P-39D Cannon Question

[AceHavok]

Well, I've been flying the P-39D a decent amount lately. I really love this plane, starting to get pretty good in it too.
My question is what Cannon do you all take when flying the P-39D?

Thanks,
Warthog

[TwinBoom]

I use 20mm "lighter"

[Tank-Ace]

Whenever I took the P-39D out for a spin (not often outside of the DA) I always took the 20mm. If you want the 37mm..... well thats what the Q model is for  .

[cactuskooler]

Well the 37mm is more of a rough and slow whump-whump-whump feel, while the 20 is more of a rapid staccato babababababababa feel.  I know many men prefer the 37.  I'm a 20mm man myself.

[Ack-Ack]

In real life the 20mm option was preferred by lot of Airacobra pilots, not because it was lighter than the 37mm Oldsmobile cannon but rather because it was far more reliable and wasn't prone to jamming after a couple of shots like the Oldsmobile cannon was.

ack-ack

[Guppy35]

Well the 37mm is more of a rough and slow whump-whump-whump feel, while the 20 is more of a rapid staccato babababababababa feel.  I know many men prefer the 37.  I'm a 20mm man myself.

LOL you owe me for a new monitor

[Krusty]

The 20mm Hispano is good for easy shots, but you use more rounds per kill.

The 37mm is far far more potent for getting 6+ kills per sortie. Plus if you switch back and forth you lose your "37mm lead" computing ability. YOu have to keep using it or you have to relearn it all. So I always take 37mm.

[Oldman731]

The 20mm Hispano is good for easy shots, but you use more rounds per kill.

The 37mm is far far more potent for getting 6+ kills per sortie. Plus if you switch back and forth you lose your "37mm lead" computing ability. YOu have to keep using it or you have to relearn it all. So I always take 37mm.

Hey, look at me!  I agree with Krusty!

The P-39 was designed around the 37mm in a manner similar to the A10 concept.  Maybe it flys a little better with the 20mm, maybe it's a little easier to get hits with the 20mm, but you fly the 39 for the 37mm, same way as you fly the Yak 9T and the 109K for their tater-tossers.

- oldman (well...of course that's my opinion only...and Krusty's, too..)

[Tank-Ace]

Actually, the main reason people fly the 109K is for the preformance. Its outstanding in acceleration, climb, and speed. Only 1 aircraft beats its climb rate (and only by 100ft/min if that), and only a handfull can beat its acceleration.

Since a 30mm is available on the 109G14, which has poorer preformance (although better manuverability), thats the only reason you would fly a K model, not because you need your tater fix.

[Soulyss]

Well the 37mm is more of a rough and slow whump-whump-whump feel, while the 20 is more of a rapid staccato babababababababa feel.  I know many men prefer the 37.  I'm a 20mm man myself.

 

[AceHavok]

Personally, I think the P-39D is a diamond in the rough. Most people don't like it due to it's lack of speed/climb. I'm starting to like the 37mm cannon a bit more than the 20mm, Mainly because if you see that you get a hit in the middle of any fighter. You know that fight is over. Thanks for the replies all.

Warthog

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

The 20mm Hispano is good for easy shots, but you use more rounds per kill.

The 37mm is far far more potent for getting 6+ kills per sortie. Plus if you switch back and forth you lose your "37mm lead" computing ability. YOu have to keep using it or you have to relearn it all. So I always take 37mm.

That's right.



If we had the p-39D-2 i wouldn't ride in the Q ever again.

175 more hp for nothing..shoooot.

[Volron]

I havn't flown the P-39 in a while, but when I did fly her now and again, I would almost always take the 37mm.  While in real life it was prone to jamming, we never have to worry about that here.  I personally, didn't like how she handled with the 20mm.  She didn't seem..."right", for lack of a better term.  But more than likely, it's because I use the 37mm so much the, few times I do fly her.

[perdue3]

20

[M0nkey_Man]

killed a 262 with a P-39D that had the 37