FSX US Marine Corps F-35C VMFA-323 Repaints

Experience a new level of realism by adding these four fictional United States Marine Corps F-35C VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” repaints to your hangar. Created by S. Peterson for Microsoft Flight Simulator X, these repaints envision the squadron’s transition from the F/A-18C to the cutting-edge Lockheed Martin F-35C (the carrier-capable variant). The textures are designed for the freeware Dino Cattaneo F-35C base model, which is not part of this package and must be obtained separately from the Fly Away Simulation library.

Enhanced Visuals for the “Death Rattlers”

These custom textures integrate the VMFA-323 insignia alongside distinct squadron markings on the Lockheed Martin F-35C airframe, offering a fresh take on how the “Death Rattlers” might appear if they officially adopted this fifth-generation stealth platform. The F-35C, specifically engineered for carrier-based operations, combines advanced stealth (meaning it has a low-observable form) with next-generation avionics and powerful single-engine performance. This fictional concept positions the Marine Corps as fully transitioning to a multirole fighter that excels in air defense, tactical bombing, and close air support. S. Peterson’s work provides four distinct liveries, each with unique numbering for individual aircraft in the squadron.

Installation Procedure

Once you have acquired the Dino Cattaneo F-35C base model (F35V230.ZIP) from the Fly Away Simulation mod library, complete the following steps:

• Place the new “texture” folders into the main F-35C folder, typically located in SimObjects/Airplanes.
• Open your aircraft.cfg file within the F-35C folder and paste each of the snippets below, ensuring you adjust [fltsim.x] to match the next available number in sequence.

[fltsim.x]
title=F-35C Lightning II VMFA-323 01
sim=F-35C
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=VMFA323-01
kb_checklists=F35C_check
kb_reference=F35C_ref
atc_id=F35
atc_airline=SWORD
atc_flight_number=01
ui_manufacturer="Lockheed Martin"
ui_type="F-35C Lightning II"
ui_variation="VMFA-323 Death Rattlers 01, USMC"
ui_typerole="Single Engine Jet"
ui_createdby="Dino Cattaneo"
description="The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth-capable military strike fighter that performs both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. The F-35C variant is specifically designed for carrier-based operations and features reinforced landing gear and larger wings for improved low-speed handling. This repaint depicts a fictional VMFA-323 Death Rattlers scheme."

[fltsim.x]
title=F-35C Lightning II VMFA-323 02
sim=F-35C
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=VMFA323-02
kb_checklists=F35C_check
kb_reference=F35C_ref
atc_id=F35
atc_airline=SWORD
atc_flight_number=02
ui_manufacturer="Lockheed Martin"
ui_type="F-35C Lightning II"
ui_variation="VMFA-323 Death Rattlers 02, USMC"
ui_typerole="Single Engine Jet"
ui_createdby="Dino Cattaneo"
description="The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth-capable military strike fighter that performs both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. The F-35C variant is specifically designed for carrier-based operations and features reinforced landing gear and larger wings for improved low-speed handling. This repaint depicts a fictional VMFA-323 Death Rattlers scheme."

[fltsim.x]
title=F-35C Lightning II VMFA-323 03
sim=F-35C
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=VMFA323-03
kb_checklists=F35C_check
kb_reference=F35C_ref
atc_id=F35
atc_airline=SWORD
atc_flight_number=03
ui_manufacturer="Lockheed Martin"
ui_type="F-35C Lightning II"
ui_variation="VMFA-323 Death Rattlers 03, USMC"
ui_typerole="Single Engine Jet"
ui_createdby="Dino Cattaneo"
description="The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth-capable military strike fighter that performs both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. The F-35C variant is specifically designed for carrier-based operations and features reinforced landing gear and larger wings for improved low-speed handling. This repaint depicts a fictional VMFA-323 Death Rattlers scheme."

[fltsim.x]
title=F-35C Lightning II VMFA-323 04
sim=F-35C
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=VMFA323-04
kb_checklists=F35C_check
kb_reference=F35C_ref
atc_id=F35
atc_airline=SWORD
atc_flight_number=04
ui_manufacturer="Lockheed Martin"
ui_type="F-35C Lightning II"
ui_variation="VMFA-323 Death Rattlers 04, USMC"
ui_typerole="Single Engine Jet"
ui_createdby="Dino Cattaneo"
description="The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth-capable military strike fighter that performs both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. The F-35C variant is specifically designed for carrier-based operations and features reinforced landing gear and larger wings for improved low-speed handling. This repaint depicts a fictional VMFA-323 Death Rattlers scheme."

Additional Notes

This freeware repaint package does not include the base F-35C model. The freeware base model by Dino Cattaneo, required to use these textures, is available from Fly Away Simulation’s files. Be sure to follow the provided instructions carefully, and always remember to make a backup of your configuration files before you modify them.

All credit goes to S. Peterson for these repaints, along with Dino Cattaneo for developing the F-35C model. Enjoy exploring carrier-based operations in Microsoft Flight Simulator X with these unique “Death Rattlers” additions.