Black shark 3 or apache ah-64d?

[unitedonweb]

Hello
I'm confused between black shark 3 and ah-64d
advices please

[Paradox1126]

I'd go with the black shark all day. I love operating it solo. You can operate the Apache solo as well but it was designed for a co-gunner.

Despite that the Apache blows the shark away in terms of capabilities but the shark is just way to cooler for me.

[Troll Norris]

KA-50 Black shark used to be more prototype than mass produced helicopter. The idea was to make the single-seat helicopter. All Kamov helicopters are known for their coaxial rotor design. (E.g. the KA-26 which i call "the flying tractor"). This coaxial design provides ability of good speed and maneuverability. It partially removes problems with the dissymetry of lift and with the torque effect.

Back to single seat philosophy - Reducing the crew size also means reducing the resouces requirements. Generally helicopters have pilot and gunner. In the KA-50 the pilot have been partialy substitued by relatively powerfull autopilot. But practice has shown there is still too much workload for one person. That's why KA-52 went back to conventional 2-crew design.

For Player it means: KA-50 is probably good for lonewolfs. Because for Apache you will probably need the buddy to operate weapons. Practically it means you will have a lot of workload.

ah-64d (will)have radar. Which is IMO the big game changer. It allows to keep yourself hidden while searching targets by radar. Also big advantage of AH-64d is the Datalink. Unlike in KA-50 which can comunicate only between another KA-50s, you can send and recieve many information from/to surrounding friendly units - aircrafts, helicopters, AWACS, ground units,.... - data about their position, ammunition. They can send you text messages, target position data, e.t.c....

[yulaw]

As an owner of both i much prefer the black shark.

[bingbean]

If you are sensitive for any kind of stuttering and shaking , then AH-64. Ka-50 III does have pretty annoying cockpit shaking in low and high speed. There is no special option to set up cockpit shaking intensity like for Ah-64 or Mi-24P.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

Originally posted by yulaw:

As an owner of both i much prefer the black shark.

can I ask why?

the ka50 is my goto *thing* in DCS. I've got loads of modules but always gravitate back to the ka 50.

I like it as although it can be a bit of a pig when one needs to maneuver quickly it feels more forgiving for a "novice" like me.

I still die in 9 out of 10 sorties but as a lonely SP player I find its single seat means I feel more "in charge" than other two seaters.

I'd love to get the apache but it's 2 seats put me off.

[Gunfreak]

The ka50 doesn't interest me all all, the rotor thing is unnatural and an affront to all gods and demons a like. While the Apache looks like a mean spirited dragonfly. So in style point alone it wins. And George is very easy to use. His AI laser vision find baddies a human player would need 30 minutes to find.

[Troll Norris]

IMO George is good as gunner. But not good as pilot. If I want to be gunner, I feel than I am being stucked.

[spike2071]

Black Shark.

[unitedonweb]

I want to be professional only one of them, Which makes it more complicated, Prices for these planes are expensive, That's why I don't want to regret it.

[Troll Norris]

IMO both are good.

[Gunn]

Mi-24 Hind. Learn to fly that and you can fly anything else, although you won't want to ;)

[Gracey Face]

One important thing is that unless they changed it and I am unaware, the blackshark has no IR/Light Amplification, so it is daytime only, whereas the Apache has FLIR and (I am fairly sure) light amplification.

I prefer the KA-50 because it looks better and is single seat, but in terms of functionality the Apache is better in every conceivable way already and there's still a lot of the apache that hasn't made it in to the sim yet.

[Troll Norris]

Originally posted by Gracey Face:

One important thing is that unless they changed it and I am unaware, the blackshark has no IR/Light Amplification, so it is daytime only, whereas the Apache has FLIR and (I am fairly sure) light amplification.

Yes. KA-50 don't have FLIR. Still it is possible to use that in night. Just a bit complicated way. You have to carry flares and shoot them into area where you want to hit something.

[Paradox1126]

Originally posted by Troll Norris:

Originally posted by Gracey Face:

One important thing is that unless they changed it and I am unaware, the blackshark has no IR/Light Amplification, so it is daytime only, whereas the Apache has FLIR and (I am fairly sure) light amplification.

Yes. KA-50 don't have FLIR. Still it is possible to use that in night. Just a bit complicated way. You have to carry flares and shoot them into area where you want to hit something.

This, making the BS3 cooler!!

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by unitedonweb:

I want to be professional only one of them, Which makes it more complicated, Prices for these planes are expensive, That's why I don't want to regret it.

When talking only about the flight characteristics, the Ka-50 will be "easier" due to its twin rotor arrangement. Combing its lack of a tail rotor and its autopilot/stabilization system, it tends to be somewhat more accessible. The Apache is also fairly "easy" to fly as far as helicopters go but it is going to be more demanding due to the tail rotor. It isn't that either of them are so complicated that someone can't learn but the Ka-50 is going to be a bit easier.

As far as system depth/complexity goes, both are not exactly simple. If you want to actually understand how the systems work and fully utilize all the tools they provide, both are going to require some meaningful amount of effort on your part to learn. That being said. The Apache has more advanced systems in general. That will make learning various systems easier but it will also mean that you have more systems to learn.

I suppose the big point I am trying to kinda highlight here is that either way you go, you are going to be learning some systems and mastering some flight characteristics. If you are looking to pick one that is easy to learn, neither are going to totally fit that bill. That being said. Both modules come with good, useful documentation that will really help you. These manuals are written for folks who don't have a lot of existing familiarity and they will gently ease you in to the various concepts involved.

Just pick the one that interests YOU the most. Don't worry about what everyone else's favorite happens to be. Either way, you will have to learn so just pick the one that will keep you the most interested throughout that process.