I've been keeping a close attention to DCS:Mi-8 since I really enjoy helicopter sims, specially the ones that model Assault/transport helicopter types (even because in the past the vast majority of helicopter sims only modeled gunship types).

But a thing that caught my attention specially compared to DCS:Huey is that I didn't see any door-mounted machine guns and gunners in the Mi-8. So, does DCS:Mi-8 have mounted machine guns and gunners? If not will they be implemented in the future?

The Mi-8 product page states "Multiple player positions, including pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and door gunner", but currently there are no door gunners. I'll take that to mean it's planned.

Humm, I see. Thanks for the reply Chris.

No prob.

It's been a gripe that bellsimtek starts new projects without totally finishing the current ones. The missing features of the Huey and mi8 reflect that. I saw somewhere that the reason for that is an assembly line operation they got going that allows them to work on multiple platforms at once which is why they have so many out as well as an imminent release of the mig 15.

I'm fine with getting more aircraft in the game with some features completed at a later date, with the planned ah1w, might be a longer wait for those missing features. Having an ah1w in Dcs is well worth it.

Well, if their "assembly line" way of doing things indeed allows them to work on all their modules simultaneously, then it'd seem like they've simply decided that the Mi-8 deserves no more attention. IIRC, there has been a total of 3 separate brand new modules released for DCS since we last saw even a usual very small update for the Mi-8.

Probably cause the mi8 will get done when they get around to it, bring on the mig15 and ah1w. The mi8 can wait, that thing is just rocket pods and shuttling troops. An advisary to the saber and blackshark seem like good priorities to me.

Yes, that's a totally acceptable reason to release something in Alpha state, claim it's in Beta, and largely ignore it for a year and for the foreseeable future despite having sold it like any other product. "Nah man, that one's totally lame bro, we got cooler modules to make first!"

I want to see a full featured mi8 too, but in the grand scheme of things they have given us a red and blue utility chopper, a blue Korean War fighter with its red advisary months away, and finally a blue attack helo. It's quite refreshing that someone's doing something at an accelerated pace, I was beginning to think only my grand kids would enjoy all the planned Dcs projects. No need to derail this progress over griping about mi8 door gunners, think of the big picture.

No, no, oh so many noes. This isn't "accelerated pace", it's nothing else than doing a sloppy job. They didn't even try getting the Mi-8 into a Beta stage before abandoning it for the sake of new modules, which will inevitably be as badly treated as the Hip once there are more prosperous modules on the horizon. It's about far more than door gunners: It's about finishing large parts of the module, and bothering to finally get a full English manual out.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

I have been flying the mig21 pretty heavily and leatherneck took the complete opposite approach to bellsimtek. They focused on one module from start to end and it's pretty well done, love the thing. It's just such a hard AC to fly and limited capabilities that I will probably move on to something better when its out....like the AH1W....

Would approach be an honest way of doing business? I'm sorry, but there is no excuse for leaving a module in Alpha state for 14 months and counting whilst putting full efforts into other modules. That is not an honest way to sell products. Just because you think the Mi-8 is a boring module doesn't justify that everyone who's bought it be left with something in as pitiful a state as it is now.

While not complete, I personally don't think the product qualifies as either alpha or pitiful. It's a fun module to fly, most stuff in the cockpit works fine, and the FM is fantastic. Yes, some things remain incomplete, but overall the module is pretty damn good. I think keeping the fact on Belsimtek and ED's mind is a great idea, but slanting it as being completely unflyable or unusable diminishes your message (again, in my opinion). Maybe a comparative list of what works and what doesn't would make it clearer? (I'm not going to do that though..)

BeachAV8R

It's not unflyable or unusable, but the fact remains: 14 months have passed since release, and it's not received more than a few very small updates. Despite repeated promises that one is around the corner, there's not even an English manual out yet. I think I can sum the problem list down to one sentence: Finish what you started, Beta release doesn't mean that you release a WIP product and cease working on it.

I can't disagree with any of that. Let's hope they get their ducks in a row lest their future module sales suffer.

BeachAV8R

I tell you what it isn't need:
There's NO need to derail the purpose of this thread and to make comments that that! I made a simple question about/if the DCS:Mi-8 has or not door gunners and it was replied. You don't like the question? That's your problem but I suggest that you don't derail this thread's purpose with misplaced comments like that!

And yes, I grip, lament and complain that the Mi-8 doesn't have door gunners since for me a military assault/transport helicopter in a war scenario without door gunners is almost like not having an altimeter for example in the same type of helicopter and because of this I won't buy the Mi-8 until it has door gunners!
And that's how BIG "my picture" is...

In all seriousness, don't let door gunners be your sole criteria for when the Mi-8 has reached a stage where you consider buying it. I may come across as harsh about DCS at times, but the Mi-8 is without a doubt a new low, I have never witnessed any module being so badly neglected. Just door gunners wouldn't go even 1% towards making this a decent module right now.

And let me be the opposite side of the criticism by saying that a "new low for a DCS module" is still a pretty high low (if that makes any sense). Right now, on sale you can get it for $14.99 - for the level of cockpit modeling, flight modeling, and the very fun campaign, that is a steal. The eventual inclusion of the full manual, door gunners, sling loads, and I would guess the aforementioned multi-crew capability will round out the module quite nicely. In game you can currently use it as a troop transport, SAR, and gunship... Door gunners will be nice, but they aren't the end all be all of the simulation, nor is the exclusion of some of the switches in the cockpit. There are switches and buttons in both the Ka-50 and A-10C modules that don't work, aren't functional, or weren't modeled either... Again for basically the price of a movie ticket and half a box of Milk Duds (want to talk about outrage..!) you get a pretty good module that seems slated to get better (albeit not at the pace we'd all like it to)..

Edit - Looks like you missed the sale though - I think it ended yesterday at 6PM? You'd have to wait to get it on that price again (it frequently goes on sale..maybe by the next one it will have all the features you desire..)

BeachAV8R

Well to me it isn't! Having a military assault/transport helicopter without door gunners is a major immersion killer for me. And that's all I have to say about this "issue"!


@BeachAV8R,

No, I haven't miss the November surprise sale but because of the reason above I simply won't buy it.

Sure, I get it. I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of ways to use the Mi-8 and your specific needs (door gunners) have not been met, but a lot of other requirements have.