Home Flying the F4 Phantom in a motion sim rig is as close as taking Vietnam’s skies as it gets, and the Mechwarrior sim guy is living the dream

Flying the F4 Phantom in a motion sim rig is as close as taking Vietnam’s skies as it gets, and the Mechwarrior sim guy is living the dream

A few weeks ago we brought you the story of the guy who had built himself a full motion sim rig and got it working with Mechwarrior 5 so he could feel as though he was actually in a 50-ton mech in a futuristic war.

Well, now he’s taking himself into a more traditional combat zone and has ditched his Titan for a janky old F4 Phantom in the virtual skies of Digital Combat Simulator.

The motion sim of course is absolutely perfect for this and he’s gone into things with a Quest 3 strapped to his face for the ultimate immersion leaving the rig to throw him about to complete the job.

The F4 was used extensively in the Vietnam War and seeing it in action in DCS is a dream. The best thing about Limitless’ videos is the detail he goes into about how to get the games working perfectly, not only for a sim rig but also in general. It’s a great YouTube channel and we highly recommend you subscribe.

The F4 Phantom, which is fondly known by its nickname – the Lead Sled – is a notoriously difficult aircraft to learn and fly but the above video shows that anybody with a little desire can jump into DCS World and have fun.

Using a glass of water balanced on the seat you can really get a feel for just how much the sim is shaking as he puts the plane through its paces attacking targets. While by no means an experienced DCS pilot, the video shows how easy it is to have a lot of fun with the aid of a few controls from the likes of Virpil Controls and co, and we will be going into great detail about your choice when it comes to sim joysticks over the next couple of weeks.

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Paul McNally
Gaming Editor

Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title published by IDG Media. Having spent time as Head of Communications at a professional sports club and working for high-profile charities such as the National Literacy Trust, he returned as Managing Editor in charge of large US-based technology websites in 2020. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine,…

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