I'm actually looking at pulling the trigger on this one. Seems pretty simple to fly, uncomplicated in the avionics department, but...are there period-accurate AI air defenses and AI enemies that come with it? Or do I also need to buy the MiG-15 module? Is it one of things where I'll be flying on my way to a strike and suddenly vanish in an orange fireball because of an SA-10 I had no possible way of knowing was in the area?

No period AI. That said the only reason you'll get hit by an SA-10 (or, say, an Su-27 for that matter), is if the mission designer puts one there.

Nate

Thanks.

All modules are available as AI even if you don't buy them. So if you buy the F-86 you'll have the Mig-15 available as opponent. You also got T-55s, 23mm AA guns and there's a nifty little Flak script that adds high-calibre AAA effects to missions. Add Mustangs and Tu-95 acting as B-29s and you should be able to create somewhat realistic period missions.

There's B-29 Mods

There are two additional issues to consider:

a) AI MiGs still have kinda "optimistic" performance and old Il-2-style damage modelling (with fuselage made of reinforced concrete but wings made of cardboard), at the same time Your AI Sabre wingmen are blithering idiots. Might (actually WILL) be frustrating If You intend to replicate Korean air battles against AI;

b) weapons portfolio for ground attacks is very limited compared to real thing (only HVARs, M-64 and M-117 bombs are included), though with generally simplified damage modelling of ground units in DCS, You wouldn't use napalm anyway.

Nevertheless, the plane is absolute joy to fly indeed, trying to hit anything with one of four semi-automated bombing modes is a challenge in itself, while navigating in bad weather using only ADF and NDBs with constant re-trimming the damn plane keeps You busy .

I love the F-86F. I got into DCS heavily for the MiG-21, but now have as much or more time in the F-86F. At this point, I have enjoyed every possible mission type despite a strong preference for air-to-air.

Knowing the MiGs have cardboard wings is very important. If you are good at precision aiming, you can kill them with very short bursts. If not, you can dump all of your ammo and only get a little smoke and debris. But after reading quite a bit on the current, more accurate assessment of F-86 vs MiG-15 combat, the results don't seem to be too unrealistic. A lot of MiG-15s that were claimed dead actually flew home, landed, and were easily repairable. Some F-86 pilots had to use a lot of rounds to take them down. Others claimed to have shot down several on one sortie. The crappy damage model may not be accurate, yet can reproduce actual combat results with ease... so maybe it isn't so crappy?

But AI MiG-15bis vs player MiG-15bis is a different story. I can fly and fight the F-86 much more easily than the MiG-15bis. Technically, the MiG-15 has a better power-to-weight situation, great for acceleration, climb, sustained turns, etc. But it is less stable and the guns are much harder to aim. If I had as much stick time in the MiG-15bis as I do in the F-86, maybe I could appreciate its advantages. But for now, I like flying the F-86 more.

I expect the F-5E to be a supersonic F-86 with radar, which will create a pretty balanced matchup with the MiG-21bis.

I love the F-86, someone recently gifted it to me and I am flying it a lot right now. It flies like a P-51 but faster, smoother and quieter. It is amazingly agile yet can also fly at very slow speeds.

Personally I find the AI MiG-15's to be too easy to fly against. I have not even been shot once by one in more than 20 1 on 1 encounters against the AI, even with a weight handicap and the AI set to excellent of course.

I suspect opponents flying MiG-15's online will be much harder if they know how to use the MiG's better engine and higher ceiling.

One other thing, the F-86 is smoky while the MiG engine burns very cleanly. This is one drawback of the F-86 since you only find targets with your eyes in these two aircraft, the MiG pilots have an advantage over you here. The smoke trails are easily visible if the enemy is flying below you.

Every aircraft in sim is available as AI by default, so you will not need to get MiG-15 too, it will be available as an AI opponent already.

As stated above, meeting S-300 in an F-86 requires two ingredients :
- A sadistic mission designer
- A masoistic / suicidal virtual pilot



While there aren't 50s ground assets, ZU-23 guns, truck convoys, some APC / IFVs work pretty good as ground threats / targets for F-86F. With some practice, HVARs pack a punch (by DCS rocket standats anyway) and even .50 mgs can be pretty decent for strafing up to light armor. Even Shilkas are possible to tackle with, I've found only gun based anti aircraft system to be a bit too much for F-86 is the Gepard.

It is fun to fly and fight in F-86. Although, unless I am mistaken, full manual is not available yet in English language. Jet isn't too complex though, and there are material out there on internet for it. Personaly I would recommend it as a fun jet in DCS.

Just for the record, full Eng manual has been there since a few months ago. Not quite polished yet, with some outdated screenshots and some wacky translation here and there, but it's not a bad read at all.