F-51 / F-80C 10 Historical Scripted Campaign "Home by Christmas"

[AndreiTomescu]

6 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

Whenever you attack a radar station designed to detect enemy aircraft it is a good idea to stay as low as possible and approach from behind a small land mass like an island

Yes, obviously that. What i was trying to figure out was this: the hole trip to the target was roughly 300+ km. Is the low level approach needed the hole way, or just about 100 km from target? As that higher you go, less fuel you burn. Have to check radar range for that radar model in museum.

Didn't know the min ground altitude for AI. To be noted that I've tested the AI by effectively skimming the mountain tops, just hopping above tree level, and the AI planes had no trouble dealing with that (compared with Early Access, where there were issues)

6 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

Once you were rid of your ordnance and drop tanks, that would have been a good opportunity to put a couple of red stars on the side of your plane.

Yes, indeed. However I doubt a real life pilot, worried about making the 320 km trip back while loosing fuel, would have been so bold, or reckless. Except  for Jesse Brown, of course, but we know where that got him into. 🙂 

In sim life, after a long trip and a very successful bombing run, I guess i was more inclined to reduce risks. I am always trying to do things as it wasn't a game, but the real deal, and your missions design helps that, so really thank you for that: good immersion, that's what i'm looking for.

[AndreiTomescu]

ups! my bad.... sorry guys. All my doing. (the permanent bridge was used by civilians) Will give it another shot tonight.

[Jaegermeister]

7 hours ago, AndreiTomescu said:

Yes, obviously that. What i was trying to figure out was this: the hole trip to the target was roughly 300+ km. Is the low level approach needed the hole way, or just about 100 km from target? As that higher you go, less fuel you burn. Have to check radar range for that radar model in museum.

Didn't know the min ground altitude for AI. To be noted that I've tested the AI by effectively skimming the mountain tops, just hopping above tree level, and the AI planes had no trouble dealing with that (compared with Early Access, where there were issues)

Yes, indeed. However I doubt a real life pilot, worried about making the 320 km trip back while loosing fuel, would have been so bold, or reckless. Except  for Jesse Brown, of course, but we know where that got him into. 🙂 

In sim life, after a long trip and a very successful bombing run, I guess i was more inclined to reduce risks. I am always trying to do things as it wasn't a game, but the real deal, and your missions design helps that, so really thank you for that: good immersion, that's what i'm looking for.

The radar was set up to detect bombers heading for the Yalu River so that fighters could be sent to intercept them. A quick search tells me the range was about 150 kilometers for a bomber at 8,000 meters altitude, which is roughly the distance you traveled over the water to target. The higher you are, the further away you can be detected, since radar travels in a straight line. Being below the horizon prevents the radar waves from reaching you, so in this case you were not visible to the radar until you flew up over the island with the AAA installation just short of the target area. At that point I would expect to see a pop up to about 1000 meters to acquire the target, flipping inverted to look through the canopy and then a diving attack to release bombs with enough altitude to prevent fragging yourself.

The AI minimum altitude applies to sea level. When you are over mountains, there is no minimum set altitude, they are simply programmed to avoid hitting the ground. That behavior has been improved in my experience also.

Since you keep getting fuel leaks, I am guessing you are dropping your bombs too low and getting shrapnel through your wings. That is modeled, and I have had it happen too. Try releasing bombs and pulling off target a little sooner to see if that fixes the problem. It looks like you may be done with your bombing missions by now though.

Our hero Jack Russell was very excited about becoming a fighter ace at the beginning, but it sounds like reality has crept in for both of you…

[AndreiTomescu]

46 minutes ago, Jaegermeister said:

Our hero Jack Russell was very excited about becoming a fighter ace at the beginning, but it sounds like reality has crept in for both of you…

🤣😂 well said ! Truth to be told, i've became quite fond of Jack, and that is due to your excellent missions texts. Just my taste.

 

46 minutes ago, Jaegermeister said:

I am guessing you are dropping your bombs too low and getting shrapnel through your wings.

that is exactly what i am doing. But since whith this tehnique i am getting very good results, like really good, i'm not keen on changing it. Maybe to increase timer on bombs?? might be a thought.

Now i'm pretty sad, since i just have to redo the previous mission and then i'm down to the last. Sad that it's ending.....

Edited August 25 by AndreiTomescu

[Jaegermeister]

2 minutes ago, AndreiTomescu said:

🤣😂 well said ! Truth to be told, i've became quite fond of Jack, and that is due to your excellent missions texts. Just my taste.

 

that is exactly what i am doing. But since whith this tehnique i am getting very good results, like really good, i'm not keen on changing it. Maybe to increase timer on bombs?? might be a thought.

Now i'm pretty sad, since i just have to redo the previous mission and then i'm dowt to the last. Sad that it's ending.....

You can still drop in a 45 degree dive from about 500 feet and have enough time to pull away to one side or the other. Pulling up straight ahead puts you right over the bomb blast. Supposedly the shrapnel radius of a 1000lb bomb was about 1000 feet.

Don't be sad, the last mission might take you more than one try. 

[AndreiTomescu]

ok.... sounds challenging! tell me one thing, and one thing only: should we respect mission description/text? like once the enemy planes are spotted, we drop fuel tanks to trick them?

[Jaegermeister]

2 hours ago, AndreiTomescu said:

ok.... sounds challenging! tell me one thing, and one thing only: should we respect mission description/text? like once the enemy planes are spotted, we drop fuel tanks to trick them?

That's up to you. The F80 pilots did that historically to fool the MiGs, but I would drop my wing tanks anyway if I were going to dogfight a MiG since it improves the turn and roll ability significantly. Those are your strong points in an F-80 in that situation. A MiG 15 cannot match your rolling direction change, especially in a dive because they will have almost no aileron authority at high speed. If you roll 90 to 180 degrees and pull back, you will lose a MiG on your tail every time.

You will have enough fuel for the return trip to Kimpo without your drop tanks anyway.

Edited August 25 by Jaegermeister

[Viking1]

Thanks for this campaign, finished 3rd mission and having fun! One thing the scripted campaign really brings out is the weakness of the debriefing. Even when I go back to check results I have no idea how I did personally. Would love to see 1C integrate a screen where we can see performance by flight like this --

 

Edited August 25 by Viking1

[AndreiTomescu]

1 minute ago, Viking1 said:

Would love to see 1C integrate a screen where we can see performance by flight like this

or at least the screen with the map that showed path, losses and victories like in GB.  Your idea of mission debrief is awesome. maybe in the future.

But let's not pollute with off-topic Jack Russell's topic.

Can't wait to see how i'm gonna make him ace in a day, in the final mission!!! 😂🤣

[Viking1]

I still have a long way to go but your questions here will help me along..

One thing the AI does not do well is to reform the flight safely. In mission 3 after LEAD calls 'its a wrap' he starts to turn and climb over the target area. Nice exposure to any remaining AA - I kept my distance until they were safely out of range of the guns.

One thing that does not appear in the briefing is the total route distance. Not a big deal cause its on the map but would be handy.

Possible bug in Mssn 3 - the flight forms up then flight LEAD just keeps circling the target at 3000 feet. After three circles I broke off to head home.

Edited August 25 by Viking1

[AndreiTomescu]

Jack and the magic MIGs - the final mission.

First attempt. Yep, so did the Master said it's gonna be several attempts, right he was.

Sooo.....Jack dropped his bombs, fired his rockets and hit some targets. Then the beans came up. Sorry, the MIGs.

Huh! no way to dance with those at altitude. After an engine shut off and a successful mid air restart, Jack had the pleasure of not one, but two head on with the Mig. Seeing those cannons fire at him right in front didn't scared him a bit, except for he utterly missed his shots, twice, and wet his pants. Also twice.

And then , disaster struck: Jack got damaged by AAA. Unable to keep flying, Jack did what every sane person wouldn't have done: landed at Siujin airfield, or what it's called, despite the runway being short, mud and riddled with bomb holes.

The enemy kept furiously firing at his aircraft, but Jack, too lazy to run for cover (no, he wasn't wounded), decided to climb back in the P-80 and attempt to taxi to a safer spot. Despite his valiant attempts, the engine started, run towards 1900 rpm and then shut off, enabling Jack, after about 10 attempts, to move the damn machine just a few meters away. One nice hit from some nearby DSHkA and the plane was lost, so Jack decided that walking WAS actually an option.

The machine gun that was targeting his aircraft was now targeting Jack, so now we know for sure that the pilot on foot is still seen and targeted by the AI.

Jack tried to run for cover, but being a bit preoccupied to take some photos for his friends on the forum, got blasted away.

Tomorrow he will try again, somehow, despite the fact that after work he has to take his wife's car to the shop.

The end for now. 

 

Edited August 25 by AndreiTomescu

[AndreiTomescu]

Jack and the magic MIGs.

second attempt. The damn boy is stubborn. He postponed taking the Zoe to the mechanic, but not to worry. It's electric (the car, not the wife, that one's on fire), can take another day.

So, after dropping bombs and firing rockets, Jack prepared himself a bit by taking some altitude, above the Yalu river. When the bandits came, the speed was still a handicap, but maybe a bit less. Managed to  get behind a Mig, fired and missed, the Mig turned, Jack followed, and despite his will used what he learned from his time on duty in Japan: kamikaze. Buh. That's no way to skin a cat.

Third attempt.

Again on the dance floor , Jack decided to be patient. Work his way around. There were clearly 2 batches of enemies, one higher, leaving trails, and one lower. the lower ones were more accessible. Jack descovered that 2 types of AI pilots were in combat: some were smart and aggressive (Russian veteran/ace, maybe?) and some were more or less circling at high speed (Chinese lower level, wearing G-suits? Or swim suites?) The Eagle flight was dropping like flies. 2 already shot down by enemy planes or AAA, and by a struck of luck and some state-of-the-art maneuvering, Jack found himself in a shooting position. First burst, a miss, the second, defenetly hit something. The third short burst was well aimed (the gyro is useless for this job, it's WW2 style leading the target that will do) and the bandit was flaming hot.

 

One would notice that Jack's fuel tank was punctured , that was from the bombing run. Pls don't tell @Jaegermeister, he'll ground me till his next campaign !

As Jack was watching the Mig falling to get a picture (it was one of the "smart" ones, as to know) the bandit's wingman creeps in from behind and the left wing was the not so proud bearer on 3 marks from large caliber bullets: not holes, more like some wide scratches that teared off the wing's skin. If those would have been impact hits, i guess there wouldn't have been any wing to talk about. The plane was still flying, but banking with very violent moves. 

Now, with still a heap of ammo left, there were 2 choices: make Colonel Jaegermeister proud, and try to get another Mig, or break the fight.

A valuable information leaned the balance heavy on one side: Jack had recently found out that Grace Kelly, due to the stubbornness of some novels writer, was a widow.....

 

So , maybe for the first time in his life,Jack took the wise call. Nursed his damaged aircraft home, landed safely, and went back to Japan to find the girl and comfort her in her sorrow. (Obviously he failed that last task, since the lady married an ugly and cheating prince, and had to pay 2 million USD as downy to do so. But that's another story.)

In the end, my beloved Jack failed to be an ace, but did his job valiantly, and even might get to be mentioned on Wikipedia, since he managed a one and only kill, but with a P-80 vs the mighty Mig 15.

Both Jack and I would like to thank deeply to @Jaegermeister, the creator of this wonderful campaign and the hole developers team that made this state of the art game for the opportunity to enjoy such high quality entertainment.

The end.

P.S. Tommorow, before work, I really have to deal with that car. Or I'll have the fate of the Mig.

[Jaegermeister]

1 hour ago, AndreiTomescu said:

Jack and the magic MIGs.

Spoiler

second attempt. The damn boy is stubborn. He postponed taking the Zoe to the mechanic, but not to worry. It's electric (the car, not the wife, that one's on fire), can take another day.

So, after dropping bombs and firing rockets, Jack prepared himself a bit by taking some altitude, above the Yalu river. When the bandits came, the speed was still a handicap, but maybe a bit less. Managed to  get behind a Mig, fired and missed, the Mig turned, Jack followed, and despite his will used what he learned from his time on duty in Japan: kamikaze. Buh. That's no way to skin a cat.

Third attempt.

Again on the dance floor , Jack decided to be patient. Work his way around. There were clearly 2 batches of enemies, one higher, leaving trails, and one lower. the lower ones were more accessible. Jack descovered that 2 types of AI pilots were in combat: some were smart and aggressive (Russian veteran/ace, maybe?) and some were more or less circling at high speed (Chinese lower level, wearing G-suits? Or swim suites?) The Eagle flight was dropping like flies. 2 already shot down by enemy planes or AAA, and by a struck of luck and some state-of-the-art maneuvering, Jack found himself in a shooting position. First burst, a miss, the second, defenetly hit something. The third short burst was well aimed (the gyro is useless for this job, it's WW2 style leading the target that will do) and the bandit was flaming hot.

 

One would notice that Jack's fuel tank was punctured , that was from the bombing run. Pls don't tell @Jaegermeister, he'll ground me till his next campaign !

As Jack was watching the Mig falling to get a picture (it was one of the "smart" ones, as to know) the bandit's wingman creeps in from behind and the left wing was the not so proud bearer on 3 marks from large caliber bullets: not holes, more like some wide scratches that teared off the wing's skin. If those would have been impact hits, i guess there wouldn't have been any wing to talk about. The plane was still flying, but banking with very violent moves. 

Now, with still a heap of ammo left, there were 2 choices: make Colonel Jaegermeister proud, and try to get another Mig, or break the fight.

A valuable information leaned the balance heavy on one side: Jack had recently found out that Grace Kelly, due to the stubbornness of some novels writer, was a widow.....

 

So , maybe for the first time in his life,Jack took the wise call. Nursed his damaged aircraft home, landed safely, and went back to Japan to find the girl and comfort her in her sorrow. (Obviously he failed that last task, since the lady married an ugly and cheating prince, and had to pay 2 million USD as downy to do so. But that's another story.)

In the end, my beloved Jack failed to be an ace, but did his job valiantly, and even might get to be mentioned on Wikipedia, since he managed a one and only kill, but with a P-80 vs the mighty Mig 15.

Both Jack and I would like to thank deeply to @Jaegermeister, the creator of this wonderful campaign and the hole developers team that made this state of the art game for the opportunity to enjoy such high quality entertainment.

The end.

P.S. Tommorow, before work, I really have to deal with that car. Or I'll have the fate of the Mig.

That's quite a story Jack... errr, Andrei. No Chinese pilots or G-suits in MiGs north of the Yalu in these missions. The early encounters were mostly with the 29th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment in those days.

I am very glad you enjoyed flying it, and I hope to be working on another one before too long. We will see how it goes. 

[LukeFF]

Just flew mission number 3. We hit the target really well, and I heard my leader say to wrap it up and head back to base, but apparently, for him, that meant circling the target area, apparently in no hurry. 😄 Instead of waiting around to see what would happen, I left the target area on my own and used the fast travel option, after which they magically reappeared, just in time to land. 

[Jaegermeister]

9 hours ago, LukeFF said:

Just flew mission number 3. We hit the target really well, and I heard my leader say to wrap it up and head back to base, but apparently, for him, that meant circling the target area, apparently in no hurry. 😄 Instead of waiting around to see what would happen, I left the target area on my own and used the fast travel option, after which they magically reappeared, just in time to land. 

Yeah, there is an error in the end mission logic in missions 2 and 3. That happens unless you kill all the dug in targets or run out of ammo. It has been reported at least 4 or 5 times now, and I turned in the correction about 2 weeks ago. Thanks for the report though. I don't blame you for not reading through the whole thread about it.

When you use fast travel, it moves the whole flight and resets the mission priority regardless of what they are doing at the time.

I have made corrections for all of the issues that have been reported so far, as well as some others that have not. Hopefully the update will be out soon.

[MiGCap]

Finished mission 6 and was credited with four Yaks ... on the ground. One with a bomb, the rest with guns. No rocket hit as ever. 🙄

This was number 4. It looks a little bit battered after my strafing.

 

[LukeFF]

On 8/18/2026 at 1:32 AM, AndreiTomescu said:

Mission 4. This is what I call a well designed and challenging mission.

Hard targets, crazy AAA ? No. Although those AAA hidden on top of hills, between trees, are hard to see and hit.

The mission was excellent due to something quite often neglected, but often encountered by real pilots: target selection.

With friends and foes less that 1 mile apart, choosing who to hit was challenging. Enemy convoy moving along river bank. Yep, but exactly the same was the allied convoy doing. Less than 1 mile apart. And when everybody started shooting, things were even better. Very cool.

Yes, I just flew this one and learned the hard way about target selection. After searching around and around for the vehicles being called out I saw the convoy "advancing along the riverbank" and though, "bingo!," here we go.

Quote

 

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

 

😞 

[AndreiTomescu]

Damn, you have to admit: You approach target area. Low level, so to see something. Your butt is hot, since at this level you're a fast duck for the AAA. Receive orders.  Very clear: convoy, advancing, river bank. And then wow! here is the convoy! yes, but the wrong one.... 

Excellent representation on the incomplete/ambiguous info during the war, that caused friendly fire. 

As much as I know Jaegermeister's work, this was on purpose for sure. My take: it doesn't take fancy software features to depict something immersive, that changes the hole game, if you've got skill and talent.

2 hours ago, MiGCap said:

It looks a little bit battered after my strafing

dunno how you do it, but you've got the most impressive pics ever seen. My desktop wallpaper thanks you constantly.

Also, to be noted the level of damage detail: for God's sake, the front hood is partially ripped off and the fire can be seen through it !!!

[Aapje]

5 hours ago, LukeFF said:

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

LukeFF incurs a penalty for firing on a friendly

Sounds like this Luke fellow needs some time in the brig to reflect on his life choices. 😛

[MiGCap]

6 hours ago, AndreiTomescu said:

dunno how you do it, but you've got the most impressive pics ever seen. My desktop wallpaper thanks you constantly

Thank You!

40 years of flying in real life combat jets as public affairs officer and aviation journalist/photographer helps a little bit. 😉

[AndreiTomescu]

4 hours ago, Aapje said:

Sounds like this Luke fellow needs some time in the brig to reflect on his life choices

He's high brass. He'll get it solved out. I'm sure he's got Truman's phone number and email.... 🙂 🙂 

[MiGCap]

Enroute in mission 7. Napalmed the bridge and hit a mortar post with guns. Rocket hits: zero. 🙄

 

Edited August 30 by MiGCap

[AndreiTomescu]

3 hours ago, MiGCap said:

Rocket hits: zero

I'm no expert in those crazy Daisy weapons, but i started to hit with them , like this:

- range, close, close, and as low as possible

- not very close, like 4-500 meters, aim with the second line under the dot

- close, like 2-300 meters, aim with the first line under the dot

- very close, like "omg, impact!" the dot just in front of the target.

Maybe this might help.

3 hours ago, MiGCap said:

Enroute in mission 7

Huh, I have 2 monitors , one at home , one at office. Still, these pictures are superb. All my patients are overwhelmed by their beauty!

[MiGCap]

Thank You very much! 🫡

[Viking1]

Mission 6 clip - explosion AND damage modeling for the Yaks -- flown by TotteTorres