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Subtle Starfighter Tweaking

November 10, 2014, 2:00 pm
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The F-104 is an included NPC plane in Strike Fighters 2.  The CF-104A and F-104G are part of SF2 Europe and the F-104 and F-104C are part of a DLC.

In days of yore, there was an F-104 that came with SF1.

Through INI editing, you could place a cockpit in the plane's folder and make it a flyable plane.

Which worked, but there were some small issues.  Not least of which was the wings roots were visible and not connected to anything.  Plus the late F-104C has a refueling probe that was invisible from the cockpit.

Turns out the issue was solved with extra INI editing.  You had to extract the data.ini file from the games .cat and .dlc files then change the "ShowFromCockpit=FALSE" to "ShowFromCockpit=TRUE" for both the nose and the fuselage.

While this makes the fuselage appear in the mirrors, it also left a double canopy frame visible.

Changing the nose back to false hides the probe, but lets the wings be attached.


It turns out that the old data in the cockpit ini file from SF1 puts the cockpit in the wrong place!  Too high and too far to the rear.

So I changed it.


A little hard to see.  This also has the effect of letting the cockpit model cover the "nose" model so I could have the probe be visible again.


As I said, it's subtle...

With cockpit in original position (before making any changes):


Cockpit in original position after making the fuselage visible.


Relocated:

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On Veteran's Day

November 10, 2014, 10:23 pm
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If you don't have a DD214, this day isn't yours.
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It's About Time

November 11, 2014, 5:20 am
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Google finally remembered what country they're based in and put up an appropriate pic.  Good job!

Bing continues a tradition of doing these days right... (Remembrance Day rather than Veteran's Day)



As always, find your favorite vet and take them to lunch, dinner, strip club, a movie, or buy them a drink.  Listen to their old stories for the hundredth time like you'd never heard them before.

Remind a politician that there's a huge population of vets who are essentially abandoned for having the luck to serve where there was no shooting.  I bring this up because that whole Berlin Wall going down 25 years ago, the Cold War Vets did that without firing a shot.
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HAPPY Veteran's Day

November 11, 2014, 5:24 am
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Veteran's Day is one of the few military holidays that's really not a somber occasion of remembrance.

Veteran's Day is the celebration of those who are still with us!

A "holy shit, we lived to be OLD!" day.

Hand me my walker, sonny, let's have a beer!
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Glow stick blows up in kid's face

November 11, 2014, 12:24 pm
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Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin! Darwin!



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Scale Reference

November 11, 2014, 3:39 pm
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I mentioned once that space is big.

With the sun scaled to a grain of sand, the milky way model fits just inside Pluto's orbit.  I mentioned it before.

Another scale model!

Make the sun the size of a ball from a Bic pen (1.2mm). 8.62x10^-13!

Alpha Centuari is 22.11 miles away at this scale.

Pluto is 16' 7-5/16" (5.06m) from the sun.  Earth is a mere 5" (and it's an infinitesimal 0.01mm in diameter).
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Receiving End

November 12, 2014, 2:37 pm
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Something I don't see cited much concerning the lethality of 5.56x45mm is that the Russians copied the idea.

Vietnam provided lots of data for them to see if their round was better or worse than ours.

In 1974 they adopted a new version of the AK in a new round.  AK-74 and 5.45x39mm 7N6.

Because they're damn good at espionage, I suspect they had access to our data from Vietnam about the effectiveness of the 7.62x39mm M43 round.  Their picture of the comparative effectiveness is more complete than ours, really, because of our ongoing frustration about the NVA removing their fallen from the battlefield.

5.56x45mm M193 is actually a proven killer.  5.56x45mm M855 works too.  M855A1 should be even better from looking at the construction of the round.

They're all better killers than heavier rounds when you click it into our doctrines.  Past a certain range, it is not a rifle problem, but an artillery one.  Whether this is a sound doctrine is the real debate and if the range where the mortars take over for the rifles is longer, then something like 6.8 or 7.62x51mm would be more appropriate (depending on how much longer).  The debate about doctrine has to include a discussion about whether we're going to have the riflemen engage at ranges where they're supposed to be letting the arty or CAS take it.  Some of our anguish is being caused by taking shots at ranges the gun can't do the job at.  Ranges where the old 7.62x51mm guns would be working fine; but I alluded to something in an earlier post, the average grunt with an issue rifle can't really wring out the performance we're asking of them here.  A lot of the ineffectiveness of 5.56 can be safely attributed to didn't hit anything; and that grunt would miss with a heavier round too.

The Marines might be on a better track than the Army with universal issue of ACOGs and retaining the 20" barrels on their M16A4.  Canada's C7A2 has magnifying optics and the longer barrel as well, and there's no controversy from The Great White North about their small arms choices.

But inside a certain range, a hit is a hit and dead is dead regardless of which NATO rifle round used.
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Vanity

November 12, 2014, 3:04 pm
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Found out today that I'd be needing glasses.

That's not really unexpected since I was having trouble reading and I am on the downhill side of my 40's.

What is surprising me is how picky I suddenly am about frame style.

I'd been motoring along thinking that I didn't care so much, but now that I have to choose...  Do these make me look [fill in the blank]?

I just know this is going to cost me because I'm going to fall in love with the most expensive frames, lenses and options...
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9th Circus

November 12, 2014, 5:00 pm
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Standards

November 12, 2014, 5:06 pm
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The Third Imperium, 11,000 plus worlds.

Considering that the US and Europe can't even agree on what kind of electricity to pump out the wall and Wal Mart will have about fifteen hunting rifle cartridges in the case (optimally) getting something to standardize and STAY standardized across that much space and population is a major undertaking.

For the Imperial armed forces, it's simpler.  "Here are the plans, go for it." They have a pattern room sort of deal going and anyone who wants to make issue weapons for the Imperium must build to the exacting standard.

It will mean that changes to the armament of the troops will change very slowly.

Some things will become standardized and ossified out of practical reasons.  You're going to be able to find Type A Free Trader parts just about anywhere because it's the most common ship.  It's a risk to introduce a similar class of ship because there's no several hundred years of infrastructure already in place for it.  (I used this as the limiter on the players concerning the Far Trader)

The gear you can find everywhere is going to end up being the most popular and cause it to be more available in a self-reinforcing loop.

Individual worlds might go their own way, some forms of planetary governments kind of encourage it too.  There might not be standard 9mm Automatic Pistol ammo on such worlds! but the high port will have standard ammo, and will likely also carry the local stuff too (for collectors).
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Meme Time

November 12, 2014, 5:48 pm
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You are a: Objectivist Anarchist Non-Interventionist Liberal

Collectivism score: -100%
Authoritarianism score: -83%
Internationalism score: -33%
Tribalism score: 0%
Liberalism score: 33%

Take the quiz.

I got it from Silicon Graybeard who got it from Borepatch.
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Just For You Eric!

November 13, 2014, 4:58 pm
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To The Range!

November 16, 2014, 1:28 am
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Willard's bud, Ian is in the US for a while.

Turns out he'd never shot a Garand.

Can't think of a better excuse to go shooting!

Because the op-rod can be bended by commercial ammo I was nervous about the gallon zip-locks full of "Yugo" .30-06 soft points.

They shot gentle in the 03A3, so when Marv wanted the M1 experience we loaded up a couple clips.  Light loads wouldn't cycle the first two rounds per clip.  They would eject, but not grab the next round.  Rounds three to eight ran fine.

Greek surplus M2 ball ran fine before and after the Yugo... so...  Hey, free ammo!  Can't complain too much.

Everyone got a try on the Springfield and I confirmed that the magazine cut-off worked.

Ran a few rounds through Willard's No. 5 Mk I Jungle Carbine.  The rubber pad seems to focus the recoil rather than absorb it because it's much smaller than the standard butt.

Tried ZQ1 M80 NATO in the FAL.  First couple shots refuse to eject in typical undergassed fashion.  Two clicks more gas and it ran fine.  Finally shot my novelty Zombie Ammo.  Jasmine really likes the 168gr from Hornady; might have to get more of that.  Let Marv try her out with the ZQ1 and it starts choking again.  Another click of gas and back to normal.  Jasmine has run fine on MagTech and PMC and some corrosive surplus crap without touching the gas.  I think ZQ1 is the problem here.

Marv even drug out his 6.8.  We discovered it makes excellent groups with the XM6.8 85gr stuff Willard found, and it dislikes Remington 115gr.

Loads of fun!  Marv even hung around and played some dominoes with The Lovely Harvey and me.
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Cleanin

November 16, 2014, 9:58 am
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I am somewhat betwixt it on cleaning after a range trip.

On one hand I know it's not really all that necessary for as few rounds as were fired.

On the other, cleaning doesn't bother me and the job is easier when the gun isn't so fouled.

On the gripping hand it is an opportunity to see if anything broke in the firing of the last round and to inspect the general condition of things.  Plus a cleaning now, when I can, resets the round count.  If the gun can go 500 rounds (to pick a number, it's probably much higher) without a filth related malfunction between cleanings I'll have 500 again before the next dirt jam.

Of course, I don't go for mil-spec levels of clean anymore either.  Wipe things down with a solvent soaked rag, boresnake, oil... done.  I no longer have the need to remove all evidence the gun was ever fired.  I cringe thinking about all the damage I must have done to bores with my mil-spec cleaning rods and super tight patches on a jag to get every last bit of carbon out of the barrel.

Since several of my guns do nothing but sit in the safe until someone asks, "do you have a?" a good clean and oil means it's clean next time I remember it's there.

Yeah, I'm making rationalizations and justifying myself!  Off to needlessly clean my guns!
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That's Something You Don't See Every Day

November 17, 2014, 7:27 am
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The house across the street has been vacant for the past six years.

They're tearing it down today.
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Not That Great

November 17, 2014, 2:11 pm
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Every time I get sucked into the M14 was better than the M16A1 drama, for some reason I always forget what a disaster the roll-out of the M14 was.

While individual rifles might be fine guns, as a whole the manufacture, distribution and issue was a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

Big enough to shut down Springfield Armory forever.

Big enough that every single project concerning general issue battle rifles was moved up and an outsider's proposition was considered...  You know, that strange black thing the Air Force bought to replace their M1 carbines?

It's no wonder that there weren't really any export customers and those few made their own.  Italy even went so far as to completely replicate the process of product improving an M1 Garand from scratch producing the similar in concept BM59, which served until 1990.

It's also telling that the supposedly harder to manufacture FAL didn't encounter such problems in production.
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Hierarchy Of Customer Service

November 18, 2014, 7:25 am
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This is the abstract, not the paper...

Dear retailer...  You help the customer in this order (barring emergencies).

Customer with product at the register, payment at the ready... before

Customer in the store looking for something... before

Customer on the phone asking questions... before

Stocking the shelves... before

Accepting deliveries... before

Doing your daily paperwork... before

Cleaning the store (unless its the aforementioned emergency).

Even in an emergency, the customers in the store are the priority; get them to safety first.

For the customers who are lower in the hierarchy, "I'll be with you in a minute..." goes a long way.  You have to acknowledge that you've seen them and will help them.  Try to remember that they can almost always go someplace else.  Even someone set on buying a new Ford F-150 can go to a different dealer, so don't get to thinking that since only Ford sells them you're safe as a Ford salesman!

On reason you do things in this order is the level of commitment from the customer.  Blowing off the customer at the register to dust the end-caps means that if they give up on the purchase they are giving up on more than someone price comparing on the phone.  This makes them more likely to remember the experience and to let that color their next purchase.
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Browning To Saive

November 18, 2014, 7:29 am
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FN Vest Pocket (.25 ACP), FN Hi Power (9mm Parabellum), and Browning Baby Browning (.25 ACP).
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Stoner 63A GURPS And Too Much Idle Time

November 18, 2014, 8:49 pm
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The stoner system is modular, but nobody really breaks out the components.

Here we go!

Loaded aluminum 30-round magazine is 1.08 lb.  0.25 lb. empty.
Loaded steel 30-round magazine is 1.28 lb. 0.50 lb. empty.
Loaded plastic 100-round box is 3.31 lb.  0.21 lb. empty.
Loaded aluminum 150-round drum is 5.6 lb. 0.9 lb empty.  This is what makes the malf 16.

Sling is 0.31 lb.
Bipod is 0.88 lb. (SEALs in Vietnam says they are 0.5 lb.)
Tripod adaptor is 1.875 lb.
Cleaning kit is 0.25 lb.

Fixed stock is 0.7 lb.
Folding stock is 0.75 lb.

Receiver with bottom magazine feed is 5.05 lb.
Receiver with top magazine feed is 5.92 lb.
Receiver with belt feed and box holder is 6.98 lb.

20" rifle barrel is 2 lb.
15.7" carbine barrel is 1.75 lb.
20" automatic rifle barrel is 4 lb.
20" MG barrel is 4 lb.
15.7" Commando MG barrel is 3.4 lb.

I extrapolated the feed/receiver weights from the manuals; same with the folding stock.  I am not sure if that's the solid or wire version.  Other weights are as taken from several manuals.

This gives the actually issued guns...  No slings or cleaning kits.

XM207 LMG: 18.11 lb. loaded with bipod.  SEALs in Vietnam says it should be 17.2 lb.

XM23 Carbine: 8.83 lb. with a steel magazine, 8.58 lb. with aluminum.  SiV says 9.1 lb.

Mk 23 Mod 0: 14.39 lb. without bipod.  SiV says 14.1 lb.

20" barrels will give 5d pi damage and 500/2,300 ranges.
15.7" barrels will give 4d+2 pi damage and 460/2,900 ranges.
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I Noticed Something

November 21, 2014, 4:33 am
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Last night I watched Big Bang Theory.

What I noticed was that I wasn't watching the president of Mexico, Barack Obama, stammer his way through an announcement he was taking greater steps to support his core constituency.

I can't think of another time when the networks blew off the president like this, can you?
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