US Navy JAI A-7E Air Operations Aboard the "Big E"

[mikewmac]

This seems to be "JAI Sluff Week" here at MAIW so I thought I would share some screenshots of my USN Sluffs that are a part of a little backroom aircraft carrier AI development project that I have been working on for a while.

These screenshots were taken aboard the AlphaSim demo version of the USS Enterprise sailing off Puerto Rico during some early afternoon VFA-27 Royal Maces' and VFA 97 Warhawks' A-7E alternating launches off cats 2 and 3, left hand VFR pattern circuits around the "Big E" and traps on the angled landing deck.

Many thanks to Jake Burrus for the JAI A-7E and Ray Parker for the repaints that he did for me. I think they make for an awesome sight aboard the "Big E".

The other 16 very nice AI visible parked aboard the "Big E" are courtesy of Nick Black and Mike Pearson, but launch and trap at different times of the day.

Enjoy,

Mike

[Stewart Pearson]

Superb shots there Mike. Thanks for sharing.

[mikewmac]

Superb shots there Mike. Thanks for sharing.

You are welcome Stew. I thought that fans of retro USN carrier operations might like them.

Mike M.

[MIKE JG]

That's cool. We just about have all the old warbirds from the Vietnam era!

[mikewmac]

That's cool. We just about have all the old warbirds from the Vietnam era!

Thanks Mike.

We are getting more of the retro jet warbirds all the time, but we still have some big AI gaps in the USAF Century Series of fighters from my era though.

Mike M.

[f4nutter]

great shots Mike

[mikewmac]

great shots Mike

Great repaints make for great screenshots Ray.

Mike

[btaylo24]

Great shots mike, looks amazing

[Victory103]

Great shots, the only little critique would be to swap out the T-45's for a more period correct TA-4's.

[mikewmac]

Great shots mike, looks amazing

Thanks Barry.

I've been tinkering in the backroom with creating realistic AI carrier air operations for a while now and have finally overcome most of the problems. These AI all have unique wet AI FDE's and as I stated above they all actually launch off the #2 bow catapult or #3 waist catapult, fly a left hand VFR pattern and catch a 3 wire on the angled landing deck, but finding ways to make that all happen as realistically as possible was a bit of a challenge.

One of biggest problems I had was to not get so distracted in watching them launch and trap that I didn't get any work done.

Mike M.

[Stewart Pearson]

Great shots mike, looks amazing

Thanks Barry.

I've been tinkering in the backroom with creating realistic AI carrier air operations for a while now and have finally overcome most of the problems. These AI all have unique wet AI FDE's and as I stated above they all actually launch off the #2 bow catapult or #3 waist catapult, fly a left hand VFR pattern and catch a 3 wire on the angled landing deck, but finding ways to make that all happen as realistically as possible was a bit of a challenge.

One of biggest problems I had was to not get so distracted in watching them launch and trap that I didn't get any work done.

Mike M.

Ah now Mike, I'm sure with your experience of this site, you're in an ideal position to know what my question is going to be.

So I'm not going to ask it, just let you answer.

[mikewmac]

Great shots, the only little critique would be to swap out the T-45's for a more period correct TA-4's.

You are certainly correct and I probably should have changed the AI types present for these screenshots. I was developing AI FDE's, optimizing flightplans and tweaking the carrier setup when I took these and unfortunately didn't give any thought to the era that they represented.

Mike M.

[mikewmac]

Great shots mike, looks amazing

Thanks Barry.

I've been tinkering in the backroom with creating realistic AI carrier air operations for a while now and have finally overcome most of the problems. These AI all have unique wet AI FDE's and as I stated above they all actually launch off the #2 bow catapult or #3 waist catapult, fly a left hand VFR pattern and catch a 3 wire on the angled landing deck, but finding ways to make that all happen as realistically as possible was a bit of a challenge.

One of biggest problems I had was to not get so distracted in watching them launch and trap that I didn't get any work done.

Mike M.

Ah now Mike, I'm sure with your experience of this site, you're in an ideal position to know what my question is going to be.

So I'm not going to ask it, just let you answer.

Someday Barry, but this is just a test prototype now and I have a lot more work to do first on the rest of the Carrier Battle/Strike Group. I even have a prototype for that using the USS Theodore Roosevelt for what could be called the Tomcat's Last Cruise. I'll let you fill in the blanks on that one.

Mike M.

[wildcat]

Very nice Mike

[mikewmac]

Very nice Mike

Thanks wildcat. I'm glad you liked them.

Mike M.