Author Topic: Darn Spitfires! (Read 2241 times)

cerberos · « **Reply #15 on:** April 22, 2007, 09:30:43 AM »

Try the 190-A5. Nice little fighter. It's greatest strength is that it's underestimated and more often than not, not shown any respect. Which might be dangerous

crockett · « **Reply #16 on:** April 22, 2007, 12:32:15 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gulp
Yaks are cool and great for learning to conserve ammo. They have their strengths like every other plane.

While you are checking rides out, take a look at the KI84. It's a good plane that is decent at about everything. It's not the king in any category, but it does alot of things well and it gets under estimated by opponents. It can bleed and gain energy fast and is fast enough to play with the bnz crowd, if you watch your dive speed and manage your E. It's a good turner and a very dangerous plane in that medium speed range that many fights end up at.

You also earn perk points 3 time faster than you do in an LA7.

Agreed I love the Ki84 seems to do ok at high speeds as long as you don't put yourself in a bad situation. However on the deck it comes alive and you can turn the thing endlessly to stay out of enemy fire, it responds great if you know how to work it. It's weakness is lack punch in the guns. I normally won't even attempt a kill unless I'm 200 out in a KI84.

The LA is a nice plane but has a very bad rep in the game, because it's a favorite of guys with no tactics or skill. The typical La7 pilot normally tries to HO you then runs away to 1.5k then turns to try another HO pass.. Repeat until they run out of ammo or realize they are going to die then they proceed to run away.

As a side note both the LA7 and the Ki84 are both great planes for defending bases under heavy attack. The La7 because it has lots of power to get off the ground fast and start turning. The Ki84 because it has a slow stall speed and if you drop the flaps it comes off the ground pretty quick and can almost instantly start turning on the deck to avoid vulchers.

Another great turner is the A6M5b. It has much better cannons than the Ki84 but has no wep power, but the little plane climbs pretty dam good and turns on a dime if you keep it slow (200mph and under indicated speed).

SgtPappy · « **Reply #17 on:** April 22, 2007, 12:52:32 PM »

zlehmann, if you're lucky, you'll meet a smelly Spitfire pilot like myself. If you're unlucky, you'll meet one of those rare pilots dedicated to flying the spitfire so well, they can knock down some of the most experienced players.

Im simply a mechanic-in-training so i'll try to give as many pointers as i can. the spitfire did save my uncle's country after all, along with the hurricane.

The spitfires are very light aircraft. A spitfire IX weights about 5,749 lbs empty. An La-7 weighs about 5,850 lbs. empty give or take. Given the better acceleration of the La-7 in combination with more weight, it will zoom climb a little better, meaning that if a spitty and an La-7 both dove to a very high speed and pulled up at the same time, the La-7 would climb ever so slightly higher than the spitfire IX. You'll also dive faster. Just don't run in a duel past 2.5 K, as that's just not dueling anymore, it's running. Plus Spitfires have the wing washout affect or 'wing twist' which disables good response of ailerons in speeds of excess of 410 mph (while the fabric ailerons of a spitfire Ia will lock up at 350 mph). Forcing them into high speed turn fights may work as your more heavily wingloaded plane will turn tighter at those speeds.

Another disadvantage is that spitfires have only 2 flap settings: full deflection or none at all. Sometimes, they'll use this for overshoots. Other times, they'll be just try to turn with flaps on. The la-7 has multi-stage flaps meaning that it can have a tighter turning radius without too much drag. Spitfire XVI's are usually noobish and won't turn with you. Others have past that 'danger zone' (which is pretty much the point at which many planes' learning curves seem to intersect; i.e. a green F4U pilot will lose against a green Spit16 pilot, while a more experienced F4U pilot will maul a more experienced Spit16 pilot, and then theres that place where the plane just wont cut it anymore - where the pilot's skill is THE biggest advantage regardless of which plane they're flying - F4U or Spitfire, La-7 or P-51). When theyve gotten that good, you better watch out.

Blooz · « **Reply #18 on:** April 22, 2007, 02:02:59 PM »

Quoted "Just don't run in a duel past 2.5 K, as that's just not dueling anymore, it's running."

LOL... did you find this in the AH rule book or something? I don't remember reading it.

The LA7's greatest strength is it's speed and acceleration. If you get into a situation against an enemy or enemies and you see it isn't going your way, leave. That's what flying a faster plane does for you. It gives you the ability to get away, regain advantage then try again or go find another target.

Stop telling the new guys "You must fight everybody you meet until you die!" because you don't.

Unless you fly a Spitfire.

B@tfinkV · « **Reply #19 on:** April 22, 2007, 03:31:20 PM »

you dont have to fight everyone you meet, but you do have to either run from or fight with everyone you meet. just depends if youre a runner or a fighter.

cerberos · « **Reply #20 on:** April 22, 2007, 03:38:48 PM »

Fight and die with some dignity. After all, it's not about winning, but about humiliating the enemy

Blooz · « **Reply #21 on:** April 22, 2007, 04:36:04 PM »

Winning is everything.

If you fight and die, you are humiliated.

Fight to win.

You don't humiliate the enemy by falling to his guns.

You make him die with dignity.

cerberos · « **Reply #22 on:** April 22, 2007, 04:49:58 PM »

Our opinions differ there. You put up the best fight you can, sometimes it's enough, sometimes it's not, for lots of different reasons. I can still feel satisfied after a good fight, even if I turn out a looser. And the part about humiliating your enemy was a bit of irony, hence the winking smiley.

Good though that we van both enjoy the game in our own ways. You by winning, me by just appreciating a good fight

B@tfinkV · « **Reply #23 on:** April 22, 2007, 05:29:19 PM »

the ultimate humiliation is one's own acceptance that turning back to fight is suicide, and therefore not an option.

there is no shame for me being shot down by the best or the worst as long as i got shot down fighting.

Lusche · « **Reply #24 on:** April 22, 2007, 05:45:21 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by B@tfinkV
the ultimate humiliation is one's own acceptance that turning back to fight is suicide, and therefore not an option.

Sound's a lot like airquake to me. May be fine for many people, but rarely for me. I try to win my fights. If turning back is sucide, I usually don't do it.

I set myself a mission, a goal, I choose my plane depending on mission requirements and fun factor. I'll try to accomplish my mission and get back home alive.
Sometimes I land with a badly shot up plane & no kills, but I feel happy & contend that I made it home at all.

That's part of my hallucination of being a WW2 fighter pilot

Spikes · « **Reply #25 on:** April 22, 2007, 06:28:13 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by zlehmann

so if i cant outclimb them,

Oh, you can, but you have to have a lot more E than they do, Make them turn at you to lose E, then go vertical, they should follow you.

zlehmann · « **Reply #26 on:** April 23, 2007, 09:23:23 AM »

i wouldnt use the speed of the La-7 to run, i would use it to extend away from the spits range and then when i have enough space to make a turn to come back head on with him i will. i would never leave the fight, but if i can buy a few thousand meters distance on him so i have time to make my slow lumbering turn to bring my guns to bare i will.

BaldEagl · « **Reply #27 on:** April 23, 2007, 09:28:42 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by zlehmann
i wouldnt use the speed of the La-7 to run, i would use it to extend away from the spits range and then when i have enough space to make a turn to come back head on with him i will. i would never leave the fight, but if i can buy a few thousand meters distance on him so i have time to make my slow lumbering turn to bring my guns to bare i will.

Translation: I won't run, I'll HO.

cerberos · « **Reply #28 on:** April 23, 2007, 02:24:53 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by zlehmann
i wouldnt use the speed of the La-7 to run, i would use it to extend away from the spits range and then when i have enough space to make a turn to come back head on with him i will. i would never leave the fight, but if i can buy a few thousand meters distance on him so i have time to make my slow lumbering turn to bring my guns to bare i will.

How to HO. Key chapter in LA7 manual?

A head on is usually a pretty bad idea, it's pretty much a 50/50 chance of winning and that's not good enough. Besides, going head on against 2 hizookas is pretty much suicide. You'll be a lot better off working on improving your merges.

Krusty · « **Reply #29 on:** April 23, 2007, 02:40:11 PM »

Never take a Head-On unless you EXPECT to die in it.

You have to be willing to end up in the tower when you initiate a HO. If you don't, don't kid yourself, you got lucky, plain and simple.

You have to see every HO as a 100% chance of death. If you happen to make it out the other end, learn from that brush with death and avoid the next one!

HOs are the last resort of the desperate.

That being said, sometimes you ARE desperate. In a heavy 190a8 vs a spit16 you can't outrun, outclimb, out turn, out roll, or outdive the enemy. You are fully justified in attempting to HO him. That's desperation.

However, if you have even ONE other alternative, take it instead.