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Great find. This are Soviet materials from 1980s.

Both TrueGrit (EF creator) and ED stated very clearly in many interviews they will absolutely not artificially balance Eurofighter or any other aircraft in DCS for competitiveness. Our FC3 F-15C doesn't have datalink because it is F-15C MSIP II (digital weapon control MFD, TWS, NCTR radar IFF) introduced in 1985, took part in Desert Storm and later it has been integrated with AMRAAM in early 1990s. It's counterpart of FC3 Su-27S introduced in 1985, MiG-29A from 1983, A-10A in late 1980s/Desert Storm standard and Su-25A from 1981. (F-15C has been modernized later on in 2000s receiving Link16 datalink, JHMCS, new computer, AESA radar etc. but this was different variant with different capabilities which doesn't exist in DCS.)

(1) According to ED "competitive PvP" is only a tiny fraction of the DCS consumers, less than 10%. So it will not make any noticable difference when it comes to sales. (2) Tell all other teams making A-6E Intruder, A-7E Corsair II, Mirage F.1, MiG-23MLA, Mi-24 Hind, F-8J Crusader, MiG-17, Fiat G.91, Bölkow-105, Su-17M, EE lighting etc. - to scrap their work because their modules would lose against F/A-18C if teleported 20-30 years in time to year 2005. (3) F-16 and F/A-18 will stop being "competitive PvP" the moment Eurofighter coming out. EF supercruising at 50,000ft, with phenomenal acceleration will butcher F/A-18 and F-16 with ease having big kinematic advantage, even when restricted to AMRAAM. With 2017 classified Meteor missile it won't be any fight at all against F-16/18 just deleting some F blips on radar. So ED should abandon them when EF will come out? It's ridiculous...

Su-27S is better than Su-33 (except for being carrier capable) with better T/W, lower wing loading, better acceleration, sustained turn, climb rate. And yes, full fidelity original Su-27S would be my most anticipated module together with MiG-29A. Who knows, it may be possible to model in the future. It's a Soviet technology. About 1980s servers - for me they are way more satisfying and enjoyable experience, with both symmetrical sides flyable aircrafts of the era and close dogfights instead of Fox3 AMRAAM spam on datalink.

Considering what you wrote, WT or even better Ace Combat 7 is the game you are looking for, there you can fly a modern MiG or F-22 at a "speed of Ma = 4.2" without any data, documentation, weapon systems data, SME input etc. - for fun. The whole hallmark of DCS is its strive for realism. Modeling a plane without documentation, without data, without a license, without the cooperation of any SME revealing aircraft data, avionics, performance in different flight states etc. would be absolutely a disaster for DCS opening Pandora's box to made up evening - thus losing DCS signature. Such a plane would have fictional avionics, MFD pages, totally fictitious radar and other sensors modes and parameters with made up performance, fictional flight parameters without any EM charts, climb profiles, accelerations charts in certain configurations, FBW flight control with completely made up logic etc. In short, it would be as (un)realistic as free-to-play fan made MOD is. How professional company could demand money for such thing and how much? 10$? It would be zero satisfaction to shoot down an enemy in such a totally unrealistic and made up MiG or other aircraft - knowing the enemy machine is on a completely different level of realism, documentation, simulation, SME input, real data etc. And i'm saying this when Soviet MiG-29 9.12 is my most anticipated aircraft in DCS. (PS: The victory or defeat of such a plane in the fight against the current Hornet or Viper would depend almost exclusively on what fictional data the creator would arbitrarily made up and enter into his strictly classified missile and sensors.)

ED has made tremendous progress from "Flanker" to today's DCS World and is constantly gaining momentum adding new elements and concepts, expanding environment. ED should be extremely proud of what they have achieved so far.

I would kill for AH-64A. It may be more suited for simulator gameplay when gunner had his hand full with searching targets using FLIR and cameras without the radar, going closer to the enemy, guiding laser Hellfires. Decimating hundreds of Saddam's tanks or repelling Soviet invasion in Europe. Maybe some day.

I agree GCI was extremely important factor since 1950s up until today. I hope ED making 9.12 will improve GCI API to be used for all MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29 as well as NATO aircrafts like Mirages and others. Hornet - carrier operations overhaul, Viper - air defense overhaul, MiG-29 9.12 - why not GCI overhaul. And I agree AMRAAM in not "real" and it will never be in DCS since it's strictly classified system, crucial for security of many countries, especially it's guidance algorithms, ECCM logic, real active radar modes and capabilities etc. will remain undisclosed and closely guarded secret.

Exactly. Just F-16C block 50 CCIP, F/A-18C lot 20 and JF-17 from 2005-2010 are "unbalanced" timeframe and capability wise. All other seems to be balanced very well timeline and capabilities wise. I've checked when specific variants of some aircrafts in DCS became operational in combat units: Su-27S - 1985 (when we add R-27ER/ET - 1991) F-15C MSIPII - 1985 (when we add AMRAAM - 1991) Mirage 2000 RDI - 1987 MiG-29A - 1983 F-14A - 1972 (when add AIM-54C - 1987) F-14B - 1987 (when we add LANTIRN - 1996) MiG-21bis - 1972 (with R-60M - 1982) F-5E - 1979 A-10A - 1972 Su-25A - 1981 AJS-37 - 1996 C-101EB -1983 Mi-24P - 1981 (with Ataka - 1987) L-39C - 1971 L-29ZA -1976 Gazelle M - 1985 Mi-8MTV2 - 1990 UH-1H - 1981 Modules in developement from the same 1970s/1980s timeframe Mirage F.1, A-6E Intruder, A-7E Corsair, MiG-23MLA, Bolkov-105, F-8J Crusader, EE Lighting, IA-58 Pucara, F-4 Phantom, Su-17M, Mirage III. SAMs, Ground assets, ships, early warning radars - nearly all of that is 1980s timeframe. Looks like fair balance to me, mid 1970 to late 1980s timeframe, Fox 1 and Fox 2 code missiles, short range A/G unguided weapon and some rudimentary simple short range guided A/G weapon. Analog or very early digital avionics. --------------------------- What is unbalanced is fighting all this cohesive 1970s/1980s timeframe aircrafts with 2007 Viper, Hornet, 2010 A-10C and JF-17. Man technically can put MiG-15 to WW2 mission, but why? MiG-29 9.12 will fit perfectly some ~20 flyable DCS modules + ~10 modules in development + whole DCS environment and nearly all assets, SAMs, radars, ships - and not to fit just ~4-6 modules. It seems like a great choice to me.

I have my theory why things went this way. ED probably understand sticking to some cohesive realistic timeframe like i.e. operation Desert Storm or late 1980s NATO vs. WARPAC with fairly declassified aircrafts and technology, somewhat symmetrical warfare with F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, A-10A, MiG-29, Su-27, MiG-23, MiG-25, Su-25, Tornado IDS, Mirage 2000, Viggen etc. would be way more entertaining (and realistic) and faster to make than 2000s mud hut JDAM bombing without any credible opposition. But the reason they made "War on terror" A-10C, F-16C and F/A-18C variants, knowing there will be no realistic environment, some necessary systems simplifications, no timeframe Russian or Chinese opposition aircrafts or SAMs - is their military contract. First USAF pilots needed some affordable training equipment to convert from analog "Desert Storm" A-10A to digital "Afghanistan" A-10C, it was mostly about memorizing HOTAS functions and basic procedures. Then, even if 1980s F-16, MiG-29 or F/A-18 would be much more "enjoyable" for the statistical simulator consumer fighting symmetrical opponents in close maneuver air combat, USAF pilots prefered to have later semi-outdated ~2005 Hornet or Viper variants to train some basic stuff since it still has something in common with what they have in units.

Agree, FC3 1980s Cold War and Desert Storm era was very well balanced naturally just because the aircraft represents the same timeframe. I was really surprised when ED announced Hornet will be some 15 years later 2005 variant, not fitting anything in DCS/FC3, without any proper timeframe opponents. First i was sure it's going to be a Desert Storm variant like Lot 10. (I wouldn't say FC3 was totally unrealistic, yes it's heavily simplified compared to DCS but not plain made up fiction without data. It was good for it's time.)

Instead of proposing to make some totally unrealistic Frankenstein modern Russian classified FC3 low fidelity aircrafts with fictional avionics and made up systems it would be incomparably easier to simply make 1980s/Desert Storm variants of F-16A or C block 30 and F/A-18A or C Lot 10. With one move F-16 and F-18 would fit perfectly whole DCS environment, same timeframe flyable REDFOR Soviet opponents we have like Su-27S, MiG-29A, MiG-21bis, soon MiG-23MLA, Su-25A, soon Su-17M, Mi-24P, Mi-8 + all DCS AI REDFOR aircrafts MiG-25PD, MiG-31, Su-24M etc. With more maneuverable F-16 and F-18 variants with engaging and exciting close combat and natural realistic balance due to aircrafts being from the same timeframe.

Amen. Plus F-16A (and to lesser degree F/A-18A as well) was much more maneuverable than sophisticated but very heavy 2000s C variant thus more fun to actually "fly". Both F-16 and F/A-18 modeled as 1980s/Desert Storm variants would have proper historical realistic flyable opponents in DCS from this timeframe and from real air wars MiG-29A, Su-27S, MiG-21bis, MiG-23MLA, Su-17M, Su-25A, Mirage F.1, Mi-24P, Mi-8 and allied F-14, Viggen, Huey, Mirage 2000, Gazelle, F-15C, A-6E, A-7E, F-5E, A-10A, Bo-105 and nearly all DCS assets, SAMs, radars etc.

Making some prototype or niche MiG-29 variant and omitting classic 9.12 used in real wars and being operated by the half of the world would be like omitting P-51D which did the heavy lifting during WW2 and modeling some H or L instead, which were too late for WW2 and decommissioned before Korea or produced in some tiny numbers without any significance.

For unrealistically modeled aircrafts made without proper documentation WT is already there and ED will never beat WT in WT's own game.

Engine is, as GGTharos said, -220 There is no specific block, but this is an F-15C MSIP II used from 1985 through the Desert Storm untill late 1990s. It had, compared to basic F-15C from 1979, modernized central computer, NCTR, digital weapon control panel instead of analog one and AMRAAM since 1991.

Hind is absolutely fantastic. It's the most satisfying helicopter to play in DCS with manual flight control and manual weapon employment and all of that with working multicrew. Overall attention to the details is outstanding. Thanks ED!

If someone is delusional enough to believe Indian MiG-29K entering service in 2010 (later than US F-22 Raptor) can be modeled go ahead, find the documentation, convince SMEs pilots to cooperate disclosing various data and behavior, convince the company to sign the license... Good luck. There is a good reason even most basic Indian documentation for Semi-modern equipment is even harder to find then Russian. Let alone details of MFD pages, radar operations and modes, details of the navigation system and radio communication, A/A and A/G avionics modes, sensors detection parameters, FBW flight control laws and limits, EM charts, acceleration and climb profiles, fictional strictly classified weapon and missiles parameters etc. Without all of that it would be as good as amateur made MOD... And if you want an FC3 - ED stated many times they do not plan to make any FC3 plane in the future. ED is passionate group, they strive for realism which is DCS signature, not making some fictional equipment.

Well block 50 CCIP is heavy. According to DCS it weighs 9026 kg / 19900 lbs empty. Early F-16A weighed 6613 kg / 14567 lbs. It's whooping 36% empty mass increase, with exactly the same 300 sq ft wing.

In Cold War/1980s servers flying along/against flayable historically accurate 1980s DCS aircrafts like Mirage 2000, Mirage F.1, F-14 Tomcat, Su-27S, MiG-23MLA, MiG-21bis, F-15C, L-39, Mi-24P, A-10A, Viggen, F-5E, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair, Su-25A, Bolkov 105, Sea Harrier, Mi-8, C-101, F-4, Gazelle, Huey - MiG-29 9.12 will fit perfectly and it's going to be dangerous to every opponent being one of apex predators of it's era. Another thing is MiG-29 9.12 - contrary to some low serie/post Soviet variants/prototypes/niche export versions - had been used by some ~35 countries all around the world and it took part in many real life wars like Desert Storm, Iraq-Iran war, operation in Balkans, Ethiopian war in Africa, India-Pakistan Kargil war in Kashmir etc. For me 9.12 sits in a sweet spot fitting some 20 flayable opponents\allies in DCS in historical context when i.e. SMT would have to be totally unrealistic made up aircraft with fictional avionics made only to artificially create something to fit Viper and Hornet. (Plus SMT looks ugly with it's huge humpback, it has low thrust to weigh, high wing loading, weaker kinematic performance compared to Soviet hotrod 9.12, the only interesting part of SMT would be avionics which would need to be fictional and made up anyway being classified.) Realistic 9.12 will be a dream come true.

Why 1980s MiG-29 should have a chance against 2007 F-16? Do 1980s Mirage 2000 without AMRAAM or Link16 or JHMCS has a chance against 2007 AMRAAM, Datalink, JHMCS F-16? No. And it shouldn't have. Just like F-86 Sabre. 1970s/80s Mirage 2000 or MiG-21bis or F-5E or Mirage F.1 or Viggen or MiG-23MLA or A-6E or L-39 or A-7E or MiG-19 or F-14 or F-8J or Mirage III or EE lighting or C-101 shouldn't have a chance against few decades more recent totally different aviation era F-16C CCIP from 2007 and it's very good. It's perfectly fine. Not every aircraft in DCS should be compared to 2007 F-16C CCIP or F/A-18C Lot 20. I think our F-16 and F/A-18 should be modeled as 1980s/Deser Storm variants to be compatible with the whole rest of DCS environment and actually have symmetrical full fidelity opponents. (Disclaimer: If DCS F-16 or F/A-18 from 2007 would have their electronic warfare suite modeled close to how it works in real life no aircraft in DCS except 2010 JF-17 could do anything against them, not even lock them reliably. 1970s avionic of the Tomcat or Mirage 2000 or Su-27S would be absolutely trivial to jam and their missiles to deceive by 2007 EW suite.)

So Phantom could track up to 2900 knots closure and Tomcat only 1800 knots?

Yes, increased empty mass with heavier undercarriage, reinforced structure, additional tail fuel tanks, air refuel installation and probe, increased drag of enlarged vertical stabilizers and tall 2-seat canopy. Not a Soviet hotrod like Su-27S/P anymore, but it would still be ok in kinematic department, on par with most classic 4th gen fighters except for pure fighters like Su-27S, F-15C or Eurofighter.

What some guys are proposing is an absolute disaster, making UNREALISTIC Su-30 would undermine the DCS core. It would open Pandora's box to make fictional everything, it would massively decrease DCS standard for the future. Strive for realism is what constitutes DCS and what sets DCS apart from WT, Ace Combat and other medium level combat simulators. As much as I love Su-27 there is no such thing as "educated guess" without documentation, it's a key word to justify everything, it would be just a fiction. Made up systems working totally different than the real ones, fictional avionics, fictional MFD pages, fictional modes, fictional flight parameters, fictional weapon systems logic and performance etc. When even developer himself said they don't have required documentation to make Su-30 they absolutely shouldn't make it, "educated guess" MODs are already here. It would give me absolutely zero satisfaction to shoot down some enemy with my fictional Su-30 knowing my enemy's aircraft is on a completely different level of realism, simulation and documentation than my made up Su and I love DCS as it is, as as reasonably realistic as it can be - increasing it's standard with time, not decreasing it.

It could be connected with module you've selected as the DCS wallpaper theme. If you select MiG-21 you see MiG-21 model in the hangar, if you select F/A-18 you have Hornet 3D model, if you select Supercarrier you are on the 3D deck.