DCS: Black Shark 2

DCS: Black Shark 2
N/A
Metacritic
85
Steam
66.076
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$24.99
Release date
2 August 2013
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
85 (156 votes)

DCS: Black Shark 2 is a simulation of the Russian Ka-50 "Black Shark" attack helicopter. The "Black Shark" is a unique and deadly single-seat, Russian attack helicopter that has seen combat in the Northern Caucasus.

Show detailed description

DCS: Black Shark 2 system requirements

Minimum system requirements (LOW graphics settings):
OS 64-bit Windows 7/8/10; DirectX11; CPU: Core i3 at 2.8GHz; RAM: 8 GB (32 GB for multiplayer); Free hard disk space: 60 GB; Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 / ATI R9 280X DirectX11); requires internet activation.

Updated
App type
Steam APP ID
240280
Fullgame appid
223750
Platforms
Windows PC
Popularity
Reviews
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madrarua
madrarua

Just for the love of god watch some tutorials. If you want to take a long nap in the forever box after flying for 30 minutes then you're doing it right. Great aircraft with loads of options for missions and great fun to fly.

F*** russia
F*** russia

Great module for DCS world, probably the hardest one to master as well but extremely rewarding once you get the hang of it.

fateweaver
fateweaver

its got best graphs and flies real slow 10/10

Double-UC
Double-UC

Cannot recommend this game do to issues with Eagle Dynamics and their support of accounts.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=100652&highlight=email+password
http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=102748

They have a rash of issues with account authentication and instead of fixing it they are dealing with it one at a time. So you may have to wait 24 hours to a week or more to get the ability to play the game you have already registered and played on multiplayer.

And censorship in the Steam forums by moderators is a problem as in their own forum.

Directly from a moderator:

"Furthermore; if you have any questions regarding moderation of your posts, please contact a Moderator through the private messaging system, as public dicussion of administrative or moderator actions is against forum rules."

If you look, usually it is inaction that is being commented on; weeks of it.

Their mods run the steam forums the same way. Russian censorship!

In the Eagle forums these problems are an infestation.

They could fix most of these problems by simply putting a server in the EU or in the US. Many things are blocked coming into the US and they acknowledge that. But the problem lands on the customer and the literally one guy they pay to help!

Muad'dib
Muad'dib

I picked up The Ka-50 module on the advice of my brother-in-law, who also supplied me with his old flight stick.

My diary of play so far:

Hour 0-1: started engine using cheat, wobbled to Tarmac, achieved partial lift-off, crashed. Slowly achieved more altitude before crashing on subsequent flights.

Hours 1-5: Able to achieve flight on a regular basis. Heavy winds on the coast send me to my spiralling death. Trying to navigate with the ABRIS causes me send my Black Shark into an unintentional nosedive or tailspin and crash. Started to figure out how I want the flight stick profile laid out, but don't want to stop flying to actually lay out a new profile.

Hours 5-7: After spending 10 hours out of game flipping through the ~600 page manual and reading through forums on line, I've gained some understanding of how to use the trim and put it into practice during my flight time. I can now fly in a straight line and manoeuvre at low speeds.

Hours 7-10: created a simple mission to get some practice at flying and shooting. Subsequently get blown out of the sky by tanks or AAA. Discovered that strafing with the black shark requires splitting your brain into at least two parts to enable you to control the SHKVAL and the aircraft independently. Then get shot down by an APC or something.

I'm a little over 11 hours of flight time, but I can see myself putting many more into this game before I'm even semi-proficient. I think I have twice as many hours spent reading about the game than I do actually flying.

This is a great game for people who are serious about flying a combat helicopter. Or for people who love to research and learn about the game when they're not playing.

This isn't a great game for people looking to jump into the game and be an ace pilot in 10 minutes. Serious practice is required. It is also not a great game for people who are married with two or more kids.

My rating of DCS: Black Shark 2 - 10/10

My wife's rating of my Brother-in-law after getting me into this - 3/10

Cocaine Squirrel
Cocaine Squirrel

Yeah, I won't lie, dcs with music in the background is so relaxing
It's like a sunday walk
But in a helicopter
In a war zone...
If you havent spammed that add to cart button do so now, seriously. Give them your money, they give you hours of fun (ive got 100h+ on the multiplayer) best 9.99 i've ever spent (must have if its on sale)

BillyTheKid
BillyTheKid

It is a like and I really I liked the first one also and any bugs I noticed early on are gone pretty solid. This sim can be a lot of fun and I would recommend it if you like flying helicopters. I am playing this more than ever and again really good sim. You can hover at a safe distance check out targets and perform a threat analysis then popup from buildings and hills bang **** your dead. There are many sim hours in the campaigns that comes with it and very enjoyable. You can play realistic or a lazy mode both really good and similar just easier. In one mission you attack a sea port but to get to it you must clear the way of rocket soldiers, Sam’s, APC’s and tanks to name a few and beware machine gun fire from hummers in close and perhaps the odd rocket but you will need to play and find that out for yourself lol.

Spicer
Spicer

had to wait like 2 weeks as i new steam summer sale was comming got love it. Its a huge challeng 10/10

WOLF-KINDLY
WOLF-KINDLY

Blackshark 2 stop looking at the trailer and give DSC your money!! I was very hesitant to get this because of Mi8 but omg im soo pissed i didnt get this first! this sim has training missions, a ton of campaigns! and its very easy to take off and land thats if youve been playing mi8 like me but forreal very easy helicopter sim! i got this game 4 days a go and im done with the 1st campange thats how good it is!!

George
George

This module is my personal favourite. It's probably the best attack helicopter sim available today. Great for co-op gameplay if your friends own this module too, because you can see you wingmen on the ABRIS (moving map system) and send target information to each other using the Datalink. As with all advanced modules, the buttons in the cockpit are clickable and functions as they would in real life. The trimmer is a bit difficult to master at first, but youtube is your friend. The gameplay is actually quite peaceful: you fly to wherever you need to go, stop and hover (staying out of range of ground targets), and then pick them off one by one using your missiles. The single player campaigns offer a lot to do, and can be converted to co-op fairly easily using the editor.

Jessica.r.Timm
Jessica.r.Timm

Remember, this not your usual "dlc", its a full blown simulator of the Kamov. Before BS2 got integrated into the DCS World it was in fact a stand alone simulator.
Black Shark is not an easy helicopter to master, and you will have to read through the manual to become a good pilot. But once you get good at it you will be a real death incarnate.
Russian Kamov can deliver powerful strike with guided/unguided rockets, bombs and on board gun. It is equipped with helmet targeting system so it's best to fly with trackir for quick target designation.
Helicopter comes with usual DCS standard features like ultra realistic flight model, full working click-able cockpit, and detailed pdf book manual.
I spent months in BS1 and BS2 (off steam user) and I must say its the best combat helicopter simulator at the moment.
Recommended only for serious flight simmers. And yes - its worth the full price.

[YA] Rain
[YA] Rain

Best helicopter simulation out there at the moment. Look no further.

bibobabo
bibobabo

This is my first sim, so the hours I've put in it can tell you of this is a relatively easy or hard game if you are new or experienced in other sims.

At nearly 9 hours of practice, excluding the time took for reading the 300+ pages manual, I... kinda know what I'm doing when I'm flying. It ain't easy and I have not already faced a real threat, the trimmer and the auto-hover are already a threat themselves, but DAAAMMMMMNNN SON feels good riding this russian reaper. The 8-km-range-laser-guider Vihkr missiles will became your new best friends, and the 30mm automatic cannon will punish insurgents hard. Like a lot hard.

10/10 would get to the choppa again

DieVideo
DieVideo

Simply awesome sim! If you are into sims, buy it.

BrinkOfDeath
BrinkOfDeath

my first dcs module, paid full price, hated it. hours of crashing, fighting auto pilots/trim/hovering. so many things to learn took me hours to figure out. but, after lots of frustration and watching tutorials online I have become quite the KA-50 pilot. it's my favorite to fly.

keep in mind this is a professional flight module (PFM) meaning it's as real as flying the real thing. not recommended for your first pick to learn for sure. it's hard as hell. but, sooner the better I suppose.... lol

TGU.Boss \\ M460
TGU.Boss \\ M460

La creme de la creme of DCS World.

Its a one of a kind in a kind of its own.

If you enjoy full blown Sims...That dont just fly..You want a piece of this.

ID call it The jewel of the crown.

The Teleporting Fish
The Teleporting Fish

Best helicuptur yet ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Owner
Owner

Option A: Complete a cold startup of the KA-50 unassisted
Option B: Learn to read Russian

Both seemed about equal in difficulty the first time.
10/10 immersion, delightfully challenging.

fudabidu
fudabidu

Currently this DLC sucks.
The optical sensor won't lock onto targets reliably even if it should and in the campaigns other units often behave strangely, because the missions were not updated since the release of 2.5 .... 18 months ago.

Love the chopper, love the module, but they completely screwed it up.
Maybe I'll come back in 2020 and recommend it again, but given the development hell DCS is going through that's a very generous estimation.

Falconpolat [askerdeyim]
Falconpolat [a…

its currently first attack heli for dcs there is not much to say helo is modern autopilots coaxial rotors = so much stabilization

Fuel consumption : i think this heli is serious fuel thirsty i flew 50 min on whole mission i nearly out of fuel on air so you have to take fuel tanks in long range missions

Weapons : bird cant take that much munitions but vihkr is saves your day if you dont miss any also cannon is helps a lot

Comfort : its really easy to use helo i ever flew in this game i flew uh1,mi8 and this mi8 is hardest helo to fly you have to be very careful landings and takeoffs are too stressfull but you can land and takeoff so easily with ka 50 autopilot is great

Also you have abris computer that shows navigation, setup, HSİ, creating markpoints and more.

Worth money ? Yes its not that expensive you must grab it before sales ends content is plenty !
Sadly it has lots o bugs which has not been fixed for years i hope they will fixed

Plane_Guy
Plane_Guy

The damn autopilot seriously tries to kill you from take off to what-is-supposed-to-be-a-landing but those coaxial rotors are too sexy.
9/10 still crashing on the runway

Levi
Levi

If you are looking for a simulator experience in which it takes about 5 mins just to take off from the ground, and several dozens of hours to master the controls you are in the right place. It just makes you respect the guys who fly these things for real.

Flight mechanics are extremely detailed. You will learn what to do and what not to do the hard way (by crashing a lot and reading forums and manuals even more). Once you understand how to use half-auto pilot and chopper flight basics (like never descending faster than a certain ratio) you are in for a treat though.

But if you are new to flight sims, or just don't have enough time or patience stay away from this one. Go buy Flaming Cliffs or some other less demanding dlc's. You still won't be disappointed.

DickHammer
DickHammer

If you demand full game price for a DLC, at least have a courtesy to add proper training missions.

CommandDork
CommandDork

Got this in the Oct2017 Steam sale and it's become my favorite module for DCS World now. It is a great combination of helicopter control and fighter-like performance. It feels very "Russian" - heavy, armored and powerful. Flight control takes some getting use to but I found it easier than the Huey due to the coaxial main rotors canceling out torque. I keep coming back to this one when the fixed-wing aircraftstart to bore me.

Tarzan_fi
Tarzan_fi

Very challenging, but at the same time super fun. After 10 h or so, I finally manage to pop tanks without crashing in the process. Definitely worth it.

Delle(DK)
Delle(DK)

The ka50 is a pretty cool "old" helicopter, or maybe i should say flying tank since it have a huge firepower and i armoured.
The detail level of the helicopter is extreeme, you will see things get ripped of it when you take hits, but quite often you will be able to survive and fly home with a badly damaged helicopter.
If everything goes wrong it even have an ejection seat as one of the very few helicopters in the world.
And the counter rotating rotor... well whats not to like, it is simply amazing, it give the heli so much stabilty and power that i actual wonder why western countrys have not copied this amazing system.

The helicopter it self is easy to fly and fly very well and "fast".
Starting the helicopter take some practice since everything is on russian, but you can hold the mouse of the keys and you can read what the button do... But you fast get the hang of it so dont worry. ( it is not so difficult after a few times ).
The weapons systems are also pretty easy to use, you can select rockets and how many to fire at one time and if the computer targeting system should fire at the right time or you manual aim and fire.
The anti tank missiles are really cool.. you lock onto something with your camera and keep it locked during the flight time of the missilie and you see it fly away spin arround and hit far away.
The gun is fixed so you can only shoot in the direction of the nose of the heli, but again it have automatic tracking system that automatic point the noise at what you are looking at with your camera, and you can also use auto hover to remain stable while scouting and shooting.
You can also send target information to your wingman and recieve targets, that is pretty cool.
And another really cool feature is you can enable a targeting device that cover one of your eyes... and all you have to do is look out the cockpit and click a button then the camera and helicopter will automatic point in that direction.. that is really cool.
( to get nightvision you can only do this during startup of the helicopter via the radio menu since your mechanic will install it on your helmet for you ).

All in all a cool helicopter that really can deliver some serious damage.
Regarding virtual reality i can highly recommend the ka50.. the cockpit is amazing and with vr you really feel the speed/height of things, and well wow..

Negative-
it is pretty much impossible to find infantry on the ground with your targeting system.. The heli is mostly for light vehicles and tanks and buildings, but ofcourse all machines should be used for the purpose they where designed for and the ka50 was designed for killing vehicles/tanks. ( as far as i know ).

The ka50 run really well on different computers and it feel like the fps when using/flying the heli is really good and less heavy to for the pc than example the a10. but that is just my impression.

PRO TIP..: The best advice you will ever get for flying the ka50 black shark is = trim trim trim and trim some more.
The reason to trim all the time are that you should make the helicopter do the flying, and only adjust what it does now and then... it make it more smooth to fly, and you dont have to push your joystick in a direction all night, or even worse manualy twist your joystick to adjust for the wind for example 1 hour, belive me you hand will hurt.. i tried this and learned my lesson... trim trim trim ..... if you trim you can let go of the joystick and relax your hand... i highly recommend to master the trim function to perfection..!
( tip trim is important in all aircraft/helis from cesna-passengersplane, and even jets fighters.. example in the dcs a10 when air refueling it become much more easy to refuel if you trim the plane to fly level instead of your self adjusting the height all the time. ).

TIP 2... as standard the heli cockpit is in Russian with russian text, and when you hold mouse above the button you can read the english text..... however, if you in the main menu of DCS world select options, and select special, then you can select the ka50 and select english cockpit.
In case you cannot see this you can download an english cockpi for the ka50 on the dcs world website under user files.... you can also find mod cockpits for many other russian planes so the text become english. SO yes you can play with an english cockpit ;-)
However the preprogrammed waypoints in the premade campaign is in russian.. however this do not matter much, just read the briefing and follow the waypoints and you will find something to shoot and complete the missions anyway.
Mission 2 in the std campaign is kind of difficult to win the first time. some infantry will show up after you fly over an area, and they are impossible to see with the helicopter... so you kind of have to find out where they are ( where they shoot from ) and then shoot in that are with rockets and hope you hit something... especially in the new dcs world 2,5 where there are allot more trees then it is hard... but never the less it is possible and you will enjoy the helicopter in other missions ;-)

Treb
Treb

Love this thing, now getting used to it is a bit of a curve but man it is fun once you get going. I am flying in VR which makes it even better. I am buying the UH-1 next.

Siry
Siry

Very rewarding but requires time an dedication, also a lot of patience if you plan to use it in MP while other players fly by past you at supersonic speeds.

Learn how the trim and autopilot features work early on or you will have a rough time.

Also there is a bug with the current cockpit and deferred shading that makes it so the lights on some buttons don't work propery, at the time you can fix this by disabling this option or getting a hi res cokcpit from the DCS forums (Ricardo's HD Black Cockpit).

Liam Neeson Punching Wolves
Liam Neeson Pu…

Price hike before summer sale across all products.

Bishop_Baconator
Bishop_Baconator

Long time player going back to the original Blackshark (pre-Steam compatibility.... And maybe even pre-Steam). This set the standard IMO for helo Sims, taking the torch from games like Longbow 2 and the detail/immersion previously only featured. Y Janes Simulation titles.

This helo is a single seat BEAST. Highly configurable payload, and able to take intense battle damage while remaining mission capable due to the coaxial rotor design and lack of tail rotor. What else could you want from a helicopter gunship? How about a legit ejection system? You got it! Fire extinguishing system? Check! Screw it how about tracer/signal flares? Done! Advanced avionics and targeting? Game on!

GET in and strike fear into ground defenses!

bastian74
bastian74

For ground attack missions this thing can deliver a lot of anti-tank weapons and tends to survive most hits.
However, official updates are all but abandoned, you'll have to download mods to make the buttons in the cockpit usable.
Auto-pilot is buggy and not very friendly to joysticks without centering springs.
Turn to target only works for rockets on the right side, you have to manually override to fire from the left side.

FJB! MAGA!!!
FJB! MAGA!!!

If you like DCS at all this is a must buy , its worth the full price it really is a lot of fun to learn how to use. After comming from the A10a i was able to figure out about 80-85% of everything with out looking at the flight manual, it is becoming my favorite aircraft in the game so far , it has a 30 MM cannon
with Armor piercing or high explosive rounds , the High Explosive rounds will handle any soft armor and the armor piercing rounds
will work on Tanks if you find the soft spot in the back. i blew up a tank with the 30mm cannon before posting this .im having a blast with the anti armor missile , people say they do not turn so well but ive had them doing barrel rolls across the battle field like a Super awesome Remote controlled mini jet fighter that kills tanks!!! .Terrain masking and CAS has never been this fun. 5 out of 5 . having bought it last week 5-21-19 ,I only wish i bought it when it first came out in 2011.

*URC* Dredlocks (CEO)
*URC* Dredlock…

the ka-50 is defenately an awsome heli, i still have a lot to learn as i am new to this
you need a lot of patience and time and also make some notes which can be helpfull in situations
a good joystick is recommended, with only keyboard and mouse it can be verry complecated
i give it an 10/10 as it is verry realistic on all parts of game

murraytacp
murraytacp

Absolutely awesome module. I recommend this module to anyone looking to get into helicopter simulation, as it performs great and is a blast to fly. My only tip of advice is learn the trim. If you don't trim the aircraft properly, it is nearly unflyable. Besides that, great helicopter.

jasonpadre
jasonpadre

They really need to improve the quality of their tutorials. This issue can make or break whether someone asks for a refund or not. The tutorial should be broken down step by step...not issuing commands in machine gun fashion. If you screw up, the narrative goes away and you're forced to start the tutorial over again. This is a tutorial not a video game!

xvii-Dietrich
xvii-Dietrich

TL;DR A single-seat attack helicopter. Very different from the other DCS helicopters. Limited and difficult to manage: therefore quite frustrating.

Full review

The Kamov Ka-50 has many unique features. It is the only single-seat helicopter in DCS, which means that the pilot is expected to perform all functions. It is the only co-axial helicopter, with a unique feel to the flight handling and good performance (no retreating blade stall, for instance). It is the fastest of the DCS helicopters (ca. 300 km/h).

It is a dedicated attack helicopter, rather than a light-multirole or transport design, thus giving it a solid, well-defined role. This is a mixed blessing, as it does its job well, but doesn't have the versatility of, say, the UH-1H. The unit is available to nearly all nations, and there is a huge number of liveries (both as default, and as downloadable mods). There are campaigns (purchased separately) available for it.

It is also the oldest DCS module... of all modules, not just the helicopters. It does show its age, but it has fared well overall. (That said, there is a upgrade to it planned -- although all DCS upgrades do take a long time). The cockpit is available in English and most things have been translated. There are a few places where Cyrillic persists, but these are minor. One thing is that the cockpit is quite asymmetrical, with good visibility to the left as all the switch banks are on the right and behind the right shoulder.

Weapons include guns, rockets and air-to-ground missiles. The gun is powerful, but generally this is not your first weapon of choice. It doesn't have a huge amount of ammunition to spray all over the battlefield either. The rockets are also okay, but no more effective than those of the UH-1H or the staggering number that the Mi-8 can carry.

The flagship weapons of the Ka-50 are 12x Vikhr missiles: weak, but long range (contrast to the SA342, which has 4x powerful, but short-range HOT3 missiles). You may need 2-3 to finish off a target, but at least you can stay out of harm's way. The targeting system is a combination of HUD, helmet-mounted and TV camera. The pilot is expected to do everything here. All other DCS helicopters have extra crew (whether functioning or not).

Do not expect to go into a combat area like a gunship with all guns blazing. The Ka-50 is more surgical in its approach. With 12 missiles, you can selectively take out the armour and difficult targets, then close in to use the gun or saturate the area with a salvo of rockets.

Frustration

The key to the Ka-50, is learning to manage the auto-pilot and trim system. These are an integral part of the weapons system too. However, the autopilot only exerts a 20% control authority. As a result, you need to work with (or fight against) the autopilot as you attempt to hold the helicopter in position. It is much more difficult to bring the Ka-50 into an exact position and keep it there, compared to the SA342. I find the targeting quite a chore.

Flying the helicopter can be manual and that works well. But the idea is to use the trim which is coupled with the autopilot. By trimming, you are simultaneously setting the autopilot parameters and thus the helicopter flight. And as you trim, you release the controls back to the neutral position. I suspect this would work better with a conventional sprung joystick. However, it certainly does not suit an actual cyclic controller with no centre return. Even so, having tried it with a CH-Fighterstick, a Thrustmaster HOTAS and a PFT-Puma, all were very tricky to use compared to other DCS helicopters. As a result, I keep finding myself back in the SA342 or UH-1H.

Conclusion

The Ka-50 is easy to fly, but difficult to deploy. While the implementation is faithful to the real machine (as far as I can tell), it is tedious to work with and therefore, I can't really recommend it.

Fenin
Fenin

It's not easy to fly, and understand that learning how the autopilot systems work is kind of like decrypting a black magic necromancy spell. But once you do you'll be making all the undead a possibility. She's also kind of rare online, so if you're one of those people that likes to be flying something no one flies, here ya' go. You found your bird.

Rozkurwiator
Rozkurwiator

EDIT: Issues resolved on latest Open Beta patch.

Hi,
I just want to warn other players... First of all KA-50 module is a great one, although it has been produced 10 years ago, but... ED company is unfair... KA-50 in DCS2.5 has a MASSIVE cockpit lighting issues that makes this module almost unplayable. How can this be that ED is selling this module at standard price without fixing this problem, or even warning the buyers on store site?! From what I know these issues has been reported almost 2 years ago, and from 2 years ED staff says they`ll fix this problem. There were a news about new cockpit coming this year, but how can we trust this, as we can hear these kind of promises for a long time.

To clarify - my bad opinion is due to unfair attitude of ED company, rather than the module itself, which was working well before deferred shading has been introduced.
If you really want to play this now you need to live with cockpit mods produced by a ka-50 fans, like Ricardo HD, or other ones.

CarbonFrozen423
CarbonFrozen423

Haven's spent much time in it and it's my first heli in DCS but i have enjoyed the learning it. 10/10 would recommend for helicopter noobs like me.

ewephucinsuc2
ewephucinsuc2

hello.. i didnt get an activation key. how do i get one?

Toga10
Toga10

the autopilot and trim takes a bit of getting used to but otherwise this module is amazing! i quite often fly around the UAE listening to Rasputin in this thing, it's pretty fun. It's a bit like flying the huey listening to fortunate son

Cliff
Cliff

The most capable helicopter in DCS, the cockpit has been remade with high quality textures.

blake.com/tv
blake.com/tv

DCS: Black Shark 2 contains a simulation of the Ka-50 Black Shark attack helicopter. As is the norm for every full-fidelity module, the helicopter's interior and exterior are all rendered in great detail. When you deploy a weapon from one of the wing pylons or the mounted gun, the shake of the aircraft adds to the "live" feeling. The sounds also feel on-point. I don't have a lot of experience with helicopters, so I can't really pass judgement on the flight model, although nothing feels super unrealistic to me.
Learning to fly the Ka-50 was quite difficult in the beginning, coming from fixed-wing aircraft. You may feel like you're fighting the helicopter initially. A drawback to the learning process was the included tutorials focused mostly on operating systems on the Ka-50 and less on the specifics of how to actually fly it. Most of the frustration that I had with this module was in this phase because I was still understanding the trim and autopilot in particular. A good deal of my help actually came from online resources or experimentation.
Once you're able to maneuver the helicopter, utilizing it's full potential with weapons is rewarding and fun. The gun is aimed with the Skhval sensor, giving you a lot of control over where you're shooting. AP rounds will take out tanks if fired at weak points in the armor, and HE rounds shred softer targets- same with the gun pods. Rocket pods, bombs, and dispensers can dish out a lot of damage, but the Ka-50's main weapon is the Vikhr laser-guided missiles. The strategy with the Ka-50 is to use your Vikhrs to pick out the biggest threats to you, such as SAMs or AA, then wreak havoc on the weaker targets with your remaining weapons.
In summary, the Ka-50 is a challenging but rewarding helicopter to learn. Mastering it will take time and practice, but unleashing the Ka-50 on ground targets feels awesome. I can definitely say that this is one of my favorite DCS modules. It's definitely worth getting on sale or if you're a big helicopter fan.

Johann
Johann

Like everything in DCS, this is not an arcade type of flight game, but a true simulation.
Lots of reading and viewing videos..
If you've never flown a helicopter sim before, expect a sometimes steep learning curve.
Black Shark:
Single seat attack helicopter.
Twin engines.
Retractable gear.
Very quick and agile
This helicopter seems complicated but once figured out, is actually pretty easy to switch weapons systems.
Personally, I think operation is easier than the Mi-8 which has rows of switches and dials.
Has auto hover..auto altitude.
Once learned, it's rock steady hovering in the air so you can concentrate on locking various targets.
If you flown a helicopter before, I don't think there is going to be a problem flying the Shark.
The biggest issue I had was going from the Mi-8 (Large heavy chopper) to this.
I had to learn being light on the stick.
I would suggest map everything to your liking, especially auto hover, altitude, lock etc. on the HOTAS so the functions are easy to get to.
Very formidable against ground targets.

Jorge
Jorge

Oof... the price.

I got this one when Eagle Dynamics wasn't skinning people off money.

Schwapping mags
Schwapping mags

Extremely capable and fun helicopter, the vikhr missiles are very very good. Deadly 30mm cannon. Unguided rockets are kinda meh since they aren't super accurate and splash damage is not very good.

It's very easy to fly compared to traditional helicopters due to its dual counter-rotating rotors. Very important to spend some time and learn about the weird (at first) autopilot system. It works really well and reduces the pilot load significantly, but only after how it works and how to use it, otherwise you will be fighting the autopilot all the time.

10/10 great module.

LtCyrano
LtCyrano

easy to learn, easy to fly, eats tank for breakfast. i love it.

OG Slav ☭
OG Slav ☭

People that give bad review for this helicopter just because it's "too controlling" clearly haven't learned the helicopter properly... they expect it to handle like a Huey, but it's not, it's suppose to handle like an Apache, lot's of computers helping you fly around and keep on a bearing, keep your altitude and pitch, once you learn how to control Ka-50's computer you will have an amazing time with this beast!

Really worth even the full price for this killer, you'll have a good time destroying convoys with ease if you learn it properly.

MMD 2022
MMD 2022

I don't recommend this as it's not being updated for long time and after AH-64 I sure this Aircraft will be completely dead. not to mention that all the plans of updating its systems to a modern day era has been canceled leaving you to be a target in the US turkey shooting games. NOT FUN!

Battle Bureaucrat
Battle Bureaucrat

Still my favorite chopper to fly in DCS and overall beautiful machine. Once you get a grasp of flying with trimmer discipline, it's mesmerizing how pleasant this machine is.

That said, overall reception being very good, the module itself suffers from some problems, very common to Eagle Dynamics - and that's: not updating their campaigns. When you buy this module you are also buying a campaign, which worked just fine in old version of the engine, but since the game got upgraded to new render engine and new terrain, all old campaigns are broken and have not been reworked to run properly. Same goes to wingmen AI which is a bucket of gravel... also blind.

reis96
reis96

Despite being very enjoying the DCS World, you must give all your money to this gamne to play it. You buy a plane in early acess and soon they launch another one in early acess without finishing the earlier. You buy BlkackShark1 and instead improving it they launch BlackShark2 so you have to pay again for the same plane. Then, after sometime, instead upgrading they launch BlakckShark3 and so on... *** DCS IS A MONEY TRAP !!! ***

Romeovictor
Romeovictor

Don't know about you but I was on the fence about buying this one for a while, and combined with the reviews with the price I was undecided and left it on my wishlist to collect dust.
Then ED put it on sale and I decided F**k it, and bought it, expecting a long and lengthy learning curve, as it would be my first helicopter.
So I set up a simple training mission, as one does, slapped some targets on a road, slapped the helo on some base, and after some basic control mapping, jumped into the cockpit expecting a 2 hour practice session of just taking off, based on what other people said.

Yeah not at all.

Gently took off, got a hold of the trimmer button really quickly, and let the helo fly itself on over to the targets.
Slowed down gently, put it in hover, uncaged the targeting... thing. Shkav? shlakv? Whatever that thing is.
Started popping targets on the ground with the missiles. Vhikr? Vikhr? You know the ones.
Decided to try some rocket runs, which was the worst part, but still managed to get a few on target without flying into the ground or accidentally flipping upside down.
Used the 30 because why not.
Left the targeting area and flew all the way back to the base.
Landed incredibly gently.

This helo isnt difficult to use at all and I've taken it on all of one makeshift, back alley, five-minutes-craft sortie. Its different, but not hard. So I dont know what all those people complaining about it are on about. I know I'm certainly no god at the game or as a pilot, and I've just taken it out to actually take off, kill targets, and land, on quite literally my first flight. I think people have certain expectations that are ludicrous for a dedicated attack chopper... of course not, folks. Its a chopper, and a weird one at that with its counter rotating blades.

This aint warthunder, you cant use mouse aim to control it, its far more complicated than that, and thats why piloting it is coupled with the autopilot and trimming system. In fact, this system helps take the workload off the pilot as you work. But when positioning, yes, of course you have to slow down *gently* and *slowly* with *patience*, and pick the right position so you can get a good LOS to your targets. You might have to reposition to get a better LOS, which also takes patience and 2 brain cells to pick a better position to go to. Expecting it to just hover right there and then with all your targets in sight is like expecting 747s to just start dogfighting regularly. Probably physically impossible, and makes no sense either way.

After watching several other experienced pilots fly it and after what I've gathered flying it the first time, here's what I think:
When attacking its best to not fly at a target. Its a helicopter. You can just fly *to* the target, and remain at that safe distance, close enough to employ weapons. Slap her into hover, and get to work with your vhikkikirkris. Much easier than a plane, where you have to focus on flying and lining the jet up at an acceptable distance, angle, speed, yada yada yada. Not so much here. Literally just slow down, put it in hover within range of the weapon, lock with the TV, and fire. Thats it. Stay out of range of anti-air defences, identify and kill them, and *then* you can go in with your rockets or 30 if you deem it necessary, which it probably wont be most of the time because it may not be safe (per the accuracy of AI top-mounted machine guns), or you've just killed everything with the missiles.
The missiles, from what I have seen and experienced, have been one shot kills each, or deadly enough to cause the target to burn, explode, and finish itself off. The gun, coupled with the TV targeting system, was accurate and deadly to lightly armored things, with a respectable amount of ammunition. The rockets, depending on which you use, are like most rockets in DCS. If you get them on target, they *might* do damage. If you dont, they wont. However, fun nonetheless.

So in conclusion:
I dont think the Ka50 is difficult to fly. Its different for sure, but thats what you should expect when you try to fly a double-bladed-counter-rotating-dedicated-attack-chopper, after flying many hours in a typical fighter jet.
I will be using this machine to completely obliterate objectives quickly and efficiently. I've only barely scratched the surface with my experience in this attack chopper, and I cannot wait to fully exploit all she can do.
So, if you have a good head on your shoulders, and want something that'll slap targets on the ground, this machine might just be for you.

Topey
Topey

Solid helo go buy it and be based

WaterMelon
WaterMelon

I thought alot before buying this heli.

It was totally worth it !

The ka-50 have its own learning curve - and its not easy !

is it worth it ? hell yeah !

Frank Castle
Frank Castle

One of the most complete modules to date. Love it. The only downside is it doesn't have a lot of campaigns unlike other modules like the Hornet or the Warthog. But for multiplayer it is a blast flying this beast.

cfrag
cfrag

People love to hate it. Especially when coming face-to-face with it.

I'm in two minds about the Black Shark. It's a helicopter that doesn't much fly like other helicopters. It's not as versatile as other helicopters, yet packs a harder punch (no other DCS helicopter can currently kill more tanks in such a short time). And it's a single-seat killing machine that like few others depends on other units to support it (meaning: it's really fun in multiplayer, challenging in single-player). It's old and it's new. And, like everything else in DCS, the motto is "... we choose to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are HARD" (with apologies to JFK) - the Karmov is easy to fly only in DCS terms: you can learn how to start it up in under one hour, and avoid a crash during take-off in under 45 minutes. But if you read this, you already know this and love a challenge.

And that's also what is to love: thousands of switches that all have real functionality. 80's tech faithfully rebuilt in next-millennia computer technology. In VR, the Ka-50 is a treat - with the fake-wood floor paneling the only let-down (the cheapest wood textures you'll ever see). The Ka-50's signature weapon is a TV-aimed, laser-guided missile that you can't pronounce unless born in the east, and a helmet-mounted sight that you can slave the gun to. It is so refreshingly different to western tech that that alone is worth it (unless you try to fight at night, at which point you are up the creek without a paddle). Still, unless you have flown other helicopters, it's the easiest rotor-wing to learn in ED's current lineup due to its fly-by-wire and stability augmentation system. Ironically, that system makes if difficult to transition to from other helicopters.

The Shark, being a creakingly old module, holds up surprisingly well against more modern modules (most recently the Hind). An update has been planned for ages (another ED/DCS trope: decades-long pre-announcements), but even in its current form, it is a lot fun. If you have never flown a helicopter in DCS, the Ka-50 is easier to learn because you don't have to unlearn typical rotor-head habits (those coming from other helicopters typically have a very bad day fighting the Karmov's stability systems - until they discover the flight director switch).
As with most DCS models, this is a study sim, requiring you to read manuals, watch videos, run through really bad tutorial missions, and practice a lot before you can attempt any of the campaigns. And like all of the other modules, there is a real sense of accomplishment when you reach a goal - even of that goal is only landing on the deck of an assault ship. In multiplayer, the Ka-50 is really fun - provided you have someone to watch your back.

On a battlefield, flying the Shark is both hilarious and frightening. It's the proverbial sniping unit: it can auto-hover behind a bunch of trees, and take out an entire tank column from kilometers away. It's the unit of choice to take out enemy SAM sites when everything else fails. But woe to you, should you be spotted or get just a liiiiiiiitle bit too close to the action. This is DCS, so surviveability while hovering close to ground, just a few inches away from a vortex ring stall is minimal. So don't get discovered. Most fast movers can't easily get a lock on you - but the Hog will, and there's always an angry Hog around the corner - in DCS. As are those pesky infantry with their shoulder-launched missiles.

The Ka-50 doesn't offer as much variety as, for example, the Hornet, Falcon or Hawg. Its weapons arsenal is rather limited, and due to being a helicopter, it's a sitting duck when discovered and the fixed-wings are called in. But flying close to the ground, banging on your PDA-like navigation system that has no connection to your navigation computer (a refreshing bit of real-world lowest-bidder mentality faithfully represented in-game) in frustration, willing them to co-operate enough to get you out of this mess, with a bogey on your tail and a shoulder-mounted missile guy on the hilltop in front of you is exhilarating.

Once you've learned to fly that damn thing, of course.

FlyingGasmask
FlyingGasmask

This is where it all started, one of the true veterans of DCS World AND one of the most badass helicopters (unless you play War Thunder)

If you're tired of flying with a nagging gunner and want take the mission into YOUR own hands this is the chopper for you! The heli makes you a one man army and is great as an anti-tank platform and will decimate convoys in no time, It's also great for reconnaissance and has very impressive survivability with its coaxial rotors and bullet resistant air frame.

Its also very simple and quite easy to learn (compared to stuff like the Apache or Warthog)

Zippo
Zippo

Turn on your autopilot director and keep it on. It is NOT OPTIONAL if you want to do anything other than fly lazily in one direction.

Wolf
Wolf

I sexually identify as this attack helicopter.

Smidge
Smidge

Not as hard as some people make it out to be

If you're looking for a fast and deadly helicopter that can get alot done, this is for you. On a sale you can grab this for 25 bucks and it can go head-on with anything even jets.

Worth the money

HotDogWater
HotDogWater

Very enjoyable to fly, you can switch the cockpit from Russian to English which is super helpful

fuzzybloodpc
fuzzybloodpc

At the time of this review its 998.02 GB

beirutfloyd
beirutfloyd

Fantastic helicopter. Fast, cool, and lots of guns. It's not easy to fly and it will hours! before you're good at it, but it's very rewarding when you get it right.

300kph, treetop level, armed to the teeth. What's not to love.

CONDOOR
CONDOOR

Worst module out of them all, autopilot systems and weapon systems dont work smoothly or well at all, this thing is a flying crying piece of shit

Springfield( ・_・)
Springfield( ・_・)

This is the thing... literally the USSR Wolfhound in Mental Omega ... I can't believe I get to have the chance to finally fly this legendary chopper in DCS... plain words don't even do justice to how grateful I am to the team behind this project at Eagle Dynamics... just thank you guys so much...... Can't wait for the day when Black Shark 3 finally drops.

Now here's the stuff that only Mental Omega fans will understand hehe boiiii.

When selected

    • Wraith of Siberian winds!
    • Defending Russian airspace.
    • Sound of my blades!
    • Wolfhound, looking for prey.
    • This is a wild place.
    • Thunderous skies over Mother Russia!

When ordered to move

    • Operation started.
    • They shall reap the whirlwind.
    • Getting there.
    SOON™.
    • Certainly, comrade!
    • And so the hunt begins!

When ordered to attack with the 2A42 30mm autocannon machine guns

    • Fear my howl!
    • No match for me!
    • Not bark - bite!
    • Shred them apart!
    • I've picked up their scent.

When ordered to attack with missiles (mixed with the lines above)

    • Rain down missiles!

MaxGyver
MaxGyver

The Ka-50 is the easiest attack helicopter to fly in the game, and it packs quite a punch.

Pros:
- Very stable hover and flight
- autopilot has a hover and descent mode
- Super agile
- Can fly when the tailboom is chopped off (you see, it has no tail rotor)
- Has ejection seats
- 12 Vikhr anti-everything missiles (can even be used for anti-air) that have a range of 8km
- Can target and shoot the 30mm side-cannon with the helmet-mounted sight. The 2A42 autocannon can shoot targets up to 3km away either with HE or AP ammo
-Can also carry a bunch of rockets

Cons:
- Limited visibility in cockpit
- Limited sensors for defensive systems
- You have to scan the area for targets using the Shkval TV while piloting, so the pilot has a heavy workload. However the autopilot will assist you and it works well, but:
- The autopilot is somewhat aggressive. It takes some time to get used to it and to understand it, but in the meantime you'll be fighting against it.

It is also important to note that this is one of the oldest modules in DCS, and once the BS3 comes out, it will be possible to upgrade

Walter
Walter

Bought this after the apache and its way better, way smoother and easier to fly, systems are easier to use and it even has auto hover, this is my new favorite helicopter.

Giraffe Boy
Giraffe Boy

Alright, don't let folks scare you away from this helicopter. Shes a strange bird in a lot of ways but ultimately very easy and forgiving to fly. Thats the best thing about coaxial choppers. She's a bit limited in her operating windows; this bird is daytime and good weather only. The sensor suit is pretty simplistic and she lacks frills, but it definitely gets the job done regardless. The hardest part about this chopper is getting used to the startup procedure and figuring out the autopilot, but thats fairly well explained in tutorials and honestly it's fairly easy to learn. All things considered, shes a great heli to get acquainted with and a great gateway chopper.

Crusty Sock
Crusty Sock

Dont listen to the people complaining this thing is amazing

Wagner Group Israel
Wagner Group Israel

4 Hours in and I can just barely fly this thing, incredible module and my first introduction to anything DCS. Do yourself a favour and skip the tutorials, people here are complaining about it and I just don't care for it. I read a guide online, watched a few videos and used some trial and error to get this thing to shoot and fly. Forget all of your arma skill other then locking on and acquiring targets because this is a completely different thing.