If I only have the budget for one jet fighter, which should I buy? I’m thinking MB-339 or T-45C, but could be persuaded otherwise.
As this is a very subjective question, here’s a bit about my preferences: I’m a VFR sight-seeing kinda guy with basic Garmin flight planning/ autopilot skills. I have a reasonable PC ( Ryzen 9 3950X, RTX3080, 32GB RAM) and I fly almost exclusively in VR (ReverbG2). I’m not looking for a study-level aircraft to nerd out on, but want a fast aircraft with reasonably accurate flight model for low-level/high-speed bimbles around the Mach Loop or longer distances to see as much scenery as possible in a reasonable time.
Does anyone know if shared cockpit is a thing? I know there was some plug-in that did the trick, but do not know what the name of it or is it still available as I cannot find it anywhere. I ask because of the T45 back seat flying. Thanks in advance.
Sadly the performance issues of the recent update have made properly assessing the T-45 a bit difficult so I can’t provide a full review. It is a great looking aircraft though, both inside and out and it seems to fly pretty nicely.
Worth noting, the T-45 “feels” a little less maneuverable but I haven’t been able to fully check this at fast, low level flight. (performance issues with the sim as a whole)
On the other hand, I have flown the MB-339 a LOT and I have found it to be very easy to fly, especially low level and VR.*
This might be subject to change if/when Asobo introduce flight model changes.
IndiaFoxTecho has released an update for the aircraft that I have not tested yet but I was throwing the previous release around with a friend testing his work in progress airfield over the weekend and while it felt like maybe there was a loss of elevator authority* it was still a nimble and enjoyable flight.
**Not sure what was going on at the weekend over this airfield tbh. A few aircraft I have flown quite a lot felt quite sluggish during this flight session, so much so that I actually opened DIView to check that my input devices were working properly.
Final note. Yes, the Mach loop rocks. Especially in VR in something like the MB-339 but I was flying it around the mountains near Queenstown New Zealand and that’s a really great place to fly fast low level. Looks gorgeous and I was getting great performance there too. Just throw the throttle into the firewall get as low as you can and race towards the nearest mountain. Utter joy!
I have them both and love them both.
I also took both of them through the Mach Loop and the MB-339 felt much more nimble and responsive.
The T-45 seems a better simulation but it’s a more complex aircraft, the MB-339 is more fun to fly casually.
Cool, I will have to update my 339A…
I flew that thing around the world in the sim, doing each leg within fuel range, live weather, was pretty fun! Each day, did a leg of the trip.
Wow that’s a huge! Will it update thru Marketplace?
I have both, and I think it’s worth having both.
The MB-339 feels old, feels light, and is a joy to fly.
The T-45C is a heavier plane, but the avionics are fun to play with. And the model looks amazing. Been enjoying just practicing takeoff/landing at the plane’s home NAS fields at Meridian and Pensacola etc.
My first grandkid was announced a few weeks ago but is still in the oven, so may have trouble selling it just yet. If I had a budgie or hamster they would definitely go on the market.
I have both, and I’m really happy with them. They’re fun to fly in their own individual ways, not in the ‘study level’ category but good solid aircraft imo (Dino the developer comes across as a decent guy too and said from the start that the MB wasn’t going to be at release; I like that when Devs are open and transparent ) . I think they both look great, no major issues at my end with them and framerates are good with both, including in VR. No buyers remorse here that’s for sure. It’s hard to pick between the two, but if I had to , it would be the MB339 because it’s Italian, and I’m biased
Both planes are of similar quality and fill a similar nice as military sub-sonic trainers, so it really comes down to person preference between which plane you have more affinity for. I personally prefer the T45 simply because as an American it is more recognizable and familiar. You can’t go wrong with either. I might also consider where I fly the most if you’re a sticker for more realism. Rurope? Go with the MB339. US? Go with the T45.
