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

[Jaegermeister]

6 hours ago, sandmarken said:

I have come all the way through the campaign and really enjoyed it! Thank you for making it!

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I was hoping to see more action above Chosin Reservoir, but I guess you are saving it for a Corsair campaign.😁

 

You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the campaign.

I'm not really saving anything, but the 8th FBW and 51st FIW were assigned to support the 8th Army in the west. The X Army which included the Army and Marines near Chosin were mostly supported by the US Navy and Marine air units with tactical support. They had land based units and carrier air groups rotating through the area for the entire conflict. The US Air Force provided most of the airlift capacity, which of course was critical. Once again history has provided my story line, I just decide which missions to represent.

When we get Deck Ops, it will certainly provide more opportunities to make missions in the eastern area. 

[sandmarken]

1 hour ago, Jaegermeister said:

You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the campaign.

I'm not really saving anything, but the 8th FBW and 51st FIW were assigned to support the 8th Army in the west. The X Army which included the Army and Marines near Chosin were mostly supported by the US Navy and Marine air units with tactical support. They had land based units and carrier air groups rotating through the area for the entire conflict. The US Air Force provided most of the airlift capacity, which of course was critical. Once again history has provided my story line, I just decide which missions to represent.

When we get Deck Ops, it will certainly provide more opportunities to make missions in the eastern area. 

I haven't really read my Korean story yet; I was sure a crisis like that would have everyone step in to save those guys! I will for sure read a little now, as I have started to work on some projects myself.😄

[Jaegermeister]

1 hour ago, sandmarken said:

I haven't really read my Korean story yet; I was sure a crisis like that would have everyone step in to save those guys! I will for sure read a little now, as I have started to work on some projects myself.😄

It was pretty chaotic for the first year. They were way the heck up north by then.

The lines went back and forth over about 5 different offensives in both directions, and then everything stabilized in the middle of 1951 and became less confusing. 

[MiGCap]

Mission 12: I destroyed the radar station with my bombs and even hit a truck with my rockets, but my wingmen missed widely. Great atmoshere, well done, @Jaegermeister!

Observations: I couldn't switch off the formation lights, they went on the second I switched off the position lights and that was it. Is that a bug or are they so programmed in the game that they are always on in the dark? Don't think so as the formation lights of the wingmen stayed off.

And Number 2 refused to leave the target area and decided to circling there indefinitely.

 

Edited September 12 by MiGCap
Typo

[Jaegermeister]

1 hour ago, MiGCap said:

Observations: I couldn't switch off the formation lights, they went on the second I switched off the position lights and that was it. Is that a bug or are they so programmed in the game that they are always on in the dark? Don't think so as the formation lights of the wingmen stayed off.

That sounds like a control issue, I have never seen that happen

1 hour ago, MiGCap said:

And Number 2 refused to leave the target area and decided to circling there indefinitely.

That would be random unpredictable AI behavior that is not within my control.

[MiGCap]

53 minutes ago, Jaegermeister said:

That sounds like a control issue, I have never seen that happen

I tried it a few more times, started the mission new for every try.

Landing lights, position lights, cockpit lights on. Take-off, all lights out, formation lights on automatically, no possibility to cut them off.

New try: Everything out, take-off - and the formation lights went on automatically, no possibility to cut them off.

Changed the key commands for all the lights. Next try: Take-off and the formation lights went on automatically without the possibility to cut them off.

I gave up and flew the mission with formation lights on. On the way back when it wasn‘t dark anymore - the formation lights went off automatically … 

 

Edited September 12 by MiGCap
Typo

[Jaegermeister]

13 minutes ago, MiGCap said:

I tried it a few more times, started the mission new for every try.

Landing lights, position lights, cockpit lights on. Take-off, all lights out, formation lights on automatically, no possibility to cut them off.

New try: Everything out, take-off - and the formation lights went on automatically, no possibility to cut them off.

Changed the key commands for all the lights. Next try: Take-off and the formation lights went on automatically without the possibility to cut them off.

I gave up and flew the mission with formation lights on. On the way back when it wasn‘t dark anymore - the formation lights went off automatically … 

 

Seems like a bug to me. Have you done a search to see if anyone has reported it yet? I don’t remember seeing it brought up, I guess there is not much night flying going on.

[MiGCap]

Had @AndreiTomescu and @LukeFF the same effect in the night mission?

If so, I will report it. Remember what I wrote to mission 9, there also my formation lights as lead aircraft went on automatically when it becames dark.

[AndreiTomescu]

Hi, Master in Graphics Cool artistic producer ! (=MiGCap) ! 

Happened to me also. For me it was because of key bindings. Tweaked those a bit, and got control of lights.

[MiGCap]

Thank You for the flowers, Andrei! 😊🫡

I also changed the key bindings, but with no effect. Will try again.

In the day mission the formation lights didn‘t go on, regardless of my efforts. In the night mission automatically without possibility to switch them off … strange.

[Jaegermeister]

11 hours ago, MiGCap said:

In the day mission the formation lights didn‘t go on, regardless of my efforts. In the night mission automatically without possibility to switch them off … strange.

I did test it.

What is happening is that with the player piloting the aircraft, either the navigation lights are on, or the formation lights are on. You cannot turn them both off, because toggling one on toggles the other one off. When you switch to autopilot (AI mode) the lights turn off, just like they do for the wingmen. When you turn autopilot off, the formation lights come back on automatically. 

It is a bug, and I have already reported it.

 

Edited September 14 by Jaegermeister

[MiGCap]

Thank You, @Jaegermeister! I already thought I am crazy as @AndreiTomescu said he solved the problem by tweaking the key bindings and I didn't manage the same.

Mission 13: A nice CAS mission with a lot of fire bombing in poor weather - I liked it!

Enroute:

 

[MiGCap]

And Mission 14 - my favourite targets (but not my favourite weather ), so two pics.

First bomb - the ponton bridge to the west, second bomb - the ponton bridge to the east:

 

And two ships with guns. This is the second one:

 

And of course, all my rockets missed. I have to learn how to aim better. 🙄

Got an AAA hit early. Nothing serious. Flew safe home.

 

Edited September 14 by MiGCap

[AEthelraedUnraed]

On 9/11/2026 at 4:42 PM, sandmarken said:

I haven't really read my Korean story yet; I was sure a crisis like that would have everyone step in to save those guys! I will for sure read a little now, as I have started to work on some projects myself.😄

Actually the situation was worse in the west. One of the reasons X Corps was ordered to evacuate, is that they were in immediate danger of being outflanked by the complete collapse of the 8th Army.

Also X Corps was Marines territory, and their own pilots were more than capable of providing effective support, especially with their deliberately shorter lines of command between ground and air units. No. 77 Squadron RAAF (that I'm writing a campaign about) was right in the area, and they pretty much only flew to Chosin on the 28th, when the situation was most critical and before the collapse in the West.

The reason that Chosin has become better known, is probably that the US rather chooses to remember a well-executed defence and successful evacuation against a superior enemy (X Corps), than the longest and most chaotic retreat in US history (8th Army). The fact that 8th Arny lost most of their unit records in the process, making detailed reconstructions very hard, also doesn't help.

[sandmarken]

7 minutes ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Actually the situation was worse in the west. One of the reasons X Corps was ordered to evacuate, is that they were in immediate danger of being outflanked by the complete collapse of the 8th Army.

Also X Corps was Marines territory, and their own pilots were more than capable of providing effective support, especially with their deliberately shorter lines of command between ground and air units. No. 77 Squadron RAAF (that I'm writing a campaign about) was right in the area, and they pretty much only flew to Chosin on the 28th, when the situation was most critical and before the collapse in the West.

The reason that Chosin has become better known, is probably that the US rather chooses to remember a well-executed defence and successful evacuation against a superior enemy (X Corps), than the longest and most chaotic retreat in US history (8th Army). The fact that 8th Arny lost most of their unit records in the process, making detailed reconstructions very hard, also doesn't help.

Very interesting thx! 

I was sure 77th woud atleast participated as you said they where right there! 

I have now a new project and finding day to day what missions was flow isnt always easy! 

[MiGCap]

Mission 15, again against the Sinuiju airfield - and again the MiGs came over the Yalu - and again I didn't get one: They were too fast and too high. But I tried:

And what a magnificient view! 

At least, I hit some ground targets at the airfield, and that was the main task. And I came home with my complete four-ship, no casualties.

Thank You very much, @Jaegermeister, this campaign is such a lot of fun and historically very well done!  

I enjoyed it so much and I will play it later again (and again) as it depicts my favourite aircraft, my favourite season and my favourite months of the Korean conflict - You hit it all.

But first I have to learn to hit with that damned rockets!! 

 

 

Edited September 18 by MiGCap
Typo

[AndreiTomescu]

2 hours ago, MiGCap said:

But first I have to learn to hit with that damned rocket

Tried to learn something from all those tables and tutorials found here on the forum. Still, this rockets business remains elusive. The experimental approach i find the most useful. 

This campaign is clearly to be done again, but i'm planning that after the elusive, undisclosed when and soo much wanted new hot fix.

A hidden strong point of this campaign is that has no constant stuttering during gameplay

Dunno how Jaegermeister did it, but managed to overcome the game's deficiencies.

[LukeFF]

@Jaegermeister, question for you 😉 

https://steamcommunity.com/app/247970/discussions/0/571549538645619214/?tscn=1789666624

[Jaegermeister]

8 hours ago, LukeFF said:

@Jaegermeister, question for you 😉 

https://steamcommunity.com/app/247970/discussions/0/571549538645619214/?tscn=1789666624

 

My account is not allowed to reply to Korea, IL-2 Series discussions because I did not purchase the title through Steam.

 

Question on Steam forum by unnamed poster;

Altitude information in missions

I am playing the campaign "Home by Christmas". Every mission provides altitude details. I assume this is AMSL, above mean sea level? Could you clarify this in the mission briefing in the game?

 

The answer is that since the unnamed poster assumes correctly, it is not a critical error that has any effect on game play, and I have no plans to edit briefing text which is localized into six different languages unless absolutely necessary. The altitude stated in the briefings matches the cockpit instruments.

[Aapje]

16 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

My account is not allowed to reply to Korea, IL-2 Series discussions because I did not purchase the title through Steam.

Anyone with a Steam account is allowed to engage in the discussions. Only reviews are limited to those who purchase on Steam.

[Jaegermeister]

6 hours ago, Aapje said:

Anyone with a Steam account is allowed to engage in the discussions. Only reviews are limited to those who purchase on Steam.

I logged in to my account, and when I tried to post a reply, that is the message I was given.

perhaps I can’t post for some other reason than not purchasing the title.

 

Edited September 20 by Jaegermeister

[Joch]

I had a similar issue last year where STEAM thought my account had been hacked and partially froze the account, including the ability to post in forum threads.

If the problem persists, you should contact STEAM support. In my case, they replied and solved the issue quickly.

[Aapje]

On 9/20/2026 at 4:00 AM, Jaegermeister said:

I logged in to my account, and when I tried to post a reply, that is the message I was given.

perhaps I can’t post for some other reason than not purchasing the title.

Perhaps they turned that on later and anyone who commented before that can still comment.

[Jaegermeister]

Apparently I'm not allowed to post because I have not bought anything through steam. Pretty much what I thought.

It's because I changed my email a couple of years ago when I got hacked and I have not bought any new games through Steam since then.

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[AndreiTomescu]

well, i can copy paste your former reply on stem, if you're ok with that. my older son has an active steam account.