Wow..... I take a break for a couple weeks and see plans for Firefly and new plane voting.
* A-26 - Argument: Only real PERKABLE Buff Ride outside of the B-29 and He-177 with guided munitions, that could be added to the game. Bomber Drivers NEED another perk ride for all those buff perks we've nothing to spend on other than the Arado. Guessing the FireFly will be the GV'rs second perk option. A much better plane than the B-25 in performance and several weapons options available for attack or level bombing roles.
See Invader Thread Up to 14 forward firing .50's (uber-HO). Up to 14 - 5 inch rockets (Fireflies beware!). Up to 6,000 lbs of ordnance. Up to 355mph at 15,000 feet. A couple (30) early models delivered with 75mm cannons, but no record they were ever used in combat.
Ground attack, uber-strafer, a better penetration bomber than Ki-67 and B-26, a much needed buff perk point economy sink.
* B-25 - Nope. Enough American planes in the plane-set, and America already getting the Firefly. Only reason I picked Invader was because it's a PERKABLE ride for Buff drivers. The B-25 Mitchell is not really perk-worthy. It sits between the B-26 and B-24 in load-out and flight characteristics. If just adding bombers, look to other, more limited, plane-sets first.
* Brewster Buffalo. - Considering numbers in early war arenas? Betting this would see little flight time by most players. Possible hangar queen. Finland not represented anyways, and they used it the most.
* G.55 - Yes, a limited produced plane, but a better "109" than 109's, from most accounts. Gives the Italians a 3rd plane for them. Gives luffenwobble pilots a new toy. My second choice.
* He 111 - Yes. As addition to bomber set, addition to Early War and SEA events. Not my favorite choice, considering the low numbers in EW arenas. Outside of BoB senerios, this plane did better during the Spanish Civil War than WWII.
* A Japanese fighter - either Ki 44, J2M, Ki 45, or Ki 43 - With the swarms of Niki's now, not so sure. In Japanese plane set (as well as CV-based planes), guess I'd rather see the Judy first, before a fighter. Have to vote against, compared to others on the list. Would
like to see Japanese plane set grow, but not if it is the only plane we will see in the near future.
* Me 410 - A night bomber/fighter and bomber destroyer? Nope. If we had night, and radar equipped planes, I'd vote for it (and the P-61 Black Widow), but as the arenas are set up now, no way. Definitely a hangar queen.
* P-39 - Tentative Yes. I
know what I said about American planes, but this plane saw FAR more action with Russian pilots. 2nd highest Allied Ace of WWII was a Russian, Aleksandr Ivanovich Pokryshkin, who flew P-39s (and probably P-63s). Give it a Russian skin, and place in Russian plane set, I'd go with the Airacobra. Probably the lower altitude equivalent to a high altitude Pony. Third Choice.
* A Russian bomber - either Pe-2 or Tu-2 I'd go with a Russian bomber added, but I doubt they will get the votes to make it happen. I'd really like to see expansion in much of the plane set; up close to the levels that are represented by the American plane set. And, bomber pilots could really use a second perk ride.
* Yak 3 - Possibly. With fuel settings in arenas, this bird would have a VERY short range. Which might see it hangared, or only of field defense. I like Yaks. Fun little planes. Not sure if the flight characteristics are different enough from others to warrant it's addition though. It was an air superiority fighter compared the the interceptor roles most others had. Better dogfighters, but more limited range. Wish I knew better hard numbers on how it would compare to the others. Would be my fourth choice.