P-39Q-Some information and tricks with it.

[Nemisis]

I noticed that the AHWiki page has almost NOTHING on it. I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some tactics and tricks I could pull  with this. And if someone could tell me what this plane is good at.

[stroker71]

I would help ya out but I am cranky!  lmao

DuHasst

[Nemisis]

 

[Soulyss]

I don't fly the Q version much, but I've become quite fond of the P-39D.  I can tell you that it excels at being a paperweight.

[Nemisis]

 

[AWwrgwy]

I don't fly the Q version much, but I've become quite fond of the P-39D.  I can tell you that it excels at being a paperweight.

You're pretty good in that paperweight.

Films?


wrongway

[Soulyss]

I can dig around in the archives and see if I can find anything.  I'll be the first to admit that I feel that most of the success that I've had in the 39D has been in furballs and getting targets of opportunity.  Again I can't really speak for the 39Q but it seems that the 39D does OK if it can come into a fight near the top of the furball and work down, as long as you keep working downhill you can keep a reasonable amount of E which gives you some choices.  Once you run out of alt it's time to bug out and try and get some back.  Maneuvers tend to suck the energy out of that bird really quickly and it's very tough to get it back, that's why I think it can be effective in furballs because it's rare to string together more than a couple turns against most opponents.  One versus one I've found the options in the P-39D to be very limited against most planes you come across in Late War.

[StokesAk]

I fly the D for the most part...but,

The P39 is a very slow climbing bird but it dives very well, if you have the chance just BnZ. The 37mm is very hard to BnZ with and aim in general but you can always take 4 .50's. If you do get low and slow keep your SA high even though it has poor visiblity. When you are slow use flaps but do not bleed E such as using vertical manuvers. It has poor acceleration so you have to be able to commit to the fight before you enter it.

Basicly thats a very rough overview of it.

[Nemisis]

OK. Anything that REALLY sucks the E out of it? Anything that it does fairly good at? And what type of planes would be a good match against it. I don't really want to comit to a fight agains a plane that is great in an area I'm uber weak in.

[Boozeman]

OK. Anything that REALLY sucks the E out of it? Anything that it does fairly good at? And what type of planes would be a good match against it. I don't really want to comit to a fight agains a plane that is great in an area I'm uber weak in.

Yep, the wing pods. They add a lot of drag and weight for little effective gains. Also, combinded with the drag of the droptank, and even the empty center rack, the performence feel of the plane be crippled. So, always avoid the gunpods, and try to avoid the droptank too. Get decent with the tater and do some fuel management - the result is a clean 39Q with decent MA performance.

[Nemisis]

OK. so just cowl guns, and the 37mm, no drop tank. What about the bomb, and is there any plane to really watch out for?

[1pLUs44]

OK. Anything that REALLY sucks the E out of it? Anything that it does fairly good at? And what type of planes would be a good match against it. I don't really want to comit to a fight agains a plane that is great in an area I'm uber weak in.

It does good, you just gotta know the nicks in it.

Depending on what you're doing, if you plan on LANDING the kills, you either gotta sneak up to 'em, or BnZ 'em. There was a time where I could get without a problem 3+ kills a P-39 sortie.

Dog fighting? Well, I've actually realized that the part of it bleeding E can be for your advantage. You make one turn, and the thing's almost OUT of E, so many pilots will get surprised (or, happy, and blow your bellybutton out of the sky), and blow right past you. You just have to get the overshoot right. (IIRC, chop throttle, hard right, then left rudder, and hard left, and go back right, and they should end up right in front of you.) If you're a good shot the 37 is a beast.


This is just all I can remember. I'm not all that active in the game much now.

[CAP1]

I noticed that the AHWiki page has almost NOTHING on it. I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some tactics and tricks I could pull  with this. And if someone could tell me what this plane is good at.

as rarly as i've flown either of the 39's, the biggest thing i've noticed, is that they turn amazingly well on the deck.
 if you can sucker the hi guy down low, and saddle up, as long as he doesn't try to extend, you should be ok.

[Boozeman]

OK. so just cowl guns, and the 37mm, no drop tank. What about the bomb, and is there any plane to really watch out for?

- Spits
- F4Us
- F6Fs
- P-38s
- Ki84s
- N1Ks

[CAP1]

- Spits
- F4Us
- F6Fs
- P-38s
- Ki84s
- N1Ks

actually, i out turned a p38j in one. i;'ve flown against soulss in the past i think... and he has out turned my 38 o doom.