Hi guys -
As a static campaign builder, i'm endlessly frustrated by the odd way in which ranks are assigned to the flight positions:
Rank 1 (Flight Sergeant/Flight Officer/Oberfeldwebel) : Plane 16 (last guy in the squadron)
Rank 2 (Pilot Officer/Second Lieutenant/Leutnant) : Plane 4 (last guy in squadron commander's flight)
Rank 3 (Flying Officer/First Lieutenant/Oberleutnant) : Plane 14 (wingman to flight 4 leader)
Rank 4 (Flight Lieutenant/Captain/Hauptmann) : Plane 2 (squadron commander's wingman)
Rank 5 (Squadron Leader/Major/Major)
lane 13 (flight leader of flight 4)
Rank 6 (Wing Commander/Lieutenant Colonel/Oberstleutnant)
lane 5 (flight leader of flight 2)
Rank 7 *highest* (Group Captain/Colonel/Oberst) Plane 1 (squadron commander)
In the RAF a Flight Lieutenant should be leading the sections, i.e planes 5 and 9 if a Sqn/Ldr is leading a full squadron (12 a/c). However getting to Flt/Lt (rank 4) rank you are still only ever a wingman when you should be leading 3 other a/c! Even on a 16 plane formation - as in the USAAF - flights of four should be led by a Cpt. Also Rank 3 (Flying Officer) should in those four ships be leading the 2nd element or planes 3, 7, 11 & 15 (which in the current setup are completely inaccessible to the player) with the wingman position being made up with Ranks 1 & 2.
Is there anyway you could correct this odd positioning, or if not, provide a tick box in FMB whereby the mission builder could override the campaign positioning of a player and force the campaign to put the player in an aircraft that the mission builder selects? It would make for far more realistic campaigns and a more flexible system - a Flt/Lt (rank 4) could be leading a 4 ship mission one day, then be leading the 2nd or 3rd Section behind the Sqn/Ldr (rank 5) doing as his name implies, leading the squadron, the next mission.
As an aside, the 3d model of the default P-40E/M is quite ill proportioned - too much dihedral on the wings, too large nose and too short a tail; is there any chance of having it re-done?
Many thanks for your consideration and the fantastic work you have already given us! I'm very much anticipating the delights of 4.10.
Regards,
Tom