Rafale C F3-R In War Thunder : A Basic Review

[@BB-st2zz]

Lovely video as usual. No one does content like this and it's very appreciated.

[@valrond]

Indeed. Tim is one of a kind

[@solid_fire9388]

yep, even tho i don’t play WT anyone nor have a PC to play 😅, i still watch his videos

[@MJA-0330]

@@BB-st2zz Tim is definitely one of the few CCs that give you the info you need to know without needing to stretch his videos to the point of boredom.

[@carlomendoza6173]

I agree

[@a_catfish5180]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="187">3:07</a> That was a VERY quick ace, that cannot be denied

[@Wildkakahuette]

in WT we have the rafale C so no carrier operation with it, we'll need to have the rafale M for that, the hook on the C model is only an emergency hook :)

[@TimsVariety]

It still bums me out that it isnt functional - I mean, they gave the F-104s functional tailhooks .... :-\

[@Wildkakahuette]

@@TimsVariety it's gaijin love for france :D but hey, we have the rafale ^^ (and excelent video btw :) )

[@Kroha_Kevin]

@@TimsVariety I tested the hook and it is working, just the animation not.

[@TimsVariety]

@@Kroha_Kevin Didn't work for me in about 10 attempts. Tried several approach methods, no catch.

[@Kroha_Kevin]

@@TimsVariety This is wierd I swear it worked for me. I tried it in a custom battle, with the USS Forrestal.

[@giofigueroa9021]

i see you Tim, casually giving Lore on the Rafale while handing out some expert level spanking with some sweet moves and proper gameplay, love to see it

[@TimsVariety]

This jet fits my personal playstyle incredibly well.

[@Bad_Karma777]

I truly appreciate your eloquence and the effort you put into the video scripts and all the info, i know you probably hear this a lot, but congrats Tim!!

[@pontifsulyvahn]

I'm a big fan of you i've learned alot from you!

[@PaxBritannica34563]

Voice reveal when?

[@volatile5460]

probably my favorite 4th gen for looks alone, it's so hard to resist

[@a_catfish5180]

Does look a bit like a Philips head screwdriver from straight ahead but looks better than the Eurofighter (my heart is with the gripen E however)

[@Navspec]

Despite the fact that I have no desire to research the French tree, its nice to learn some history of the planes, and I hope a view helps out the channel

[@kylebrady969]

There's some gems for those interested in unique aircraft but yeah NOT a stellar air tree

[@WldntULike2Know]

@@kylebrady969 i beg to differ, if you wanna get good at the game you do france. Also you get bragging rights and bitching rights cause gaijin hates france.

[@beauw1454]

​@@kylebrady969 after about 9.7 and above most of the aircraft are pretty nice. Other than that it has a few good planes (mostly being interceptor props) and pretty awful CAS.

[@a_catfish5180]

@@kylebrady969the rule of thumb for France is: anything below rank 7 is a belt sander treadmill

[@kylebrady969]

@@a_catfish5180 I love my VG33 and MD450, so nah lol

[@Taxxxic]

"Mica-EM Hungers" got me lol We hunger for more vids. Thx, Tim!

[@BillyCrabtree-ob6py]

I remember seeing a rafale display at fairford this year. I think it was the best display there.

[@roberth7100]

+1 for the algo. Always love the history lessons at the beginning! Good work as always. Cheers Tim :)

[@Pppupi07]

Amazing video, I absolutely love the Rafale. Just yesterday, I dropped an 8 kill game with it, insane aircraft, and 100% worth the France grind.

[@DrZhark]

What we get in War Thunder is our favourite content creator doing proper reviews

[@floofyy_]

happy to be early to one of these review videos! concise and genuinely interesting, happy i found your channel lmao

[@mortexic4939]

That mirage at the end of the first match totally stole an ace from you! You must have been pissed when you saw that second missile come in at literally the last possible fraction of a second like that!

[@TimsVariety]

"No Comment"

[@SemiLobster]

I wonder if we'll ever get the prototype Rafale A. It would be pretty funny to have a French jet with American F404 engines!

[@MJA-0330]

@@SemiLobster Event Vehicle or a lower BR premium

[@Urssaff]

Maybe as a lower br rafale without fox 3

[@SemiLobster]

@Urssaff Yeah, MICA wasn't developed yet so it would just have R550 Magic 1/2s and Super 530F/Ds.

[@ilejovcevski79]

The Euro fans can string me from a tree for this one, but the Rafale was always my go to 4.5 gen plane! Everything about it just oozes style!!!

[@derbe8647]

As a Euro fan (somewhat, i find the tornado better looking) I forgive you, its really rather close

[@NsK363]

I'm playing SIM only, this is soooo much fun. Such a beast in SIM

[@Lalasfritas]

Would you say the HMD IFF helps a lot?

[@NsK363]

@@Lalasfritas Definitely ! One of the biggest advantage because you can turn off your radar and go full stealth mode with IRST

[@alaricpumani5372]

​@@NsK363I found that the Irst have a really short range, also the Radar....oof it's worst than the m2k5f with the lack of horizontal 😢

[@NsK363]

@@alaricpumani5372 yes true, 19km on scan mode, but it seems to be able to lock around 24/25km in ACM mode. So I usually use it when I'm playing in the mountains to flank the enemy team.

[@alaricpumani5372]

@NsK363 ACm Irst mode!!?? The HMS it you mean? I'll be honest I can't move the radar on console, not enough buttons

[@Samila009]

Tim , iam amazed at the amount of technical words you use to describe a plane .. Love your videos 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😮

[@faceless360]

My absolute favorite plane too !The only sad thing is for the cockpit in vr, the two side MFDs are actually a little far and it’s hard for me to read the RWR :(

[@wanoumars]

Good video, as always - thank you!

[@jimyeetast9335]

Love the review dude 👌🏿

[@Monkey_Spunk]

This is the best thing I ever saw.

[@mcyounglordlauch7012]

Imagine, if gaijin wouldve made the automatic radar mode switch whilst locking a target toggleable, so the irst switching problem wouldnt have even existed in the first place

[@skilz2kil528]

nah imagine if we could actually shoot radar missiles from an IRST lock, have both IRST & radar active at the same time & have radar continue to emit a CW beam momentarily slaved to the IRST if it lost track and auto switched into IR - like irl. Wouldnt have the silly problem with irst tracks cucking radar missiles basically at all.

[@mcyounglordlauch7012]

@skilz2kil528 yes, or that, but that would be further implementation of a new mechanic...

[@brandonbao7097]

I think MICAs are currently the best ARHs in top tier battles because very few people tend to fire FOX3s at ranges beyond 20KMs anyway.

[@thatguynk8044]

The only missile besides the pl12 and deeby which can be defensive and offensive at the same time. It also happens to be the only missile that can reliably be fired at close ranges directly in the notch. IMO the most fun missile in the game

[@RayMears82-s7g]

Good review 👍 <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="132">02:12</a> to <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="140">02:20</a> = all to common an experience trying to get a radar lock at close range. I really hope Gajin fix this.

[@Kyoshi.]

Great Vid ! Btw, both of the cons that you mentioned are fixed IRL with the Meteor ARH AAM and the rip speed is f* up given that on air shows, it often goes at Mach 1.25 at low altitude for the first flyover.

[@Doberman300]

We love the Rafale here

[@MJA-0330]

I fully expect the Hornet and the Super Hornet will be added next year along with the Mitsubishi F2

[@TimsVariety]

I certainly hope so!

[@MJA-0330]

@TimsVariety Are you grinding the Event Tim?

[@TimsVariety]

@@MJA-0330 The current one? Yes, but I will probably have to GE a couple of the stars - holiday plans and such.

[@MJA-0330]

@@TimsVariety Yeah I'm gonna save some of my sanity and just focus on the Ground part.

[@FantasticJay18]

Love the content!

[@geekadeuzan2103]

Hey Tim great review, especially since it's about my favorite plane of all time I have two questions if you don't mind First, did you have to remake this review one or several times as in you started it before it got buffed (from 6 to 8 missiles and other buffs I believe) Second, would you consider the Eurofighter a better plane in the game, and if so why? Great stuff keep it up I'll keep watching everything you post

[@TimsVariety]

I was about halfway done when I saw the notes in the datamines, so I didn't really have to rework the whole thing, just a couple of minor points. As for Rafale Vs EF2000, "it depends". I'd take the EF2000 at BVR, but the Rafale in a dogfight (basically because of the Micas)

[@razvy6949]

Yipee, good stuff!

[@janchovanec8624]

Hi Tim, Good content. One thing to be mindful of is that the right reference to England in this context would be the UK.

[@TimsVariety]

I know. Check the other comment or two about it.

[@janusz4156]

Star of Ace Combat series and flagship fighter of French/PAL vesrison of Ace Combat games (Rafale M). When Rafale B and M in War Thunder? 35 (40) years of Dassault Rafale - Twilight Sparkle of the fighters - in 2026 and 30 years of Ace Combat series in 2025.

[@UnPokemon]

Liberté, Égalité, Renaud Coupé RAAAAAAAAHHH 🇨🇵🐓🇨🇵🐓🇨🇵🐓🇨🇵 Jokes aside, a fantastic review as always. Thanks for your hard work! I still can't believe the Rafale is in WT, it'll take me a while but I can't wait.

[@Aes880]

The version in WT is infact the Rafale F4.1 version as the F-3R dont actually have HMD or GMTI mode

[@lsq7833]

*in service in the French Air Force. An HMD has existed and been on offer for it at Dassault since at least the F2, and India purchased it for their own F3's.

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

Yep a lot of the F4 is already available modifications that are just not standard because the military didn't see it as worth the money ​@@lsq7833

[@derbe8647]

​@@lsq7833it doesnt look like an indian rafale tho

[@AidanMattice]

@@derbe8647yeah they mashed them together so that it had HMD

[@LaughingKrow]

I love these guides. I just wish high tier was actually enjoyable to play. All these new planes are monsters in a dogfight, but almost every player you meet is just another premium main who refuses to merge and dogfight. Seems everyone just spams every missile they have then runs away to their airfield for more. Like, dagnabbit people I wanna actually see how a Strike Eagle merges with a Flanker.

[@TimsVariety]

When I posted my review of the Eurofighter, I made sure to include that 1 on 1 dogfight even though it wasn't a very good segment - its just so fkn rare to actually get 1 on 1s, I had to include it.

[@LaughingKrow]

@@TimsVariety I'll go out of my way to try and bait a merge if I see an opening for an actual 1v1. Like, I'll stay notched until they full commit. And even then, most times they seem to forget they have a gun and will just try for the Fox 2 or 3 even while we're yanking hard within the WEZ. The downsides of everyone skipping all the dogfight BRs I guess. :/

[@TimsVariety]

@@LaughingKrow I generally have ok luck setting up short range engagements (as is probably obvious from the footage I use in vids like this one) but the problem is always that either the other guy, or me, get thirdpartied before one of us can win the 1 on 1.

[@LaughingKrow]

@@TimsVariety Or my personal favorite, you're merged and dancing then an ally farts off a Fox 3 from 10km away and it TKs you right as you're starting to get the angle on the guy. Tis a special bracket, for sure. lol

[@TimsVariety]

@@LaughingKrow All the damned time ....

[@ieMiaSanMia]

Yayy rafale review

[@ccau81]

Correction : the hook of the Rafale *does* work. However, it doesn't extend downwards. But does hook onto the carrier's arrestor cables. The secret here is to pitch the nose high enough for the hook to get close enough to the cables of the carrier. I was able to repeat this multiple times in a custom battle

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

As Germany is currently finding out, doing joint engineering programs with France is a bit of a nightmare. I heard they were demanding to take the engineering lead and the lions share of the workload to prop up their own very vocal industry.

[@МихаилВолков-м1к]

Do you not have a decal link Tim? I want that logo on my plane

[@TimsVariety]

Sadly, I do not. I discussed it in my 2020 recap vid: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHulnGOjjMR2nqssi=aSGjYqVb7FqmBEah&t=598

[@GNOLXOEKIM]

When do you think we’re getting the f18 tim?

[@GNOLXOEKIM]

And great video as always! I know I know unoriginal lol

[@crazeelazee7524]

Probably we'll get an early F-18 as an event vehicle within the next couple patches and "proper" F-18s around summer. Russia, China and Japan have some catching up to do so I don't imagine we'll be moving past the 4.5 gens for a while.

[@grahaldmills5930]

If you look at the RWR there's already f18 in the game

[@TimsVariety]

Not soon enough! We should have had the F-18A back with the first Mig-29 we got, but now it would be "DOA" from powercreep and everyone would complain, so we'll get the F-18C instead. Sigh.

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

I don't understand how, but i don't have automatic siwtching between IRST and radar, in fact i need to use the command wheel because the hotkey also doesn't work. So i don't have the problem or IRST messing up my missiles launches

[@TimsVariety]

It only happens after a target lock. I mentioned it in my radar guide.

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

@TimsVariety it never happens to me ever, in any situation... that's why i don't understand because every content creator talk about this problem, but if don't use the command wheel i won't see the IRST ever in a match

[@TimsVariety]

@@nicolaspeigne1429 Not sure what to say. You can see it happen at 1:30 in the vid (and a few other places) where the radar mode switches on its own a few times when I have a target lock. It was actually a pretty big problem when I was flying the Su-33 and you'll see more of it when that review drops.

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

@TimsVariety i'm not saying it doesn't happen, i'm just saying i'm immune so either my client is broken in some way or there must be an obscure settings i have different from you all

[@TimsVariety]

@@nicolaspeigne1429 Take the blessing while it lasts :-)

[@viktorgavorn4635]

imo quite possibly the most beautiful aircraft to fly.

[@TKS-D]

I'm waiting for an updated JA37D review

[@TimsVariety]

It'll be the "new" DI model, and its on the list.

[@TKS-D]

@@TimsVariety 👍

[@derbe8647]

A quick one for you Terrible RWR in combination with basically gone multipathing, no hmd and bad ir missiles make the plane pretty meh for its br rn, as the matchmaker isnt generous

[@TKS-D]

@@derbe8647 aim9l is not that bad and skyflash is mid/bad also not every plane at 12.0 has hmd (the multipathing is very disturbing though, especially when trying to launch the skyflashes in the ja37c too)

[@Space_Racer]

I just finished spading this. I have never seen it switch sensor modes mid fight. That comes to another topic I have been thinking about, how broken IRST sensors on planes are in WT. Sensor fusion is really lacking in WT. Most of these planes that have IRST+Radar units should be correlating target data and be able to hand off seamlessly. But we're limited to even using one or the other, not both at the same time. I really want Gaijin to make IRST usable at the same time. It would help planes like the Mig-23 and SU-27 too.

[@TimsVariety]

You can see it switch at a few points in the vid, one good example starts right at about 1:30 Agree 100% on how poorly they've (not) implemented sensor fusion.

[@crazeelazee7524]

The Rafale is an excellent plane that's sadly not fit for the current WT meta, atleast with its current kit. In fact, I'd argue its incredible high altitude capabilities are wasted. I really don't understand why Gaijin didn't add a heavily gimped Meteor (basically as a copy-paste AMRAAM), similar to how the Magic 2 was basically an all aspect Magic 1 for about a year or so. It's a real shame that the best BVR/most meta plane in the French tech tree is the Belgian F-16.

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

You can still manage some 40 to 50 km shots when at 10km altitude. We don't need the Meteor, and it doesn't have a place in the game with how small the maps are

[@crazeelazee7524]

@nicolaspeigne1429 That's why I said a heavily gimped Meteor. As for the point about long range Mica shots, sure you can manage to extend its range at high altitude but it doesn't matter since AMRAAM still outperforms it up there. Gaijin very clearly has no intention to fix Mica's range, if they had they would have fixed it by now. So adding a long range option is the only way France can be competitive at BVR.

[@gansior4744]

You would have to gimp it to the level of Phoenix for it to be balanced. If you have to cut every capability off to add a missile, don't add it. Especially since other jets carry Meteor's too

[@Squidkessoku]

If you've ever used mica you would k ow it's basically on the same level as amraam at bvr if not better right now, just look up the ARH time to kill distance chart

[@aleksaradojicic8114]

Rafale did not get Meteor largely because French are not fully on board Meteor train IRL. They did got some, but they are largely focusing on current and newer version of MICA as there main AA missile.

[@SOSASOHOT]

Can we please please get carrier hangers an submarines keep being great

[@Mr.KingTiger]

The hook "works" for carrier landings it visually doesnt deploy but it will catch you landing on a carrier

[@TimsVariety]

I tried about 10 times, zero catches.

[@Wombat343]

🥖

[@Pantsir-S1M]

Can you test the Su-27SM with it new engine?

[@edisontrent5244]

Is it strange this and the eurofighter are out before the F/A-18?

[@TimsVariety]

Very strange.

[@camaradeKC]

irl the rafale is the fighter with the strongest nose autority.

[@TimsVariety]

Classified, but "one of the" without a doubt.

[@abo30.06]

Offtopic, will you have a decal in game?

[@TimsVariety]

Sadly, probably not anytime soon. I discussed it in my end of 2024 recap video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHulnGOjjMR2nqssi=7Ic3GQzlPTECE4Z2&t=598

[@abo30.06]

@ thank you, just saw the video. I don’t know why youtube don’t show your videos on my feed sometimes D: I hope things will improve asap

[@ZLEEP2324]

Can’t wait for the meteors

[@Asspiss100]

Great content Tim, please keep doing you💎

[@dubby7630]

[@GenFalcon]

Finally french jets

[@nikolabulatovic1192]

you think the mig23ml will go on sale in december 2024?

[@TimsVariety]

Wasnt it on sale last month for the anniversary?

[@nikolabulatovic1192]

@TimsVariety indeed it was but I might have missed it

[@mysticaltenderman749]

That explains why micas kill me all the time, 50g max maneuvering?

[@TimsVariety]

If you're within like 3km ... they gonna gitcha ... even up to like 8-10km they're insane. Past that, they start to drop off a bit.

[@DrifterG36]

75k rp away from getting mine. If it's anything like the M2K-5 I'm gonna love it

[@mab2187]

Can we agree to call rocket assisted bombs as "RABO or RABOMB"

[@Barkod381]

Can you please do the f-16a OCU

[@TimsVariety]

I'll get to it eventually.

[@Barkod381]

@ the reason is I got it and I’m very disappointed because if you compare it to the F16AM which is also a F16A modernization the AM is noticeably superior because it has triple more countermeasures even without the pods and also has a targeting pod with thermals and the CAS variety on it just the same as the American F16C. The OCU only has 6x AGM65B and or 4x paveway II matched with targeting pod with no thermals.Totally disappointing

[@Barkod381]

The Thai upgraded these OCU to the MLU so why didn’t we just get the MLU instead like it’s crazy

[@Barkod381]

The OCU historically can’t even carry AMRAAMs, they did this plane completely wrong they should’ve given us the MLU which actually can historically carry AMRAAMs and it would probably get better CAS

[@nikolanojic6861]

Idk how but i never clipped my wings in Rafale so far , just dont go more then 1400 kmh below 1500m , But radar is sooo shit , I can't even get enemies that are in front of me to show up on my radar but RWR shows them , F16, F15 and almost anything else can track me just fine while i can't get em to even show up , and lets not talk about switching targets on the radar its so buggy.

[@Epic_candle]

I feel this review is a little rushed just like the update, I have no idea why you mentioned Rafale M while this is the C version

[@laxmannate07]

Rafale is bae

[@Skinny6539]

how is the rafale’s acceleration just GOOD? its literally one of the best only getting beaten SOMETIMES by the f15e and eurofighter…. like what?

[@TimsVariety]

I either get comments like this, or comments from EF2000 bros saying "lolwut? accel is dogshit, my EF is faster". Hence "good, but not the best".

[@Skinny6539]

fair enough

[@nmcmm8341]

İf gaijin add to game C version first l thing come A version "premium"....

[@Spartan-jg4bf]

Germany and Britain, not England

[@TimsVariety]

I try to force myself to say UK to avoid exactly that error, but it still slips through sometimes. I'm fairly convinced that we Americans are cursed to occasionally get that wrong for all eternity.

[@Spartan-jg4bf]

@TimsVariety I'm from England, BTW, but I know Scots and Welsh will get upset 😅😅

[@TimsVariety]

@@Spartan-jg4bf I used to work with a guy who was Welsh, he got pretty upset when someone would mention his "English accent".

[@genericusername5948]

I know it'll make it completely busted but like where proper Spectra?? plz gaijoob I beg for you to love france

[@janloncaric3621]

rafale should have supercruise

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

England is not Britain.

[@TimsVariety]

I know - see other comment about it.

[@OCS-vr7my]

Tim can you do a review on AI girlfriends?????

[@CoolLink-Zelda]

But AI GFs can't fly a rafale...

[@RienRocks]

A Girlfriend? Is that a plane I haven’t heard of?

[@CoolLink-Zelda]

@@RienRocks It is something like a copilot or something I don't have a girlfriend

[@TimsVariety]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5nPdIuwbZWdnM0

[@TheKaMeLRo]

Rafale gun running out too easily

[@astonbailey-fong1178]

An F-22 pilot’s worst nightmare

[@user-cs3qh1uv5y]

Yeah when the f22 is gimped

[@TimsVariety]

I still remember when the French were bragging about that dogfight "kill" in training, the USAF denied it happened, so the French declassified and released the cockpit/guncam footage. 😂👍

[@TimsVariety]

@@user-cs3qh1uv5y "Its the pilot, not the plane." There are T-38 "kills" on F-22s in training from pilot error by the Raptor driver.

[@user-cs3qh1uv5y]

@@TimsVariety yeah but in the engagement with the Rafale it had droptanks and IIRC had the radar turned off

[@TimsVariety]

@@user-cs3qh1uv5y I couldn't tell from the footage I saw, but take any info with skepticism. It pains me to say it as an American, but the USAF has a history of stretching the truth when it comes to air combat results (simulated or real) against foreign aircraft. (But frankly, so do most air forces, so its not as much of a stain as it could be lol)

[@eduardokarlos1419]

>euro plane >cutting edge designe HA-HA.

[@frostedbutts4340]

>American 'technology' >Lose every war anyway What did they mean by this?

[@patriotic-panda]

Sounds like massive cope that the US isn’t as far ahead as you think

[@eduardokarlos1419]

@@patriotic-panda At the time of mass exploitation of the Su-35 and Su-57, the United States was rather left behind.