Bought the Eagle

Despite my grave reservations about adding the Christen Eagle II to DCS World (I believe my initial reaction to the announcement was something like, "It's the apocalypse! The end is upon us!") I succumbed to my weakness for aerobatic biplanes and bought it.

Now, after a couple of hours of burning holes in the sky, doing touch and goes, and one flight from Maykop to Sochi along the coast, I've changed my mind. It's a charming little beast. So there. I was wrong, much as it grieves me to admit it.

Outstanding work, developers! It's a great airplane and if you're a pilot inclined to aerobatic flight, you want it.

Now, if the repaint artists would go to work on it, we'd be all set. The default liveries are nice, but they're the real OEM paint, which was undoubtedly very hip in 1977, but I keep hearing K. C. & the Sunshine Band playing in my head when I fly with them.

A few skins that are maybe more 2019 would be nice. And maybe some retro schemes from the Golden Age of Aviation. I can live with Artie Shaw playing in my head.

:thumbup:

On the one hand - I don't particually get on with it. I thinkl I'd need something other than an xbox controller to really do more with it than fly straight and level. Aerobatic attempts just sort of end up with something flopping wildly around the sky.

On the other, I don't feel hard done by for spending 30 quid on it either. It's a wonderfully joyfully detailled little thing - from the creaking of the wings under high G's, to condensation on the instruments, to the effect of the mixture knob on fuel consumption.

It's such a happy little thing. The manual along is excited and earnest and colourful - it wants to have fun rather than be all serious with maverick missiles. This is for barnstorming and sightseeing. Even the label in the cockpit - "Back in the Saddle" brings a smile.

It's such a happy little module. And one that I am glad exists.

I picked it up during a previous sale (spring?) just 'cuz. I have VR, and I love flying the WWI biplanes in VR in IL-2 ("Flying Circus"). I thought a more modern aerobatic airplane might be fun to try out in DCS.

I was 100% pleased. I immediately started doing all kinds of terrible and dangerous things with it. Crashed it once, against the side of "Tromb" tower in Las Vegas. The cockpit in VR is just fantastic. You are there.

I doubt I'll be picking up a collection of aerobatics-only aircraft in DCS like I have the combat aircraft, but this is one I'm really glad to play around with.