P-47

[bj229r]

I was gonna quit AH till the N came out:aok  (wish it had a green skin)

[halcyon]

Originally posted by frank3
Someone once mentioned 'if you fly the P-47 with 6 guns, you'd better fly the P-51 instead'
Has some truth in it, its large armament is probably one of the main characteristics people choose the P-47 for!

Everyone is completely missing the fact that the P47 is one of the most durable planes in the air.
Guarentee you a P47 can take more punishment than a P51, 6 50 cals or not in the wings.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by halcyon
Everyone is completely missing the fact that the P47 is one of the most durable planes in the air.
Guarentee you a P47 can take more punishment than a P51, 6 50 cals or not in the wings.

Hellcat and Hurricane probably take more damage.  Odd, but seems to me to be true.

- oldman

[Platano]

Originally posted by Oldman731
Hellcat and Hurricane probably take more damage.  Odd, but seems to me to be true.

- oldman

I happen to agree..

[wetrat]

if you get someone on your 6, dump flaps, cut throttle, and go slooooow. make them overshoot, and try to blast them as they go by.

[Platano]

Originally posted by wetrat
if you get someone on your 6, dump flaps, cut throttle, and go slooooow. make them overshoot, and try to blast them as they go by.

u 4got the part "dont miss"

[SlapShot]

Originally posted by Oldman731
Hellcat and Hurricane probably take more damage.  Odd, but seems to me to be true.

- oldman

Not trying to poke you in the eye oldman ... but I don't know why the "Hellcat" gets the "odd" moniker here ... it was infamous for it's durabilty in battle and bringing pilots back home that would otherwise have died or had to bail if in another plane (as was the F4F Wildcat).

Both were built by Grumman which, I am sure you know ...

"Grumman's products were considered so reliable and ruggedly built that the company was often referred to as the Grumman Iron Works."

Here is some more info ...

"Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacture and ability to withstand significant damage. A total of 212 lb (96 kg) of cockpit armor was fitted to aid pilot survival, as well as a bullet-resistant windshield and armor around the engine oil tank and oil cooler.[4] Self-sealing fuel tanks further reduced susceptibility to fire and often allowed damaged aircraft to return home."

The US Navy's all-time leading ace, Captain David McCampell USN (retired) scored all his victories in the Hellcat. He once described the F6F as "...an outstanding fighter plane. It performed well, was easy to fly and was a stable gun platform. But what I really remember most was that it was rugged and easy to maintain."

"Hellcats were involved in practically all engagements with Japanese air power from that point onward. Navy and Marine F6Fs flew 66,530 combat sorties (45% of all fighter sorties of the war, 62,386 sorties were flown from aircraft carriers) and destroyed 5,163 enemy aircraft (56% of all Naval/Marine air victories of the war) at a cost of 270 Hellcats (an overall kill-to-loss ratio of 19:1). The aircraft performed well against the best Japanese opponents with a 13:1 kill ratio against Mitsubishi A6M, 9.5:1 against Nakajima Ki-84, 28:0 against Kawanishi N1K-J, and 3.7:1 against Mitsubishi J2M during the last year of the war. In the ground attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503 tons of bombs."

This being the most telling ... had it not been so durable IMHO, I don't think that some of these aces would have made home to become aces.

"The F6F became the prime ace-maker aircraft in the American inventory, with 306 Hellcat aces."

EDIT: Oh ... I prefer the -25 version. To me it feels almost as nimble as the -11 and has much better views. It eats 190 and 109 for breakfast.

[toonces3]

Just when I was starting to think I could get to love the jug....

you go and post all that about the Hellcat.

[bozon]

well, the hellcat is a slow blue jug that takes off of carriers.

One of my all time favorite for all the wrong reasons.

[Ghastly]

And since a Hellcat is essentially a slower, less nimble Hawg ...  

[bj229r]

Originally posted by bozon
well, the hellcat is a slow blue jug that takes off of carriers.

One of my all time favorite for all the wrong reasons.

Pthh, I can get a N off cv with 75%, rockets and ..well not the big eggs, just the 1 little egg:)

[Hajo]

Those of us who usually fly the P47 probably had the same opinion as most about the Jug before we really tried to get to know it.  Big target...slow and easy kill.  I guess it just "fits" the people who fly it a lot.  I find it one of the better all around fighters in the game.  Doesn't do anything great but does a lot well.  In my opinion it probably takes more patience to use well then the majority of the aircraft in here.  Majority of aircraft faster below 15K.  Gun package is under rated by most but imho second only to 4 Hispanos.  For instance encountered and Ta152 at 18K.  He headed straight for me.  I knew what was coming.....the dreaded HO.

I started firing the 8 50s at 1400 and when done the Ta152 went by me in  8 variously sized pieces.  If you fly the Jug....take the 8 50s.  6 50s aren't going to make any difference.  Having 6 50s instead of 8 still isn't going to let you out turn a Spit or for that matter most other aircraft unless very very slow otd.  Use what the Jug gives you and you will be pleasantly surprised.  Ask it to do something it can't you'll end up in the tower more often then not

By the way for fighter mode I prefer the D11 and D25.  D25 climbs better then the D40 without wep.  D11 climbs at a similar rate as the D40.  The N Jug is the worst climber below 20K.  However when the N gets above 23K it will out climb a K4.  D11 and D25 most maneuverable of the group.  I prefer the D40 for fighter bombing role.  When flying the N Jug best to establish a hard deck.  It's the worst of the bunch very low because of it's weight.  Superturbochargers aren't much help below 12K.