Originally posted by f16_filur:
Nice link this! 
http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_097d.html
This is in game specs of course, but I´m still a bit amazed by the fact that the F-15 has the highest turnrate. Thinking of that the Su-27/33 is a more extreme and refined aerodynamic design than the F-15 (which indeed has some compromises for being able as a mach 2.5 interceptor). They should win the turnrate game just by their looks 
.
But, I´m no expert, so if anyone want to explain... ? Glad the link was helpful.
I think you came very close to answering your own question in your first sentence... The results in the article are only an accurate representation of what happens in the game. In that article, I explained how the behaviour of the aircraft in the simulation was realistic, in terms of energy retention and the control commands required to max perform the jet, but only in general terms.
Many simulations are able to simulate their main “Featured Aircraft” with a passable degree of fidelity, in terms of aerodynamic characteristics and behaviour, but how close they match the performance numbers of the real aircraft is another issue entirely.
The most suspect area of modelling in any simulation is with regard to all aspects of weapon systems, performance and employment, simply because those are the most closely guarded areas of information, where very little reliable data can be found outside of military circles. However, in terms of the flight modelling, where simulations have the most difficulty, and are generally weakest, is in the area of dissimilar aircraft comparison.
Even in the case of aircraft dating back to WWII where there is a wealth of accurate and detailed information and data available, it is still possible to find glaring disparity in performance between one simulation and another. The problem arises because very often different sources of data conflict, and glaring conflicts in anecdotal evidence serve to confuse matters even more, and provide fuel for unending contention.
What hope then when you compare that to our modern Jet simulations where there is much less data available, where the data that is available is even more suspect, and where few of the aircraft have ever met in combat, and those that have met have had the engagement determined by striking differences in pilot skill and/or weapons systems. Where information regarding mock combats between aircraft come to us in mainly anecdotal form, and are generally complicated by unusual engine/weapon configurations, or some particular bias imposed by the set up.
Unfortunately, these facts conspire against the flight sim’ developer to the point that you simply can't look at what happens in any of the current crop of jet simulations and make meaningful comparisons to real world dissimilar aircraft performance and the resulting air combat, and probably never will.
