I think the drag reduction and autopilot logic changes are mostly fine (might need to look at fox 3 v fox 1/none BR separation) but the overall maneuverability/AOA improvements seems unrealistic/overtuned. For example the R-77s can almost hit 90 degrees AOA while remaining stable which is just ridiculous as that is far beyond it’s stated aerodynamic limits.
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i have played the aim120d’s and they are very strong now, although they are incredibly wobbly and probably quite unstable
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As much as I enjoy that aim120a/b are finally usable at short range HOBS. All the other missiles were also buffed to some extent, and in the case of the R-77 it seems that they went overboard with it.
The R-77 pulling harder than the thrust vectoring R-73 is just dumb. Can’t comment on the mica because it has thrust vectoring and is very light too, could be more realistic now, idk. But that thing is so cracked.
I’m not sure if the AAM-4 and Derby were buffed, but they feel like they turn more than before too.
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The AMRAAMS got their HOBS so hardly a nerf.
And nothing can really be called a buff for the R-77’s unless gaijin actually fixes the grid fin drag.
Until then, the R-77’s aren’t even BVR missiles due to their insanely underperforming energy retention(and therefore range)
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Which is why the R-77M does not use Grid fins it was a flawed design
It doesn’t use grid fins because it wouldn’t fit in the internal bay of the SU-57.
What’s flawed is gaijins implementation of grid fin drag, which irl is even better than planar fins (at supersonic speeds).
Same goes for TVC missiles.
Gaijin fumbled them hard.
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I don’t like these changes
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So we are believed that no other nation decided to go down the route of “Grid fins”
But Russian Engineers were just so much smarter 🙄
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Holy cope
So why did Russia use grid fins in the first place?
The size of grid fins compared to planar fins might cancel out any advantages in drag
When they maneuver they are far worse than planar fins too
That begs the question, if the Russians who are no strangers to planar fins make grid fins, did they just do it for funsies?
they did it because it makes the missile more agile we can see that in war thunder as its the only non thrust vector missile that can pull that hard, its called a trade-off my guy russia tends to like close in dogfight missile performance
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Its a tradeoff. Grid fins give higher manoeuvrability at slower speeds. But at the cost of lower speed drag as well, however they retain higher manoeuvrability even at Supersonic speeds than an AMRAAM does and this is correct.
The biggest tradeoff is that Grid Fins increase your radar cross-section SIGNIFICANTLY.
Point one is only correct at low speeds. They actually have less drag at supersonic speeds.
The second point is false. Planar fins stall at lower degrees of AOA than Grid-fins do. The biggest advantage they have is superior manoeuvrability. Their biggest downside is your radar signature is now like a beacon.
The reason Russia got rid of Grid-Fins is two-fold:
One is to fit inside the weapons bay of the Su-57.
Two is to reduce radar cross section of the missile and overall the carrying plane.
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I should’ve worded it better, I mean energy retention
And for drag, they could very well be draggier than equivalent planar fins like those on AIM-120 or R-77M since the whole “less supersonic drag” thing is a very broad statement
They don’t seem to stick with grid fins though, as they seem to have gone back to planar with R-77M
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That’s such cope, if grid fins were good for range someone else would’ve put them on a missile by now, not even Russia used them on anything else and they actively removed them from their newest upgrade.
Let’s see, we got India and china which operate r-77s, do their indigenous designs use grid fins?
they absolutely are not
and have a much higher parasitic drag at all speeds
I have found a very good report on testing of this, but DTIC is currently down
as above they do not
they have lower induced drag coefficients, but significantly higher parasitic drag coefficients
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Because they couldnt get the desired flight characteristics. They wanted good range and high mobility. But they also ran out of money, so instead of progressing the TVC design they had they went for Grid fins on the 77 and 77-1
Kind of like how swing wings were the solution to multiple flight envelopes.
US doctrine is BVR the 120 will outrange and kill you.
France went for a missile that does it all using TVC on the MICA-EM.
Which would have met all of Russias needs.