It wasn't until some time ago, that I've found out that losing just one H-stab was possible in AH.
This pic was taken at an off-line session, against a target drone. As you can clearly see, it is missing one horizontal stab(hereafter 'H-stab').
This was when I first realized that losing only one stabilizer was possible in the game.
However, during the years I have played AH, since AH1 version 1.05, I honestly can say that losing only one H-stab never, ever happened to me during the entire length of my on-line playing. I always lose both stabs, the V-stab, or lose the entire tail section. Never, ever I have experienced only one H-stab loss. Much the same, the damage I inflict to the target plane always results in either V-stab loss, destruction of the entire tail section, or removal of both H-stabs.
I am deeply curious - to those who read this post I ask you, have you ever lost just one H-stab? .....
Now, I clearly remember the discussion about what would happen if a plane suddenly lost two H-stabs at once. As I recall there were differing opinions, and among them many people commented that a plane would nose down and fall to the ground.
Then HT stepped in along with other experts, and confirmed that aerodynamically, a plane that loses both H-stabs at once would do what we would see in AH - lose balance and pitch upwards. Some have pointed out that indeed, that is what happens in real life, according to their actual sightings in real-life aircraft accidents.
However, one thing I've been always wondering is, how often would such damage occur in real life? Typically in WWII? IIRC this question was never answered in that discussion, and I think it remains valid.
Ofcourse, I fully understand that ultimately no game would recreate reality as exactly it was. However among all the wonderful fights in AH seeing a plane lose its two H-stabs as if its been suddenly surgically removed, and seeing it hover down like a helicopter to crash... its so plain awkward, I must say.
I cannot really say I've seen many WW2 guncam footages, but most of what happens in the guncams, I can see in AH - engine loss, fires, structural damage etc etc.. but I don't ever recall seeing a plane going down in that manner.
...
So, what I am really trying to say, is this:
1. If losing one H-stab is systematically possible, but but practically impossible(as per my experiences with the game), what could be the reason behind it? One reason I can think of, is that the results of aerial gunfire in AH usually 'groups' the shots landed in a certain area.
This is logical to expect. If a certain volley of rounds lands near one H-stab, it would be logical to assume that due to dispersion and various other factors concerned with gunnery, about equal amount of shots would also land at the other H-stab.
Thus, when there are enough hits to destroy one H-stab, it will most probably destroy the other H-stab as well. However, its kind of baffling to think that however rare it may be, there still would be some cases where a plane would lose only one H-stab.
Another reason I have thought of, is perhaps only the drones in offline play react in that manner - the model P-51D, to be exact. Maybe some of the older models are using an older DM setting(?), so their two H-stabs are interlinked? I must admit I myself don't believe there would be such discrepancies between the DM of the different planes in AH.
2. Losing both H-stabs, at least in my view, can be practically considered as the only result of damage inflicted to the H-stabs. Losing only one H-stab, so far in my experience, is only theoretically possible(as per my experiment with the drones). We see this happening everyday in the MA - planes reacting as if H-stabs are surgically removed entirely, and hovering down to the ground.
Despite the fact that the behavior of the plane itself is aerodynamically correct(as per HT's explanation), in reality of WW2, would such form of damage be anything common? As to expect it as the norm, rather than be surprised or baffled by it? 3. This third question is a hypothetical one. If the answer two question 2 is
"NO",
then why does it happen in AH, but does not happen in reality? My guess is that it has to do with how damage is modelled in AH.
In AH, the wings have various parts that record damage. Wingtip damage, half wing damage, and wingroot damage(which results in the loss of entire wing)... plus ailerons.
However, compared to the wing area, the H-stab area is very simply modelled. It is comprised of two parts - the main H-stab, and the elevator.
So, when a group of shots land at a wing, depending on aiming and dispersion, the shots will be scattered in various patterns, and result in various forms of damage as listed above. This variety more or less matches real life accounts.
However, when a group of shots land at the H-stab, either the elevator falls off, or the entire area of the H-stab is removed.
Another factor may be that the toleration levels of H-stabs to damage, may be too weak overall for all planes. The H-stab is a very thin area to hit.
While experimenting with the target drones I've realized that it is very difficult to snipe of just one H-stab - where as hitting the general tail area is much easier(which usually results in the loss of both H-stabs, or destruction of the entire tail section).
That might mean, perhaps, in real life, the tail-section of the plane usually fails before enough shots are landed on the H-stab itself..? (Because by the time one would do enough damage to the H-stab, rest of the shots fired and missed would inevitably strike the tail section.)
4. Thus, a hypothetical solution to a hypothetical question....
The premise:
If indeed, what we see in AH (planes losing both H-stabs cleanly, which imbalances the plane to hover downwards like a helicopter), would rarely happen in real life... Then perhaps these solutions might help AH combat experience come into conjunction with what is more representative of the real-life experience.
1) Model different levels of damage on the H-stabs and the V-stab.
Instead of the one whole H-stab section modelled as a single area, perhaps it would be a good idea to divide it into two.
Thus, if a group of shots land at the elevator, the elevator will off. However, if a group of shots land at the H-stab area itself, then only half of the H-stab, along with the aileron, will be destroyed. If still more shots land at the H-stab, then that entire H-stab will fall off.
The level of damage received to the V-stab will be likewise; if shots are landed at the rudder, the rudder is destroyed, however, if shots are landed at the V-stab itself, then half of the V-stab will be destroyed first.. and then the rest half will finally come off with more damage.
2) Increase the overall durability of the H-stab and V-stab area for all planes.
If the H-stabs are strengthened, then for reasons mentioned above in the post, by the time enough shots land on the H-stab itself, the rest of the shots that missed the H-stab should have landed at the tail section.
Same thing with the V-stab.
3) 1) and 2) mentioned above, will apply in the same manner to the tail booms of the P-38.
....
This, will probably greatly reduce the ratio of V-stab and H-stab damage as reasons for being shot down in AH. A fleeting snapshot would rarely just sliceoff the H-stab or the V-stab to give someone a relatively lucky/easy kill. Being harder is not necessarily more realistic, but in this case I believe it is.
Ofcourse, the above analogy might be wrong, if indeed such damages as we see in AH currently, was actually a very common thing to happen in WW2.
Thanks for listening to a long-winded 'complaint'
