I like how you think!
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Dear Perplexed in Peoria.
It is nice to see that it isn’t just me – this is exactly how I feel also.
I think the responses are right: it is for fun, it doesn’t matter if you get it right etc… and in my mind I know this, but then part of me also wants to ‘do it right’, which is why I’ve veered towards the L-39 and the Huey a lot of the time in the past 1-2 years and I’ve kept putting off learning the complex modules.
They are simple systems-wise but require pilot attention to fly well, so I get the dynamic stick and rudder (or cyclic and collective) time while still being able to cold start the machines after a busy month of no flying…so I don’t feel so much of the ‘two steps forward one step back’ as I do with the more complex systems modules.
The issue with this approach is, it has resulted in me being a bit stuck flying the underdogs in terms of MP effectiveness – again, I know it doesn’t matter, but it would be nice to sometimes be able to hop in an effective (be it A/A or A/G) machine and plink tanks or shoot down fighters like a hero.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a lot of fun and I’ve learned a lot about SA and ground forces behavior (tracer colours, engaging distances, smoke screens, firing effects) etc. when having to be down low and personal to them…indeed, I think I’d be a lot better at CAS now if I learned to use a heavy-hitter than I was before starting my Huey/L-39 journeys.
Interesting to see people’s proficiencies and how they differ!
Mine are as follows:
Currently am / have been proficient with:
-Huey
-L-39
-Ka-50
-Su-27
-Su-25T
-M2000
-P-51
Have started the training for but can’t use effectively:
-Mi-8
-Sabre
-Yak-52
-C-101
-A-10C
Have barely touched:
-Spitfire
-MiG-15
-MiG-21
-Viggen
-Harrier
-Dora
-F-5
-Other FC3 aircraft other than Su-25T and Su-27
On a somewhat related (ehh) note - I am thinking that the Harrier might be a good next plane to learn (I have it already, of course) – it’s quirky and has good AG capabilities and while it has no radar, it does have RWR (I think - surely) and countermeasures so at least I should be able to avoid trouble a bit more than in the trainers…and still have a bit of the same ‘get down amongst and fire some rockets’ fun I’ve been having. Is it (relatively) complete or is there still big gaping holes?
Either that or the F-5…simpler than the Harrier but would be a nice logical next step in my ‘training regime’.
The F-5 wouldn’t be that much more combat-effective in A/G than the trainers though, I guess…still limited to non-precision munitions, so I’d still be the underdog in that. It’s got a radar and goes Mach 1+ though, so adds other capabilities the Harrier doesn’t.
Decisions, decisions…
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A bit of a controversial thing to say, and semi tongue-in-cheek, but the Hornet is pretty much the ‘Toyota Camry’ of my DCS aircraft. They should be available in beige only, and they have hard vacuum in absence of any sort of personality. There are no quirks, which is probably how it should be in a single-seater with major task saturation potential. Thinking back on the others:
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I used the F-5 to at least get not horribly embarrassing at air combat. It was like an old British sports car of the 70’s, fun to fling around and happy to kill you.
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I used the Harrier to get my McD’s system certificate, in prep for the Camry. The hovering is unique and great in all, but the Tarawa part just never really progressed enough to keep that ‘naval aviation’ feeling going. It feels frozen in time a bit. I wish at least AI wingmen could land on a boat and deck lights wouldn’t just be in the left-eye in VR. I hope to return to it when done a bit more.
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I love putting around in the Huey, but I don’t really fight in it. I tend to crash the Hip, as I try to fly it like a Huey and it’s basically a Dumbo The Module simulator. The Gazelle was fun initially, but finding a 2nd seater (not sure that still works?) was blocker, plus the take-off always felt like it was a foam toy airhog model or a house fly leaping around, and took a while to adjust to.
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The WWII aircraft usually just kill me on landing (or takeoff for the Dora). I keep buying them and never flying them, usually after the first fifteen take off crash rolls to the left.
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The Viggen, MiG-21 I sort of went deep in to initially, but I have no idea how to work them anymore, as the fun was just learning all the weird foreign/aged stuff the first time. I think they are the types where it seems the skill level is in fighting the systems and aircraft rather than the outside world.
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I look forward to the A-10C and Black Shark refreshes, as have so many hours in those. I doubt I could even boot up that 486SX in the ABRIS anymore though. I miss the ‘move CLICK’ of the Shark, and I will always love the Warthog for how offensively slow and ugly it is. I might pick up some campaigns in preparation on this sale, but suspect I could probably even wait a sale or two more and still be in time.
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The Tomcat is nice but I’m waiting for a tad clearer VR and some time to enjoy it properly. It doesn’t have the ‘easy mode’ appeal of a quick jump around in the Hornet.
So I now tend just to fly the Hornet, as it’s like an old boring comfortable pair of dull grey shoes. The interesting bit is really making the missions more difficult, in that flying the aircraft and working the systems isn’t the hard thing, it’s more a progression of how to effectively use them properly.
Right, I think that pretty much insulted everything, so bases covered 
EDIT: So only thing I don’t own is the Mirage. We spent 100 years fighting the bloody French, so some wounds take a while to heal… 
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That was funny 
That was hysterical! 
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As a fellow Brit, I hear what you are saying, but the Mirage really is beautiful. It’s a lot of fun to fly too, with some great single player campaigns. It’s on sale right now… just saying .
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If you’re gonna get the F-16, the Mirage will be good practice. It’s like an early F-16A.
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The hornet has pretty darn insane AoA capabilities. It can grovel like nothing else. I’d rate that as a quirk. In that sense, the viper is going to be even more beige lol because it lacks even that.
Also, one should know his enemy, have you forgotten the face of your father? You should fly the Mirage to the limit just so you know it better. It also is a beautiful machine with a very interesting, very foreign and exquisite HUD that imo is better than any other.
See, it has two little carets to the left and right of the velocity vector indicator. They indicate Velocity Delta. If they are ahead of the VVI, you are accelerating. If they are below the VVI, you are decelerating. It makes it the easiest machine to fly formation in.
On landing you will find it has some truly inspired tricks in its bag too. I think you’d enjoy @fearlessfrog.
Oh, and the campaigns/training are really frakking good. As in ‘best of @Baltic_Dragon’s work’ good. You can even do your training from Nellis!
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Hmmmmmm…Mirage or Harrier…Hmmmmmm…
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Both.
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I agree with my colleague… get both. Two different, satisfying, experiences; delta wing flying VS VTOL flight.
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I will give a thumbs up for Combined Arms. Been playing it for years. It certainly has improved over the years - was in it this weekend in Off.Pos on Hollo Pointe North. The sounds are great, and the terrain is a huge influence in tactics. I do have six Tanks vs Tanks missions to entertain, Red vs Blue. I like to play it mostly from the F10 Map View. Very fun in multiplayer with coop pilots.
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Can vouch for this. Supporting the ground troops from above in a Hornet was a lot of fun! Hopefully next round you can get visual then laze, and I’ll bring from LGB’s.
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I just love this thread for all the dusty virtual hangars being shown.
I am probably at least a little weird for having a free mod so high on my list though:
Here’s my take:
I absolutely love and am reasonably proficient with:
- Mi-8 (not enough aiming practice, systems and cargo mission (229th Vsquad) complete)
- Mirage 2000C (not enough proper A2A practice, systems complete)
- A-4E community mod (not enough bombing by numbers practice, most systems I know)
Been a while, used to be pretty capable of using all systems:
- FC3: Su-25A/T, A-10A, Su-27/33, MiG-29, F-15C
I know how to fly and do not crash all that often I guess, also basic how to shoot stuff knowledge:
- UH-1H (never liked the feel as much as the -8)
- P/TF-51D
- Bf.109K4
- Fw 190D9
- Ka-50
I have only used once or twice:
- Gazelle (need a second crew member, and more time)
- Combined Arms (am not that often in multiplayer unfortunately)
- Hawk, RIP
Do not have:
- Viggen, MiG-21, F/A-18; no time to learn: would rather fly A-4 or Mirage
- A-10C, Tomcat: the complexity… Tomcat is tempting though, even if just for the flight model
- Spitfire, Anton, I-16, CE, Yak-52: I only fly my WWII planes about 1-2 days per year…
- MiG-15, MiG-19, AV-8B N/A: somehow tempting but not enough to beat my top-3 and FC3
- L-39, C-101, Sabre: would rather use A-4, too similar and less cool to me
Most of my aircraft modules I bought in the early days during the last year of the 70% sales. I did FC2 and then got back into DCS around the time the Mi-8 was released. There are only 2 that I got after my “I have too many planes and too little time” or “Dusty Hangar” diagnosis: the Gazelle and the A-4E that I was looking forward to tremendously.
I suspect people will now recommend the F-5 but it just doesn’t make me feel the same as the A-4 does.
I feel like I want to buy stuff just to support developers at this point because I won’t get around to flying them.
I did of course continue to get all the maps, even though I really do not fly a lot anymore. I guess in that way I do still support Eagle Dynamics.
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Debating the Nevada map. I already have Persian Gulf and was told it was the same and better than Nevada. I think I’m missing out on some campaigns though, which I won’t have time to fly, so probably should get it at some point.
As far as other modules and learning them, I took a different approach. I’m building a campaign that uses lots of them. Time Pilot is up to mission 16 and uses:
- F-5
- Hornet
- A-10
- Tomcat
- Spitfire
- Normandy
- WW2 Assets
- Persian Gulf
This way I’ve been able to put some focus into each, while tying it all together. Nothing like testing a mission to learn a plane.
Other modules I own which I haven’t found a way to tie in.
- Viggen
- Harrier
- Mirage
- Mig-15
- FC3
Guess they will get some attention when I make a sequel.
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You should get nevada. If only for the joy of punting 2000pounders into the trump tower.
Also groom lake airbase. You need that in your DCS buddy.
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Except, unfortunately, nothing happens to the building itself when you do that. 
I do a LOT of weapons training on the NTTR map, as it feels more authentic to me for that sort of training than some of the other maps. I’ll usually only hop into PG if I’m specifically flying off the ship, or starting to play with bombing islands.
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No? With PG high-rises a big boom results in them collapsing. Is that not also the case in Nevada?
nope. They smoke a bit but they never topple
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