F-18 or F-14?

F14

Might come as a shock - but I would have to say absolutely the Tomcat!

I am a little biased as the F-14 has always been my fav fighter aircraft, it is just too cool and looks mean AF. Steam gauges, minimal HUD and direct controls combined with just sheer power and ability to reach out and touch someone...and the boat.

Where the Hornet on the other hand, I don't know what it is - but it has always just looked so anemic and weak for a fighter IRL. Our little A-4 Skyhawks and even MB-339CB's jet trainers beat the Aussie F/A-18's in BFM on occasion.

It's not the fact it is FBW or the systems (but I do really enjoy the mechanical aspect of the Tomcat), as I am very much looking fwd to the F-16 release. With 1,000's of hours flying the Viper in F4.0 etc it will be a real trip down memory lane to be back in the bubble canopy - especially now I can do it in VR!

I have been 'mock intercepted' by both the 16 and 18 (& MiG-29 actually) in real life - and yep even then the F-16 just looked so much cooler lol. Pilot was like "meh he is intercepting us, I am going to continue flying as normal" and banked hard into the F-16 as it closed in on our Port side. So then we have a F-16 at full burner with SB deployed pulling a hard turn away from us at about 10m as we are rolling into him lol. Pretty sick.