DCS: F-5E Tiger II DLC

Fantastic first full-fidelity module to learn - simple systems mean you can focus on flying the plane, which is forgiving for beginners but still a lot of fun.

Eagle Dynamics SA charge you again $10 for the updated texture.... Jeeez, I hope I can refund all of DCS product now....

A problematic module. Now, the russian developers have the nerve to ask for a €10 upgrade (on top of the base price!) for: [quote]Numerous bug fixes and tunings such as damage modelling, sensors, and avionics.[/quote] Extremely disingenuous. Especially given their track record for fixing bugs to date.

The aircraft is really good for beginners I would highly recommend it as your first plane however I think the devs could do so much more to actually make this aircraft viable and better. Many different variants were created and used by many nations, but we only see the most basic version. Almost all versions used by countries outside the US had improved radar, BVR missiles, Mavericks and air to air refuelling capability. The current version we have in game gets two bad sidewinders and guided bombs that you have to us a JTAC or a another air plane to laze targets for you as well as dumb boms and rockets. If you are not a beginner dont get this plane unless the changes above are implamented

It is a pretty good and well made module of one of the most awesome planes out there. Ones you know how to operate the F-5, you`ll get along with it easily, even though in the beginning it is pretty hard to trim the plane during take-off.

The F-5E is the first DCS module I picked up, and while it is indeed a relatively simple module to learn, I am quite hesitant to recommend this module to other beginners. The Tiger isn't a forgiving plane as it demands a lot of respect on stick, trim and throttle that any absolute beginner will have yet to learn, too. Surely, the Tiger doesn't overburden a newcomer with the overwhelming complexities of menus upon menus on MFDs, but it also doesn't sport any of the amenities that make modern jets easy to handle. For example, the absence of an autopilot / fly-by-wire actually made it hard to follow a mission as any length of time with one's head down in the cockpit or on the map can result in a deadly deviation from your intended course. Admittedly, the Tiger is relatively easy to trim, but I really struggled with keeping the plane steady at times, especially the separately sold Aggressors BFM campaign appears to be downright bugged. There, the Tiger was veering to one side incessantly. The training missions included with this module are good, but there's far fewer missions/instant actions than other high-fidelity modules like Heatblur’s F-14B or the F/A-18C by Eagle Dynamics. There is [b]no campaign[/b] either. While not part of this review, it may be worth mentioning that the additional single-player campaigns such as the Black Sea Resolve '79 and the Aggressors BFM are, considering the recent improvements to AI opponents, not tailored to absolute beginners and hence didn’t substitute for the lack of a campaign. I'd say, if you are a beginner and you want to pick this up, try to get it during a 50% sale. Just keep in mind there's no campaign and other high-fidelity modules offer a whole lot more content for a slightly higher price. Oh and, I highly recommend studying the official DCS manuals or the supplementary Chucks Guides alongside the training missions. Either way, I wish you a lot of fun in DCS.

This is a somewhat modern jet that lacks nearly all modern jet features. The radar sucks. The RWR sucks. The Targeting """System""" for ground attack is barely more useful than just eyeballing it. It can only has 5 hard points, and has the payload of a clapped out VW Golf, and flies like a pig if you use what little payload it offers. It can only carry 2 Fox2s for air to air. It will die in every dogfight if you bleed off any speed *AND ITS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME* Its a simple light fighter that puts absolutely nothing between you and the plane. Its as good as its driver, and thats it. Drop the bags and jam the throttle into burner and have fun (just keep an eye on that Gmeter). Good 5 drivers can tango with much more advanced jets. Its twin 20mm cannons and light weight make it a great gunfighter, and while you're not going to out thump a Hog or Frog, it functions quite well in the ground attack role, esp. as a complement to more advanced fighters. Bottom line: If you can't live without BVR, buy something else. If you want to do MiG-28 sh*t in an absolutely tits gunfighter of a plane, buy this and don't look back.

You will learn the weapons systems on the F-5 faster than any other aircraft. it is old school, basic radar, sidewinder growls, press the fire button and let the missiles homing seeker head do the rest. It cannot haul a very heavy load, not very stable, actually, not at all stable at low speed and high angle of attack due to the small wing area, and to even attempt a carrier landing with this bird since it is in fact equipped with a tail hook, is in my opinion crazy... I love the challenge of flying this aircraft though. I don't always want an experience where the aircraft computers, the aircraft radar, the aircraft yada yada, has all the advantage. Sometimes I want to see what I am made of, I want to see if I can take this quick little devil, and outfly, outmaneuver, and outsmart my opponent tactically to gain just enough of an advantage to seize the opportunity to get a shot off. BUTTT... that's just me. Landing the F-5 will never become tedious, it requires skill and concentration each and every time. Hey they even included the fictional Mig 28 livery from Top Gun, I mean come on, what's not to love about the F-5?

Hands down, the best first addon aircraft for new DCS users. No, you're not going to be knocking BVR targets out of the sky or shooting mavericks into open tank hatches, but that's not the era this plane was designed in, nor is that what it's intended to do. It's a lightweight point-defense interceptor for air forces that don't have a ton of money to drop on bleeding-edge technology. It's complex enough to force new pilots to RTFM, but simple enough that when you memorize the keybinds and HOTAS assignments, you can focus on honing your flying skills. It's not a shotgun, it's a knife. Get in close, exploit your opponent's weaknesses and gut them.

Love it. It's a simple aircraft to learn and operate (even I managed it). Not many electronics to it, and even tough it's engagement capabilities are limited (you won't be doing any long range shooting with this bird), it's still a worthy opponent to the Warsaw Pact Mig 21. Excellent for people who want to leap from the simplified aircraft in FL3 to full realism, even tough you'll want to stay on the trim. The tutorials are excellent, simple and well made. I love it. Completely recommend you buy and master this one before trying something more complex.