Boogieman

Mate you are by far my favourite Russophile on the forum. Never change :love: :megalol:

Nonsense! Weta actually has F35 posters all over his bedroom, and MQ25 stickers on his car :megalol:

The likelihood of the F135 being replaced by a variable bypass powerplant from the mid 2020s seems to be growing. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-starts-work-on-defining-adaptive-engine-for-fut-450053/ Quite a promising possibility for F35 operators.

It is currently being reported that the Su57 will not go into mass production: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/russia-admits-defeat-su-57-not-going-into-mass-production-2018-7?r=US&IR=T https://thediplomat.com/2018/07/russia-will-not-mass-produce-5th-generation-stealth-fighter-jet/ :shocking: 'Tis a shame. Seemed like a cool bird. :pilotfly:

The Tunguska has an optical tracking feature IIRC, so doesn't always need a radar lock to guide a SAM onto you.

A couple of deep strike missions from the server recently: PS. Don't judge me on my carrier landings - the ones featured are the only 3 traps I have ever attempted at this point ;):helpsmilie:

Not to mention the fact that the DCS Hornet actually features a late model APG73, so it should be even more capable I would have thought (?).

Not ~6mins but hey it's close! ;) This one almost certainly seemed to lose lock and come back for another attempt.

Yes I'd like to see at least one modern multi role eastern jet to provide a counterpart to the Hornet. A late model Flanker or Fulcrum would be nice... even a J10 on the PLAAF side.

No didn't forget that at all - even an AMRAAM equipped pilot may frequently see fit to shoot a lower pK long distance shot primarily for the defensive response it elicits. I suspect the long burn R27 has an important role to play there. I actually agree with you more broadly though - if the Russians had an "American" sized budget from the late 80's up until now I also doubt they'd be using the same missiles. I suspect you'd be looking at a more developed suite of radar and IR R77 derivatives instead of R27, with something like izdeliye 300 in lieu of the R73/74 and a smattering of R37/KS172 type weapons here and there as well. Alas, budgetary constraints were what they were, so they "pimped out" their existing weapons instead ;-)

I suspect that was the idea. R27ER forces an alerted opponent to start defending (and in turn bleeding energy) early in the engagement, R27ET is there for seeker-head diversity and opportunistic sneak attacks. R77 and 73 were/are there to make the inescapable kill shots at closer range.

A very worthy hypothesis! I suppose the x-factor is that the R77 also has those more conventional mid-body wings (strakes?) - how they affect things in terms of drag I have no idea. As I say though, I have a strong suspicion that the original R77 was designed more as a very nimble pre-merge missile than a truly long spear at BVR ranges (ala R27ER). The design seems to be evolving into a direct competitor to late model AIM120, MICA, Meteor etc. now.

This is my understanding as well. I am no expert on the subject but it strikes me as reasonable to expect that this contributes to a missile that is immensely agile at high speed, but generally less able to retain energy once its fuel reserves are exhausted - especially against a maneuvering target (induced drag etc). The current state of DCS drag physics and missile flight profiling probably only serves to exaggerate this behaviour. I'd like to reiterate to Fri13 that literally nobody is attempting to deride any Russian missiles here. Russian rocketry is highly regarded for good reason. My guess is that the original R77 simply was not designed to be the longest spear in the Fulcrum/Flanker arsenal, but to rather act as an agile fire-and-forget bridge between the R73 and long burn R27 variants. This looks set to change when izdeliye 180 comes around (and may have already done so to some degree with R-77-1).

Woops, wrong thread! :doh:

^ GGTharos dropping wisdom again. I suspect the R77 is a pretty draggy missile IRL, but a very agile one within its optimal launch parameters (lattice fins). It is telling that the Russians are reportedly opting for AMRAAM-style conventional fins in their next R77 iteration (izdeliye 180). Given the current state of drag physics and missile flight profiling in DCS you get a missile that isn't of much use after the sustainer burns out. If I were a DCS J11 driver I'd still use it though. It's an extremely dangerous pre-merge missile that is nigh on impossible to beat when fired head on inside ~5nm at decent speed (ala AIM120B). You could use R73 in this role too but that missile seems slower and gobbles flares voraciously (better as a follow up or post merge shot). R77 can get there quick enough to beat the other guy's emergency 9G pull to notch + chaff dump.

Hornet won't have the full "do it all" multi role capability for a while yet so I doubt it. Once JHMCS, AIM9X, AIM120B+C and Link16 are up and running I expect enthusiasm for the Eagle to take a hit though. Otherwise there a quite a few players who seem loyal to their Hogs, Harriers, Mirages and red team jets. F14 will diversify the player base too.

The AMRAAM has long been a very central part of the US air to air arsenal in their 4th Gen jets and later - in fact it is arguably the lynchpin. So long as DCS jets like the Eagle and Hornet are popular and in circulation, modelling the AMRAAM will remain an intrinsic part of simulating them. The weapon is just an inextricable part of US doctrine. Personally I enjoy the art of "jousting" at BVR just as much as WVR turning and burning. There is a considerable amount of skill that can be developed mastering both arenas. I for one am glad we have the opportunity to do so.

:thumbup:

Yeah. Mind you the Sparrow in its current DCS form doesn't make a huge improvement on the all winder loadout. I sometimes feel like I could file my taxes in the time it takes for that thing to traverse a 5nm slant range... God help you if it's a tail chase ;-p

I found it curious too. Currently I'm just viewing it as an artefact of the module being in an unfinished state. Will believe AMRAAMs on the Hornet when I see em!

In related news some of the YouTubers with early access are reporting AIM120B as useable too. I wonder if it actually works with STT mode or if they're just reading off the planned weapons list...

Exactly :)

Of course - I'm jokingly referencing Eagle/Mirage drivers (mostly) ;) That said I can see a few scenarios in the Hornet where you're at high speed in BVR and might want to use a single ~9G pull for defensive purposes. They would be rare though I suspect.