A challenge to fly ?

[Phtom]

38 in the right hands is really deadly.  Not in mine

The 38 takes time to learn..and I guess I never put the time into the plane to learn it.  I did find though that I can kill a good amount in a P40E by using its dive speed and turning ability...specially in a dive.  Its hard to pick a low P40 if the pilot is aware and you're coming down full steam, but its easy to get run down and shot going home.

The only 190 I use a fair amount is the F8 for jabo missions..but it climbs slow and when loaded..sluggish all round.  I'll use an A8 when ords are disabled and I have to defend against Gv's.

[Charge]

"We'll see what the bug fix accomplishes, plus I anticipate a further tweaking of the drag model at the next update."

Ahh, so it IS "a bug" and I guess it was noticed mainly because P38 suddenly sucked with full flaps?

Alright.

-C+

[Whisky58]

Originally posted by Urchin
Well, it depends on your definitions of competitive and challenging I suppose.  The Ki-84 is not one of the "uber rides", but it performs well enough that an average pilot can have fun in it without handicapping himself to badly.

I actually think I disagree that the 190a5 "gets sweet if you stick it out"... it really isn't a very good plane in my opinion.  I fly it anyway, just like I fly the 109s, but judging them dispassionately I'd say the K4 and D9 rate as 2nd tier, with the rest being third tier at best.

It really doesn't matter how "good" you are... you can only do what the plane will let you do.  If you are sitting in a 190a5, the first spit 16 you run across has a roughly 50% chance to kill you ("pilot skill" notwithstanding), and you will almost certainly die in the 2-3-X on 1 environment of the MA (simply because the a5 cannot outfight the Spit/nik, nor outrun/outfight the La7).  The Ki-84 at least gives you the opportunity to fight the spits/niks on somewhat even ground, even if you still cant outrun the la7s.

So for me, I guess a "challenging" plane is one is that is competitive without being the "best".  So I'd consider the 2nd tier planes to be "challenging", and I'd recommend staying out of the rest unless you simply love the plane or love dying.

These boards are full of anecdote, opinion and subjectivity - and that's fine because it stimulates discussion.  You don't find flying the 190 is competitive - I can't argue with how you feel about it.

However the facts suggest that overall, on average, when used by numerous players, the 190 is competitive.  As I said the 190a5 has the same k/d ratio as the Ki84.  That's a fact, not my opinion. Last tour my k/d ratio in the a5 was nearly 7.  Not the sort of result from someone who only "loves dying". It's a challenge because it's a crappy turner.

My subjective opinion is that the Ki84 is too good to be considered a challenge.  Apart from high speed dives and pilot wounds it does everything very well and should be considered one of the top dogfighters in the game.  In a 1v1 situation with equal ability players the Ki84 should beat the Fw in the majority.

 If you disagree I'd be happy to test this with you in the DA & let you shoot my 190a5 down as often as you like in your Ki84 .

Regards

[Angus]

Just had a hell of a fight with a very good 190A5 stick. I was in a dweeby Spit XVI and he had the E, so it was a fight allright. I ended up shooting him up and smashing into the rest of him so we both ended up on terra firma

[Kermit de frog]

The typhoon.

Takes awhile to get the hang of it.

If you can achieve great gunnery as well, then it will be a great plane.

This plane is capable of getting you the first kill shot in a fight.  You must work hard to get the first kill shot, and if you miss, you'll probably lose the fight.  Even a noob in a spitfire will outturn you and kill you.

Even if you master this plane, you will still be handicapped in everyfight.

Assuming you don't fire on head ons, you try to avoid a head on and you never run from a fight more than 1.5k away.

[Glasses]

Originally posted by Kermit de frog
The typhoon.

Takes awhile to get the hang of it.

If you can achieve great gunnery as well, then it will be a great plane.

This plane is capable of getting you the first kill shot in a fight.  You must work hard to get the first kill shot, and if you miss, you'll probably lose the fight.  Even a noob in a spitfire will outturn you and kill you.

Even if you master this plane, you will still be handicapped in everyfight.

Assuming you don't fire on head ons, you try to avoid a head on and you never run from a fight more than 1.5k away.

LoL!

[Treize69]

The 109s are very rewarding if you take the time to learn each one- just because you are good in one type (or terrible in it) doesn't mean you are like that in all of them. You really should try them all for a while (like a week or two on just one type) before moving on- one or two fights aren't enough to base a judgement on.

109E has a good climbrate and great diving speed for a 1940 plane, plus a good top speed. Its only drawback is weak cannons with low ammo load.

109F is very light and has great acceleration, climb and top speed. It can be kind of hard to get the kill shot with it though, and don't get suckered into a turnfight.

109G2- faster than a 109F in all areas and just as maneuverable. Ability to carry gondolas and a DT, first one in the stable to have both. IMO, the best of the 109 series in comparison to its contemporaries.

109G6 isn't as fast, but is still pretty nimble between 250-400MPH, and has much bigger cowl guns, making it much easier to get a quick kill. Loses a lot of performance with gondolas on though. Turns surprisingly well for 1 or 2 revolutions with flaps out, as does the G2.

109G14 is the best of the G series- great speed, can carry a 30mm cannon, and climbs like a rocket. Stay in the vertical and go in with E and you can handle just about anything in the late-war set. Also is the best performing with godolas. Best buff buster, along with the G6.

109K is the one I cant figure out. Great speed, climbs like a rocket, and has a 30mm cannon standard, but it doesn't turn well. It excells in the vertical, but a low ammo load and poor turning ability limit your options in a dogfight. But its does some serious damage with a relatively light volume of fire. Fly it like a P-38 or P-51- stay fast and don't get suckered into a stallfight.

[Wolfala]

OK,

No one has mentioned it yet, but if you want something that is a pregnant yak from the start - gotta go with the P-47 line. Lets face it, it takes patience to be successful in. You gotta plan the flight, usually taking 50 % and a centerline drop to burn off in the climb. Don't have to run it flat out 54" 2700 rpm to get speed. 45" 2400 rpm will still give you 340 mph TAS at 12-13k. And when you get that power back, watch yr endurance go from 35 mins to 45 +.

Aside from the speed and inertia - lots of ammo...3400 rounds with. It can take a disgusting amount of damage - I had a 190 A5 that I mistakenly let get behind me - he blew his entire wad of 20mm on me, and at the time not being able to out run the little hun - he emptied the rest of his 7.7mm into me. I looked like i'd been through a paper shredder - but didn't lose any oil, fuel, or control surfaces.

And the high altitude performance when you use it - is bad news for 90 % of what you will encounter at that altitude. The best days are LA7's and 190's at 20K, followed by 109's as a close second.

But you gotta be patient - and think ahead of what you want to do - and have an escape plan. If you do, 7-8 kill sorties are not unusual - and it doesn't attract every LA-7 and Spit 16 driver who, on the skill level are the equivlent of 6 year olds with down syndrome.

[DoKGonZo]

The 109F is a lot of fun, you just need to remember you have less than half the lethality of the Spit9 working for you.

The 190A8 is good for base attacks as if the field is suppressed already you can really help clear the town. But the 190A5 is a more nimble ride at typical AH altitudes. With either, though, you can't get too greedy and you can't make many mistakes.

Of the P47's I like the D11, it feels like a fighter instead of a Winebago with wings.

How you guys fly the Tiffy is beyond me - love the guns but it can't roll out of bed. 38's are magents for pilot wounds. Of the Spits I like the 8 best, it just feels more solid across the speed range. The Yak-9U is an amazing little plane, but the ammo load blows.

[Spatula]

Im going with wolfala on this one, the Jug sure is a nice mix of challenge, fun, and sheer brutality.

The P47-N is the fastest and has the best endurance (insane flight times, with 100% and drops for climb out and cruise, you can stay aloft for about an hour). The N doesnt accelerate as well as the D25 or the D40 tho, but the N rolls better. Havent flown the D11 much.

I spent a tour (last tour i think) 90% of the time deliberately in the Jug (mostly D40 and N). They are just mind-blowing in a dive/high-speed maneuvering, and seem to retain E quite well through high-speed turns. It wallows like a elephant if you get it slow tho. Keep it aggressively on the offensive and the you can rule the skies in them. They are near death-traps if you fight defensively in them, or try to stall fight.

The guns and ammo are so impressive. Take the 8 "shred-masters" with the cr*p-loads-of-ammo load-out option and watch things crumble in front of you. With the endurance of the N, and the gun package i regularly racked up 8-10kill sorties.

Winebago with wings - nice I descirbed it to my squadies as two piannos bolted together with wings and a death-ray mounted on the front.

If ya want a real challenge try the P40-E, thats slow, lazy, turns badly, underpowered and butt-ugly.

[Fruda]

Fly the Yak-9T. It has very good flight characteristics (it's the pinnacle of deceptive maneuverability), good pilot safety (I've only had a pilot wound a few times), and the best gun ever... The 37mm nose cannon.

Sure, it only has 30 shells. But that low amount of ammunition just makes you more aware of what you're doing. You have to make your shots count, and when you do, you'll be slaughtering Mustangs and Spits like there's no tomorrow.

One shot ends it all... Just don't screw yourself by getting into a stall fight. The Yak series, in my opinion, is the finest for rolling scissors and speedy turnfights. It's very stable, yet fluid, in rolls and turns, and speed is maintained very well.

The Yak-9U is faster and a bit more nimble, sure, but its gun package flat-out sucks. Both planes have great pilot potential, but the -9T has so much more, all because of the 37mm nose cannon. You can rip even P-47's apart with one shell (and once you get the hang of it, it's hardly difficult --- most Jug pilots don't exactly know what to do against a Yak... Then again, most pilots hardly face Yaks to begin with). Even the dreaded Il-2 Sturmovik stands no chance against the nose-mounted potato gun.

Learn it. Love it. Make it your primary ride... You won't be disappointed.

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Fruda
the best gun ever... The 37mm nose cannon..

Word. I have found no thrill in AH quite as satisfying as the one ping kills from the elephant gun.

-Sik

[red26]

Try the P-47 on for size like the rest of them said its large but its in charge once you learn how to fly it and the 8, 50cal's can do the trick plus you can carry all sorts of wepons on it so you can go from a escourt fighter to a tatical airbase striker in a matter of a few min's Im a new pilot to the game only beem on for 4 months but my grandfather flew the P-51D and the P-47 and he said that he loved the 47 he said it was the caddie, of fighters and the 51D was the corvett of fighter so try the 47 and live and let loose.
                                        HAPPY HUNTING!!!!![/FONT]

[Fruda]

Originally posted by red26
Try the P-47 on for size like the rest of them said its large but its in charge once you learn how to fly it and the 8, 50cal's can do the trick plus you can carry all sorts of wepons on it so you can go from a escourt fighter to a tatical airbase striker in a matter of a few min's Im a new pilot to the game only beem on for 4 months but my grandfather flew the P-51D and the P-47 and he said that he loved the 47 he said it was the caddie, of fighters and the 51D was the corvett of fighter so try the 47 and live and let loose.
                                        HAPPY HUNTING!!!!![/FONT]

Learn how to make sentences. My brain fricking hurts now.

[mussie]

Originally posted by Ghosth

Yak9's are a blast, take a bit lighter hand on the stick than a spitfire.
But fun to fly and rewarding as heck.  Still possibly the most underflown plane in AH.

And great fun to fly through hangers at insane speeds