P40E

[Anaxogoras]

The P-40E is a tough, tough bird.  Now I understand why the best 109 pilots closed to point blank range to open fire: kinetic energy makes a big difference, and seems to be the only reliable tool for bringing down the Warhawk with weak armament, e.g. 109F-4, C.202.

It's gonna be fun to shoot down those P-38s.

[Geophro]

Tough, yes.  But not really in a useable manner since the flaps are made of glass and flaps are the only thing that the P-40 really has going for it.  The 6 50's are nice, but without flaps you aren't going to get to use them.  I probably have close to 50 deaths in the P-40 last month, and in all of those sorties I can only recall 3 times that after the first time I heard pings that one of my flaps was not stuck.

I will usually only accept fire at 1 notch of flaps when possible for just this reason.  If they are stuck at 1 notch you can still be moderately effective but you have to go to manual trim to slow the energy bleed.  Flaps stuck anywhere else are nearly always fatal.

The good news is that once the flaps are hit, the rest of the airframe is almost indestructible.  Any pings you hear after that pretty much don't make any difference until you finally fall out of the sky.  The elevators are really the only thing that are at risk after that.  I had a C202 jump me once after I had just finished with a 109 and was stuck at 2 notches.  He saddled up pretty quickly, and it felt like I took at least 20 seconds of BB's before the plane finally disintegrated.  It was almost a relief, as all of those pings were really starting to hurt my ears.  Most deaths at least half of my damage list is red by the time I drop.

So tough yes, but useably tough not so much.
It is still a fun plane to fly though.

[apcampbell]

Fun, yes. And about as manuverable as a brick. And I still like it! Go figure!

[Anaxogoras]

Yup, and most of the P-40E pilots I've seen in the ava try to fly it like a Spitfire, when it should be flown more like a P-47 with hit and run tactics.

[Oldman731]

Yup, and most of the P-40E pilots I've seen in the ava try to fly it like a Spitfire, when it should be flown more like a P-47 with hit and run tactics.

It's no Spit, for sure, but it's quite a bit more agile than a 47.  Both PotsNPans and Venom were doing superior jobs of demonstrating that last night.  1Duke1, of course, is the sensei with the P40E.

- oldman

[a4944]

Yup, and most of the P-40E pilots I've seen in the ava try to fly it like a Spitfire, when it should be flown more like a P-47 with hit and run tactics.

Most don't fly it as a Spit, they just choose to fight at a disadvantage for a good time.   

Venom

[Anaxogoras]

It's no Spit, for sure, but it's quite a bit more agile than a 47.  Both PotsNPans and Venom were doing superior jobs of demonstrating that last night.  1Duke1, of course, is the sensei with the P40E.

- oldman

I ran into 1Duke1 and he was scary in that P-40E, what can I say.  It was clear that there was someone who knows his ride inside and out.

And there were many others who impressed me flying that tank.  Thanx for the fun fights everyone.

[Damionte]

More agile than the 38 as well.

I also experienced that wierdness with the flaps.

The hting turns into the incredible hulk when the flaps are damaged.

"You wouldn't like me when I'm Flapless !"

[Anaxogoras]

Think of it this way, when you lose flaps in the P-40E, you'd have lost a wing in the Spitfire.

[bongaroo]

too slow for me, I need to use the vert.  p38g here i come!