I don’t expect the AAM-4B (or AAM-5 till AIM-9X) anytime soon.
I’d expect the F-2 to have better AoA and 1 circle capabilities but the higher wing area lowering it’s turn rate a little due to higher drag for the same thrust.
Realistically in RB it won’t really matter because people don’t rate properly instead pull the stick as much as the instructor allows, which would put the fight in the F-2s favor as it’d perform better at lower speeds due to higher lift, and drag isn’t as much of an issue at lower speeds.
So basically as the name suggests, it’d be the Zero of top tier, until all the late gen 4.5s and gen 5s show up with thrust vectoring and super high T/W ratios. Would be a nice niche just like back in low tiers how nothing can out turn it but also due to being slower can’t dictate the fights.
That all being said, Gaijin might have different plans so we’ll see whenever it shows up how they model it. At the very least I’d expect it to perform like the Gripen, maybe even launch Gripen A but who knows.
There is some correlation between the F-2 and the Agile Falcon project, although with the F-2 the Japanese used composite materials for the wing and the F-2 also has the enlarged horizontal stabilizers which the Agile Falcon lacked. From what little flight demos I can find of the F-2 online, it certainly does seem to be more comfortable at high AOA than something like a F-16C. F-16C and other F-16 variants are limited to 26 degrees of AOA by the FCS because past that, the F-16 could enter an induced stall. With the redesigned aerodynamics (and I know that the F-2 uses an indigenously-designed fly-by-wire system) it would be curious to know if the F-2 has a higher limit.
F-2 might fly like the Block 10 F-16 ingame imo. I’m not too worried about flight performance, but does the F-2 integrate HMD? The last time I checked it didn’t.
The F-2 does have +12g (higher with override) as opposed to most other FBW systems limiting to +9g.
I’d expect at minimum Block 10 but even more than that as it has similar T/W to the AJ but more wing area (and lift as a result). I think the Gripen slightly edges the Block 10 out? I don’t think the F-2 would lose to the Gripen outside of maybe 2 circle ideal rating?
As for the HMD, earlier I mentioned that it appears the F-2 got HMD when it got the AAM-5 (just like how the F-15J got HMD when it got AAM-5). Since we have the F-15J(M) with it without AAM-5, no reason F-2 can’t get it.
I see.
Block 10 F-16 and Gripen are actually pretty close in terms of how they fly now, which one wins depends on the skill of the pilot.
J-10A beats Gripen and Block 10 F-16 IF both planes constantly hold S and go into low-speed one-circle fight. If Gripen and Block 10 keeps speed up then J-10A will lose.
Maybe F-2 will be more similar to the J-10A style, where it outpulls Block 10 and Gripen but loses out in a sustained fight.
I think so. The F-2 won’t be as good at higher speed rating due to higher drag which just increases the higher you go. Since the “F-16” air frame was designed with mach 0.8-1.1 speeds in mind, it’ll probably slightly out perform the F-2 there.
However, since the F-2 has all that lift and drag doesn’t matter at low speed, it should be able to have a much lower stall speed and stay right behind someone once you get there.
It does have speed. But it literally can’t outpull an AIM-9B right now and has no countermeasures. AIM-9Ps are also meh.
The F-1 can still maneuver decently to allow you to position yourself. With the F-104J in the past you could use flaps at high speed and get one good turn in, and if Gaijin didn’t nerf the flight model then yes, I would choose F-104J over F-1, but no longer.
well Japan did make a Ramjet version of the AAM-4 a while back fully built and tested but never used on a fighter still maybe an option. Essentially their own meteor in a way.
I checked some information, the fb-10a may not be that op, it’s also a low drag missile, and it’s operating height is 7500m, lower than pantsir, so it may not be such a big problem.
