This is my first attempt at writing something like this, so please be gentle
Why beta? Community response mostly, and if felt necessary to expand.
First: an apology: Grammar is not my strongest strength.
This write-up is my attempt to contribute to the AH community from which I've received countless hours of enjoyment. The basis derives from many sources, firstly Ren whom took the time to show a completely new player to flight simulation on subjects ranging from stick/view setup, how to determine if an enemy plane parallel to you is behind or in front of you based on their position off your wing, and of course the web address of the ultimate resource for AH2:
Netaces, all done with patience and respect. If not for him, I doubt I'd be flying today. I'm sure it was an arduous task for him, and still consider myself in his debt for taking it on. Thank you Ren.
Secondly my thanks goes out to TC and Murdr whom through many, many encounters made me aware of the importance of Alt, E states, angles, and above all else, situational awareness. My thanks and respect goes out to you for your commitments to the community to turn no-pilots into respectable foes.
[Start Emo] Last, but not least, and with a bittersweet memory, I'd like to thank the pilots of the Kiss My Havoc squad, namely BullZ and cobia. Our last conversation was very heated, and I said things I still feel shame over. I offer you my apologies at having said things that were only meant to hurt, an apology 2 years late and not expected to be accepted. Misplaced anger can be a hell of a thing. [End Emo]
Now, onto my pseudo guide for P51-D's vs TnB planes for the new player.
About me:
In AH2 I go under the callsign of swift( with a couple shades). In this guide you won't find many intricate numbers. It is more or less my philosophies of flying the virtual P51-D given to us by HTC. I do not claim to be more than an average pilot and know of people with much greater skill than I. However, I would like to put my own opinions of the P51-D out there in hopes to offer new players a different slant on learning the game. Undoubtedly, there will be those who will vehemently disagree with the thoughts herein. All of us have different ways, this is only mine, and I implore you to explore other resources in order to find one in accord with you, especially as this is written by an autistic. What I may see as fun/enjoyable you my not. My way is that of flying to live whereas you may be looking for an immediate adrenaline rush that strict furballing offers. While some may say the P51-D is fine for this, these are generally folks who have already mastered to some degree situational awareness(SA), gunnery, angles, and E states.
Many say that hopping right into a furball right away in a Turn and Burn plane(spit, hurri, etc) is the best way to improve your SA. I wholeheartedly disagree with this, with no disrespect intened to people who fall into this camp. When I first started, the SpitV was the suggested plane for the new player and what I started in. The results I found to be most unsatisfactory. In the following I will try my best to explain why. My reasonings come from my own experiences in combat, both real and virtual, and by applying the following books to AH: The Book of Five Rings by Miyamato Musashi, Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Assassin! The Deadly Art of the Cult of the Assassins by Dr. Haha Lung, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and most importantly Fighter Combat by Shaw in a relative way.
--Why a BnZ/E-fighter vs TnB'er for the begining player?
I am going to assume that
a) you use a joystick
b) you have setup your views
c) you have spent a modest amount of time in the TA, and
d) you are tired of flying 5-10 minutes to reach a furball just to be killed 10-30 seconds later without learning a damn thing(ie you are cannon fodder).
It is in my opinion (and one I am sure I'm going to get flak over, no pun intended) that a low-alt furball is basically just a low-alt and slower pick-fest, for those low and slow as well as those with altitude. Always remember the lower and slower you are, the worse your situation becomes. In this I mean speeds slower than 250 and at altitudes around 500-5000ft. Under these circumstances, and again just in my opinion, the fight is much more 2-dimensional than 3(you can't go below 0ft unless your name is FireHwk
). I am not saying that there aren't vets out there who can work miraculous things in a furball, but then again this "guide" isn't for them. However, while intense, most low-alts depend on 4 things: SA, gunnery, the merge, and angles. In this type of engagement and as a new player your will be slaughtered. Also, you will be neglecting a good amount of Basic Combat Maneuvers and Air Combat Maneuvers as well as your E-retention maneuvers, ie: roping, defensive spirals and a host of others. Losing a merge at low altitude as a new player will most certainly mean a quick trip back to the tower.
However, with altitude, the fight becomes much more 3-dimensional, which I feel is a much better way to develop, again in my opinion, the most important aspects of air combat; situational awareness, gunnery, and amount of time in flight. The higher your altitude, the more options you have if you are caught unawares, whereas if you are on the deck one magical merge is your end. Also, the higher your altitude, the more you see. You must be aware of both what is higher than you, lower than you, and co-alt with you which I find is a much better way to develop your SA. From above you can eventually find the general rythym of 90% of furballs you may encounter. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE MACRO BEFORE THE MICRO!
You will also improve your gunnery and understanding of angles by flying in this manner. Making and scoring a high-deflection shot at 450-500 will make your shots in a furball much more accurate. Also, it will improve your ability to "get inside" a turn as this kind of high speed shot often involves throttle control, flap usage, rudder, E-management, compression knowledge, and roll. Much of the time a P51-D requires a gentle hand, too often people start off pulling full back on the stick and never quite rid themselves of the habit. I feel once you master maneuverability, both slow and fast, in a P51-D you will find hopping into that TnB plane to be much like going from driving a van to a sportsbike.
--So why the P51-D?
Firstly, it's fast but with slow(ish) acceleration and not alot of WEP. This will help you learn how to conserve your E. Also, above 9000ft or so you are faster than an LA-7. Considering this, I would set your egress altitude at 10K as this is about the same altitude you need to be faster than the LA-7 at military power and at WEP(which he has much more of than you). Also at this altitude you are faster than your other major threats, the F4U-4(at mil) and P47-N. Your real achillies heel in the 109K-4, but keep in mind this plane has major compression issues and if on your 6, you can use this against him(as long as you have altitude!), but for now let's take it back to basics. The gun package on the P51-D is solid once you improve your gunnery skills and has more than enough ammo to get you at least 4-5 kills even if you aren't the greatest shot.
Also, in regards to SA, you don't get better than the P51-D. The bubble canopy is amazing. Even with low SA skills, you can keep a generally good idea of what is around you until you are able to nurture your awareness and move onto the more specialized planes. SA is everything!
Your roll rate and turn rate also stay very good at high speeds, thus allowing you to get inside a lower manuevering plane's turn while maintaining your speed. Another point to keep in mind is that E(in this case altitude) lost on your BnZ passes is rather easy to reclaim. Overall, the P51-D is an excellent E-fighter.
Defensively, with your weight and flaps, it is suprisingly good at slowing down if you need to force an overshoot or decide to get into a scissors. On these two subjects I suggest you consult Netaces.
That's it for my beta version of the guide, I hope it helps at least one person. As stated before, if response to it is good I will make a .pdf version(had to compress due to post length restrictions) and polish it up, (ie: add links to Netaces for words like "merge" etc). Thank you for taking the time to read my attempt at making a contribution to the game I truly am thankful for. If I have made any mistakes, please inform me so that I may be able to fix them!
Lastly I would just ask that we keep the thread amiable.
EDIT: some grammar
