Should the Spitfire Mk.XIV be clipped?

[SouthLanda]

Well , in real life, I have seen 7 Spitfires take off together, including Mark V, throught to Mk14

The Mark 14 absolutely dominated the earlier models in apparent performance at 0-5k.
It acceleration it clearly was far better at display routine boost levels (which I dont know what they were limiting their engines to).

It was faster, louder (hurt the ears even), and with clipped wings, low back and bubble canopy and five prop blades looked DEADLY!

[Noir]

well in a perfect world we would be able to choose the wing configuration in the hangar, for the universal wing equipped models

[Krusty]

HTC has said that's not possible. The game works on lift forces being computed in real time, so doing something that changes the lift isn't possible.

(to paraphrase, from memory).

[Ruah]

there is no reason for the spit 14 being perked.

[icepac]

The only reason to perk the spit 14 would be if the entire arena flew at the crazy high historical altitudes they did in real life.

[Krusty]

I read a quote once as to why it was perked. Dated waaaaay back from when it was added or thereabouts. Somebody on HTC side, can't recall whom, made a comment to the effect that "It's perked because it climbs like a rocket" or some such.

Keep in mind it has one of the best overall specs of all the planes in the game. Then keep in mind they added the spit16 later. The reason the 14 was perked is still there. The question is: Why wasn't the 16 perked to match? The answer (IMO) is all the whining from some spit fans. Doesn't negate the reason it was perked or the raw performance of the ride.

[Karnak]

Krusty,

If the question is "Why isn't the Spitfire Mk XVI perked?" then we must also ask why the Bf109K-4 isn't perked as it will out climb either of those Spitfires.

[bustr]

You can answer your own question about the K4.

The MK108 limits the K4 to a small cadre of "dedicated" players who have mastered the aircraft and it's crappy main gun. If the MK108 in the K4 was replaced with the MG151/20, the K4 would become a devastating terror in the MA. If the G10 were reintroduced now with the MG151/20 main gun, spit16's would loose their uber easy mode shine. The MA has a very healthy competent population of 109 fliers who would take up the G10 as their primary ride in a moment.

Why not ask for the G10 as a balance to unperking/wing clipping the spit14 and countering the spit16? I seem to remember it being a powerful and very agile 109 back in the day.

That cadre of K4 aces would probably make the unperked spit14 as irrelevant as they do with the K4/G14 to spit8/16 now.

[Karnak]

Why not ask for the G10 as a balance to unperking/wing clipping the spit14 and countering the spit16? I seem to remember it being a powerful and very agile 109 back in the day

We never had a Bf109G-10.  We had a Bf109K-4 labeled as a Bf109G-10 so that it could have 20mm options.  It always had Bf109K-4 handling though.

I remain highly skeptical that the Spitfire Mk XIV is any more dangerous than the Bf109K-4.  All people can say about the fact that the XIV is perked and the K-4 isn't even low ENY is "But, the ballistics!"  I think the Mk XIV's persistent failure as a perk plane speaks for itself, but that will, as always, be hand waved away with elitist talk about how Spitfire drivers suck.

[bustr]

We never had a Bf109G-10.  We had a Bf109K-4 labeled as a Bf109G-10 so that it could have 20mm options.  It always had Bf109K-4 handling though.

Did Hitech or Pyro ever personaly say anything about this? I've seen repeated from forum denizins this assertion over the years. But, never read anything from the programers themselves admitting to the fact. I wouldn't want to get myself Wales'd over anything by assuming to speak as them.

The G10 itself for the MG151/20 motor lafette kannon would make a good foil to the spit14 and 16 for the less MK108 talented Luftsnipers. The spi14 being unleashed could bring the war to the current hide above 15k ponyD run-n-hiders by allowing defenders to get to 15k+ in time to engage those timid hit-n-runners before they drift out of combat range.

The only downside to this would be to the LWMA newbies steepen'd ACM learning curve by introducing a shooter freindly 109 monster and freeing a climb monster spit. Yes and I thought about the muppets, top gun, kommndo N, etc.... with the G10 and it was a painful tought. But, then we would be relying on them to check the spit14 and balance the game. Win-Win.

[Infidelz]

 A bubble canopy spit with the clipped wings would complete my world. There were probably more of them than the 163 or the ta152 in the war. Those also have brought great joy to me at times as well. Lets not argue numbers for the sake of argument, lets do for the good of the base, it will only improve the game. 

Infidelz.

[Bruv119]

yes to the clipped wing 14,   as for the mk108  being hard to hit with give it a rest.   It is point and click, one hit,  one kill,  easy mode.   

[dirtdart]

Well, to the spit crew and perking point....

If a spit 14 came across a spit 16 in the MA, at MA atlitude fights (7-15k), who wins (same pilot) most of the time.  I would reckon the 16.  The 14 seems quite nose heavy and does not dance as well as the 16.  If we can hit GVs with a 1 point perk, why not an airplane. 

To begin with 1 point perk:

P51
Spit 16
La7
N1K2
P47M

To get back to the OP point, I would personally like to fly more aircraft with bubble canopies.  If it happened to be the spit XIV... hooah. 

[Karnak]

Did Hitech or Pyro ever personaly say anything about this?

Yes, though I don't recall where the post was. HiTech or Pyro stated what I said.  The old AH "Bf109G-10" had a top speed of 452mph, which is the speed a Bf109K-4 has and about 25mph faster than a Bf109G-10 should have.

The G10 itself for the MG151/20 motor lafette kannon would make a good foil to the spit14 and 16 for the less MK108 talented Luftsnipers. The spi14 being unleashed could bring the war to the current hide above 15k ponyD run-n-hiders by allowing defenders to get to 15k+ in time to engage those timid hit-n-runners before they drift out of combat range.

As noted above, the Bf109G-10 would be at a bit of a performance disadvantage against a Spitfire Mk XIV at altitude.  In addition, due to the fact that the Bf109G-10 entered service a month after the Bf109K-4 did, it would not plug any holes the way a Bf109G-6/AS or Bf109G-14/AS would.

The only downside to this would be to the LWMA newbies steepen'd ACM learning curve by introducing a shooter freindly 109 monster and freeing a climb monster spit. Yes and I thought about the muppets, top gun, kommndo N, etc.... with the G10 and it was a painful tought. But, then we would be relying on them to check the spit14 and balance the game. Win-Win.

The Spitfire Mk XIV is anything but "shooter" friendly.  If the ballistics of the MK108 weren't such crap the Bf109K-4 would be much more shooter friendly, but as it is its pretty much a tossup between the two.  Better ballistics on the Spitfire Mk XIV or better stability and a center line mounted gun on the Bf109K-4.

[bustr]

The MG151/20 motor kannon would turn a bunch of average and part time K4 pilots into consitantly higher kill/death and hit% players. The K4 part timers often due to the MK108 would become more enamored of flying the (easy mode shooting K4) G10. Below 18k where the MA takes place most of the time, we would see more G10 than G14 chasing spit14 down and eliminating them. That would tend to be a natural thing to do catching a spit14 below 15-18k.

Then you might even see a request for a perk on the G10 to protect the spit14 which takes a good deal of skill not unlike the K4 does due to the MK108 now to fly below 18K. I find there are times below 12k I wish I had brought a poni versus a spit8/14 when I get slow. There is that nasty stall when you try to treat them like a 9 or 16 in the middle of a red storm if you get slow. It would be nice to get to know the spit14 and it's idiosyncrasies without a persistant dogpile not unlike at furball lake trying to kill it everywhere I take one.

I can understand the perk on the Tempest becasue it's low alt performance lets you walk away from that dogpile. The G10 would be in that catagory along with it's easy mode guns for many 109 lovers in the game. Maybe it's how long I've been playing this game but, I just don't see the spit14 as much of a problem unperked as say the Tempest, 4Hog, or CHog would be. The G10 would be a foil to any of those three in its K4 easy mode gunnery self.