DCS MiG-29 - Taming the Fulcrum-C

The Mig-29 has become available as an early access aircraft for both owners (free) and non-owners ($15.00) of the Flaming Cliffs 3 DLC.

The big selling points are an upgrade in the flight model (the so-called professional flight model), some instant action missions, a campaign and going to battle against the F/A-18 Hornet with a true-to reality flight model. Still, it is a Flaming Cliffs 3 aircraft with no clickeable cockpit.


The professional flight model has cut me short of landing approaches, bounced me off runways, and blew tires from my undercarriage with the deadly precision of an air to air missile. At the pace I was writing off airframes from the Russian inventory, the US may have not needed those AMRAAMs anymore.

Dude, is that my runway?

It turns out that the Fulcrum-C has those idiosyncrasies of bouncing and blowing tires.

That's the word in the real life manual. Note: at excessive touchdown speeds, the aircraft has a tendency to bounce ...

... A high probability exists for blown tires ...

So after reading that manual, and some good practice runs, I more or less can land the MiG-29S. Although I don't know how much of the original flight model was changed in the recent update (2.5.3.23225 Open Beta).

Blown tire, cleanup on runway 30!

I wish Eagle Dynamics would have spent some extra time bringing that navigation control panel (the panel with the orange-rim buttons). Right now, you better remember which waypoint you selected with the standard keyboard binds because there is no indication whatsoever of which waypoint you are being guided to.

And here I am, landing at Mineralnye Vody. The bright light coming from behind spooked to no end.

It was the airport crew, putting the runway under the searchlight in my assistance. After I recovered from the shock, I felt a bit like a rock star under the limelight. 

Although I managed to land safely, I am still touching down too fast. I will have to either manage my speed better or to flare more efficiently. Or both. Who knows?