I went with the f16 but only because it just seems more aesthetically pleasing. Plus when I was a kid they had a base which flew them over town. So it was nostalgia based. They would take off like 5 at a time one after the other with afterburners. They had A10 prior to the F16 at the base so bought that module as well, not realizing its the hardest module so im sticking with 16 for now.
I WISH I could see the F-16 on a regular basis. I once saw a 4 ship come into the local civilian airport as I was walking into a local store. I was excited as hell!
Great video... and breaking down the differences and giving pointers on how to select the aircraft that is right for each individual's preferences. I too have always loved the F-16; however, I fly the Hornet because of carrier ops and in my opinion it is much easier to fly & mid-air refuel.
Thanks! Agreed, IF you could only get one of them, the Hornet is it. It gives you much more for your buck. I will stick with the F-16 though. I have heard from my dad from time to time that I must love punishment lol. Guess he is correct. 😂
Well said. I have both, but fly the Hornet most. The added flight deck crew functions just intensify the carrier experience. And landing on the carrier certainly is the difference-maker between Air Force and Navy ops.
For me, the targeting workflow in the F-16 was bewildering. When learning it, I was spending more time trying to figure out where the pod was looking and why it was looking there than I was doing actual productive tasks. And this is from someone with many hours in the Hog and Hornet. I just couldn't get comfortable with it.
Apart from "get both", if I really would have to select one only, it would be the Hornet. I like the flight model much more, carrier ops are an additional plus, it is quite easy to use advanced weapons / nav / FLIR, pods, waypoint programming. That said, I have few DCS Viper hours only, but I do know and love the Viper from Falcon 4 / BMS and some even older sims. Just zipping around a map can be more fun in the Viper (better visibility, more power), but e.g. high alpha maneuvers and a general feeling that it is not something flying on rails is better in the F/A-18. I wish they would include a F/A-18 A, though with some weapon restrictions and no GPS DCS can emulate that version (not in a perfect way of course). Generally, even the modern jets are IMHO more fun with older AA missiles. Anyway, fly Navy for me :-)
@@slowhornet4802 I will say one plus the hornet has over the Viper for me is how much stores it can carry on a single mission. The viper pretty much only has 2 stations for ground, because for most of the time you have to take wing tanks. I do however, love the challenge of fuel management so sometimes I just take the center and load up.
@@general_av8or well, the module I am waiting for can carry even less AG ordnance, and less fuel. It will not dominate BVR, and it will suck at WVR. But it fly faster than an F-16 :-)
Might be a weird reason but I really don't like the hornet cockpit in VR, whereas the F16 looks and feels awesome to me. I'm starting to get interested in carrier ops though and for that I'm tempted by the F14
F-14 is a great module. But it takes some time to use it in AG, and to get Jester aiming at the intended target. What makes it a great module to me is again the flight model, carrier ops, the mixture of vintage steam gauges and relative modern technology. Maybe with a human RIO it is even more fun? The 2 cockpits are a double edged sword. That is also one reasons why I will probably have many more hours in the F-104* than in the F-4E. F-4E means a lot of the complex tasks can be delegated to the virtual backseater, but that also makes gameplay feel a bit arcardy. (* that is if it hits DCS before I die.... not that young any more)
Part of me blames the weapon restrictions they placed on the Block 50/52 F-16 they decided to simulate (maybe because they learned their lesson on the Hornet, which carries everything). It's a fantastic SEAD aircraft -- the best in DCS. Hopefully with the new flight model tweaks they just implemented, it's a slightly better dogfighter, but I haven't really tested that out yet. It's supposed to bleed less energy on turns below certain speeds (corner velocity?), which should mean it's slightly easier to maintain your speed in a turn. But yeah, the jack-of-all-trades award goes to the Hornet. It might not be the best tool for every job, but it can do a pretty good job at anything except hauling cargo.
Two good fighter. Carrier ops for F18 is the thing whish make the difference. In addition the ventral air intake of the F-16 breaks the beautiful line of the plane.
Viper 100% Got hundreds of hours in F4.0 back in the day and grabbed the F-16 pre-order. Been patiently waiting for DCS to catch up with systems etc....getting better slowly.
I definitely agree here, the Viper is cool but the Hornet is more diverse. Being able to come from almost anywhere (i.e. carriers) and complete your mission is definitely worth it to me. Also the RWR is easier to read in the F/A-18 I feel like because it doesn't stop like in the F-16, it keeps screaming until the missle is gone 😂
How do you have more fun with it? The combination of it feeling more refined along with the flexibility on mission types and where you can fly out of, i.e. land base or carrier?
@ The design logic of the systems make more sense to me so it’s easier to learn. The carrier naval aspect. It’s more of a turn fighter than and energy fighter(or so I think anyway?) and that’s more fun to me. The ability to spaamram in bvr. The better selection of cruise missiles outweighs the cbu’s to me. And I’m a Marine veteran so I feel a little more connection. I got close air support from them. And the higher level of polish is nice. If something isn’t working I know I need to relearn it and it’s not a bug. Versus the 16 I have to figure out if it’s a bug or user error.
I got DCS a few days ago and I’m trying to figure out which aircraft would be the best fit for me. I can’t decide, but I’ve had my eye on the F-16. It’s a lot of money, so I want to make sure I don’t make the wrong choice. Which maps are particularly nice, just for flying over and getting some good video impressions?
My favorite maps are the Persian Gulf and Syria. Both of them have my favorite air bases I like to fly out of. Al Dhafra in the PG, and Incirlik in the Syria map. Both maps are fun, with a ton of mission options. Afghanistan I have not used much, because to me, I like realistic type things so I won't put MiGs flying around there because they don't have MiGs, that kind of stuff. I love the free Caucasus map and the terrain. Even though PG and Syria are my favorites; Kola, South Atlantic, Marianas all have descent mission capabilities if you use your imagination. I love the F-16, It is what I fly the most, and it is very fun on all the maps I have flown it on. Keep in mind, the modules go on sale multiple times throughout the year.
I agree with most of what you said, however in DCS it's just not true that the Viper is more manoeuvrable. The Hornet rates faster - and does so at a lower speed and is much much better in a one circle radius right.
From what I understand the Viper hates a one circle. I have seen people take it to a rate fight, low altitude and at about 400 to 450 knots. I have never been able to test that really, I ALWAYS end up pulling too hard and bleeding speed. It is VERY easy to bleed too much speed, with barely a pull in the Viper I have noticed.
Well, Hornet should be able to pull more g's at (relative) low speeds. Basically, to fly a tighter circle at same speed as your opponent means more g's. But the Viper (even the relative heavy versions) should have a much more pronounced energy advantage. There is a very old article of a Navy exchange pilot floating around in the internet. The pilot found that the F-16 was accelerating MUCH faster that then Hornet. He also concluded that the Hornet in a dogfight requires much more skill since the Viper can escape after an error much easier due to its high TWR.
@@slowhornet4802 The real Hornet/Viper and the DCS Hornet/Viper are totally different. The DCS model for one of both aircraft are fundamentally flawed. In DCS it's the Viper which is unable to escape from an error. It does have a high TWR however it seems that in DCS it's Thrust to Drag ratio is far too high and it cannot overcome the drag when it gets too slow.
i started flying with the f18 and now i have moved onto the f16. The biggest difference ive noticed is the f16 is if you wanna go dummy fast but you give up better situational awareness/radar etc and the f16 is a tad harder to fly since the hornet has a built in flight computer and the f16 does not. The f16 pretty much flys you, the hornet is just the opposite go slower than everyone else but you pretty much have the easiest plane to fly and the best of everything else. I genuinely miss the f18 but nothing tops the speed of the f16. And im not saying the f18 is slow it can get up there it just takes a long time and you also cant hold mach 1 on the deck, so in pvp i choose the f16 anyday.
Not sure what you mean with F-16 does not have a flight computer? Early F-16's had analogue flight computers, more recent versions have a digital flight computer. The "feeling" is different for a number of reasons.
@@unc4skn244 that's fine, I am also not really an expert. It is interesting that you feel the Viper is harder to fly. I think it is lighter and more nimble, which might contribute to the feeling that it is more difficult to fly. A navy exchange pilot compared the two aircraft. One thing he said was that the F-16 is easy to land, but difficult to make the landing look good. The Hornet is easier to that regard.
@ i just typed all this out and i accidentally deleted it so ima speed type it mb if you can’t read it.😭 i don’t necessarily think it’s really harder to fly than the hornet the biggest thing is the autopilot is completely different and not as good and it doesn’t automatically trim in flight for you unlike the hornet you have to do it all yourself but it’s unnoticeable once you get use to it and it also has its perks with the trimming but those are the two biggest things i miss from the f18 but landing in the viper is pretty similar to the hornet in difficulty once you figure it out like i can do it and make it look pretty with the wheelie lmao but in windy weather i can’t as good that’s the only time i struggle with the viper like when i need to use my rudders it just rocks back and forth out of control it could just be a skill issue thought tbh i haven’t figured it out yet but with the hornet i can slam that thing down anywhere with no issues so it’s mainly just that stuff i mentioned you get less quality of life improvements compared to the hornet in the viper and i guess that’s why i said it’s harder but you are correct on what you said
Why is there the title wich to choose? Just get both 😅 surely the cost Money but of you are into dcs your setup costs a lot more than these two modules in sale 😉
if you are new start with the Hornet after it you have to take the Viper the F18 are more advanced and easier to flay and has more payload the F16 is a beauty of DCS but in 80's serevers the Hornet domenates because of the Fox1 (AIM7 ) wich the Viper in DCS dosnt have the Viper CBU are better than the Hornet if you have money take them both and if you have more take the F15E
@@general_av8orI really enjoy the F-15E. I don’t fly it as much as I would like over other stuff right now and the only reason why is the Tpod they have is an old one so the zoom is pretty bad so you have to get pretty close, it’s missing a few weapons, missing datalink and a functioning WSO. If it had all of that, then it would be a completely different story. It’s a bomb truck, a crap ton of gas and the Radar is better than any plane in the game by a large margin.
@@mathewseverson8399 too bad it had all the dev issues and is not being updated any longer. I can see myself having a ton of fun in that thing. Punch and I would have been doing missions in it for sure!
F-18 - Feels more modern, most flushed out module, YOU CAN USE THE CARRIER, Carrier landings, and so much more. I don't see how its even a convo...just wait to get the f16 on sale but get good at the F 18 first.
I feel like the F-16 never does. There is so much to do when it comes to planning and executing the missions. I enjoy having to plan the loadout and fuel management to best complete the mission.
Awesome vid. I'll go with the hornet as it's easy to fly and can pretty much do everything including carrier ops. f-16 is fun though.
Thanks! Agreed. I think if you can only do one, the Hornet has to be it.
I went with the f16 but only because it just seems more aesthetically pleasing. Plus when I was a kid they had a base which flew them over town. So it was nostalgia based. They would take off like 5 at a time one after the other with afterburners. They had A10 prior to the F16 at the base so bought that module as well, not realizing its the hardest module so im sticking with 16 for now.
I WISH I could see the F-16 on a regular basis. I once saw a 4 ship come into the local civilian airport as I was walking into a local store. I was excited as hell!
Great video... and breaking down the differences and giving pointers on how to select the aircraft that is right for each individual's preferences. I too have always loved the F-16; however, I fly the Hornet because of carrier ops and in my opinion it is much easier to fly & mid-air refuel.
Thanks! Agreed, IF you could only get one of them, the Hornet is it. It gives you much more for your buck. I will stick with the F-16 though. I have heard from my dad from time to time that I must love punishment lol. Guess he is correct. 😂
Well said. I have both, but fly the Hornet most. The added flight deck crew functions just intensify the carrier experience. And landing on the carrier certainly is the difference-maker between Air Force and Navy ops.
The new deck crew stuff is amazing!
Another cool F18's exclusive ammunition are TALDs, very useful against SAM sites.
TALDS are an honorable mention for sure! I can't believe I forgot to mention them. They are VERY helpful against land, and sea based SAM sites!
100% Viper. Nothing comes close in DCS for VR flying.
Agreed, you can't bet the view.
F18 was my first love on this game. It’s where it all started.
I can see why. The Hornet is a lot of fun!
The one that you like most. F-16 for me. Love the HOTAS setup, much better than the 18.
Agreed!
For me, the targeting workflow in the F-16 was bewildering. When learning it, I was spending more time trying to figure out where the pod was looking and why it was looking there than I was doing actual productive tasks. And this is from someone with many hours in the Hog and Hornet. I just couldn't get comfortable with it.
Apart from "get both", if I really would have to select one only, it would be the Hornet.
I like the flight model much more, carrier ops are an additional plus, it is quite easy to use advanced weapons / nav / FLIR, pods, waypoint programming. That said, I have few DCS Viper hours only, but I do know and love the Viper from Falcon 4 / BMS and some even older sims.
Just zipping around a map can be more fun in the Viper (better visibility, more power), but e.g. high alpha maneuvers and a general feeling that it is not something flying on rails is better in the F/A-18. I wish they would include a F/A-18 A, though with some weapon restrictions and no GPS DCS can emulate that version (not in a perfect way of course).
Generally, even the modern jets are IMHO more fun with older AA missiles.
Anyway, fly Navy for me :-)
@@slowhornet4802 I will say one plus the hornet has over the Viper for me is how much stores it can carry on a single mission. The viper pretty much only has 2 stations for ground, because for most of the time you have to take wing tanks. I do however, love the challenge of fuel management so sometimes I just take the center and load up.
@@general_av8or well, the module I am waiting for can carry even less AG ordnance, and less fuel. It will not dominate BVR, and it will suck at WVR. But it fly faster than an F-16 :-)
Might be a weird reason but I really don't like the hornet cockpit in VR, whereas the F16 looks and feels awesome to me. I'm starting to get interested in carrier ops though and for that I'm tempted by the F14
Can't beat the view in the F-16. I have the F14 but have not gotten into it really.
F-14 is a great module. But it takes some time to use it in AG, and to get Jester aiming at the intended target. What makes it a great module to me is again the flight model, carrier ops, the mixture of vintage steam gauges and relative modern technology.
Maybe with a human RIO it is even more fun? The 2 cockpits are a double edged sword. That is also one reasons why I will probably have many more hours in the F-104* than in the F-4E.
F-4E means a lot of the complex tasks can be delegated to the virtual backseater, but that also makes gameplay feel a bit arcardy.
(* that is if it hits DCS before I die.... not that young any more)
Part of me blames the weapon restrictions they placed on the Block 50/52 F-16 they decided to simulate (maybe because they learned their lesson on the Hornet, which carries everything). It's a fantastic SEAD aircraft -- the best in DCS. Hopefully with the new flight model tweaks they just implemented, it's a slightly better dogfighter, but I haven't really tested that out yet. It's supposed to bleed less energy on turns below certain speeds (corner velocity?), which should mean it's slightly easier to maintain your speed in a turn.
But yeah, the jack-of-all-trades award goes to the Hornet. It might not be the best tool for every job, but it can do a pretty good job at anything except hauling cargo.
That is one thing I wish I could do was carry different weapons on the Viper. Sometimes it does fell kind of the same, loading up with jdams and gbus
Two good fighter.
Carrier ops for F18 is the thing whish make the difference.
In addition the ventral air intake of the F-16 breaks the beautiful line of the plane.
Carrier ops are very fun! Especially with the new deck crew additions!
Viper 100% Got hundreds of hours in F4.0 back in the day and grabbed the F-16 pre-order. Been patiently waiting for DCS to catch up with systems etc....getting better slowly.
I have been waiting for the towed decoys in DCS for the Viper!
I definitely agree here, the Viper is cool but the Hornet is more diverse. Being able to come from almost anywhere (i.e. carriers) and complete your mission is definitely worth it to me. Also the RWR is easier to read in the F/A-18 I feel like because it doesn't stop like in the F-16, it keeps screaming until the missle is gone 😂
The RWR in the F-16 don't usually stop for me until I get hit by the missile 🤣
i was thinking about it and ended up getting f14 never looked back
Good deal, glad you like the F-14. I have it but haven't done anything with it.
None. Pick the Jeff!!
On a serious note, it's the Viper for me, hands down.
Love the video!
Good choice!
I've been trying hard to fall in love with the Viper. I's really great. But then I still end up arty-busting in the Harrier
The Harrier is fun too, once you realize that your weight REALLY matters when vertical landing lol
Harrier with the F10 map marker target hand-off is almost like cheating 😀
Life is short, get both. (On sale.) They're both a ton of fun.
Agreed! On sale is the way to go!
I prefer the F-18. I have more fun with it and it feels more refined as a module. Both are great options though😊
F 18 is the way to go, F 16 is really fun to fly in VR due to the canopy.
How do you have more fun with it? The combination of it feeling more refined along with the flexibility on mission types and where you can fly out of, i.e. land base or carrier?
@ The design logic of the systems make more sense to me so it’s easier to learn. The carrier naval aspect. It’s more of a turn fighter than and energy fighter(or so I think anyway?) and that’s more fun to me. The ability to spaamram in bvr. The better selection of cruise missiles outweighs the cbu’s to me. And I’m a Marine veteran so I feel a little more connection. I got close air support from them. And the higher level of polish is nice. If something isn’t working I know I need to relearn it and it’s not a bug. Versus the 16 I have to figure out if it’s a bug or user error.
If anyone is wiggling between 16 and 18, just buy 17. I mean, JF-17😅
😆 there is an option I didn't consider, just splitting the two
Actually, not a bad proposal. The JF-17 is q very well done module.
Viper
💯
I got DCS a few days ago and I’m trying to figure out which aircraft would be the best fit for me. I can’t decide, but I’ve had my eye on the F-16. It’s a lot of money, so I want to make sure I don’t make the wrong choice. Which maps are particularly nice, just for flying over and getting some good video impressions?
My favorite maps are the Persian Gulf and Syria. Both of them have my favorite air bases I like to fly out of. Al Dhafra in the PG, and Incirlik in the Syria map. Both maps are fun, with a ton of mission options. Afghanistan I have not used much, because to me, I like realistic type things so I won't put MiGs flying around there because they don't have MiGs, that kind of stuff. I love the free Caucasus map and the terrain. Even though PG and Syria are my favorites; Kola, South Atlantic, Marianas all have descent mission capabilities if you use your imagination. I love the F-16, It is what I fly the most, and it is very fun on all the maps I have flown it on. Keep in mind, the modules go on sale multiple times throughout the year.
I would say the cheaper option is to get the F18 in DCS and the F16 in BMS
That is another option, but I will stick with DCS :)
Hornet...for the carrier ops
That is a big plus. Adds an extra dimension to your missions.
That's easy, get both :)
💯
I agree with most of what you said, however in DCS it's just not true that the Viper is more manoeuvrable. The Hornet rates faster - and does so at a lower speed and is much much better in a one circle radius right.
From what I understand the Viper hates a one circle. I have seen people take it to a rate fight, low altitude and at about 400 to 450 knots. I have never been able to test that really, I ALWAYS end up pulling too hard and bleeding speed. It is VERY easy to bleed too much speed, with barely a pull in the Viper I have noticed.
Well, Hornet should be able to pull more g's at (relative) low speeds. Basically, to fly a tighter circle at same speed as your opponent means more g's. But the Viper (even the relative heavy versions) should have a much more pronounced energy advantage. There is a very old article of a Navy exchange pilot floating around in the internet. The pilot found that the F-16 was accelerating MUCH faster that then Hornet. He also concluded that the Hornet in a dogfight requires much more skill since the Viper can escape after an error much easier due to its high TWR.
@@slowhornet4802 The real Hornet/Viper and the DCS Hornet/Viper are totally different. The DCS model for one of both aircraft are fundamentally flawed. In DCS it's the Viper which is unable to escape from an error. It does have a high TWR however it seems that in DCS it's Thrust to Drag ratio is far too high and it cannot overcome the drag when it gets too slow.
Hornet. Of course
Even though I do love the F-16, I will have to admit, the Hornet is fun as hell
whichever one you find cooler. the end.
Well said. Viper for me!
i started flying with the f18 and now i have moved onto the f16. The biggest difference ive noticed is the f16 is if you wanna go dummy fast but you give up better situational awareness/radar etc and the f16 is a tad harder to fly since the hornet has a built in flight computer and the f16 does not. The f16 pretty much flys you, the hornet is just the opposite go slower than everyone else but you pretty much have the easiest plane to fly and the best of everything else. I genuinely miss the f18 but nothing tops the speed of the f16. And im not saying the f18 is slow it can get up there it just takes a long time and you also cant hold mach 1 on the deck, so in pvp i choose the f16 anyday.
Well said!
Not sure what you mean with F-16 does not have a flight computer? Early F-16's had analogue flight computers, more recent versions have a digital flight computer.
The "feeling" is different for a number of reasons.
@@slowhornet4802 hey bro im not an expert thats just what ive heard from multiple people
@@unc4skn244 that's fine, I am also not really an expert. It is interesting that you feel the Viper is harder to fly. I think it is lighter and more nimble, which might contribute to the feeling that it is more difficult to fly. A navy exchange pilot compared the two aircraft. One thing he said was that the F-16 is easy to land, but difficult to make the landing look good. The Hornet is easier to that regard.
@ i just typed all this out and i accidentally deleted it so ima speed type it mb if you can’t read it.😭 i don’t necessarily think it’s really harder to fly than the hornet the biggest thing is the autopilot is completely different and not as good and it doesn’t automatically trim in flight for you unlike the hornet you have to do it all yourself but it’s unnoticeable once you get use to it and it also has its perks with the trimming but those are the two biggest things i miss from the f18 but landing in the viper is pretty similar to the hornet in difficulty once you figure it out like i can do it and make it look pretty with the wheelie lmao but in windy weather i can’t as good that’s the only time i struggle with the viper like when i need to use my rudders it just rocks back and forth out of control it could just be a skill issue thought tbh i haven’t figured it out yet but with the hornet i can slam that thing down anywhere with no issues so it’s mainly just that stuff i mentioned you get less quality of life improvements compared to the hornet in the viper and i guess that’s why i said it’s harder but you are correct on what you said
CBU 105s are pronounced wikem-D, not wikmid. Just so you know.
Thanks for the correction!
F16
For sure!
Why is there the title wich to choose? Just get both 😅 surely the cost Money but of you are into dcs your setup costs a lot more than these two modules in sale 😉
And Both are Great modules And a lot of Fun 😊
Agreed. Getting both on sale is the true pick.
if you are new start with the Hornet after it you have to take the Viper
the F18 are more advanced and easier to flay and has more payload
the F16 is a beauty of DCS
but in 80's serevers the Hornet domenates because of the Fox1 (AIM7 ) wich the Viper in DCS dosnt have
the Viper CBU are better than the Hornet
if you have money take them both and if you have more take the F15E
I was about to get the F15E, but held off due to the dev issues. Not sure its being updated anymore?
@@general_av8or
no it did not but it's worth every buck
it is so well made and so good looking jet
@@3dmax911 It is pretty bad ass looking.
@@general_av8orI really enjoy the F-15E. I don’t fly it as much as I would like over other stuff right now and the only reason why is the Tpod they have is an old one so the zoom is pretty bad so you have to get pretty close, it’s missing a few weapons, missing datalink and a functioning WSO. If it had all of that, then it would be a completely different story. It’s a bomb truck, a crap ton of gas and the Radar is better than any plane in the game by a large margin.
@@mathewseverson8399 too bad it had all the dev issues and is not being updated any longer. I can see myself having a ton of fun in that thing. Punch and I would have been doing missions in it for sure!
F-18 - Feels more modern, most flushed out module, YOU CAN USE THE CARRIER, Carrier landings, and so much more. I don't see how its even a convo...just wait to get the f16 on sale but get good at the F 18 first.
Good advice. Just get em both on sale and problem solved!
F18 gets boring
I feel like the F-16 never does. There is so much to do when it comes to planning and executing the missions. I enjoy having to plan the loadout and fuel management to best complete the mission.
Both lol
Agreed!