Spitfires: The main reason people dont fly them

[JunkyII]

Spits are easy mode and also easy to kill, no complaints other then the 30mm problem they have

[mechanic]

Key words in bold and I doubt they're the truth.  The fact, and pretty much anyone with a clue knows this, is that spitfires don't require much effort to win fights with.  Just work your way past any initial energy disadvantage and it's all downhill effort from there.  The envelope is simple enough for you to make all sorts of mistake and get away with it.  All of this comes at the cost of top speed and relatively light armament.  Even if the envelope is easy and fool proof enough to mostly nullify this lighter armament, it all makes for a package that's pretty pedestrian, regardless of how effective it is.  It's no speed demon. 

You have no idea what i said moot. Did you read it carefully?

I said people wont fight you if you are in a spitfire, and that is one reason to not fly them. If you are looking for a fight you should fly something your enemy is not afraid of fighting against.

Please try and read more carefully, or were you just drunk last night and desperately searching for something to argue with me about?

The only valid reason I can see for not choosing a spitfire is so that people will actualy fight you. Fighting Spitfires seem to scare people into 'one pass then run' tactics more than anything else. I've seen people who are more willing to turn fight a zeke than a spitfire. That is the only downside I can see.

[Messiah]

It's funny this thread is heading exactly where I anticipated.

[FX1]

It was always fun to beat a person that called spit dweeb that thought that the plane made the pilot. It was fun to have a hot head in the da and beat him in his 190 or 109 five times in a row. I always practiced in every plane in the hanger so that I became a better pilot. Most of the vets respect the spit and understand that a good spit driver can kill in any ride.

[Guppy35]

Grizz,

I have a huge historical attachment with Spitfire, that’s the main reason I fly them so much.

And this part I understand.  My passion for Spitfire history goes back much further then 38s.  If I'd have decided to get an RAF squadron going, I'd have been flying Spits.  No apologies.  It's all about the history.

There has always been an anti-Spitfire crowd as long as I can remember.  I'll be honest, it was enough to get me out of Spit IXs in Airwarrior and into the P38J.  They are fun to fly when I do take one up.  I enjoy the Spit VIII in particular. 

But to each their own.  My 38G is nothing more then a twin engined Spitfire anyway

[BaldEagl]

I fly Spitfires not only because I've always been enthralled by them but also because I most often find myself outnumbered in the LW MAs, sometimes even by several other Spitfires, and there's nothing else that gives you a better fighting chance in an outnumbered situation although I've had pretty good luck so far this camp in the Ki-61.

They are also good for buff hunting if you take the time to set up your firing pass.

And I think those are the reasons the Spit, even the XVI, has never been even close to being among my top K/D planes.

I'll add that being one of many on one while flying a Spit seems pretty lame.

So, to the Spit naysayers I say, grab a Spit and go really test yourself (4 on 1 or more) on a regular basis.  Otherwise fly your "manly" pane in an unmanly mannor and just shut up.

[Shuffler]

I actually do not know of anyone afraid of a spit. Probably 98% of the time they are new or not interested in learning acm.

[Crash Orange]

                                                   

                                                                 



 

[moot]

You have no idea what i said moot. Did you read it carefully?

I said people wont fight you if you are in a spitfire, and that is one reason to not fly them. If you are looking for a fight you should fly something your enemy is not afraid of fighting against.

Please try and read more carefully, or were you just drunk last night and desperately searching for something to argue with me about?

You're right, I missed the 'not' in the first sentence and did skim your post.  Making that to be me looking for a fight with you and being drunk and wanting something to argue with you about..    Why is it so far fetched that I should just argue a flawed assertion?  Why does everything have to be about sadness or obsession or some psychological irregularity with you?  That's a rhetorical question.

there's nothing else that gives you a better fighting chance in an outnumbered situation

Very arguable.

So, to the Spit naysayers I say, grab a Spit and go really test yourself (4 on 1 or more) on a regular basis.  Otherwise fly your "manly" pane in an unmanly mannor and just shut up.

It's not about manliness.  Yanking a joystick around in front of a screen has nothing to do with manliness.

Most of the vets respect the spit and understand that a good spit driver can kill in any ride.

A good spit driver?  What does a good spit driver do in other planes that no other driver could? 

They are also good for buff hunting if you take the time to set up your firing pass.

Other than good maneuverability to dodge bullets on the exit, how's a slowish plane (good e retention but mediocre level speed) with weak wings and average firepower "good for buff hunting"?

[scot12b]

[Kazaa]

lol that's one epic gif.

[TonyJoey]

Grizz,

I have a huge historical attachment with Spitfire, that’s the main reason I fly them so much.

History is why I started flying the Spitfire in the first place, after recieving 3 osprey books, each covering different variants. I liked them so much, I started flying the Spit V, shooting down a 163 on my first sortie with it. Then i moved on to the Spit 1 and had a blast again. Finally, thoough, I found my niche in the Spit 9. 240 cannons was the main reason for flying it over the 5.

[BaldEagl]

Other than good maneuverability to dodge bullets on the exit, how's a slowish plane (good e retention but mediocre level speed) with weak wings and average firepower "good for buff hunting"?

They aren't if you attack the way you propose; level six.  That's why I said you need to set up your firing pass.  You need to attack from a position 2-3K above the buffs firing on the wing profile (root or engine depending on bomber type) as you descend.  That gives you a lot of speed and leaves only the buffs upper guns available for defense.  The Hispanos do the rest.

Fire on pass one, pull up, roll inverted, pull through, invert again and dive into firing pass 2.  Repeat.

Sure it's riskier than a 190A-8 or a 110G-2 but that's what makes it fun.

[moot]

Right, fun. But that's not what you were saying. Unless "good" was said in the "how much fun you're having" sense.  I didn't propose any specific approach. I only said that everything else being equal, the spitfire's just middling at best as a buff destroyer.  One of the ways its best attributes really do shine is concerted attacks on a formation, where you can really exploit the spitfire's maneuverability.  Make the gunners really sweat.

[BaldEagl]

Right, fun. But that's not what you were saying. Unless "good" was said in the "how much fun you're having" sense.

Nope.  I meant good in that a single firing pass with the two Hispanos and whatever machine gun package you're carrying is enough to take down one and sometimes two buffs and also that getting into position to make that firing pass is often considerably easier in a Spit than other planes due to it's climb rate and relatively good high alt performance.