Normandy Map Worth it for Modern Fighters

[panton41]

I mostly play modern aircraft - the F-5E is the oldest I usually fly and mostly as an unarmed trainer - so is it worth it to get the Normandy map? I've heard it's so small it's not that useful given the range of modern fighters, though I've heard good things about it in regards to helicopters.

 

(For that matter, I might find it fun to "cheat" by flying a modern aircraft in a World War II scenario, which I'd imagine would be a fairly simple edit of scenarios.)

 

FWIW, I'm a bit of a completionist which is the main reason I'm asking.

[unlikely_spider]

It is pretty small compared to the other maps, and I think you'd have to be a STOL virtuoso to make use of any of the airfields. The France portion would be fine for helos though. The rest is just water and the England side isn't that interesting.

[DD_Crash]

Harrier?

[mungo13]

I have just tried A-10C with some 80% fuel, full ammo, targetting pod, 4-6 bombs, 4 mavericks and 2 Sidewinders (I did not take notes, I just picked up loadout that looked good to not to fly empty plane nor to be ammunution train).

I was able to take off and land on the concrete airfield and the big ground strips. I did not test those small strips.

Let's say that I do not know correct rules for the landing and even during the landing I was looking for the control mapping for the brakes and flaps - 1st landing was even without flaps at all.

You may expect it to be OK for the SU-25 as well. True fighters? Don't know. I landed F-5 with AA armament on british concrete airfield, once again in just pleasure testing flight without consulting proper procedure.

 

But there is Channel map coming - who knows which one would be better or more interesting from this point of view.

[Ramsay]

I mostly play modern aircraft - the F-5E is the oldest I usually fly and mostly as an unarmed trainer - so is it worth it to get the Normandy map? I've heard it's so small it's not that useful given the range of modern fighters, though I've heard good things about it in regards to helicopters.

 

I've made very little use of it and when I have, I've had FPS issues if there's been more than a handful of units, so IMHO it's not worth it.

 

The WW2 Assets OTOH, are being used in a couple of cold war scenarios, so might be worth picking up in a sale.

[ChillNG]

Also depends on how 'realistic' an environment you like to fly in...my head can't handle an out of place jet on this map. That said I have managed to create plausible scenarios with the F-86...fly's out of the paved airfields just fine and the time-frame just fits.

 

Personally I really like the map since it's major update, performance vastly improved!

[xvii-Dietrich]

I mostly play modern aircraft - the F-5E is the oldest I usually fly and mostly as an unarmed trainer - so is it worth it to get the Normandy map? I've heard it's so small it's not that useful given the range of modern fighters, though I've heard good things about it in regards to helicopters.

 

Yes, it is small compared to all the other maps.

 

There are three paved airfields on the map: Evreux, Carpiquet and Tangmere (each of which has a maximum runway length of 1650 metres). My squad has routinely operated Hornets, F-5E-3s, L-39s, C-101s out of Carpiquet. We've also operated Harriers off the Tarawa in the Channel itself. I am not aware of any player-flyable aircraft that cannot take off fully loaded (the C-101 is close though!).

 

There are some large-ish dirt fields, e.g. Lessay. I have taken off in a M-2000C from there. We've also operated F-86s off some of the smaller grass fields, such as Goulet. It is good for helicopters, especially as you can place FARPs more or less wherever you want.

 

Cross-channel operations will be your longest ranges for missions. Still not particularly far, but that just means you can take more payload and less drop-tanks.

 

The map does have some deficiencies though, so check the reviews and watch some YouTube videos before diving in. That said, the recent update at the end of last year has addressed a LOT of issues and it is now much, much better than it used to be.

 

 

In case it helps, there is a map of the French side of the Channel here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4147675#post4147675

 

 

 

 

EDIT : There are limited navigation aids. You might need to place extra beacons, ships or tankers to help out. GPS on the Harrier/Hornet/etc. MFDs still works though.

Edited May 9, 2020 by xvii-Dietrich
Added a note about nav-aids.