Fellas...
Just bought it, took it out for a flight and there's GOOD NEWS and BAD NEWS.
First up, YES, this thing has ALOT OF POTENTIAL!! Just got done SHOOTING DOWN aircraft IN FREE FLIGHT. WAS AMAZING!! They take damage, they start on FIRE, and they fall from the sky. Was just phenominal. Lets hear everyone say it. "YOU'RE RENTS DUE MOTHER &*$#-ER!!"
Second, the HUD is COLLIMATED. I looked at their .XML and it was exactly how Virtuali said we should go about it. Its accomplished thru changes in delta eyepoint. There's lag and theres a "sluggish" feel to it when panning around, so its not the best but IT WORKS.
Now, the BAD, and boy is it BAD. The INTERFACE sucks!! Its a control bar on the bottom and you select guns and missiles and what not. Think a small baby step up from Abacus. That hurt just typing it out. Not the great interfaces that we are used to from JR and Serge. Throw that compatibility out of your mind, right now. Also, the actual HUD symbology BLOWS!! Its drawn from C++, Im guessing and LOOKS great, like the default HUD style, but the symbology and everything just blows. It holds conformality and is collimated, but the generics of it suck. Guess we can all hope for what Orion talked about, that IF there's enough interest, they will develop it more and maybe hard-code a HUD that looks like a real Hornet HUD with correct symbology?
Thats all for now, will get back to you as I find out more and more. And BTW, its 20 bucks USD. 14.99 EURO.
Later
Sludge