What I learned this week

[Oldman731]

First:  The Spit 5's performance is now (again?) its more historical self.  I know, I know, there really were super spit 5s like we've had for the past year or two, but the current version is what I think of when I think of Spit 5s.  The result has been that you can actually have good fights between Spit 5s and Axis planes, very fun.  I liked those fights so much that I might overcome my anti-spit bias enough to include Spit 5s in some of my setups.

Second:  While the Spit 8 and Spit 9 are still plainly superior to almost any other plane that attempts to fight them, they CAN be dealt with (not that I could, mind you, but I saw other people who did).  Much of the fun I had in this setup was watching the Axis devise tactics to deal with the Spits.  Spits 8 and 9 are still girlie planes, IMHO, but they aren't super planes.

I know there's been opposition to having the Allies restricted to Spits, but this forced people to fly spits (thereby reducing problems of conscience) and forced the Axis players to devise ways to deal with them.  If you only flew for one night, the experience ws probably ugly, but if you flew more than that, I think it was interesting, educational, and actually fun.  

It was certainly a setup that would make you conquer any fear of being shot down.

- oldman

[Grits]

Originally posted by Oldman731
Second:  While the Spit 8 and Spit 9 are still plainly superior to almost any other plane that attempts to fight them, they CAN be dealt with (not that I could, mind you, but I saw other people who did).

The SpitVIII turns as good as the SpitV (far better than the IX), is as fast as a 109G-2 and climbs and accelerates better. The MA seems to have more Spit XVI's than anything else, but the Spit VIII is clearly the superior version now.

The only plane that can match the Spit VIII in overall capability is the Ki84. Since the SpitVIII was mostly an overseas (MTO, SEAC, PAC) aircraft maybe we should have a Spit vs Ki84 set sometime soon.

[Karnak]

Spitfire use in the Main Arena in Tour 70.  These are incomplete numbers as the Spitfire Mk V, Mk IX and Seafire Mk II changed when v2.06 was released on 11-10-05.  The Spitfire Mk VIII and Spitfire Mk XVI only had 20 days of the tour to put up the numbers they did.  With those things considered, here are the results:

Spitfire Mk I has 357 Kills of All models
All models have 1292 Kills of Spitfire Mk I

Spitfire Mk V has 9371 Kills of All models
All models have 12401 Kills of Spitfire Mk V

Spitfire Mk VIII has 8417 Kills of All models
All models have 8500 Kills of Spitfire Mk VIII

Spitfire Mk IX has 7287 Kills of All models
All models have 8463 Kills of Spitfire Mk IX

Spitfire Mk XIV has 1353 Kills of All models
All models have 1248 Kills of Spitfire Mk XIV

Spitfire Mk XVI has 41468 Kills of All models
All models have 36904 Kills of Spitfire Mk XVI

SeaFire has 14214 Kills of All models
All models have 14413 Kills of SeaFire


Absolute dominance by the Spitfire MK XVI, with the Seafire coming in a very distant second.

[Shifty]

Personally I'll be glad to be out of the Spit. Never having flown it much, I spent most of my fights in total blackouts. It seemed if you sneezed in the Spit9 you blacked out.

If somebody is having problems killing spits. Take a lesson from Storch, he seems to have spit killing down pretty well.

[Grits]

Originally posted by Karnak
Absolute dominance by the Spitfire MK XVI, with the Seafire coming in a very distant second.

It does not surprize me that the XVI has the highest numbers Karnak, as I said thats what you see most. The XVI seems to have attracted a lot of the former LA7/190D-9 dweebs, both of which have high roll rates, and they feel more comfortable in it than the other Spits. What I said was, the VIII is clearly the best of the current bunch of Spits, including the XIV.

The only advantage the XVI has over the VIII is the .50 cals, roll rate, and a negligable (5 mph) speed advantage, but has a HUGE turn rate disadvantage.

[Shane]

Originally posted by Grits
The only advantage the XVI has over the VIII is the .50 cals, roll rate, and a negligable (5 mph) speed advantage, but has a HUGE turn rate disadvantage.

not according to badz (badboy) EM chart thingy thing.

http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164617

[Grits]

Hmm....I could have sworn I read it saying the opposite. I stand corrected.

Teh XVI r teh uber!

[Panzzer]

You can have 2x250lbs + 1 500lbs in the XVI, which makes it a good JaBo in the MA with the Hispanoes. I flew the XVI for 4 sorties in the MA last tour (let me check that... yes, 4 deaths and 9 kills in XVI), it didn't feel different from the rest of the Spits. Then again, I don't know how to fly one since I've been flying mostly 109's or 190's before - and I don't know how to fly those either. However, I do believe I have killed more SpitXVI's in the MA than have killed me (from scores, last tour I killed 6 SpitXVI's and got killed by 4 of them in the MA). Didn't have the time (13h MA last month) to come and see how it would've gone in the CT, but I don't think the XVI is as good as "they" say it is.