Thoughts on the P-47M

[WWhiskey]

The M is actually a little slower than the P-51D below 12K, where conservatively 80-90% of the action takes place. Its easy to say a plane should be "untouchable", but to actually kill something more than every once in a blue moon in you can't confine yourself to 500mph passes and zooms, you've got to actually maneuver, and thus become vulnerable to other bandits.

the fact that it is strong up high and can zoom down into the lower alt and back up with ease will help to force the fight up higher,
or risk getting BnZed!
 it has already changed what i see as far as alt of fights.
 it may not be any better than some of the fighters at lower alt. , but the fact that it climbs very well, will have people upping from more distant bases, and climbing to a more "social" alt. were it is safer!   the game play is not static! if you bring in planes that fight better at alt. you will get more fights at alt, changing the way we play is what it is doing for now! that may or may not last, but if you start flying lower, not expexting the "m" to be there,    A flash in the pan, so to speak,     the "m" drivers are gonna eat you up! atleast the good ones who use it as it is supposed to be used!

[Saxman]

Whiskey,

I doubt there will be a long-term effect, as we already have a number of planes effective at higher altitudes (Ta-152, the P-51, P-47s in general, hell most of the later American Iron) but that hasn't moved fights up.

Fight altitudes are always going to be dependent on the map far more than the plane set. Maps with bases further away just naturally drive things higher, while closer bases concentrate things down low. And I was taking off a base further back for a climb to 15-18k even before the M (looking out for high P-51s entering the fight). Even with the planes we had, most cases all you found at 20k were a few Ponies and Typhoons/Tempests looking for an easy pick 10,000ft below them. Even BUFFs rarely fly above 15k in the Mains.

Incidentally, of the Ms I've seen almost all were entering the fight under 10k. However that may have just been the results of the local theater I was fighting in (A19-A1 furball in LWB on Uterus, which is generally a low-alt fight anyway).

[bj229r]

Was playing with M in DA, got the thing up to 575 in dive and still had mild control...(started groaning at 500, shaking at mebbe 525) Yanked it straight up with manual trim