Nightbird-vs-Jet balance is terrible (with video examples)

If you're going to use radar missiles then you need to learn how to use them correctly, stop using them like they're just quick-fire heatseekers.  Them locking on after firing is a great way to invalidate flares and any attempt at evasion, just dump the rocket right as you're about to fly past the target or just as you break away to avoid colliding with them.

The nighthawk's miniguns do have spread during longer bursts, by the time their overheat indicator reaches 10% their spread is already enough to miss half their shots on a hovercraft from 40 meters; if they're beaming you at long range then you either aren't nearly as far as you think, or they've got good burst control and are keeping that gun temperature at less than 1%.  Your 25mm gun in your jet does the same thing, keep the temperature down and your gun will be perfectly accurate.  Your 25mm gun also has an advantage that the nighthawk doesn't: your gun shoots straight towards the target but the nighthawk has to worry about convergence, the two miniguns cross firing paths at ~150m and then diverge which makes shooting at long range only half as effective and much more difficult to aim.

@GanbanGremlinLook at the videos uploaded here, and look at the screenshot. I am not exaggerating when I say the Nightbird is a flying AA and that they can use a glitch to dodge radar missiles.

When the radar missiles loop around the target despite them not using flares, that's how you know the missile has bugged itself.

See for yourself next time you're flying the Nightbird, the thing can shoot from halfway across the map with pinpoint accuracy. And then it can also aim vertically with little loss in vertical height. Where is the gravity?

I've been flying Jets and Helis since forever in Battlefield, I know when something is broken or working as not intended.

@Man_iLoveFishing 

"Another heli nerf thread"
I merely pointed out that the jet-vs-nightbird balance is terrible; whether or not this warrants a nightbird nerf is a different question. For instance, a nightbird nerf might not be required if the jet is buffed adequately. But from experience, i'd say that the range of the nightbird's 7.62-mm miniguns definitely needs a nerf - they currently have the same range as the transport choppers' PRE-NERFED miniguns.

"What the hell do you expect to get kills with air radar???"

I do expect the radar missiles to be effective against nightbirds (especially at mid-range) because the cannons are pretty much useless against them (unless the chopper is barely moving), especially at mid-range (because of the tiny hit-box and their ridiculous agility as i mentioned). Buffing the jet maneuverability will not significantly improve the performance of the cannons against nightbirds, this will only allow jets to retreat without taking too much damage. Nightbirds should only be able to dodge radar missiles as easily as they do when the radar missiles are launched at a long distance (>600 m).

"Jets handling needs fix so you could actually use jets mg."

This will definitely improve the performance of jet cannons against many vehicles but not against the nightbirds. As you can see from this video https://youtu.be/BCJ9DsuTKXU - nightbirds are extremely agile and can change their altitude very quickly; also apparent from the video is the slow projectile velocity (and at close range!) of the jet 25-mm cannons. So improving jet handling will definitely not be enough to fix the imbalance here; performance of both the cannon and missiles need an improvement.

"And reason jets get killed by nb is they fly by close and they loop around nb like a leaf."

This happens because jet pilots have to come dangerously close to the nightbirds to deal decent damage in this game. The improved maneuverability will pretty much only solve this particular issue.

When it comes to air versus air what is the current hierarchy?

I assumed it was something like

Jet

Littlebird

Attack/Stealth

Is that not true?

@Metal_Daryl97I agree with most of what you said and applaud the way you organized your post.

There is just one important factor your forgot to mention, and bear in mind the height nerf coming up to helicopters on update 3.2. while you read this.

Jets kill and have advantage over all helicopters, except the night bird. The night bird is an answer to jets, but not a counter. It should not kill you. If you are being killed by a night bird in a jet it is because you are picking a fight with the wrong person, and it is because you are not respecting the jet's limitations.

You as a Jet do not have to dominate the sky and kill all vehicles. It is hard to kill a jet with rockets, Wildcat, everything, because it can flare, boost, run away, "heal", rinse, repeat. Again: If you do that, there is no way the night bird can win. Any newbie jet pilot can do that on a large map and it is the most annoying thing ever for helicopters. Maps like Breakaway and Hourglass are too large for jets to be killed by anything, except by another jet.

It is really annoying for helicopter pilots to not be able to play because of a good jet pilot. If jets are easily killing the other attack helicopters, it is a good idea to go with a night bird to avoid the jet. Or better: It is the most sensible answer if your infantry needs some air support, but the good pilot on the other side is destroying all your team's all helicopters in two passes, and your tickets are draining. In this situation, one should get the nightbird and stop this air vehicle onslaught. 

Still, as you said, it must be a good pilot, have the height to dodge effectively, and you still hit it 1 in 4 missiles.

While nothing can hit the jet, the Night bird is flying lower, constantly being aimed at with FXM, hacked, etc. Don't forget the other attack helicopters and transport who can fight the night bird better than the jet. So the night birds are not invincible. They have many more perils to take care of. Now you, jet... You are just flying through. You don't give be a damn to Raos, Wildcats or FXM. Just go far, higher... 

Anyway, the nightbird is like that by design. Try to think how it feels being on the other side. This is so true that, you did not complain about all the other 4 helicopters (2 distinct transport, 2 attack). It is because you know what to do against them, and you have no issues. You win these fights. As for the nightbird, if fighting it was doable, you would do it. But it is not. Don't pick a fight with it. There is not much you can do but annoy it for a while, chip away it's health, and hope for some teamwork.

In short, when you see a nightbird and can't kill it, leave it. This is expected. Forget about the night bird and go do something else. Wait for the other vehicles to spawn or, if necessary, redeploy with anti tank (ATG) rockets.