Originally posted by Duncan Pherson
Only thing I remember about that plane is the view sucks. Is that still the case? Can't remember that well it has been awhile
You've hit the "gamer" button on the head with this question. The IL-2 has an absolutely attrocious view as you would expect given the fact that the cockpit is surrounded by armor BUT in AH you get to use the external views in the IL (as with the buffs). That's one of the reasons you see so many upping at capped fields. They're armored and have great firepower which makes them both somewhat survivable and threatening but you also get full 360deg external views which means people fight them from outside the cockpit with excellent SA. Mind you these are the same views you cannot use with the Mossie, 110, TBM, etc. This makes (IMHO) the IL competative with Lancstukas as one of the least realistic and most "gamed" aircraft in AH.
Regarding which plane is best to start in I'm probably a bit of a contrarian and would recommend staying away from aircraft with tons of ammo (Nikki in particular) or one that's exceptionally fast. Limiting your ammo means you absolutely must learn how to shoot and not having the fastest plane means you're forced to learn when and how to engage. My favorite plane right now is the Hurricane IIC. It's slow (actually exceptionally slow) and has a very limited amount of ammo (but the guns are very good). Being slow, you have to look ahead. I'll see five or six guys chasing a 190D porking a field and instead of diving in with the pack I'll climb and just fly to where the 190 will pop for his reverse and get him there (which also gives me the chance to look for other bandits jumping the daisy chain). I also like to pick on "spitters" (those guys that get spit out of a furball) and when planning my attack make sure I have an escape route once he's dead. With a slow plane, you have to be smart to catch all the speed queens in AH. Sometimes my best offensive maneuver is to "run" and drag one guy away from the furball and then let him "catch" me and engage him one on one (which is the most fun way to fight). Limiting your ammo means you absolutely have to learn to shoot. One thing that stands out to me when flying against the best (or more notorious) sticks is not so much their maneuvering but the fact that for most of them it's one shot, one kill. While it can be frustrating, learning to both shoot well and plan your engagement will eventually make you one of the better pilots. So, for good planes look for something that can maneuver and has good guns but don't worry about "excessive" speed and ammo. FM2, Hurri, F6F, Spit V, etc., are good choices (there are more). Don't dive into the middle of a furball, don't up at a capped field, try to engage 1v1 (until you really understand your plane and gunnery), and plan your attack (and escape). Stay away from the Nikki, 190s, LA's, Spit XVI, Pony, etc., you'll just learn bad habits.
Mace
