P-39 Handeling

[Widewing]

Whats with the huge difference in performance between the two models?  There is only a 50 hp difference between them, but the P-39D is an absolute dog.  Even with wingpods I found the P-39Q to be very much superior.  Anyone tried fighting the two against eachother? 

The horsepower gap is much bigger than 50 hp.

P-39D: 1,150 hp
P-39Q: 1,420 hp

My regards,

Widewing

[Widewing]

I agree. The plane could not be flown without ammo in the nose guns. Ballast had to be added before you could take off.

I'd like to see where HTC got their info that the P-39Q should out-turn spitfires, 109s, n1k2s, and a host of the tightest-turning planes in the game...

 

I was expecting it to turn okay, but being in the top tier of turn planes? Already they're saying the 39D is going to give a6ms the fits in FSO because of its handling and turning, and this just wasn't historically the case.

Well, the P-39Q has the wing loading and power loading to give uber aircraft a very hard time. 

P-39D's can run away from A6M2s with ease. Then they can reverse and HO the snot out of them..... Worked for me last night... several times.   

My regards,

Widewing

[Saxman]

HO dweeb! 

[Serenity]

HO dweeb! 

My favorite tactic in the 39 

[Squire]

If somebody wants to show how HTC is somehow in error re: the P-39s wingloading, well, fire away.

...I note with some interest I have seen nothing posted by the naysayers past generalities and quasi-"hysterics".

From using it in the MA I didn't notice it was anything unnaturally uber?, its just an "adequate" fighter, if flown aggressively to its strengths.

What did you seriously think, it was going to manuever like a bomb laden B-25?

[Shuckins]

P-400s were used by American pilots in North Africa, mainly for ground attack.  Because they had no turbosuperchargers, they were handily outperformed by the 109s and 190s, at higher altitudes.

However, any Luftwaffe fighter jock foolish enough to tangle with them at low-altitudes was in for a shock, for the P-400 could outmaneuver both enemy fighter types.  Several American pilots, when jumped at low level by 190s, simply reefed their mounts into a tight turn, and spun in their opponents. 

If jumped by enemy pilots with an altitude advantage the P-400s were almost helpless, if the enemy employed boom-n-zoom tactics.  One flight of 15 American fighters was jumped at low-level and lost nine of their number.  The five that survived, simply firewalled their P-400s and left the German fighters behind, outracing them on the deck.

Regards, Shuckins

[humble]

I've been having multiple CTD with the new patch so I dont have as much time in the bird as I'd like but so far it appears to be exactly what I'd expected (have only flown the Q so far). I normally top it out at 12K and then take it as it comes. While it can "flat turn" suprisingly well its strength is in being flown on the "X". Very easy plane to force overshoots on and suprisingly good in the zoom (at lower alts) at forcing the con off the vertical. If you can force a bogie to flat turn at moderate speed the 39 seems to eat up just about everything. I've closed on everything from a hurricane to a Ki-84 to various spits, F6F, Nikki etc with no problem at all and so far nothing thats started turning has been able to extend from the 39. Most of the time circumstances dictate that you refuse a true stall fight in the weeds but the few times I've forced that end game I've come out ok....its certianly more then a match for the average spitXVI or spitVIII driver.

At the same time once you're forced (or choose) to get off the X and convert to more of a pure angles fight the gerbals bleed out pretty quickly and the 39 has none of the last gasp surivability that the hog does or the raw ability to spiral climb out that the spits and 109s do.

The biggest issue I see is the poor ballistics and occasional survivability that a con has. I've had 2 kills so far where I popped a con with a 37mm to have him continue with no damage but got the kill much later when someone else popped a seemlingly pristine plane to get an assist. I've also gone "all in" to set up a 100 yd shot a couple of times and missed from point blank range and had to run like a scalded dog as a result.

So far to me its seems like a very good "2-3 kills and home" kind of ride with alot of potential for mayham. Good enough to kill any plane in the game IMO IF you can hit with the 37mm...certainly is a good low alt E/angles to E fighter that will confound the average pilot pretty regularly...think its a great nikki/pony killer for sure...