SimHQ.com - The Simulation Community's = Headquarters



Power and Glory Mod for=20 GTR2 Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad takes an exclusive first = look at=20 Part 1 of the new mod	Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter = 2 (PC)=20 Chuck = "Magnum"=20 Ankenbauer puts the latest version to the = test....and=20 takes no AI prisoners.

F-16C Block 25 Launch -or- Man, = I Love My=20 Job! Jay = "Weasel_Keeper" Jenkins takes us through the = real world=20 start-up sequence in the Falcon.	OS Shootout 2007 = John Reynolds puts the two = leading=20 contenders to the challenge with the SimHQ Test = Suite.=20

Community News for=20 Friday, September 28, 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

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

Aviation Photos:

Photos of the new Russian = airliner,=20 the Sukhoi Superjet 100, can be seen here.=20
Some photos taken at the = RAF=20 LAkenheath airbase recently can be seen here.

General News:

U.S. Navy gets it's = first=20 production EF-18G Growler delivered. Read more here.
Sniper targeting pod = ordered for=20 B-1B bombers. Read more here.=20
F-22 Raptor fighter = passes with=20 flying colors the second operational test and = evaluation by=20 the U.S. Air Force. Read more here.

Land & Armor Combat = News

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

PC Game News:

GameSpot=20 has a preview of Supreme Commander: Forged = Alliance.=20
Worthplaying has the just = released demo=20 for Jericho.=20
Worthplaying has new screenshots = of the=20 just announced, 'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War -=20 Soulstorm'.

Console Game News: =

GameSpot=20 has new screens of Brothers in Arms: Hell's = Highway.(for the=20 Xbox 360).=20
GameSpot=20 has a new movie of BlackSite: Area 51. (for the = PS3).=20
'Metal Gear Solid = 4: Guns of=20 the Patriots' (PS3) Demo in the Works (thanks to Worthplaying for the = news.)=20

This holiday=20 season, buy gifts through the Amazon.com links on = SimHQ and=20 you will help to contribute to our operational = expenses! It's=20 a great way for you to get your gifts and help = expenses at=20 SimHQ! 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.

Naval Combat=20 News

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

Today (Friday) in US Naval History - = September=20 28:

1822 - = Sloop-of-war Peacock=20 captures five pirate vessels.=20
1850 - Congress = outlaws=20 flogging on Navy ships.=20
1923 - Navy = aircraft take=20 first and second places in international Schneider = Cup Race.=20
1944 - Marines = occupy=20 islands in Palaus under cover of naval aircraft and = gunfire=20 support.=20
1964 - First = deployment of=20 Polaris A-3 missile on USS Daniel Webster (SSBN 626) = from=20 Charleston, S.C.

This Saturday in US Naval History - = September=20 29:

1944 - USS Narwhal = (SS 167)=20 evacuates 81 Allied prisoners of war that survived = the=20 sinking of Japanese Shinyo Maru from Sindangan Bay,=20 Mindanao.=20
1946 -Lockheed P2V = Neptune,=20 Truculent Turtle, leaves Perth, Australia, on a=20 long-distance non-stop, non-refueling flight that = ends=20 October 1.=20
1959 - USS = Kearsarge (CVS=20 33), with Helicopter Squadron 6 and other 7th Fleet = units,=20 begins six days of disaster relief to Nagoya, Japan, = after=20 Typhoon Vera.

This Sunday in US Naval History - = September=20 30:

1800 - United = States=20 concludes Treaty of Peace with France, ending Quasi = War with=20 France.=20
1944 - USS = Nautilus (SS 168)=20 lands supplies and evacuates people from Panay, = Philipppine=20 Islands.=20
1946 - U.S. = government=20 announces Navy units would be permanently stationed = in the=20 Mediterranean to carry out American policy and = diplomacy.=20
1954 - = Commissioning at=20 Groton, Conn., of USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the = world's first=20 nuclear-powered ship.=20
1958 - Marines = leave=20 Lebanon.=20
1959 - Last flight = of=20 airships assigned to the Naval Air Reserve at = Lakehurst,=20 N.J., takes place.=20
1968 - USS New = Jersey (BB=20 62) arrives off Vietnam.

Motorsports News=20

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

rFactor:

GT = Legends:

Hungaroring 1988 v1.0 = for GT=20 Legends by DerDumeklemmer.

RACE 07:

Reports indicate that = RACE 07 has=20 been released in Germany.

Technology=20 News

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

Processors:

Intel Says It's Regaining = Market=20 Share. Read here at = HardOCP.=20

Community News for Thursday, = September=20 27, 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

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

General News:

KC-30 tanker, one of the=20 competitors for the replacement of the current = KC-135=20 tankers, makes its first flight. Read more here.=20
C-5 upgrade program = threatened by=20 increase in cost? Read more here.=20
BAE Systems delivers the = Electronic=20 Warfare system for the future F-35 fighter. Read = more here.=20
U.S. Air Force official = states=20 current plans and wishes. It seems that the Air = Force needs=20 a $20 billion annual increase to make it happen. = Read more=20 here.=20
A synthetic vision system = to make=20 helicopter landings in poor visibility possible is = being=20 developed. Read more here.

Land & Armor Combat = News

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

PC Game News:

GameSpot=20 has a preview of Supreme Commander: Forged = Alliance.=20
Worthplaying has the just = released demo=20 for Jericho.=20
Worthplaying has new screenshots = of the=20 just announced, 'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War -=20 Soulstorm'.

Console Game News: =

GameSpot=20 has new screens of Brothers in Arms: Hell's = Highway.(for the=20 Xbox 360).=20
GameSpot=20 has a new movie of BlackSite: Area 51. (for the = PS3).=20
'Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns = of the=20 Patriots' (PS3) Demo in the Works (thanks to Worthplaying for the news.) =

Naval Combat=20 News

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

Today in US Naval History - September=20 27:

1922 - Report on=20 observations of experiments with short wave radio at = Anacostia in the District of Columbia starts Navy=20 development of radar.=20
1941 - Launch of = first=20 Liberty ship, SS Patrick Henry, in Baltimore.=20
1942 - Armed Guard = on SS=20 Stephen Hopkins engages German auxiliary cruiser = Stier and=20 supply ship Tannenfels. Stephen Hopkins and Stier = both sink.=20
1944 - Special Air = Task=20 Force (STAG-1) commences operations with drones, = controlled=20 by TBM Avanger aircraft, against Japanese in = Southwestern=20 Pacific.=20
1950 - First = Marine Division=20 captures Seoul, South Korea.

Motorsports News=20

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

GTR2:

Ostereichring 1979 v. 1.0 for GTR2 = by=20 DutchDevil.

Technology=20 News

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

Chipsets:

Tom's Hardware discusses = the Intel=20 X38 Chipset here.

New CPU Drivers:

Click here for a new AMD Athlon=99 64 = X2 Dual Core=20 Processor Driver for Windows XP and Windows Server = 2003=20 Version (x86 and x64 exe) 1.3.2.0053.

Windows:

SLI Under The Microscope: = Vista vs.=20 XP here at = HotHardware.

Community News for=20 Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

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

Tom Clancy Air = Combat:

"Ubisoft takes to the = skies with=20 new Tom Clancy Air Combat brand". Read the = press=20 announcement here.

Land & Armor Combat = News

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

PC = Games:

Company of = Heroes has a=20 new patch. Download it from FileFront here.

Naval Combat=20 News

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

Sub=20 Club:

Our good friends at SUBSIM=20 Review has started, as the title suggests, a "Sub = Club". For=20 more details, please dive=20 here.

Today = in US Naval=20 History - September 26:

1781 - French = fleet defeats=20 British at Yorktown, Va.=20
1910 - First = recorded=20 reference to provision for aviation in Navy = Department=20 organization.=20
1918 - USS Tampa = lost with=20 118.=20
1931 - Keel laying = at=20 Newport News, Va., of USS Ranger (CV 4), first ship = designed=20 and constructed as an aircraft carrier.=20
1963 - First = steam-eject=20 launch of Polaris missile at sea off Cape Canaveral, = Fla.,=20 (now Cape Kennedy) from USS Observation Island (EAG = 154).=20

Motorsports News=20

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

GTR2:

Advanced Gear Ratio and FFB Menus = v1.03.=20

Technology=20 News

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

PC Gaming: =

"Five PC Gaming Myths = Debunked" here at ExtremeTech.

Community News for Tuesday, = September 25,=20 2007

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

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

Aviation Photos:

Some great helicopter = photos taken=20 at a Norwegian base last year can be seen here.=20
Taken at the same = airfield, some=20 IL-76 photos can be found in this thread.

European Air War:

"Jacksprat" reminds us of = the fifth=20 anniversary of the founding of the EAW 352nd Fighter Group. =

General News:

U.S. Air Force Secretary = suggests=20 more F-35 fighters to be built. Read more here.=20
New Advanced Precision = Kill Weapon=20 System (APKWS) rockets fired for the first time. The = system=20 adds laser guidance to standard 2.75" unguided = rocket. Read=20 more here.=20
Iran unveils its new = fighter=20 aircraft =97 the Saegheh (Lightning). Read more here. A photo can be seen here.

Land & Armor Combat = News

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

Announcements:=20

Company of Heroes: = Opposing=20 Front has been released. You can buy it in = stores or as=20 a digital download.=20
Halo=20 3 has been released to stores =97 but only for = the Xbox=20 360.

PC Games: =

Matrix Games have = released an=20 update for The Operational Art of War III. = Check it=20 out here.

Naval Combat=20 News

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

Today in US Naval History = -=20 September 25:

1912 -=20 Battleship Wyoming (BB 32) commissioned.=20
1925 -=20 Submarine S-51 (SS 162) sinks after collision with = SS City=20 of Rome off Block Island, Rhode Island.=20
1941 -=20 In first successful U.S. Navy escort of convoys = during World=20 War II, Navy escorts turn over HX-150 to British = escorts at=20 the mid-ocean meeting point. All ships reach port = safely.=20
1957 -=20 In project Stratoscope, Office of Naval Research = obtains=20 sharp photographs of sun's corona from first = balloon-borne=20 telescope camera.

Motorsports News=20

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

rFactor:

An update, v1.255 has = been released=20 but early reports indicate that it might = be replaced=20 soon by another update.=20
"philrob" has released Mallory Park 1970's v1.0. =

RACE 07:

Blackhole=20 Motorsports reports RACE 07 going gold. =

Technology=20 News

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

Flight = Controllers:

Saitek announces a = throttle=20 quadrant and a yoke flight controller. Read more here.

Community News for Monday, = September 24,=20 2007

Today's SimHQ Deja = News is=20 from the September 2001 SimHQ News Archive. Note the = comment=20 regarding the September 11th attacks.

20mm Historic = Thread of the=20 Week For this = week's thread,=20 we celebrate the creativity and sheer beauty of the=20 simulations we play. I have believed for a long time = that if a=20 non-simmer were to see some of the screenshots and = videos we=20 post every single day in the Screenshot and Video = Gallery=20 forum, they would be stunned to know they came from a=20 "computer game". It's not just aesthetics, but the = sense of=20 action and drama they convey. I love taking a little = stroll=20 through that forum several times a week just to see = what you=20 all have been up to. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get a = few of=20 my own in there. In December 2006, Magnum started a = thread=20 about best screenshots of 2006. It started innocently = enough,=20 then the "brass" at SimHQ got involved and it turned = into a=20 real contest with real prizes. Anyone remember the top = three?=20 And it's still a great display of the simmer's art, = even=20 though with the passage of time, some have turned into = little=20 red "x"s because the owners took their images offline. = Enjoy!

Aviation & Air = Combat=20 News

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

Screenshot and Video Gallery:

New BoB2 terrain preview = and new=20 multiskins are here.

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

Vietnam 1984 Campaign = released at=20 CombatAce. Read about it here.

Land & Armor Combat = News

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

Announcements:

All of our = announcements=20 today are from Worthplaying:

Ubisoft's Holiday 2007 = Lineup=20 Reveals 'Assassin's Creed' (PC) Delay. "Ubisoft = revealed=20 its holiday lineup of titles, ranging from Haze, = Nitrobike,=20 to Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and Beowulf. While = Assassin's=20 Creed is still in the lineup for PS3 and Xbox 360, = it seems=20 the PC version has been pushed until early=20 2008."
'Call of Duty 4: Modern = Warfare'=20 (ALL) Goes Gold. "CoD 4: Modern Warfare is a new=20 action-thriller that will arm gamer's with the most = advanced=20 and powerful arsenal of modern day firepower to = fight a new=20 war in the world=92s most treacherous hotspots. = Infinity Ward=20 community manager FourTwoZero revealed that the game = has=20 reached gold status and has been approved by Sony = &=20 Microsoft. An official announcement is expected=20 soon."
'Mercenaries 2: World in = Flames'=20 (ALL) Delayed Until 2008. "Pandemic has = constructed a=20 whole new "playground of destruction" from the = ground up,=20 fully stocked with the hottest vehicles and weapons. = Set in=20 a new and exotic hotspot, you can be your own boss = in a=20 wide-open world where there's only one rule: = everybody pays.=20 We revealed earlier this month, and Pandemic has now = confirmed that Mercenaries 2 has been delayed until = 2008, to=20 polish the title."
"'Crysis' Singleplayer = Demo Pushed=20 Back Until Oct. 26. "In Crysis shooter fans will = face a=20 new kind of challenge requiring adaptive tactics and = customization of weapons and armor in dynamic, = hostile=20 environments as mankind struggles to survive in the = face of=20 an alien invasion. Previously scheduled for Sept. = 25, EA=20 just let us know the demo has been delayed a month, = but to=20 make up for it, Crytek will be throwing in the = sandbox=20 editor." 'Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway' Gets = Delayed=20 Until 2008"
'Brothers in=20 Arms: Hell's Highway, 3rd entry in the series, once = again=20 has you reprise the heroic role of Sergeant Matt = Baker, a=20 soldier of the 101st Airborne Division, during = Operation=20 Market Garden in the late stages of World War II. A = beta=20 test is confirmed, but Ubisoft has delayed the game = until Q1=20 2008." 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' (ALL) = Beta=20 Closes at End of September"
"CoD 4: Modern Warfare = is a new=20 action-thriller that will arm gamer's with the most = advanced=20 and powerful arsenal of modern day firepower to = fight a new=20 war in the world=92s most treacherous hotspots. = Infinity Ward=20 revealed that the CoD 4 multiplayer beta will end = Sept. 30,=20 but two days prior, the level cap (currently 16) = will be=20 raised to 25."

PC Game = News:

Direct2Drive is now accepting = pre-orders=20 for the Company of Heroes expansion, Opposing Fronts.=20
GameSpot has a preview of Supreme Commander: Forged = Alliance.=20
Worthplaying has new screenshots = of Brothers in Arms: Hell's = Highway.=20
Worthplaying has news that The History Channels: Great Battles = of=20 Rome has shipped to stores.=20
Armed Assault = Zone has word=20 on a new advance and secure game mode for = Armed=20 Assault.=20
GhostRecon.net has a new GRAW2 = map called=20 Castle Day.

Console = Game=20 News:

GameSpot has the Xbox 360 review = of Halo 3 including a video review. = The game=20 gets released tomorrow.=20
GameSpot has a hands on with the = Orange Box for the Xbox 360, = including a=20 new video.=20
GameSpot has a hands on with Medal Gear Solid 4 for the PS3.=20
Worthplaying also = has there=20 review of Halo 3=20 for the Xbox 360.=20
Xbox.com has a new interactive = online=20 manual for Halo 3.

Naval Combat=20 News

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

Pacific Storm: Allies:

Worthplaying has = published 5=20 new screenshots, along with posting some other vital = info.=20

PT=20 Boats: Knights of the Sea:

GamersHell reports = that=20 Akella has released a DX10 tech = demo-benchmark for PT=20 Boats, the first simulator of the Mosquito-fleet of = the=20 Allied Forces, Russia or Germany during the height = of World=20 War II.

Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the=20 Pacific:

Over at the Subsim=20 Forums there is a sighting of a new = mod that=20 has been released named the "[REL] Reflection's = on the=20 Water".

Today in US Naval History - September=20 24:

1918 - = Ensign David S.=20 Ingalls, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth = enemy=20 aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while = flying with=20 the British Royal Air Force.
1944 - Fifth = Fleet=20 carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, = Philippines.=20
1960 - First = nuclear-powered=20 aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), launched = at=20 Newport News, Va.

Motorsports News=20

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

GTR2:

Important patch for the = Power &=20 Glory mod. Details of changes and download locations = are=20 found in this thread.=20
Norisring v3.0 for GTR2 by = "zwiss".=20
Lime Rock Park v1.01 for = GTR2 by=20 "DutchDevil".

rFactor:

Bandit Sprint Cars v1.0 by 321 =

The=20 Forums:

"Striker7" has posted a = well=20 written and enjoyable account of being at the races = at the=20 Dover track. "Gulliver's Travels to NASCAR = land".=20

SimHQ Motorsports:

It was an all Canadian = podium at=20 Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. Congrats to "DJCarney" = for the=20 win and his first gold in the series! Read the = post-race=20 comments here.

Technology=20 News

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

Vista:

Elite=20 Bastards has published "Windows Vista 3D = graphics=20 performance: Part 4 - NVIDIA (DirectX = 10)". Read=20 it 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 September 2001 = SimHQ News=20 Archive:

Panther's F-16C Cockpit = Version 1.0=20 for Falcon 4 is now available on F4Freeware. The = release is=20 for RP5, but can be adapted to eFalcon.

While this isn't sim related = lots of=20 us use ICQ. There is a new program that is making its = rounds=20 on the net that lets people pretend to be you. After = some=20 limited testing with this software I thought you = should all be=20 warned about it. People can now send messages using = your name=20 and UIN even if you are already online. ZDNet had = covered news=20 of this software some time ago but up until now I = hadn't seen=20 it around or working. I can now confirm that it is out = there=20 and it does work as they say it will.

Sturmovik Technika has = posted the IL2=20 Cockpit Quick Reference guide for the demo = version.

AVSIM has posted a timely = editorial=20 regarding the issue of piracy in the online third = party=20 community.

The long awaited and highly=20 anticipated SOURCE CODE for Rowan's Battle of Britain = is=20 available on our Downloads Page. The code is for the = creation=20 of FREE 3rd party mods. Find out more information on = our=20 Battle of Britain Forum and watch for the BoB = Developer Group=20 updates. Interested coders are encouraged to contact = Ken Cook=20 of SimHQ.com for more information on the BDG.

Frugalsworld has posted a = sneak peak=20 set of screenshots from the forthcoming Falcon 4 = SuperPak=20 click here, here and here for more details.

Driving Italia has posted a = preview of=20 Rally Trophy and several new screenshots from the Beta = version=20 of Motor City Online.

Aeyes has updated his Falcon = 4=20 cockpits site, with a preview of the forthcoming = Eurofighter=20 Typhoon cockpit set.

Bohemia Interactive has = released a new=20 multiplayer demo of Operation Flashpoint.

Xicat Interactive have = updated their=20 webpage with a blurb about the forthcoming Jane's = Attack=20 Squadron.

Sim News has posted = information about=20 the latest CH Products releases - the USB version of = their=20 Fighterstick and Combatstick joysticks, and has posted = a=20 thought provoking article on the questions surrounding = sim=20 releases in the wake of the World Trade Centre = atrocity.

Microsoft has sent in this = Press=20 Release regarding the delay of Flight Simulator 2002:=20 "Microsoft is shocked and saddened by the horrible = tragedies=20 that occurred on September 11th. Our hearts go out to = everyone=20 involved in and affected by these attacks. We are = focused on=20 doing the right thing out of respect for the victims, = our=20 customers, partners and employees. With this in mind, = we have=20 decided to postpone releasing Flight Simulator 2002 = for=20 distribution. We will announce a new date when it is=20 determined."

Limech's Jane's Site has = closed its=20 doors for good. We would like to wish "Limech" well in = his=20 future endeavors.

The StickWorks has posted = the latest=20 version of the Windows 2000 / Windows XP drivers for = the=20 StickWorks Digital F22 Upgrade.

NVIDIA has released their = Windows XP=20 specific drivers.

SimHQ.com Announcement: Our = daily news=20 has returned. While we resume the service that our = readers=20 have come to expect from us, we are certainly not = forgetting=20 the loss and sadness still hanging in the air today. = We feel=20 it is time to resume our everyday routine as best we = all can.=20 We thank you for your patience for the last four = days...it's=20 been a trying time for people around the=20 world.