Been lookin at the K4 for a few days...but I cant turn it fer the life of me. I cant shoot the tater, and every time i dive in there seems to be a con higher then me on my egress out. Any of you 109 Tater tossing lovers care to help?
I was trying to do a forum search for you, but I'm getting some error with loading the "main" template. However, when it works I'll try to find you a few posts that have helped me, or if you're feeling adventurous enough, you could do the same.
Agent360 has some invaluable training videos that he gives audio commentary on what he's doing in the 109K-4 for some nice reversals. Instead of trying to always turn with something, use your opponent’s turn rates AGAINST them. If they’re attacking you, give them some angles so they think they’ve got you in their pipper when you’re really setting yourself up to gain angles on them.
Ardy321 is very good at the K-4 and can give you some great training exercises.
I've been flying the K-4, but I mostly fly in the DA so my score doesn't show up very high. It's a ruff bird to master and I'm slowly getting better at it
I recommend, for gunnery, to set your MGs out to 600 for getting a good reach, and the 30mm in close, somewhere between 200 and 300 works for most people. Why is convergence an issue? Because of the drop rate and how much arc the cannon is going to put into your projectile. You've got to aim very differently in the k-4 to hit anything, it's better to lead too much than too little with the 30mm. The big trick to turning, besides using Yo-Yo's for cutting across your opponents turn radius, is learning to work with, instead of against, your engine torque. Pulling back on the throttle when initiating a right turn helps reduce the engine torque working against you, and you can use that engine torque to aid you in rolling into a left side turn. Another thing about the K-4, as Blazzin once told me, is that it can change energy states quickly. You can drop flaps and cut throttle to slow down near stall, and time your WEP use to gain back your E (though I don't advice getting slow around too many bogies in any plane, but this works well when you need to get a quick angle on a spitsteen).
When diving, watch your speed; cut throttle before going in and glide down. You'll usually have to look for a really good angle before winging over, so have some patients and keep your SA up.
Also, practice Power-On and Power-Off vertical stalling to help you learn about the engine torque. Practice doing several full flap brake turns and see just how many angles you can squeeze out of the k-4 before your wing stalls out on you. This will, again, help you learn to manage your engine’s power and how to work with your rudder (try and keep the ball centered unless you need to do some braking or cutting into your opponent’s flight path). If the plane feels like it’s about to roll, throw in some opposite rudder and maybe pull in (if you’re going left) or open up ( if you’re going right) the throttle a bit to help counter the stalls.
Again, I am not the expert at this bird, but I’ve been flying it for a couple of months. Most of the advice I’ve given you has come from Ardy and Agent360. Keep an eye out, as previously suggested, for any of the Muppets, they are amazing pilots in any crate and many of them know how to make magic happen in the 109K-4.
