Just a genuine question as I watched my AIM-9G literally sniff the engine of a Mig-21 who popped 2 flares a millisecond before the missile hit, and it diverted to the flare. No salt, just a genuine question as I personally think flares are a bit too effective(my Harrier which is a renowned flare eater because of the engine gets rid of every IR missile it sees with just 2 flare pops)
Flare are the same in the first battle rating it appears til the last, but it depends, some airplanes has high caliber countermeasures and light countermeasure. Most of late Soviet and all Russian airplanes has high caliber countermeasure exclusively, which means they don’t need a huge amount of countermeasures to disrupt a missile and bait it, the MiG-21 uses the same high caliber countermeasure and the Aim-9G is not the exactly best missile, it sort of is just a Aim-9P but ‘better’.
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How gaijin models heat sigs is a mess. Its not about the temp of the exhaust but rather the thrust of the engine.
So if an aircraft doesnt have a huge amount of thrust, then it is rather cold and vice versa for something hot.
This is why F-5s on full reheat are cold and Harriers are extremely hot.
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…this is dumb and bad D:
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It was very clever shortcut when IR was new. But completely stupid with anything more advanced than an Aim-9E
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Depends on what nation launches the flares. Somehow, an afterburning Mig-21 is colder than liquid nitrogen, whilst the Harrier (a famously hard target for IR missiles irl) somehow burns hotter than large caliber countermeasures.
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Yeah, that is all to do with IR signature = thrust.
Lots of thrust lots of heat
Aim 9G is an improved Aim9D better seeker and range