Author Topic: Next Plane for a Not so Newb (Read 574 times)

Bubbajj · « **on:** January 11, 2007, 07:43:37 PM »

Been at it for a while, wondering what to move to as far as the next level. I've been banging around in the furball planes, A6M's, Spits, Hurcs, FM2, etc etc. I'm doing better and can stay ahead of 2/1 kills/deaths. Now I'm wondering what my next level of ride should be. I got raped by Batfink yesterday. I was in an FM2 and he in a 51D.. I've never lost a turnfight to a 51, any 51 in an FM2. I got schooled. I tried a Hog for a while and had some success and I had some luck with a yak and a C205. I've seen some sticks do some pretty incredible stuff with F6s and Jugs too. Given my limited play time (im married) I don't have hours and hours to mess around. I'd like to pick a ride that I can really dedicate myself to for the long run. I love to furball and have never played a conservative game. I don't see the challenge in B&Z so 190s and tiffys are out. What planes do you UberSchticks cling to and what would be a good match to my play style?

Major Biggles · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2007, 05:00:21 AM »

hehe, don't underestimate the pony, specially if bat's in it

if i could give yo any advice, it would be to stay in what you feel comfortable in. i've flown with bat for years, and he trained me, and the first thing you need to do is feel really comfortable. you use the same skills in each plane, with a few minute differences. bat will school people whether he's in an lgay, a spit or a TBM, it's just about experience

if you're doing well at the moment, stay what you enjoy doing, but have a go here and there in some other planes, you might like to try the pony yourself

most important thing though... make sure you have stall limiter off

Oldman731 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2007, 07:30:57 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Major Biggles
bat will school people whether he's in an lgay, a spit or a TBM, it's just about experience

Some people have a natural (possibly supernatural) feel for how the airplanes are going to move around, and I think Batfink is one of them.

My suggestion is to fly one of your favorite historical planes. Virtually all of the fighters in this game (except the P-40B) can be competitive in their own time period, and we now benefit from having the chronological arenas. My favorite plane was always the P-47, for instance, so I enjoyed learning to fly that to a reasonable level of competence. I often fly the 202 because, initially, I was curious how it performed in real life. Once I tried it, I found it such a delightful and challenging plane that I kept with it. Try the same thing. If you hero was a Hellcat pilot, or Dick Bong or Adolf Galland, pick the plane he flew and get good at it.

- oldman

Simaril · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2007, 09:42:30 AM »

It's also nice to try a plane that has a longer development history, that spans multiple time frames and arenas. So, if you get the feel of a Spit, you can transition from the V to the IX to the VIII/XVI without much trouble.

Think about the WAY you like to fly too. For example, I find energy fighting (as opposed to turn fighting) feels entirely natural and fun -- for ME. So, no matter what I fly I tend to use lots of verticals and rolls, etc.

And that's how I chose my plane -- the F4U series. It has early varients, late versions, attack versions, and perk variants. It shines when you keep it fast, but it can hold its own with almost anything when you slow it down (with flaps). It has its own peculiarities, and particular tricks you can pull off when you know it well.

I'm married with children too, so I know what you mean.

FX1 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2007, 01:51:21 PM »

Looks like your getting hung up on your image and what other people have to say. Fly what you like and dont let other people talk you into using a different plane just because they think its dweeb plane. Skip around some but concentrate on one plane get the feel for it and learn its pro's and con's.

If you can fly one plane very very well then the rest will come faster than you think. I fly a 16 most of the time because well "its a bad ass" and i feel if i got beat it wasn't because of my plane it was because of my skill level. I do get all kinds of comments about the 16 but no one will DA me in their ride. Most of those guys that talk bad about your plane dont have the skill needed to talk crap and back it up.

Just a thought i am flyn the f4u's this month because i am learning their weakness. I will be back in my spit 16 next camp and i will have a better understanding of the f4u, so i can kill them (: Learn them all but be great in one plane.....

Bubbajj · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2007, 04:29:35 PM »

It's not an image thing, I'm way past the point in my life where I give much of a hoot what other people think. There comes a point where you want to be challenged more than just zipping around in a XVI and shootin at stuff. I was just thinking about moving up to the next level of skill. The turn fighters are fairly easy but to develop certain skills I think you have to challege yourself as well as your ride. It's not about favorites with me either. Bout every plane here has some kind of historical relevance. As a side note. I flew an F4U the other day got a couple of kills before I got picked. Looked at the film and saw I had my gear down the whole flight. I was thinking it should have been faster. No creaking to warn me that I left my gear down. I just wanted to develop the kind of skill that makes for a good stick in an aircraft that has to be handled. I can run around in EA all day in a A6 and not really worry bout tangleing with anyone. I just want to master one of the other rides, thats all. I don't know if this is making any sense, I'm comfy with the "newb" rides and I'm just wanting the next level of challenge.

BaldEagl · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2007, 05:06:47 PM »

I flew a Spit as my primary ride for over 10 years. Recently I've started to try other planes. I now make it a point to add at least a couple to my "stable" each camp. Some I've liked and they remain, some I haven't and don't use anymore.

Now I have 10-15 rides that I like, each for different reasons. I find that no one ride does everything. I'll use one for furballs, another if the fights are spaced out a little, another for buff hunting, another for attack missions and yet another if I feel like B'n'Zing.

I've come to the point that I can log onto the map, go to an airfield thats being attacked and choose the right plane for the circumstances.

If the fight is away from our base I'll first take my trusty old Spit out to recon the area then come back and pick the right plane for that situation, returning to the fight.

I've become a much better pilot all around. The only downside is that for some reason I can't seem to land a kill in a Spit anymore. Everything else I'm decent in, I've just lost touch with my old friend.

My recommendation is to take a day or two here and there with something that you've seen that you think might be intersting. Fly it every flight that day. Get to know it a little. If your doing ok in it and like it add it as an alternative ride and do the same thing with it some other night.

I don't think any of us can tell you what the next step is because we all have our own styles and preferences. I know it's probably not the easy button you were looking for but you'll enjoy yourself doing it, get better as a pilot, and end up able to fly anything against almost anything.

68slayr · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2007, 05:56:30 PM »

F4Us (hogs) have hi speed gear. It can come out near 400mph....it doesn't start to creak till you get over that. Its a good trick to get a picking lgay, runstang, or dweebfire16 (for you FX1:p )to over shoot. Don't forget to put it back up:D

Oldman731 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2007, 09:13:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Bubbajj
There comes a point where you want to be challenged more than just zipping around in a XVI and shootin at stuff. I was just thinking about moving up to the next level of skill.

The Force is strong in this one.

- oldman

Simaril · « **Reply #9 on:** January 13, 2007, 08:13:43 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Bubbajj
...snip...
As a side note. I flew an F4U the other day got a couple of kills before I got picked. Looked at the film and saw I had my gear down the whole flight. I was thinking it should have been faster. No creaking to warn me that I left my gear down.

Well, you've accidentally discovered one of the sweet little quirks of the F4U series. They were designed with incredibly strong gear setups, probably mostly for the carrier landings with such a big bird but also very deliberately so they could be used as airbrakes.

They can be dropped even at 300 mph...which means that WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT you can decelerate faster than just about anything in the air. Want to create an overshoot, or prevent one? Cycle those gear up and down, and Voila! Add that to aggressive combat flaps, and you have an energy fighter than can do angles with (almost) anything else.

One warning -- the penalty for lacking energy, in a multi-enemy fight or against any good pilot, is usually death. When using flaps or gear, know what you're goal is, do it, and get the energy back. I use flaps mostly to grab some qucik angles, then pop them back up. Low, slow, flaps out, and enemies around may get you the kil you're after, but you likely won't get home.

Quote

Originally posted by Bubbajj
...snip...
I just wanted to develop the kind of skill that makes for a good stick in an aircraft that has to be handled. .... I just want to master one of the other rides, thats all. I don't know if this is making any sense, I'm comfy with the "newb" rides and I'm just wanting the next level of challenge.

You make absolute sense, and you're far from alone. Pick a ride...like I'm picking the F4U...and get to know it well. When you plateau, ask for help and learn a couple things to work on next. Have fun.

Schatzi · « **Reply #10 on:** January 13, 2007, 08:48:08 AM »

Bubbajj,

I can understand the desire to be more "challenged".

I started out my AH career in anything that was slow and turned well, mainly the Spit5 (the old 5, with more ammo/boost) and settled somewhat on the HMk2C. At that time, I was flying H2H every now and then, and racking up kill after kill after kill with those quad hispanoes got somewhat boring. So I took a Mk1 up instead. I had so much fun, and tour66 i decided to take it to the MA... no matter what.

For the entire month, i stuck to the HMk1. Lotsa dying in the first week, then slowly starting to get a feel for it, the needed tactics and on some fights i came out the winning end. The rest is, as they say, history

.

Each plane will "teach" you different things. For me in the HMk1, it was flying from the defensive, flying for angles, Energy management and precise gunnery. Right now, im feeling my weak point is Throttle work, so ive started up flying the high powered rides, to teach me to keep my horses in check. For flap work, id take Jugs or P38s into close turnfights.... not working your flaps will kill you quick in that case

.

If you look for something new to learn/do - just peruse the planeset and fly what you are the least familliar with, what you usually overlook when in HANGAR.

Another method to leave things in the hands of Fate.... let one of your kids pick a number between 1 and 89..... then just type .plane ## into you chat and visit HANGAR to see what you ended up with. (one note: Vehicles, Bombers and perk planes are included in the numbers... you might want some "backups" untill you end up in a fighter. plane 89 is the RV8).