Favorite plane

[Urchin]

By the way...  explain this for me, if you could.  Pilot X gets a K/D of 9 in a 190a5.... and a K/D of 20 in the N1K2.  Pilot X doesn't vulch exclusively, but he isnt averse to it either... figure about 10-15% of his kills in both planes are vulches, the rest are A2A.

[Urchin]

Ok, I tried to make an "experiment".. as objective as I could.  Take 2 pilots.  Pick 2 planes.  First set of fights is plane A vs plane A, second set of fights is plane B vs plane B.  Third set of fights is plane A vs plane B.

First guy I got to do it we picked Spit 9's, then F4U-1Ds, then Spit 9 vs F4U-1D.  I didn't get the results I expected.  I won the 3 fights in the Spit 9, then I won the 3 fights in the F4U.  Then I won the 3 fights in a F4U against a him in a Spit 9.  So, I told him what he had done wrong, and hopefully that'll fix that.  

Second set was a little better, from my point of view.  We did La-7s, then P-47s, then P-47 vs La-7.  Since I won the 3 fights in La-7s, and the 3 fights in P-47s, I flew the P-47 and he flew the La-7 for the 3rd one.  We did 4 fights, I augered once and got shot down 3 times.

Third set was Spit 9s and 190a5s.  I lost the spit 9's 1 to 2, lost the 190a5s 1 to 2, won in the spit 9 vs 190a5 3 to 0.

So, I feel comfortable in saying that it is the plane, and not the pilot that is the deciding factor in a 1v1 fight, with one caveat- both pilots have to know how to use their planes effectively.  They don't have to be the worlds greatest stick, but they do have to know what advantages thier plane has over the enemy plane, and how to make use of them.

YMMV, of course.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Urchin


So, I feel comfortable in saying that it is the plane, and not the pilot that is the deciding factor in a 1v1 fight, with one caveat- both pilots have to know how to use their planes effectively.  They don't have to be the worlds greatest stick, but they do have to know what advantages thier plane has over the enemy plane, and how to make use of them.

YMMV, of course.

But if both pilots have to know the strengths and weaknesses of their respective planes and how to use them effectively, doesn't that point to the pilot being the deciding factor?


ack-ack

[moot]

that's what the first two sets with equal planes are for, calibrate the pilot difference.

[Urchin]

No, not in my opinion.  You see, the first two fights are what I would call the "controls".  Both pilots in the same plane, same alt, the only variable is "pilot skill".  Therefore, the winner of the first two fights would quite naturally be called the better pilot, in my opinion.  Therefore, by putting the better pilot in what I would call the inferior plane, I am attempting to compare how the two effect the fight.  If "pilot skill" was the determining factor, the better pilot would win easily, no matter what planes the respective combatants were in.  Since that does not seem to be the case, I decided that it is in fact the plane that is the determining factor, in a 1v1.

[Mini D]

I consider myself to be a good pilot and I think you're wrong.

MiniD

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by Urchin
My argument isn't spit V vs 190a5.

[/B]

This was more in response to others who specifically mentioned those planes rather than just you.

Ok, you are tooling along at 15k in a 190a5 in the MA.  

This is a nonsense scenario.  On the one hand the 190A5 faces a Spit V flown competently enough to avoid dying to the 190 but so inept as to die within five seconds to the Spit V?  You've just injected pilot skill into the equation without even realizing it.  The scenario could have gone any number of ways.  Let's say the initial Spit V is competent enough to neutralize my Spit V, locking me in a slow scissoring fight as we descend to the deck rapidly.  Within no time, the Spit IX and La-7 jump into the fight and nail me when I'm low, slow, and vulnerable.  This same Spit V could only chase the 190A5 as he egressed with poor situational awareness right into the path of enemies.

We can make up stories all day, but they don't prove anybody's point.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by Urchin
By the way...  explain this for me, if you could.  Pilot X gets a K/D of 9 in a 190a5.... and a K/D of 20 in the N1K2.  Pilot X doesn't vulch exclusively, but he isnt averse to it either... figure about 10-15% of his kills in both planes are vulches, the rest are A2A.

Are you actually taking one example of someone clearly above and beyond most pilots and using him to represent the population?

I'd bet 99% in this game couldn't get a K/D of 9 in anything, let alone 20.  This pilot already demonstrates that it's the pilot, not the plane, that matters.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by Urchin
If "pilot skill" was the determining factor, the better pilot would win easily, no matter what planes the respective combatants were in.  Since that does not seem to be the case, I decided that it is in fact the plane that is the determining factor, in a 1v1.

This is an interesting if inexact experiment.  No offense, though, but you have no business participating in your own experiment when you have a stake in the outcome and can easily (if even unconsciously) manipulate the results.

-- Todd/Leviathn