Heavy Cavalry Dev Air Overview

Summary

Key Points

• —Many of the new vehicles are "copy-paste" with only four truly new airframes, leading to some disappointment regarding the patch content. 0:33
• —The premium US F-14D is largely identical to the F-14B, differing only in minor radar modes, making it primarily a purchasable version of an existing aircraft. 1:05
• —The US F-101C Voodoo, at 9.3 BR, lacks flares and missiles, relying on its four M29 guns, and excels in high-speed control and energy retention but suffers from a low top speed and poor low-speed maneuverability. 3:11
• —The German IA 58 Pucará is a 4.3 BR ground attacker with JATO boosters for initial acceleration, but is otherwise very slow and easily energy trapped, making it a "meme plane" rather than an effective grinder. 6:42
• —The Soviet MiG-29K, while possessing immense thrust and better sustained turn than the MiG-29A, is significantly heavier and suffers from rapid engine overheating and limited countermeasures, requiring careful afterburner management. 9:26
• —The Soviet Yak-130, despite being subsonic with limited armament and no flares or missiles at 9.0 BR, boasts "unholy" and "UFO-like" turning performance and exceptional stall control, making it a formidable dogfighter if it can avoid radar missiles. 12:38
• —The British Wellskin, at 4.7 BR, offers good climb and energy retention but is severely hampered by a very low top speed and poor roll rate, making it challenging to play effectively. 16:54
• —The Japanese L-39ZA Albatros is deemed a "total stinker" at 6.7 BR due to its abysmal top speed, acceleration, and turn performance, rendering it ineffective against both jets and even some props. 20:57
• —The Chinese F-16V is an F-16C Block 50 with an AESA radar, positioning it as a superior high-tier F-16C, while the Italian M-346FA is a Yak-130 variant equipped with Derby missiles and a high-velocity 20mm gun. 21:22
• —The Israeli MiG-21bis stands out by carrying a unique missile loadout of R-60MKS and Python 3s, along with an HMD, despite lacking radar missiles. 27:54