Compare the best fighter jets in DCS, Falcon BMS and MSFS 2024, including the most realistic, easiest to learn and fastest DCS choices.
The best fighter jets in flight simulators are the DCS F/A-18C for all-round combat, DCS F-16C for fast multirole work, DCS F-14 for carrier multicrew, and Falcon BMS F-16 for a dynamic campaign. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the stock F/A-18E is the best accessible fast jet, but not a full combat simulation.
This is a general, cross-simulator comparison. The right choice depends on whether you value aircraft systems, the wider air war, carrier operations, ease of learning or simply flying a high-performance jet over detailed scenery.
Best fighter jet simulator choices by mission
| Aircraft and simulator | Best for | Why choose it | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| F/A-18C Hornet — DCS | Best all-round combat jet | Carrier and land operations, beyond-visual-range combat, dogfighting, suppression of air defences and precision strike in one detailed module. | Radar, targeting pods, weapons and carrier procedures create a large syllabus. |
| F-16C Viper — DCS | Fast land-based multirole combat | Excellent visibility, responsive fly-by-wire handling and an efficient hands-on-throttle-and-stick workflow. | No carrier capability, less fuel endurance than careless throttle use suggests, and a substantial systems workload. |
| F-14A/B Tomcat — DCS | Carrier flying and multicrew | Manual handling, variable-sweep wings and separate pilot and radar-intercept-officer positions make it unusually involving. | Solo pilots must manage an AI crew workflow, and the aircraft requires more hands-on control than a modern fly-by-wire fighter. |
| F-16 — Falcon BMS | Dynamic campaign operations | Package planning, airborne threats, ground forces and campaign consequences give every sortie an operational purpose. | Its defining experience remains F-16 operations, and ownership of Falcon 4.0 is required. |
| F-15C Eagle — DCS | Quick entry into modern air combat | Simplified avionics, strong radar performance and excellent speed make it approachable without trivialising the flying. | The cockpit is not fully clickable, so many commands must be assigned to a keyboard or controller. |
| F-5E Tiger II — DCS | Cold War flying and basic systems | Conventional instruments and limited automation teach energy management, visual navigation and manual aircraft control. | Simple systems do not make combat easy; its radar, weapons and performance are limited against modern opponents. |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet — MSFS 2024 | Accessible fast-jet flying | It combines fighter-like performance with global scenery, weather and civilian navigation. | MSFS has no native combat environment comparable with DCS or Falcon BMS. |
If we had to recommend one detailed combat aircraft, it would be the DCS F/A-18C. Choose the F-16C when land-based speed and HOTAS-driven operation matter more than carrier work, or the F-14 when naval aviation, analogue handling and multicrew are the main attractions.
What is the best plane in DCS?
The F/A-18C is the best DCS plane for most pilots because it covers the widest selection of realistic missions without requiring a second aircraft module.
It can fight from land or a carrier and supports air-to-air, anti-ship, suppression-of-air-defence and precision-strike work. That versatility does not make it the easiest module: learning the radar, displays, targeting pod, weapons and carrier pattern takes time.
The F-16C is the stronger fit for pilots who want a clear canopy, rapid land-based operations and a tightly integrated HOTAS workflow. The F-14 is more rewarding for those interested in aircraft handling and crew coordination rather than display-driven automation. New pilots can use our breakdown of approachable DCS modules to compare these full-fidelity choices with the simplified F-15C.
What is the fastest plane in DCS?
The F-15C is the usual answer for the fastest player-flyable fighter in DCS because its published clean, high-altitude maximum is around Mach 2.5. That figure is not a speed the aircraft will reach in every mission.
Altitude, temperature, fuel, external tanks, weapons and control input all affect the result. Compare aircraft at the same altitude and configuration using Mach or true airspeed; indicated airspeed changes with air density, while ground speed also includes wind. An aircraft loaded for combat will be markedly slower than a clean jet used for a top-speed run.
Top speed should not decide a purchase by itself. Acceleration, climb rate, fuel endurance, radar capability and weapon employment matter far more during an actual intercept or dogfight.
Which fighter jet is easiest to fly?
The DCS F-15C is the easiest fighter jet for beginning modern combat, while the MSFS 2024 F/A-18E is the easiest choice for non-combat fast-jet flying.
The F-15C avoids a lengthy clickable-cockpit start-up and simplifies radar and weapon operation. The catch is that non-clickable does not mean control-free: functions that would be operated with a cockpit switch must instead be bound to a keyboard, joystick or throttle.
For a full-fidelity aircraft, the F/A-18C is relatively forgiving to keep in the air because its flight-control system manages much of the basic stability. Its systems are not simple, and carrier landings add another skill entirely. The F-5E has fewer displays and switches, but its manual handling, limited radar and low tolerance for poor energy management make it a poor choice for anyone equating a simple cockpit with an easy fighter.
Which simulator has the most realistic fighter jet combat?
DCS provides the strongest aircraft-level simulation, while Falcon BMS provides the more convincing operational setting for sustained F-16 combat.
DCS concentrates on aircraft-specific cockpits, flight models, sensors, weapons and procedures. Fidelity still varies by module, so the DCS name alone does not guarantee that every aircraft has identical depth or completeness.
Falcon BMS makes planning and surviving the wider air war central to the experience. Missions form part of a dynamic campaign with packages, support aircraft, air defences and ground forces rather than existing as isolated engagements. Pilots focused specifically on the Viper should read our comparison of DCS and Falcon BMS for the F-16.
No consumer fighter jet simulator reproduces every real capability. Radar performance, electronic warfare, threat libraries and weapon behaviour include classified information, so omissions and informed approximations are unavoidable. Our side-by-side guide to PC combat simulators also explains where alternatives such as VTOL VR, War Thunder and other combat-focused platforms fit.
What is the best fighter jet in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
The included F/A-18E Super Hornet is the best default fighter jet in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 for accessibility, high-speed navigation and low-level flying.
Its real strength is the MSFS world: global scenery, live-style weather, civilian navigation and long-distance flying. It is not a substitute for DCS or Falcon BMS because the base simulator does not provide a complete tactical AI, weapons, damage and campaign system. Animated missiles or weapon effects supplied by an individual add-on do not turn MSFS into an integrated combat simulator.
MSFS 2024 is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro, but aircraft and peripheral availability can differ by platform. Confirm that an add-on supports the exact platform before buying it. MSFS 2020 remains a PC and Xbox release and was never released on PlayStation; owners of that version can consult our guide to its included and optional military jets.
How should you choose a fighter jet simulator?
- Decide whether combat must function. Choose DCS or Falcon BMS for working sensors, weapons, tactical opponents and mission consequences. Choose MSFS mainly for flying, navigation and scenery.
- Choose the mission before the aircraft. The Hornet and Tomcat suit carrier operations, the F-16 suits land-based multirole work, and the F-5E suits visual Cold War combat.
- Set the desired systems depth. A simplified F-15C gets into combat quickly. A full-fidelity Hornet, Viper or Tomcat demands aircraft-specific start-up, navigation and weapon procedures.
- Check crew and platform requirements. The F-14 is designed around two crew positions, while PC offers a much broader combat-simulator and module selection than consoles.
- Learn one jet first. Repeatedly switching aircraft prevents cockpit flows, radar logic and HOTAS commands from becoming automatic. Begin with one weapon type and one mission before adding more systems.
What controls do fighter jet simulators need?
A joystick and separate throttle are the practical minimum for serious fighter flying. Rudder pedals help with taxiing, crosswinds, formation corrections and older aircraft, while head tracking or VR makes maintaining visual contact in a dogfight much easier.
Bind pitch, roll, rudder, trim, throttle, speed brake, weapon release, trigger, countermeasures, sensor controls and view movement before starting combat training. Test each axis in a quiet free-flight mission rather than discovering a bad assignment during an approach or engagement.
Common fighter-jet setup failures and their fixes
Most apparent aircraft faults come from duplicate axes, incomplete throttle travel or an incorrect weapons state rather than a broken flight model.
- The aircraft rolls, pitches or yaws without input: check every connected controller for duplicate axis assignments. DCS can automatically assign the same axis to several devices. Remove the duplicates before adding large dead zones.
- Afterburner will not engage: calibrate the throttle and confirm that the in-simulator axis reaches its full range. Physical detents and reversed axes commonly prevent the final portion of travel.
- The jet cannot reach its advertised top speed: remove drag-producing stores, climb to an appropriate altitude and allow enough time and fuel to accelerate. A combat-loaded fighter should not match a clean published maximum.
- A weapon will not release: check master arm, selected weapon, aircraft mode, sensor designation and whether the control requires the trigger or the weapon-release button. The exact sequence is aircraft-specific.
- The cockpit feels harder than expected: map controls by function rather than copying another aircraft blindly. Similar-looking fighters often use different radar, display and HOTAS logic.