[Dixiecapt]

Ok that's how we will do this then,

That means it wont be too much longer before I release the first installment.

Keep in mind they will be set up so you can't fly them 100% complete, they will always prevent you from flying the last (or first of the next installment) mission, therefor saving your stats for the next installment

[badaboom]

Yes,I concur,installments would be great!!!!!!!!![leave us licking our chops looking for more] I also share your fondness for Phil Ks Pacific Series,absoulutley stellar!!!!!!!!!

[Dixiecapt]

badaboom I actually (with permission) edited HITP so that the Player would be in VMF-213 (skins and all) as they were at most of the campaigns in PhilK's HITP.

Whats really fun is packing together some Midway Missions, with the (Birdbrains?) Cactus Diary's, followed by this campaign, and then the whole HITP Series. Talk about a Marine Corp Pilot Carear through the whole war!

_________________________________________________

Ok IF you are interested in the History of this Campaign, there are two good things you should Read...

One Up the Slot Is about the New Georgia/Rendova Invasions
Link: http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/.../index.htm

The Other A Time Of Aces is about the air war in the solomons
Link: http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/.../index.htm
___________________________________________________

Here are some Pictures from these works if F4U-1s..... All Credit to the Authors of such above.









The national insignia on his Corsair is outlined in red, a short-lived attempt to regain that color from the prewar marking after the red circle was deleted following Pearl Harbor to avoid confusion with the Japanese "meatball." Even this small amount of red was deceptive, however, and by mid-1944, it was gone from the insignia again. Note the large mud spray on the aft under fuselage.




A good closeup of a Wildcat's cockpit and the aircraft's captain on Guadalcanal. Although this F4F displays 19 Japanese flags, it is doubtful that it flew with these since such a large scoreboard would have attracted unwanted attention from the Japanese.




1stLt Ken Walsh of VMF-124 connects his radio lead to his flight helmet before a mission in 1943. He was the first F4U pilot to be decorated with the Medal of Honor, for a mission on 30 August 1943, during which he shot down four Japanese Zeros before ditching his borrowed Corsair.National Archives photo 80-G-54291


This VMF-124 F4U-1, No.13, was flown by 1stLt Ken Walsh during his first combat tour in which he became the first Corsair-mounted ace. Profile by Larry Lapadura, courtesy of the artist



_______________________________________________________________
VMF-213 HELLHAWKS HISTORICAL ACES

VMF-213 (all kills in F4Us):
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory J. Weissenberger. 5 victories.
Major James N. Cupp. 12 victories.
Captain Sheldon O. Hall. 6 victories.
Captain John L. Morgan, Jr. 8.5 victories.
Captain Edward O. Shaw. 14.5 victories.
Captain Wilbur J. Thomas. 18.5 victories.


Henderson Field-Night. Watercolor by Sgt Hugh Laidman in the Marine Corps Art Collection

[badaboom]

Thank You Dixie for the beautifull pics and links to the on topic books,OUTSTANDING STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dixiecapt]

NP, I like my WIP's to be like a Museum Piece...

P.S. with the size of the slot map, and the goal of historical realism.... Your average missions is about 100 minutes long. Even if Time Skip is your friend, it's not like your going to speed through these tours.

Personally I love coming out of Cactus and trimming an F4U behind a cloud of B-24's bound for Kahili, Bouganville. Nothing like Flying up the Slot and back!

[Dixiecapt]

I'm not too terribly good at Movie Making, and I've so much other work to do that I simply don't plan to make movies for the Hellhawks campaign.

I usualy never get any kind of response to this kinda of post, but considering the talent, and enthusiasm within the community I have to at least throw it out there.

If anyone was/is interested in working with me to provide an Intro Movies to each tour (3), and possibly an End Movie. You'd get artistic Lisence, I'd Simply hand you some VMF-213 Text for insperation, and a copy of the whatever tour's you were working on.

Anyway, Had to simply Ask!

[Dixiecapt]

All 13 Missions of the first tour are built and finalized!

I'm just about ready to release it, and will By Friday Night!

I'm adding a 14th Mission using Neil's Darwin Map to signify the end of these tours and the Hellhawks catching a Ride back to Australia, where they spent their leave!

[panzerkeil]

That's great news! I will finally be able to play a campaign on the Slot!!

[Dixiecapt]

Yulp, You will get 1 PBY Slot mission, 12 Historical F4U-1 Slot missions, 1 C-47 Darwin mission, and 1 filler mission that you will not be able to play.

This filler mission at the end of the campaign (as i've stated) will keep you from ending the campaign. When the second section comes out this filler mission will be over written by the first Mission in the second tour, there by allowing you to continue and keep your skills, with out having to worry about closing out the campaign at 100%.

Warning: (as i've stated) Trying to Play the filler mission at the end of tour will cause your IL-2 to Freeze, and/or the map will load and you will not spawn in an Aircraft.

The Mission Brief for the filler will also say "Your Done with Tour one, Wait for Tour two, Do Not fly this mission until you have downloaded and installed tour 2."

[panzerkeil]

Very clever!.. 8)

[Dixiecapt]

I used Lt. Winnia's Diary for sections of the Mission Briefings in the VMF-213 Hellhawks Campaign.

Lt. Winnia was lost over Kahili near the end of his second tour.

I recently found an NPR Article about Lt. Winnia, which has links to listen to the Radio Boardcasts about this Hellhawks' Diary.

A World War II Diary and Lost Love
Sweetheart Reads Downed Pilot's Memoirs for First Time
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story...Id=1671596[/i]

[Dixiecapt]

I released this on M4T to help any player that wasen't familur with the mods get ready for this campaign. Then I figured I might as well post such here.
________________________________________________

Seeing as I plan to release the 1st Tour this weekend, and seeing as we are allowed to post this information now on M4T I wanted to go ahead and release a list of AAA MODS that are used in this campaign, and where you can get them.

This Information will also be provided along with the Download.

AAA MODS used in the VMF-213, Hellhawk Campaign.

- REQUIRED MODS -

* If this is NOT the first time to Mod your IL2 Then Get the Slot Map, and skip to Step 3 and make sure you have those Mods.

Step 1: Back Up Your IL-2

Step 2: Mod your system with the Unified Installer Version 1.0

(The link is inoperative)

NOTE: This Campaign is in 4.09

[Dixiecapt]

got about 3 more hours of work to do and runnin out of steam tonight. But never fear, I'll have it out this weekend.

[badaboom]

You can't rush perfection Dixie,looking at your WIP screenshots this baby is going to be superb!!! take your time[but hurry up!!] j/k :lol: really looking forword to this historical piece of work.

[Dixiecapt]

Packing it Up Now!

I'm going to Submit it to M4T, and also put it on Filefront and provide links to both here on the last and first post.

the M4T link will take a day or so as they have to approve the Submission, SO if you can't use Filefront send me a link to another uploading service and I will take care of you.

Dixiecapt -