Check out the Merch Store: growling-sidewinder.creator-spring.com Maybe also important to mention that one of the major reasons the Tomcat was retired was its High maintenance cost, it wasn't all about the combat capability. Hope you guys enjoyed the video thank you for watching.

@jamison884

2 жыл бұрын

I know the F-14 and AIM-54 are legendary, but I think the F-18 is suffering from the penalty being applied to all assets in DCS as they edge closer to present-day technology: classified information and current variants not present within DCS. You properly label the video with the F-18C, but I think a lot of casual viewers aren't taking into account the improvements from the C/D to the E/F variants, on top of the capabilities of the AIM-120D over the AIM-120C. It's absolutely not your job to do so, but I think adding in a relatively small "analysis" of DCS versus reality in videos like this would be really useful and interesting for many viewers and give a boost to your content. Basically, see what professional defense analysts believe per public data (Google) and throw in some knowledge bombs for the audience to ponder as they watch some old 1980s/1990s tech go at it. The avionics differences alone would make a large difference in evaluating actual present-day carrier air wing performance; I don't believe AESA is modeled in DCS? Thanks for the video as always! 💙🦏

@Hackspear214

2 жыл бұрын

@Zechariah Goldsworthy He’s already done this matchup.

@connorsutherland2005

2 жыл бұрын

Can you please put the P-51 vs the Spitfire?

@jwagner1993

2 жыл бұрын

F-14 was shot down by politicians and preference lobby

@laughingdaffodils5450

2 жыл бұрын

@Zechariah Goldsworthy 16 Sabers, 1 Raptor, fight to the death.

DCS needs to become a full-blown e-sport, this is better then television.

@jasskeeper8152

2 жыл бұрын

agreee!

@GuangkaZ

2 жыл бұрын

*than*

@connorAv8

2 жыл бұрын

So down for that

@therocinante3443

2 жыл бұрын

That's an excellent idea

@chrisblake5008

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed

"Who's the better pilot?" "It's a nice moment, let's not ruin it."

@DuckyForPrez

2 жыл бұрын

good scene good scene

@peterweller8583

2 жыл бұрын

Ice man save your voice

@hellogoodbye388

2 жыл бұрын

Good culture 👌

@Spikyzzzz

2 жыл бұрын

hah!

@shengyi1701

2 жыл бұрын

Sad Iceman passed away but as a good wingman and Commander of the Pacific Fleet, he was always watching over him

“132 lbs of high explosive, jammed into a boat, launched at Mach 5.” This might be the best sentence I’ve ever heard.

Former Tomcat and Super Hornet pilot "Jungle" Jones on the Tomcast said this about both aircraft. "If you had two newer pilots flying against each other, the Hornet would always win. If they were both veteran pilots, the Tomcat would always win."

@Haya-OhWaves

2 жыл бұрын

I'm a cat person and this quote is sooooooo satisfying... 😉

@MetaliCanuck

2 жыл бұрын

Not true at all, dusted many F14s back in the days in mock myself. In fact made some look very stupid and eat their own words, yes veteran F14 pilots also. All in a F18A. The audacity of some people is hilarious. There's a reason the F14 was retired, don't believe all that maintenance talk, thats all smoke and mirrors.

@tetraxis3011

2 жыл бұрын

@@MetaliCanuck By your tone, I think YOU are the liar, not him.

@mathgasm8484

2 жыл бұрын

F16 rules them all.

@sledgehammerk35

2 жыл бұрын

@@MetaliCanuck take it up with Tomcast.

if you're watching this and it's not in HD I apologize it's just youtube taking longer to process it, it will eventually be 4k.

@lucascsog1364

2 жыл бұрын

Was kinda wondering why it's 720p, no problem though

@Smokeyr67

2 жыл бұрын

Mate, I’m watching this on an IPad via 4g internet, 480 is a bonus!

@vczs

2 жыл бұрын

Who cares about the HD? We're here for the good old Tomcat!

@TheRealVranesh

2 жыл бұрын

Now imagine an upgraded F14 with 2010s tech 🤯🤯

@Anarchy_420

2 жыл бұрын

Please try this again in The F-18 Super Hornet!👍

I don't always like to see Growling Sidewinder lose, but when I do, it's to an F-14 Tomcat.

@CrotchRocket78

2 жыл бұрын

I tell him every F14 vid that hes going against it, i root for him to lose.

@truthseeker9454

2 жыл бұрын

Stay thirsty, my friend.

@katherineberger6329

Жыл бұрын

Or when he's in a Flanker getting formed up on by an F-22 Raptor.

@dakotaclement7751

Жыл бұрын

@@katherineberger6329 funniest video he has

@dobermanproductions8184

Жыл бұрын

Haha, same bro.

"132 pounds of high explosive, stuffed into a boat, launched at mach 5" needs to be a shirt. lol

@brayden1562

2 жыл бұрын

I would buy this.

See here’s the thing, the Tomcat gets you on the defensive earlier, so even if all the aim-54s miss by the time you merge, you’ll theoretically be in a worse kinematic position

@Noisy_Cricket

2 жыл бұрын

Also, in a real scenario where they kept the Tomcat, the Phoenix would have improved drastically over the years. Especially with that massive circumference to house a radar seeker.

@felixgutierrez993

Жыл бұрын

@@Noisy_Cricket That's if they choose to keep the Phoenix missiles that long enough for improvement or a new doctrine of fighting emerges. As essentially all the Phoenixs did here was a super expensive way of just baiting out the F/A-18c into defending himself.

@tinglydingle

Жыл бұрын

@@Noisy_Cricket More likely was that the Tomcat would have been given the AMRAAM.

@Miratesus

Жыл бұрын

@@tinglydingle Yes the F-14D was capable of usinng the AMRAAM, They were never deployed however.

@tinglydingle

Жыл бұрын

@@Miratesus I think you're mistaken, an AMRAAM update was part of the planned upgrades to F-14 for the D model, but was cancelled; no F-14 was capable of firing the AMRAAM.

I have never seen the F18 turned into a paddle board before. Very interesting strategy to keep hitting the notch hoping he runs out of missiles.

@Dieselbuilder

2 жыл бұрын

This is predicated on the fact that he knows there is a tomcat out there gunning for him so does preemptive notches. How different would it have been if he was just on patrol and not "expecting" the tomcat to be there?

@dsdy1205

2 жыл бұрын

@@Dieselbuilder you can't notch without the Tomcat painting you and hence ending up on your RWR. So by definition if you're notching you've already been alerted to the Tomcat's presence

@Dieselbuilder

2 жыл бұрын

@@dsdy1205 but he stated that he didn't have a RWR contact yet but he knew that the tomcat could probably see him so he did a preemptive notch.

@dsdy1205

2 жыл бұрын

@@Dieselbuilder ah sorry

@thumpusthewumpus8946

2 жыл бұрын

@@Dieselbuilder if you’re flying against a country with tomcats, you’re *going* to expect a tomcat to be out there, especially with AWACS in the air and Datalink scanning.

They both fill their roles. No such thing as a perfect airframe/platform. The hornet platform has seen great success as a very versatile platform with air to ground missions.

@brianwright9514

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the Bug was an excellent light attack aircraft that has an air-air side mission. The Tomcat was an excellent Air Superiority fighter that had a ground attack side mission. ST21 probably would have been the best at both missions until taken over by 5th gen.

@peterweller8583

2 жыл бұрын

@@brianwright9514 I assume you are referring to the Hornet. I've heard it called a Rino.

@joshburke4083

2 жыл бұрын

​@@peterweller8583 Rhino is Super Hornet.

@jennyarriola324

2 жыл бұрын

The F 14D Tomcat was actually the bomb platform of choice by grunts on the ground during OEF.

@Paxton171

2 жыл бұрын

F-14 was never really used as an A2G fighter the option was there, but not I don't think it was ever used. At the time the A-6 was the A2G carrier aircraft. One of the F/A-18 was selected was because efficient with space on a carrier. A multirole goes a long way of filling two roles instead of sharing space for two different planes.

Retired too soon and never fully replaced, apg-71 radar would be locking up targets 470 miles away if it was still in service. Aim-54d or E variant by now and with 1.3 Mach cruise would of been a dream

@andreabindolini7452

2 жыл бұрын

This would apply to any fighter. It is a rule that any abandoned project seems better than the stuff we have now. Interesting psychology. The Hornet too has a couple of "what if", for example the "Super Hornet 2000" proposal, a contender for the Eurofighter.

@TexanHuman

Жыл бұрын

Tell that to the Pentagon’s budget folks…

@gaiofattos2

Жыл бұрын

I've heard that what replaced the F-14 wasn't the hornet but the increase of naval fleet protection systems like the SM-2 and 3 projects.

@jayss10

Жыл бұрын

Never fully replaced the capabilities, but it had to go away. The original A and A+(B) airframes were just flat beat. If you read up about the maintenance and man hours it took to keep the aircraft mission ready you would understand why. Even the D version technology wise was way behind other fighter aircraft at this point. It was time and the Navy was hoping the F35 was going to be online alot sooner than it was.

@reltius2993

Жыл бұрын

Something else we can blame Dick Cheney for

The Lot 20 Hornet in DCS is lightyears more advanced than the late 60s early 70s avionics in the DCS Tomcat, the Tomcats advantages are all kinematic. It can get higher, faster, and go farther with missiles that do the same. Your doing a great job of discussing those differences and showing how to fight them from the Hornet driver perspective. There are a few other tricks a Tomcat crew can do (need a human RIO) to mitigate some of your counters too. This match can really come down to crew.

@williamjr5825

2 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣 so and upgraded tomcat or the ast tomcat with upgraded avionics won’t outperform a short leg hornet lol tomcat 21 would smoke a f22 you can always upgrade the avionics missile etc etc but can’t change platform kinematic design without designing a whole new aircraft

@kenchen704

2 жыл бұрын

@@williamjr5825 can’t smoke the F22 when you get shot down without even knowing where the missile came from

@vexingrabbit1824

2 жыл бұрын

You do realize that the F-14 won this engagement right? with Jester too and if you think the tomcats advantages are all kinematic then I might going to laugh. Sure it's strongest points are getting to fire it's Fox 3s at the longest range and it can also win a dogfight easy in visual engagements as the tomcat can nearly out turn 99% of any fighter in DCS. The hornet is a jack of trades but a master of none. The one thing I think the hornet does better in dogfighting is that it's easier to fly and with it easy radar systems.

@williamjr5825

2 жыл бұрын

@@vexingrabbit1824 while me and the American doctrine agree the age of dogfighting is over you stil on about dogfighting 🤣🤣🤣 sensors radars are getting better strap on a hypersonic missile a bomber kill any fighter anytime

@thomaskok5773

2 жыл бұрын

“It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot.” “What is achievable comes down to the pilot in the box.”

Learning about the Tomcat's history and capabilities has definitely helped me come to appreciate it more than I did in the past. Always saw it as The Plane That Top Gun Fans Rave About Even Though The F-15 Is /Right There/, but realising just how huge its engagement range is really helps put into perspective what an important plane it was for the future of BVR.

@Tomcat_Coyote

Жыл бұрын

From a purely aesthetic point of view , the Tomcat is the most beautiful jet fighter ever made . And i say that as someone who doesn't really like modern aviation altogether . It's sleek , has harmonious and pleasing curves and a smooth design , unlike more modern fighters that barf random polygons for wings ...

@dakotaclement7751

Жыл бұрын

@@Tomcat_Coyote well the wing shape in modern jets is to negate radar. Not really random

@Tomcat_Coyote

Жыл бұрын

@@dakotaclement7751 I know it's not random , i'm just saying it looks like randomly shaped polygons jutting out from the airframe . Not to mention , it's not negating radars since stealth fighters can be tracked on radar like any other aircraft , they can just get further before being locked and potentially lose a radar tracking faster than non-stealth .

@oot007

Жыл бұрын

As much as I love the F15 it can't replicate what the F14 does without significant changes otherwise the Navy would have used it. To make the F15 land and take off from a carrier and be able to use the Phoenix missile which was a Navy requirement at the time required thousands of extra kg weight which meant it was not feasible.

@johndettman4683

Жыл бұрын

@@Tomcat_Coyote Love the F-14 but I'm more partial to f-4 phantoms and f-104 stargazer both were crazy planes in their day love them beauties..

Hornet: "I'll get up close and finish this fight!" Tomcat: "I'll end it before you even get close." ... is what I wish it would say. But this sentence practically describes the two different roles these aircraft have. Great video. 👍

@andreabindolini7452

2 жыл бұрын

Aside from the abysmal combat radius, a current Super Hornet armed with Amraams, frankly, is vastly superior to any Tomcat armed with Phoenix. And you can have twice the firepower for the same cost. I'm not saying that one is better than the other: is difficult to compare fighters from different eras, conceived to fill different roles.

@randomrandomnesss2188

2 жыл бұрын

@@andreabindolini7452 there’s also the maintenance to flight hour ratio. I believe the hornet is something like 6:1 maintenance to flight where the tomcat was much higher at around 12:1. I still believe the tomcat was a better air to air platform, but the hornet is more versatile and cost efficient.

@johnhermann7498

2 жыл бұрын

@@andreabindolini7452 - Not just abysmal range, but the lack of speed... The "fact" of the matter is that a modern Tomcat would be armed with AMRAAMs as well and I think the Tomcat would still come out on top.

@andreabindolini7452

2 жыл бұрын

@@randomrandomnesss2188 The Tomcat inherited various components from the F-111B: engines, radar, main armament. Consequently, the design was kinda a compromise, primarily needed to assure the bring back of the costly Phoenix missiles. It was a brilliant design, actually lighter than a fixed-wing design intended to achieve the same results with the technology of the time. But a complex design, outclassed by newer and more modern configurations (compare with the far simpler, fixed wing on the F-15), costly, a nightmare to mantain... in the tight spaces of an aircraft carrier. And conceived for virtually a single role... that gradually vanished over time.

@jamison884

2 жыл бұрын

Rhino: "I pity the fool who thinks DCS even knows me." Yeah, the Rhino is literally Mr. T.

The closer you get, the more you should consider a 4- or 6-bar scan. You already have his rough azimuth from the RWR, you were just looking a tad too high with the radar. And the 2-bar scan gets real narrow in elevation up close.

@cas343

2 жыл бұрын

@Bu8813z It's considerably wider than the HUD is though. You can lock things well outside of the azimuth of the HUD.

@thumpusthewumpus8946

2 жыл бұрын

@@cas343 that’s why he said HMCS and not HUD

@cas343

2 жыл бұрын

@@thumpusthewumpus8946 He said hud also. And the HMCS does show planes that are locked on it.

I think in terms of these two aricraft the line from Top Gun Maverick "It's the pilot, not the plane" is actually very true.

@gillhewerfamily6550

2 жыл бұрын

It's how well the pilot can make use of the plane. There's the planes capabilities, and the pilot's ability to make use of the capabilities of their bird.

@bri-manhunter2654

2 жыл бұрын

@@gillhewerfamily6550. Exactly

Even for its age, the sheer amount of offensive pressure the tomcat can provide from range is impressive. I understand the budget, upkeep and personnel requirements, but getting rid of her was a huge mistake. Your understanding of the defensive offense is great btw. Always learn something watching your channel.

@henryofskalitz2228

Жыл бұрын

When a 14 is in the sky everybody's head turns towards her

@stevepalpatine2828

2 ай бұрын

She was getting old, and replacing the wing pivots would have been extremely costly and a major hassle, and thats before you even get into all the other stuff you'd have to swap out to keep them viable in the current environment. That said the F 14 was an amazing platform, it'd be interesting to see how a complete overhaul like the F 18 had for the Super Hornet variant would have gone.

Seems like a good tactic to defeat notching would be to fire missiles in pairs. Crank one direction, fire, then crank the opposite direction and fire a second, so they come in from different angles.

@espressocookie8965

Жыл бұрын

When they're as far away as they were, you'd need to fly for so long to get any real change in direction that the F-18 would have already notched the first missile.

@devnandannair2336

9 ай бұрын

the way the F-14's phoenixes work is that they're basically fox 1s till pitbull, so that wouldn't work unless you had AMRAAMs so that you could break lock with one so that they can only notch one.

Imagine F14 gets the same treatment as other 4th gen+ fighters, how scary is that...

Today, I saw a Tomcat setting in the runway when landing at the IFN and man that was beautiful 😍❤️ Thanks for the video.

@IRUKANJI

2 жыл бұрын

What a glorious sighting. One I fear I will never be able to know.

@giantnanomachine

2 жыл бұрын

@@IRUKANJI go to NYC, to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. See a Tomcat (and a Phoenix missile (training one I think)) from a few meters away. Next to a Blackbird, and a Viper. With a Concorde next to the CV. And a friggin Space Shuttle in the hangar on top of the rear of the flight deck.

@Kotai-Matrix69

2 жыл бұрын

Where?

@pouyahallaj4445

2 жыл бұрын

@@giantnanomachine that's a sight I wish I was able to see😂❤️

@pouyahallaj4445

2 жыл бұрын

@@Kotai-Matrix69 Isfahan International airport in Iran wich is next to the Isfahan Airbase, home of the some Persian Tomcats

Once the initial missile volley is launched, the F14 maintains a clear 30-50% speed advantage for the rest of the fight. A sure fire method for getting away from incoming shots and pressing your own advantage. I also believe that TLC must be quite proficient with the F-14. Plus it helped it was a B model.

I really would have loved to see the Super Tomcat idea come to life. Such a beautiful jet

The missile knows where it is at all times, it knows this because it knows where it isn't. By substracting where it is from where it isn`t, or where it isn`t from where it is, whichever is greater, it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance subsystem uses deviations to generate directive commands to drive the missile from a position where it is to a position where it isn`t, and arriving at a position where it wasn`t, it now is.

@Thunderkorn

2 жыл бұрын

This has become a tradition

@rayshewmaker34

2 жыл бұрын

The Old Technology was great in it's day. Both units will attack at distance. Especially if they are protecting their Carrier. Air Combat is not a movie. It's a cold hearted task, and *Duty First*

@TehCheezMan

2 жыл бұрын

And that's air.

@davejob630

2 жыл бұрын

How is it sure where it wasn’t is where it isn’t?

I don't think the F-18 Hornet replaced the Tomcat. It served along side it. The Tomcat was replaced by the F-18 Super Hornet. While they share the same designation, the Rhino is a much more capable fleet defense and BVR fighter than the Hornet.

@shepherdlavellen3301

2 жыл бұрын

in terms of trust to weight ratio?

@galadato7425

2 жыл бұрын

The role of the tomcat(long range air superiority and bombers interception) was less and less needed as the time passed, the hornet wasn't really a replacement but a new concept of a fighter-the multirole.

@jporter504

2 жыл бұрын

@@shepherdlavellen3301 Range and especially radar. The AESA radar in the SH is far superior to the Hornet radar.

@jedibusiness789

2 жыл бұрын

Hornet replaced A4 A6 A7 F4.

@MetaliCanuck

2 жыл бұрын

@@jporter504 Just so you know the APG-79 is being put into F18C Marine Hornets and Canadian F-18A's.

Never underestimate the Tomcat. She may be old but she still has sharp fangs. These 1 vs 1 fights are fun but let's see a large force on force dogfight, like 12 vs 12 engagement, guns only. That'd be a fun test.

@harrisongilbert

2 жыл бұрын

I'd be interested to see a more realistic fight over contested airspace, we all know these sort of fights aren't in a quarantined bubble like in this video. I know GS is mainly committed to putting two aircraft against each other with no other interferences to get to see the true performance of them in BFM, and other channels do this sort of thing, but it would be very interesting to see a GS video in a realistic environment - ie a strike mission with a fighter escort, intercepted by bandits with SAMs, etc.

@contraststriker8198

2 жыл бұрын

Sharp claws

The Tomcat required 60 man-hours of maintenance per 1 hour of flight. The hornet requires 9 man-hours of maintenance per 1 hour of flight. As a current Navy jet maintainer, I'm happy I don't work on Tomcats, as sexy as they are.

When the missiles hit each other at the 10ish min mark was awesome!!

"In a series of 34 air to air engagements between the F-18 Hornet and the F-14 Tomcat the F-18 pilot was able to outmanoeuvre his adversary and get into position for a rear-hemisphere gun shot on 20 occasions. The F-18 pilot maneuvered his way to a rear hemisphere aim 9 sidewinder shot on 4 occasions, and the remaining 4 engagements were deemed inconclusive. Not once had the F-14 Tomcat achieved a firing solution against the F-18." World Air Power Journal volume 1 Spring 1990

This a perfectly well done fight. At the end of the day it’s going to come down to pilot skill over everything else. My hope is since we’re getting the f15E, we could possibly see a proper avionic comparable f18 such as the E or the F super hornets

@kennethhicks2113

2 жыл бұрын

Agree, and it seems the F18 radar isn't as good as it once was (DCS).

@Paxton171

2 жыл бұрын

If done right the F-15 should win at range and have a harder time in a dog fight. It is a big plane after all. F-15 is still the most dominate A2A fight as shoot down ratios go.

@a_crows_edits2745

2 жыл бұрын

@@Paxton171 true. It’s designed to eliminate targets before getting into the ACM. But yes In a dogfight the hornet will be more dominant.

@andreabindolini7452

2 жыл бұрын

@@a_crows_edits2745 Only at slow speeds and in one circle. F-15 has more energy, better wing loadinq, higher acceleration, is dominant in vertical. Especially at high altitudes is the superior aircraft. Sure the rule against the Hornet is: don't mess with it when low and slow.

The 9X seems surprisingly easy to trash despite all the improvements.

@oberstleutnantschuldt8504

2 жыл бұрын

Well the tomcat was nose hot and he pre flared, so yeah not that surprising.

@WigSplitters

2 жыл бұрын

@@oberstleutnantschuldt8504 the angle of the tomcat also really helped and it wasnt on burner

@croskerk

2 ай бұрын

If it was the 9X blk 2 then it wouldn't matter since it knows what are flares and what aren't. While using better IRCCM, the angle of which you fitted also determines how well a fox 2 can be. Base model 9X is similar in line of Magic 2 and R-73 for flat resistant and irccm

I can't help but feel like the only reason the Hornet had a fighting chance is that you know that the Tomcat was out there, approximately where it was, and that there were no other planes in the air. Had neither side known the position of the other and had to discern between enemy and commercial planes I feel like the Tomcat would have smoked you effortlessly.

@TakodaTribe

Жыл бұрын

Bang on! Tomcat is the King of the Sky!

"See? Clean? It's that easy." I've been on this channel long enough to know that overconfidence in BVR has a nice big radar signature...

Was not at all expecting that outcome! Tomcat (and driver) was a beast in this one. Gotta see a rematch sometime in the near future

@SupaMan2122

2 жыл бұрын

Never expected to see missiles take each other out too

If Tomcats had fully received AMRAAM capability it would have been full on beast mode. You hardly ever see anyone using Sparrows in DCS.

@TonerLow

2 жыл бұрын

If I am within 15nm it's sparrow time. Underrated missile

@TonerLow

2 жыл бұрын

@Bu8813z even 4 is excessive. I would rather go into a fight with 3/2/2 than 2/2/4

@MrSunshine1079

2 жыл бұрын

I saw a video here where a test pilot, I believe, said they had modified the Phoenix hardpoints to carry 2 AMRAMMs each for a total of 12. Or that they COULD modify the hardpoints. Shame it was denied due to being “too expensive”.

@TonerLow

2 жыл бұрын

@Bu8813z yeah negligent fox 3 shots are a great way to kill a friendly lol.

@CoffeeMatt10

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrSunshine1079 would be easier to use the AIM-9 rails, AIM-120s can fire off of those (Vipers, Hornets and Eagles do this). Tomcats could carry 4 AIM-9s underwing - 2 on the existing rails and 2 on rails attached to the adjacent hardpoints (they were able to use all 3 missiles on the underwing hardpoints), so it wouldn’t have been too difficult to modify the hardpoints to carry AIM-120s. Maybe more of a case of radar compatibility? Now imagine a Tomcat carrying 4 AIM-54s underbelly and 4 AIM-120s underwing… totally overkill, completely unnecessary, highly impractical, but very intimidating.

The Tomcat deserved a better fate in real life than being under-utilised, shelved, and shredded like it was. The Super Tomcat might’ve been a real mean aircraft

@skull1161

2 жыл бұрын

the problem was its cost, especially later in its service life. It was always an expensive plane that couldn't be used as well as the legacy hornet could or super hornet can in multirole.

Excellent comments about the Phoenix missile and Iranian combat experience with it. I know far too many people, including some former fighter pilots, who think the Phoenix was ineffective against fighters, but as pointed out here, that is most certainly not the case.

@CoffeeMatt10

2 жыл бұрын

Stands to reason that a Phoenix fired within 30 miles from a Tomcat that’s already going Mach 1.5 minimum is going to close distance quicker than it’s target can get out of the way, negating it’s need to manoeuvre to chase the target.

@formdoggie5

2 жыл бұрын

Its especially weird, considering that it was literally designed to do that, and at 130mi. Now, granted, the furthest you'd actually shoot them is 70mi, so they couldn't just turn and burn to outrun it, but still. In every test I remember seeing as a boy, Phoenix missiles hit 4-5 out of 6 targets. With two f14's that'd always be in the air around a carrier group, that means you could reliably threaten 8 planes.

Hey growling, you know I love your content, I have ONE request, is it possible to see your throttle position in an upcoming F16 video? Once my rig is together I want to get in and learn the F16. Have a great day bud, awesome vid by the way.

I loved how you can slowly see as at the start when he is really calm, before progressing to just towards the end when you start speaking faster and panicking, really emphasises the tension, great video!

Yeah, you were busy with the helmet-mounted sight, glass cockpit, and fly-by-wire you could not fight 😉

Having grown up with the Tomcat it did my heart good to see the F14 win, no offense. My buddies and I drooled and hero worshipped this bird and almost went on a week long bender when it was taken out of service. Cool vid.

I have to admit I was rooting for the Tomcat because it has a higher top speed, has more range and... well, honestly, it's nostalgia. But regardless, time and again you prove the adage: "It's not the plane, it's the pilot". You take the "weaker" aircraft and triumph over the newer, "better" plane. You play to the strengths of your plane, and the weaknesses of the other plane, wait for the other pilot to make a mistake, then capitalize on it! That, after all, was what "Top Gun" and "Red Flag" were created for.

As an F-15-only player I appreciate a good BVR fight with good commentary on what's happening. Thanks!

You can also switch the target on screen time to 18 or 32 seconds from the data page. It also changes how long track files stay on radar. Pretty useful in tws when u need to constantly notch, will help u reacquire targets faster.

That tomcat shot flying away in the sky like we were watching it from the ground was subtly profound. Like you saw a glimpse of an angry angel. Almost MACROSS like.

Thanks for an ace video. I really struggle with BVR but watching your vids certainly help.

If there are cars that are a "drivers car" I feel like the Tomcat is a "fighter pilot's plane"... It may not be the best but it's the one that separates the "grown ups" from the "children".

@user-if4zv5nj5m

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, and after you sharpen your skills with a big cat, you switch to classic fighters like f16 and Jeff and don't understand why you loved them, they seems so grey, standard, without anything really outstanding

Thank you GS for the Tomcat fights and to taco for his great flying keep up the content buddy everyone loves it.

I once read that the AIM-54C was one of the best tools to make an enemy pilot waste energy jinking so that when the big Cat got close it would have the upper hand in energy. Looking at how slow you were getting GS, do you feel that assessment is accurate?

@Tiro_Chopper

2 жыл бұрын

I feel like he lowered his throttle a lot tho

@michaelthebarbarian3380

2 жыл бұрын

@@Tiro_Chopper he was, but it seems to be do to avoiding AIM54 shots.

Good stuff as always. As a fan of airplanes since a kid, I've learned so much through your videos about how they actually work. I know you did an excellent video in the past, but given all the updates and stuff (like new subscribers), I'd really enjoy a new video explaining the notch and how to perform it; maybe in different common craft vs. commonplace peer foe missiles

Current Navy super hornets would probably slap a tomcat in both BVR and BFR. Mostly due to the more modern sensors and weapons, current Super Hornets have the APG-79 AESA radar which is lightyears ahead of what the Tomcat had, AIM-120D's are also a thing too. But one can argue that the F14 had more room to grow, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to fit an AESA radar, better engines and more on the Tomcat. Its airframe was massive. It would require hollowing the old tomcat out and replacing almost everything but it in theory could be better

@Maverick966

2 жыл бұрын

A modernized F-14 would be totally superior than Super Hornet, a giant AESA radar, a modernized Phoenix that would have hundreds of kilometers of range, AIM-120D wouldn't even be able to compete, AIM-120D would be the equivalent of the Sparrow for a modernized Tomcat, Super Hornet is a good multirole aircraft but simply can't compete, Tomcat is a pure fighter, a modernized Tomcat would be like a flying SAM platform, probably too much for what they needed.

@ELITE-xn3sh

2 жыл бұрын

@@Maverick966 the f14 would be so expensive to upgrade , it doesnt even have fly-by-wire , let alone change all the avionics

@Maverick966

2 жыл бұрын

@@ELITE-xn3sh F-14D already had modern avionic like the Hornet except fly-by-wire, of course it would cost a lot to upgrade but only because it is 30 years old and was not upgraded constantly like the Hornet or Super Hornet, the cost would have been spreaded over the years if it was upgraded constantly.

Damn, I still can't get over how in so many of your videos there are natural jumps ares where you just suddenly die and it goes all black. Really entertaining to watch

That was badass. More all-in fights like this!!!

When I was a kid I LOVED the Tomcat, and the Phantom, my dad made me models and would hang them in my room. I had a really cool B-17 that he used a soldering gun to punch bullet holes and flak holes in it. Ever since than I've loved military aircraft.

That was an intense engagement! Well done!

great vid bro and ur server's are also great real deal stuff. keep up the great work.

This looks like it came down to ACM range because defending BVR is too easy, or at least you two made it look pretty easy. I'm not sure his ability to yeet two AIM-54s at you before you could even see him actually made much of a difference. But the fact that you started this off by saying something to the effect of "I can't see him on my radar, but I'm going to assume he's already launched a Phoenix at me" does speak volumes about the capability of both the AIM-54 Phoenix missile and the AWG-9 radar.

What in the hell was the energy management in this fight? 250 knots with the throttles shut, Launching .5 mach lol

I absolutely love your content, your knowledge, and love the debriefs!

Probably the best F18 vs F14 (non dogfight) video out there! Great job!

Total chess match between the F18 and F14 in BVR so long as both pilot know how to defend the opponent's missles!!! Love it!! I don't remember, did you pit the F14B against the F18 in a guns only dog fight?

"Gimme tone.......Fox 2!" Said with such confidence. A split second later you're KIA. I was stunned for a sec going "What......what happened?...." It could have almost been a movie scene.

Been wanting to see this because im debating on buying one or the other thanks for helping clear up somethings between the two

@Generic_Name_1-1

2 жыл бұрын

@@possiblepilotdeviation5791 thats the least of your troubles 😂

Hmm very good BVR instruction video. Remarkable how effective the beam defensive maneuver is against the AIM 54 and Sparrow but the good 'ol Sidewinder 9M was having none of that crap. It's clear the F-14 pilot was aware of your usual tactics and burst straight through the MAR to get at you. I wonder if the Chinese pilots will be so aggressive over the Sth China Sea in the near future when faced with incoming ordnance?

@pocketpunch9920

2 жыл бұрын

The Chinese think lowly of their opponents so I hope their arrogance gets the better of them.

Apologize for a lack of knowledge here, but if the f18 could not see or have any lock on the tomcat a longer distance but the tomcat pilot could see and lock the f18, couldn’t the tomcat change course and use it’s speed and knowledge of the targets location to go out position the f18? Making the phoenix missiles a little more of a surprise?

@formdoggie5

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, and a real pilot would do exactly that. They'd also watch their missile trail deviation and do a rough triangulation. I'd imagine by the 3rd, the f14 pilot would know he was being notched, and would climb instead and then reengage from altitude, which would also negate the ability to notch by changing the geometry directly (perpendicular is easy on a horizontal plane, notsomuch on a vertical one) and since he wasn't seen on the radar said climb would have also preserved standoff.

The Tomcat is such a nice looking plane, but the Hornet is so much more fun to fly cause its a bit more modern with its systems.

@The_SmorgMan

2 жыл бұрын

I think the exact opposite, but I’m old school with machines. I like tinkering with carb engines. I prefer old firearms to new ones. I like working with machines that you constantly tune and tinker with. The F-14 is fun and quirky. Plane has a lot of personality.

@thelupo9481

2 жыл бұрын

Its true, so sad that we do not have F-14D Super Tomcat in DCS

@CoffeeMatt10

2 жыл бұрын

I would’ve said it was more rewarding flying the Tomcat once you master the big girl and her older avionics. Modern aircraft hold your hand a lot and guide you without letting you stray, older aircraft give you their hand, and once you have earned it they let you lead the way no matter what you do or where you go.

“ Everyone has a plan , until they get punched in the mouth” - Mike (Iron) Tyson

Well, the six-on-six Phoenix test had at least one small plane (a P-80, I as recall), although they def. were not attempting to notch or evade the missiles.

@andreabindolini7452

2 жыл бұрын

Early demonstration tests of the Phoenix were heavily domesticated.

One small correction: the legacy Hornet (C model) did not replace the Tomcat. The Super Hornet (E/F models) took over the Tomcat's role. The legacy Hornet shared deck space with the Cat since 1986.

It is now time for Battle of the Canards II: A 4 way fight between the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Rafale, the JAS39 Gripen, and the SU33 Flanker-D. May the best canard win.

Thanks for your explanation about what is going on in air combat, it’s a mystery to most non fighter pilots.

The whole time you were defending against the phoenix missiles, I was just waiting for that tell-tale high pitched whistle and BANG!

Funny, I had the same thing a couple of times in the Hornet. Shot down Irani Phoenix with my AMRAAMs by accident I feel TWS in auto bugging mode is better than "manual" lock in RWS. Gives me much faster reaction time. Also I narrow the scanning azimuth to 20-40° if I know where the bandit is.

i love those intense vids. They keep you guessing. Great flying by Taco)

That was one hell of a fencing match.

I wish I knew these terms you were saying. It was like watching someone in an actual jet engage. I hope to be like you in the future.

This is by far one of the best explanations I have ever heard! Thank you!

Very solid fight. thanks.

If you have not already heard of it, look up a missile exercise called "6 on 6" the Tomcat did way back. I was part of the target control team. Just a tech really. Pretty cool job tho.

Would love to see 12 on 12 top tier of each aircraft, full loads of best weapons each could have carried, crew choice. May the best crews and airframes win.

Super fight. Little pitty tha we can't see the other side in BVR videos. Here I would love to see what the F-14 pilot (ThelastTaco) was doing in the cockpit :-)

Great Notching help, Thanks! At 10:02, I am curious how You get the two missiles hitting each other, as when I use Released Weapons View right after My missiles hit, it returns to cockpit and not that nice long explosion effect..... I have never seen this on any DCS video before. After reading the other reply's here, I also thank everyone for the info about radar bars settings and others

As always my friend, I congratulate you for the excellent videos you make. I just wanted to ask you why you never fight with an F 18 super hornet against the other planes. Isn't it available? or is it because it doesn't perform well in air/air combat?

@GrowlingSidewinder

2 жыл бұрын

hello brother thank you, I appreciate your support, I will deff be making more use of the super hornet in the future.

@fe.1073

Жыл бұрын

@@GrowlingSidewinder thanks Bro, i see the new video

I love these BVR videos. Like a game of chess but with your life.

Lol. "Fox two." Split second later (splat) great vid GS!

You got knocked the eff out in the first round! I was not expecting that.

Funny story I heard about the Phoenix Missile: it was designed but not a single fighter in existence was capable of safely carrying and deploying it, so they made the F-14 Tomcat to fit the missile, not the other way around. I haven’t reached first engagement yet but I’ll say the Tomcat is my favorite but my gut says the Hornet will win.

Nice video can you do the same from tomcat perspective ? I would love to see your tomcat timeplan

Would really love to see some more hornet BVR. You always talk about how speed is very important for BVR and the hornet is famously fat so I’d love to see how you handle yourself in it.

So confident with that AIM-9X, but you could have felt that there has to be missile coming :D

One could argue this is a good example of a modern dogfight, BVR and closing.

9:44 - imagine suddenly seing a tictac shaped ufo poping in instead of f-14 :D "It's closing in very quickly! Wait, it dissapeared... There it is again. It's rotating, look at that thing!" :D

That was an awesome one, thank you

I kept hearing about the "notch" position. I now understand. It makes you invisible to doppler radar. Thanks.

The thing is though, in a scenario like this it's easier to defend against the phoenix because you'd know the relative distance to the opponent at the start of the engagement. For instance, if you both took from separate adf's and we're guided by waypoints not known to each other, that threat of the phoenix becomes a much bigger issue. Just knowing you're nose hot to a tomcat at less than 100nm will force you to notch and defend every so often but if you have no knowledge of it's heading or distance prior - you'd be in a lot of trouble. It's kind of how the tomcat the was designed to fight, much like the F22 sans the obvious stealth capability (but that's it had a beastly radar, essentially the same effect). Still, having just gotten the F18 yesterday, I can see the appeal of it. It's a capable platform and certainly can perform any duties it's forced to. For the first time, had fun doing some ground attack in a craft that didn't feel like a bus (looking at the SU-25T). The high AoA stuff and decent energy retention is nice. It's pretty fun at the low speed aerobatics such as pirouettes. But the tomcat is just another whole animal, and if you know how to fly it and respect it, she'll get the job done.

Out of curiosity: The notch appears to be pretty much the proverbial magic bullet against the phoenix. Is it just "delta doppler " resolution inrease between those and aim-120's or is there more to the story?

@yobob591

2 жыл бұрын

part of it is the weapons and radar of an older system, and part of it is notching is too effective in DCS- in this case it would've most likely worked, but against newer missiles afaik it has some issues with them not liking to track when they should've seen through the feint

8:59 THAT SOUND DUDEEEEEEE.

All the arguments and stuff aside, that was a pretty close fight and it was pretty clear that the outcome could have been very different; one mistake at the end really cost it all.

@CoffeeMatt10

2 жыл бұрын

It wasn’t a mistake, it was an aggressive move by the Tomcat to recommit so early and get off a surprise AIM-9. GS did everything right, defeated all the Phoenixes, closed distance to get in range for his own Sidewinders, it was just an aggressive gamble by the Tomcat (plus good timing with flares to defeat GS’s 9X) that won the day.

I went to the Keys every monday for five years and always saw at least two F18's. Sometimes I would see a T38 or an F16. I went on the base 20 times and saw C17's and once I saw two F22's. Sometimes there would be lots of F18's 5000 ft up over Key West and they were loud. One crashed near one of my customers house in the marsh.

Based on what I've seen of your 1v1 engagements, I'd bet on the F/A-18C since you're flying it. I'd bet on the Tomcat if you were flying that. It all boils down to your superior understanding of the capabilities AND limitations of your (and your opponent's) aircraft AND weapon(s). Couple this with your knowledge and understanding of DCS and all that entails, it's no wonder you've crossed the 300K subscribers. Kudos to you sir.