FW-190, Outboard cannons

[Soviet]

I'm a big FW-190 fan, i love all the models.  Especially the A-5 and A-8 but should i carry the outboard canons on the A-5 and A-8 if i plan on dogfighting? i noticed i was able to dogfight with the A-8 when i removed the outboard cannons, is this because it models the removal of the weight or is it because of luck that I got those kills?

The bottom line is should i dogfight with or without the outboard cannons?

[Rocket]

With the extra guns you carry the extra weight of the guns and the ammo.  This will of course affect the handle of the plane.  You should be able to dogfight just fine but your style will need to adjust for the extra weight.  It will affect climbrate, roll rate, acceleration.  I don't fly the LW birds near as much but when going A2A only I usually leave them off, A2G I take everything I can squeeze on the plane!  

Hopefully one of the LW dedicated flyers can help out more with the question.

S!
Rocket
AH Training Corp
AH Scenerio Team

[mrfish]

on the a8 i either use 2 x 20mm and dogfight or 2 x 20mm + 2 x 30mm and ground attack - i never load 4 x 20mm.

on the a5 i always load out all 4 because the difference doesnt seem pronounced.

admittedly i don't fly it much now but i have in the past and still do in the ct at least.

[ 09-09-2001: Message edited by: mrfish ]

[Urchin]

I've always loaded either the 2x30mm or the 4x20mm, never just the 2x20mm.  

Yes, the plane will be slightly heavier with the extra two cannons and ammo for them, but the 190A8 isn't exactly what you could call agile anyway- so my opinion is why halve your firepower for nothing?  

With or without the 2 extra cannons, just about any other plane in the set is going to outmanuever you, so why chop your snapshot firepower in half?  That is how I see it anyway.

[Soviet]

ok thanks for the help i will try both configurations and see which one i like better.  The 30mm option is nice, they pack a punch.

BTW, what convergence do you 190 experts use? on the 190s i set the MGs to max and Cannons to 300, i use the MGs to ping at longer range (350-600) and the cannos when the get up close (50-300) since i usally don't fire untile i get close.  Is this a good idea or should i just max em all out??

[Urchin]

I set the convergence on everything to 300 yards.  Wit this setting, you can hit a plane flying straight and level out to 450-500 or so.  Don't fire the cannon's and MG's together unless you are REALLY close (maybe within 100 yards, and I don't even do it then).

[geistx]

Soviet,

The A8 (my favorite plane) seems to handle well with 75% fuel or less.  So I ususally set it to that when I am only 1 sector away from the dogfight or target.  I usually do the 2x30mm+2x20mm configuration and set convergence to 300 yards.  It makes for nice flexibility (I find) between ground attack (the 30mm are great against structures and tanks) and dogfighting.

[SpitLead]

Load it up baby!  I always add the 2x30mms and 2x20mm cannons whether dogfighting or not. One can't have enough firepower.  The 190 is a BnZ airplane so just go for it and don't turn fight.  This also gives you the option of ground attack with some punch.  Nothing will get a quicker kill than blasting a plane at 300 yds with that loadout.  It's great for snapshots too.  If you're concerned about the weight just take 50%-75% fuel and a drop tank.  Release the tank when a fight is at hand you you're good to go.

[Furious]

Hristo tested both 190a8 variants and discovered the following:

190A-8 with 2 20mm accelerates 5% better than with 4 20mm (time 200 - 300 mph IAS on the deck).
190A-8 with 2 20mm climbs 6% better than with 4 20mm (time 5 - 10k).

190A-8 with 2 20mm zoomclimbs 3% better than with 4 20mm (zoom from 400 mph IAS on the deck).

190A-8 with 2 20mm is equally fast as with 4 20mm (deck speed).

190A-8 with 2 20mm has 45% less firepower than 4 20mm version (hanger test).

Roll rate is same, while roll inertia is hard to quantify. Same for sustained turn.

All in all, differences are negligible, except the firepower. Draw your own conclusions


F.

[Fester']

4 20mm always for 190a5 and 190a8

its like was said above. 45% firepower increase with all guns included

50% increase in firepower if you fire only 20mm. thats a big friggin increase that means you have to spend half as long shooting at an enemy to down them.

i would take 30mm somtimes in a8 if i could fire it with a separate trigger from the 20mm since they have totally different ballistics


that fancy prancin around w 2 20mm when you could have 4 is idiotic.

sames goes for p47s.

no reason to take less firepower than you can in a plane that lives and dies by its snapshots.

[milnko]

Book of Revolutions:
Chapter 16, verse 10

"And the Fifth WÜRGER poured out his MG151 upon the seat of the RUNSTANG;

And his cockpit was full of darkness, and the RUNSTANGS gnawed thier tongues for pain;

And blasphemed the FW 190;

And repented not thier deeds."

I never take a A5/A8 Butcherbird without four 20mm, and rarely take the 30mm option, for the reasons Fester mentioned, tho I'd prolly take 30mm gunpods if HTC ever models 'em.

I usually take 50% fuel, and a DT, of course that depends on how far away the target is, but I like pitchin' the DT and being light on fuel for the fight.

[GRUNHERZ]

The 30mm gunpods were mounted only on some 190s before the A7 or A8 mounted internal wing 30mm cannon, they had no more ammo load just more drag. The internal 30mm are far superior in every regard.

[Fester']

do the 30mm weigh more than the 20mm?

[Urchin]

Yes, they make the A8 even more unmanueverable than the second pair of 20s do.  I don't know exactly how much more, but I've read in real life the 30mm equipped 190s were considered totally unsuitable for flying against enemy fighters.

[MANDOBLE]

Soviet, remember that outboard cannons are not synchronized, so they have a noticeable higher ROF over inboard ones, much better for deflection shooting.

Outboard MG151/20 should have same ROF as 109 guns.