Note: this is an EXE installer that creates shared texture folders and adds paths to your autoexec.cfg.
This is a fictional skin pack of SA342L/M/Mistral Gazelles with HMLA-169 markings. Each SA342 variant has four different BuNos (USN/USMC serial numbers), including one high color Commanding Officer's bird, allowing you to create packages of different aircraft. You still provide your own two digit MODEX (side number) in the mission editor. Each skin has a "normal" version and a weathered version. Weathered skins have a bleached effect as if the aircraft were heavily exposed to the sun for months on end. Normal skins include pilots with green flightsuits, while weathered skins include pilots with desert flightsuits. This skin pack is intended to satisfy one's "cobra itch" until the AH-1 is released.
Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMA) 169 was commissioned in 1971 as part of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (Camp Pendleton, cA), and unlike most HMLA squadrons began with the Cobra (AH-1G) before becoming a composite squadron. By 1976, the AH-1G was replaced by the AH-1J Sea Cobra, which were eventually replaced by the AH-1T.
In 1986, HMA-169 was redesignated Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169, and replaced its AH-1Ts with the AH-1W Super Cobra. As a composite squadron, it also received its complement of UH-1N Hueys.
Today HMLA-169 flies the UH-1Y Venom and the AH-1Z Viper.
For Compact Installations - A Note About Autoexec.cfg:
Rather than copying texture files to their respective livery folders, I prefer to use a series of common texture folders along with unique filenames. This allows a single instance of many of my common textures, and keeps the hard drive footprint to a minimum (especially nice if you run a SSD for your system drive).
The installer will add a series of folders to the DCS Texture path; if you do not have these folders created, then it is no problem. The autoexec.cfg included will automatically point to the Texture folder in your Saved Games\DCS folder, and regardless of whether you run the Release, Open Beta, or Legacy version of DCS, the path will always point to your Saved Games\DCS\Texture folder. Again, this saves space on your hard drive.
If you use your own Autoexec.cfg, then when prompted to overwrite you can click "no". This will create a file called autoexec.new, and you can manually make the updates as you like. Just don't modify the top line with the file date; this is used by the installer for version control. However, feel free to include it in your existing autoexec.cfg, so you don't get prompted to overwrite until there's another update to the autoexec.cfg.
If you inadvertently overwrite your autoexec.cfg, it is actually backed up as autoexec.old. Just open it and copy the appropriate information to the new file.
For Traditional Installations or JSGME Compatible Extractions:
If you don't wish to use the shared texture folder and custom autoexec.cfg, you have a couple of other options available. Selecting the Traditional Install copies all textures to each livery folder, then copies each livery to each version of DCS detected (up to three versions, including release, legacy 1.5, and open beta). As a result, the listed hard disk space requirement assumes all three DCS versions are installled. Each skin is independent and portable.
If you wish to install to a location other than your Saved Games folder, you must select the Single JSGME Extraction, or else the installation will fail for not detecting existing Saved Games\DCS folders. Selecting this option will create a JSGME compatible install that can be dropped directly into your JSGME _MODS folder for installation. Each skin is independent and portable.
For either of these installation options, if there is an issue with textures not displaying, then it is likely a problem with the installer. Please let me know what textures are missing so that I can troubleshoot the issue.
Change Log:
1.0 Internal Release
1.5 Added Weathered Skins
Improved details
Improved color matching for weapons hardpoints and optics
1.51 Weatherized Tactnumber decals
Minor texture updates
1.51a Updated Installer
1.52 Added custom survival vest textures
Helmet texture fixes and improvements
1.60 Added RoughMet textures for DCS 2.5
Updated installer for DCS 2.5
1.61 Removed RoughMet textures
Added Minigun variant
Special thanks to Upuaut for his templates that were used to create the flightsuit torso and legs.
You are free to use any of the textures in other skins or projects as long as proper credit is provided in the readme file.
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