honestly, with the wing slats, both the F-4E and F-4S are not half bad in terms of maneuverability. they still lose to many aircraft flown well but they do a lot better than you're making them out to be. of course, the problem is usually the top tier stuff lol

@@_ace_defective_ ehhhh, they sit at 11.3, at that br everything they face in an uptier will pretty much outperform it in every way, you can def get some cheeky kills with the AIM-7Fs by flying it like an F-14 on maps like Rocky Canyon but beyond that you’re pretty much forced to take things in a head on, and if a MiG-29 gets on your six it’s just game over, because unless if that’s their first time playing, you’re not going to successfully reverse them, as that’s the one thing an F-4S can do over the MiG-29, hemorrhaging energy

@@nathansherman5684 yeah the top tier stuff kicks its ass of course, an f-4 is losing to an f-14a let alone an f-16 or mig-29. at its br and lower, it's still at a disadvantage for the most part but it can somewhat hold its own. if that makes sense.

And mig 21 if they overturn and loose 75% speed in one attack.

I genuinely feel bad Talk about a serious Monkey's Paw moment...

That's over 100 bucks for you

Hehehe aim7f go shoooom

hehehe lvl 10 goes boooom

@@black_thunder2159 always fun to count how many f4s and mig23mls crash at the start

@@black_thunder2159 *usually on the runway or the next tree/hill*

"we believe that matches should have a wide variety of vehicles rather than a few vehicles used for farming" they mustn't have clicked 'to battle' in any plane from 9.0 - 10.7 ... where 14 of the 16 planes on each team are any combination of the f5c, a5c, su25k, a10a early, kfir canard, and F4S. Game's a fuckin joke at this point. 90k people playing, but still have to wait for 15 minutes for a game at rank5 because the only thing people seem to play are the top tier pack planes.

Not that its any solace, but its not just you. We all have that experience sometimes. Even the people who claim to be all s-tier god and go around telling people "sounds like a skill issue" get matches like that sometimes no matter what they say. Often its just bad luck.

At least I'm not the only person with this issue! 😅

@@TimsVarietyI hate this f-4s because the radar is inconsistent as crap and is not worth the money one minute it says launch and a missile is coming at me the next minute the same type of missile was launched at me but it don’t give me any warning

Especially when you spend 70 on it for them to tell you to get fucked because you didn't know that you have to swap your account to pc from console. Odd they have yet to open up the account swapping and it's been 1 an a half years sense I found this out. Would love to have it being I just unlocked the first f4 variant in the second tree line.

Yeah I have no idea what happened there lol, I knew immediately I had to find a place for that in the vid.

@@TimsVariety Hey Tim! By the way: I really appreaciate and like your content and recommend it to everyone in my sqadron. Back to the topic: This "missbehaviour" of radar missiles is not new to me nor to my squadron mates. Do you think you could look a little deeper into that topic and try to find out what is going on, since you have a way deeper understanding of the matter than me and the average gamer? I would really like to know if it is something i'm doing wrong or if the game is just "gaijining" us.

I second this…

yes

I will never understand why people enjoy listening to the same damn tiny snippet of music every single video. I literally always skipped it, because it gets annoying after the first one.

@@ODST_Parker It's catchy as hell

@@rammen4 Yeah, the first time. Not so much after dozens.

Im just finishing up a break myself (also coincidental timing), the burnout is real sometimes.

@@TimsVariety Also convenient timing, Diablo 4 is out. Good game, better than 3 for sure.

@@NyanCatMatt I gave subnautica+belowzero another playthrough. I needed something that was going to be super low-stress and not really "competitive" so to speak. As much as I love war thunder, it takes its toll lol.

o7

Me having just bought the Finnish Mig-21bis, which is also an end of the line vehicle... Therefore being much more expensive in modifications and not getting good SARH missiles. Yep

It gets a LOT better once you get the G model Sidewinders. They might not be all aspect, but they have a good seeker FOV, which makes it a lot easier to actually secure a lock without needing to constantly yank the stick around

This was one of my most-requested reviews, and I've actually had it produced&uploaded for a few weeks now, but I wanted to wait to release it (being a VERY expensive premium) until some of the uproar had died down a little bit.

I always include a quick history of the plane in these reviews, sometimes it helps to understand *why* a plane performs the way that it does, has the features it has, etc etc.

Flares don’t affect radar missiles. That is why.

@@FXIIBeaver I know, should have said that i use mixed flares

I swear to god, this has been my experience in my F-4J. I'll get a lock, get two red circles, yeet out the missile and my radar will just go "I'm tired boss" and shut off, then I get a 7f up the ass from another F4.

The main strength of radar missiles is that if the other person isn't already taking steps to evade before they're around 5 miles (8km) away then they are dead. It sounds like you're trying to dodge way too late and shooting at people who are ready to dodge. Videos from DCS are the best to understand what a BVR fight looks like, and the rest you just need experience with the weapon system to know how to use it and dodge it.

​@CannedCoochie at close range that's unreliable. I've plenty of e2 kills in the 4E from dudes going cold thinking they'll break missile lock . I don't know whether the 4S can switch lock types mid lock or not. Going cold works when both planes are in the same speed ballpark where the missile itself fails to track

There are enough F4 in the tech tree. Don’t need any more to grind through getting to the good jets

@@SPFLDAngler the F-4's are all so different. so nah

​@@SPFLDAngler So folder them. It's horseshit that the best Phantom the US will ever get is paywalled. It wasn't a rare model or anything, no reason to make it premium beyond greed

There are enough already

@@SPFLDAngler i disagree. The best version of a plane should per definition be a TT vehicle in my opinion. Gajin could have changed the TT F4J to the F4S with a researchable modification, but now it's locked behind a 70$ paywall. It's not just the Phantom that exhibits this problem, but is also present in for instance the J35, where the only version with flares and 6 missiles is locked behind a paywall. I don't care too much if they decide to sell a copy with a skin later down the line (like the Lazur), but i care about locking the best/unique versions of certain planes behind paywalls, such as the F4S, A6E, J35XS, kfir canard etc. In my opinion such vehicles shouldnt be available as pay 2 win. But as copies, especially at the top tiers. When the J35XS released it was the same BR as the J35D, except it could carry (some) flares and has 2 extra missiles. Now they are different BR, but the TT is still lacking a J35D with flares. Similarly, the F4S could have simply been an upgrade to the F4J to give it Wing slats, changing the J to the F4J/S (where it's either a J or S, depending on if the upgrade is installed, similar to the BMP1, which ingame is a BMP1 or BMP1P depending on the BMP1P modification). If they then decide to sell a premium copy whatever. At least you're not missing out on a similar plane. The US now has their best ground attacker (A6E) and best phantom (F4S) locked behind a 70$ paywall which is a disgrace from gajin.

@@blaster112 remember when gaijin used to release paid aircraft that had less features than the tech tree versions...those were good times. J35XS is a p2w ufo and they put it at 10.7, a BR which rarely sees more than a single 11.3 aircraft per match, and absolutely never sees 11.7. not even trying to hide it these days.

same, prob a couple times even

Exactly why I bought it so I could play with my friend who had higher tier jets except when I bought it my friend went away on vacation for a week so I had nobody to help me learn so it basically was hell for me

Yep, picked up a new one a little while back.

I'm really anxious for the additional drop tanks, there are so many planes that ought to get them.

@@TimsVariety the silly thing about it, would be that it goes on the center line. so you'd have to choose between that and the gun :/

Worth noting that the actual sight for the hms that appears in the cockpit is broken in VR (last I tried it). The system technically works, but the visible sight is locked forward and doesn’t stay centered in your view.

@@hybrid_grizzly Its a known bug, currently busted on the mig-29 as well. I reported it a while back and sent some example footage.

@@TimsVariety I was big sad when I flew it in Sim lol. Especially after flying the Su-27 in DCS which makes great use of hms

Ive been thinking about creating around half a dozen new playlists - for nations, for "high tier" "mid tier" "low tier" , fighters, bombers etc

Must be lonely because your the only one

Enjoy being by yourself

@@killingyouwithlogic5808 He isn't.

I'll get to it eventually.

Linked in the pinned comment.

Honestly, a huge amount of it comes down to personal playstyle. Some folks will find a 'missile truck' easier to use, some folks will prefer the mirage even with its lower missile count, etc etc. Theres no right or wrong answer.

Is it true that the f4ej also gets IFF ability when using PD SRC? The f4s is kind of a nightmare in sim mode because PD doesnt have IFF, forcing you to use SRC mode with clutter which usually results in you being killed before being able to see if the contact is hostile. Beware of friendly f4s in sim mode, very high accidental TK rate due to this.

@@viewer54322No pd have iff currently

what radar? You lock your missile, fire it, fly away a second after you launched it. Not hard

@@FM-hw8yv the concept of PDV with notching and the fact that you cant just "fly away" after firing a fox 1(and a possibility to accidently attack a friendly). Never said it was hard. Of course that stuff should be short and not detailed as Tim already explained it in a dedicated video. Some people are too quick to buy expensive premiums without realizing the curve as Tim mentioned.

@@dankmemewalker7738 but you should be able to fly away after you launched, the target is designated before already. Flying straight for like a minute will only get you killed And I dont use premiums by the way, I suffered the grind to the mig 21 mf in the gertman line where I now absolutely despair at using these weird radar missiles

@@dankmemewalker7738 Also where is that radar missile guide video? I seem to need that

@@FM-hw8yv No, it's a Fox 1. Active radar homing, that means you need to keep the enemy locked on the radar until it hits.

I'll get to it eventually, but it won't be too soon - I try not to do aircraft from the same family too close together.

@@TimsVariety oooh, i get it, thanks so much :D

Hopefully they just delete the whole game so no one has to worry about anything

@@DM-qm5sc rather pessimistic ey?

I mean, those Sparrows were hugely ahistorical. Kurnass 2K lacked the wiring or other equipment to guide and carry Sparrows, so I'm fine with it. Besides, it's going down to 11.3 WITH Python IIIs

@@Tigershark_3082 i mean it’s still nice but I just like the medium-long range capability. It was the only israeli aircraft that could do that with a PD radar and now tis gone

Ya love how it gets aim 9ls and python 3’s but Americas only premium top tier doesn’t get all aspect u like Germany and Russia cuz Gaijin. 🙄

I'll get to it eventually, but it won't be soon.

@@TimsVariety thanks for ur fast reply, but sir i really need ur opinion and review regarding this one , i had already completed USA air techtree and don't wanna invest/waste f4 phantom in an already completed line, considering my options for high tier money making air vehicle and ur videos has been my only reliable source which was straight forward and clear for me to understand so thank you tims :)

I try not to recommend for-or-against buying anything in particular, but ... holy smokes are the top tier premiums expensive ... enough so that I used red font for it ... :-\ ...

Also known as Pulse Doppler Velocity. And while it does ignore the chaff, amount of people even accidentally notching it in the furball is greater than you might think. And then Sparrow 7F have anti chaff measures, so even if radar locks onto chaff, missile is likely to guide its way to the target if its not too far off.

Its a longer explanation than I could type in a youtube comment, but the super short answer is that the other plane had VERY bad luck and flew in the way at the same time my primary target was doing an evasive maneuver.

@@TimsVariety thx man :)

A-6 Intruder

@@SixteenthSine20 I am clearly talkin about fighters not attacker's

Whoops!

I’d argue it lasted a bit longer than that, up to the F-4C and MiG-21. They didn’t have radar weapons at launch, and were actually pretty weird to learn how to use at first On the whole, though, I don’t think the game got really, REALLY bad until they added a new faction in China. The problem isn’t even with China itself, it’s the way that China was implemented. It resulted in faction based matchmaking being completely destroyed, killing off any remaining historical roleplay. Sure, we can argue it was never realistic to begin with, but J7Ws and Bearcats duking it out over Iwo Jima is a much more thematically satisfying battle than a US Bearcats vs French Bearcats over Saipan

👋

I agree The F4S and the Mig23 ml best 2 Prems so far!

I used the MiG-21S for the Russian tree before they added that, but told my friend to just get the MiG-23. I love me my radar missiles r-3rs work great at 9.7.😂😂

You are indeed first.

Mad cuz broke 💀

@@tobeykoch9166 more likely mad cuz skill issue. dude probably head-ons them constantly while they lock him with radar as he watches the sparrow enter his cockpit.

@@tobeykoch9166 I have f16, f14 and a6e. F4s doesn’t loose lock as much so it’s easy to use, imagine needing no skill for top tier😂💀

@@fire_drake12.arc.24 nah, probably because so many clowns buy these after 10 hours in game at most, then Die 2 min in battle, leaving his surviving team handicapped

@@ursensitiveinagayway4016 true, I also have all of them, but the f16 and 14 are way better in all combat situations

Bruh… Selled my obj 292 and bought this majestic eagle. After 2 weeks of playing 1 simulation battle a day killing everything it faces I researched all of tier 5 and partly tier 6. And this is relaxing, the word “grinding” didn’t ever occur to me.