Top 5 Air to Air Platforms/Aircraft in DCS.

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This Video was made using the simulator, DCS, or Digital Combat Simulator and is one of the premier Flight Combat Simulators available on the market today. Always expanding and getting better and adding new modules and terrains/maps for everyone to enjoy, not to mention no shortage of sales so you can pick up planes for very cheap from time to time. Defiantly worth checking out some of the best modules in the game, from the F-16 Viper to the F-18 Hornet The F-14 Tomcat, to the Mirage the JF-17 Thunder all the way back to world war 2 planes and even Korean war Mig-15s and F-86 Sabres. All around one of the greatest Flight Simulator experiences around.
In this Video I bring you my top 5 choices for best Air to Air aircraft in DCS, if you're looking for a module to purchase and not sure which ones is best for you, this video will be very helpful in helping you decide I Hope. Let me know if you agree with these choice and how you would rank your Best Air to Air platforms or aircraft in DCS.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Hey guys, these are my Top 5 choices for best Air to Air aircraft in DCS, let me know if you agree, or if you would change anything around. Thanks very much for your support with the channel and remember to use "GrowlingSidewinder" at checkout in the DCS store to get 10% off your order.

[@Lycky7even]

Personally, I've had most luck in the MiG29. Even though it can get pounded into oblivion in most servers, I still think it is one the most charming aircraft in DCS.

[@sgtrpcommand3778]

Hey you forgot to mention the A-10 with it's A/A JDAMs! Jokes aside though, you literally listed all of the aircraft (except the Jeff) as I bought them XD and I think I agree with you on all of them. They're all powerful in their own ways, but also have very definite weaknesses, especially against others on this list.

[@graves0922]

J11 and F15 would be close. The J11's R77's aren't as good as the AIM-120s but it does have datalink and the helmet-mounted sight for the R73's - both of which the F15 lacks.

[@thebrain7441]

Growling Sidewinder My ratings are similar to yours except I swap a few things around. These are all based on my experience in PVP combat, mostly BVR. 1. F-14B (Routinely scoring 50nm plus kills with the Aim-54. The other day, scored an 80nm kill. Under the right conditions, Aim-54A Mk60 can reach speeds of over Mach 6 (As seen in Tac View). Lack of DL information can easily be addressed by routine awacs communication and proper Jester management, or a good human rio. It’s high speed capability along with excellent fuel capacity allows it to catch or outrun threats with relative ease.) 2. F-16 Bl 50 (Has Superior Situational awareness with FCR and DL. Routinely scoring 30nm plus kills with lofting AMRAAM. Like the F-14, it’s speed allows it to outrun pretty much any other aircraft. It’s biggest handicaps are, it’s low supply of fuel, and the lack of air to air weaponry it can carry at once.) 3. Jf-17 (Has good situational awareness with air to air radar and data link. The Sd-10 it carries appears to dominate over the AMRAAM in almost all aspects, particularly top speed and gliding distance (I do not agree with this but oh well.) Routinely score 30nm plus kills. It’s three biggest handicaps are, it’s poor speed when fully loaded, it’s lack of fuel, and lack of air to air weaponry it can carry at once.) 4. F-18 Lot 20 (Possesses Superior situational awareness with Air to Air Radar and Data Link. Once AMRAAM guidance is fixed for the hornet, 30nm plus kills expected routinely like the f-16. It’s biggest drawback, speed. Most aircraft can achieve much greater top speed than the Hornet thus making it very difficult for the it to outrun or catch threats.) 5. F-15C (Quite the opposite of the Hornet, the F-15 is a speed demon. Not even the F-14 or F-16 has a chance to catch this thing when the burners are on. It’s high speed capability along with excellent fuel capacity gives it a superior advantage in BVR combat as it can climb up to very high altitudes while maintaining supersonic speed to launch its missiles. Unfortunately, it’s complete lack of a data link along with a relatively poor radar puts this aircraft into the number five spot as valuable information on targets can often be missed. On a side note, when the Razabam F-15E releases, I expect it to jump to at least the number two spot if not number one. For the F-15E is supposedly even faster than the F-15C but most of all, it will have a data link.)

[@mpananas1uss170]

You could make series like this about best ground attack aircrafts and payloads

[@abuhajaar7885]

Growling sidewinder talking about the f14 being the best turning fighter in DCS. Me, an intellectual: Laughs in Spitfire

[@ThePTBRULES]

Me, a honorable pilot, laughs in A6M2. Until I'm out of cannon rounds.

[@sloppy-1-1]

Na, let me show you the glorious I-16 my comrade

[@XTZGui250]

Hold my I 153...

[@nabilbudiman271]

@@ThePTBRULES I remember there's a conspiracy theory, that in 1941 two Zeros was shot down by a US fighter jet aircraft in Pearl Harbor sea, and one of them apparently shot down by a missile

[@abuhajaar7885]

Ah you fools. The best turn fighter ever invented was the b-29 super fortress!

[@timsullivan4566]

You're right about the Tomcat - not everyone wants to fly one, almost no-one is happy to come up against one.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Well said

[@lopaka79]

And skip the chance of flying rubber dog shyt outta hongkong?

[@alje311]

@@lopaka79 you would get a lot more money flying the hong kong gig in an old 747 vs being a Naval Aviator in a Tomcat lol

[@thebrain7441]

Tim Sullivan If you see a Tomcat on the RWR your best bet is to go home

[@aktionballspende]

@@thebrain7441 if u see a tomcat on the rwr, u can pray that ut rwr is broken

[@skyscall]

F-16: _flies slightly too low_ Ka-52: *your free trial of existence has ended*

[@kshitijthapa2205]

lmaooo

[@septic7301]

lol

[@Mohab7274]

*Expired*

[@ryz_vik]

so true literally any plane: flies TOO CLOSE to a Ka-52 the Ka-52: *I'll introduce you to gravity*

[@saltyfloridaman7163]

@@ryz_vik so will an apache. Gunships are too OP. Pls nerf

[@gliderfs621]

F-16's visibility allowed by the canopy is just insane.

[@spoozy666]

wait does it even have a canopy?

[@the80386]

@@spoozy666 it has open air experience

[@AmericanDesertEagle]

80386 LMAO

[@spoozy666]

80386 like a WW1 plane

[@hudsonr.218]

@T. Tanev I bought one on amazon 10/10 would recommend it. Higher top speed than the hornet but it carries less amraams, but you have to make tradeoffs. All around the best aircraft if you have a budget of $15 million.

[@DudemeisterNL]

I'm a simple guy. I see F14's in a thumbnail, I press like

[@markotdz9523]

I'm a simple guy, I see F14's thumbnail has been liked by a simple guy, I press like to the like :)

[@DudemeisterNL]

@@markotdz9523 Haha I laughed at that. Thanks mate

[@markeldamgaard]

Its actually been proven true if you know what your doing.

[@DudemeisterNL]

@@alphapicturesentertainment Lmao, it's okay my guy. I watched the whole vid.

[@mauricemotors8207]

My uncle was on the Nimitz when the Tomcat was in service still 😁

[@TheKenji2221]

Honorable mentions: Mirage 2000: Deadly in dogfight. Still holds up in Fox 1 / Fox 2 fights MiG 29: Good overall, but not as much as the others mentionned. It has a helmet sight tho.

[@alternosfericul6058]

Um,I never played DCS,but shouldn't the su 27 flanker be among these?

[@captainhepp1980]

@@alternosfericul6058 Most Russian Su-27s aren't Fox-3 capable, so the same is true in DCS. To compensate, they introduced a Chinese copy that is, but missile range is very limited compared to the AIM-120C that most of these other planes run. Otherwise, yes. Su-27, MiG-29 (the S is also fox-3 capable), and Mirage 2000 are all deadly in a dogfight.

[@eltorrente1021]

Mig29 gets wrecked in PvP though - at least in Growling Sidewinder's server. They have to sneak up on planes to be successful. Mirage has a rough time on there, too - but it seems to do better than the mig29.

[@nomad13371]

mig is dead in pvp servers because it has no datalink

[@lucasZr113]

@@captainhepp1980 noob here, when you say fox 3 and 2 you mean missiles right? Like what's the difference between them?

[@nicksiegfried4906]

The F-15C needs a high-fidelity rework. Kinda sad to see arguably the most successful US fighter in the last half decade not get the love it deserves

[@TheCol111]

1. Its an FC3 module so it's meant to be accessible 2. RAZBAM (i think) are working on a high fidelity Strike Eagle so no point

[@ChronicDreamer]

@@TheCol111 RAZBAM is working on a HF F15. If you go to their website and click the F15E strike eagle project, you can see their development milestones

[@Goreuncle]

High fidelity eagle would be nice... but I'd kill for high fidelity fulcrum (modern variant)

[@ScrubIord]

@@Goreuncle Mig-29K would be a great addition, a carrier variant would make a great counter to the f-18.

[@spinosarcadegaming4538]

It's been successful primarily because it got the chances that the Tomcat never had. The Tomcat got more screen time, but the F-15 got more combat. The USN never actually used the Tomcat to its full A2A potential, since they primarily used the AIM-7 instead of the AIM-54 when the Tomcat did get a chance to fire in anger. I expect that had it been given the same chance the F-15 had, particularly in the Gulf War and if Israel had bought it, then the Tomcat would have combat scores that rival the F-15 today. Unfortunately that only happened in Iran, where the numbers are disputed, but the Iranian scores would probably have more than carried over to the US Tomcats given the better pilot training and maintenance, along with AWACS support that US jets enjoy.

[@uglyigor3055]

I can't even explain how helpful a real overview about those modules is for me as a starter. Everyone always says whatsever you like and want to fly. But I think most beginners don't even know that yet. So a general overview is very much appreciated. It doesn't even need to be too much in details. Because as said most beginners don't understand all of that. But a general overview about the modules and what you can and can't do with them is soo helpful for me. Thanks alot.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

my pleasure glad you found it useful/helpful.

[@rebelbase3006]

I totally agree with you on that sir. Being said I will start off with the f18c module. And purchase the f18 throttle, flight stick , and combat/landing modules.

[@MrMDanny]

Bro why u be ugly though? Everyone's beautiful

[@Elthenar]

It's going to be an interesting day when they put the F-15EX in here. Laughs in 22 AMRAAMs.

[@ryz_vik]

fuckin missile depot lmfao

[@Quentor33]

Mirage 2000C left the chat Mirage 2000-5 wants to join ...

[@RedSky1895]

This is how I feel about DCS right now.

[@VisibilityFoggy]

Rafale lurking...

[@Takarde]

MICA > all ^^

[@thomasbessis2809]

@@Takarde idk man, I think we'll be a bit dissapointed by the range. Although the maneuverability will be nice

[@nbn461]

@@thomasbessis2809 i still think a High Fidelity F4E or EJ Phantom would be a great addition with the current lineup.

[@thecolter]

"The AIM-54's other notable strengths are its ability to immediately track without TWS support along with tracking through mountains and other terrain. An amazing feat for a 1970's era missle."

[@jemarcatubig3171]

In DCS atleast... We didnt get to see it in realife sadly

[@Erv704]

Yes sir!!

[@JETZcorp]

Meh. It's so easy to notch though.

[@joachimsinzobahamvya455]

@@jemarcatubig3171 Iran did::

[@nbn461]

@@jemarcatubig3171 Iran were actually really successful with the 54s, one pilot had a 80% hit rate with it and out of a dozen or so adversaries he had downed 8 were done by Phoenixes.

[@NefariousKoel]

Remember: The Jeff didn't kill himself.

[@tadficuscactus]

The media just didn't cover that story. I can't understand why.

[@breeze9076]

im conused can you explain

[@nbn461]

@@breeze9076 i'd like to but i'll just get shot down again.

[@areallybigdwarf4560]

remember : jeff is not dead, prison and capital punishment is for you, not for them.

[@breeze9076]

@@areallybigdwarf4560 I'm confused what you guys are talking about

[@fjn20]

I have been following your videos for quite a while and I have found you fair in every contest pushing the limits of platform you operate and moreover you have gained a lot of knowledge. Great work as always!!!

[@theaceofspades485]

Got to #2 spot and was like fkkk the F-16 didn't make the cut. Growling Sidewinder: *Coming in at #1*

[@ex-muslimraj8652]

I think, personally, Su27 or Su30 Deserved that spot...

[@AR-rf9hc]

I was not expecting to see our jf17 altogether,but when u mentioned it on no2 i was just amazed

[@weasle2904]

its just a game

[@barnstormer546]

@@weasle2904 That's not to say that DCS is an entirely inaccurate depiction of aircraft capability.

[@bush_wookie_9606]

F14 should be number 1 simply because it's the sexiest plane ever made

[@yes-rq4dg]

Fact

[@user-xo5zh9xb5b]

Bush_wookie_960 ## #words

[@vczs]

Fact? I don't know. Surely it's one of the best but Phantom has a special place in my heart to be honest.

[@joseywales898]

F22 ......Is the bad boy in looks.

[@Not_Noodl]

What about the Su-25? Thats a amazing Aircraft

[@Eduzumaki]

I never played DCS but I really enjoy watching your videos, please keep up with the amazing work.

[@tippuhassan70]

Interesting to note that the top 2 fighters F16 and JF17s were both designed by including fighter pilots in the design of the planes. This is why they fly so well and are so formidable.

[@bossprime5798]

Wym?

[@ghandiosa]

@@bossprime5798 F-16 and JF-17 were designed by fighter pilots, which is why they perform so well

[@KLRGT500KR]

F-14B was developed in the mid 80s(which is really an F-14A with 60,000 lbsf of thrust) and the last iteration of F-14 was the F-14D Super Tomcat in 1993. It is the only one here that stopped being developed in early 90s and it is still one of the top 3 best one's. The airframe was so ahead of its time. Imagine what F-14 would have been today with more modern avionics, even better radar and with the most modern technology like HMCS and new missiles and with new version of the GE-110 engine. It would have been simply unbeatable.

[@MrZockerfreak11]

The DCS one is just bugged to hell and has magically tracking missiles. If it was not for its bugs, it would be pretty low tier in a 2000s environment for a few reasons: - AIM-54 slow acceleration makes it sl that you can not reliably win a 1v1 engagement and need tactics to kill people, however F-14 is missing tools like a good IRST or fast accelerating missiles like the flanker. - Old radar and massive workload. If you ever combine any fighter into a flight with the DCS F-14, you will find it to be hell on earth to coordinate and push with it. It just takes a lot of time to gain SA and can not keep up with the decisionmaking pace of other fighters. On top of that TWS tracks and thus long AIM-54 are easily trashed without any hard defense, the bugged DCS missiles aside. - Very low sortie rate and needs a lot of room to reset. Not good for quick scrambles against very close bandits to an airfield due to issues stated above. In an 80s environment with only semi active and slower missiles like R-24R around its excellent. In a 90s environment with AIM-120B, R-27ER, and soviet SPO-15 RWR that cant reliably differentiate between 14 and other teen fighters its also still pretty good. But after that since it never got the AIM-120 and was not designed with modern 4th gen combat in mind its weaknesses start to show. In an unrestricted environment its only top tier in his list due to the bugs that he mentioned.

[@MrZockerfreak11]

Whiskey's Gaming Lounge AIM-7 has less speed than any active or other semi active missile a 1990s opponent would use. Only within one mile or so is the aim-7 even more maneuverable and reaches the opponent slightly faster (than phoenix, not amraam or R-27!), but youre almost gunning him at that point. With the fixes, the bandit would just make a 4 second 90 degree turn, fly that for a short time, and immedeatly turn back in, while staying high, trashing your missile either by breaking your supporting lock with ECM or notching. The phoenix will go to last known and miss.

[@jeffcrowell3457]

@@Whiskey11Gaming AIM-54 had 2 modes in real--long-range, and dogfight. Normal mode, at launch it pitches up, climbs to 100k feet and runs out to the target at mach 5, then dives coasting in terminal mode. Intercept phase occurs after motor burnout, so no smoke plume to help bad guy dodge. Not super high energy, but you can't dodge what you can't see, and it only goes active inside 5 miles. RWRs only give you bearing, not elevation... Dogfight mode, it comes off the rail active and you have an instant 1000-pound wingman. Bad Guy has to fight the missile while you maneuver to kill him.

[@gosajd1736]

ST21

[@scottrothe4024]

Great timing on the video. Just got a HOTAS and jumped in! I am going to try and polish up and get to your level! Love the videos my good sir

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

glad you joined us man, welcome aboard.

[@tflashtube]

I find it incredible how DCS allows you to "feel" the difference between these aircraft. You immediately get the athletic, brutal nature of the F-16 and you know that it will make your day!

[@burningpotato9447]

Can you do a Air to Ground version of this?

[@isaquesevero4369]

up

[@isaquesevero4369]

in CAS there´s no one that do it better than the A-10 , but all around i dunno , maybe the hornet or the viper.

[@AfroAviator626]

Sure A10 A10 A10 A10

[@RedPanda-mu1qy]

A-10 F-18 JF-17 Su-25T AJS-37

[@lucascorrea7386]

@@RedPanda-mu1qy i think jf17 is better than f18

[@ianboys1000]

The Su-27 has datalink (often missed!), a HMS, decent fuel and the R-73 is capable of HOBS. Very surprised it wasn't included. Also with R-27ET and R-73 has killer capability of target locks and shots without radar, leading to a lot of stealthy kills by planes that never see you coming.

[@philsun3706]

First,the data link on flanker is worse than the datalink on board jf and f16/f18. Besides, the rwr system is far worse than jf and f16/18. In addition, r27 are fox 1 missiles, and can't match fox 3 missiles. If you bring j11a to the discussion, r77 can't match sd10, and 120c not even mention aim54. They dIdn't even put a count down when you fire an r77, you need to guess if the missile has turned on its own radar. Other fighters can all do tws track and engage 2 even 4 or 6 targets simultaneously, while flankers can only perform stt lock, and fire fox1. R27et dont need radar, yes, but irst doesnt have the long searching range comparing with radars. Besides, r27et has a big smoke, if you pay attention you probly gonna see it. Although r 27et can perform stealthy kilss, but it is still too dangerous. I used ld10 to kill 2 f18 last week, but that was pure luck and too dangerous. in dog fight, r73 is a big advantage, but f16/18 has aim9x. Besides, flanker has lesser power/weight ratio comparing mig29s. So in dog fight, mig 29 is a better choice.

[@Cocokingable1]

Flanker is SEVERELY outclassed by not having any Fox 3 capabilities in air to air combat, most likely why it was not included in this list. We need the upgraded western aircraft in DCS to make combat more fun again, the AMRAAM update made it a cake walk to down enemy fighters, yet theyre still stuck with SARHs.

[@namename8207]

@@philsun3706 yeah yeah salty westerner. The f14 starts shaking uncontrollably from a 30° turn. Also the flankers manoeuvrability outmatches any other plane in dcs so it should have absolutely made the list

[@FallenPhoenix86]

@@namename8207 Fancy footwork on the dance-floor doesn't help much if your already dead at the door.

[@alexhebert2948]

"The AIM-54's other notable strengths are its ability to immediately track without TWS support along with tracking through mountains and other terrain. An amazing feat for a 1970's era missle."

[@spacemanfla]

The F-18C is notorious for having very short legs. Carrying 10 AMRAAMs it would have to fly formation with a tanker, EVERYWHERE.

[@flighttherapybullisticfpv133]

I frickin love the Jeff... I wish there was more organized squadrons flying them :(

[@gijoe775th6]

Damn GS this top 5 is pro,good job providing information for anyone wanting to get into DCS.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Thanks man glad you liked it

[@Erv704]

Thanks for sharing. I've purchased the F-16 and I havent even took it out of the box yet. I will definitely check it out

[@PilotPhotog]

Love these top 5 videos and agree with your choices, you've made some killer videos showing the capabilities of all these airplanes. I learn something new each time I watch one of your videos. Keep up the great work man!

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

thanks very much brother much appreciated.

[@FD1CE]

Thank you. Wonderful and coherent explanation and exposition as always. I suppose F-15 Strike Eagle will get Rank1 as it has compensated whatever you counted as disadvantage for Eagle. Also waiting for Rafale, Typhoon, and Super Hornets :)

[@AnimarchyHistory]

I’d say the Tomcat is superior to all other fighters at the moment purely for its standoff capability. It can engage first and if you use the AIM-54A 60. The missile you fire hits second stage at 20 miles. If you shoot that in ACM mode. You have a missile you can’t outrun. Only out turn. And even then you have to be really on the ball for that. And of course if you merge. The turning capability of the Tomcat is out of this world.

[@anastasiosanastasopoulos5736]

Love the musical accompaniment. It makes your channel that much more enjoyable.

[@nicolassinclair3377]

Absolutely fantastic Growling sidewinder. 💯Love this video and it helps so much man 💯💯✈️

[@ErikScott128]

The F-16 has a pretty limited A2A payload. Surprised that wasn't mentioned. The F-15 has a datalink in real life. That really should be implemented in DCS, even on a low fidelity module.

[@joshstanton267]

F-15 needs a birthday for sure. We have a f-15 from like 1994 😑

[@onyx.95]

@@joshstanton267 the F-15E is still under development by razbam

[@n.w.1803]

As well as the JHMCS...at least some of them do.

[@CHRISXTR3M3GAMING]

Thank you for acknowledging the Jeff as one of the top dogs in the fight in DCS

[@mariomendes1982]

Great selection! Congratilations.

[@MrSly870]

Good video bud, come along way! Thanks for this one.

[@fearthesmeag]

Until recently, with the free 1 month from ED, my hours were mostly spent in the Hornet (130hrs), until I jumped into the Viper - I've sort of forgotten about the Hornet now, however, I still enjoy aircraft carrier missions with it.

[@kurumi394]

>looking to buy the Su-33 >sees this video >goes back to playing KSP and WT

[@FookFish]

why though? you dont need to have the best to fun

[@dong9224]

I got the supercarrier (comes with the SU-33) and the SU-33 is amazing. Massive payload of fuel and weapons and really nimble in a fight. Lacking in the RWR and extreme long range BVR but radar has excellent field of view and skews a lot. Its low fidelity so realism is not as great but its a cheaper module, swings and roundabouts. Also SU-33 has air to air refuelling and fly by wire can be turned off (Cobra)

[@xepa273]

you can really learn a lot from the free su25t and tf-51. honestly pretty fun modules to have for free. i like messing around in the aerobatics online server in the tf51 and if you want i'd be happy to hop on and show you how to start it and fly.

[@jamiegrant6204]

@@dong9224 supermanouverable too. Can't wait to try it

[@StrikingRock633]

I just bought the SU-33 hehe

[@aoao3563]

I want to start. Learning basic Stuffs but just seeing Your videos ... is subscribe to your Chanel. Great Work. Thumbs up from Chile.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Thank you and welcome to the channel

[@kenhelmers2603]

Thanks GS! Luv the list :)

[@MongooseTacticool]

I'm always wishing Jeff had 2 more SD10s on the wing tips! The 23mm cannon will blow up most things, *if* you can hit it, but its designed for A/G.

[@ControlledPairsGaming]

Top 5s are a dangerous game, bro! Well done :)

[@Hayato1105]

Very nice top 5, well explained.

[@avramnovorra]

Can't wait to get my own rig and check these babies out

[@rickmasseur2008]

GS, great vid! Something I can meditate to!!

[@sigis72]

I knew I haven't made a mistake by getting the Viper. Feels good to have ones purchase decision reinforced by Growling Sidewinder

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

about to drop another video showing why the F-16 is king of BVR

[@callumwearne7870]

This was great.. Seeing nothing but the best birds in the list and rightfully so!

[@moizmughal5363]

really glad and astoniahed jeff got approved after rigourious torture and test to its shattering capacity from you best wishes from pakistan

[@TheDJRen.]

I would have done the same except I would of put the SU-33 and MIG-29 in honourable mentions. Also u are my inspiration. Thanks for all the effort u put in these videos.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

my pleasure man, thank you for watching and supporting the channel.

[@alje311]

Viper's leg aren't as short as the JF-17's. I love the jeff because we finally have a modern full glass fighter but the range is something to be desired especially if you are one of those who simply can't grasp air to air fueling.

[@FookFish]

well, EF2000 on the way

[@LIE4ME]

2:08 Jack of all trades Love your channel. Keep up the good work.

[@leeludlowart237]

The beautiful tomcat. Love to watch tomcat videos on KZbin and of course all of your videos. Another masterpiece my friend. 👍

[@alimaleki9051]

Hi, recommended to you watch Iran tomcat flight against Iraq. Or a book by tom cooper called Tomcat's dogfights Iran Iraq wars

[@Parabueto]

I'm wondering if the F-18 might move up to number 2 with the datalink updates. Visually seeing everything in the HMD is insane. Ofc the F16 will get it eventually too.

[@lowtech5380]

The Viper is sick. Good call for #1

[@joshstanton267]

I was actually putting it as my number 1, just out of obsession, and was shocked to see it's GS's #1 too 😁 ❤️

[@drcruelty]

FYI, the 4 or fewer Phoenix limit in actual service was a budget thing mostly. It could take off with 6, but it would be above max landing weight to bring them back. They would have to dump them, and at $750k- $1m per missile, no one is doing that unless there is an almost certain chance they would be used. That would destroy the stockpile AND the budget very quickly. They COULD bring back 4, so 4 or less is what they would carry. This is why you often would see fuel dumps approaching the carrier. But you can only dump so much. Same thing with bombs easily visible during the Iraq war. Early on, they regularly carried at or near max load of bombs. But late in the war you would often see them taking off with only 2. No sense in wasting extra fuel and airframe stress for weapons you'd end up dropping in the gulf on the way home anyway.

[@javierrflores]

Great informative video!

[@markotdz9523]

Thank you for your work. Did you considered defensive side, e.g. F14 has big radar and visual section and not to many caunrameasures, jf17 has low caunrameasures but has heat seaking warning system and so on... I guess it would still be the same 5 but possibly some would change position...

[@shipmate3577]

When I was in an F/A-18C squadron, pilots would tell me the F-16 was their most difficult jet to 1v1. This was back in 2003-05.

[@paulf1389]

I'm surprised you put the Tomcat where you did, but that's just me. Great video GS

[@ghosttraintittiebeaan4879]

i normally hate transitions but these numbers are quite nice

[@paulbrooks4395]

I would definitely say that the F-15’s fuel carrying capability and ability to fly very high with 3 bags allows for incredible overwatch and CAP roles. It’s RWR is arguably the best in DCS and a pilot familiar with radar sources can use it for additional SA. Its TWS is also the best in the game. The Viper is more limited due its missile capacity than I think is often emphasized. It’s definitely a plane that relies on wingmen to deliver air dominance against a numerically superior enemy. When an enemy ditches an AMRAAM in a 4x2 loadout, it stings badly, relative to an Eagle. This compounds as the number of enemies increases. I think the Tomcat should be #2 because of its range, time on station, TWS, and ability to strike multiple foes in a way that gives them practically no time to escape. From a purely strategic perspective, being able to shoot first (multiple times even), long before an opponent can even hit weapon Rmax is a serious advantage to get an enemy defensive. A defensive foe is often one that can’t shoot back, creating a situation where the attacker can engage without worrying about ever being hurt. The Hornet definitely is in the right spot. Being able to overwhelm with missiles is great, but relies heavily on F-pole maneuvering to get in range against faster opponents. SA is really the strongest point of the Hornet, with its large MFDs providing a great picture. I would also argue that it’s probably the best for people new to DCS, as it’s very forgiving and has the most logical system layout and user interface experience.

[@DemonLordGamingAC0]

And don't forget that when it comes to dogfights the F-15 is definitely no slouch eighter... I even think it's op for how easy it can pick up targets and how much visibility it has

[@thebrain7441]

The F-15E Strike Eagle, I strongly suspect, will be the most capable and lethal air to air platform in all of DCS.

[@missionforward1774]

The USAF actually ran a successful DEW test with the F-15 which was selected because of its ability to fly at very high altitudes. The DEW package successfully shot down a satellite from around 35K ft. I'm setting up my sim room... I have lofty ambitions so it'll be awhile before complete. But I'm glad to hear that the FA-18 is a good beginner's plane because I bought the HOTAS stick. I have the A10 stick too but saw that it can be converted to an F-14 stick which interests me a lot. I also heard somewhere that there are A-6 plans in the works... Hope that's true.

[@nbn461]

I only do A2A in Viggens cause i think im a bit of a masochists, and i like to torture myself but getting kills in Viggens brings me so much satisfaction knowing im almost always inferior to any fighters i come up against.

[@stevelikesrhino]

M

[@camdenmiller7369]

They call Me JEFF Dude im the same, I mean it is in its purpose an Air Defense fighter. It was meant to defend the Swedish airspace, but most of its capabilities are pointed at the ground. Which makes it sooo fun to murder a F14.

[@nbn461]

@@camdenmiller7369 just wished they included the JA37D variant into the module so we could get AMRAAMs and some BVR capabilities. But hey the AIM9s and the AGM 65s especially (seing it track on the tv and hitting air targets with it gives me warm feelings inside) is adequate for what i want to do with it.

[@sloppy-1-1]

In my experience on the cold war server, the viggen is superior to the migs, because it has the best missiles there and a very good instantaneous turn rate, so you can get a fox 2 of very quickly after the merge. And the stage 3 afterburner, the very high speed on the deck means that the r60 of the mig21 will have a hard time catching you. Who need countermeasure if you have the RM8A lol

[@josselin9301]

@@sloppy-1-1 What a bunch of Viggen fans here ! I'm in ! I love the Viggen

[@chris-vj5wu]

You definitely do your homework.great video👍👍

[@FreeFragUK]

I keep looking at the F-14 and F-16 as a potential next purchase. I'd go for the F-18 but there's just something about it that's put me off, perhaps all those who have told me it's a "must buy". I guess it'll fall down to weighing up the likelihood of doing carrier ops, admittedly something that seems unlikely at the moment. I tend to prefer A2G at the moment but I could do with improving my A2A. Thank you for the overview, it's greatly appreciated and it definitely gives food for thought. Especially given the, arguably, multirole nature of the 18 and 16.

[@thebrain7441]

My ratings are similar except I swap a few things around. These are all based on my experience in PVP combat, mostly BVR. 1. F-14B (Routinely scoring 50nm plus kills with the Aim-54. The other day, scored an 80nm kill. Under the right conditions, Aim-54A Mk60 can reach speeds of over Mach 6 (As seen in Tac View). Lack of DL information can easily be addressed by routine awacs communication and proper Jester management, or a good human rio. It’s high speed capability along with excellent fuel capacity allows it to catch or outrun threats with relative ease.) 2. F-16 Bl 50 (Has Superior Situational awareness with FCR and DL. Routinely scoring 30nm plus kills with lofting AMRAAM. Like the F-14, it’s speed allows it to outrun pretty much any other aircraft. It’s biggest handicaps are, it’s low supply of fuel, and the lack of air to air weaponry it can carry at once.) 3. Jf-17 (Has good situational awareness with air to air radar and data link. The Sd-10 it carries appears to dominate over the AMRAAM in almost all aspects, particularly top speed and gliding distance (I do not agree with this but oh well.) Routinely score 30nm plus kills. It’s three biggest handicaps are, it’s poor speed when fully loaded, it’s lack of fuel, and lack of air to air weaponry it can carry at once.) 4. F-18 Lot 20 (Possesses Superior situational awareness with Air to Air Radar and Data Link. Once AMRAAM guidance is fixed for the hornet, 30nm plus kills expected routinely like the f-16. It’s biggest drawback, speed. Most aircraft can achieve much greater top speed than the Hornet thus making it very difficult for the it to outrun or catch threats.) 5. F-15C (Quite the opposite of the Hornet, the F-15 is a speed demon. Not even the F-14 or F-16 has a chance to catch this thing when the burners are on. It’s high speed capability along with excellent fuel capacity gives it a superior advantage in BVR combat as it can climb up to very high altitudes while maintaining supersonic speed to launch its missiles. Unfortunately, it’s complete lack of a data link along with a relatively poor radar puts this aircraft into the number five spot as valuable information on targets can often be missed. On a side note, when the Razabam F-15E releases, I expect it to jump to at least the number two spot if not number one. For the F-15E is supposedly even faster than the F-15C but most of all, it will have a data link.)

[@namja01]

Structurally the F-15E is a bit heavier when comparing empty weights (about 2,700 lbs) and the equipped -229 engines rate 29,160 lbs of thrust vs the -100 and -220 variants 23,900 lbs. But operationally the F-15E is almost always employed with Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) and with bomb or missile racks attached to the CFT's, adding about 11,000 lbs of weight.... operational thrust:weight ratio is less than the F-15C. If it'll be possible to employ the F-15E without the CFT's in DCS, it'll have a beastly thrust:weight ratio.

[@blazevoliva4907]

@@namja01 Check out the Fighter Pilot Podcast Episode on the Strike Eagle. The pilots there stated a M1.6 top speed due to the drag of the tanks, and apparently its kinda sluggish due to the extra weight. But you get more hardpoints and more fuel, so best combo of F-15C and F/A-18C?

[@namja01]

@@blazevoliva4907 Yeah added drag is yet another trade-off with the CFT's. The empty weight of the Strike Eagle is just under 10% heavier than the F-15C, but the -229 engines gives 22% more total thrust over the -100, and faster acceleration to 100% engine rpm (I think it was 4 seconds to the -100's 7 seconds)... so without the CFT's there's much improved kinematics. The CFT-mounted LAU's don't offer more missile carrying capacity over the F-15C (unless the AMBER racks are already in service); talking in the context of this video focusing on air-to-air. As far as best combo of F-15C and F/A-18C, I mostly agree if you're talking air-to-ground. But for real-world air-to-air, the F-15C with the Golden Eagle package (AN/APG-(v)3 AESA radar and JHMCS) would still be the better air-to-air platform. Now if the F-15C also got the -229 engines, or even better, the F110-GE-129 engine.... that would be even more beastly. Hopefully the USAF actually goes through with buying the F-15EX, along with the F110-GE-129 engine (or the -132 with it's 32,500 lbs of thrust!), AMBER racks and CWB..... you could have all that power, badass AN/APG-82 radar, and 22 air-to-air missiles to boot.

[@thebrain7441]

Alpha Pictures Mostly, part of the art of BVR is to get your shots off passively.

[@thebrain7441]

GMetzo The Strike Eagle will be a God when it comes to air to air.

[@crazzylee]

F-22 Raptor is what you would think would take the number one spot being that its stealth and all. Not to mention thrust vectoring.

[@seancrandall1291]

I thought the same thing, but on the other hand, how much fun is it to play God Mode? "I pressed the kill button, and now you are dead."

[@CNCTEMATIC]

Nice editing dude.

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

thanks man much appreciated.

[@evilestwheat8266]

Mate thanks sooo much keep it up

[@dr.abdullahvet2284]

Cant believe that our JF17 is 2nd in the list.🇵🇰feeling much proud(:

[@QasimAli-to5lk]

I hope Deka updates the JF-17 module in the future to be more inlined with the newer version which has covered up a lot of weaknesses shown in the video Nyc vid btw

[@m0rph3u5.]

Watching this great video while waiting for the SimFest Sale to hopefully get the F-16 (my very first full fidelity jet.. time to farewell the beloved Su-27).. can't wait to sit in the bubble canopy in VR

[@dielitclique]

MiG-19 is what I just started off with, very nice aircraft!

[@geraldking4080]

F-15: "Not a pound for the ground".: total air superiority

[@qiyuxuan9437]

Laughs in F15E😂

[@timsullivan4566]

Cool Graphics, sir - but not unexpected given the channel's consistent attention to production values. (Me likey)

[@GrowlingSidewinder]

Ur too kind Tim thank you

[@golollone]

So, i'm new in this sim, is just few days that i try to play...i lose...but i love it, tnks for your guide!!!

[@TrickerDCS]

Great video, disappointed the f5 didn't make the list hehe 😂

[@njsullyalex2744]

I would personally rank the Su-33 above the F-15. Very good radar, good datalink, excellent maneuverability, powerful long range R-27 missiles, and helmet mounted HUD for launching the very good R-73s off boresight. Bonus points for being a carrier fighter.

[@badgermcbadger1968]

@@yvesdulac1871 yes but high AoA

[@ryz_vik]

I don't think the R27 is considered "powerful", but the Su27/33 can make up with super stealthy medium range fox 2s, Drewski did that and I'm sure some people ain't happy lmao

[@VAPOURIZE100]

Soo proud to see JF17 ⚡ 🇵🇰🇵🇰💪🏼 Can't wait till they add block 3 version to DCS with AESA radar IRL that gives JF17 170-220 km range for BVR missiles SD10 and others not to mention it comes with updated avionics and HMD

[@ozsharpener]

In real world you can almost be sure that PL-15E will be included in the upgrade package to JF-17 Block 3 as the 170km+ range AESA radar KLJ-7A needs a matching LRAAM.

[@false-set]

Ive spent 300 of the dollars I’ve been saving for a computer to run this game on these modules and maps, thanks to your discount code and the current sale I’ve got more than enough to keep me happy until I can fly like you! Or until next payday. But I really should get a computer and HOTAS first.

[@UkraineStar77]

I do agree mostly, however I'd swap the Tomcat and the Jeff. The 16's radar also vastly overperforms in DCS, which allows it to be such a BVR beast. I'd say payload can be much lower too if you decide to pack two aim-9's as well for backup.

[@SeminarChauffeur]

The Tomcat can be likened to an archer that carries a short sword as a sidearm. The rest of them are basically like swordsmen ☺

[@ColmVD]

In my DCS experience, a disadvantage of the F-14B is that her twin GE engines produce way too much thrust. If I'm not careful in a dogfight, she'll overspeed outside of the fight circle (like a trans-lunar injection) leaving my opponent on a decaying trail behind me on my six. The F-16 is superior to the F-14 in the high-speed energy fight and in roll rate. Against an F-16, the F-14 should keep the fight really slow (200-350 knots - remember that the F-14 has much lower wing-loading and twice the wing area allowing it to turn inside the F-16's minimum radius turn), let the F-16 overshoot and climb up with the Viper (with the noob Viper pilot thinking the F-14 is too heavy), here's where you'll make your money, as the F-14B, light those trusty GEs and pull up with the F-16 and the F-14 will have no problem keeping up with the F-16 in the vertical. I'm not only talking about ballistic vertical climbs here, the F-14 can enter a vertical climb at minimum airspeed and stand up on its tail.

[@meazy451]

LOL. Your complaint is strictly user error.

[@ColmVD]

@@Whiskey11Gaming The F-14B's thrust-to-weight is slightly superior to the Block 50 F-16Cs, but only by a small fraction. If you were talking about the F-14A I would have to agree with your statement, she wouldn't be able to climb up with the Viper however the F-14B is a different animal and could climb vertically with the Viper.

[@jeffcrowell3457]

@@ColmVD The B and Super were what the Tomcat should have been from Day One. But nobody in his right mind should go a-dogfightin' with 6 AIM-54s. ACM loadout for the Turkey would normally be 4 and 4, Slammers and Winders, even though I don't think the Turkey ever carried AIM-120s IRL. Damn shame (sniff).

[@jackozbloke5079]

I do believe they need some more REDFOR aircraft, thinks like the SU-30's with more advanced avionics would be really good, like an MKI or any of the Soviet/Russian models. Later iterations of Mig29s with improved engines and avionics would be very beneficial too.

[@fazelmahmood4408]

Good job love your vids

[@Kaiju3301]

The f-15 doesn’t have datalink only because it would then be invincible.

[@sohaibnaib1615]

ahhh man the F-16 i don't know why i love it so much like this

[@basicforge]

sohaib naib The F-16 has always been my favorite fighter since I was a kid, and the Mig-29. I’m still wanting to embrace the new stealth jets but they haven’t won me over yet.

[@DaddyKoolPop]

It is just plain old sexy with an attitude. Tuff to deny. [Salute]

[@cjmunnee3356]

I've been in love with it since I got to sit in one (while it was getting worked on) as a kid.

[@malikattaullah815]

@@cjmunnee3356 must have been quite an experience.

[@cjmunnee3356]

@@malikattaullah815 It was. I loved it. Even at 8 years old, I learned so much about that plane.

[@highway9patrol]

Viper also is my best. Some reason I really like this fighter. Although, it looks cool too.

[@shapiro5000]

Nice - I agree with your top 5 for the most part. Your top 3 could have gone either way. Glad to see the Jeff not come in #1 tho - while it's avionics are strong, its biggest strength isn't even inside the air frame, it's the SD-10 that it struggles to even carry without sacrificing everything else :).

[@user-xo5zh9xb5b]

For me if it’s a guns only fight: M-2000C, and anything BVR: F-14 Jokes aside, we all know the Harrier will beat all of those planes :D

[@landrean7315]

If only we had a M2000-5 with MICA, it'd be a whoooole other story :(

[@joec4106]

You forgot about the Christian eagle

[@wuschaparamedic]

A-10C!

[@VisibilityFoggy]

Ha, hey for what it's worth, the Harrier proved itself in the Falklands big-time. The UK may have lost the war if not for that plane.

[@Tigerhawk30]

I remember reading an article in a one-off magazine called "Killer Elite" back in the '80s on the F-18 back in high school; an interview was enclosed with F-18 pilots vs other airframes. As I recall, it went something like this: "-15s, no problem. -16s, it comes down to a lot of the pilot stuff". As for the Harrier: "Oh, we've killed a lot of those, too...he's only got one trick". LOL

[@zeshanhaider3336]

@Growling sidewinder... F-16 at #1 & Jf 17 at #2.. you are officially banned travelling to India for life...😂😁😂😁

[@tlw_3672]

Never had trouble fighting a jf17 in an f15 lol or a f14 or an 18 and 16

[@KaneGregory]

You won me back with the f16!👍🏽

[@kubanskiloewe]

my Top 5 regarding quality of simulation and accuracy of the module: P51; MIG21bis; VIGGEN; F-14; Mirage. When it comes for modern air fights sure the new models like F16, F18 are good but only the F-16 design and the Mirage i like to go in a dogfight.

[@faqirmohammadabdullah2906]

Also I'm a bit surprised the SU-27 didn't make the list, love watching your vids but I'm new to all of this. I saw a video of yours where you wrecked guys with the Chinese SU-27 (J-11? I forgot) with that electro optical thingy.

[@s87343jim]

The aircraft is fine, but the missiles really is a bit "meh".

[@NoAh-yr5cj]

because of R27

[@macmusica]

It's the tactic of any early fire Override that causes evasive then you get close to use 27ET and then the 73 will finish them. No other plane is good at close combat. You only get killed by BVR if you are dumb.

[@mro9466]

A single seat, glass cockpit F14 with aim9x would be perfect

[@rite.3839]

you mean the f-18?

[@alexbuss3377]

F-14 does have seam lock, which means if you have a radar lock on your target, the aim-9 seeker can be slaved to the target. Giving it some off-boresight capability. F-14 max speed is Mach 2.2 @40,000 feet(clean).

[@sh0ckv3l33]

Nice video as always. *realism has left the chat*

[@kshitij_void_]

Did you guys ever tried Wings over vietnam or Wings of Israel ? I did it in my childhood and it introduced me the world of dogfights !

[@bobamarmstrong]

I played Wings Over Vietnam and DID F-22 Total Air War. They were pretty good in their times

[@WayPL]

Oh, Polish camo on F 16. Nice :D

[@annann7900]

Thanks bro!!!