Best starter multirole fixed-wing aircraft?

[achin]

Hello everyone!

If you don't know who I am(which you probably don't) My name is ChromeCarnage, and I am new to DCS (DCS meaning the high fidelity planes that actually stand a chance(apart from the frogfoot))

I checked a bunch of planes at the ED store and I came up with a list of possible candidates.

The F/A-18C.

A classic multirole aircraft that is Also carrier capable(BIG plus since I love naval aviation)

Along with that fact the F/A-18C also has a wide range of anti ship, anti ground and of course Air to air missiles (including the AIM-120)

2) Mirage 2000  https://routerlogin.uno/

A great starter high-fidelity clickable plane because of its easy-to-understand controls.

It can also the infamous magic missiles, credited with scoring many kills.

3) FC3 F-15C

A great starter air-to-air combat aircraft with (mostly unused) secondary ground strike capability. Personally a very fun aircraft that I would like to fly.

That was it! Let me know in the comments which aircraft I should buy.

Edited October 14, 2023 by achin

[SickSidewinder9]

F-16 if you want a sim.  Good hotas controls.  Hornet is a little too smart in certain ways.  Can't comment on the others.  I also find boom refueling easier than probe and drogue.

Maybe I'm just biased because I started with the Viper.  Hornet gives you the whole carrier ops thing which is cool, but I find the Viper easier to learn and use the features of.  Plus it has the SFW.  You'll see what I mean.

[rob10]

I'm the opposite of SickSidewinder9.  The F-18 shows you what the MFD buttons are going to do and generally you don't have to try to remember a bunch of controller stuff and how to get to the menu you need because it displays what it's doing.  Probe and drogue is easier for AAR (I can do both).  I'd also say if you go F-16 you really want an F-16 throttle to maximize ease of use vs the F-18 a more general throttle works fine.

[Raisuli]

If you're a naval aviation guy the answer is semi obvious, because there are really only three  full-fidelity ship capable aircraft.  Oh, and the overweight wanker.  It doesn't have a launch bar, though.

 

The next question to ask yourself is whether or not a particular period of time gets your motor running.

Then what kind of pilot you are?  A real pilot, or one of those kids who play in the dirt?

Then whether or not you really care about country of origin

And whether you want full-fidelity, or FC3

Right now the F-18 is hands down the air frame I have the most hours in, by an order of magnitude, and the reason I got into DCS, but  I own them all.  Lately I've been flying the F-16 for no particular reason, other than it's cool.  The rest I might have controls configured for, and I might be able to take off and land, but I probably can't find where I'm going.

 

What should you buy?  None of them. 

Do the two week test drive, take notes, watch tutorials to get the basics down, and then decide where your hard earned bongo bucks should go after you've got a few hours of flight time behind you.

[diego999]

Well, going by the "multirole" title, I'd choose the Hornet.

F-15C is an exclusive AA platform. You can't carry any air to ground ordnance (only amraams, sparrows and sidewinders) and the Mirage doesn't have any guided AG weapon. You have to rely on just rockets and dumb bombs. EDIT: you have laser guided bombs but you can't self lase.

For me the Mirage 2000 is the perfect blend of modern stuff without being too modern, if you catch my drift. You have decent radar and missiles, but still no Fox 3s and no computers with wings like later planes as the Hornet, Viper or Mudhen. This is, of course, personal preference. You should go for what you like.

So your options for true "multirole" here are, in my opinion:

F-18
F-16
F-15E

F-14? If you love naval aviation it's a fantastic module, but you have to live with Jester and that can be frustrating sometimes.

And there's the JF-17, but I know nothing about that module.

Edited October 11, 2023 by diego999

[amalahama]

I have the feeling that the viper is in a more finished state and with less bugs, but also the hornet has a number of advanced features that the viper doesn't have. But overall I think the hornet is a better choice to invest your time in, but be ready to some frustration with bugs and incomplete features

Edited October 11, 2023 by amalahama

[FrostLaufeyson]

Whenever someone asks me which aircraft a newbie should try first, I tell them to choose between the F16, F18, and JF17. But personally, I think it is definitely not wrong to choose F18. It currently has the largest variety of weapons (except for terminally sensitive bombs). And it allows you to experience aircraft carrier-related content, which is something other air force aircraft do not have.

It is no exaggeration to say that with F18 you can experience most of the content of DCS.

The Mirage 2000 in DCS is an aircraft from the late Cold War, so it is difficult to play its role in many PVE servers. The F15C only simulates a small part of the avionics and can only conduct air-to-air combat. Personally, they are not suitable for learning as a first aircraft. I think it would be better to choose one after you are completely familiar with a multi function aircraft.

[WinterH]

Depends on your definition of multirole. If you want a jet that can do air to air, interdiction, SEAD, and anything in between, and do them all pretty great, your options are limited to:

• F/A-18C
• F-16C
• JF-17

The latter is probably by far the most beginner friendly, but won't be considered by most for some reasons. Reasons which about 80 percent of should have the prefix "hurr durr". But it also has real limitations in payload, range, and sporting a variant of MiG-29's engine, it does smoke enough to be easily traceable in the sky.

Other two is a toss between, by now they are both fairly well developed, so which one you like more would be the answer. 

Mirage 2000 is a fun thing indeed. And is, for me, a better mix of old and new. But it's fit for the multirole moniker is less certain than the above 3. It can carry rockets and dumb bombs with cool delivery modes, and laser guided bombs that require an external laser source for targeting as Mirage can't use a targeting pod itself. 

F-15C has absolutely zero multirole capability in DCS, well maybe aside from strafing if you go that mad and it's a FC3 rather than full fidelity. 

There's also Razbam's relatively recent F-15E. It's less dogfight friendly than F-15C, being heavier and draggier. But it has the best air to ground radar in DCS. It's in relatively early development though, and even when complete it won't have as diverse payload options as the first 3, but will be better in strike missions especially in bad weather and night. It can carry a pretty insane amount of bombs.

Finally, F-14 is also carrier capable, but is also a lot more old-school than any other listed so far. Also you need to rely on an AI crew-mate in the backseat. As for the multirole aspect, it is similar with Mirage 2000C to some degree, but it can also carry the LANTIRN targeting pod, so it can lase for its own laser guided bombs. Like the Strike Eagle, it too can carry an enormous bomb load. 

[Lace]

Buy the one you like.  That way, you'll be more inclined to spend the time to master it.  An emotional attachment is more meaningful than some arbitrary better/worse criteria.

However, if you love naval aviation, and want true multi-role, then go with the Hornet.  There is no other option really.

[Theodore42]

IMO the F-16 Viper has the most streamlined UI. Operating the Viper seems to require the least amount of button presses than the other aircraft and the systems seem fastest to learn.

The F-18 Hornet operates from an aircraft carrier. That adds a lot of cool procedures for aviation nerds, but also amplifies the fun in multiplayer.

The F-15E Strike Eagle conforms to your criteria and was just released to early access. If you want the Full DCS experience you can learn the Strike Eagle systems as they're implemented. It's kind of fun learning things with everyone else. Not only is the forum full of people asking questions you're trying to ask, and the questions you're going to be asking after a few hours; but you also get people posting the about the history and lore of the aircraft. Common misinformation on the aircraft always comes out and is corrected. Unclear "TV explanations" become clarified with understanding, often by posts made by the very crew that worked on the aircraft. And you will find bugs... but it is a strange learning experience to learn how a system works, find a bug in it, realize it is a bug, then see the bug fixed and the system operate as described in documentation. It will feel forever like you understand that system better than the aircraft itself, or it does for me anyway.

Since OP is into the NAVY get the F-18 for sure. You're posting on the Hornet forums for a reason  Also get that carrier DLC ED has.

[Mike_Romeo]

On 10/11/2023 at 5:39 PM, Theodore42 said:

IMO the F-16 Viper has the most streamlined UI. Operating the Viper seems to require the least amount of button presses than the other aircraft and the systems seem fastest to learn.

POV: You havent flown the JF-17

[Gunfreak]

P-47

[sirrah]

On 10/11/2023 at 2:10 PM, Lace said:

Buy the one you like.  That way, you'll be more inclined to spend the time to master it.  An emotional attachment is more meaningful than some arbitrary better/worse criteria.

However, if you love naval aviation, and want true multi-role, then go with the Hornet.  There is no other option really.

This!

Just buy the one you like most* (you'll end up buying it anyways )

+

Use the 2 week trial

 

 

*As mentioned before, mind you, that the F-15C is not full fidelity (meaning you can't do all the fun clicky clicky in the cockpit and it is far less complex than full fidelity modules)

[Headwarp]

My profile picture says it all. 

[silverdevil]

On 10/10/2023 at 6:08 PM, achin said:

Hello everyone!

If you don't know who I am(which you probably don't) My name is ChromeCarnage, and I am new to DCS (DCS meaning the high fidelity planes that actually stand a chance(apart from the frogfoot))

I checked a bunch of planes at the ED store and I came up with a list of possible candidates.

The F/A-18C.

A classic multirole aircraft that is Also carrier capable(BIG plus since I love naval aviation)

Along with that fact the F/A-18C also has a wide range of anti ship, anti ground and of course Air to air missiles (including the AIM-120)

2) Mirage 2000  https://routerlogin.uno/

A great starter high-fidelity clickable plane because of its easy-to-understand controls.

It can also the infamous magic missiles, credited with scoring many kills.

3) FC3 F-15C

A great starter air-to-air combat aircraft with (mostly unused) secondary ground strike capability. Personally a very fun aircraft that I would like to fly.

That was it! Let me know in the comments which aircraft I should buy.

ditto on 2 week trial. i learned A-10, then F-18, then A-10 again, then F-16. i thought F-16 was easier to learn because of similarities with A-10 HOTAS. i did like F-18 a lot. the Navy HOTAS is whacky IMO. but it is learnable and muscle memory will eventually win. i think F-18 is pilot friendly meaning it stays where it is when flying. the F-16 does pretty good too though it requires a bit more attention. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by silverdevil
spelling

[spacemishka]

JF-17 is nice. Just the engine responds a little slow to changes

[McCloud]

Hornet. It does it all.