Which Modern Full Fidelity Module would you recommend?

DD_Fenrir · January 17, 2023

This question was posed by @Friar a couple of nights ago during a Scooter session and it reminded me of a response I had posted at ED forums to a question of F/A-18 vs F-14 discussion. I thought I'd include it here for information and further dicussion:

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Hornet challenges:

1. Remembering the avionics management steps required at any given moment to accomplish the mission

2. Fuel!

3. Energy/AoA management - it's easy to get slow very quickly in the Hornet thanks to the carefree handling but not so easy to get fast again

4. Throttle response - or more accurately lack thereof! The lag between your demand for more power and the downright laissez-faire attitude with which the Hornet responds is the most challenging part of getting back aboard the boat [not quite so bad these days as the throttle response has been improved... Fen]

Tomcat challenges

1. No G-limiter - flight control systems will not restrict your surface displacements to keep the jet within structural limits. Ham-fistery, particularly at higher airspeeds will be rewarded with many broken things...

2. High AoA handling - you'll soon discover what those pedals down by your feet are for! And fighting years and years and years of instinctively ingrained behaviour by trying not to use any lateral stick when attempting to accomplish rolling manoeuvres above 18 units AoA will definitely bamboozle you!

3. No AMRAAM - used to breaking defensive away from your target when your Slammer goes pitbull in a medium range fight? Not any more! If you're outta Phoenixes, then you'll be throwing Sparrows and you gotta track that sumbitch all the way in....

4. No stand-off Ground attack - when you're A2G in the Cat you're more likely to be in the WEZ of the ADAs at your target. Better plan your attack axis carefully and/or coordinate with friends [not quite so bad these days with the Lantirn and Laser Guided Bombs but still a factor... Fen]

5. You are the system integrator! No SA page in the Cat, so you have to reference the radar/RWR and keep the threat picture mentally (though the datalink and ground stabilised TID helps...)

6. AWG-9 - at the one moment a powerful and indispensable ally and at others a frustratingly limited and expensive piece of ballast; know and understand what it's good at and colour your tactics to make the best of it (i.e. don't point it towards mountains looking for that low level pop-up group AWACS just called and expect to see owt..)

7. That's One Big Pussy, or "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat!": most of what you face A2A is smaller than you and harder to see; you, on the other hand, are flying something with the lifting area equivalent to two tennis courts. If you lose sight of him, he ain't lost sight of you!

8. In(ish) the Groove: Hornet goes where your velocity vector is pointed; the Cat goes where it's inertia is taking it. No secondary surfaces will move automatically to keep the plane going where you pointed it; flying down to the carrier this really shows and requires deliberate but precise coordinated control inputs when making corrections cos it is super easy to over do it and end up looking like a tribute to Cougar's freaked-out approach from the Topgun movie.

That said, I like the Hornet but I love the Tomcat. Must be a masochist!