and exhausts, and I’m moving on to clouds and explosions soon. Or cloudy explosions, maybe. Best of both worlds! It's been some time since Nova Squadron has been out there, and, as a dev myself, I know that the core of the vision can often change as we keep hammering away at the final creation. Has Nova Squadron changed fundamentally from what you wanted originally? Do you know where you're going? I think the core of the game’s stayed where it is since the first 6 months of development back in 2020 - peripheral design elements move around and get replaced, sure, but nothing that would have huge ramifications across the entire game. The biggest change is probably the narrative push you’re going to see in 0.5.0: a fake PC you can send messages with, read bizarre in-universe propaganda articles on, and…crash using terminal commands? The Song of Eventide ’s IT department would prefer it if you didn’t do that last bit though. You’ll get some pretty irritated messages from them if you’re not careful! Some developers have limited time demos to show their progress. The Nova Squadron demo has been consistently available for over half a year. What do you think are some of the benefits of maintaining a long-term publicly accessible demo? One of the main reasons to have a limited time demo is to build hype and fear of missing out - more people play the demo short-term because they don’t want to lose their chance to do so. I don’t want to do any of that. NS is a long-term project. I don’t want to build up a load of hype in a week and then leave people lost and confused for the next 3 years - I want to have you all along for the ride with me, and I want you to have faith that yes, this game is actually going to come out one day! Each update brings us one step closer to that lovely 1.0.0 release. What has been the biggest blocker for you in developing the game after all this time? Exactly that, really - time! I’m a programmer by trade and I don’t think anything could have prepared me for how long it takes to make all the models, textures, UI art and music that actually goes into a game. I’ll get there though. It’ll happen. Any closing thoughts or things you want to say?  I hope you like androids and fluffy ears. Not at the same time though. Supermaneuver Website Links:   X.com  |  YouTube Who are you, why are you making your game and this type of game, and what do you want this game to be? All in one go! I'm a 32 year old Brazilian gamedev. I've always had a passion for game design since forever, particularly vehicle based games. I grew up playing LOTS of Gran Turismo and Ace Combat on the PSX. I got this interest in airplane games when my dad got Ace Combat 3 Electrosphere and fell in love with everything. Ended up playing the game way more often than him. I remember some words from Stephen King that went something like this: "don't write down your ideas as you could end up clinging to bad ones, good ideas stay in your head and keep returning". I personally don’t think it's bad to write your ideas down, but he has a great point about good ones. This Simcade style flight combat game based on Ace Combat 3's design is one such idea. My plan for Supermaneuver is to pick the whole aesthetic of Ace Combat 3, borrow ideas from the whole series and other games like Project Wingman, deliver the political intrigue Ace Combat is known for and make a fast paced action game that requires careful plane and loadout planning. Before you were developing Supermaneuver, you were a 3D modeler who often posted your work for sale for other developers. How did you get into that? It's an interesting story as I started at 12 when I downloaded blender to make games, didn't even know what modeling was, and things evolved from there, but my focus was always modeling in the context of gamedev. I still sell some premade models on cgtrader and used to do some freelancing on Wildcat. Why get into game dev after that? I think the best ideas to invest on are the ones that keep getting back to you, so I've decided to fully turn to gamedev as I felt confident in my dev skills and always wanted to do a plane game. You can check my channel  to see some other game projects I did before. How long have you been working on Supermaneuver? It's a complicated question to answer because the dev work was really on and off for a year as I was doing a lot of freelancing and was really unfocused - depression can be a b**ch. But then I realized that the passion project was the way forward and the support/guidance you offered really helped a lot. Are you worried about people who are turned away from the "older" style of graphics that Supermaneuver has? It definitely would help to have shiny visuals like Project Red Sun on PW but Supermaneuver is first and foremost about my retro vision so this doesn't concern me too much. The interesting thing is that the gameplay itself is quick and modern. What makes Ace Combat 3 look like Ace Combat 3 if I can ask, then? Because you have the aesthetic nailed down from what you've shared. The things that make Ace Combat 3 are great pixel art for the planes but also, more importantly, the quality of the terrain sprites. The terrain was the main reason I chose the second mission from Electrosphere, “Bravado”. It has a simple (or I thought it was) ground sprite texture variety. It's "just" Rock and Forest. Of course when I started actually making my terrain I came to the realization that there were quite a few types of in-betweens and variations, so that was neat. While I was studying the map geometry I also noticed how restrictive the map's design was without being noticeable. There are some set tile elevations that repeat, the mountains have the same geometry repeated but it's all convincing thanks to good texture design and limited draw distance. Adding a lake to the Bravado equivalent mission in my game wasn't easy because of that. My reference didn't have this lake, so I had to get creative and load up the "Guardian Angel" mission that had islands transitioning into the sea so I could study the transition. Color balance was another very important step as every level has a characteristic tint, usually green or blueish, so I had to make sure all sprites were in the same theme.  I feel like if it wasn't for the work of Krishty   my job would've been at least 10 times harder. They ripped and organized all the textures and models/maps from Ace Combat 3 neatly in a way that made the process of studying and replicating the results far easier. How close is Supermaneuver to Ace Combat gameplay?  That is a dicy one because I'm inspired by the whole franchise but to be honest, I think it's an Ace Combat/Project Wingman Frankenstein. It has the agility from PW but the equipment selection will probably be simpler akin to Ace Combat Zero. Both games are about mercenaries, you can notice a pattern of taste there. Is there anything different you're doing with the flight model and gameplay you're doing, or do you want it to be close to Ace Combat? I don't really intend on mimicking anything specific as the fun factor will be king. The same can't be said about the visuals though. I’m really trying to emulate that Ace Combat 3 look. Would you want to share a bit more about your idea on the world or the story of this game? The story is just a rough draft at the moment as making a game involves so much work on so many different areas, but what I can say now is that it's a fictional world like Strangereal and is focused on mercenaries. Two rival companies to be precise but  I don’t want to say too much as these things change a lot. Are you interested in putting out a public demo? And if so, when? It's a secret shhh. Any closing thoughts or things you want to say? Again, shoutout to Krishty  for ripping and organizing the Ace Combat 3 files, Supermaneuver probably wouldn't exist. And shoutout to you Matt for the huge support. About the Interviewer Matthew "FlyAwayNow" Nguyen Artwork by alice (@atrousyolks) Producer, writer, incidentally personified online as a rooster. One of the three main developers of Project Wingman and now working across the board on several other combat flight videogames, audioplays, podcasts, and books. Advocate for indie creators, fanfiction, and critical analysis of what you love. [ Bluesky  / Linkedin  / X.com ]

It’s clear that I have a penchant to review and speak of games far past. What can I say? I’m drunk on synthwave, Frutiger Aero wallpapers, and badly-normalized voxels. But perhaps the greatest challenge of creating these reviews is determining whether these dinosaurs are actually worth playing today. So often I’ve found myself having to put an asterisk next to what would otherwise be a glowing review, because it would be dishonest to not point out how much the playing field has changed, and even the greatest of innovations are quickly superseded by something better. Sometimes though, the game still just… works. It’s rather amazing how well After Burner Climax still works, and how well it shamelessly takes the high-energy, rapid-paced, score and time attack arcade rail shooter into the 21st century for what may be its last hurrah. Honestly, I don’t think the original After Burner aged well. I have nostalgic feelings for it of course, but as it and I have aged, it’s not something I would be willing to show off as a jewel of the rail shooter—if I want that on a console, I’d point someone to Star Fox way before After Burner. And where Star Fox’s upgrade from its SNES debut to Star Fox 64 remains legendary, Afterburner’s generational uplift resulted in After Burner II, which pushed on into the realm of the Sega 32X but didn’t really result in enough innovation or, frankly, affordability to keep one of Sega’s self-proclaimed stars afloat. And it’s pretty clear that they knew it. Over ten years had to pass before they decided to bring it back for one more explosive, penultimate release. So… I wanted to approach it as faithfully as I could without getting my hands on the arcade cabinet itself. That took the form of taking, ripping, and hopefully emulating the actual Sega Lindbergh media disc for this review. I had hope for this; a Lindbergh emulator does in fact exist, but it’s been unsupported and incomplete for some time, so I gave up hope in getting it emulated… …right up until I was literally looking for a picture to demonstrate this lack of support and discovered that a new emulator called Lindbergh Loader was released just one month ago and apparently supports After Burner Climax pretty well. Well... dang. I already got the CD back to its rightful owner. I guess we’re going to move forward with the next best thing: the Xbox 360. This is truly where I’ve played this game the most anyway. After Burner Climax made a wide home release four years after it dropped into arcades and was downloadable on both the 360 and PS3 for a very approachable ten dollars. Bringing in two new aircraft alongside the F-14D, you can also select the Super Tomcat’s successors (Or contemporaries depending on how you feel) in the form of the F-15E Strike Eagle and F/A-18E Super Hornet. Immediately its clear the game is a more than faithful port of the Lindbergh disc. It adds earnable cheats and the ability to have a console-style constant play mode that keeps the quarters (dollars?) in your pocket where they belong.  Pressing start after an in your face title screen that transitions into an attract mode/ranking screen blaring with an awesome modern update to the After Burner theme song, you are given a selection of the three aircraft above with a set of different paint schemes and 20 seconds to make up your mind. The game literally explodes off the deck/flight line into a fantastic guitar riff and never lets up. Story? Z is preparing a nuke. Stop them. That’s all you need to know. Get to it! “Plane Jesus has got nothing on the Brave Fangs.” The game’s feature claim to fame is the “Climax Mode”, which functions as a bullet-time slow down and reticle widener that allows you ample time to maximize score and damage on the level for a short time. The meter is refilled as you destroy targets and is depleted as you hold down the triggers. This is still the score attack game we had all those years ago, and as you progress through levels, you want to keep that score up along with attempting to destroy special objectives to change your trajectory on the level select map. It’s very easy to trigger Climax Mode in the panic driven flying you’ll be doing though. There’s a learning curve to its operation, but that adds to the skill-building you’ll be doing to master the traditionally twitchy After Burner flight model. “Super Tomcat! Getready…” The graphics were top-notch, and honestly still are. Not that you’ll have much time to admire them with how fast the screen comes at you. You’ll occasionally catch glimpses of the who’s who roster of enemy aircraft, which includes F-4’s, F-5’s, F/A-18’s, B-52’s, and many others, all of which are easier to observe once you’ve inevitably gotten yourself blown up by a wayward missile or twenty.  “FLIGHT CONTROL, FLIGHT CONTROL” As the terrain blows by you’re being constantly yelled at by your invisible teammates who just won’t stop talking; and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a prime example of the in-your-face never shut up 90’s arcade energy that ports itself so flawlessly into the 21st century that I can’t help but take it seriously. The way your two teammates make off-color remarks about the terrain you’re flying over on or the over-the-top bogey calls or the panicked odd sentence structure in their radio-crackled voices when you get hit by a missile just keeps the balls-to-the-wall atmosphere flowing. Oh, and have I mentioned that they call enemy aircraft by their actual model names? What’s your excuse, Ace Combat 5? But I have to emphasize that this is an After Burner game. You’re going to get yourself blown up over and over again until you get good and start recognizing the patterns to dodge the missiles and down enemy aircraft efficiently. Thankfully the aforementioned console-exclusive EX Options (cheats, if we were to be honest) will make that easier for you, and the more you play, the more you earn, so if you want to eventually just finish the games, these options should get you there in short order. This is a short game—it’s 14 or so levels blow through as rapidly as you might think, but the replay ability is through the roof. By the end you’re clearly getting some traditional flight-shooter inspired tunnel and canyon chases. The monotony is also broken up by pursuit or friendly-fire challenges to keep you on your toes. Wait ‘til you get to the laser fences. It truly is refreshing to revisit this game every so often and enjoy it more and more each time I play it. Honestly, I’m not much better at it now than I was back then, but it gets the blood pumping and keeps your attention front and center. I love this game so much; it flies in the face of changing tides in game design and defiantly drops itself into an era where game length and story complexity was rearing its head. I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants a fun flight romp and an escape back to the simplicity of arcade gameplay with a modern veneer.  … TOO BAD YOU CAN’T BUY IT ANYMORE! About the Writer T.J. "Millie" Archer A Life-long realist and aviation enthusiast. Once the co-founding Administrator of the Electrosphere.info English Ace Combat Database. In the present day he is freelance, roving the internet in search of the latest aviation news and entertainment.  Read Staff Profile .

One of the most unique pieces of flight sim gear ever seen The Yawman Arrow  handheld flight controller is one of the most unique flight simulation devices I have ever put my hands on. This review took a bit of an unexpected turn. Turning from the standard “how does it feel and fly” review and into more of a deeper analysis of the device and its concept. This review will certainly be going off of the beaten path, as we tested it in many flight games and simulators it has not previously been advertised for.  This review was created without any input from the Yawman team. There were no embargos or restrictions in place, though Yawman did ask that if I ran into any technical issues or needed troubleshooting advice, they would be contacted first. No major issues occured, but for the sake of transparancey, this was the agreement. A part of the FlightSimExpo 2023 Infinite Flight Booth Meeting The Arrow  This certainly is not a case of shiny new product excitement. Skyward Flight Media first went hands on with the Yawman Arrow at FlightSimExpo 2023 . This was the debut event for both the company, Yawman, and their one-of-a-kind controller, the Arrow.  Yawman Arrow prototype at FlightSimExpo 2023. This controller had its own display at the Infinite Flight  booth, where anyone could walk up and try both Infinite Flight and the Arrow at the same time. At first glance, the Arrow somewhat confused me. Its layout incorporated a familiar set of flight controls with the form factor of a well-known game console controller. But after successfully orbiting an airfield and landing a Cessna 208 Caravan with ease while using the Arrow and a PC tablet, it had my intrigue.  We met with the Yawman team on the last day of the expo, which resulted in exchanging emails and Skyward receiving a review unit in January 2024.  The Concept  The company Yawman LLC is based in Carmel, India, United States of America. It was created by Dwight and Thomas Nield (aviation and airline veterans) and Jon Ostrower (Editor-in-Chief of The Air Current). Designed, manufactured and packaged in the USA, the Arrow handled flight controller is the first product from Yawman.  According to official blog posts from the website, the concept of the controller is ease of access and travel ability while incorporating well known flight control designs such as a trim wheel, trim hat, vernier-style poles and mechanically linked rudder pedal triggers. With 7 axes and 21 buttons to back up the more specialized flight focused components, the Arrow really is standing in a class all of its own.  That being said, the concept of this controller is so anomalous when it comes to the established expectations of what flight simulation gear is and/or should be, it is something that requires a close analysis to really understand.  Acknowledging the Price Point  The Yawman Arrow was originally priced around USD $250.00 during pre-release. For many this was the main point of contention, primarily since the controller itself is so anomalous the price point added to uncertainty about this device. 10 days after its official launch on January 8th, 2024, the price was further reduced to USD $199.00. Within the announcement of this price drop, Yawman acknowledged that they heard concerns about its price point being out of reach for some people, the uncertainty expressed because of its unproven design and Yawman wanting to keep this controller competitive with existing flight simulation gear.  However, you cannot say this was caused by failure. The initial batch of Arrow handheld flight controllers sold out the same day it launched. A second batch of controllers was released for sale on January 15th with the price drop happening on January 18th. Customers that purchased the Arrow when it was at its higher original price were automatically given a USD $50.00 refund with no actions necessary from the customer. This certainly does not sound like something a company with a failing product would do.  At the end of Skyward’s review process for this controller, I can say that the Arrow is worth the price point. There is a lot to explain as to how I came to this conclusion. Let’s continue.  Design, Unboxing, Feel  The design of the Yawman Arrow is absolutely unusual for a handheld controller. To those that are familiar with flight controllers, the sliders, vernier style poles, five-way Hat swtich and multifunction wheel are immediate eye-catchers. At a glance, they let you know what the purpose of this controller is. Media showing its mechanically linked triggers in action further raise eyebrows as they do effectively act as traditional foot rudder pedals. This controller is essentially offering the functionality of three major pieces of flight simulation equipment in a single device, for a price point lower than the cost of purchasing all of those devices and needing the space to use them and store them. That is a tall order.  People should remember that while this controller is trying to provide the functionality of three devices in one, it can still be used in conjunction with hardware like head tracking to further enhance the experience.  The package of the Yawman Arrow is simple and effective. The box being decorated on all sides with non-labeled diagrams is definitely one of the more memorable packaging designs I’ve seen in a while. In fact, this box is so sturdy and good-looking, I’d recommend keeping it long-term for storage of the controller itself when it is not in use. Heck, you could even use it during travel to keep it protected, since the foam mold in the box does fit the controller like a glove.  The 2024 release version of the Yawman comes in the color White Sands  - a reference to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in the United States of America. Personally, I prefer any handheld device I use to be darker in color since it is less prone to show staining from dirt, grime, grease that any handheld device eventually gathers. I would have loved to get my hands on the dark blue colored Arrow that was shown in pre-release promotional material, but I digress. This isn’t really a huge deal.  Taking it out of the box and holding it for the first time, its weight is comparable to any game pad for game consoles currently on the market. I was expecting a bit of a lead weight controller because of all the flight specific controls that have been incorporated. I was definitely wrong about that.  The click, rotation, slide and pull of just about everything available felt good with two exceptions.  The shoulder buttons felt strangely mushy. It simultaneously feels like I need to press them with a bit more force than you would think is required, while the tactile button click feedback was so minimal I sometimes had to double-check if the buttons were depressed all the way.  The vernier style-poles are both one of my favorite parts of its design and the most likely to be accidentally snapped off parts of the design. These poles are made of the same plastic the other buttons are. When fully extended, there is a bit of a danger of accidentally damaging them by maybe putting the controller down in the wrong way or the poles getting wrapped around something within the play space. In a future Arrow updated design, I would like to see these reinforced, possibly made of some type of metal.  The linked mechanical triggers have their own dedicated section within this review, but I can say that these are the signature feature of this controller. They worked quite well, even during intensive use. They mimic the familiar feel and function of rudder pedals well.  The five-way trim hat switch does feel a bit more fragile than the study thumbstick with center press, but I have no worries about breaking it. Having it used for trim, aircraft camera controls and similar functions is recommended.  The multifunction six-pack button layout took a bit of getting used to, as just about every game controller since 1995 has stuck with the traditional four button cross layout to some degree. That was more of a mental adjustment for me. Within a few flights using the Arrow I was happy to have these buttons readily available. A big part of this was because they could be reassigned to new functions as needed.  The position of the USB-C connection was good as it is high away from the triggers, and not in the way of controls I would need to cross my fingers across the pad to reach. By being positioned high on the back of the controller, the USB-C cable also remains out of the way during use.  Because there are so many non-standard moving parts - the vernier poles, twin sliders and triggers - I would say paying attention to cleanliness and storing this controller properly would be a good move. Do not eat crumbly snacks that could potentially get jammed into this controller or let too much grime build up in these parts. The Arrow requires less maintenance and cleaning than full sized flight equipment, but it is still good practice to make an effort to keep it clean.  Thorough Testing The review process for the Arrow was something we really wanted to do in our own way. Since the earliest public introduction of this handheld flight controller, there have been a handful of popular flight simulators the Yawman team paid special attention to support. The frequently mentioned titles are Digital Combat Simulator World, Infinite Flight (Android), Laminar Research X-Plane (PC, macOS), Lockheed Martin Prepar3D, and Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC). It is safe to say that the main demographic of customers are semi-pro or professional flight simulators for this device would primarily find themselves flying in these titles. So these are safe bet titles to ensure compatibility with. They even have well documented profiles  for Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane 12.  Example page from Yawman Arrow documentation. In fact, compatibility is a focal point in what the Arrow offers. It touts the potential to have every button on the controller reconfigured as needed. This allows the controller to easily assign functions that are specific to each aircraft. A very handy feature. You could assume that any personal computer game or sim that could recognize the Arrow via USB could be played with the controller. This is where Skyward Flight Media’s testing focused. Certainly to test the hardware and functionality of the Arrow, but also to challenge the concept of the Arrow itself. More on this later.  Here is a list of titles we tested the Yawman Arrow in: Absolute Territory Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown At Skies Edge Comanche Digital Combat Simulator World Flight of Nova Frontiers Reach GroundFall Infinite Flight Manta Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Nova Squadron Nuclear Option PCSX2 (Emulation Software) Project Wingman ReDream (Emulation Software) Roger Meatball Simple Planes Strike Fighters 2 Tiny Combat Arena The Brew Barons Underspace Xemu (Emulation Software) World of Aircraft Glider Simulator Many of these titles are clearly not flight simulation titles. Some of the listed names are actually emulation software that lets people play old games and simulators from game consoles from long ago. We tested even more titles through those emulators that are unlisted. The Yawman Arrow worked with every one of them.  Justifying the Arrow Skyward tested the Yawman Arrow in a solid block of unusual titles to use flight simulation gear in. Some may even view it as unnecessary. Many of these are decidedly not flight simulation titles. However, Skyward reviewed the Arrow from the point of view of a potential buyer that is outside the dedicated semi-pro or professional flight simmer demographic.  Someone that has an interest in simulated flight, may or may not have some flight simulation gear and is having a bit of a hard time justifying the cost of the Arrow, when there are similar sized controllers that could potentially be pressed into service to fly in these same titles.  A frequent question we have heard about the Arrow since its introduction is whether something niche like a handheld flight controller is a viable purchase. References to larger units of flight simulation gear, like flight sticks, throttles and rudder pedals, could be purchased around a similar price point. Or if the controller is so specialized, you would only be able to use it on what less flight simulation focused users would consider “one or two games”. This is what shaped our perspective when we tested the Arrow.  After many hours in various titles with a variety of aircraft, I do feel like the Arrow does justify its concept. There is a place for the Yawman Arrow as it made the smart move to be versatile enough to be compatible with non-pure flight simulation titles, while being purpose built for full-fledged simulation titles.  It is hard to rationalize plugging in a full hands on throttle and stick setup with 30-something buttons to a flight sim lite that could be played with an Xbox Controller. The Yawman Arrow offers similar functionality with the small footprint of a game pad, while being easy enough to use by just plugging in a single USB.  Also, keep in mind that this controller does fulfill the same functions of a dedicated rudder pedal, dedicated yoke / flight stick and dedicated throttle. Individually buying all those units would cost around USD $800.00 to USD $1000.00, depending on the manufacturer.  Mechanically Linked Triggers The star of the Yawman Arrow is undoubtedly the patent pending mechanically linked triggers. Back in 2023, I was obsessed with their feel and functionality. While my feet were accustomed to rudder pedals moving in concert with one another, my fingers certainly were not. I am not certain about how exactly the triggers are linked (nor do I want to dismantle the controller to find out!) but it does feel like there is some type of heavy-duty compression spring in the device. The constant level of opposing pressure while pulling these triggers contributes to the accuracy of rudder pedal inputs. Rather than being able to perform 100% deflection rudder inputs with no resistance or feedback, the counter-pressure in the mechanically linked trigger makes rudder inputs more deliberate and accurate.  Example of mechanically linked triggers. This is great for flight simulators, which are inherently slower paced and rely on precise inputs for smooth flying. Does it work for fast, action packed flight arcade titles? Certainly. I have no doubt that the mechanism itself is designed well and can withstand constant heavy-duty usage. Just from a press or two, you can feel that its build quality is very good. I do not feel as though this part of the controller would fail very easily, even with me rapidly pressing either trigger back to back.  Personally, I always ask myself if I would want to use these triggers - or more traditionally a rudder pedal - heavily in a flight game that really does not require high precision. It becomes a question of long-term use. As I continue to use this controller for the rest of the year, I will most likely circle back in on this subject specifically.  A Controller for Adults While it does look like a controller you would see plugged into a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, I would not recommend letting young people use unsupervised. The D-pad, six-pack buttons and left joystick are quite sturdy. My concern lies more with the trim wheel, vernier style poles, twin sliders, five way hat switch and linked triggers. Setting the linked triggers aside for a moment, the rest of these buttons and switches do feel like they would break if maximum hand strength inputs would be made to them frequently.  It is not that the build quality is bad, it is because this is something adults would never do; especially those that are familiar with flight simulation equipment. They know it does not take a lot of force to adjust trim, fuel mixture or throttle settings. For example, someone familiar with a flight stick knows they would not need to slam the stick fully to the right to roll, but someone unfamiliar would frequently do this. That increases the rate of wear and tear on the device.   Someone younger that may mash or pull too hard has a real chance of damaging the more specialized parts of the controller, in my opinion. If a younger person is to use these controls, a bit of guidance to help them understand how to properly use it is recommended. The Arrow really could be used as introductory flight sim gear, but again, some guidance would be needed.  Higher Fidelity = Better Experience Something that became clear after three days of testing was that the experience was better the more high fidelity the aircraft being piloted was. This has less to do with the design of the controller itself and more to do with how many systems people can interact with in the aircraft cockpit. The Arrow can keep the most important controls and systems at your fingertips, but attempting to map every function available in something like an Airbus A320 is neigh impossible. Unless you have a full sized flight deck in your home, any device would have problems with this. But, the Arrow does very well since the core systems can be easily managed while looking around the cockpit in sim and manually clicking the systems or using a keyboard.  Functions like trim wheels, thrust reversers, fuel mixture settings, etc. feel very good on this controller, so being able to use them to their fullest is great.  Spaceflight We also tested the Arrow in fictional space environments. Space sims often require even more lateral, vertical and diagonal control than any atmospheric aircraft simulator would. Space simulation rigs regularly have two or more flight sticks, which function very differently from standard aircraft. This can be addressed by assigning some of the buttons on the D-pad to be modifier buttons that activate a second layer of controls (or more layers if needed) when depressed. The vernier-style poles were helpful as reverse thrusters, the trim wheel helped during reentry as we used it for minor pitch corrections, 5 way hat switch was used for the reaction control system to make fine adjustments during flight.  The most realistic simulator we used to test space flight with the Arrow was Flight of Nova . It presents newtonian mechanics, realistic gravitation and orbital physics, atmospheric density inspired by Earth data, aerodynamic drag corresponding to vessel shape, drag / air friction energy calculations, real-time accurate orbital data and a full-scale body diameter 12’700 km planet.  With the Yawman Arrow we were able to launch from the surface of a planet, go into orbit, plot a course for rendezvous and successfully dock with a space station.  Space simulation is not something I have an extensive amount of experience with, but the Arrow supported me enough to be successful. This is an interesting thing to note.  “Desktop Mode”  It is not talked about a lot in their promotional material, but Yawman does mention that the Arrow has a “desktop mode” of sorts. They released a short video about this on January 26th, 2024. Holding this flight controller in your hands is the preferred way to use this device, but unlike game controllers of similar design, its triggers and even the multifunction wheel have enough clearance to let the controller lay flat on a hard surface and still have all of its buttons accessible.  A few cross-country flights I did in Microsoft Flight Simulator demonstrated the usefulness of this feature. During taxiing, takeoff, landing and parking, holding it in my hands felt necessary to me. But during the long legs of the flight itself, laying the controller down onto my desk and flying in this way allowed me to relax my arms and hands while maintaining full control. This was an unexpected way to use the Arrow, but I cannot deny that it worked well.  Closing I am a bit surprised at how much I came to enjoy using the Yawman Arrow handheld flight gaming controller. While this was a review, I did not feel as though I was forcing myself to use it. It became very natural to plug this controller in, take a few minutes to assign some functions for the first time and go flying. I am someone that frequently preaches the effectiveness of desk mounts for flight simulation hardware, and I must admit that it was nice using the Arrow in lieu of constantly having to shuffle all that equipment around.  With its current functionality and price point, it does seem valid to me after a little over three weeks of testing it in titles it was both built with in mind and titles it probably never would be used in normally. I cannot say that I am about to throw out all of my flight simulation gear to solely fly with the Arrow, but I can say that it will be a frequently used part of my collection for sure.  Skyward Flight Media would like to thank the Yawman team for presenting us with a review unit to create this review and giving us all the time needed to do it in our own way.  About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers.

Taking a Closer Look During Steam Couch CO-OP Fest 2025 Back in Steam Planes, Trains and Automobiles Fest 2024 I briefly interacted with a demo for Mirage: A Biplane Adventure by Blitzwood. At the end of the section I wrote about Mirage I had mentioned that I was curious about whether or not the demo represented the full game. Admittedly, with digest style articles like those that cover multiple games in a single piece, you definitely cannot spend as much time with a game to give it a more detailed look. Unexpectedly, we recently were contacted by the developer of Mirage to try the full game out during the ongoing Steam Couch CO-OP Fest , running between February 10th through 17th, 2025. I'd like to thank Blitzwood for reaching out and offering this opportunity to us. World Setting I mentioned previously that the world of Mirage: A Biplane Adventure  was one that gave me the feeling I wanted to explore and understand what exactly is going on. For a genre where the focus is traditionally aircraft doing cool things under the player's control, having decent worldbuilding and/or an unusual story also exists is enticing. This is going to sound odd, but it is a very specific feeling I have had with a few other flight games. Games like Sky Odyssey , The Brew Barons , Sky Gunner and even Aviassembly  come to mind. World map. The world of Mirage has been invaded by unknown robotic entities. They can be found in towns and around strategic locations in the form of static, land based anti-aircraft units and small, high speed blimps with turrets able to fire in any direction. The player is a first-of-its-kind biological-mechanical drone created to fight the robots at the direction of its creator. Using an in-game compass to navigate to story driven objectives, backed by radio communication with in-game characters, players fly to new towns, crisscross the continent finding unusual landmarks. These landmarks include monuments, towns, ports, challenging terrain and portals that players fly through, transporting them to mini-game levels that are still story related, but are based on time attack or score attack game modes. The geography of Mirage is unusual. As progress is made more of the story unfolds. Overall the tone of the game is one of mystery. To be transparent, I have not completed the full story of Mirage as I chose to discuss more of the gameplay aspect of it. Fully CO-OP If the inclusion of this game in the Steam Couch CO-OP Fest is not enough of a give away, Mirage joins the ranks of relatively few modern flight games that are full game co-op. Fellow Skyward Flight Media staff member T.J. "Millie" Archer and I tested this functionality over the course of a Sunday afternoon, sitting side by side in true Couch Co-Op fashion. While Player One is in game they can activate the second player, Player Two, by pressing P or Back on the keyboard. Player Two is free to fly anywhere on the map with no distance restriction from Player One. During testing T.J. and I operated separately looking for landmarks we were on opposite sides of the world map. Resources like currency, ammunition and fuel are not shared between both players. Both players will need to manage their resources independently. Of the few things that are shared is save points/waypoints set by making progress in the game or flying through the resupply Rings. In the event player two crashes or is shot down in combat, they respawn near the last ring Player One utilized. While in mini-games based on time attack and score attack, the death of Player One can cause a restart of the mini-game for both players, whereas the death of Player Two occasionally respawns them completely outside of the play area. In our experience the best use of having a second player was coordinating attacks against the robotic invaders in the land of Mirage. Using basic World War II era flak suppression tactics with Player One evasively flying through areas full of known hostiles, drawing their fire while Player Two flies in seconds later, destroying the distracted enemies. The level of difficulty in combat is noticeably lower when two players are active just because of this. T.J. would argue that the most entertaining part of the co-op experience would be that friendly fire is on. Players can shoot at one another or ram into each other. The occasional random betrayal or aggressive bump in a time attack can bring out hilarious interactions between each other. The Learning Curve T.J. and I initially struggled to adapting to the gameplay style of Mirage. Partially because we jumped straight into it concentrating on immediately accessing the flight and action, as the developer intended. After a brief reset and taking time to adjust all controls and remap buttons to something more familiar to ourselves - a feature added to the game just back in November 2024 - we found ourselves getting better at the fast paced gameplay. Highspeed Gameplay Something that I can now confirm is a core part of this arcade flight game is high speed. In every moment. While the aircraft players control is capable of hovering in mid-air, even while it is hovering it consumes its Coal Fuel at quite a high rate. An entire fuel tank is expended in roughly 60 seconds. The pressure of needing to refuel once a minute is considerable. This is somewhat offset by picking up in-game currency floating around the map at random locations. Picking up these orange glowing coins does give a slight increase in fuel capacity, but the coins do not reliably reappear at a rate that would replace the need to always know where the nearest resupply ring is and be ready to fly there within 30 to 40 seconds. This makes even a few moments of non-combat feel as though you are wasting time by not being purely fixated on flying straight from objective to objective. On one hand I wish the fuel consumption rate was a bit slower to allow players some more time to strategize and fly around the map, but I can respect the concept of mind high speed, skill based gameplay where so much happens in 60 seconds you are constantly mentally engaged with what is happening in the game. An important part of this highspeed gameplay style is to accept is that the player(s) will most likely crash, run out of fuel or be destroyed frequently when they are new to the game. Very similar to rouge-like games, in a sense. While there is technically a punishment for this, it is a relatively small punishment. If you are someone that takes seeming to "lose" rather hard, I would keep in mind that the setbacks that come with it are quite small. Instead, focus on simply getting experienced with things and you'll notice that the amount of times you go down decreases quickly. Mini-Games It should be noted that the mandatory mini-games could be a point of contention. It certainly was for my dearest wingman T.J. As mentioned in the sections Fully CO-OP and Highspeed Gameplay, when Player One dies it causes Player Two to restart. With limited fuel and short timers, these mini-games require immense speed and precision to clear. We failed almost a dozen times each before we got it right, to be honest. With these mini-games being requirements, they are not impossible to complete but do expect to dedicate more time than expected to these. Example of portals to story related mini-games. Flight, Combat The flight model is decidedly flight arcade. With Mirage not allowing for full pitch control above 80 degrees nose up or down and rudder and yaw controls coupled together, adjusting Turn Speed to its near maximum greatly enhances the players ability to survive in combat and increase their chances to complete score attack and time attack mini-games. There is very little in the way of physics halting players from zoom climbing and speeding away from danger while also being able to snap turn through tight valleys or abstractly designed tunnels running up the sides of mountains. Destroying an air target over an occupied town. The aircraft is able to absorb three glancing blows or minor terrain impacts, but cannot take even a few seconds of sustained direct fire from enemy forces. Because of this high speed and high maneuverability to avoid taking damage is more important than anything. Both the player and enemy forces use types of rapid fire cannons that explode with anti-aircraft flak cannon style ammunition. This limited amount of splash damage can be utilized by players to hit small groups of enemies in a single pass. I'd say the general rule of thumb is to focus on slashing attacks or Boom and Zoom tactics. Whether they are air targets or land targets, avoiding getting into low speed turning battles and focusing on eliminating the enemy one or two units at a time while flying at maximum speed. Strafing anti-aircraft turrets. Though, the player's cannon has a range that reaches farther than the hostile robots can return fire. Using patience and being willing to burn quite a bit a fuel, it is possible to fly high above land forces and hover outside of their range firing down on them, destroying them outside of their counterattack range. Time consuming, but an effective alternative. Closing Thoughts Even after the afternoon co-op session with T.J., I have continued playing Mirage: A Biplane Adventure between assignments for Skyward Flight Media. I genuinely am curious about what the full story of Mirage is. Now that I have adjusted to the gameplay style I am more wiling to to pursue this game to its end. I'll be sure to report back. Connect with 'Mirage: A Biplane Adventure' Steam : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2909720/Mirage_A_Biplane_Adventure/ T.J. and Aaron somewhere in the unknown. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

After a long time in development, it is now the time to shine for Polychop Simulations' newest helicopter: The legendary OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. A smaller, heavy and somewhat underpowered platform, the Kiowa was made with observation and scouting duties in mind. It serves quite excellently in these roles, as well as CAS duties during Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, it now serves with several different nations, such as Greece and Taiwan. It is now time for us in DCS World to enjoy this fabulous aircraft in all its glory, and that is something we say seriously. This release is a rarity for DCS World standards, as it was released into the game as a complete module. No early access, no tricks. Just for doing this, we have nothing but respect for Polychop, as this is proof of how confident they are in the quality of their products. EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL 3D MODELS Externally, the Kiowa looks mighty fine. A lot of detail has been packed into this model, with everything from the different fuselage-mounted sensors to the mounted weapon assemblies and harnesses. Depending on the livery, the weathering on the fuselage can go from very mild to extreme, to reflect where some of these birds were and the conditions they flew under. It feels like a definite step up from the Gazelle, and I am proud of what the devs have done with this model. A notable addition to this model is the wide range of customization available to the mission editor. They can add or remove the IRCM (Infrared Countermeasure) system, equip two different sets of skids, and so much more. Here, take a look at the model yourself: As for the cockpit, the quality shown on the external model persists. It is weathered, but not enough to look like a museum piece, like some other modules currently available for purchase. It looks roughed up and beaten, but also taken care of by maintainers that need the bird up in the air at any time. Additionally, all the changes to equipment are reflected in the cockpit with the removal or installation of several different panels. The pilot and co-pilot models are the most alive any of these have ever felt in DCS. They have a bit more character than we are used to and their animations, while somewhat stiff due to limitations, do bring these models to life more than any other ones we have seen in the game. Everything from holding the M4 out of the window to grabbing a smoke grenade, pulling the pin and throwing it out of the door. These are the points that make a difference with modules in DCS, and Polychop has outdone all other helicopters in DCS with their addition. Here, take a look: VISUAL AND SOUND EFFECTS The Kiowa is not really a visually impressive aircraft in the same way that something like a Phantom would, or any other fixed wing aircraft. It cannot pull vapes when you push it, or have a spectacular afterburner effect. What it can have, it has. This comes in the shape of what seems to be the inclusion of ED's rotor blur technology that gives the rotor assemble an amazing sense of movement, as we have seen previously on the Apache and Hind. Night lighting is pretty spot on, and it certainly can become a bit of a Christmas tree with all the external lights on at night. Cockpit lighting is on-par with the external lighting, as well as how it is reflected on the latter when you turn on your lights in-cockpit. It is an alright bird in this category, and we cannot complain much. A category we can applaud them on is sound design, as this has that "spark" that is so rare in DCS modules. We can tell what my aircraft is doing just by listening to the way the rotor sounds, and that feedback is precious when we cannot rely on all of our other senses. You can hear the air rush by when you pick up speed, as well as the difference in rotor sound when you enter a roll or start pushing the aircraft a bit. Polychop have created an excellent sound environment that compliments the flight model perfectly, and we have nothing but good things to say about it. Well done! FLIGHT MODELING DISCLAIMER:  This is always a tough category, as like with any other aircraft, there is a lot to take into consideration other than just the feel of the flight model. This category is the most subjective one in this article, as we do not have any real world experience with this craft. We will only base our opinion on practical experience and knowledge of practical aerodynamics and the theoretical behavior that a OH-58D should have under certain scenarios. If you want to talk about realism, please refer to CasmoTV or Barundus , two of the SMEs with thousands of hours logged on the Kiowa each. With the disclaimer out of the way, we will start by saying that this is the best feeling helicopter currently in the game, period. It is the closest we have felt to properly flying a real helicopter in DCS, and that is something we do not say lightly. The flight model is a thing of beauty, and we cannot get enough of flying this helicopter. It behaves exactly how you think a helicopter would, with none of the usual quirks that come with simulated flight characteristics. It feels stable on the hover without force trim, and hand-flying it is easier than riding a bike. Applying torque with the anti-torque pedals results in predictable motions that you can control appropriately. Additionally, falling on VRS (vortex-ring state) situations is a rarity, as long as you fly it within parameters and control your descent rate properly. During landings and take-offs, you can also distinctly feel the aircraft settle on ground effect, which is something that took us by surprise. RBS (Retreating blade stall) is also manageable, as this aircraft doesn't really have a lot of power to begin with in order to get you going that fast, especially when fully loaded. The Kiowa is a delight to fly, and we cannot get enough of it. Polychop, Kinkku, well done! You've shown everyone why PC are the kings of helicopters in DCS. MISSION CAPABILITIES If you come into the Kiowa thinking it will be as capable and/or well-armed as an Apache or Hind, well, you are not going to enjoy what I have to say. The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior's main role is that of a scout and observer. To understand this, one has to understand where the Kiowa comes from. It is essentially the militarized version of the Bell 206 that initially entered service during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, one which has seen a plethora of modifications throughout the years going from the OH-58A to the OH-58D, and some prototypes here and there. It was meant to be an observer aircraft capable of directing artillery fire and performing Aerial Forward Air Controller (AFAC) duties. It was never meant to be an attack helicopter. With that being said, the version we have is a OH-58D from around 2012-2016, one of the last versions ever to see service with the U.S. Army. It includes a fully digital/glass cockpit, as well as INS/GPS navigation, advanced survivability equipment and the iconic Mast Mounted Sight (MMS). This also includes a first for DCS, a set of functional airbags upon crash! This bird is capable of performing AFAC duties sublimely, as well as enacting its own light-attack missions thanks to the use of the MMS in conjunction with the laser guided weaponry it can carry. Additionally, it can perform these duties during the day and night, thanks to its modifications that made night flying a breeze for pilots. This bird does excel in low-threat environments similar to those in which it saw most of its action, such as Afghanistan and even Iraq. Thanks to its ability to equip relatively cheap weaponry, as well as having a low operational cost, this bird was a soldier's ally when it came down to receiving Close Air Support (CAS). It might not be as famous as its bigger brother, the AH-64D Apache, but it certainly saw plenty of action and is an aircraft cherished by those that flew it and those it protected on the ground. ARMAMENT M3P .50 CAL MACHINE GUN One of your main means of sharing your love with your enemies. 500 rounds max, 100 min. M260 HYDRA ROCKET PODS Your classic 70mm rocket pods capable of carrying 7 rockets each, from guided to unguided rockets. MAX of 2 pods for a total of 14 Hydra rockets that come in two unguided types: M151 10 pound HE rockets M229 17 pound HE rockets M151 ADVANCED PRECISION KILL WEAPON SYSTEM ROCKETS The laser guided version of the M151 10 pound rockets. They are accurate, lighter than Hellfires, and you can carry a total of 14 of these in two pods (7 per pod). AGM-114K HELLFIRE MISSILE The most capable long range weapon that the Kiowa can carry, this missile will delete everything you point your laser at. You can carry two per pylon for a total of 4 missiles, but that set-up is not recommended. Instead, carry two of these alongside a rocket pod or your trusty .50 cal. FIM-92 STINGER MISSILE The Kiowa can also defend itself in the air-to-air arena, all thanks to the Stingers. These missiles can be equipped in pairs for a theoretical total of 4 missiles, but that is a set-up we wouldn't recommend. M4 CARBINE A first in DCS, you are able to whip out your trusty 5.56 carbine and throw lead out the door. You have a total of 5 mags with 30 rounds each, for a total of 150 rounds. It can only be used by the left seater. This is also VR compatible! M18 SMOKE GRENADE A Kiowa-classic, the M18 smoke grenade can be tossed out of the window or door to mark objectives during a fly-by. It comes in these colors: Blue, Green, Red, Violet, White and Yellow. EASE OF USE AND LEARNING CURVE This is one of if not the easiest helicopter to fly in DCS thanks to its predictable flight dynamics, as well as its stable yet very fun flight profile. It is not as complex to fly as the Apache, but not as simple and analog as the OH-6A Cayuse. We think it is the ideal starter helicopter for those that want to take a step up from all the flyable helicopter mods. Having issues? Then you have to have seen these airbags pop! Additionally, this module comes with an AI-Pilot! This system can fly the helicopter for you in a number of situations, including hovering in relatively strong winds and even navigation from waypoint to waypoint. If you are a solo-pilot, you can rely on this system to keep that hover for you while you employ your weapon systems at a distance. It is easy to manage and very reliable, so it can only add to the accessibility that this module already has. IS THIS AIRCRAFT FOR YOU? If what you want in a module is: A wonderfully crafted flight model. A unique experience while flying. To be able to spot for your friends that only fly fixed-wing. To fly the most enjoyable helicopter in DCS. If you don't mind: Not having 16 Hellfires under your wings. Being relatively slow compared to other helos. Having fun. See above. If all or some of the above is what you want, then Polychop's OH-58D Kiowa Warrier is for you.

World War II multicrew night raids against vital supply lines In the overall landscape of aviation worlds on the  VRChat  platform, the most common types of experiences available revolve around 3rd or 4th generation combat aircraft and quick player versus player gameplay. Because of this, worlds like  BlackCats: Maritime Interdictor  by  5Sori  stand out. On the surface it is mainly because they are player versus environment experiences that benefit from players working together. Going deeper, it is the build quality and concept behind the world that gives it a special place among its peers. Development BlackCats: Maritime Interdictor is a World War II era VRChat aviation world based on Pacific Theater of war operations. Specifically on notable operations of the "Black Cats", US Navy patrol squadrons who flew nighttime combat missions against Imperial Japanese Navy throughout the war. Their Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina amphibious flying boats painted in black became an iconic part of their image. 5Sori, the world creator / developer first posted a video about development of this world in  October 5th, 2024   with them acknowledging their inspiration for starting development was the "Black Cats" mission from Call of Duty: World at War (2008). They had previously 3D modelled a PBY-5 for sale and use in VRChat, so creation of this world fit the aircraft they had modeled perfectly. Development and private testing continued while the developer also worked on other project. The Black Cats world was released to the public on May 31st, 2025. The Setting Players are tasked with flying their aircraft into battle against flotillas of NPC controlled transport ships with Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe aircraft in the airspace. The transports have multiple gun positions and searchlights to spot attackers and increase the accuracy of anti-aircraft fire. Upon loading into the world, players spawn in a tent in the middle of an island military base. Within the tent is a briefing room to explain the concept of the world, handheld models of vehicles seen in the world and options to control in-game settings. A map with a compass rose somewhat doubles as a radar system, as it identifies the general locations of far-off enemy forces and shows the positions of allies. This table is useful for speaking to aircrews in flight, monitoring the battle space and choosing which vehicles to spawn in mid-flight to join others while they are in combat. This is a good starting point to give players that will be flying a general idea of what is happening in the surrounding area, while players that remain on the ground can give navigation assistance via the radio system if needed. Outside of the tent is a small airfield with limited support facilities like hangars, support buildings and a tower mounted radar. There is also a steel grate runway and smooth beaches that allow players to operate their aircraft purely in the ocean or from land.  Aircraft can return to the island for repair, refuel and rearming by landing in the sea or on land, or flying low over the island for a much faster resupply process. Honestly though landing on the ocean is recommended as the aircraft is designed for that. The world creator has a good set of animations for the aircraft on water, retractable floats and the audio of landing on the water and travelling on water are good parts of the experience. The Aircraft Players have access to two PBY-5 Catalinas housed in the hangar. Each PBY-5 is equipped with a surface search radar to find the convoys of transport ships. The first aircraft is equipped with two air launched torpedoes and the second with six unguided bombs. It is possible for a player to fly on their own and be successful in completing this PVE scenario, but it is made much easier with the inclusion of more players. Why is this? Besides the pilot and co-pilot seats, each aircraft has four gunner positions. The pilot has authority to launch torpedoes or drop bombs and has control over a pair of nose mounted 20mm cannons. The nose gunner is also particularly important as they have a bombsight that is used for level bombing at altitude if the pilot and nose gunner work together. Coming into a fight with multiple crewmen in gunner positions is ideal, but there is a second, albeit more physically involved option.  In a somewhat amazing feat, players can also leave their seat stations mid-flight, walk to a different part of the aircraft and take up a new position. This is an extremely rare ability for the SaccFlight system in VRChat. Few aircraft have colliders that stop players from phasing through vehicles. Even fewer let players be able to leave a seat station while in flight without them being flung around the aircraft. It would be interesting to see the Unity code that made this possible. The flight model of each Catalina is more forgiving and arcade-like than the real-world example, but not to a point that you will be performing fighter jet-like maneuvers with little to no danger. Also, the aircraft is able to receive a decent amount of gunfire before exploding, making consistent attacks against convoys a viable tactic. While staying in a rolling gun fight is fun for entertainment, the most effective way to attack is of course slashing attacks through the convoy not remaining within its range of attack for extended periods of time. Examples of combat in the world. The Experience While airborne the pilot of each Catalina wanders the ocean searching for radar contacts on the water's surface. Because of the nighttime setting and the haze over the water, the radar is the best way to detect potential targets farther than players can visually spot them.  Upon finding and approaching these transports, their spotlights activate to find the Catalinas and direct anti-aircraft fire onto them. The ships themselves are not easily destroyed. If only relying on machine guns and cannons, the transports take a substantial amount of damage before they explode. Specific parts of each vessel, like the searchlight and anti-aircraft guns, can be targeted and disabled making follow up attacks easier.  The occasional intercept by small numbers of A6M2-N Rufe complicates the players’ attacks. Of course, a Catalina being attacked by a much more maneuverable aircraft that can pursue them a moderate distance is a genuine problem, but it seems as though the seaplane escort fighters are susceptible to the anti-aircraft from their own ships. So it is possible for them to be destroyed while pursuing the Catalinas.  The most effective means of attack are of course torpedoes and unguided bombs, each of those capable of sinking a vessel in just one or two successful hits. Though their ammunition is realistically limited and their accuracy is not guaranteed. Learning how to lead a target with slow moving torpedoes or drop bombs onto a moving target while in a dive or flying straight and level is a key part of the experience. With there being no chart for ideal airspeed and altitudes available, players will be learning this literally on the fly. Lost at Sea A few flight sessions ago, a pair of Skyward staff members were stuck in a rare moment in VRChat aviation. This is not a standard occurrence that everyone who tries this world out should expect, but the story contributes to the uniqueness of this world. The pair of staff members became genuinely lost at sea. After multiple engagements pursuing transports as they appeared, the two flew for nearly 30 minutes unable to spot their home base visually or via radar. The first reason this is so unusual for VRCA is because it is easy to navigate back to other players because their nametags, when visible, show where clusters of players are located. Secondly, the terrain of these worlds usually give plenty of landmarks that can be used to return to known airfields. Getting lost in a world that does not use the Open World Movement Logic system by Zhakami Zhako is exceedingly rare. However, out on the open ocean with no land to refer to and no other players back at base to use as navigation beacons, their PBY-5 Catalina was lost for almost 30 minutes. Capitalizing on this rare occurrence, the two attempted to navigate back until they hit the world border. Using this artificial landmark to triangulate their position, they eventually made it back to base with no ammunition and a dwindling fuel supply. A truly VRChat style solution to a VRChat style problem. After finding two edges of the world border, the lost PBY-5 cut to a 45 degree angle to return to base. Closing Thoughts Black Cats - Maritime Interdictor is a bit of a shining example of what is possible with player vs environment VRChat aviation worlds. A seemingly basic premise of hunting down ships navigating through the night can become a dynamic experience with a crew of up to 6 players per aircraft coordinating their efforts. We recommend giving it a try soon.  Connect with 'BlackCats: Maritime Interdictor' VRChat.com (all options) World Quick Launch Link World Creator, 5Sori (X.com) About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile ]