Best point defense fighter

[DweebFire]

Hey all. Just got my butt handed to me in 8 player.

Apologies again Awcan. I honestly did not want to crash into you so many times heheh.

At any rate, I found the spitfire to lack energy fighting abilities and that my buddies said the P-38 was a better point defence fighter that could climb well enough and stalls were gentler than single engine aircraft.

Do you believe the P-38 is a good point defense fighter when launching from a base in order to protect a base about 12 miles away thats getting capped by a  spit 16 for example? If so, which P-38?

Thanks!

[Benny Moore]

No.  As a dedicated Lockheed P-38 flyer, I can tell you that it lacks the climb to do that well.  Better take an Me-109K or a Spitfire Sixteen, both of which have superior climb and are faster.  They're also generally more maneuverable than the P-38 (especially the Spitfire).  In short, there's no really good reason to fly the P-38 in Aces High II unless you just love the Lightning, except for the fact that it's easier to stall fight in than most other ships.  By "easier" I mean "takes less effort to use your airplane's maximum capabilities," not that the airplane will reliably out-stall fight most other ships.  Due to its weight, it won't.

[SgtPappy]

I say the F4U! bwahaha. I recently flew the P-38G.. wow it's fun, but time to get back in my old F4U. It's not the gentlest of turners at uber low speed but you often have the option to dive away and gain a lot of speed in even shallow dives. The P-38J/L, though a better accelerator, won't really cut it.

Also, you've got speed brakes and you turn tighter. Climb sucks, but if the enemy's de-acking they're probably low anyway.

I say your main problem isn't the plane, but getting teamed up. You go after one plane, there's another one right behind ya.

[Geary420]

If I need to get up off a field ASAP before it gets capped, or get to the neighboring base to head off a horde than the LA7 is the only way to go.  Great speed on the deck, great maneuverability, great guns package, and great vis when tracking multiple targets.

[1K3]

Bf 109G-14/K-4
Lavochkin series
Spitfire VIII/XVI

[Geary420]

Originally posted by 1K3
Bf 109G-14/K-4

Agree with these as well, the K4 is great all around, and the G14 is awesome for shredding those pesky NOE bufftards with the gondolas.

[tedrbr]

Any B&Z will work well if you are planning to jump the vulchers at a CAPed field from another field.  All comes down to personal preferences and strengths.
C.205 is my choice.  Full fuel, drain wing tanks first, good ammo load out.  Quick to altitude.  Not a vertical or stall fighter though.  B&Z.  Learn to extend.  
Many 109's, Ponies, Jugs, P-38s, will work as well.  Yaks and La's too, but fuel duration can be a problem in an extended fight.

Use Speed, energy management, and snapshots against the splixteens.

[CAP1]

Originally posted by DweebFire
Hey all. Just got my butt handed to me in 8 player.

Apologies again Awcan. I honestly did not want to crash into you so many times heheh.

At any rate, I found the spitfire to lack energy fighting abilities and that my buddies said the P-38 was a better point defence fighter that could climb well enough and stalls were gentler than single engine aircraft.

Do you believe the P-38 is a good point defense fighter when launching from a base in order to protect a base about 12 miles away thats getting capped by a  spit 16 for example? If so, which P-38?

Thanks!

i like the L a lot.it's fast, but i use it that way too....i STILL can't turnfight in it. i can kinda sorta turnfight in the G, but i normally die...just make the other guy work harder for his kill.........i don't generally use the G for anything other than that....

[DoNKeY]

No dora tedrbr?

[Bruv119]

My favourites for base defence Hurri 2C, Spit 16 or if you have slightly more time to get up LA7.

They all carry bombs aswell so killing the odd tank or osty trying to kill the town always slows the enemy up giving more time for friendlies to assist.


Bruv
~S~

[Sikboy]

I'd go with the 109 series for base defense. The short legs aren't as much of a problem when the badguys are that close, and you just can't beat them for putting air under your plane. Add the hammergun on the G14/K4 and you've got some real bad news for incoming Buffs, but even with the MG-151/20 there's plenty of firepower.

Just remember to use that climb rate to try and equalize e-states as quickly as possible.

-Sik

[DweebFire]

I'm not sure if this is correct, but, theoretically speaking, a plane could gain altitude well by zooming rather than just climbing.

We know that an La-7 won't straight outclimb the Spixteen right? But because it's so much faster and gets to for example, 300 mph much faster, then theoretically it can just zoom on that 300, get to 3K + and then just accelerate from there to the enemies. Perhaps the speed advantage could be used and converted into a climb advantage.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by DweebFire


At any rate, I found the spitfire to lack energy fighting abilities and that my buddies said the P-38 was a better point defence fighter that could climb well enough and stalls were gentler than single engine aircraft.



Thanks!

The Spitfire Mk VIII, IX, XIV and the XVI are all good energy fighters as well as angle fighters.  One of the reasons why these planes are so popular.

I wouldn't take off in a P-38 if the field is being vulched, you'll never get your wheels up before you get shot down.  However, if you look from the tower before you take off and see that while the base is being capped but not really vulched and most of the enemy fighters are staying out of field ack range, then it's safe to take off in the P-38.  Kick WEP in when you start to roll, lift up as soon as you have enough speed.  Level out for speed and defend the base.

Also, the notion that the only reason to fly the P-38 in AH is because you have an obsession with it, is also misleading.  For some, that might be the reason they fly it but in reality and in AH, the P-38 is one of the better fighters in the game and extremely deadly and very hard to beat when it's flown by an experienced P-38 driver.


ack-ack

[SgtPappy]

What's that?

A P-38H is totally awesome and is a must?

Heheh im such a kid.

[DweebFire]

I should have been more specific that it was the V that lacked E fighting skills. Additionally, the Mk.IX did not seem to really zoom nicely or dive well for that matter.