Who would win a dogfight?

Question

im fighting my cousin in a game and i want to know who would win. MIG-29 Fulcrum, or F-16 Fighting Falcon?

Answer 1

Like you hear, it all depends on the pilot. In your game your cousin could pilot a F-22 and you with a F-4, but if you cousin can't control it, you'd win wouldn't ya?

As for performance, I believe an F-16 would do it's job. Make sure you can maneuver well. Good luck destroying your cousin. =x

Answer 2

First of all, let's qualify 'dog fight': I am basing my answers from the 'merge' (head on at the same altitude and passing before engagement). From this point, top speed and long range missiles are useless. The winner will be the most maneuverable aircraft with the most excess power available. Pilot skill plays an important part. F-16 will take the F-15 because it is far more maneuverable in spite of having a smaller power to weight ratio. The F-18 will take the F-14 for the same reasons. I don't know too much about the F-22 or F-35, but I am guessing the CTOL F-35 is going to be lighter and have a maneuverability advantage. So I say F-35. The A-10 wouldn't stand a chance. The Harrier would whip around and stay on the tail of the A-10 no matter what the A-10 tried to do. The A-10s engines are exposed and once they are gone it turns into a flying brick.

Answer 3

When the Germans inherited some MiG 29s with East Germany they found they were surprisingly effective, until they found out how fast they got through spare parts. But when both are working? I'd expect the lower wing loading and higher power to weight ratio of the MiG 29 would give it an advantage in a close in fight. Beyond visual range the F16 weapons and electronics are better but the MiG 29 carries more, so in the right hands it would probably have the advantage.

Answer 4

With both equally proficient pilots, the MIG-29 should be the victor.

Apart from its better power/weight ratio, the MIG-29 has some very advanced flight characterstics and avionics which renders it an advantage in close combat as well. Some of its flying qualities cannot be duplicated by the F-16.

Answer 5

The MIG-29.
It has a higher thrust to weight ratio (1.13 against 1.09) which means more power to achieve high G maneuvers that imply agility, and a greater rate of climb than the F-16.

This is theoretical, so how about some real size tests?

Quoting from Wikipedia:
In joint USAF-Luftwaffe exercises, the MiG-29 that the Luftwaffe fielded defeated the F-16 Fighting Falcon in close-range combat almost every time using its highly practical infra-red search and track (IRST) sensor and helmet-mounted sight, together with the Vympel R-73 (NATO reporting name AA-11 'Archer') missile.

Answer 6

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Answer 7

When I was in the Kosovo war (Operation Allied Force), quite a few Mig 29's were shot down. Some of these were shot down by F-16's. One of these Mig kills was made by a Dutch F-16 pilot on the first night of the air war.

Our one F-16 loss was due to ground fire.

None of the Migs were able to down any of our aircraft.

This record speaks for itself. However, the training and experience of the pilots is a big factor.

Answer 8

this question is like asking which will win, the P51 or the FW190. both are excellent aircraft, and excel at air combat maneuvering. that said, it comes down to the pilot, and which one can force the other to fight in the regime where their plane has the advantage. the MIG's higher thrust to weight ratio allows for a higher climb rate, but the F16's lighter weight, and better agility in most speed ranges can overcome that. in the end though i think the F16 would edge out the MIG29 given equal pilots.

Answer 9

It all depends on pilot skills and abilities, a lousy F16 pilot will get owned by the mig and the opposite is true as well. A good pilot knows his aircraft inside and out.

Answer 10

an MIG-29 Fulcrum