The AIM-54 Phoenix missile - Technology, History and Performance

It is indeed all the bugs of the radar that is holding the phoenixes back, atleast for me.
Tws LOBL logic is nonsense, the tws target tracking logic is not working properly in many situations and the false elevation indicator issues are troubling.

I have lost a large amount of kills due to this issue, sometimes not being able to launch at all at my preferred target/targets.

Max Range

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This is the one I tested, its doable

Multipathing

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Decent multipathing filtering capability (Better than in-game I think)

G-Pull

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I believe the only source on missile manouverability, hitting a target presumably pulling 6g

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oh ok what are your thoughts? seems ok nah? Unable to pay attention as much rn sorry if Im following too slow.

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Does this mean that the missile mid-course corrections are not received by data-link, but rather computed from returns reflected off of the target?

Yes grimm there is other technologies that help sparrows and later guide. Speaking in regard to the reciever attenna being a seeker.

Those updates are still simply transmitted via radio to an attenna on the missile too.

As Ziggy says,

And the Phoenix can fire in a truly semi-active mode kinda like how the AIM-7s work. That semi-active mode is what this chart shows.

As far as I know the TWS mode is identical, however instead of using the radar reflections it uses purely the datalink data.

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The more you guys share on the aim54.

Reminding me that this missile should be extremely accurate with amount of targeting technologies it has besides its own radar to guide.

Kinda upsetting to think about how it is in game rn.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/lgkcgpsdiqmnq7d/20070014861.pdf/file
Another possibly interesting source related to aim-54

Here it actually discusses it

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It uses data from the Datalink to point its active radar seeker at the enemy aircraft (without actually transmitting its own radar signal), where it then guides based on the launching aircraft’s reflected radar signal.

Spoiler

I think this would make it much less susceptible to sidelobe interference because of the directional antenna but idk I’m just talking out my rear.

This doesn’t confirm, but points strongly in the direction that the Phoenix should be much faster than it is in-game.

While the document is somewhat interesting, the performance of the test missiles differ from real phoenix due to removed and/or changed components

Yep, they also don’t follow the correct path a combat Phoenix would use (such as a much flatter trajectory rather than a ballistic one)

https://www.mediafire.com/file/vxbujouiojlxlut/AIM-54_report.pdf/file
This one should be from 1997.

The missile is underperforming. It has been reported internally and should eventually get a fix. My best guess is they are waiting for newer Fox-3s to appear because fixing the AIM-54 right now would destroy balance in air RB (that’s satire, I know the R-27ER already dominates).

Currently the drag is too high, motor performance is mostly correct. The maneuverability should be increased to ~22-23G. Maybe even 25G for certain variants.

Top speed should be mach ~6.1 or so and capable of reaching it at lower alts than it reaches its’ current top speed (this is for a high mach launch of course).

Anyhow, all of these reports are acknowledged if I recall… but not yet actioned. The missile will be fixed eventually when it better fits into the game and I hope that is soon.

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We can live in hope that when the F14D comes it will bring fixed Phoenixes and drop tanks

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that chart isn’t accurate. Notably they immediately disprove the claim of 81,400ft max altitude for the 54A when they mention the distance-record launch achieved a max altitude of >100,000 feet.

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Yes! a car’s wheels are a control surface that makes contact with the road. A missile control surfaces make contact with airflow. Both need motion to work, yes?

Both can be overloaded by too high of a speed and acceleration. Mass and weight have a detrimental effect in cars as wells as missiles in which the R27ER has both over the regular R27R, and both have the same exact control surfaces or “wheels” as each other.

Just think about it some more please.

That information is not accurate.

I don’t much care for the F-14D’s introduction, rather I would like to see the current missiles fixed and multi-target and launch capability etc with an increase in BR for the F-14s. Perhaps even AIM-9L for the A and AIM-9M for the B.

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81,400ft being maximum effective altitude for 54A?

Such as reported on fighter jets, the flight ceiling of F-15 is somewhere around 60-65k feet, yet the F-15 can reach higher altitudes for short durations of time. The record was 98k feet.