A Great Challenge | A-4 Skyhawk Vs F-14 Tomcat Dogfight | Digital Combat Simulator | DCS |

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Head to keeps.com/sidewinder to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment!

[@Nicksanchez1122]

F22 vs j20 BVR

[@moochoman9948]

Growling Hairline

[@matthewtrapani9755]

@@moochoman9948 Receding Sidewinder.

[@giftsonnabayano1973]

@@moochoman9948 🤣

[@bradleymyers5030]

How about the F-14 vs F4 phantom?

[@chimchim2_]

Lol'd so freaking hard at the SPLAT Sound FX when the pilot hit the GROUND 🤣

[@pikuma]

That reminded me of an ood game called TFX.

[@FS2K4Pilot]

Yes, that needs to get into a compilation video at some point.

[@cdr861532]

Same man........freaking same!

[@narcissus79]

truly what you term "spudding in"

[@lamalien2276]

I like those little touches.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Thank you guys for watching, extra long video in todays episode for everyone who says they wanted longer videos, hope you enjoyed and thank you to everyone for your on going support with the channel.

[@frightfulbuffalo7081]

Can you please try to do a video on IAF mig 29 vs PAF f16?

[@Nicksanchez1122]

F22 vs j20 BVR

[@ace_pilot_7040]

i got a question who would win the f-4 vs AV8B harrier

[@haterbehavior4583]

Another Vs real fighter pilot video ?

[@Nicksanchez1122]

@@ace_pilot_7040 probably the harrier since it can do harrier bullshit

[@skyhorseprice6591]

There aren't really any of your videos I don't like, but I have to confess that the longer ones are my favorites. It's just more interesting to watch how tactics develop over a longer time.

[@reidmortensen2629]

Right, like he said at the beginning of round 4 “he’s learned his lessons”

[@945045able]

I think stoppage is just fine. I prefer for example shorter vids for better quality.

[@badboy10350]

Remember, the A-4 was used at Top Gun by instructors, so it is a very versatile machine in the right hands.

[@adrianperalta2425]

The UK can recall it

[@Tadeas_Plachy]

Thou the Top Gun A-4 had stronger engine and was stripped of much weight, disabled slats and it had better than 1:1 TWR

[@tigerpjm]

@@Tadeas_Plachy I did not know that it had a more powerful engine! Must have been a nice thing once it had some decent thrust.

[@heeder777]

The Top Gun Aggressors also used tactics and flight models to mimic soviet fighters so in some instances they held back on the full capabilities of the A-4.

[@badboy10350]

@@heeder777 I know

[@kaesees]

My lesson from all of the videos where GS fights against an F-14 is that Tomcat drivers need to learn to stiff-arm opponents into two-circle fights by driving towards their six/flying their flight path, and recognize when the opponent in a two-circle fight is trying to offset the circles.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

That’s a very good summary ya if u was in the tomcat something like that is pretty much what I would always try to do.

[@DimSum9685]

I never learned the concept of one, two, offset circle, rate fights and energy states until I saw your vids. I already knew about the scissors, split s maneuvers etc. I have DCS and am just about ready to buy a flight stick and throttle to get flying. Can't wait to learn these once I figure out how to start them up and get them off the ground.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

glad to hear you found the video useful with that kind of stuff. best of luck in DCS always nice to hear more people joining us.

[@yuuzyerbrejn9603]

I once heard a retired aggressor squadron commander say that, inside knife-fighting range, he could kill anything up to and including the Rafale with the A-4. He didn't say which version of the A-4.

[@JoJo-vm8vk]

And he probably never flew against a Rafale 🤣

[@TheEfetzis]

And here we have a new challenge for Growling Sidewinder!

[@JoJo-vm8vk]

@@TheEfetzis There is no proper Rafale module for now in DCS.

[@av8rgrip]

A-4F Super Fox?

[@steveng6511]

The aggressor A-4’s were nothing like the operational ones. Much better suited for BFM.

[@ErikMoroni]

Absolutely loving those Brazilian camos man, VF-1 Falcão. Love that insignia.

[@TheLusoferful]

Eai br

[@________crizz]

Bah!

[@eliomarlacerda2364]

Great to see that is a Brazilian Navy A4 paint scheme. Some of them are been upgraded with new israeli radar and Phytoon 4 missiles i guess. Great video GS.

[@Kiwigrunt]

Hopefully the RNZAF " Kahu' Skyhawk will come to DCS, basically a Skyhawk with F-16 avionics, HUD, radar and upgraded engine.

[@rodneypayne4827]

The sport model. Kahu are still being used by private contactor aggressor companies in the US, Discovery Air being one of them.

[@joshwagstaff13]

@@rodneypayne4827 Here I was under the impression that the ones that didn’t end up in museums were sold to Draken

[@rodneypayne4827]

@@joshwagstaff13 Both Draken and Discovery got some, it's hard to tell because they also use the Singapore and Argentine models as well and upgrade them to similar standard.

[@joshwagstaff13]

@@rodneypayne4827 Huh. As far as I was aware, Draken got the eight that didn’t end up in museums back in 2012, and still had them.

[@Boolag01]

Drakes got most of the ex-RAN A-4Gs that were converted to Kanu standard. All the original A-4Ks stayed in NZ.

[@mortenBP]

13:20 Awesome maneuver kill !!! You actually tricked him into a stall. Amazing!

[@YT-Ozymandias]

Let's get Brazilian Skyhawk vs everything. Very surprised it managed to hold up at all against the tomcat

[@josesierraromero8316]

Beautiful and sturdy the Skyhawk, one of my favourites planes ever,Argentinian Naval Air Force used them with great effect against british Task Forces at Malvinas. Great little plane.

[@jpierce2l33t]

I love how you can just hear the absolutely genuine joy and excitement in your voice when you took him in round 2...that's what it's all about man! Awesome to see that even after all those flight hours, you're still having fun and enjoying what you do!!!

[@ettorehenrique1913]

Awesome Brazilian Navy painting for the A-4!!

[@beng7844]

I’d like to imagine this is just Top Gun and you’re absolutely demolishing the trainees

[@breadngames]

I like to imagine this is some sort of human-owl hybrid given the like 200 degree head rotation lol

[@beng7844]

@@breadngames fair 😂

[@KJ-kn8pg]

Funnily enough , i''ve read that the Skyhawk is a very good aggressor , even managed to get a Gun kill on a Australian Hornet. Top Aces have invested in them as well, very capable aircraft indeed.

[@Kiwigrunt]

Yeah KJ, it was a RNZAF ' Kahu ' Skyhawk, spec's as my post. Our Kahu's were basically budget F-16 's lol.

[@lordfarquaadgaming9316]

The roll rate is crazy

[@Boolag01]

“A gun kill” more like many gun kills.. RNZAF No.2 Sqn at Nowra used to beat the crap out of the RAN & RAAF on a regular basis in the 90’s.

[@isaacrothman6522]

@@Kiwigrunt tragic that labour killed the NZ air force.. all that expertise gone forever

[@LogieT2K]

@@isaacrothman6522 maybe not, theres been a pretty significant shift away from the peacekeeping hugs and cuddles policy over the last couple years. Its looking like theres a chance that the strike force maybe be re-instated sometime in the foreseeable future

[@Cruiser2000]

1:44 I once heard a Top Gun instructor say the A4 was smaller, faster and more manouverable than the F14, just like the enemy Migs 😎

[@ege5804]

İ remember the first time i stumbled upon your channel. İ was always a curious cat about 1v1 situations and your content got me hooked. Even the early mouse clicks on your TacView debriefs had a character. Now you are at an entirely different level, flying those birds like a total professional, interviewing with serious people in business and even defeating real fighter pilots. İn where i live, some pilots, full blown, real life fighter pilots say stuff like ''You also watch Mr Growling?''. You created one hell of a community and you should be proud man. Seriously, there are a very few amounts of channels that are as good as yours. Keep up the golden content and fly safe out there o7

[@johnhickman106]

I love A-4 content. I was lucky to have lived on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a kid in the mid-80s. We had one Navy squadron there; VC-10. They flew TA-4Js and it was the only US Navy unit to be capable of carrying AIM-9s (almost all USMC A-4s could carry Sidewinders ). I watched A-4s every day and was occasionally gifted with seeing other Naval fleet aircraft when a carrier would come into the area. My house was right underneath the turn point for bombing and strafing runs that were done on the Leeward side of the bay (most of us lived on the Winward side). Strafing runs by Tomcats sounded so much more sinister with the M61 compared to the Skyhawk's slower firing cannons.

[@snakeshift9172]

Obligatory "He's in a flat spin, heading out to sea!"

[@nwbklr]

4:34 - “Walk it off buddy. 👍”

[@edumodesto2007]

Nice. However Brazilian A4 have been modernized with a HUD, radar and other new combat devices. Nice video.

[@noggginn]

I know the A4 was never designed to be a fighter but if it had a burner, it would be such a sick little plane.

[@Gunfreak19]

The A4 had only 1 Air to Air kill during the entire Vietnam War and it got the kill with a zumi rocket of all things, against an Mig17 I think.

[@CafeBianco]

That head first landing was straight out of Hot Shots🤣🤣🤣

[@johnhermann7498]

Brings back memories of the Flightline filled with A-4s and F-4s as the mighty F-14 taxied back to the hanger.... Once, when I was young, I had the opportunity to sit on my Father's lap as we taxied (well...Were towed really) past row upon row of Scooters and Phantoms. This dogfight brings back memories of sitting in on AARs as the pilots discussed their offshore sorties against Scooters and Phantoms... Great job as always, GS...

[@Appreciation-Community]

that maneuver kill was insane bro so awesome. You really understand each aircraft strengths and weaknesses and play around them well.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

10 out of 10 for the face plant. Excellent clarity on the replay. Thanks for longer videos

[@hoosierdaddy8002]

Loved the realistic SPLAT on ejection.

[@crawbag0311]

-Good morning, gentlemen, the temperature is 110 degrees. -HOLY SHIT ITS VIPER!

[@macrossMX]

That is a really good fight which ended with a draw. If you look at the video carefully, GS has been fighting an F-14B the entire time instead of the F-14A, which makes the fight even more impressive.

[@DiaconescuAlexandru2024]

The edited splash sound of the pilot hitting the golf course was hilarious lol

[@Me-nf8gk]

Two of my favorite aircraft, head to head. GS, your content for the past several months has been pure gold!

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Thank you very much been working hard nice to hear people have been enjoying.

[@jacksonegaming]

another fun trick the a-4 can pull off is fully dropping the flaps and sitting inside the circle during a rate fight, hard to line up a shot but easy to stay alive

[@octobre79]

thanks for featuring the A-4E-C again and the kind words, always nice to see her punching up!

[@rudelchw]

Your's are almost the only DCS dogfight videos worth watching .. I can always count on learning good tips from you ... thanks so much 👍

[@JETZcorp]

I think I remember reading that the version of the A-4 they used in Top Gun school was so lightweight that it's power to weight ratio was better than the F-14A, afterburner be damned. Whereas the one we have in DCS is a late-model fleet ground attacker and much much heavier.

[@n.w.1803]

Bear in mind that the weight stripping also did away with the jet's cannons. And of course no comically-oversized Sidewinders. .. ..Isn't it hilarious how huge the missiles look on the A-4? Especially when you barely notice them hanging off of the F-14..:)

[@BoredLyron]

I really like the videos where you're flying the underdog. Makes them way more interesting when you never know what will happen. (And apparently you have a fair few followers here in Finland. I was talking with 2 other random nerds a little while ago and after talking about martial arts, and gaming in general, when the subject turned into flight sims, it became apparent that all 3 of us had watched your videos in the last week or so. :) )

[@lancet.346]

Sweet! I was just watching your "F-14A Tomcat Vs 4 Iraqi Mig-25 Foxbat" video. Always exciting to see the Tomcat.

[@chartphred1]

I love the A4. Reminds me so much of my time in the RAN in the 80s. Spent a year at HMAS Albatross in NSW. Back before we sold the A4s to the Kiwi's (worst defence decision ever). Managed win a flight in a TA4 (was a 20c raffle on the base one evening, first prize was a dozen tinnies 😂, 2nd prize an A4 flight, 3rd a flight in a Macchi). Just the coolest day for a 19yr old ever. Never forget it.

[@pizzaparker420]

My man beat an F-14 in a Skyhawk by leading his opponent into a predetermined stall. This man is a Chad. Love these vids

[@vannlo355]

The SOUND of your body SPLATTING into the ground was too funny xD

[@Orvulum]

Excellent! The big differences in performance between the aircraft and compensatory tactics made it really interesting!

[@nwbklr]

4:19 - VERY satisfying SPLAT of the A4 biffing it into those nice peoples backyard.

[@bobbyosborne2375]

Holy shit, GS. You actually became a lawn dart on that first round

[@kriscrespo3736]

round 1: "I'm gonna hit the brakes and he'll fly right by." me: "You're gonna do what?!" lol

[@chrisl117]

Also most of the A-4s used in Top Gun were the updated A-4F which had the best version of the J52 engine.

[@debbiestimac5175]

I'd bet that a lot of Blue Angels era A-4 weight loss and airframe stiffening work too.

[@Frank-uw8sl]

Classic TOPGUN engagement, very nicely played!

[@squid0013]

When the stabilators of the f14 are the same size as the a4 wing it can really move the nose around

[@soul191]

4:18 GS: Oh No. *dies and hits the ground* Me: Yes you're are in danger.

[@pinkbanana1276]

Ejected seat getting smashed on the ground was very comedic.

[@ytsam4674]

8:52 13:40 The Brazilian navy roundel strikes again. :D

[@mikes8948]

40 second Boyd!! Don't know if you're a reader, but I just finished the book, "Boyd," about the guy that discovered all of the E-M tactics you're so good at.

[@hitstick567]

Great book

[@bcardamone]

LOL ..... the replay of the eject directly into the ground was classic!

[@TheGhostrider9667]

Now let’s see it over Nellis with “Mighty Wings” playing in the background! “You and Goose get your butts out of that flight gear, and up to Viper’s office NOW.” 😆😁

[@MrErictank]

That ejection into the ground in the first loss was... well, it was freaking hilarious! >thwap

[@darthrizi7340]

What I want to know is was the eject on purpose or was it an automatic because he had to know that wouldn't work

[@System-Update]

I had a mate who was a USMC aggressor pilot on F5s. He said that the F18 dudes were always complaining that the instructors were "cheating" by getting vectored in etc. He said that stripping out the avionics and flying what was effectively a go-cart with wings made every instructor a far better aviator than when they had the full suite of systems to do the work for them. He once asked me if I knew what Chuck Yeager said about fighter pilots: "It's the man not the machine". He loved that I (a ground pounder) knew that.

[@barbaros99]

Having grown up with Chuck Yeager's Air Combat, I immediately heard that quote in early 90s Soundblaster.

[@System-Update]

@@barbaros99 that is where I learned it from! lol!

[@stanburk7392]

Sadly I have an extremely short attention span. Happily these videos are entertaining and informative enough that I can watch them for hours.

[@frightfulbuffalo7081]

4:19 the sound.😂

[@derpymonke4008]

so true

[@aestheticwarbr447]

lmao

[@georgiaoni6101]

I love this, much more chill in this than most other fights

[@kevinrollins7710]

I loved this one. I found myself flexing my core and doing short breaths when you were in the high G stuff, which was most of the video.

[@midniteoyl8913]

Not only was the fighting good, but this **looked** very good as well.

[@Dirtypool40-mk2]

I had an instructor at ERAU who was an old NAVY Top Gun grad and aggressor squadron commander. He said flying the A4 in close he'd get slow, just lock the stick to the rear, stay slow and turn with rudders. .... but if you had a flap deploy asymmetrically, you'd just roll and fall out of the sky, LOL. The F5 it was stay fast, and zoom through, shoot it if was there and easy, and zoom out, no turns or spending energy. High speed, clean fangs.

[@19580822]

Not a flap, a slat. Those leading-edge slats were great for lowering takeoff and landing speeds, but like you say some hard maneuvering could cause just one to deploy and throw you into a rolling spin real fast. That's why the Blue Angels had them screwed in the closed position.

[@turkishlandsknecht]

Great video as we always expect without the slightest trace of doubt!

[@jzcski]

Very cool!! I feel the “flat spin” Tomcat…it’s a real shock when your trusted steed stops flying suddenly!! Especially when you’re close to the ground….

[@PastorRob77]

Oh man, that first fight ended with a splat! That's what it sounded like when the pilot ejected right into the ground. Good fights.

[@oskar6661]

"What are you doing Maverick!?" - "I'm going to eject into the ground and he'll fly right by." - "You're gonna do what!?"

[@XCougar85X]

I so wish that A-4 would get included in DCS as a proper module. I'd fly the crap out of it online.

[@SuperDiablo101]

Can we take a moment of silence to remember the A-4s sacrificed in this video to keep Tomcats awesome legacy alive

[@DanielCPhillips]

I loved the maneuver kill in round 3 - that was awesome! 🙂

[@Wargasm644]

Lol. That inverted ejection sounded like raw steak hitting a windshield 🤣

[@viktor_v-ughnda_vaudville_476]

This guy never ceases to amaze me with his skill to get a kill no matter the odds stacked against him well done as usual man

[@tombstone4362]

the ground impact "BLAP" was Fn hilarious

[@DJB-427]

That shot of face planting into the ground almost killed me lmao

[@maddog726]

Keep doing your thing Sidewinder. We're all here for a reason. Quality content that we can't get enough of 💪

[@19580822]

Assuming the guns are modeled correctly, the A-4 was at another serious disadvantage. The F-14's M61 Vulcan's rate of fire was up to six times that of the A-4's Colt Mk.12.

[@craig.a.glesner]

I don't think I've ever seen an ejection powered face plant before, but damn it was funny as hell. Rewind time!

[@seniorslaphead8336]

I particularly appreciated that ejection face plant... good work.

[@7Dunkan7]

Great video as always! I do prefer the longer videos as well.He was always in a F-14B though, he never got compressor stalls I think he just got into a flat spin. I don’t think I saw one of the burners go out, they looked like they were both on when he hit the water.

[@samhyman3246]

This is probably a novice question but what makes an aircraft good at the one circle? I know that the two circle is dominated by aircraft with large wings, but what characteristics make an aircraft like the hornet strong in the one circle?

[@thefolder69]

Very generally, two-circle favors turn rate, one-circle favors turn radius. the F-14 can complete a full circle much faster than an A-4, hence wanting to do a two-circle where rate is king. The Skyhawk has a pretty good low speed AOA, with a tighter radius than a Tomcat, so even though it can't complete a circle quickly like the F-14 can, it can somewhat pull into the F-14's turn in a one-circle fight to get its nose on target before the Tomcat can.

[@toyotawitha20mm35]

Usually light planes with more delta styled wings can turn better in a 1 circle , planes like the mig 29, f18, flankers and mirages do so well in the 1 circle because they all have either thrust vectoring nozzles, low weight, and have wing slats. Heavier planes like the F14, and or planes like the F16 that have a high twr can rate very well. Although no plane has a definitive advantage or disadvantage, rate fighting is generally a better characteristic to have but NOT always. Planes like the flanker and mirage can pull such high AOA that they can sometimes completely negate a rate fight, and other light planes like the mig 29 preform very well in a vertical rate fight (wich isn't technically a rate fight) because they are so light and produce a lot of lift despite having less desirable T/W ratios or wide wings.

[@PhycoKrusk]

Excellent example of why fighters (in the US at least) switched to Gatling guns. In the second round during the A-4's first volley, you might have actually hit him if you had a Gatling gun (or if your onboard cannons were timed to fire in sequence, rather than together).

[@mjcandy9153]

The Scoring Judge with the Tomcat Logo for a profile pic scores that as a Maneuver Kill in the 3rd set.

[@whatsyours6424]

That sound at the end of the first round ejecting was brutal man . . .

[@thefoolishhiker3103]

Man that ejection into the ground was brutal

[@JRGProjects]

4:34: Goose - Yee Haw Great balls of fire! Jester's dead! Mav. - we got'm! *Jester faceplants at 300 plus mph* Goose - Holy shit Mav! Jester's dead! Mav - Goose, we get it *looks at the mangled body next to the ejector seat*....uh oh...

[@XimCines]

Merch with your bloopers such as the f-22 un formation or the Harrier missiles' explosion would be a great conversation starter

[@2011SoxMD36]

Gotta say it @13:15 "He's in a flat spin! He's headed out to sea!"

[@CoryDAnimates]

The Tacview of this would look like a rhythm gymnastics routine with the ribbons.

[@sleepy_dobe]

That 3rd round where the F-14 went into a flat spin was so reminiscent of the scene from the original Top Gun movie. Jet starts spinning vertically and two eject just like Maverick and Goose. Except the RIO survived this one.

[@JAEUFM]

For giggles, taking the F22 out of consideration, what are your favorite aircraft to put in head to head fights, your favorite to fly, your favorite to go against?

[@Darth.Fluffy]

The last sound that a fighter pilot EVER wants to hear. "Splat!"

[@docholliday1811]

Great video, awesome to see a dog fight between these two aircraft.

[@gfarrell80]

4:36 don't worry kids, he's just sleeping. Taking a nap in the shade.

[@Kjell777Iverson]

2:57: "Hit the breaks and he'll fly right by"

[@gamingsasquatch3357]

To take the F-14 on in A-4, you must access your inner ‘Murdock’ and fly like a crazed madman and hope your luck out lasts his, on the edge of my seat whole Dogfight, Good Fight

[@AJ_Jones198XAD]

Sees 18 minute video, props up feet. Greatly enjoy watching these.

[@jessicamcdonald2813]

one word.... SPLAT!!!! stuck that landing! amazing 🤣🤣

[@qp4565]

love the longer vids keep up the great work!

[@BWEEOOP]

4:19 Heh heh, GS goes *splat*