Celestial Nighthawk HAS the ExoTac Perk (Easy Test to Prove It)
First off, this is my first Reddit post, I apologize in advance for any possible formatting errors, etc., as I have only ever casually visited this site.
So last night Planet Destiny released a video discussing the Icarus perk and how effective it actually is. Towards the end of the video, they discussed the alleged "hidden perk" of the Celestial Nighthawk and came to the conclusion that it either doesn't help much or it doesn't exist at all. I've noticed on various forums and on this sub-reddit numerous people agreeing with this verdict and those that believe the ExoTac perk exists haven't been able (most likely because it's not a big deal) to outright prove its existence. I (and maybe someone else on this sub, I could have sworn I saw someone else mention this but I apologize for not being able to cite it) noticed a way to prove it...
The HIPFIRE RETICLE.
Every video I've seen of people trying to prove/disprove that the CN has this perk have almost always done so using a sniper rifle (no observable hipfire reticle) and then scoping in on various walls/targets. After I got my CN a few weeks ago I noticed that when you jump (while wearing the helmet, WITH the exotic perk unlocked) your hipfire reticle will NOT change in size and will stay as if you are on the ground.
IMPORTANT: This hidden perk only seems to last for about 1 second. After that time the hipfire reticle will bloom back out to its normal jumping size. Any shots you take in that 1 second time frame (either hipfire or scoped in) will behave as if you are on the ground.
I have tested this myself a ton out on patrol and have regularly been able to hit targets across the zone with relative ease (keep in mind, you may still miss, as the upward momentum may cause you to fire early/late).
Unfortunately, I have no idea how to video edit or any of that useful stuff to show proof of this. All I can ask is that someone else who is way more tech savvy than myself record their own evidence of this. My advice would be to use a scout rifle as they have very accurate base hipfires and just atrocious air accuracy normally and if possible, use explosive rounds (allow you to see the impact zone) and a VERY long range. It's immediately noticeable that the ExoTac perk still exists if you use either one or both of those.
Edit 1: Just to clarify for anyone that doesn't already know, when the Celestial Nighthawk was datamined pre-HOW it was called the ExoTac Angel Hunter and had the exotic perk "increased accuracy while in the air for a short period of time". For the last month or so people have been trying to figure out if that perk is included in the Celestial Nighthawk as a hidden perk.
Edit 2: Big thanks to Cacarpenter89 for recording some evidence: https://youtu.be/_l3WG_7CPiw