F-18 Dogfights Everything in DCS | Thunderbird Fighter Pilot Reacts

[@Aditi27]

All these DCS reactions are great technical lessons for aviators & also it helps to learn so many new things about tactics & aircrafts. The channel is awesome ! 😊❤

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Thanks so much!

[@clayblaze1327]

Yeah 100% there’s just something cool about an actual pilot braking down these fights, hats off to you dude

[@AmbassadorZim]

I watch GS consistently and I'm pretty sure he watches your stuff too. Everything you has "critiqued" in this video, he has been implementing HEAVILY in recent videos, which is awesome to see video games influence real world and vice versa

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

That’s awesome! Thanks for that. I’m excited to get my set up and fly!

[@coreyp9211]

Watching DCS dogfights is fun, but what makes this truly awesome is your real-world experience on top of it. I LOVE hearing what its like to actually fight specific aircraft and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Thank you!

[@sledgehammerk35]

I’ve heard stories where veteran F-14 pilots would actually use manual sweep to disguise their speed and lure an opponent into a low energy state. The Tomcat is indeed a monster.

[@lukeingram7655]

More than just stories, "Okie" Nance said in an interview that it was basically sop to manually reverse his wings going into the merge

[@yuanxinwang8219]

I like the delta wing for 2 reasons, so you are fighting something that out rates you in a turn (you are on their tail but they are about at your 10:00 position), dump you energy and just pull on the stick and point you nose at em, fox-2 and my second reason, you can get an enemy to over shoot by pulling on the stick as hard as you can and use that temporary agility to get a fox-2 or gun kill off oh, and they are neat looking

[@tuskegee87]

Awesome vid. I hope you and Growling do some more collabs. I watch his channel as well and have two different types of combat pilots (real world/virtual) break down BFM engagements is cool (which is the number 1 rule of being fighter pilot). Thanks for the vid.

[@JBSmoke1]

DCS player here, and I follow GS. Great take from a real fighter pilot, Ryan!

[@ItzRetro2019]

I love these DCS reactions! Please do more 😅. And to be fair to sidewinder I’m pretty sure this video was from a while ago, so cut him some slack😂👍

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Thanks!

[@userhasdied2704]

9:55 same energy as "we greened out, which i didn't know you could do. blacked out- woke up in a 7-11- stole a jet flew into the sun" something along the lines of that.

[@johncagnola4896]

wanna let you know that I love your enthusiasm and I'm living my dream vicariously through you !! Being a fighter pilot is the true definition of multi tasking . I find it astonishing how you can be in a dogfight and having to deal with cockpit management and situational awareness all while being shot at ,pulling hard g's , the defensive and offensive maneuvering etc....and still have the wherewithal to accomplish all of your objectives ...mind blowing . Thanks for keeping this country safe and thanks for your service! Love your content. Thanks for sharing !!

[@GreatistheWorld]

Would love to see more DCS dogfight breakdowns, just for this great context And I love delta wings because when I see a Mirage 2K or Gripen, I love how tiny & shrinkwrapped they are and it makes me feel like a child

[@TJTruth]

I'm 40 years old and still to this day fighter pilots are still my biggest hero's. If I was not such a knuckle dragger I would of given all my energy to become a fighter.... Someone has to fight in the trenches though, an its usually us mouth breathers. lol GREAT VIDEO i have been subscribed to Growling Sidewinder for years, an now im a member of the Max AB crew.

[@f22lover34]

I love that u review GS I was subbed to him even before I knew about u so seeing the combo between my two favorite u tubers is awsome

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Awesome thanks!!

[@rvanleersum]

Love that he was using a Canadian CF188 skin on that legacy Hornet.

[@terranhightower341]

Growling Sidewinder's ROE is guns and then Fox 2 for kill shot if needed, but only after bullet impact

[@Ferrislilly]

I love this content. Keep up the great work man. Also how incredibly cool that you were a Thunderbird. I've loved them since childhood. Thank you for your service. Man that video flew by. Patreon extended cuts? :)

[@jakehowe8864]

It would be awesome to see the sweep wing brought back, the tomcat was so awesome.

[@mariokajin]

Watch GS’s flights wit the TomCat when he’s using differential thrust. It’s worth it.

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Doing a reaction to that as well 👍👍

[@BadAtWarThunder2006]

Love these GS reactions man

[@Registered_Simp]

On the topic of DCS, I feel an interesting bit to react to would be "ELI 21" by Adrian Caparzo. It's a representation of a SEAD/DEAD mission in a short, cinematic format.

[@AnhTrieu90]

The time for a victory roll is when you RTB, buzz the tower, then do an aeleron roll while dropping flares.

[@AftermathRV]

5:10 I am a fan of the deltawing because of the Viggen need i say more the viggen was a beautiful plane.

[@ryandugal]

I love that you watch GS too.

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

He’s solid!

[@MrFloppyHare]

This is great! I'd love for this to become a series! Awesome to get an actual fighter pilot's perspective, commentary and tips. (For as far as you're allowed to tell, of course.)

[@frankbizzoco1954]

I cant wait for the F-15E and F-4 to come to DCS. With the F-15, it will bring me back to my Janes days lol. The F-4 was just a legendary aircraft and I am very excited to fly it at a study level. I would assume that the F-15E has fly by wire, but not sure. The platform is however the undisputed heavyweight champion of dogfighting with zero losses. I like the Charlie model a lot, but it is a one trick pony, and not high fidelity. Great debrief of another GS video!

[@PLONG12345]

I have learn so much from this kind of videos and used it in a war thunder match. Potential energy is everything especially against superior aircrafts. There is nothing more satisfying than having more altitude and just Boom and Zoom them.

[@SilasoftheLamb]

Great vid!!! I love the F18 in DCS!!! Been flying it for about 2 years now!

[@calvinhunt2335]

You guys have to do a video together. I'm actually doing shots of vodka as watch this. Lol 😆 Growling Sidewinder is so good, brother. I'd love to see you coach through a situation where he'd normally die. Props to both of you guys.

[@MusicByNemo1]

THESE ARE ADDICTING TO WATCH

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I have only had DCS now for about 7 months. I have to 2 aircraft that came with it, then I purchased the F-16C, then the Huey, then the Apache. So my only real A to A fighter was the Viper. So I naturally became biased. The F-16C was the best at everything. Then I got the F-18C Hornet. At first the change was a shock. Trying to learn a whole new airframe is quite daunting. But now I have had it for a month or so I can honestly say it is one badass fighter. It does everything so well. And the amount of boom boom you can sling under the wing makes the F-16 look like a trainer. The radar system is superior and the ability to land on the carrier opens up so many more scenarios. I love it! I still love my Viper too, but the new toy is getting all the love. Liked and subbed

[@matejko2746]

Great fights. I think this GS BFM setting is that you're only allowed to use fox 2 to finish someone after hitting them with gun i.e. someone trying to limp home. Anyway 10/10. love it mister! will definetely do the roll after splash. Just to clarify, if i'm able to confirm BVR kill visually, should i do it too? will stay tuned. b good sir

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Nice thanks!

[@icecold9511]

Curiosity about HMD. Mover said most don't actively use it, because of weight. But wondering if that was an old school mentality rather than a real assessment.

[@klk1900]

One tactic the F-14 guys used; they would manually sweep the wings back at low speeds to create the illusion they were going fast. Actually several 1v1 fights on the range. F-14s beat the f-18 and others simply manually sweeping the wings at low speeds

[@williamroberts6803]

Nothing better than an f-15 brother. Amazing how long we’ve had them and they’re still a beast.

[@nathannelson463]

I love the commentary! Growling Sidewinder is one of my faves, and it's cool to see what he does right and what he does wrong, coming straight from a true pro. Kudos to both of you, and thanks for the fun content!

[@iheart545x39]

Really like the commentary, more of this, less TikTok clickbait vibe

[@P_Mann]

+1 to see a DCS collab with GS. I’m especially interested in something that gets into the delta between DCS and IRL, such as mistakes the sim could train into high-functioning gamers that would be a bad habit in a plane (besides respawning and face kills, obv.).

[@ylleba]

Almost went to order a new keyboard when i saw the dogs nose on the screen, while having a mouthfull of coffee. :D

[@youMerlinator]

awesome! I would be IN for more of that!

[@ShuRugal]

9:45 - i've heard anecdotes of Tomcat pilots who would inter the merge on speed, but with the wings manually fully swept to fuck with people looking for cues on the wing position. Obviously can't keep them there too long, but it is supposedly a good fakeout for getting the opponent into the wrong gameplan at the opening.

[@vortecmacs]

I can’t imagine a world where a fighter jock says the words, “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings,” seriously. Lol

[@clairecelestin8437]

I loved this video! I watch a lot of GS, so it's a real thrill to see his work reviewed by someone with so much experience. You've earned my sub, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your content and checking out the archives.

[@Dubanx]

It's important to note that a lot of GS's games there are limits on when you can or cannot use fox 2s. Namely that they can only be used to finish a damaged enemy. He does do full fox 2 fights too, but I'm guessing that was the case in this match. So that's why he's not taking some of these fox 2 shots.

[@Kenny-yl9pc]

Man, I love your reaction videos with GS flying in DC! Please do some more of those!

[@LancelotChan]

Thank you very much for the educational comments!!!

[@skatez69]

would really love to see you and GS in a dogfight some day. The flying and the lessons would be out of this world!

[@mdk03]

the "Russians don't practice defensive BFM" has be absolutely dying. Like holy shit they're sending their pilots to just die

[@hawaiianrobot]

an Su-34 crashed into a block of flats in Yeysk (i.e., Russia, their own city!) today, they don't teach them to not collide into things either apparently edit: oh god i got this all wrong, the Su-34 in Yeysk was a few days ago, an Su-30 crashed into a house in Siberia today. Jesus christ

[@warbuzzard7167]

Awesome insights, MaxA.

[@gungriffen]

Growling Sidewinder and Ralfidude are probably the biggest DCS Sim KZbinrs.

[@fooman1188]

Nice review of Growling Sidewinder!

[@Pics2FlicksDennis]

Frequently on DCS, the ROE are you’re not weapons free on missiles until somebody has fired their guns and gotten hits.

[@lukeingram7655]

9:28 So interestingly enough, I recall an interview with a F-14 pilot who said one of his favorite techniques for getting an edge on experienced pilots was to merge manually swept at low speed or extended but at high speed for the exact reason that he is explaining here

[@KTMBOI450]

DCS: Max Afterburner vs Growling Sidewinder

[@mustezdcs6329]

More please ... DCS community needs more videos like this

[@hermannvonsalza9189]

I am a friend of the delta wing because you lose little energy in the curve and can even accelerate further. I think you mean when the fighter angles sharply, he loses energy. That's right, it's not made for that. However, with the IRIS-T you don't have to angle.

[@ricbish]

Nice breakdown of the fights! Enjoyed watching this! So the big question is When are You going to start flying & fighting in DCS instead of breaking down other peoples dogfights? Just asking!! Thanks for making this and sharing!🤙

[@s.anthonyulibarri2488]

I believe in some of these dogfights GS does, missiles are not allowed unless you hit them with guns first or they try to run. Once you hit them with guns, you can finish them off with a missile. If they try to run though, all bets are off and missiles can be used.

[@williamroberts6803]

Brother you should be a stunt double for that guy that played magneto.

[@TexasGreed]

I love delta wings like M2k because its fun to play high risk high reward. Fun to gamble everything on one big nose swing. Nothing more satisfying then when they think theyve got you dead to rights and you push all chips in and win it big. Now in real life Im not so sure I would enjoy that as much lol.

[@mayer492]

Finally! someone actually reacted to GS... you love to see it. please react more to his videos

[@camaradeKC]

i mean mirage 3 delta wing was kinda weak but the mirage 2000 have a big engine to keep some speed even with delta wings

[@samicolgecen1991]

we want to see you fly the F15 or the F16 in DCS and make commentaries as YOU dogfight :) Great video by the way, please keep em coming...

[@Retrograde6]

I recently saw a French air force pilot named Até on GS channel. Maybe there's a chance we get to see two skilled pro air Force vets (and all around great guys) fight in DCS? What a treat that would be for the rest of us! I believe he really likes the Mirage so we get an answer to the delta wing question. Maybe this has already been done in which case point the way to that vid. Great channel...liked and subscribed 🚀

[@rizzlla]

Great, unbiased and informative commentary, excellent work!

[@nighpaw4651]

Idk if you've seen GS's video with a real fighter pilot but if possible it would be amazing to see you and GS in a dogfight

[@SuperCrowHeart]

That's Growling Sidewinder who's a great DCS content creator. He does a lot of dogfight vids and even though he's carrying sidewinders they do gun only fights sometimes.

[@thebatt6183]

The tomcat was so impressive the flanker just got the strategy wrong

[@MarkoDash]

I've been a fan of the F-18 since playing Korea Gold and PSF as a kid, but I've never heard anyone call it sexy.

[@Clouds_2914]

love growling sidewinder. now you have to watch his F-16 vids

[@TheLp640fan]

Typically GS rules are no Fox 2 shots unless you are trying to break away from the fight just to keep it entertaining

[@LewpyDrewpy714]

Great break down on ariel combat. Better then most out there on YT. The last part, flying through a disintegrating plane? Who would do that?

[@cheekclappin96ss22]

What a perfect video to upload and ironic. I was at the Blue Angels airshow yesterday. Love these jets and hearing you're thoughts and opinions. Great video

[@cool_cat007smoove3]

Great video segment

[@Mightymoose02]

Great breakdown and comments 😊

[@chadwarden593]

In a guns only fight delta wings/one circle fighters have a disadvantage for maintaining high rate speeds, however being able to point the nose before a two circle fighter is able, allows for you to have a fox 2 solution before the 2 circle fighter

[@IndyBobcat]

GS: "That's an Iranian F-14..." YT ad, without missing a beat: "AMERICAN BEER COMMERCIAL 🇺🇸🇺🇸🍺🍺" For real though, these are my favorite videos. Very cool to hear what you'd do and how it lines up with what GS does in-game.

[@rayleo9697]

Would be dope to see a breakdown of each variant of the f-16 in all blocks. Which is the strongest?

[@Rockethead293]

Probably the bl.52

[@moshlundgren]

Dude you totally remind me of a combination of Max Payne and Garand Thumb, great vid.

[@lewisshemery2585]

love the commentary and the jokes! You keep making these videos, I'll keep watchin!

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Right on! You got it 👍👍

[@thehistoryexpert82]

I will deny it, the F-14 Tomcat is BY FAR the sexiest jet ever created

[@GMdrivingMOPARguy]

I'm not really a fan of Delta wing fighters but I do have to admit the Dart and Dagger in the old century series fighters are just beautiful aircraft. I got to help repaint an F102 Delta Dagger static display aircraft so that's a fond memory

[@dasch0und]

Im a fan of those because it gives more control at supersonic speeds and you just need a smart pilot to get to a point where you can easily kill the bandit with this insane AOA

[@Firefly1-1]

Not to be that DCS guy BUT you have to watch the F16 vs SU35 dogfight video that Growling Sidewinder posted today... would love to hear your thoughts on how this fight went, as well as how this fight would have gone if it was a Fox-2 fight!

[@Duvstep910]

hi from jamaica; the F-18; ESPECIALLY the rhino; got me into aviation and inspired me to try to be a fighter pilot one day edit if you see this comment: are you excited that the mudhen is coming to DCS soon?

[@Geomanb]

I love the positive vibes and attitude!

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Hey thanks!

[@jeffcleveland2268]

Growling Sidewinder doesn't always say it, but in a lot of the fights he does the rules are guns-only, even when both planes are carrying Fox-2s. Sometimes the rule is Fox-2s are allowed after scoring a gun it, or if the opponent tries to break away. The rules for the fights in his videos also typically don't allow shooting at each other during the approach to the merge, otherwise a lot of the fights would end too quick and be boring to watch.

[@larryhuynh3634]

Love these videos! And the BTS videos of the Thunderbirds

[@lukalekov1530]

Viggen best delta wing ever made,deep strike with good systems in it.

[@tituslaronius]

Also, love the video! Super interesting to get a fighter pilot's view on DCS!

[@Rob_F8F]

Max Afterburner / Growling Sidewinder collab!!!

[@brianwright9514]

Wish you could break down the BVR fights. But understand why you probably can't. The BFM stuff is fun, but the BVR stuff is really interesting.

[@sultanabran1]

this is my first time watching your video. love your style and humour. keep it up! subscribing.

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Awesome! Glad you are here

[@ericlawrence9729]

Great commentary, awesome content, keep up the great work. God Bless.

[@Lambda420]

I’ve been using your analyses on dcs to engage fights differently in War Thunder and lemme tell you brother technique and know how are much more important than just being good at the stick!

[@Ethan_FPV]

Ha! I sorta do the same thing. But what he said about getting in the mind of your enemy, it’s so true. I subconsciously did this before, but you just gotta know where they’re going to be shooting.. and not be there.

[@Lambda420]

@@Ethan_FPV nice. Got any content? I’ll follow!

[@Ethan_FPV]

@@Lambda420 Unfortunately no, I have a single video unlisted on my other channel but I’ve never been one to do content creation. This channel that I’m replying with is just one I used to record and share my accomplishments in Geometry Dash.

[@sisfredermocasilliero7184]

Aviation Jim Carrey, awesome!

[@AADX74]

you should run a few rounds with GrowlingSidewinder. That would be boss level to see. :)

[@georgewright3949]

I don't pretend to understand the mechanics of it but the EuroFighter typhoon looks cool as hell and that's why I like delta wings

[@aiosquadron]

It's the speed. Like that thing goes f a s t. Also excellent one circle performance. You merge with this thing, 60% you're gonna win.

[@richarnold1224]

Every Video Ive seen the difference between civi DCS pilots vs former or actual fighter pilots is the difference in aggression in the way they fly

[@RandomRoger]

Have you ever thought about playing DCS yourself? It's quite fun especially if you play in VR with rudder pedals and a good HOTAS

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

Absolutely!

[@RandomRoger]

@@MaxAfterburnerusa well I hope you do play so I'm going to start making some content! I know people will support the videos! I would love to see you and C.W. Lemoine go head to head and team up since you guys have similar backgrounds in aviation!

[@piercegamer4705]

More DCS stuff!! 😁

[@MaxAfterburnerusa]

For sure! Should have my set up ready in 6 months or so

[@12LoLproductions]

I'm not a delta fan but there are some airframes that look quite beautiful like the F-16XL, I can't stray from the F-15 ever