Unfortunatly I need to find a new plane

[samu1]

I have been flying the good ol' spit IX for a while as an E/Turn fighter to great effect.I have always had to deal with the frustration of beating that elusive stang only to have him leg it, but I have managed quite well. Unfortunatly with the inclusion of even more later war planes my poor little 41/42 Mark IX just can't whip em like she used to, addded to the fact that HTC seems to have no intention of bringing out an XIV or other later spit (actually doing this marevlous plane justice as the killer it was, against these late war jobbies)I'm going to have to find a new plane   . Has anybody got any ideas and startup tips (preferably a training session to really get me up to speed) for other planes (looking for something that can manuver a bit, fast enough to hold its own, and a good climber{one of my main ACM pieces).

Thanks

 Sam

P.S (guess where I live    )

------------------
Better to live on your feet than to die on your knees

[Ripsnort]

Yak 9U holds a future your U !

Fly it like the spit, except get in nice and close and use short bursts...you can run away from just about anything under 15k.

[Soda]

I wouldn't slam the door on the SpitIX, though I understand your grief.  Here are some tips though:

The SpitIX is good at altitudes between 10K and 20K, it has more legs at that alt vs typical run-type fighters.  You can out-run N1K and other's at that alt, where on the deck they will run away easily, or catch you easily, depending on the situation  

Second, if you want to fly the SpitIX, look for fights that are appropriate for it.  Typically, these include fights were you know the enemy can't really afford to run very far.  I.e. show up at a base capture where the enemy has to stay close by lest he give up the base to a capture.  The Spit can really do well when the enemy knows he can't/shouldn't run.  Don't do fighter sweeps at 25K, there are just too many runners up there with a 30+mph advantage on you.

Third, fly the Spit light, only take 50% fuel and a drop tank.  Ditch the tank just before you the fight.  This will make you light and believe me, you should run outta ammo long before you run out of fuel.  It should help you acceleration a bit to give you a quick shot before a runner can run.

I typically have flown the SpitV more than the IX lately, but the concepts are the same.  Luckily the SpitIX has more power to compete, where that extra lack of power really hurts the SpitV.  My squad had a Spit sortie the other night, 5 of us went in, 5 came out, 15+ enemy didn't.

-Soda

[Ghosth]

Both of the Yaks are great planes & are a pretty logical next step up the E list. The other plane to consider is the La7.

While not as nimble as the Spit or Yak you'll love it's speed!

Carries a bunch more ammo than the yak's do also.

Keep it under 12k for best results, fly it like a pony on steroids!

[SpitLead]

Don't give up on the Spit IX. It's still one of the best all around planes in the arena (IMHO).  It's pretty fast and is one of THE best turning planes. Ya just gotta pick your fights to use it to it's strengths. Yesterday I went 4 against 1.  It was 2-P38s, a Spit and La7 against me in my Spit IX.  I had dragged them all down low.  They tried to turn with me and I kept picking away until I got them all.  That's my best sortie to date when outnumbered that badly.  I rtb'd for ammo and shot down 2 more.

I've been flying the La7 a lot this tour.  Talk about acceleration!  And, with 3-20mm cannons it's got more punch than the La5N and YAk.  It's speed and turning down low make it a formidable opponent with the legs to get away (I've outrun FW190s before) if needed.  It's a good all around ride also.  Just get use to the low ammo loadout and hard deflection shooting. My biggest problem is keeping the speed in check so I don't flyby my target!

[This message has been edited by SpitLead (edited 03-25-2001).]

[Vermillion]

Contrary to popular belief,    both the Yak-9U and the La7 have similar sustained turn rates to the P-51, in other words they go around a 360 degree circle in about the same time.

However, both fighters are excellent in the vertical and acceleration, with good roll rates. Which make them very manueverable, but that is different from them being "good turners".

Fly them in a classic 109 style and you will do very well. Fly them like a Spit and you will probably die alot.

Oh, and if you fly the Yak-9U remember to turn right instead of left.

------------------
Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure

[Lephturn]

Copy that Verm.

I found out that a great antidote to the La7 is the F6F5!  It's not nearly as fast, but it will out-turn the La7 or Yak handily.  It also has decent guns, and is a pretty good energy fighter.  It doesn't accelerate, climb, or run like the La7 of course, but if you want to mix it up with 'em, it's a good choice.  Add to that the F6F5's fantastic diving ability, and you can even catch La7's that try to dive out from low speed.  They'll get away in the long run, but short term you can gain enough to nail 'em.

------------------
Sean "Lephturn" Conrad - Aces High Chief Trainer

A proud member of the mighty Flying Pigs
http://www.flyingpigs.com

Check out Lephturn's Aerodrome for AH articles and training info!