F18 or F16

The Hornet can do everything the F16 can...plus more...plus Carrier operations...

It seems a no-brainer (and thats speaking as someone with hundreds and hundreds of very happy Falcon 4.0 hours under my belt)

I know some PvP'ers will now tell em i'm wrong and that the F16 is faster/more maneuverable in A2A - but as (doctrine wise) its solely a Bomb Truck...does it matter :)

Short answer:

Hornet now f16 when it's in a more complete state.

Further elaboration:

Although I kinda prefer cockpit layout of the horent, and I certainly appreciate carrier ops, I muxh prefer the f16,s pilot machine interfacing especially when it comes to hotas. It's more streamlined.

The horent requires hands off for anything not related directly to a2a. In the f16 even in a2a related stuff it's far faster to switch radar ranges and max azimuth scan for eg ist just a matter of moving your cursor up/down and sideways.

Switching between mfd pages is also all hotas bound. Ordinance wise in the f16 can a actually carry slight bit more than the hornet for a/g stores In terms of max allowable weight and in terms of quantity with certain bomb types.

Plus it's also significantly faster in speed and accelration. I really learned to appreciate the f16 more flying it here. Cant wait till its complete

The Hornet can do everything the F16 can...plus more...plus Carrier operations...

It can? Then I wonder how you achieve Mach 2 in a Hornet, because the Viper is a M2+ jet...

Might seem like a minor thing, but the big thrust advantage of the F-16 does a big difference in air combat! You can see the Hornet loosing much more often in multiplayer duells (BVR especially) against the F-16 than vice versa.

I'm in the boat of living the pilot interface of the F-18 more than the F-16 too, but I really need more time in the Viper to break that bias.

One of my hurdles is I'm a VR only pilot, and the MFDs in the Hornet are *much* easier to read than the Vipers. Maybe if I get a RiftS it would be better, but keeping my CV1 for now.

Hornet can be used to do everything and it can carry very heavy load.

But the F-16 does have an edge in SEAD missions with it's dedicated ECM targeting pod.

I prefer the F-16. Cleaner cockpit with more intuitive controls, better performance in air to air, still capable in air to ground.

They're both good aircraft though

Yes

I'm in the boat of living the pilot interface of the F-18 more than the F-16 too, but I really need more time in the Viper to break that bias.

 

One of my hurdles is I'm a VR only pilot, and the MFDs in the Hornet are *much* easier to read than the Vipers. Maybe if I get a RiftS it would be better, but keeping my CV1 for now.

As a VR user the F16 MFDs are difficult to read without zooming in

F16 looks nicer (cockpit and airframe)

F18 carrier ops and MFD readability in VR means I only use the F18 now (although the F16 is a dream to fly)

next plane, looking for a good A to A and A to G. what is opinion between F18 and F16.

 

I already have F15 for A to A and A10c for A to G, looking for a plane to do both.

 

 

Open to suggestions.

I recommend the module that best represents you. I fly the hornet because it represents me. I have it 10 km at the base of Torrejón, but honestly, I like the F-16 more, in everything, in systems, design and modeling. The Hornet radar is very complex for me and its IFF depends on AWACS, it cannot identify more than 24 miles without a donor, which is a brutal disadvantage compared to its rivals in DCS. I would advise Viper, but you would miss all the naval operations, which, as Rudel says, are exciting.

I never have any uncommon issues with locking bandits in the F-18. It is loosing lock now and then, yes that is frustrating, but the Hornet offers you so many cool automatic target acquisition possibilities, it is just a joy to lock targets. Specially the long range helmet acquisition mode is OP.

 

Sniping targets up to 40nm with just a turn of your head is awesome.

I could shoot, but first I would have to identify the locked target and we have already talked about it. I'm sorry, but the Hornet is not a perfect machine in its current state.

Sniping targets up to 40nm with just a turn of your head is awesome.

How would you be able to lock up targets via JHMCS at that distance when you can't even see them visually at a tenth of that distance?

It can? Then I wonder how you achieve Mach 2 in a Hornet

Well... in a dive

The Hornet won't ever have the Wickmids or even SFW for that matter. And no HTS either. So there's still some difference in what they can do, or rather, how they can do things. But nothing too dramatic to chose one over the other. Just get both eventually.

Anyway, my vote would go for the Hornet + Supercarrier bundle. You can't get the thing any cheaper. Perfect chance now to get both at the same time for 50% off, and the ultimate reason to grab the Viper which isn't even off any % yet later instead of now.

How would you be able to lock up targets via JHMCS at that distance when you can't even see them visually at a tenth of that distance?

You can do so by using it in combination with data from the data link that an enemy shows on the SA page. A line is shown on the radar in the direction in which the helmet is oriented. The problem is that Hornet depends entirely on a donor to identify it. Nobody fires a missile if it does not know that what is in front of it is hostile and in this the Hornet is completely suspended in front of its rivals. Even Mirage 2000 can get an IFF response without AWACS.

You can also scan with the view between mountains or on the horizon in areas where you believe or suspect that there may be bandits, which do not necessarily have to be within your visual range. The only problem that I find the Hornet is the IFF.

But the F-16 does have an edge in SEAD missions with it's dedicated ECM targeting pod.

Alas sadly no JASSM for this circa 2007 Viper model since it is only software tape 4.2 or 4.3 , so the Hornet will still be the better standoff platform-for A/G when AGM84 SLAM ER gets added. This thing will allow you to take out targets even outside of long range SAM types like the S300, or outright attack such SAM types.

Alas sadly no JASSM for this circa 2007 Viper model since it is only software tape 4.2 or 4.3 , so the Hornet will still be the better standoff platform-for A/G when AGM84 SLAM ER gets added. This thing will allow you to take out targets even outside of long range SAM types like the S300, or outright attack such SAM types.

That's quite unfortunate, BMS will still have an edge then in terms of simulating the latest and greatest of F-16 lol

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It’s simple do you want to be an aviator or some puke that needs 2 miles to land?

Ohhhh our F-16 in DCS won't have JASSM?! OMG I had no idea lol

That's quite unfortunate, BMS will still have an edge then in terms of simulating the latest and greatest of F-16 lol

 

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sadly no. Initally it was announced it was supposed to, but was recanted later. ED said they would strive for an accurate viper limited by the most up to date publicly available information they could legally get thier hands on would thus only allow them to do a 2007ish viper at latest, apparently.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3916621&postcount=10

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3916880&postcount=24

IRRC JSOWS only started becoming fully integrated ( beyond dvelopment testing) with F16C's operating with software tape 5.1 which started being introduced in 2009/2010ish. On the Other hand JASSM is more recent. Software tape 7.1

sadly no. Initally it was announced it was supposed to, but was recanted later. ED said they would strive for an accurate viper limited by the most up to date publicly available information they could legally get thier hands on would thus only allow them to do a 2007ish viper at latest, apparently.

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3916621&postcount=10

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3916880&postcount=24

 

IRRC JASSM only started becoming integrated with F16C's operating with software tape 5.1 which started being introduced in 2008.

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sadly no. Initally it was announced it was supposed to, but was recanted later. ED said they would strive for an accurate viper limited by the most up to date publicly available information they could legally get thier hands on would thus only allow them to do a 2007ish viper at latest, apparently.

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3916621&postcount=10

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3916880&postcount=24

 

IRRC JASSM only started becoming integrated with F16C's operating with software tape 5.1 which started being introduced in 2008.

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Ugh... I really hate hearing this kind of arbitrary crap from ED...

Same here..

I mean, if it was some sort of classified hardware with unknown functionality, a different radar that was classified, some sort of upgrade that required changing the entire model of the plane, etc then I could understand it.

But if the only thing holding back from the plane from being able to utilize something is the operating system of the craft that says, "Can use Y/N? Y" and is literally only months older than the "planned" age of the simulated plane, then why not include it? It's not like they have to invent terrain following radar or anything, it's a stand-off weapon.

Especially if they're going to implement it in the F-18 at some point - it's already been programmed, why not just port it over?

Then again, clearly with software updates, there's more than just one thing that changes, not as simple as "5.1 adds new bomb". Might be that the upgrade to 5.1 tape adds other things they can't model - then it makes sense they don't do it.

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Yeah, I'd say hornet, for all the same reasons as everyone else. If nothing else its much more complete and you can do good A/G sorties with it, while the Viper is currently rather limited in that regard. A/A they are roughly more equal IMO in terms of development state, but the hornet is a bit more complete.

+1:joystick:

The Hornet is much more diverse and further along in development. In six months, buy it's cousin, the Viper!

I've spent maybe 3 hours just cruising in the Hornet. Since rumors of it in the early 2010s, I had been waiting. The 16c does alot, and does it all well. I think the same applies to the Hornet.

Do you want to have more time in A2A, or A2G? I pick the Hornet because I much prefer the idea of being a lone carrier group flying far beyond the coast for precision strikes. If I wanted to do more A2A and didn't want carrier ops I may go for the other.

Jf17 FTW!

Both, doh.