Spit 14

[MajWoody]

It is a vertical monster if flown correctly. I've found that you can quite often climb the rope of a K4 & send them to the tower.

[Krusty]

Torque runs the opposite way, as mentioned.

However, wing gas tanks on auto-fuel-select burn the WRONG wing tank first. In "normal" planes you drain the left wing first, because that dips first in a stall. Planes like a corsair, you leave a little in the right wing tank, to help even out the stall.

In the spit14, the auto select burns the entire left tank first. Because the torque rolls the other way, you WANT to burn the right tank first, otherwise you're making any stall/departure that much harder to control or avoid. Set it on manual, burn the right tank off, burn the left tank (leave a little in, if you like, RTB insurrance), and then manually select the main tank or DT after that.

Of course, doing this has its downside, as I've sputtered out and had to switch tanks in the middle of a dogfight as my right wing went dry!

Overall, it doesn't make it "perfect" but I think it really helps how the spit14 flies.

[Yarbles]

Torque runs the opposite way, as mentioned.

However, wing gas tanks on auto-fuel-select burn the WRONG wing tank first. In "normal" planes you drain the left wing first, because that dips first in a stall. Planes like a corsair, you leave a little in the right wing tank, to help even out the stall.

In the spit14, the auto select burns the entire left tank first. Because the torque rolls the other way, you WANT to burn the right tank first, otherwise you're making any stall/departure that much harder to control or avoid. Set it on manual, burn the right tank off, burn the left tank (leave a little in, if you like, RTB insurrance), and then manually select the main tank or DT after that.

Of course, doing this has its downside, as I've sputtered out and had to switch tanks in the middle of a dogfight as my right wing went dry!

Overall, it doesn't make it "perfect" but I think it really helps how the spit14 flies.

Thanks Krusty I always burn the left first (like a Muppet) I find the drop tank has less effect so i burn the wings then the drop tank. If someone is on your six basically break right and if you turn into someone to aquire their six or a snapshot turn right I guess with the torque.

I fly the 14 as much as I can afford and the 8 to get the perks back though I can see the 9 would get them quicker. I like the 8 though because in my opinion it handles more like the 14 and off course has 40 minutes on full power to payu with plus you have to remember to burn the wings first starting of course with the left. 

[Krusty]

When I fly spits (unperked) I lean toward the 8 for the extra range, as well.

Then again, I often fly longer sorties, cruising, finding a fight, etc. I don't just go in on the deck to get dogpiled (that happens no matter what alt I'm at!).


The 14 is a fun plane. I would say, however, that the handling issues eat away at the effectiveness of the zoom/climb rate. It's because I'm over-controlling it too much. Same goes with any plane, any flight surface adds drag, so if you're really smooth on the controls, you get better E retention. At least for me (and others I've shot down) overcontrolling the 14 leads to E loss and hurts the performance.

[frosty]

When I fly spits (unperked) I lean toward the 8 for the extra range, as well.

I actually prefer the 8 over any other Spit, regardless of any range benefits.  It just feels more stable. 

Could be in my head, but my kill ratio in the 8 is certainly better than in the 16 or the 9.  For me it's by far the best all-around furballer...not just amongst Spits, but period.  There may be better 1v1 rides, but for mass chaos scenarios I freaking love the Spit8.

As for the 14, the "Spit" monicker is practically false advertising.  I've rarely seen them flown effectively.

[grizz441]

Oh my God you are bitter kept that film for all these months & it was months ago. Enjoy your moment in the sun & try and get a life out side of AHII. LOWEST LEVEL OF SCUM OUT.

Watched the film.  Yikes lyric1.   

[Widewing]

Spit XIV vs Tempest.

http://www.mediafire.com/?nwxjmex3gmj


My regards,

Widewing

[BaldEagl]

If you're flying a Spit XIV to the point of wobbling and departure generally you're flying it wrong.  That said there may be times against it's peers (P51D, 109K4, etc.) that you may want to do so but the XIV will eat any of those alive in that type of fight.  The XVI also has poor extreme low speed handling and the departure charachteristics between them is similar although the XVI seems slightly more forgiving simply because it turns better.

The XIV is a monster at every alt if flown to it's strengths.

[killnu]

The K4 will eat the 14s lunch in a low/slow turning type fight...vertical too.  K4 handles much better at those speeds...much better.

[Guppy35]

Yup.  And right turns, not left.  Needs a lot of attention to the rudder.  Because it's a Spitfire people naturally think that it's a great turn-fighter.  It isn't.  But it really does go up up up.

- oldman

Yep, folks expect it to turn like a Spit V.  it's not.

It was roughly 2000 pounds heavier then the Spit 8.  The torque was much more noticable with the Griffon engine.  The tail surfaces on the XIV were made bigger but still didn't really do the job until the mark 22 and 24 Spits with the even larger tail.

If you read up on the XIV it's greatest asset was it's climbing ability.  Peter Brothers who flew everything from Spit Is in the B of B to VIIs to XIVs said that the XIV gave LW pilots a shock in that it could basically stand on it's tail and go straight up into the fight.

It's really a different bird then the Merlin Spits and to expect it to fly like a Merlin Spit is silly, in particular due to the extra weight and the engine turning the prop in the other direction so the torque is different too.

[Yarbles]

It's really a different bird then the Merlin Spits and to expect it to fly like a Merlin Spit is silly, in particular due to the extra weight and the engine turning the prop in the other direction so the torque is different too.

This thread has been very helpfull for me. I understand now the 14 needs to be flown within certain limits and with perhaps more skill and control than allot of other planes in the game. In that sense it has another advantage over the other spits as in its far more of a challenge to get the best out of it.

The write up by Soda is inaccurate in my opinion as it doesnt metion the handling issues and says it behaves like a spit 9 which it doesn't.

[RTHolmes]

imagine it as an unholy cross between a pony and a typhie and you cant go far wrong

[Tr1gg22]

Its a 109 in spits clothing. Handles nothing like the spit 8 or 9.

Its a high alt design, that really only shines at high alts.

IMO the thing is almost unmatched below 10k in climb rate..It is an absolute monster in the vert...Thats how I fly it anyways strait up and down... Although I have not flown it in along time...I really never fly any of the spits ,but if I do I love the spit 14 

[Tr1gg22]

The K4 will eat the 14s lunch in a low/slow turning type fight...vertical too.  K4 handles much better at those speeds...much better.

I dont no about the vertical part

[saantana]

LMAO Don't make this into anything it wasn't. You Came in at 18k and climbed up to 25k. You had more alt/e the whole time and still wouldn't fight. Don't take my word for it, here's the film http://www.dasmuppets.com/public/Suns/lyric1_runtard.ahf. People who refuse a 1 v 1, in my opinion are the lowest level of scum in this game. This game is about shooting at each other, not being a little girl and running a sector to hide in your ack.

Have to agree with Sunsfan.
I had several run ins with Lyric1 and even thought he was flying a spit with more E he wouldn't engage, yet when I would turn away because I don't feel like climbing on someone's six up to the moon he would turn back onto me, setting himself up to 1.5 k out on my six. Reverse, he would point upwards, rinse and repeat. This all at ~15k.
Lmao.
Plus 1 on those who don't want 1 on 1's being who they are.