Bomber Lethality

[asleep1]

I love to see inexperienced fighters lining up on my 17's at my 6 o'clock. Like cows to the slaughter. Then comes the pilot that knows what he is doing, he flys high and to my 10 or 2 o'clock, waits, then straffs me from the sides, and then the end is near.
Its all about experience, a good fighter has no trouble taking bombers out, a bad pilot is just cannon fodder.

[Zoney]

Give em a couple more AI's.  No really.  Honestly I feel guilty taking out all 3 when the guy has invested his time to get up to alt.  Many times I will give a salute after taking out 2 of 3 and wish them luck, break off and fly away to the next target.  Especially if they are RTB and empty.  I would guess that with fewer AI the good buff pilots would go for more alt than before.  What I do not understand is the bomb and bail buff guys.  I was exclusively a buff pilot in Warbirds.  I was a dweeb and did the bomb and bail crap.  I did it to piss people off, nothing more.  One day I did this and then had a polite conversation by the guy I did it to, initiated by him.  He invited me to his fighter squad and trained me to fly and fight.  Everything changed for me then.  It was his act of kindness that got it started, no amount of namecalling and complaining to me had ever worked.  This one act of kindness changed the game for me.  I discovered the joy of beating your apponent trumped pissing him off by flying like a dweeb.  The gentelman I speak of was Broz, CO of JG27 in Warbirds.  Wife ack killed him permanently just before the squad jumped to Aces High.  I miss him.  I owe him one.  Just one act of kindness from you may change this great game we have forever for someone else.  

Finally, my philosophy toward this game is summed up in my signature.  Please join me.  If you would actually like to join me, I am in a fantastic squad now, the Arabian Knights.  We are always looking for adults who fly with honor.  If not that then join me in the Battle Over Germany, BOG.  I have been gifted with the lead of III/JG27 and I really need some pilots.  Please join us.

[tmetal]

Removing a drone will most likely not have the desired effect of more strategy from the buff pilots. It would probly only promote more of a milk run type play style for the majority of the buff sorties flown in game. Of course there would still be ecceptions (for example the 91st HBG or the Dickweeds HBG) but for the most part I think it would have a negative effect on the game. And most important of all...3 B17s flying over a target is a lot sexier than only 2 B17s 

[dkff49]

I finally found it, the proof that will show how badly this bomber scourge needs to stop.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/88nbafms37wi1qs/pwning%20lancs.ahf

This film will surely show that it is way too hard to kill 3 bombers with superior aircraft.

I told you I would find it.

[999000]

Ack-Ack and many others....I'm painfully aware know what they are doing!   To be honest I think any attack on a B17 group that is co-alt is to the B17's advantage.   I even think anything less than a 30 degree attack is an advantage for  a half decent gunner. True it is hard to hit a fighter who attacks from the 9 or 3 sweep pass..but my experiience has been the fighters usually don't land enouph hits to actually take the bomber down....a case of I don't get them but they don't get me.   
HOWEVER THOSE WHO ATTACK FROM ABOVE 45 DEGREE AGLE MAKE LIFE UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US B17 PILOTS!!!!!  Part of the issue is simple many don't attack in this way so gunners are not well practiced in these attacks.   In all despration  the only wayy to take the high degree attack away is to go NOE which presents another set of problems.
<S> my friends!
999000

[AWwrgwy]

Ack-Ack and many others....I'm painfully aware know what they are doing!   To be honest I think any attack on a B17 group that is co-alt is to the B17's advantage.   I even think anything less than a 30 degree attack is an advantage for  a half decent gunner. True it is hard to hit a fighter who attacks from the 9 or 3 sweep pass..but my experiience has been the fighters usually don't land enouph hits to actually take the bomber down....a case of I don't get them but they don't get me.   
HOWEVER THOSE WHO ATTACK FROM ABOVE 45 DEGREE AGLE MAKE LIFE UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US B17 PILOTS!!!!!  Part of the issue is simple many don't attack in this way so gunners are not well practiced in these attacks.   In all despration  the only wayy to take the high degree attack away is to go NOE which presents another set of problems.
<S> my friends!
999000

The Bomber god has spoken.

-End of thread-



wrongway

[grumpy37]

Then Ill attack your whine you sniveling dweeb. Since you admit your immaturity above.

You can not even understand the basic concept that war simulation and aircraft simulation are 2 completely different concepts.

Not only that your premises of Zero's and p-51s fighting is again incorrect, you have every opportunity to fly AvA.

So grow up and ask for what you really want. I.E. you want bombers to be easier to kill because you are not skilled enough to be up to the task.

HiTech

HiTech

Hi Techs stealer customer service skills never cease to entertain me.......

[pumaclaw]

just the other day i was hunting buffs with my n1k...crossed paths with b17's and attacked from high 5, his first 2 drones went down with my first slashing attack and then i killed the other one from the bottom as i came up and didnt get a scratch on me. that might work for you but everyone is different.

[guncrasher]

Ack-Ack and many others....I'm painfully aware know what they are doing!   To be honest I think any attack on a B17 group that is co-alt is to the B17's advantage.   I even think anything less than a 30 degree attack is an advantage for  a half decent gunner. True it is hard to hit a fighter who attacks from the 9 or 3 sweep pass..but my experiience has been the fighters usually don't land enouph hits to actually take the bomber down....a case of I don't get them but they don't get me.   
HOWEVER THOSE WHO ATTACK FROM ABOVE 45 DEGREE AGLE MAKE LIFE UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US B17 PILOTS!!!!!  Part of the issue is simple many don't attack in this way so gunners are not well practiced in these attacks.   In all despration  the only wayy to take the high degree attack away is to go NOE which presents another set of problems.
<S> my friends!
999000

999 you ever notice how if you kill a fighter while in buff, is because the fighter used the wrong tactics?  It's never because the buff driver is a good gunner.  I am beginning to actually think, and some good fighters here can be the witnesses, that once you become a semi-soso gunner the chances of getting shot down by a single fighter are not that high.

semp

[SDGhalo]

im just wondering when using the lanc does the corkscrew manuver work like the vets said

[Ack-Ack]

999 you ever notice how if you kill a fighter while in buff, is because the fighter used the wrong tactics? semp

It's because 99.99% of the time it's true.  If one was to excercise good patience and judgement along with the proper tactics a bomber in this game isn't very hard to shoot down.  Those that use the proper tactics pick attack paths that will minimize their exposure to any defensive fire.  In addition, a proper attack path will also force the gunner to switch positions which also greatly minimizes the exposure to defensive fire on the egress of the attack.

Now that the warping bomber big had been fixed when you shoot down the lead bomber, it just gives the attacker another angle to approach at whereas before when the bug was around, you had to shoot down the bombers in a pattern (right bomber first, lead then left bomber) to avoid the high risk of a collision with the right drone warping into the lead position.

Most attack from a dead six position or slighty off angle to the dead 6 where they are exposed to all three tail guns and the egress route is usually below the lead bomber (if the attack survives long enough) and is further exposed to the defensive fire of the 3 ball turrets.  If they survive the gauntlet of the ball turrets then they face another gauntlet of defensive fire as they over take the bomber formation.  

Whereas using the proper tactic, you can minimize the exposure to defensive fire so that at any one time you only have one defensive gun tracking you and and it's for the minimal amount of time and the single gun that is tracking (the top turret). The angle and speed of your dive makes it very difficult for the gunner to get a proper lead, so while the gun might be tracking you and firing, your speed and angle makes getting a proper lead difficult.  This usually results in the rounds falling below your plane as you make your attack.  Your egress will usually put you below and slightly ahead of the bomber formation but since the gunner had to switch from top to nose turret, these few seconds are all you need to get out of range of the nose guns before you start to enter into a shallow climb to prepare for your next pass.


ack-ack

[Ack-Ack]

im just wondering when using the lanc does the corkscrew manuver work like the vets said

Yes but in all honesty I have only seen the corkscrew performed once in my time in AH and that was about 9 years ago when a squadron mate and I upped a Lancaster to look for a dogfight.  I was the pilot and my squadron mate was the gunner sitting in the nose gun and we got into a tangle with a Spitfire.  Managed to keep out side of his guns for a bit and got enough of an angle a couple of times that allowed my squadron mate to score some hits but once I ran out of altitude I was dead in a heart beat.  Was extremely fun but sadly, the last time I took up a Lancster to dogfight. 

I have never seen any other Lancaster (or any other bomber) try and use the corkscrew maneuver when attacked.


ack-ack

[LLogann]

You need to develop better fighter tactics.  Buffs are easy kills most of the time you're not coming in from their 6.

[E25280]

Hi Techs stealer customer service skills never cease to entertain me.......

If you go read that entire thread, and a few others of the poster HiTech referred to, you would see that the comment was entirely appropriate.

[Jayhawk]

If you go read that entire thread, and a few others of the poster HiTech referred to, you would see that the comment was entirely appropriate.

Absolutely, that player was eventually removed from the boards for his behavior.