Why is F16 used heavily in PvP?

[Donglr]

I was watching the SATAL streams recently and I have ZERO knowledge about competitive PVP in DCS. However I am a F16 pilot and read the forum regularly and what my impression was that the F16 does not really have an edge in A2A combat compared to a F18. Even at some point it got slower than the F18 as I had to realize climbing with my F18 buddies who suddenly were able to pass me. Furthermore the F16 carries only 6 missiles compared to the 10 of a F18.

So why is the F16 used to heavily on SATAL?

[Tempest7]

It's kinematically superior to the hornet. The missiles its fires, in theory, can have more energy and be more deadly. 

It's better at high G, and high speed maneuvering than the hornet (especially if the hornet is going full missile boat), so it's arguably better for defending missiles. 

The Hornet can carry more missiles, and arguably has better Situational Awareness in it's current state. 
Also if the Hornet gets to the merge it's extremely scary in BFM. 

All that being said in a fox3 fight, I'd rather be in a viper than a hornet, but I'd love a hornet to be there to back me up. 

 

[naizarak]

it's faster than the hornet and has a working radar

[Exorcet]

The Hornet is slow. Really slow. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like a fighter. The F-16 on the other hand is pretty much the best aircraft in DCS for executing BVR maneuvers. It can position itself with rapid acceleration and climbing and impart its missiles with more energy than other fighters, meaning it gets first shot and better Pk all else equal. 6 missiles is plenty when they're AMRAAM's. The Hornet's 10 is overkill and only really makes sense because it's so slow in the first place that the extra drag doesn't make it much worse. On top of this the F-16 is so sleek is can get away with mil power when the F-18 would need to resort to AB, which helps its fuel efficiency and reduces the need to carry external tanks (the CL tank on the F-16 is essentially zero drag though, better than the options on the Hornet).

The F-16's weakness is its weak radar, but if you're comparing to the Hornet, it's not that much better. Neither have a proper air superiority radar. For that matter neither does the F-15 yet because it's part of FC3, which artificially inflates the effectiveness of the F-16 and F-18.

[falcon_120]

13 hours ago, Exorcet said:

The Hornet is slow. Really slow. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like a fighter. The F-16 on the other hand is pretty much the best aircraft in DCS for executing BVR maneuvers. It can position itself with rapid acceleration and climbing and impart its missiles with more energy than other fighters, meaning it gets first shot and better Pk all else equal. 6 missiles is plenty when they're AMRAAM's. The Hornet's 10 is overkill and only really makes sense because it's so slow in the first place that the extra drag doesn't make it much worse. On top of this the F-16 is so sleek is can get away with mil power when the F-18 would need to resort to AB, which helps its fuel efficiency and reduces the need to carry external tanks (the CL tank on the F-16 is essentially zero drag though, better than the options on the Hornet).

The F-16's weakness is its weak radar, but if you're comparing to the Hornet, it's not that much better. Neither have a proper air superiority radar. For that matter neither does the F-15 yet because it's part of FC3, which artificially inflates the effectiveness of the F-16 and F-18.

Basically this.

 

But just to add to that. A hornet with 10 Amraams is a stupid configuration for Air superiority. Take 6 amraams + 2 aim9x with a centerline, and take out the not used wing pylons (they can be removed and drag is greatly reduced) and in a moment you get a hornet able to go reach M1.2/M1.3 with 6 missiles + 2 heaters. Still better, when you are down to 2 Aim120 + 2 Aim9x if you drop your centerline tank and the double rack of the wings, the hornet is incredibly capable to reach M1.6/M1.7 and destroy with 2 amraams.

It turns out that a hornet with the last remaining amraams can be more deadly than 2 hornets loaded to the teeth with 20 amraams, and I can tell you that by experience. I can't count how many times i've killed F16/JF17 in a PVP server that were not expecting a hornet at angles 40 M1.6 launching a amraam at 25 nm ish. In esence BVR in a game like DCS without proper EW is about speed and SA, where the F16 excels.

[Csgo GE oh yeah]

Hornet can indeed be very dangerous if they're not fully loaded. 
The 'memory' thing is really handy (altough a bit broken), but also radar gimball goes 90 degrees to each side right ? 
So with hornet you can basically be in the notch while still tracking your enemy. 

F16 has only 60 degree per side.