F-16 vs F/A-18 Turn Performance

[Romano]

[url=https://postimg.cc/S2h45nsH][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0Q6Nzmq5/F-16vs-F-18-5000ft.png[/img][/url]

Just now, Romano said:

[url=https://postimg.cc/S2h45nsH][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0Q6Nzmq5/F-16vs-F-18-5000ft.png[/img][/url]

[GriffonBR]

Nice tests man.

[Maverick Su-35S]

On 7/12/2024 at 3:46 AM, Romano said:

[url=https://postimg.cc/S2h45nsH][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0Q6Nzmq5/F-16vs-F-18-5000ft.png[/img][/url]

These are from DCS, right? The real F-18C isn't impressive at constant turn rates when flying at FULL AB above 10 AoA, even when clean. Perhaps you didn't know that ever since it appeared in DCS, the F-18C lot 20 has an exaggerated drag versus AoA function, so it decelerates much faster than in reality at IDLE thrust, and because it couldn't reach 1.8 Mach as Wikipedia wrongly states anyway as it's top seed, I suppose the devs have increased the engines thrust enough to have it reach some Mach 1.82 in ISA conditions at some 36k feet. Not to mention that even at 100% MIL, the beloved DCS F-18C reaches Mach 1.48 in clean config (SUPERCRUISE) like it tries to catch the F-22 and it also suprecruises at some Mach 1.27 with 2x AIM-120s and 2x AIm-9x. Anyone can test this! The real F-18C pilots know that it can reach only reach close to Mach 1 at 100% MIL, as well as maximum Mach 1.7 as top speed in clean config, when flying leveled at high altitude and may reach 1.8 only on a shallow dive for a some while. So, it's drag was and still is too high all around the AoA tables, and in order to compensate, the engines thrust is also over-exaggerated. That's why the F-18 in DCS turns with at least 2..3 degrees per second faster at maximum constant turn rate than it proves IRL for the same conditions and that makes a big difference in simulated dogfights. For instance, during personal tests I've found that it out accelerates and out climbs all other fighter jets in DCS when put into the vertical from the same initial speed and climbing G-load, shortly followed by RAZBAM's M-2000 (another jet with the same exaggerated engine thrust issue). The only fighter jet which has the highest constant turn rate, almost 2 degrees per second above the already high rate of the F-18C, is the JF-17 and it too isn't realistically made in terms of performances, either aerodynamic (lift-drag vs AoA) or engine performance!

The F-16 is one of the most accurately performing and aerodynamically simulated fighter jets in DCS so far, only together with a few other jet fighters! So don't you wonder why real US fighter pilots who flew the F-16, F-15 and F-18 know for sure that the F-16 out turns the F-18 and F-15 at constant turns, while the F-15 only slightly out turns the F-18, thus the F-18 being in the thirst place, while in DCS it's on the first place. Something has to be fishy somewhere and I've already given some clues, for who cares about them!