Dogfighting and Furballing

[Amaazee]

Is there anyone in AHII that is willing to further my training in dogfighting or furballing, preferably someone who has been in AH awhile and enjoy furballing.


I guess you could say I got all the basics of furballing, but I just can't seem to catch on to how some pilots (who are deep in the furball) live for so long, as to where I get obliterated. Yeah you have to have decent SA, which I think I have, and yeah you shouldn't get slow, but what else. I am sure there is more to a furball than just those two things.


Also if anyone would help me with 1 v 1. I understand you must know the capabilities of the opponents plane when you get into a 1 v 1, but even in the same plane, I can't seem to get onto their six. As to where they make it seem so easy to get onto mine. Not to mention if I do get on their six, they either scissor or reverse me. Whenever they scissor I never win(I use flaps and throttle), when they reverse most of the time I get snapshot to death.

Like I said earlier, if there is anyone that is willing to help me out a bit, I am able to get on AcesHigh pretty much all weekend, and that is when I am online most.

Planes I prefer are:
P38J
P38G
P51D
P51B
F4U1A
F6F


Also any replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


 
Amaze

[fbWldcat]

For the P-38 and F4U-1A go to the TA. Saxman is great with a 1A. Ask around in the TA and MA, Soulyss, Stokes, a few others, love flying P-38s

[Amaazee]

For the P-38 and F4U-1A go to the TA. Saxman is great with a 1A. Ask around in the TA and MA, Soulyss, Stokes, a few others, love flying P-38s

I been trying to find Delirium and Soulyss for the P38, but can't ever seem to find them online.

Thanks though

[Soulyss]

Happy to try and lend a few furball pointers (or at least how I try to approach and work the furball).  If you see me online give me a shout we can either try to wing up or you're welcome to join/ride-along and I can attempt to talk you through the thought/decision making process.  

A lot of furballing, is situational awareness and threat assessment.  The other is anticipation, if you see what's happening and read it properly it's fairly easy to guess what's going to happen next which lets you cut corners, close the the distance on your target w/out having to make last minute high G course corrections which tend to bleed E.  

*edit*

Just remembered my mic is on the fritz, so the offer stands but may have to wait till I can run out and get a new headset.

[Muzzy]

Here's what I've picked up so far:

1. Look before you leap.  Get a good idea of how many planes are around and their relative motions before you dive in.  Know which types and what their capabilities are. Check six.

2. Make sure you come up for air.  Get clear after an attack, successful or otherwise, climb out if you can, look around and assess the situation before you go back in. Check six.

3. Sometimes getting clear means running far away from the fight. This is not cowardice. This is tactics.

4. If you're like me you have a voice inside your head (mine kinda sounds like my primary trainer guy, Morfiend) that tells you it's time to get out.  Listen to that voice.

5. Greed kills. Don't get kill happy.  The longer you stay in, the better your chances for getting shot down.

6. Check six.

7. If you're concerned about landing kills, never engage when outnumbered, never engage planes with superior altitude, never fly through ack. There are times when you may want or need to ignore these rules (base defense, or just for the heck of it).  If that is the case, fly as aggressively as you can and drop as many as you can before they get you.

Regarding the planes:

The 38 is a difficult plane to master and you should talk to the experts before you fly it.  

The F4U 1A is my favorite hog for furballing.  It's biggest problem is that it can't climb very well, which makes it hard to regain energy in the middle of a furball. You really need to get as much alt as you can before engaging, and you will have to learn to exit the fight while you still have the alt or speed to do so.  Plus, you have to learn how to throw the flaps out on turns and loops.  Think of the hog as a long-lasting battery that takes forever to recharge.  It doesn't bleed off energy quickly, but there's no easy way to get it back once it's gone.

The P51 is probably the easiest of the planes you've picked, but there are some traps that newbies fall into.  You don't want to try a steep climb while exiting the furball...a lot of planes can catch you in the first part of the climb. A zeke got me that way, and 109k4's, FW's, Ki-84 and Spit sixteens can stay with you in a climb pretty easily. Go flat out to get some distance before you climb out. Don't think your speed makes you invincible. La7's,  Doras and Tempests can give a Pony a run for it's money, and several planes have the acceleration to catch you in a short sprint. Don't stay too long in the furball. Ponies are very high on the "kill it first" list and you will attract a lot of attention the longer you stay in.

These are the opinions of a relative newbie.  Others may know better.

[mtnman]

Two other tactics help a lot too. 

One, hunt the fringes.  Don't get too deep into the middle. 

Two, if you do get into the middle, keep your flight path perpendicular to the fight as much as possible.  For example, if the rooks and bishops are fighting, and the rook base is north of the bishop base, the fight will primarily run north/south.  I'll do my best to keep myself moseying through from east/west or vice versa.

Using both tactics together is even better.

SA...  Too much is never enough.  When you really get good at it, and think you've finally figured it all out, you need to quadruple it... 

[Tordon22]

As a soulyss and delirium trained 38 pilot, I'd love to help you out anytime. I'll be back on Wednesday, in the process of moving, but between Wednesday and Monday I'll be on a lot.

Beware though, as I'm the local 38/sapp/80th black sheep .

[Amaazee]

As a soulyss and delirium trained 38 pilot, I'd love to help you out anytime. I'll be back on Wednesday, in the process of moving, but between Wednesday and Monday I'll be on a lot.

Beware though, as I'm the local 38/sapp/80th black sheep .

I think you are the only Muppet I have met that isn't a tater dweeb  , but most of the tater dweebs get dealt with by my bomber(P38) . 


I will be sure to look you up.
 

[CAP1]

Is there anyone in AHII that is willing to further my training in dogfighting or furballing, preferably someone who has been in AH awhile and enjoy furballing.


I guess you could say I got all the basics of furballing, but I just can't seem to catch on to how some pilots (who are deep in the furball) live for so long, as to where I get obliterated. Yeah you have to have decent SA, which I think I have, and yeah you shouldn't get slow, but what else. I am sure there is more to a furball than just those two things.


Also if anyone would help me with 1 v 1. I understand you must know the capabilities of the opponents plane when you get into a 1 v 1, but even in the same plane, I can't seem to get onto their six. As to where they make it seem so easy to get onto mine. Not to mention if I do get on their six, they either scissor or reverse me. Whenever they scissor I never win(I use flaps and throttle), when they reverse most of the time I get snapshot to death.

Like I said earlier, if there is anyone that is willing to help me out a bit, I am able to get on AcesHigh pretty much all weekend, and that is when I am online most.

Planes I prefer are:
P38J
P38G
P51D
P51B
F4U1A
F6F


Also any replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


 
Amaze

i'm not too good in the 38G, but have been getting a lil better in the "J".

the biggest thing in the "J", is to keep your fight vertical.

 now, this doesn't mean boom n zoom your way through the furbaLL, but rather you need to use the vertical to take advantage of your power, and lack of "P" factor. p factor is when the torque of the airplanes engine tries to roll or turn you.

 make most of your turns have some vertical component to them. never go straight up though. as you go up, feel her out......you'll feel the stall coming on if you get too slow. don't let her get this slow, as in a furball, the slow guy is the dead guy.  keep the con in your forward view. more than likely, he's going to be able to turn much tighter than you. that's part of why you use vertical.....you go up, slowing down, allowing you to pull a tighter turn. as the nose drops, you're turning inside of him, and regaining all the speed you just lost.if you miss, or can't line up the shot, pull up, reset for the next pass, or continue down slightly below him, to see if you can sucker him into something stupid. 

 remember, you can go either left or right equally well, so it's good to know what you're fighting....as single engine planes generally have trouble turning one direction under high power, low speed conditions.

hopefully this helps some, as i kind of suck at explaining what i'm doing.......

[StokesAk]

Its all about SA, and keeping you energy.

You need to be able to counter attacks by enemies while keeping tabs on the one in front of you so you can maneuver for kill shot.