I haven’t grinded Japan, and haven’t seen this jet much in 11.3. I am just wondering a plane except the missile count, basically a perfect light fighter works in current BR ranges? HMD + Python 3 at 11.3 sounds almost broken, but I haven’t seen enough of that yet. Considering that the issue for 2 extra python 3s and CMs are passed, is it a balanced vehicle now, and will it be broken post buff?
Well, I only know the FCU, but this is very good in Sim at least, if used well. The 2 additional AIM-9P-4 sure help, but I’d guess the SCU with only 2 Python 3’s also can work well.
Mind you, a very limiting factor of both the FCU and the SCU is it’s for its BR very poor radar: no look-down capability, no IFF.
Actually one fares best with the radar always turned off, relying on visuals and the quite good RWR to find and engage targets.
yeah. I have played a couple of F5s and other fighters with poor radar like J7E / J8B, they have no reason to use radar realistically. I would think that HMD would help significantly, what would u think?
Not sure if the Pythons can be aimed with the HMD…
The F-5T has HMD, but has no missiles capable of using the radar (AIM-9L + Python 3). It is supposed to have 4 Missile pylons, but for some reason Gaijin removed them? It’s been two months and they haven’t fixed it. A friend of mine said it is great in Sim. I’ve used it in Air RB and not had much success, but tbh I’ve never been good at dogfighting and the AIM-9Ls are flare hungry.
^I’m mostly grinding them for Ground RB, as it has the same Ground capacity as F-5E (4 AGMs + 2 Python 3s) but has HMD and progresses F-16A OCU faster, meaning faster to the JAS39C.
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Hi.
As Zulyla said, the plane is missing some things as of right now:
First, IRL it can carry Python 4s on the wingtip pylons as well as two Python 3s under the wings. P4 would not be a good addition to it, two underwing P3s however would be super nice.
Second, it is missing an airframe upgrade, the W6 Tiger package. If I’m not wrong that raises it’s energy retention and turn rate by a whole lot but I could be wrong about it. Still, would be a nice fix for this modernization.
Third, it should really have single pop countermeasures. It would give it way more utility and survivability considering it’s still a primarily guns first fighter.
(Fourth is AGM-65D which I also wouldn’t be against, would raise it’s ground RB BR to 11.3 but that isn’t much of an issue in my book)
I’ve played it a fair bit and it’s still relatively good, as much as every other F-5E. The HMD makes some tricky shots very much easier and P3s work very well with their speed. But in lots of cases I’d prefer the FCU mostly due to it having two extra missiles.
I’d give it a fair shot, it’s still worth it))
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In fact, alongside extra P3s and new P4s, SCU should be capable of mounting AIM-9Ms on wingtip pylons (where 9Ls are currently). Tbh I cannot forsee P4s comming soon, but if devs, at very least, added AIM-9Ms, which exist for quite some time now in the game, HMD would actually make sense of existing on this aircraft as 9Ms can be locked via HMD and not be “decoration” until P4s arrive. That would, of course, make br bump to 12.0 or higher, but aircraft itself right now is stripped-down FCU that came to the game not half-baked but raw.
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