It is still strenthened airframe, and, most importantly it had enlarged vertical stabilisers WITH fuel tanks inside. You can see it on pictures, Su-27M and Su-30M2 (not SM-2) have those bigger vertical stabilisers with flat top (basic Su-27 stabilisers have angled tops)
Which has very little to do with the ingame performance until the game implements drag curves or some other fix for the R-77 drag problem
Literally, you can check the datamined files to see the actual ingame differences between the R-77 and R-77-1
R-77 has the same ideal range as AIM-120.
R-77-1 improves on that.
I have no way of checking the code but in game I also have a harder time dodging R-77-1 in situations in which the maneuverability of the missile does not matter.
It is possible AIM-120 has the higher maximum range but that is mostly irrelevant in game.
It doesn’t, this is why you don’t rely on stat cards.
Never said I did. That the missile has more drag is known very well.
And that drag gives it much less effective range than the aim120
That confirmation bias does exist does not mean it is at play…
Exactly. Why I said Ideal.
Gonna hold my breath on that one…
Which is useless information compared to effective range
I am of course relying on my experience in firing and dodging AIM-120, MICA and R-77-1 in game and am giving you the conclusion I cale up with.
No more no less.
As I said the statcard as well as Irl performance seem to confirm my perception.
If the code were to disprove my conclusion I would have failed considerably in weighing the situations in which I fired or had to defeat the discussed missiles.
Surely a possibility but I do not think that is the case. I expect AIM-120C is at the horizon.
So you would say that R-77-1 is the better missile either way since it is more relevant at the ranges we are firing at in game usually?
To what?
Useless post.
AIM-120 obviously.
Not particularly, better in some situations, worse in others. Its an improvement over the R-77, but that’s a low bar.
Much closer to the aim120 than the R-77. Like the R-77, better than it in short ranges, worse at medium-long ranges.
Useful as a tool to force the enemy into defending where the R-27’s secure the kills, but you can do that with even the R-77’s.
R-77-1 beats AIM-120 at short range, at medium range and what counts for as long range in game.
At the point AIM-120 is beating R-77-1 in range you would only hit an afk player.
Not to mention that you have twice the amount of missisiles.
On SU-27SM and older Flankers R-27ER is a substitude and very useful for many scenarios.
But on SU-30 you only need R-77-1 due to it’s efficiency.
R-27ER is still versatile but at the point others come in to play keeping the lock endangers you.
The irony there is the massive energy loss from drag from even basic defensive flying means the target would have to be afk for the R-77-1 to “beat” the aim120 at medium-long ranges.
Again, no. Its an R-77 with 1 second of extra fuel.
You can keep them defensive until you close the distance for an R-73, or you can skip all that and followup the 1st R-77-1 with an R-27ER.
Not relying on smaller, less powerful fox 3 radars, and forcing them to notch two missiles from two directions.
Or if they run, they also get an R-27ER/ET.
What ranges are you talking about exactly?