Today is August 15th, and while our Italian friends are celebrating Ferragosto with bringing the celebration worldwide!
No mid-summer holiday is truly complete without a massive fireworks display, rig traditional fireworks this year and bring something with a bit more thrust.
Forget colorful sparks in the sky. Check out our G.91R pulling off a spectacular ro (Jet-Assisted Take-Off) bottles!
IndiaFoxtEcho Visual Simulations
Electrical System and Weapons Integration
Development of the G.91 is continuing at a steady pace, with recent work focused on two closely connected areas: the aircraft’s electrical system and the complete integration of the weapon system.
These activities have required much more than simply enabling the release of a weapon. Every command now needs to interact correctly with the aircraft’s electrical network, cockpit controls, weapon configuration and the specific equipment installed on each G.91 variant.
Electrical system improvements
The electrical system has undergone a substantial review and expansion.
Rather than relying on generic aircraft-powered conditions, the individual equipment lines are now connected to their correct electrical paths. Switches, circuit breakers, relays and dedicated circuits determine whether each individual function is actually available.
This work covers the electrical supply and control of:
Electrical loads are now associated with the equipment that is actually operating. Opening a circuit breaker, removing the required power source or interrupting a control line therefore has a direct effect on the related weapon function.
The four aircraft versions are handled independently. The PAN remains completely unarmed, while the R1B, R3 and R4 receive their own electrical and armament configurations without sharing generic controls that do not belong to the real aircraft.
Weapon system focus review
The weapon system has been reorganized around the actual cockpit controls and the operating logic of each variant.
There is no artificial universal master-arm switch and there is no generic selector that allows the pilot to choose any station freely. Cannons, bombs, rockets and missiles use their own dedicated circuits, selectors and release logic.
The cockpit command is interpreted by the aircraft system, which determines the selected weapon, group, side or release sequence. Before allowing an action, the system verifies that:
Only after these conditions have been satisfied is the command passed to DCS for the actual firing, release or launch.
The system also keeps the aircraft inventory synchronized after every action, including rearming, weapon release, missile launch and emergency jettison.
Internal guns, bombs and rockets
The internal armament is now handled according to the configuration of each aircraft.
The R1B uses its four 12.7 mm machine guns, including the individual upper and lower gun circuits. The R3 uses its two 30 mm DEFA cannons, while the R4 returns to the four-gun configuration. Each group depends on its own electrical supply, ammunition state and cockpit controls.
Bomb-release and fuze selection are managed as two distinct functions. Selecting SAFE, NOSE & TAIL or TAIL ONLY affects the bomb-fuzing configuration, while the release selector determines whether the pilot commands a single release or the complete programmed sequence.
The rocket system includes the correct arming and firing modes, together with the sequencing of the relevant launcher groups. The system does not simply release the first available store: it follows the selected mode and the sequence associated with the specific aircraft version.
During development we have conducted repeated release tests with guns, bombs and rockets, verifying the cockpit commands, firing sequences, electrical interruptions, empty stations, rearming and inventory synchronization.
Guided weapons integration
Guided weapons represent one of the most important additions to the current development branch.
The AS-20 is now integrated as an operational weapon on the R1B, R3 and R4. On the R1B it is used as the module’s gameplay implementation of the Nord missile installation referenced for that version.
The R4 also includes an operational Sidewinder capability, with dedicated selection, power, seeker readiness, launch logic and emergency jettison.
AS-20 and Sidewinder remain completely separate systems. Each weapon has its own permitted stations, electrical requirements, selection logic and launch sequence.
Nord AS-20
The Nord AS-20 is an early manually guided air-to-surface missile.
Unlike later fire-and-forget weapons, the AS-20 requires the pilot to remain actively involved throughout the engagement. After launch, the pilot visually tracks the missile and the target, then sends steering corrections using the dedicated control joystick located on the right-hand side of the cockpit.
The pilot must keep the target in sight and continuously correct the missile’s flight path until impact. This makes the AS-20 a demanding weapon to employ, particularly because the aircraft must remain in a suitable attitude while the pilot simultaneously monitors the target, the missile and the surrounding environment.
Our current testing has covered:
The attached screenshot shows one of the AS-20 launch and guidance test sessions currently being conducted in the G.91R4.
Note: Nord AS-20 integration test. The missile’s current 3D model is still a temporary, untextured development asset and does not represent the final model. It is being used exclusively for weapon-system and flight-testing purposes.
This work provides the G.91 with a much more complete and credible weapon environment, where every action begins in the cockpit, passes through the aircraft’s electrical and control systems, and reaches the weapon only when all required conditions are satisfied.
Hey everyone,
we wanted to share a quick update on the current status of M.A.R.I.O. — our Multirole Assistant for Reconnaissance, Intercept and Operations for the DCS MB-339.
Over the past weeks, we have been working on turning M.A.R.I.O. from a simple idea into an actual interactive assistant/copilot system, designed to give the aircraft a more alive and useful second-seat feeling while keeping it coherent with the MB-339 role.
At the moment, M.A.R.I.O. is already able to detect and call out several air threats and contacts, including bandits, air-to-air missiles and SAM launches. He can report relative position, relative altitude and target behavior, including contacts closing, crossing, pointing at us or moving away.
We also implemented contact tracking and priority logic, so M.A.R.I.O. does not simply spam random callouts. He keeps track of what is happening around the aircraft and tries to speak only when the information is relevant. This includes anti-chatter logic, cooldowns and threat prioritization.
Some of the current callouts already include urgent awareness cues such as:
- “He’s on our six!”
- “Attenzione, missile six o’clock!”
- “Splash! Good kill!”
- “BELLISSIMO! Splash confirmed!”
Another important step has been the new contact classification logic. When M.A.R.I.O. detects something unknown, he will initially call it a contact. Once the system is able to classify it, he will update the callout as bandit or friendly, depending on the situation.
We have also completed the first phases of the M.A.R.I.O. radial menu. The menu structure, DDS-based interface and input/navigation logic are now in place, including the new 8-zone structure with the Mission section.
On the controls side, M.A.R.I.O. already has a first basic control handover system. The player can give him the aircraft, and M.A.R.I.O. can control pitch, roll and throttle within defined safety limits. The same command is used dynamically: when the player has control, the menu shows You Have Controls; when M.A.R.I.O. has control, it becomes I Have Controls.
We have also integrated the new Callout Manager, which centralizes M.A.R.I.O.’s text/audio logic. This allows us to manage callout variants, priority, cooldowns and future audio integration in a much cleaner way. A full CSV list of callout variants is also being prepared to support future SFXs generation for DCS.
The next development steps will focus on expanding the Controls menu. Planned functions include:
- Straight & Level
- Hold Heading
- Hold Altitude
- Hold Attitude
- Left Orbit
- Right Orbit
- Resume Route
After that, we plan to move into Aircraft Check, where M.A.R.I.O. will be able to report fuel, weapons, aircraft condition, damage state and eventually provide basic emergency suggestions.
Further down the line, we also want to expand:
- Ground & Sea Target detection
- Navigation assistance
- Mission status and objectives
- Training support
- Final audio integration
- Additional polish and personality tuning
As always, everything shown or described here is work in progress and subject to change. M.A.R.I.O. is not meant to replace proper systems simulation, but to add a useful, dynamic and slightly more human layer to the MB-339 experience.
More updates will follow as development continues.
Andiamo!
Following some recent and very positive interactions on
Reddit’s Hoggit, a few users suggested that a binocular-style feature could be a nice addition to the DCS: MB-339, especially for Cold War scenarios and FAC-related roles.
We liked the idea, so we decided to run some early experiments — and the initial results have been quite promising.
Attached is a screenshot from our current tests. Of course, this is still at a very early stage: the lens effect is preliminary, and what is shown in the screenshot does not represent the final feature.
This is not a major feature, and it does not require an excessive amount of development resources, but we believe it can still add further value and versatility to the module, especially in those mission profiles where visual spotting plays an important role.
In parallel, bug fixing continues as usual. We have already closed the patch that will be distributed with the next DCS update, and we are confident that future releases will also bring additional key bindings and quality-of-life improvements.
More details will come as development progresses.
We would like to share a short development update about one of the new features currently being developed for the DCS MB-339: M.A.R.I.O.
Since the first mentions of M.A.R.I.O., some users thought it was a joke, a meme, or simply a marketing gimmick. We also received several private messages asking whether the feature was actually real and what its purpose was.
For this reason, we would like to clarify that M.A.R.I.O. is real. It is not just a name, and it is now actively under development.
During the past weeks we carried out the first internal experiments, and the results were promising enough to move the feature into active development.
The goal of M.A.R.I.O. is to add an interactive assistant/copilot/instructor layer to the MB-339, improving situational awareness, cockpit workflow and training-oriented operations.
Current implementation status
At the current stage, several core elements have already been implemented:
• Initial radial command menu
• Basic menu navigation logic
• Threat and traffic detection logic
• Basic voice/callout logic
• Basic damage/status reporting logic
• First aircraft handover and control assistance functions
• Initial logic for aircraft stabilization and assisted flight
These features are still being refined and tested, but the foundation is now in place.
Next development steps:
The next development steps will focus on expanding and polishing the system. In particular, we are working on:
• Improving callout logic and reducing unnecessary repetitions
• Expanding the command menu structure
• Implementing scan commands
• Implementing aircraft status checks
• Refining threat, traffic and ground target reports
• Improving damage and system status reporting
• Expanding training-oriented assistance
• Improving handover/control assistance behaviour
• Integrating the system more naturally into normal MB-339 operations
• Testing the feature across different mission scenarios
We are also experimenting with a way to provide basic dynamic training features through M.A.R.I.O., without forcing users to fly only the standard training missions.
The idea is to make some training-oriented assistance available in a more flexible way, during normal missions or free flight scenarios.
Training missions and weapon depression tables:
Regarding the standard training missions, we are aware that some of them currently suffer from annoying bugs that can make them difficult or even impossible to complete properly.
These missions will be updated as soon as the weapon depression tables are finalized.
A first version of the weapon depression tables has already been published, and we have collected feedback from the community.
We are now refining our calculation tool and expect to provide a new version of the depression tables by next week.
Bug fixing and module support:
M.A.R.I.O. is being developed in parallel with bug fixing, bindings improvements and general MB-339 maintenance. It is not intended to replace normal support work on the module.
We know that many users are also waiting for fixes and quality-of-life improvements, and those remain part of the current development effort.
There is still work to do before M.A.R.I.O. is ready for release, but development is active and progressing.
We would like to share a short development update about one of the new features currently being developed for the DCS MB-339: M.A.R.I.O.
Since the first mentions of M.A.R.I.O., some users thought it was a joke, a meme, or simply a marketing gimmick. We also received several private messages asking whether the feature was actually real and what its purpose was.
For this reason, we would like to clarify that M.A.R.I.O. is real. It is not just a name, and it is now actively under development.
During the past weeks we carried out the first internal experiments, and the results were promising enough to move the feature into active development.
The goal of M.A.R.I.O. is to add an interactive assistant/copilot/instructor layer to the MB-339, improving situational awareness, cockpit workflow and training-oriented operations.
Current implementation status
At the current stage, several core elements have already been implemented:
• Initial radial command menu
• Basic menu navigation logic
• Threat and traffic detection logic
• Basic voice/callout logic
• Basic damage/status reporting logic
• First aircraft handover and control assistance functions
• Initial logic for aircraft stabilization and assisted flight
These features are still being refined and tested, but the foundation is now in place.
Next development steps:
The next development steps will focus on expanding and polishing the system. In particular, we are working on:
• Improving callout logic and reducing unnecessary repetitions
• Expanding the command menu structure
• Implementing scan commands
• Implementing aircraft status checks
• Refining threat, traffic and ground target reports
• Improving damage and system status reporting
• Expanding training-oriented assistance
• Improving handover/control assistance behaviour
• Integrating the system more naturally into normal MB-339 operations
• Testing the feature across different mission scenarios
We are also experimenting with a way to provide basic dynamic training features through M.A.R.I.O., without forcing users to fly only the standard training missions.
The idea is to make some training-oriented assistance available in a more flexible way, during normal missions or free flight scenarios.
Training missions and weapon depression tables:
Regarding the standard training missions, we are aware that some of them currently suffer from annoying bugs that can make them difficult or even impossible to complete properly.
These missions will be updated as soon as the weapon depression tables are finalized.
A first version of the weapon depression tables has already been published, and we have collected feedback from the community.
We are now refining our calculation tool and expect to provide a new version of the depression tables by next week.
Bug fixing and module support:
M.A.R.I.O. is being developed in parallel with bug fixing, bindings improvements and general MB-339 maintenance. It is not intended to replace normal support work on the module.
We know that many users are also waiting for fixes and quality-of-life improvements, and those remain part of the current development effort.
There is still work to do before M.A.R.I.O. is ready for release, but development is active and progressing.
We would like to share a short development update about one of the new features currently being developed for the DCS MB-339: M.A.R.I.O.
Since the first mentions of M.A.R.I.O., some users thought it was a joke, a meme, or simply a marketing gimmick. We also received several private messages asking whether the feature was actually real and what its purpose was.
For this reason, we would like to clarify that M.A.R.I.O. is real. It is not just a name, and it is now actively under development.
During the past weeks we carried out the first internal experiments, and the results were promising enough to move the feature into active development.
The goal of M.A.R.I.O. is to add an interactive assistant/copilot/instructor layer to the MB-339, improving situational awareness, cockpit workflow and training-oriented operations.
Current implementation status
At the current stage, several core elements have already been implemented:
• Initial radial command menu
• Basic menu navigation logic
• Threat and traffic detection logic
• Basic voice/callout logic
• Basic damage/status reporting logic
• First aircraft handover and control assistance functions
• Initial logic for aircraft stabilization and assisted flight
These features are still being refined and tested, but the foundation is now in place.
Next development steps:
The next development steps will focus on expanding and polishing the system. In particular, we are working on:
• Improving callout logic and reducing unnecessary repetitions
• Expanding the command menu structure
• Implementing scan commands
• Implementing aircraft status checks
• Refining threat, traffic and ground target reports
• Improving damage and system status reporting
• Expanding training-oriented assistance
• Improving handover/control assistance behaviour
• Integrating the system more naturally into normal MB-339 operations
• Testing the feature across different mission scenarios
We are also experimenting with a way to provide basic dynamic training features through M.A.R.I.O., without forcing users to fly only the standard training missions.
The idea is to make some training-oriented assistance available in a more flexible way, during normal missions or free flight scenarios.
Training missions and weapon depression tables:
Regarding the standard training missions, we are aware that some of them currently suffer from annoying bugs that can make them difficult or even impossible to complete properly.
These missions will be updated as soon as the weapon depression tables are finalized.
A first version of the weapon depression tables has already been published, and we have collected feedback from the community.
We are now refining our calculation tool and expect to provide a new version of the depression tables by next week.
Bug fixing and module support:
M.A.R.I.O. is being developed in parallel with bug fixing, bindings improvements and general MB-339 maintenance. It is not intended to replace normal support work on the module.
We know that many users are also waiting for fixes and quality-of-life improvements, and those remain part of the current development effort.
There is still work to do before M.A.R.I.O. is ready for release, but development is active and progressing.
Inspired by Jester, the legendary F-14 RIO from Heatblur, we're currently experimenting with something a little more... Italian.
​
Meet M.A.R.I.O. - Multirole Assistant for
​
Reconnaissance, Intercept and Operations - an interactive instructor/copilot concept for the DCS MB-339.
​
The goal is simple: give the 339 a lightweight "second seat" that can help with situational awareness, traffic and threat callouts, relative position reports, and eventually some basic in-flight guidance.
​
So far, we've been testing threat detection, position reporting, dynamic behavior tracking, and more natural warning callouts - including when something unpleasant decides to move onto your six.
​
Future ideas include navigation support, aircraft checks, training assistance, and more advanced assist features.
​
As always: this is still WIP, experimental, and not confirmed for release yet.
Inspired by Jester, the legendary F-14 RIO from Heatblur, we're currently experimenting with something a little more... Italian.
​
Meet M.A.R.I.O. - Multirole Assistant for
​
Reconnaissance, Intercept and Operations - an interactive instructor/copilot concept for the DCS MB-339.
​
The goal is simple: give the 339 a lightweight "second seat" that can help with situational awareness, traffic and threat callouts, relative position reports, and eventually some basic in-flight guidance.
​
So far, we've been testing threat detection, position reporting, dynamic behavior tracking, and more natural warning callouts - including when something unpleasant decides to move onto your six.
​
Future ideas include navigation support, aircraft checks, training assistance, and more advanced assist features.
​
As always: this is still WIP, experimental, and not confirmed for release yet.