So there I was defending A8. I am at 10k and grabbing alt in a 190A5 just East of the field when a small horde shows up at around 12k. Typhs, Spits, 51s, maybe a dozen of them but luckily they were more interested in the field than me. I put my tail on'em and keep climbing, intent on vulching the vulchers after a couple more minutes.
A lone P-39 peels off after me. I rejoice at the easy kill and drag him a little farther East hoping to take him out of vox range of his buds should he realize his imminent doom
. He closes within 800 and joy of joys it's a D model.
Even though the matchup is a 25 eny ride vs a 30 eny ride I think I hold all the cards minus turn radius and initial E. I slowly bleed off his E advantage and go into a spiral climb from 10-14.5k before dropping on him slightly prematurely and missing the shot. Frustrated, I take him down to the deck where my WEP/climb advantage is greatest. Repeat spiral climb, receive pings, miss my shot.
The 39 is not using tracers and apparently runs out of .50s and cannon. (
) Ropes, loops, nothing worked.
Long long story short, this 39D stays with me and turns my wings into swiss cheese. (Though no components lost.) I manage to force one overshoot low on the water during the
nearly 20-minute affair and miss a point blank shot with my 20s.
I spend all but 3-5 minutes of this fight in a defensive posture. Finally the 39D runs out of gas and I let him deadstick it into the water. I shake my head and land on the nearest CV w 3 min of gas at max cruise and just one very lucky kill. The 39D had 5 quality shot opportunities to my 3 IMO and landed many more overall hits without resorting to the HO when he got low on gas. So here be a big
to Vinkman for a great fight in a crappy plane. It was an unworthy end to a good fight.
