What is this?
With the working title "Jet Thunder: Falkands/Malvinas" (JT:FM), it is an in-depth flight simulation featuring an historically accurate, although dynamic, Falklands/Malvinas war scenario. The project started in late 2002 as a simple simulation of just the Harrier, and first we thought of having only the islands as scenary, as terrain making would be easier with only the isles represented, intended for simple self-publishing in a shareware style... But the positive feedback was so strong and unexpect, and the project quickly has grown to a organized, professional effort with a programming team, art / 3D modelling team, and extensive research work, with full order of battle, historical accuracy, argentine and british flyable aircraft and detailed cockpits/avionics.
What about the flight model?
With a sophisticated physics and torque engine, expect a good feeling of the flight inside the constraints of the featured flyable aircraft. It will include delta-winged supersonic specific dynamics (for the Mirages), twin-prop behavior (for the IA-58 Pucará) and full V/STOL flight (Harrier), providing an extensive and varied range of flight styles.
Will this simulation be based on "super lift flaps" or other cheats to fake V/STOL operations?
No 'cheats'. The featured Harriers will have correct modelling of the RR-Pegasus engine, with the vectoring limits (0 to 98 degrees vectoring in the 4 nozzles, with correct rotation speed of the nozzles and thrust-weight ratio) and the reaction system that kicks in at the slow speeds where the normal control surfaces are useless.
How detailed will be the avionics?
The Agave radar used in the Super Etendard and the Ferranti Blue Fox radar used by the Sea Harriers FRS.1 will be modeled with all their modes, and correct detection ranges. The same level of detail will be present in the Thomson-CSF Cyrano II radar of the Mirage IIIE. RWR and the respective gunsights/HUDs will be also part of the avionics package.
What naval assets will be present? Are ships damageable by Exocet missiles?
It'll include all naval assets to form a correct Order of Battle. Type 22 Frigates (HMS Broadsword, HMS Brilliant), Type 42 Destroyer (Sheffield), Atlantic Conveyor, landing crafts, ARA General Belgrano cruiser, etc. And they will feature full damage modelling and will be subject to anti-ship strikes.
Can I employ the VIFF Harrier techniques in air-to-air combat?
Yes, VIFF (Vectoring In Forward Flight) can be used, with several tactics and in different situations. In its simplest form, rotating slighty down the nozzles in a turning fight will tighten the turn and cause a sudden nose up attitude, putting a Lag Pursuit Sea Harrier in Lead Pursuit and in advantage for a 30mm deflection shot or making easier for an AIM-9L lock. Another typical use is the quick vectoring of the nozzles to avoid an overshoot, or to force an overshoot in a defensive situation. Keep in mind that VIFF doesn't means "stop in mid air and then accelerate instantly", Hollywood-style... If not used properly, you WILL burn a lot of energy and end as a "sitting duck" in the sights of the enemy's wingman.
What are the multiplayer aspects?
It will be server based, with (hopefully) support to Hyperlobby , and at least 16 players at once. Dogfight, COOP and Online Campaigns together against AI-based foes are available.
Isn't the Sea Harrier with AIM-9L and good use of VIFF, a rather unbalanced fighter for online dogfight rooms ?
No. According to expert's advice, the Mirage IIIE is more than a match for the Sea Harrier, in any condition.
What about the campaign system?
The campaign will be dynamic, with the British task force attempting to re-gain the islands from Argentine forces. Argentine starts with more troops and planes. The number of planes in each side at the start of the campaign will be historically correct (making it tougher as you think for the britains, because they started the campaign with only 20 Sea Harriers, Squadrons 800 and 801). The argentineans will also have to make the best use possible of certain limited ammo resources (for exemple, only 5 Super Etendart fighters with 4 Exocet missiles available).This makes for interesting resource management, also the outcome of most missions will influence the outcome of the campaign (for example, in the first Mirage vs. Sea Harrier dogfight with you as a british, fail it and the Argentineans would feel encouraged to make more aggressive use of their Mach-2 interceptors, eventually pushing air superiority over the islands. Enter here the strategic factor of the british Vulcan bombers, in a dynamic campaign they can even fail to reach their targets in the islands, changing completely the outcome of the conflict.
With the dynamic Campaign, will there be a career mode for the player including ranks and medals?
There'll be a career mode starting as a rookie pilot, advancing the career up to a squadron commander. Medals and Promotions will be featured and these will be saved to the personal pilot's log together with statistics, kill ratio and other data.
There will be carrier operations?
Yes, with the McDonnel Douglas A-4Q Skyhawk onboard the argentine carrier ARA 25 de Mayo. And for the british side, onboard the HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes, with short take-off runs through deck ramps to maximize fuel and weapons load, and vertical landings on the deck.
There will be air-to-air refuelling?
Yes, indeed air-to-air refuelling should be present because it was needed for the long range flights from the continent to the islands. The Lockheed KC-130 Hercules of the Fuerza Aerea Argentina was used as refueller in these missions. We're aware that the long-range "Black Buck" operations flew by the british were also heavily based in air-to-air refuelling.
Will the map include Ascension Island (for the Vulcans)?
We're still thinking in the best way to solve the Vulcan/"Black Buck" problem. To extend the map seamlessly to include Ascension Island, will mean getting the entire brazilian coast as well (Vulcans did most of the air-to-air refuelling with Victor tankers parallel to the brazilian coast, in one situation, one missed a refueller and had to make an emergency landing in Brazil/Rio de Janeiro - it was "Black Buck 6", carrying Shrike anti-radiation missiles).
It is technically not impossible to do this, problem is 1) time to create the huge scenary (texture tiles, featured cities in the coastline) 2) extreme RAM usage. A down to earth approach at the moment is to make the Vulcans (currently A.I. only) to ingress in the campaign's map through the most north/east position, they do their business down in the war zone, and return through this same route.
Another approach would be to include Ascension Island as a separated map but co-existing with our current map, with correct distances between the 2 areas correctly calculated as well as flight times and fuel usage - of course there will be a gap between the two areas, but at least players will be able to see Vulcans departing from Ascension Island in direction to their targets, hours away of flight in the south direction.
Who is doing this flight sim?
Thunderworks, a development team with members based mostly in Brazil, Argentina and the UK.
is the one to get. You'll get a decent selection of aircraft, decent support in patches, Dynamic campaigns out of the box.
