[DOWNLOAD] America's Ace of Aces 3.0 Video Enhanced
#1

I promise that the video tracks will work now.

A huge thank you to WheelsUp_cavu. I had screwed up the videos so royaly that they didn't play and he took the time to set things straight. Thank you Wheels!

It's time to fly the Lighting again.

This is version 3.0 of America's Ace of Aces enhanced with video tracks. Hopefully the videos add to the historical feel and accuracy of this campaign following in the footsteps of America's greatest pilot and greatest plane.

Just over the Wisconsin border from Illinois is the most stolen sign in America. It reads Bong Recreation Area. 99% of the people you ask will have no idea who or what the area is named after.

It's a shame that the greatest fighter pilot America has ever produced is all but forgotten and his name has become a joke.

This is just my attempt to educate a small number of you as to the life and times of Richard Ira Bong, America's Ace of Aces. His record 40 kills in the Pacific Theater will never be surpassed. This unlikely farm boy from Poplar Wisconsin became a super star and then faded into the history books. He deserves more than 15 min of fame.

I have recreated all of Bong's successful missions. If you equal or surpass Bong's record with all the realism options turned on without do overs and without using the auto pilot you have accomplished a major feat and should be proud of your simulated flying skill.

This campaign is complex and requires a powerful computer and video card. It was done with IL2FB+PF Combined Install version 4.09.

Mission Bong29 (Rivals Together) is very complex. You might want to try out your computer on this one first if you plan on doing the campaign.

I was having fun trying to make a realistic invasion scene and it got out of hand. Feel free to tone it down if you know how. Much of what is going on is not relevant to your mission as a pilot. Just invasion craft, bunkers, BB and CAs shelling each other etc. It's a hoot. Look around using the Cnt F2 command as I have placed some fixed cameras.

I have tried to recreate as accurately as possible the circumstances faced by Dick Bong in his 2 year onslaught of the Japanese armed forces. I have had to use different maps because many of the areas that Bong fought in are not represented in the game yet. Areas such as Northern New Guinea, Rabal, Borneo, the Philippine Islands of Negros, Mindoro and Leyte have not been modelled yet.

I have found very similar areas on other maps that fit the bill however. By using the southern part of New Guinea I was able to recreate the Lae area farther to the north; by using the Singapore map I could recreate similar conditions to the Philippine islands etc. I think you will get the feel of the historical area and conditions.

The folder BongMissionTracks goes in the US folder that is in the Campaign folder that is in the Mission folder.

The P38J, P38L and P38L_Late folders go in the skins folder that is in the PaintSchemes folder.

Three books were instrumental in providing the historical facts for this endeavor...

Ace of Aces, The Dick Bong Story - Written by Carl Bong and Mike O'connor
Dear Mom So We Have A War by Carl Bong
Dick Bong Ace of Aces by Gen. George Kenney

I had unique access to these books being from Wisconsin. There are many quotes directly from Dick's letters home to his mother. They provide an extrodinary window as to the thoughts and concerns of a farm boy a long way from the farm but making the best of it.

Carl Bong is Dick Bong's brother and Gen. Kenney was Dick's commanding officer. I have copied major parts of the "descriptions" from these books.

I am not a writer but I do know how to copy well. The first mission is from the Kokoda Campaign for Pacific Fighters by VBF_80 and the skins are all modifications of other people's painstaking work the most notable being "Marge" by Richard Mutt or RMutt. I couldn't have done this project without the jump start these artists provided.

It has been so long since I started this project that I forgot where all but one of the skins came from. If you recognize you work let me know. I would sure like to give you credit.

I wish to apologize for the racial epithets used to describe the Japanese race. This was the language of the times and the quotes are verbatim. I'm sorry if they cause any discomfort. I do not mean to offend, just to be historically accurate with my quotes.

Because of the 3 books mentioned I believe these missions to be very accurate if not the most accurate ever recreated, sans the proper maps of course. The conditions, land forms, forces encountered are as historically correct as can be created. Any additions or corrections would be appreciated.

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Never go head to head with a P 38 Lightning

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True story: Bong is out of ammo so he shuts down one engine to lure away 3 Oscars from a crippled P - 38... Dog fights for 5 minutes on one engine then fires it up and makes his getaway.

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Bong's best friend Tommy Lynch dies while on a routine mission strafing luggers. Bong calls it the worst thing that ever happened to him in combat.

[Image: 28_tommylynch2.jpg]
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#2

Got to love the title! Wink
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#3

Big Grin
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#4

This is amazing! There I was! Twisting, Turning and fighting for my life! Then a careless Oscar latched on to my wingman. TAT TAT TAT and BOOM! Confusedhoot: So much fun is this Lightning that I fly it every day now. I always misunderstood the P-38 and found it hard to fly. Thanks to this career and some QMB practicing, I am getting better. (Means I suck less).
This is an amazing career. Well done and NOT BORING. Way to Honor Da' Man. Heck the skins alone make it a worthwhile download. If you dont have it, it is a MUST HAVE. If you are looking for a challenge, fly the missions. You will...:fight:
Just one caveat, What movies? How do I play them?


Thanks again, this is so much fun. :thumbsup: Keep em coming Hairog! Big Grin :rocks:
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#5

Two things...

A download link.

I got $10 that says there will be a Version 4.0.
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#6

Dang it. I knew I forgot something.

Thank you for the feedback.


Make sure you have version 3.0. So far we've had no reports of trouble with the missions or the videos thanks to Wheelsup going through everything and finding all my mistakes.


Version 3.0

http://mission4today.com/index.php?name ... ls&id=3868


I may do a version 4.0 with mods. There will soon be a full map of New Guinea. The proper early models of P-38 are out etc. and for all you masochists there is always the version where you have to fly the missions from start to finish just like Bong and his buddies did. Try keeping your head on a swivel for 4 hours while flying over the South China Sea.
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#7

Hairog Wrote:I may do a version 4.0 with mods. There will soon be a full map of New Guinea. The proper early models of P-38 are out etc...

I hope you'll do that.
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#8

I have to do all of WWIII 1946 first and I need help. Fighting a whole war by yourself is hard. Big Grin
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#9

Movies? Are there movies in this carreer?
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#10

lots and lots of movies. Big Grin
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#11

Where are they? How do you play them? DivX, Windows Media Player? How come I dont see them? If you could direct direct me to the file C/Ubisoft/IL2/ Missions ect.... I really want to see these man. The carreer is GREAT! You have not lived until you make it over the Owen Stanley mountains and land on ONE engine.
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#12

Hopefully you are using version 3.0.

That is your first step. Go here to download it...

http://mission4today.com/index.php?name ... ls&id=3868

This was my first attempt at using the video tracks and I screwed it up. Thankfully Wheelsup took the time to correct my mistakes and version 3.0 works. Almost every mission is preceded by and followed by a video track. There are over 19 video tracks but you have to fly the campaign to see them Smile. If you know what you are doing you can go into the video folder that is inside the AceOfAces folder and copy all the tracks (.ntrk) files into you records folder. Be sure and leave a copy behind by holding down the cntrl key when you drag them out to the other folder. You must leave copies behind.

If you do not know how to do this please don't attempt it.

A few of the tracks are here... http://mission4today.com/index.php?name ... ls&id=3649

I forget how many are there but you can play them by following the readme and installing them. You have to use the Play Tracks function in the game to play them. I am not familiar enough with Fraps etc. to offer them in another format. Perhaps some day I will figure that out.

If you have downloaded 3.0 and are still having problems please let me know right away and we will work on a solution.
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#13

Since Hairog mentioned "proper early models of P-38"...
I've been opening the mission files and replacing P_38J with P-38G-15-LO*. If anyone has any reservations about doing so, let me state from experience that the P-38G is very competitive in this campaign. If you husband your E carefully, you will not get shot down by Zeros. Also you have to set your radiator flaps manually, otherwise it's just like flying the "J".

* not that exact syntax, which you have to get from the air.ini file

Thanks Hairog!
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#14

Very cool. I designed the campaign around the vanilla version but if people want to use my campaign as a base and modify things go right ahead. I just want the most people possible to experience the short combat life of Richard Ira Bong, America's Ace of Aces.

In the future I will be modifying the campaign to take advantage of the new New Guinea map and what ever fantastic things are being developed.

Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

Try out WWIII 1946 USAAF Fighter Pilot Campaign too.

http://mission4today.com/index.php?name ... ls&id=3857

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#15

How do you do the cartoonish texture on your pics? Thats so COOL!!
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