Rüstsatz Kits and Weapons

My wish is that ED makes Rustsatz kits an option, preferably selectable from the ground loadout menu. I would especially love the ability to load out with the R8 "SturmBock"...R11 would be interesting too...

I also wish for more weapons, drop tanks, selectable shell type (Minengeschoss for some of the R variants?), the radios and other WIP items to be finished...

And more late war variants maybe in the future? :D

We need at least R2 (with and without extra armor) as it was the most common Sturmbock.

Also an option to turn A8 into F8.

We need at least R2 (with and without extra armor) as it was the most common Sturmbock.

Sounds interesting. Do you have a reference for what the R2 is and how many numbers there were produced/used?

Dietrich,

R2 has extra armor (chk attached pic). However due to icing/foging problems addon glass armor was not used most of the times..

As for armament, instead of outer mg151/20 it used mk108.

Regarding the numbers produced I do not know. However it was primary plane for units like: IV.(Sturm)/JG3, II.(Sturm)/JG4, II.(Sturm)/JG300

I would not use the R2 even if we get it. It was meant for the bomber interceptors. The plane gets even heavier, visibility worse. The pilots back in the day hated the additional armour glass. In dcs we mostly fight other fighters. So I don't see the point of this Rüstsatz.

While you do not see the point, others do... plus you wont lose anything by ED including it.

Agree Vatikus... This is a simulation... We paid good money for the module, so I want the whole airplane. This is the closest I will ever get to flying an FW190, and DCS is renowned for study sim level products, so it should be as close to right as possible. In the field, as you obviously know, the Luftwaffe was constantly reconfiguring the FW190 to fit all sorts of missions and pilot preferences. These configurations ranged from simply changing the arrangement of the guns (or removing them all together) to adding armor, to using a different propeller (of which there are three types used on the A8 if my understanding is correct). Lots of other little field mods as well.

Unlike others, I have found the 190 to be a passable PvP aircraft. I would like to have the ability to customize my loadouts like the actual Luftwaffe pilots could and did so that I can be better equipped for certain missions or even play styles. And I like to play offline, so I want to have the ability to armor up and go B-17 busting.

I'm also looking forward to an increase of loadout. I'd just like to select between available SC250 HE, SD250 thick walled and AB250 cluster munitions an A8 might get loaded with at Normandy.

Aside from units assigned to bomber interception duties the primary fighter role by 1944 was jabo as far as policy went, although there was more acceptable independence in the field among the Wehrmacht than any other military before or since, some unit commanders enjoyed complete logistical and tactical autonomy whilst others were court-martialled for believing they did. Without question both infamous squadrons like Stabschwarm JG301 and celebrated aces like Gunther Rall actively sought fighter engagements late in 44 where strict policy was strap a bomb on and go help the troops if you're not shooting down bombers.

The Erla G10 batches were purpose built for fighter engagements but relatively few late build fighters of any type were seen without an ETC rack, bomb or drop tank and 1944 saw concerted efforts to develop FW190A8 rocket loadouts for anti-armour missions such as modified panzerschreck under wing racks.

WGr21 rockets were commonly fitted to the A8 as well as BF109 types assigned to bomber interception from January 1944, however according to pilots only squadron leaders had them because they were so difficult to use against aerial targets in an aircraft, being an army rocket for use against surface targets. It suffered an immediate trajectory dip after launch which apparently made them impossible to aim and luck with instinct played the greatest part in dislodging a bomber from its box formation.

Other, junior BF109 pilots in bomber intercept were equipped with MG151/20 gondolas and drop tanks for the long climb to target. The FW190A8 already has guns and fuel, but we can at least say a number of WGr21 equipped A8 saw service just going by existing museum airframes drilled with their mounting holes.

Certainly Sturmbock infamously had a pair of MK108 but also had armouring reinforcement and all other A8 we can actually examine have MG151/20 outboard. However the rustsatze kits are listed as separate between the MK108 and Sturmbock armouring so there is every reason to suggest it perfectly likely some A8 mixed into regular squadrons could've been A8R2 mods, just an A8 with a pair of MK108 alongside another with some WGr21 and a bunch with regular MG151/20 all on bomber intercept duties around the Netherlands. It is a perfectly reasonable loadout option.

We can at least say American aircrews were very familiar with the MK108 and often describe it being fired at them in various war documentaries about different units and aircraft types, often enough that it was clearly a very widespread aerial gun equipped in German fighters in the late war, no reason to exclude the FW190A8 pilots from this club as it was available to their aircraft type. It was certainly very common in BF109 during 44-45.

Some A8 definitely sortied in the Normandy region, not many pilots returned and they didn't have their aircraft. Policy at this stage of the war dictated they should've been roaming around with an SC250 trying to support the Army but there were some aces involved with custom mounts and long term squadron mates so pilot reports are more like fighter-bomber intercept and fighter on fighter engagements flying clean with the outer gun magazines left empty. If I was to characterise what I've read here and read there and tried to reconcile it.

The panzerschreck thing is worth mentioning again for its service derivative, although a limited batch phenomenon but reputedly quite successful, the Pb1 Panzerblitz which was capable of destroying any tank of the period, three carried under each wing. It's just a fun addition using a weapon type DCSW users are familiar with but with a WW2 reflector sight twist. They were definitely in service but you'd probably have to hunt a while to find one on their most prolific day.

$50 Module deserves Rüstsatz Kits, WW2 planes don't have as complex cockpit avionics as modern jets and Rüstsatz Kits should be included instead.