@lolachampcar, it sounds like aa lot of fun and a very interesting project! I’m browsing the site you mentioned…
I know there’s a Air Race pack for MSFS2020 that has the L-39. I haven’t tried it myself, so I have no idea how realistic it is.
I’d say DCS for the L-39, if only because you get to blow things up with it. But I prefer DCS “feeling of flight” to MSFS2020 as well.
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I looked at some YT reviews and it looks spot on.
What is the degree of difficulty obtaining, loading and getting both DCS and the L-39 module running on a PC?
Where do VR goggles fit into this arena if at all?
and to all, thanks for the help/feedback
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It’s fairly easy I’d say. Go to digitalcombatsimulator.com and download DCS. Getit setup and running. Use the included free planes to get it tuned right for your system. Take a two-week free trial of the module of your choice and see how it is. If you like it and want to keep it, throw them some spacebucks.
VR is most definitely a thing. To get it to run isn’t that hard. Getting it to run well, well that’s a whole different game 
For me, VR is theonly way to experience DCS. I just don’t feel any appeal to doing it on aflat screen. VR has utterly spoiled me for immersion.
What sort of machine are you planning on using for it? What if any flight simulation software are you familiar with?
Edit: It’s been a while since I touched my L-39. So I just had a quick hop. It flies just gorgeously, stable yet nimble and it feels quite fast as well. The pit looks a bit dated, with fairly flat texture work that’s functional but not pretty or hyperrealistic like some of the newer modules. It’s on a par with the other older machines(1) such as the Mi-8, the UH-1H and the F-5E.
(1) “Older” is used here strictly in the context of DCS development history. These modules were released years ago, when the world was young and the sky was the limit. Some of the even older modules, such as the A-10 and the Ka-50 have gotten cockpit makeovers, bringing them up to 2022 standards in texture work.
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Welcome to Mudspike, @lolachampcar !
Nice to see this comparison brought you enjoyment! Unlike you, I’ve never flown the real thing, so if you do end up getting the DCS L-39, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts regarding the handling! The DCS version is a simulation of the stock plane, of course.
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One real quick observation from the video I watched is that the plane rubbles and shakes almost exactly like the video indicated in both airframe movement and noise. I felt myself automatically releasing pressure on my right hand :).
Unlike the video, our planes do not drop wings so hard and we are running further aft CoG than stock so ours do break more aggressively. Perhaps it is the much higher operational weight as the one in the video had armament as well as being heavier empty weight.
In reading through the many many posts there is quite an education to be had regarding weapons systems, how they work and terminology in how they are used. I knew absolutely zero of any of this and really appreciate the chance to learn a little.
We rip a lot of those systems out of the airframe (weapons systems removed before we get the planes of course). It is nice to see how they originally worked and what they did.
If anyone wants cockpit trinkets you should drop Per at East 2 West a note as I know he has a ton of take outs.
Here is just the wiring we pull out of the cockpit-
I was doing some short field work during Phase 1 flight testing on our first plane and ended up sending this plot-
to the DPE that did my check ride. The training mantra in a stock L-39 is “125 - Stay Alive” meaning never get below 125 KIAS unless landing is assured. His response is “and you are not dead?”. I’m curious if I could do this in a stock L-39 in the sim.
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My old man got the opportunity to get checked out in an L-39 about a decade ago. It was owned by a racing team, it’s a small enough community in a small world so I’ll leave details out, but he had a blast doing it. He told me it reminded him a lot of the old Lears in terms of how it flew. Most of his questions in the ground session involved the ejection seat, since it was his first time flying with a ‘hot’ seat.
He said he spent most of the flight making sure he didn’t so much as breathe on the red handles! 
I bought the DCS L-39 with the sole intention of putting him in it to get his take on how it compares to the real thing, but still haven’t had a chance to do so yet. Maybe soon!
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"I looked at some YT reviews and it looks spot on.
What is the degree of difficulty obtaining, loading and getting both DCS and the L-39 module running on a PC?
Where do VR goggles fit into this arena if at all?
and to all, thanks for the help/feedback"
The L-39 is one of my favorite aircraft in DCS . The large steam gauges are helpful for flying in VR . Note that you can “remove” the gun sight for a civil version of the L39C in the mission editor .
DCS and the L39 are easy enough to setup , however , i do not find the mission editor particularly easy to use . And VR , particularly WMR headsets like the G2 , will require a lot of tweaking-even with very-high-end pc’s .
Absolutely worth it though…
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This thread made me get back into the L-39 tonight to shoot down some A-26’s and launch some rockets. Great little aircraft. I forgot that the backseater can simulate (simulated) failures (see what I did there?), and even close the blinds on the poor SOB in front. Lots of fun.
That said, the initial investment to get into DCS is pretty high these days. You’ll need a HOTAS (joystick and throttle), then a fairly high-end gaming PC, and a VR headset. Is it worth it as a hobby? Definitely yes if you love flying. I fly for a living, then I come home and jump into fighter jets once the kids are in bed. Is it for everyone? No, probably not considering the entry costs and learning curve.
@lolachampcar If you do pursue flight sims/DCS as a hobby, I’d love to hear how you find the journey. It’s a golden age for flight simmers right now, and we have a great community at Mudspike. Thank you for contributing to it with your posts, awesome stuff!
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“Need” is such a difficult word…
Yes, agree 100% - to get the most out of DCS, that’s the basic “requirement” (I’d also add rudder pedals).
That said, it is possible to use a fairly simple joystick (throttle, 4-way thumb switch, twist grip and as many buttons as possible - I use an old VKB Gladiator) and a monitor and still have fun…eventually
…which goes to @WarPig’s 2nd point about the learning curve. The simpler the controllers and visual set up, the steeper the learning curve. The newly released AH-64D is a good example. I found it a bit difficult to learn when using a monitor; in VR it is intuitive.
If there are any Mudspikers going to graduate school for psychology or physiology, a good thesis topic may be “The Relationship between Peripheral and PC Cost to the Cognitive Ability of Learning to Fly a Simulated Aircraft.” 
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Oh, this is going to hurt.
One member was kind enough to warn me privately - “Beware, it’s a motherlovin’ rabbit hole Before you know it, you’re spending every free hour and dime you can spare.” and this really resonated with me.
My L-39 project started with a little itch to do something “jet” and it has turned into a six year project. I’m hopeful the -5BR variant will do well in acceleration runs this week. The first plane finished third in Gold at Reno. The same plane with a -4 would have finished second last year had the pilot not cut a pylon. That was particularly rewarding given I think he was the only L-39 remaining in Gold with all the others being displaced by L29s with big Viper motors. A reasonably functioning -5BR should take the top step.
There is just something about a sewer pipe out the back that makes me smile-
I’m ok with one of these gaming computers, a HOTAS (Logitech?) and the goggles (HP’s R G2?). What I am concerned about is not making simple mistakes (like correct SSD in the right location or a miss on graphics card) that have me chasing my tail with poor results. I also know that, the older I have gotten, the less patience I have with setting up computers and that comes from someone that designed them in a previous life :). I just need to get over the whining stage in get on with it. I’ve got some feelers out for a local resource that is into gaming and is familiar with the VR side of things. I’d like to try the environment before diving in and perhaps enlist some local help along the way. YT is really helpful. There are some very good videos out there of what can be done (and some amazingly bad ones).
On the adjusting to the VR environment, I got my ticket about ten years ago to fly aerobatics. I made sure all my training was in tail wheel and I routinely got sick and had to RTB early. That slowly wore off and now I’m good for +10/-8 for a solid 20 minutes three times a week without any issues at all.
One of my hopes for the L-39 stuff is to stick people in the sim and get them looking the right direction without all the fear and loading that comes from doing it in the air. One of the things I do is a “dirt bike berm kick turn” where you do a U turn while you point the nose straight up. The goal is to teach patience in managing energy when the plane is vertical and below stall speed. You have to make sure the nose is on the back side of the turn trying to lawn dart before you run out of energy, wait for it to rotate down then pick the nose up before you put on too much speed (leading to over G and a nap). It would be wonderful to do that in a sim to get people the sight picture before ever getting near doing it in the plane. It seems once someone turtles over on their back from the vertical, they really have a hard time keeping a grip on things. Even the basics of picking up a wing when you loose the horizon at the start of a loop then looking behind you to pick up a reference over the top could easily be taught in a sim with zero drama. Given the realism of the stall buffet, falling leaf would likely work as well. It’s super hard to break the habit of trying to use ailerons to pick up a wing. It is easy to say you can not get a wing that has stopped flying to do more work. It is intuitively obvious but people still want to use the ailerons in a stall which will get you killed in the pattern. Yep, a sim would be awesome.
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As for a HOTAS:
I think the Thrustmaster T.16000 will do for the L-39. It is very precise for its cost and you can either use only the stick or use the stick and throttle.
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Just watched the start up, take off and landing vid. The flight characteristics are very accurate. The take off and landing had my smiling. The sim aircraft really accelerates on the runway. The stock plane, not so much so :). Also, I wish taxing that thing was sooooooo easy. Most people start by jetting the nose right to left before they get the feel of the brake. The one brake lever on the stick and proportioned brake pressure by rudder position is the single largest complaint I get on the plane. Taxing (in a straight line) at higher speeds gives you rudder authority and reduces the need for brakes.
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Get a beast PC. Check out some of our threads on pc parts for ideas what makes a beast PC. Get a good HOTAS such as the 1600tm or a warthog set. Pedals too. Perhaps a Virpil stick because those have an analogue brake handle for better simulation of your machine on the ground.
Yes this stuff is going to cost. Compared to the sort of money flows through my little pokey landscaping outfit. But I reckon when you are dealing with the sort of cash flow that gets a real life honest to God L-39 airborne, its probably peanuts.
The plus side is you get to fly not just the L-39 with it Tomcat is hella fun, or the MiG-19… It’s a smorgasbord brother, aviation geek nirvana.
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Schurem brings up a good point about going with a Virpil (VPC) stick for the analogue brake handle. Probably a good idea, and you can pick up some less expensive rudder pedals that don’t have the toe brakes.
Yep . I taxi with button-modulation brakes , and while doable , it is a bit of a pain . Analog brake axis will be a major factor when i (finally) upgrade my stick .
I cheated and mapped both toe brakes on my pedals to the brake lever in the sim, so for me the thing taxies fairly conventionally, assuming you’re used to no nosewheel steering like a LongEz or Cirrus.
You can map two axes two a single virtual axis? That’s new to me!
You can map multiple controller axes to a single “assignment axis” in DCS.
I’m guessing the brakes are activated anytime @WarPig touches the toe brakes, but he only uses toe brakes in conjunction with rudder. Then it “just works”