3/2/2024 0 Comments F18 cockpit dcs![]() The fly-by-wire system that controls the jet intervenes and manages all stick inputs and helps you fly the aircraft. This gives the jet enormous potential for agility but to make it a competent aircraft for human pilots, computer control is required. This is an aircraft that is, like the F-16, inherently unstable by design. This project has had a significant impact on DCS World even if you fly other jets and I think that’s worth noting. That list includse more sophisticated air-to-air radar modeling, the air-to-ground radar system (and associated APIs for third parties), helmet mounted displays, CATOBAR style aircraft carrier operations with both the free USS Stennis as well as the separate DCS: Supercarrier module, and Link16 datalink functionality as just some of the technology that has been developed.Īll of these technologies have been foundational and much of it has been pushed along by the introduction of the Hornet. Some of those technologies we now take for granted in DCS World were not present in any sophisticated way back in 2017 when it first released into early access. The Hornet is such a versatile aircraft that it has been used as a platform to build technology that has since gone on to be shared by multiple aircraft across the whole of the simulation. That has come with some growing pains but we’ll get to that. It has been a trailblazer for the DCS World series on a whole and it has paved the way for other modules by both Eagle Dynamics and by other third party developers. The introduction of the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet into DCS World has been a significant one. However, over time the capability of the jet would prove itself to the point where the Hornet and follow-on Super Hornet have come to dominate the carrier decks of US Navy carriers for the last 30 years. Like some more recent fighter projects, the F/A-18 Hornet had a protracted development period and the advanced nature of the jet’s systems made it initially more expensive than planned for. The F/A designation was born and the US Navy picked the F/A-18 Hornet to take on the task. The F-18 and A-18 were intended to use a modified YF-17 design with different avionics packages and common parts depending on the fighter or attack roles that the Navy wanted to focus on.Īround this time, the microprocessor revolution was starting to take hold and it became possible to glue the fighter and attack versions together with just a single avionics package enabling one jet to take on a number of different roles. McDonnell Douglas pitched two aircraft using a single airframe. That was not to be the end of the story for the YF-17 however.Īt around the same time, the US Navy was looking towards developing a new attack and fighter platform to replace a myriad of types that were occupying its flight decks. ![]() The Lockheed’s YF-16 would win the competition and go on to become the multi-role F-16 fighter that we all know. That led to two prototypes, the YF-16 and YF-17, that were ultimately designed and flown. But it was too expensive to field in the numbers needed so a lighter and simpler fighter was needed to fill in the “low” part of the capability mix. The F-15 was already becoming established as a high capability fighter with the performance and weapons load to tackle the best fighters around. The concept was called “high-low” and the idea was to create two series of fighters. The F/A-18 Hornet has a unique history that connects it with the USAF’s light fighter project. And now, on with the Hornet review! A bit of historyĪs is my style, I always like to start with the real world history of the airplane and then tie that into the review of the virtual version. Also, if you’re a fan of the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet and you want something with some Stormbirds flair, scroll to the end for a special bonus. Hopefully this review will help you decide if this is something you want to purchase. As popular as the Hornet already is, not everyone has it and plenty of new DCS World virtual pilots are asking if its the jet for them. ![]() Now that they have put most (though not quite all) of the finishing touches on the jet I figure early 2023 is a good time to review the F/A-18C for DCS World. In the years since Eagle Dynamics released the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet, I’ve never actually written a full review of the aircraft and I thought it was long past due that I close that gap.
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