IYO, which aircraft in DCS are...........

[Marcq]

The most difficult to master?

 

Marc..

[SVgamer72]

1. MiG-21 - The "vodka rocket" is always trying to kill you, and the view out the cockpit is a preview of your front row seat at your own funeral.

 

2. Mi-8 - She is a large girl that can move like a ballerina in the right hands, but it takes mastery to make her dance.

 

3. F-14B Tomcat RIO - Mastering the AWG-9, and being a second set of eyes is going to be one of the toughest roles in DCS.

 

4. A-10C - Deeply complex systems that require time and study to truly master.

[metzger]

1. MiG-21 - The "vodka rocket" is always trying to kill you, and the view out the cockpit is a preview of your front row seat at your own funeral.

 

2. Mi-8 - She is a large girl that can move like a ballerina in the right hands, but it takes mastery to make her dance.

 

3. F-14B Tomcat RIO - Mastering the AWG-9, and being a second set of eyes is going to be one of the toughest roles in DCS.

 

4. A-10C - Deeply complex systems that require time and study to truly master.

 

Mig-21 is not above average, even tho "Master" is quite subjective. There many birds in DCS which are more likely to kill you from Piloting perspective. Other than that the 21 is pretty basic aircraft to learn and limited in roles and employment. Certainly I would not place it in such list.

 

Hornet is Harder to "Master" than A-10C as you have to learn at least 3 roles - A/A, A/G, SEAD. While A-10 is pretty much A/G only.

Systems are easiest part on any module, just read the manual. Tactics for combat employment is the most difficult part for Mastering and since the Hornet as a multirole covers pretty much everything I find it most difficult to Master from more modern parts of the game.

 

For Piloting, WW2 birds can be quite challenging but I would point out FW190 as it is veery difficult to even take off without TO assistance, it takes a lot of practice to get used to play with the rudder.

[Jonne]

1. MiG-21 - The "vodka rocket" is always trying to kill you, and the view out the cockpit is a preview of your front row seat at your own funeral.

 

Do you actually fly that thing or is that just your assumption? The MiG-21 was known for beeing easy to fly compared to all other supersonic aircraft of the time and due to the good flight model this is neatly simulated in DCS. If you get used to not idling on the threshold and avoiding negative g for prolonged times, there is nothing else to bite you no matter how hard you throw the stick around.

 

Now beeing hard to master, I would throw in the MiG-15. While it is basically easy to fly, approaching maximum speed before loss of roll control needs a lot of attention and training. Without proper pre-planing of manevours you will lose control easily. Additionally aiming with two different gun types is hard.

 

Personally I find the MiG-29 and F-14B also pretty hard to master as both are really agile and fast aircraft but without FBW protecting you.

[QuiGon]

I have to agree with SVgamer72 on the MiG-21. Of all the high fidelity jets I fly in DCS (which are all except the trainers and the MiG-15) I find the MiG-21 the most challenging to fly.

If you get used to not idling on the threshold and avoiding negative g for prolonged times, there is nothing else to bite you no matter how hard you throw the stick around.

Yeah, if you get used to that and you don't have to get used to these things in other jets! Besides that, there is also the overspeed flameout that you need to watch out for. I don't know any other jet in DCS where you have to watch out for so many things!

[SVgamer72]

Do you actually fly that thing or is that just your assumption?....

 

 

I’ve flown it since it came out...

 

1. It is arguably the hardest planes to land without bending something. - “Easy”’once you learn the nuances, but doesn’t that fall under “mastery”?

 

2. It has one if the most limited views out of the cockpit (and dirtiest for most of its life without a mod or dev intervention ). - Arguably the top DCS module for difficulty in spotting enemies and maintaining SA. The limited range of the weapon systems highlights this every sortie.

 

3. Pushing too far past Mach 1 will stall the engine just as easily as a few seconds of negative G. - It is by far the most “hands on” with regards to keeping the engine lit of any module in DCS.

 

4. The flight model punishes you severely for exceeding AOA limits, and she hates to be slow. - You have to keep the MiG-21 in the sweet spot of the envelope and there is very little margin for error.

 

I could go on....

 

The initial question was what was the hardest to master, not how easy is a module once you figure out how to fly it right (“master” the quirks)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[QuiGon]

1. It is arguably the hardest planes to land without bending something.

I would put the word "jet" in there, because imho the WW2 aircraft (with the exception of the Mustang) are even more difficult to land and especially to take off with. ;)

[metzger]

I would put the word "jet" in there, because imho the WW2 aircraft (with the exception of the Mustang) are even more difficult to land and especially to take off with. ;)

 

Hm.. I don't fly it so often but I do from time to time and I can land it perfectly fine, not more difficult to 29 or F-5. Certainly not more difficult than executing CASE 1 with either Hornet or F-14 and far easier than any of the war birds including Mustang. At least for me.

 

I agree on his points about AoA and visibility, you can drop like a rock if you go slow and pull too much alpha, but similar can be said for the 15 -> go too fast in a dive and you will crash in the ground before you realize it, pull too much alpha with the f-14 and here it goes in a flat spin...

 

Beating an F-5 with a mig-21 is one of the most challenging fights against a capable F-5 tho, I agree. But in the other hand, dropping ground ordnance with the 21 is easier than the F-5.

 

So I said "Master" is very subjective. Tactics, Piloting, Fighting, Systems - all posses different challenges in different aspects and specifics. Neither is easy to master but surely some are easier to Fly than others.

[QuiGon]

You don't have to worry about flameouts that much in any of the other aircraft as you have to in the MiG-21. Sure, if you get used to it it is no problem, but with the other aircraft you don't even have to get used to it.

Landings with the MiG-21 are quite a bit more difficult too, because of the fragile landing gear, the high speed approach and the BLCS.

 

Sure, of you got used to it, it is quiet a capable aircraft, but it requires you to get used to some quirks that other aircraft don't have.

[Jonne]

But other aircraft have very different quirks the MiG does not have. It is for example not possible to damage the airframe by pulling too hard or going too fast. You will also not get compressor stalls in any situation with it like the Viggen. Stall is very easily recovarable and the view with a cleaned canopy is better than a F-14. You might say learning to fly the MiG is hard, but mastering for me is a step above that and in that it is pretty easy.

[QuiGon]

But other aircraft have very different quirks the MiG does not have. It is for example not possible to damage the airframe by pulling too hard or going too fast.

The weapons will rip off the wings at high Gs though, which doesn't help much either.

[Jonne]

The weapons will rip off the wings at high Gs though, which doesn't help much either.

 

Only bombs do that and they should do that on pretty much every aircraft in game although it seems its only modelled on the 21.