Originally posted by Simaril
Just a question, not a troll --
Why is the F4u-4 perked? I look at its stats, and it seems clearly less impressive than others, inlcuding the LA7. When I've tried to fly it, the -4 is a nice ride, but doesnt seem uber. It rolls OK, but not spectacularly; its moderately fast, but not a world beater; it has average guns; it has flaps, but so do the F6F and a host of other planes.
The La7 has a beer bottle gas tank, but otherwise it seems to completely outclass the -4. The the pony seems to do what the -4 does, even better than the -4
Am I just using this bird wrong? I know some here and elsewhere have called it the best all around fighter of WW2, but I'm not seeing it in AH...
Well Bud, I will argue that the F4U-4 is the best fighter in the game. Along with a few others, we have compared its performance to the Tempest and La-7 and it is clearly superior above 5,000 feet. Below 5k, it is still a match, with better maneuvering performance and offers acceleration, speed and climb close enough to put the advantage into the hands of the better pilot.
We can go the DA or TA anytime you want to practice in the F4U-4. It's really a matter of learning the plane. I know that you quickly became proficient with the P-51B after a little practice, so I'm confidence you'll do the same with the F4U-4.
In a medium to low speed vertical fight it can duel effectively with anything, including the Ki-84 and P-38. Awesome flaps and tremendous power make it an absolute monster in the vertical. Anything fast enough to run with it cannot maneuver with it. Anything agile enough to maneuver with it cannot compete with its speed, climb and acceleration. The only fighter that can truly compete with it is the Spitfire Mk.XIV and even then the F4U-4 is nearly 20 mph faster on the deck, which means that if the Corsair should be at a disadvantage in a turn fight, it can simply check out.
Great flaps, ailerons and a super-effective rudder enable the F4U-4 to gain angles most fighters cannot duplicate.
Think of the F4U-4 as a faster, better accelerating, better climbing and better turning P-51D. It will dominate the P-51D in every category where the Mustang excels, except extreme range.
Attached is a film of my F4U-4 mixing it up with my pal Rowdy1 in the TA. Rowdy is flying a Ki-84. The secret to smacking around the Ki-84 is in keeping the fight at speeds above where it can get the flaps out. Should the Hayate pilot chop power and dump his flaps, the F4U-4 simply maintains speed and hammers the Ki with speed and angles. Flap usage in the Ki-84 can actually create a trap for the Ki-84 driver if the faster fighter refuses the bait and uses speed and angles. Rowdy knew what would happen if he got slow enough to get the flaps out (we also dueled F4U-4 vs the Zero) and tried to compete at medium speeds. Rowdy is a good pilot, so the average MA denizen would probably have fared worse against the F4U-4.
Our F4U-4 is simply a dominating airplane, able to match or exceed any other prop fighter up as high as 26,000 feet, where the P-47N really starts to show its muscle.
Some F4U-4 stats taken from actual testing:
Acceleration at sea level, 200 mph to 300 mph: 28.57 seconds, second only to the Tempest.
Acceleration at 20,000 feet, 200 mph to 300 mph: 28.59 seconds, best of all fighters.
Climb to 10,000 feet from sea level beginning at 300 mph: 1:55.67 seconds. 3rd best, right behind the 109G-10 and SpitXIV.
Climb from 10k to 20k, beginning at 300 mph: 1:55.50 seconds, 2nd only to 109G-10 (beats SpitXIV).
Max speed at sea level: 375 mph (50% fuel)
Max speed at 10,000 ft: 399 mph (50% fuel)
Max speed at 16,000 ft: 423 mph (50% fuel)
Max speed at 20,000 ft: 439 mph (50% fuel)
Max speed at 25,000 ft: 446 mph (50% fuel)
Max speed at 28,500 ft: 445 mph (50% fuel)
Here's the film mentioned:
Film My regards,
Widewing
