Since I’ve unlocked the Su-25 I realized how good this plane really was, now yes, I’m a nerd and learned about the Su-25 long before I unlocked it, but quickly came to realize exactly why the Su-25 is held in such high regard.
It’s a tank for one, and the simplicity of its controls is easy enough for a kid to understand it. Want to designate a target for a KH-29L strike? Easy, line up your gun crosshair, stabilize your sight, acquire, and launch, and you can turn so they can’t shoot at you. Want to move your crosshairs? Great, just move your sticks hat-switch in the direction you want to move it. Your HUD looks un-nervingly simple, because it is. Your exterior ring gives you the designated targets distance in KM per thick hash mark. Once in range, the lights on the front of your hud illuminate and tell you have have allowed launch, and your range.
Not to mention for low flying strike missions, your visibility over your wings and tail is king, the top canopy mirror makes a great tool, and the side mirrors for approaching targets. The thin canopy to windscreen line helps visibility tremendously, and the ability to hit targets from far out before they can hit you, and you can clean up the scraps with your S-13O’s. You have ways to read internal panels too, from your flap/gear panel to your RWR, easily displaying 50% and 100% flaps, airbrake, and gear, gear retraction, and retracted.
The overall package means it’s a monster on the battlefield, and a force to be reckoned with, from its own titanium bathtub, armored wings, engines designed to a take a MANPAD hit, self-sealing fireproof fuel tanks, and simplicity of controls makes it a perfect choice.
This may be the best overall choice for SIM battle CAS, with the additions of the RWR panel, as well as a few other goodies that could be added make it an insanely detailed, and by resources, the best CAS plane in the game possibly.
