If you use the loadout screen that's in the "plane" menu, the button next to "fly" when you're about to load yourself into the cockpit, nothing changes no matter what you enter...only your convergence sticks.

You have to save a quick mission (or any custom mission, or create a new one) to the folder your single missions are in, I forget where it is, or copy your quick missions to your single missions directory. Once that's done, you have to open the full mission builder, load your mission, select your aircraft group and edit its properties under the appropriate tab...there's a dropdown field that is labeled "loadouts" or something to that effect, change it to what you want, save the mission, and load it.

It's a lot to do, I know, and my instructions are vague (sorry cant walkthrough it right now, building a new PC). This is the only fix I've found that works.

Note: you can test to see if your custom loadouts are actually working if you change your tracers, ie, make the 4 and 5 guns load tracers instead of the default 1 and 8. The game loads whatever ammo the mission data file specifies, not the loadouts menu, that only works in multiplayer.

This is correct. The ammo types do work. Only reliable way to test is make a mission in the editor starting behind enemy plane and load the different ammo types.

Fires start very easily with dewilde loaded and fuel tanks ignite often. Thankfully the wings don't blow off bombers every time this happens now.

Nope, the dual MG on an SBD, I was testing MG effectiveness in starting fires.

ok I tried this and it won't let me save the ammo load-outs it remains blank...
also when trying to test from the MB load mission play, the guns do not work?

ok second time I reloaded and it let me change it. the Launcher crashed on me so there must of been a loading error.

I don't know what happen but now my guns will not fire the game recognizes my key fire button on the stick but on the game it does not fire?

anybody know why? will not work with the default QM, you have to make your own..

Then it works.

Thanks,
Very clear.
I'll make the changes that way and see if I can start testing.

Edit: Works like a charm!

I already have a number of different loadouts made in the Settings/Planes/Loadout main screen. I opened up the FMB selected the test mission I had already created and selected the drop down menu General Settings I think. Then selected the loadout I wanted and saved it. Then saved the mission and then flew it from within the FMB.

It's easy to go back to the FMB and change the loadout and go back into the mission for the next test.
Damages do show differences so now to test further.

Thanks for the heads-up. I think that this is the initial explanation for my seeing very little damage differences when doing my initial testing. So now, I'm curious to further test it.

I'm wondering about making a coop mission and creating my own server, entering the server, do the test and then retrieve any damage log files if they are available.

Thanks again.

In SP loadouts are a part of the mission file and can not be changed via game menus, only via FMB afaik.

Thanks Ataros,
Using the FMB for single missions works nicely.

I'm changing the parameters this way for future testing.

Cheers

My Hurricane ammo belts:

[youtube]_K_dBPWq2wU[/youtube]

With just incendiary De Wilde loaded:

[youtube]jw7WvaWuXf0[/youtube]

Yes: ammo is modeled. But we don't have explosive ammo in RAF belts, so we don't have Hollywood explosions, just more chance to start fire with incendiary ammo loaded, but for engine or tank fire, load some AP or Ball too...