SimHQ.com - The Simulation Community's = Headquarters


Guest Interviewer "Dolph" talks to = developer=20 Oleg Maddox here about all things IL-2. =	Guest Writer Panagiotis "No Fear" = Fokas=20 interviews the developers of the fabulous mods = for=20 Jane's USAF. Read here.

Frank "Dart" Giger continues his = series of=20 training articles with IL-2 Series: Ground=20 Attack. Read Part 2 here.	Book Review:=20 Chuck "Magnum" Ankenbauer reviews "Dslyecxi=92s" = Tactics,=20 Techniques, and Procedures Guide for Armed = Assault here.

Community News for Friday, July = 27,=20 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

News Contributors: Doug "Uther" = Lawrence=20 and Ivan Jozic.

After=20 Action Reports:

Tainted Cigar AAR: VF-41 by = "KingALbert."=20

EECH / = EEAH:=20

Havoc Cockpit Download. =

European Air War:=20

WWIAW Project Update. =

IL-2 Series: Forgotten = Battles, AEP,=20 Pacific Fighters:=20

Historia and Normandie-Niemen = Servers=20 Merge.

Screentshots and Video = Gallery:=20

New Black Shark Movie by = "Glowing_Amraam."=20

Strike = Fighters /=20 Wings Over Vietnam:=20

F-16XL Movie by "KingALbert." =

Land & Armor Combat = News

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

Announcements:=20

SimHQ Armed=20 Assault Mission Making Winner... Congratulations = to=20 "MojoFlow" for winning the SimHQ Armed Assault = mission=20 making contest. He did an excellent job. You can = download=20 his mission titled "Pre-emptive action". Just unzip = and put it=20 in your ArmA/missions folder and play it as squad = leader.=20 (There is a known bug when playing in MP mode, = that's=20 dedicated server related.)
SimHQ Armed=20 Assault Screenshot Contest Winners... = Congratulations to=20 the below listed persons for being one of the top = three=20 screenshots entered in our contest. Each winner = receives=20 Dslyecxi's Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures = Guide. That=20 guide is reviewed here, and can be ordered here. In no order, here are the = three=20 winners: "Crashdome", "Razorback" and "burns". =
Battlefront releases = Combat Mission=20 Shock Force... Battlefront has released the = much=20 anticipated Combat Mission Shock Force = computer game.=20 You can get it as a digital purchase and download = and/or a=20 hard copy from Battlefront's web site or in = some computer=20 game stores soon. Overview: Combat Mission: Shock = Force is=20 poised to become the new gold standard for computer = wargames=20 and military simulations. With over three years of = intensive=20 ground-up development, Combat Mission: Shock Force = is ready=20 to succeed Battlefront's previous series of top = rated, award=20 winning WW2 tactical simulations; Combat Mission = Beyond=20 Overlord, Barbarossa to Berlin, and Afrika Korps. = Check out=20 some excellent screenshots here, the weapons and platform = list here, and a few excellent game = play moves=20 here.

PC Game = News:=20

FilePlanet has the just released = map pack=20 from Ubisoft for Rainbow Six: Vegas.=20
GameSpot has a Q&A session = with the=20 developers of Crysis, including a new video.=20
'Red Orchestra: = Ostfront=20 41-45' Gets Summer Content Update (Thanks to Worthplaying for the news.)=20
The Wargamer=20 has news that another, much smaller, patch has been = released=20 for Company of Heroes.

Console = Game=20 News:

X360 HD DVD Player = Price=20 Drops to $179 With 5 Free Movies (Thanks to Worthplaying for the news.) = "Microsoft=20 announced it will lower the price of its Xbox 360 HD = DVD=20 Player from $199 to $179 (United States only) = starting Aug.=20 1, 2007, and will add five free HD DVD movies for = anyone=20 purchasing an X360 HD DVD Player between Aug. 1 and = Sept.=20 30."

From the = Forums:=20

"Wicked" continues to = share=20 excellent screenshots from VBS2. Check out the = latest here.=20
"Magnum" has shared a = small video=20 of the AAR tool in VBS2, check it out here.=20
And "Enven" has shared a = link to an=20 excellent Armed Assault video called "Blackhawk = Down". Check=20 it out here.

Naval Combat=20 News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

Pirates Revenge:

GamesIndustry has = announced=20 that Fireglow Games and Tri Synergy = will be=20 co-publishing this fun and addictive arcade action = game set=20 on the high seas.

PT=20 Boats: Knights of the=20 Sea:

The official web site has = been=20 revamped, offering new assets and info about the = first=20 simulator of the Mosquito-fleet of the Allied = Forces, Russia=20 or Germany during the height of World War II, due to = hit the=20 store shelves in Q4 2007.

Ship = Simulator=20 2008:

Eurogamer has = published their=20 full review of this upcoming ship simulator.=20
GamersHell has the = game's=20 official 150.5 Mb Demo available for download. =

This = Day in US=20 Naval History - (Friday) July = 27:

1953 - Korean War = armistice=20 signed at Panmunjon, Korea and Korean cease-fire = went into=20 effect at 10:00 PM.

This = Day in US=20 Naval History - (Saturday) July = 28:

1915 - Sailors and = Marines=20 land in Haiti to restore order.=20
1916 - Navy = establishes a=20 Code and Signal Section which initially worked = against=20 German ciphers and tested the security of = communications=20 during U.S. naval training maneuvers.=20
1926 - Team of = scientists=20 from Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Carnegie=20 Institution determine height of the Ionosphere = through use=20 of radio pulse transmitter developed by NRL.=20
1945 - USS = Callaghan (DD=20 792) is last ship sunk by a Japanese kamikaze = attack, off=20 Okinawa.=20
1973 - Launch of = Skylab 3,=20 the second manned mission to the first U.S. manned = space=20 station, was piloted by MAJ Jack R. Lousma, USMC = with CAPT=20 Alan L. Bean, USN as the Commander of the mission = and former=20 Navy electronics officer, Owen K. Garriott as = Science Pilot.=20 The mission lasted 59 days, 11 hours and included = 858 Earth=20 orbits. Recovery by USS New Orleans (LPH 11). =

This = Day in US=20 Naval History - (Sunday) July 29 =

1846 - Sailors and = Marines=20 from U.S. sloop Cyane capture San Diego.=20
1918 - Assistant = Secretary=20 of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, visits = Queenstown,=20 Ireland.=20
1945 - U.S. = warships bombard=20 Hamamatsu, Japan.

Motorsports=20 News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

F1 Challenge:

WSC 1967 update released.

GTR2:

The official GTR Engineer's Handbook for = GTR2.=20

rFactor:

OLDRing v1.1.

Technology=20 News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

ExtremeTech has "Five Tech = Mistakes to=20 Avoid". Read about them here.

Community News for Thursday, = July 26,=20 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

News Contributors: Doug "Uther" = Lawrence=20 and Ivan Jozic.

European Air War:

Sandbagger's Latest News.=20
Map Editor Project Update. =

Event Photography:=20

Lightning Preservation Group Open = Day=20 Photos by "hbxov."=20
RIAT 2007 Photos by "hbxov." =

Falcon 4.0: Allied = Force:=20

After Action Report #11 by = "goggles."=20

IL-2 Series: = Forgotten=20 Battles, AEP, Pacific Fighters:=20

Campaign: Fortress Malta.=20
Print your mission briefings from = in-game.=20
COOP Missions: LW = Groundpounders.=20

Strike = Fighters /=20 Wings Over Vietnam:=20

Pilatus PC-9/A Released. =

Land & Armor Combat = News

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

Announcements:=20

VBS2 1.15 (General) = Released: Virtual Battlespace 2, the = military=20 training and evaluation tool based on the popular = Armed=20 Assault computer game, has been updated. A new = released=20 version is available for all previous VBS2 owners = and anyone=20 who orders new. Also, new screenshots showing off = new=20 terrain projects are shown here. And Bohemia Interactive is = extremely=20 pleased to announce the release of the first version = of the=20 VBS2 Tool Suite, a comprehensive = set of=20 content development tools for importing new terrain = and=20 generating new models in VBS2!

PC Game = News:

Direct2Drive has the just = released Civilization 4: Beyond the Sword = for=20 digital purchase and download. This is a add-on to=20 Civilization 4.=20
GameSpot has a new trailer for World in Conflict showing some = amazing=20 battle scenes.=20
Worthplaying has new screenshots = of Warhound.=20
'Crysis' to Use = Punkbuster (Thanks=20 to Worthplaying for the news.)=20
Worthplaying has new screenshots = of Unreal Tournament 3.=20
Worthplaying has a review of Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter = 2.=20
'Commander: Europe at = War' -=20 v1.02 Hotfix Patch Available now. (Thanks to Worthplaying for the news.)=20
Guns of August = has been=20 released and in stores. (Thanks to the Wargamer=20 for the news.)=20
A new MOH Airbourne video = is here.=20
A new Brothers in Arms: = Hell's=20 Highway video is here.

Console = Game=20 News:

'Project Sylpheed' and = 'Vampire=20 Rain' (X360) Get Free Downloadable Content (Thanks = to Worthplaying for the news.) =

Naval Combat=20 News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

Pirates of the Burning = Sea:

FiringSquad has an = interesting=20 interview with Flying Lab's co-founder = Russell=20 Williams that is worth reading.=20
Worthplaying has = recently=20 displayed 8 new screenshots.

Tales = of=20 Pirates:

Gamespot=20 PC has published 4 newly released=20 screenshots.

This Day in US Naval History - July=20 26:

1812 - Frigate = Essex=20 captures British brig Leander.=20
1912 - First = airborne radio=20 communications from naval aircraft to ship (Lt. John = Rodgers=20 to USS Stringham).=20
1942 - Capt. Joy = Bright=20 Hancock appointed director, Women's Naval Reserve.=20
1948 - President = Harry S.=20 Truman orders desegregation of the Armed Services.=20
1954 - Three = aircraft from=20 USS Philippine Sea (CVA 47) shoot down two Chinese = fighters=20 that fired on them while they were providing air = cover for=20 rescue operations for a U.K. airliner shot down by a = Chinese=20 aircraft.

Motorsports=20 News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

rFactor:

rFactor Tweaker v3.1.1 is now = available.=20

Technology=20 News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Ads in = Games:

EA and Microsoft launch = dynamic=20 in-game advertising system. Read here at Ars = Technica.

Community News for Wednesday, = July 25,=20 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

News Contributors: Doug "Uther" = Lawrence=20 and Ivan Jozic.

EECH /=20 EEAH:

Comanche Color MFD. =

Event Photography:=20

Wright Patterson AFB Museum = Photos by=20 "bones."=20
Air to Air Photos by "Ketalar."=20

Falcon 4.0: = Allied=20 Force:=20

Movie: Sunset Ops by = "Spool_72nd."=20

Fighter = Squadron:=20 Scream 'n Demons Over Europe:=20

Airco D.H.4 Alpha. =

Strike Fighters / Wings Over = Vietnam:=20

Falklands Project Confirmed as = Freeware.=20

Land & Armor Combat = News

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

PC = Games:

New World in = Conflict=20 videos here at PC.IGN.

Naval Combat=20 News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

PT=20 Boats: Knights of the Sea:

Over at Subsim,=20 they discuss their first look, along with the = gameplay=20 modes.

This Day in US Naval History - July=20 25:

1779 - Amphibious = expedition=20 against British in Penobscot Bay, Me.=20
1863 - U.S. = Squadron=20 bombards Fort Wagner, N.C.=20
1866 - Rank of = Admiral=20 created. David G. Farragut is appointed the first = Admiral in=20 the U.S. Navy.=20
1898 - Landing = party from=20 armed yacht Gloucester occupies Guanica, Puerto = Rico.=20
1912 - First = specifications=20 for naval aircraft published.=20
1934 - First = President to=20 visit Hawaii, Franklin D. Roosevelt, reaches Hilo on = board=20 USS Houston (CA 30).=20
1941 - Bureau of = Ordnance=20 issues first Navy "E"certificates (for excellence) = for=20 industry.=20
1943 - Launching = of USS=20 Harmon (DE 72), first ship named for an = African-American.=20
1990 - USS = Cimarron (AO 177)=20 rescues 25 refugees adrift southeast of Subic Bay,=20 Philippines.

Motorsports=20 News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

Colin McRae = DIRT:

Patch v1.2 released.

rFactor:

2007 Camry template for rFactor TPSCC.=20
F1 Stockcars Beta v0.1 =

Technology=20 News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cases:

Pro-Clockers tests out the = Zalman=20 Z-Machine GT1000 High End Gaming Case here.=20
Benchmark=20 Reviews looks into the NZXT Lexa Blackline = Mid-Tower ATX=20 Case here.

Cooling:

Ninjalane=20 tests out the CoolerMaster Vortex 752 Cooler here.=20
PC=20 Perspective checks out the Zalman ZM-MFC2 Multi = Fan=20 Controller here.

Graphics Cards: =

ExtremeTech has an entry-level = graphics=20 card face off between ATi/AMD's Radeon 2400 XT & = NVIDIA's GeForce 8500 GT here.=20
Hardware=20 Logic tests out Foxconn's 8600GTS-256 OC = 700/2200 Video=20 Card here.

Motherboards: =

HotHardware tests out the Abit = IP35 PRO=20 and AB9 QuadGT Motherboards here.

Processors:

Seen the price reduction = on Intel=20 processors? Better look here before building that new=20 computer.

Community News for Tuesday, = July 24,=20 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

News Contributors: Doug "Uther" = Lawrence=20 and Ivan Jozic.

Aviation Photos:

Lots of photos of mostly = Su-24s and=20 Su-27s from a recent Russian exercise can be found = here, here and here.

EECH / EEAH:

Wiki: Firing guns and rockets = with the new=20 weapon ballistics in 1.9.

First Eagles: The Great Air = War=20 1918:=20

FE Keyboard Commands in MS Excel = Format.=20

FS2002 /=20 FS2004:=20

T-45 Goshawk Freeware. =

General News:=20

The Flying-Model-Simulator FMS 2.0 = Alpha 8.3=20 is ready for download. Thanks "HYFLYER."=20
Raytheon goes to = full-production of=20 the APG-79 AESA radar for the Super Hornet. Read = more here.=20
USAF and Lockheed plan to = spend=20 $68M more on the JASSM air-to-ground missile program = in an=20 attempt to bring it back into shape. Read more here.=20
U.S. Navy signs for the = next three=20 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft. Read = more here.=20
India to buy more IL-38 = maritime=20 reconnaissance aircraft to replace those lost in = accidents.=20 Read more here.

IL-2 Series: Forgotten = Battles, AEP,=20 Pacific Fighters:=20

Mission Mate V3 Released.=20
Special 352nd Virtual = Fighter Group=20 Movie.=20
CzechWar/Warbirds presentation = video, how=20 it works.

Outer=20 Space:=20

The updated Kobayashi = Maru total=20 mod for Bridge Commander has been = released.=20

Strike = Fighters /=20 Wings Over Vietnam:=20

Air Cav at Yankee Air Pirate. =

Land & Armor Combat = News

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

PC Game News:

GameSpot=20 has a new preview, with video, of Crysis.=20
Fileplanet has opened up the World in Conflict demo to all. =

Console Game News: =

'F.E.A.R.' (X360) = Nightmare Pack on=20 Xbox Live (Thanks to Worthplaying for the news.)=20
Team Xbox=20 has two new videos of Call of Duty 4.=20
Totally360 has new screenshots = of Army of two.

From the Forums: =

"Magnum" has shared an = AAR with a=20 mission from the beta of Combat Mission Shock Force.=20
He also shared "extra" screenshots from the beta.=20
"Magnum" has also shared = a number=20 of screenshots from Sunday nights SimHQ Armed = Assault=20 server. Check them out here.=20
"Wicked" has shared some = excellent=20 screenshots of the helicopters in VBS2. Check them = out here.

Naval Combat=20 News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

Tales of Pirates:

Gamespy=20 PC has posted 4 newly released = screenshots.=20

This=20 Day in US Naval History - July 24:

1813 - Sailing = Master Elijah=20 Mix attempts to blow up British warship Plantagenet = with a=20 torpedo near Cape Henry, Virginia.=20
1944 - Following = 43 days of=20 naval gunfire and air bombardment, Naval Task Force = lands=20 Marines on Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands. =

Motorsports=20 News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

GT = Legends:

Albert Park, Melboure GTL v1.3.=20

netBike:

Videos from test run of = netBike, netKar on two wheels. =

Technology=20 News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Broadband:

Computerworld: Who's the Best Broadband ISP? =

Business:

CNN: Hot Property =97 Web domain = names.

Graphics Cards:

Tom's Hardware: VGA Charts: Summer = 2007=20

Community News for Monday, July = 23,=20 2007

Today's SimHQ Deja = News is=20 from the July = 2000 SimHQ=20 News Archive.

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

News Contributors: Doug "Uther" = Lawrence=20 and Ivan Jozic.

After=20 Action Reports:

Yankee Air Pirate AAR: YAP, Yep, = Kep by=20 "SandyC."

Aviation Photos:

Photos from the Yeovilton = Air Day=20 2007 air show can be found here.=20
More photos from the RIAT = 2007 air=20 show can be found here.=20
HDR airplane graveyard = photos show=20 airplanes' final resting place. Have a look here.

EECH / EEAH: =

Alligator Cockpit Preview. =

European Air War:=20

Sandbagger's Latest News.=20
CAW Screenshots: The US 7th = Fleet waits at=20 Leyte Gulf.=20
WWIAW Project Update.=20
New Version of the Map Editor.

Event Photography:=20

California Capital Air Show = Photos by=20 "MADMARK_22."=20
EAA Golden West Fly-In Photos by = "MADMARK_22."

Falcon=20 4.0:=20

Centralized Video Gallery for = Training.=20

General News:

Ride, Fossett to Join = Aviation=20 Hall. Read here.=20
The latest version of the = venerable=20 Chinook transport helicopter, the CH-47F, gets the = approval=20 for full-rate production and fielding. Read more here.=20
B-2 bomber will get the = ability to=20 carry a massive penetrator bomb against = deeply-buried=20 military targets. Read more here.=20
Russian bombers over the = North Sea=20 force the Norwegian fighters to scramble. Read more = here.=20
R.I.P. Air Vice-Marshal Bill Gill, who = has died=20 aged 89, was the flight commander of a squadron of = Mosquito=20 night fighters.=20
Two RAF fighter jets were = scrambled=20 on Tuesday to intercept two Russian planes on course = for=20 British airspace. Read here.

Jet Thunder: =

HMS Fearless.

LOMAC / Flaming Cliffs / = Black=20 Shark:=20

Movie - Hawg Wild: Black Sea = Battles by=20 "169th__PoleCat."

Outer Space:=20

Space: Above and Beyond Free = Videos.=20

Pit = Builders:=20

MFD Project Update.=20
Space: Above and Beyond = Hammerhead Cockpit. =

Screenshot and Video = Gallery:=20

Movie: "Old News" Trailer by "Aces High = 2."=20

Strike = Fighters /=20 Wings Over Vietnam:=20

MV-22 Osprey Update v3. =

Land & Armor Combat = News

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

PC Game = News:=20

Fileplanet has the updated Point of Existence 2 mod.=20
Fileplanet also has the demo for = Civilization 4: Beyond the = Sword.=20
GameSpot has word that Far Cry 2 has officially been = announced.=20
GameSpot has a first impressions = of Frontlines: Fuel of War.=20
GameSpot has a new trailer for World in Conflict.=20
Worthplaying has new screenshots = of=20 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.=20
The WarGamer=20 has word that Guns of August, A WW1 grand = strategy game=20 has been released today.=20
The WarGamer=20 also has word that a number of HPS tactical simulations have = been=20 updated.=20
For Liberty! = Blitz Sale going=20 on now, along with a update. (Thanks to WarGamer=20 for the news.)

Console = Game=20 News:

Worthplaying has a preview of Halo Wars for the Xbox 360.=20
Worthplaying has the new patches = for Civilization 4 and Civ 4: Warlords.=20
Worthplaying has word that Lost = Planet=20 will be getting updated and free maps this week.=20
TeamXbox has a preview of Civilization Revolution. =

Naval Combat=20 News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

Harpoon 3:

GamersInfo has an = interesting=20 interview with Don Gilman of Advanced = Gaming=20 Systems conducted during this year's = Origins=20 Convention.

This Day in US Naval History - July=20 23:

1947 - First Navy = all jet=20 squadron (VF-17A) receives its first aircraft (FH).=20
1948 - USS Putnum = (DD 757)=20 evacuates U.N. team from Haifa, Israel and becomes = first=20 U.S. Navy ship to fly the U.N. flag.=20
1950 - USS Boxer = sets record=20 crossing of Pacific to bring aircraft, troops, and = supplies=20 to Korea at start of the Conflict.=20
1958 - USS = Nautilus (SSN=20 571) departs Pearl Harbor for first submerged = transit of=20 North Pole.=20
1993 - Sarah Deal = becomes=20 first female Marine selected for naval aviation = training.=20

Motorsports=20 News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

Grand Prix = Legends:

GPL amongst the 10 hardest PC games ever. =

GT Legends:

NASCAR Racing 2003 = Season:

rFactor:

Technology=20 News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cases: =

techPowerUP! looks at the = Sunbeam Tuniq=20 Tower here.=20
Hardware=20 Logic checks out the Antec Sonata III Case here.

Cooling: =

3DGameMan=20 checks out the Logisys Dual Heatpipe VGA Cooler here.=20
Pro-Clockers tests out the = Sunbeamtech=20 Silent Whisper CPU Cooler here.

Graphics = Cards:=20

PCSTATS=20 reviews Biostar's Sigma-Gate VR8603TS21 GeForce 8600 = GTS=20 card here.=20
Trusted=20 Reviews checks out AMD/ATi's Radeon HD 2600 XT, = 2600=20 Pro, and 2400 XT cards here.

Motherboards:=20

Virtual-Hideout tests out the = ASRock=20 AliveNF5-eSATA2+ ATX board here.=20
Hardware Secrets tests the Abit = AN-M2=20 board out here.

3D"SimHQ

Every Monday for the = remainder of=20 2007 we will take a walk back through the simulation = world=20 timeline. SimHQ Deja News will bring a laugh, a = surprise and=20 maybe a few tears at the way it was from 1997 on as = presented=20 by the best simulation news site on the = Internet.

From the July 2000 SimHQ = News=20 Archive:

Looking for some online = tanking? There=20 are two online tank squads are looking for new = members. For=20 Panzer Elite players who want to get into online = action, the=20 Pz.Abt.102 is looking for new members. They are also = forming a=20 Steel Beasts online unit called the 2nd GvTA for the = soon to=20 released modern armor simulation. They play on the = SimHQ=20 server #61 on Kali. Members are online every night and = are=20 willing to help out all people interested in online=20 tanking.

GRANDprix3 is apparently now = available=20 in Germany. Thanks to Craig for the info.

Combatsim has an article = called=20 "Falcon 4 Plus," which gets into all of the work = that's been=20 done on this sim since it was dropped by Hasbro.

The v1.03 patch for Combat Mission: Beyond = Overlord has=20 been released.

Microsoft announced that = flight=20 enthusiasts attending the Experimental Aircraft = Associations's=20 (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2000 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, = will have=20 the opportunity to test fly Combat Flight Simulator 2: = WWII=20 Pacific Theater three months before its scheduled = release.=20 Available for demonstration now through August 2, = 2000, gamers=20 can tune into Zone.com for the latest news.

Papa Doc's Pink Flamingo Bar = &=20 Grill has gone and done it. That's right -- it's = another=20 sure-to-be-controversial graphics card shootout = between the=20 Voodoo 5500 and the GeForce 2 GTS. Be sure to check = out this=20 long-awaited and interesting piece from Doc.

Despite some reports to the = contrary,=20 we have been informed that Typhoon has not, in fact, = gone=20 gold. Word from Don Whiteford, Studio Manager for Rage = Games=20 Warrington is that They have entered the Gold Master = candidate=20 stage, which means that the game has been sent off to=20 Infogrames for approval, but changes can still be = made. That=20 is to say, the official final Gold Master version has = yet to=20 be determined. Thanks to Sean and Kev for letting us = know of=20 the news that they read about it going gold.

The cactus.org FTP archive, = holding=20 various older flightsim files from favorites such as = Falcon3,=20 Aces of the Pacific, Aces over Europe, Tornado and = TFX, has=20 dropped off the net and is unlikely to return. = However,=20 Jan-Albert "Anvil" van Ree and 3dGamers.com managed to = run a=20 mirror before it went down.

Looking for some interesting = background material for your favorite sim? If that sim = happens=20 to be F-15 related, have a look at what's for sale at = eBay.=20 Steve Davies has a set of original flight manuals for = the=20 F-15A/B/C/D. Dated mid -1990's, in excellent condition = and=20 loose-bound (i.e. binders not included), they form a=20 near-complete set of operational publications for the = F-15,=20 with an emphasis on the C and D models (Block 7 & = up).=20 They contain everyday, non-classified, information on = the=20 operation of the F-15 and its associated avionics and = weapons=20 systems, and make for some very interesting reading = for those=20 who care to wade through them.

Simcombat also has posted = notice that=20 the Version 0.54 Roger Wilco Mark Ic beta has been = posted.=20 This latest Windows version no longer requires = registration.=20

More on Enemy Engaged: = RAH-66 Comanche=20 versus KA-52 Hokum. Razorworks has posted another = patch which=20 brings the sim to version V1.4.4X. More transfer = missions are=20 now generated in order to improve the Taiwanese = campaign and=20 helicopter formations have been spaced out more. = Additionally,=20 this patch updated the hardware TnL code path to get = rid of=20 artifacts that were showing up during line drawing on = the=20 GeForce & GeForce 2 cards. This means that running = the=20 program with the 'notnl' switch is no longer = necessary.

The Wargamer has posted a = preview of=20 Empire Interactive's Enemy Engaged: RAH-66 Comanche = versus=20 KA-52 Hokum.

High Gear has posted an = in-depth=20 interview with Chris and Tony West covering the = upcoming World=20 Sports Cars, the sim community and more.

Combatsim is featuring an = interview=20 with SSI and Ultimation about the in-development = Silent Hunter=20 2 and Destroyer Command.

For those of you eagerly = awaiting the=20 US release of EECH, Gone Gold is reporting that it's = been=20 sighted on a retailer shelf near you!

Gamecenter has posted a = preview of=20 Delta Force: Land Warrior.

Dogfighter is reporting some = good news=20 for Aces High fans. Apparently, a posting on one of = Hitech=20 Creations' message boards indicated that padlock view = will=20 soon be available.

Combatsim is reporting that = Flanker=20 2.5, an update for Flanker 2.0 will be available in = September.=20 Apparently this product will be available only for = online=20 purchasing.

Support SimHQ by = shopping at=20 Amazon.com!

For gift = ideas, check out=20 the SimHQ Library here.
The Library has just been = updated=20 with many new listings!

A percentage = of the sales=20 made through our Amazon.com links at SimHQ help to = keep the=20 doors open.

Check out the Amazon.com best = sellers in Electronics, TVs & HDTVs, Apple iPod & Accessories, DVDs, GPS, Cell Phones & Service, Cameras, Digital Photo Frames, Books, Gourmet Coffee & Food, Jewelry & Watches, Sweaters and Jackets, Fitness, Music, Toys, Home & Garden, Amazon.com Gift Certificates.