I’d like to post some observations on the fighter aircraft I’ve flown so far, with the aim of getting advice on how to improve my performance in each aircraft. This is far from a scientific evaluation. It’s simply what I’ve discovered in the process of learning the game. I'm posting this in the training section so I can get feedback from more experienced pilots who know how to fly these birds, plus I think what I have observed might help other newbies looking for a good plane. This article covers fighters, but I might do another one about bombers if there's positive interest here.
Brewster: This plane is wonderful for base defense and I have had a lot of success with it in that role. It’s very stable at low altitudes, turns like a dream, and can follow several aircraft over the top in some situations. It’s surprisingly durable and there have been several times where I’ve denied kills to opponents simply by surviving long enough to land the plane. Landing is also easy since you can bleed off speed very quickly if need be and just plunk down on the tarmac. My only complaint is hitting power, which is reasonable against more fragile aircraft but difficult against more rugged birds. I can drop Zekes and Spits pretty easily, but F4U’s and P47’s are problematic. Plus, I can't catch anything with it.
FM-2: Like the Brewster, this version of the Wildcat is small, very maneuverable, durable, and generally very forgiving for the novice pilot. Guns are pretty much the same except you have more convergence issues to deal with. I like to use this aircraft for CV ops when I’m going to be dogfighting rather than bombing or strafing, since its payload is considerably less than that of other carrier aircraft. Basically, it’s a tougher version of the Brewster that can land on a carrier.
P40E: I’m finding this ride to be a mixed bag. It has the durability and the 6x 50’s, but I’m finding there’s a very specific speed range where it can be flown effectively. You have to get up to a certain speed, but the plane seems to bleed it off rather quickly, leaving you low, slow, and stupid. The speed range in question is quite narrow…I’m not sure what it is, but I can easily tell when I’m outside the zone. The plane itself is better than what I expected, and it was also the first one I felt reasonably confident with, but it’s been replaced in my repertoire by the Brewster.
LA-5N: I don’t have much experience in this plane, but I’m impressed by it’s speed and handling characteristics. It seems to turn a bit better at high speed maneuvering than the P-51D or the FW, and I can also choose to mix it up in a turn fight for short periods of time if necessary. The cannons are great provided you can get close enough. Again, it’s also very forgiving and not likely to stall or spin at a bad moment. The only problem I’ve had is running out of fuel, which seems to happen pretty quickly.
F6F-5: I use this plane for bombing missions from carriers. It’s rugged, forgiving in the air and has that 6x50 cal gun set. The interesting thing about the Hellcat is that it’s reasonable in almost every category while not being outstanding at any one thing. I think the reason why I don’t fly this bird more often is because I’ve yet to master good energy management. You really need to keep the ‘cat pretty fast to be effective, and it’s all too easy to find yourself wallowing in “LOSS” mode (LOw, Slow, and Stupid). I’d like to learn how to get more out of this aircraft so I can fly it more effectively.
Spitfire IX: I chose this plane early on as a ‘noob’ ride, but I’m finding it very hard to use it effectively. It’s nimble and reasonably fast, but I’m finding I tend to stall out and crash more often while using it on the deck. After re-reading the plane evaluations, it occurs to me that I’m probably using it wrong. I’ve been using it in base defense where you really don’t have the time to gain much alt, and I don’t think I’ve learned how to squeeze out more performance from the plane, especially low-speed turning.
Spitfire XVI: The Spitsteen has a lot of qualities I like. It’s fast and has a good roll rate and its weapons package is a bit better than the IX. But I find I’m having more stall and spin issues, even more than with other Spits. At some speeds even the slightest turn will turn the stall warning on. Sometimes I’ll have to try a snap turn to avoid an attack and find myself spiraling into the ground almost immediately.
One thing about all the Spits: I’m having trouble getting optimal use of the gun packages. The cannons are great but I’m finding that convergence is giving me a problem. It’s very hard to get them on target properly. I’m also scratching my head regarding the machine guns. Some people are saying use them only to help finish off a con, others say use them at range to make him turn. The former requires close convergence, the latter a longer one. I’m thinking gunnery management (using cannons, using machine guns, or using both) is kind of hard to do for a novice. It’s just one more variable to think about in an already complex environment.
P-51D Mustang: Love the speed, love the guns, but I can’t yet get the best performance usage out of the plane, probably because I don’t BnZ or slash-attack much. It doesn’t have the handling characteristics of the LaLa at lower speeds. I’m sure I can get better at flying a pony but it’s going to require changing my fighting style.
Corsair (all types): Man, I really want to learn how to fly this bird, but it’s way too much to handle for my skill level. I’m just at a loss as to how to get the most out of this ride, and it is very unforgiving if you get slow, which happens to me a lot.
P-38L-J: Man, I really really want to learn how to fly this bird, but…see Corsair above only more so. It’s going to take a lot to figure out how to get the appropriate performance out of the Lighting, but the gun package is amazing. Plus, it looks so cool.
In the course of writing this it’s occurred to me that the planes that are often mentioned as ‘noob’ aircraft, the Spit and the Pony, are not really the ones that I actually like flying. I seem to be gravitating to planes that are relatively stable, have few gun platform issues, and are maneuverable. As I’ve mentioned before, I found most of my early success in the turn and burn style of combat, and I’m just now learning how to use energy and boom and zoom tactics. In addition, stalls and spins are more of a problem, mostly because I haven’t developed the necessary skills yet.
It seems to me that stability is more of an issue for us noobs who have yet to master flying a plane on the edge of its performance envelope. The FM and Brew, and to a certain extent the F6F, are very stable aircraft and are the closest to the ‘yank-and-bank’ style of fighting you get in other flight simulator games. Starting with one of these aircraft might be better than trying the more complex planes that require flap, convergence, rudder, energy management, or other skills in order to fly them properly.
Just sayin’
-Muzzy
