F-16 or F-18?

[Pavlin_33]

10 hours ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

I find the F16 easier to land in the workflow sense. Too many things going on and to focus on with F18 carrier landings. But I think the JF17 (sorry if going a little off topic) has the easiest workflow. 

JF-17 is like one of those calculators for elderly people that have gigantic keys.

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

3 minutes ago, Pavlin_33 said:

JF-17 is like one of those calculators for elderly people that have gigantic keys.

That would be the F16's ICP. In the JF17, it's the display that's larger, not the buttons or text. 

[Pavlin_33]

2 hours ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

That would be the F16's ICP. In the JF17, it's the display that's larger, not the buttons or text. 

It was meant more as a description of how easy it is to land it

Edited September 13, 2024 by Pavlin_33

[Burning Bridges]

This is an interesting question that comes up for a lot of new players.

I think they are both great choices. Personally I went with the F-16. Expecting to be overwhelmed but it's easy to use and yet I could spend years learning it. I am amazed what a fantastic module I got.

A new question that followed is wether I need the Hornet too .. I suppose I need to convince myself that I absolutely need carrier landings.

[DimSim]

On 9/22/2024 at 8:33 AM, Burning Bridges said:

I suppose I need to convince myself that I absolutely need carrier landings.

Yes, yes you do

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

In case you missed this, interesting...

 

[DimSim]

How to land an F16 vs F18

 

[Morat]

I own both, but the F18 is ugly so it stays in the back of hangar, crying.

[Dangerzone]

I own both. F16 stays in hanger, and FA18 gets all the time. All depends on your needs and wants. FA18 is a jack of all trades, and for me - coming back and finishing by landing on a carrier, instead of a runway is just the bees knees.

[Nuggetz]

Purchased both on Day 1. I have 2000+ hours in the F16 and 3+ hours in the F18 over almost 4 years. For me the F16 feels more intuitive especially in A2A combat. They both have pros and cons, so it really comes down to which one you like the most is the aircraft you will fly the most. 

[n0pe]

have both and they both have their pro's and cons. the 18 has carrier capability but I find it extremely dull to fly. Its a bit like a Nissan GTR, its fast but just utterly boring.   

The 16 you have to land like a delicate flower, carefully and precisely,  the 18 you SLAM DAT B*TCH on the deck (and spit on her) and she loves it. 

[wilbur81]

Mover: A higher-Viper-than-Hornet-hour driver: "I prefer the Viper..."

Peachez: A higher-Hornet-than-Viper-hour driver: "I prefer the Hornet..."

 

 

 

[n0pe]

49 minutes ago, wilbur81 said:

Mover: A higher-Viper-than-Hornet-hour driver: "I prefer the Viper..."

Peachez: A higher-Hornet-than-Viper-hour driver: "I prefer the Hornet..."

 

 

 

I would imagine a lot of "real world" features would also drive their decisions which do not really apply to DCS. The real world comparisons on which is best don't really apply imo. 

Its a game/sim/whateveryouwanttocallit.. buy both on sale, fly both and love both for different reasons. 

[wilbur81]

9 hours ago, n0pe said:

 buy both on sale, fly both and love both for different reasons. 

Precisely my point. 

[sauce5878]

I found learning the f-16 was easier than the f-18. It is different for everyone though. The training missions and bogey dopes 60 second tutorials really helped me out! 


Here is Bogey Dopes f-16 tutorials : 

 

[void68]

Well, if you want to experience carrier landings and therefore favour the F-18: The F-16 can do carrier landings, it even got a (one way) hook. And as the Viper drivers know how to do a gentle on point touchdown - after some training, yes - it's not that of a problem. Though I admit I never did it in heavy crosswinds - are there any crosswinds at all on an intact carrier ?

[Tusky]

Both are equally easy to fly bad and equally diffult to fly effectively.

[ViSzKe]

Navy or Air Force. It's that simple.

[Grodin]

F-16 is by far easier and simpler to use. Partly because it is designed like that and partly because most of the stuff is still missing in DCS where F18 has a bit more systems modeled. 16 has much less weapons, much less different kinds of mfd pages, hotas is more user friendly and datalink is missing so many things, barely any failures modeled etc etc. No flaps or trim to worry about either on the 16. I find it quite boring after a while even i do enjoy how easy it is to do things with it. Thats why i prefer f18 in dcs and f16 in the other sim.

Edited January 26 by Grodin

[Morat]

On 9/25/2024 at 4:07 AM, Dangerzone said:

I own both. F16 stays in hanger, and FA18 gets all the time. All depends on your needs and wants. FA18 is a jack of all trades, and for me - coming back and finishing by landing on a carrier, instead of a runway is just the bees knees.

Well, that's not really a carrier landing

TOMCAT!!!

 

(I jest!)

[Raviel29]

I started my flying journey with the F/A-18, but today, I can confidently say that the F-16 is the superior aircraft. One of the biggest advantages? The F-16 lets you customize its monitors exactly how you want, and they stay that way—whether you're in Air-to-Ground (AG), Air-to-Air (AA), or a dogfight. In contrast, every time you switch modes in the F/A-18, the DDI system resets, forcing you to set everything up again. In high-pressure situations where split-second reactions matter, this is beyond frustrating.

And don’t even get me started on the TGP placement in the F/A-18—it’s a nightmare. The moment you load bombs, rockets, or anything else on the pylons, they block your view, forcing constant flight corrections. And no, you can’t just mount it under the fuselage—the centerline is reserved for the fuel tank, and I won’t even open that can of worms.

With the F-16, visibility is a non-issue. I can orbit over a target for as long as I need without worrying about bombs obstructing my view. It’s faster, more agile, and has a more intuitive HOTAS setup, allowing for quicker, more efficient reactions to any threat. Simply put—the F-16 just feels right.

[BuzzU]

This thread has run it's course. Let's spice it up.

What's easier to learn? F-16_F/-18C_A-10C ll

 

[wilbur81]

On 2/20/2025 at 8:25 AM, Raviel29 said:

And no, you can’t just mount it under the fuselage—the centerline is reserved for the fuel tank, and I won’t even open that can of worms.

 

Yes you can...LITENING.

Edited February 23 by wilbur81

[Raviel29]

On 2/23/2025 at 7:39 PM, wilbur81 said:

Yes you can...LITENING.

don't care

[Hank]

Vipers do right hand orbits, yuk. What more is there to say.