Originally posted by SuBWaYCH
I think these 10 planes are the most lethal in the game if flown right (
Let's break down this list and discuss strengths and weaknesses, talk about some basic tactics to defeat each of these.
Just remember that the number one skill every pilot should strive to master is E management. This can never be overemphasized: The pilot who better manages his E is the pilot likely to win most engagements. In any engagement where you start out with an E disadvantage, your primary goal (beyond avoiding being shot up), is to equalize E states. Within the MA, speed is, indeed, life. If you are not flying an especially fast fighter, speed can be banked in altitude. This doesn't mean you fly around at 20,000 feet. It means that you fly high enough to trade altitude for speed. Typically, somewhere between 5k and 15k, depending on what you are flying. Excessive altitude means that you cannot readily engage the enemy due to excessive speed when diving. You have to find that comfort zone between too high and dangerously low. Each aircraft has a zone that best suits it. Even the high altitude P-47s can be very effective below 5k, but they require excellent E management.
Another important aspect is aggression. Always attack, or at least fly with the purpose to gain the opportunity to attack. Don't get into the defensive mindset. The most certain way to survive is to kill the enemy.
The following applies to the MA environment, not a Co-E, Co-alt duel, which is a very controlled situation. In the MA, any situation can and will occur.
109s: Great climb, acceleration with good flaps. This group, while similar is also very diverse. The 109F is a terrific turn fighter, while at the other extreme, the 109K is a stellar E fighter. They all have similar weaknesses. Poor high-speed control response and they have to get very slow to use flaps effectively. When slow, especially with flaps out, 109s simply will not roll to the right. An attempt to roll right under those circumstances usually leaves the 109 hanging is space, completely helpless. When you fight them, maneuver with this in the back of your mind. 109s also have just about the worst outward vision. Stay in their blind spots when approaching. The better 109 pilots thrive in the vertical. Beating these guys usually means having an E advantage at the beginning and forcing them to waste E avoiding your attack. Pin them (keep them confined, not allowing them to increase E), deplete them (bleed down their E with sharp, fast, closely spaced attacks), and kill them (when slow, their aspect changes little while turning).
P-38: Good, if not great acceleration. Excellent climb, super stable at low speed. Not a great turner, despite what many say. Holds E very well, better than most. Absolutely the best handling fighter at the top of a climb. Your better P-38 pilots live in the vertical. In a Co-E fight, they are going to take the engagement straight up. Thus, if you are not flying something that also excels in the vertical, get some lateral separation and build your E. It's best to engage P-38s with an E advantage, and strive to maintain that advantage, which takes the vertical aspect away from them.
F4U: In the hands of someone who knows how to exploit its strengths, the F4U is one of the most dangerous fighters in the game, especially the F4U-4. Acceleration is not very impressive in any of the F4U-1 models, and neither is climb. They have the most effective flaps of any fighter, meaning that it's a great high-speed fighter and a stellar stall fighter. It's the in between where the F4U is vulnerable. Moreover, many pilots use too much flap for too long, killing their E and leaving them at the mercy of any fighters arriving at the scene. The F4U-1 types can be handled by forcing them to burn down their E state, while maintaining your own. Once the E is drained from any of the F4U-1s, they are very vulnerable to a pilot who then takes the fight vertically. IE: climbing turns and yo-yos.
Ki-84: This fighter has three very glaring weaknesses. It cannot dive beyond 450 mph without great risk of breaking up. It cannot deploy its excellent flaps above 175 mph. Pilots who fly with combat trim on will not be able to pull more than 4g at speeds over 300 mph. Smart Ki-84 drivers pull into the vertical to drag the speed of the fight as low as possible; to get below 175 mph where their flaps can be decisive. Avoid that trap and keep the fight fast, never letting your speed go below 250 mph (approximate corner speed for most fighters). Ki-84s are very good in a slow vertical fight. If you fight one in the vertical, do so with superior E.
The Tempest and Typhoon are dangerous due to their four Hispano cannon. Both are very fast. The Typhoon is only an average climber, but the Tempest climbs very well from low altitude and is extremely fast on the deck. Seeing them before they can get a guns solution is half of the equation. Typhoons are not good turners. If a Tiffie pilot gets too slow, he usually gets dead. on the other hand, the Tempest can turn well enough to be a problem for the less nimble fighters. In any case, to kill these planes you must have equal or greater E. Either that, or you must depend upon the pilot to squander his E, or not see you angling in for a deflection shot. Tempests can blow through a furball, hammering 3 or 4 fighters and escape easily. Thus, good SA goes a long way towards overcoming their advantage of speed (and usually altitude too). If you find yourself above a Tempest or Typhoon, you can often force them into maneuvering, eating away at their primary asset; speed. Once you get them whoa'd down, they are in trouble.
Hurricane Mk.IIC: Great guns, great turn. Hurricanes are easy to deal with if you have a respectable E advantage. You cannot be careless as those cannons will eat you alive. So, as I stated earlier, pin them, bleed them and kill them. You defeat them as you would a Zero, but being aware that mistakes can be fatal when facing four Hispanos.
190s: The Dora is extremely fast with a good rate of climb. Superior E retention across all models. Extremely lethal guns. Dives wells and rolls better than anything below 400 mph. Weaknesses are serious. Turns like a school bus. Accelerated stalls are easy to generate. Much like the Typhoon, to kill a 190 you have to catch it. When and if you do catch it, they have a limited bag of tricks. Most commonly, the pilot will attempt to scissor his way into forcing an overshoot. Don't scissor with them. Instead, go vertical. You'll both end up slow, but the 190 will have no prospect of regaining E, while you can trade altitude and retain the tactical advantage. Like the Typhoon, seeing the 190 in time to counter it is 50% of the equation.
P-51s: In some respects, the Mustang is one of the most dangerous fighters in the game. Nothing retains E better. Nothing handles better at high speed. Vision is outstanding. Great speed, average climb and acceleration. To defeat a P-51 you have to force or encourage its pilot to slow down. Once below corner speed, the Mustang loses most of its luster. It is among the worst at low-speed maneuvering. Flaps tend to generate drag out of proportion to the increase in lift. In other words, the slower the Mustang gets, the worse it performs. With only average acceleration, a slow P-51 has little prospect of getting outside of gun range quickly. Fighting the Mustang is about getting E states equalized. Once that occurs, the P-51 either bugs out or it dies.
C.205: I find the C.202 more of a threat. This fighter climbs well, and handles well at high speeds. It's guns are similar to that of the Dora in terms of lethality and ammo load. Where the 205 falls on its face is poor low-speed turn ability and handling. Acceleration isn't great either. Visibility is generally miserable to boot. It's not a particularly fast fighter. Thus, equalizing E is less of problem. I find them less than troublesome.
P-47: There is a considerable difference between the D-11 model and the opposite end of the scale in the P-47N. However, all P-47s are absolute monsters at high altitude. Down on the deck, they are still very dangerous due to their massive firepower and their excellent zoom climbing ability. A Jug with E is very dangerous. However, they accelerate slowly and steady state climb is generally average or less. Like the P-51, the Jug can get a notch of flaps out at 400 mph. This allows them to bleed speed very quickly, providing an instantaneous turn rate that can catch you flat-footed. With full flaps, any P-47 will out-turn a P-51 or any 190. In that respect, the P-47D-11 is capable of turning with many fighters, at least briefly. Because the P-47 is usually out of its element in the MA, most Jug drivers will arrive with some altitude. The smart ones will not waste their E. To beat the Jug, you have to get them low and get them slow. Once again, E management and the ability to get E equalized is very important. If you can get a Jug down on the deck and slow, your chances of winning go up greatly. If the P-47 won't come down and stay, you need to get lateral separation and climb. If you can get Co-alt and Co-E, the odds are more or less equal, unless you are both above 20k.. Up high, above 25k, a decent pilot in a P-47 can dominate just about any other fighter. Luckily, that is a rare event.
One last thing. The most dangerous fighter is that one flown by the most dangerous pilot. Don't place too much emphasis on the aircraft. A poor pilot in an excellent fighter will lose to an excellent pilot in a poor fighter 95% of the time. Far more important than what you fly are the skills you bring to a fight. Keep that in mind...
My regards,
Widewing
