Adversary aircraft to learn F-5E

[ruddy122]

Hi Everyone

 

Looking for your thoughts on which aircraft should I go up against to gain proficiency in the A/A missiles and Gun

 

I'm using the following aircraft that the F-5 has a clear advantage over to master getting into an optimum firing position for these newbie missions I'm creating:

 

S-3

Su-25

Hawk

C101CC

A-10

 

Looking for any additional thoughts

 

Thanks

 

 

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[Zaz0]

You can use too Mig-21 & Mig-23 without missiles ;)

[QuiGon]

Indeed, the natural adversary of the F-5 would be the MiG-21.

[Vandal71]

Indeed, the natural adversary of the F-5 would be the MiG-21.

 

He didn't really ask for the historical adversary, he asked for an easy one to begin training with.

 

The air to ground aircraft are far too slow for you to get any kind of practical experience. I find the MIG 21 hard to catch in the F-5.

 

The best thing to do might be to fight another fully fueled F-5 while you fly an F-5 with 20% fuel (you'll need unlimited fuel enabled.) Put the AI on the easiest level as well.

 

Then you can progressively bring up the AI level or your combat weight as you progress and feel more competitive in a dogfight.

[P5138]

The plane I have the most success with as a training aid for the F-5 is the MiG-15. I was using it as a stand-in for the 17 in some missions, but it turns out they're a decent opponent for practicing dogfights against:

- They can't flare.

- They accelerate very well and can go nearly transonic.

- They can't go after burner to gain too much distance.

- They are maneuverable to the point they are a little challenging if you aren't paying attention. But you can usually just punch burners and get away to reset the engagement.

 

After that, MiG-21s with lesser weapons configurations and skill levels work well. Similarly, other F-5s do well.

Edited August 10, 2016 by P5138

[tusler]

KA50 LoL,

It may sound crazy but put one of the old prop- planes, P51 or the 109 as a expert adversary...you are faster than them but they will turn around you like a snake...it's harder than you would think

Edited August 11, 2016 by tusler

[Wayc00lio]

Nothing like experience online! Get on the basis Vietnam server and go up against the mig21s. Great fun and a fairly steep learning curve. Well worth it in my opinion.

[OutOnTheOP]

Hi Everyone

 

Looking for your thoughts on which aircraft should I go up against to gain proficiency in the A/A missiles and Gun

 

Looking for any additional thoughts

 

Thanks

 

I had a bit of trouble figuring out a good match, too (other than the obvious "another F-5E"). Hawk/ L39/ Su25 were actually kind of frustrating to fight: while it's easy to stay in a dominant position on them, they can turn so hard at such low speed that all you can ever do is BnZ them; you can't really practice tracking gunshots because you can't get slow enough to turn with them; they'll always be inside your turning circle. It's easy to not lose against them, but hard to kill them (at least with guns).

 

MiG-21 and MiG-23 are not too terribly difficult to defeat in BFM (the -23 seems easier to me), but they tend to just kick the burners as soon as you're in an advantageous position, and by the time you can bring the nose around, they're gone, out of range. This is a lot less problem now than it was: the AIM-9P5 that came with the very initial release was so slow and short-range it couldn't catch them as they zoomed away. The updates to the missile makes it extremely dangerous for the MiGs to try to break and extend like that, since it can actually catch them now. As a result, killing MiG21/ 23 with Sidewinder is pretty easy.

 

That said, I have found that what is much better for BFM and gunnery practice is instead a 2v2 or 2v4 against MiG-21. When you're one-on-one, as soon as you start to bring the nose around, the AI runs and you'll NEVER get a gun shot. AIM-9, sure, but you'll never get to practice guns. However, when you have a wingman (even if he's unarmed!), one of the AI will frequently try to saddle on him (which will bleed the MiG of energy), and will get target fixated, allowing you to maneuver on him and get into a good guns firing position on a maneuvering target.

 

As a side note, I have found that in multiple-aircraft engagements with MiG21, 23, or other aircraft that can out-accelerate the F-5E (IE, pretty much anything else with afterburner!), I go to the guns as my first weapon. If I feel I can get into engagement envelope, I go straight to gun. In a turn fight, the F-5E seems to have the advantage against the WARPAC fighters. So, I save Sidewinders for the targets that try to use their acceleration and climb advantage to extend away from me. There's nothing more frustrating than watching an enemy zoom away from you and being able to do nothing about it because you wasted your 'winders early in the fight on targets you could have killed with gun!

[ruddy122]

Hi Everyone

 

I really am enjoying the F-5 and starting to learn the basics

 

I use the S-3 and Su-25 as targets to understand the AIM-9P5 and learn basic gunnery. I also take out countermeasures and A/A missiles to reduce the risk of getting shot down

 

As I get better I'll do battle with Fishbed and Flogger in the near future

 

Thank you for the great advice

 

Cheers,

 

 

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[FeistyLemur]

I started making a quick training mission last night out of Batumi with 2 mig21 armed in the 'medium patrol' configuration and launching as a patrol out of Sochi.

 

They shot down my awacs and then murdered me about 2 minutes after that.

 

Looks like more training is required.