Try and compare to real life plane and pilots as much as you like.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to defend the flight model. I don't know that it's correct...
However, it's certainly withstood gobs of argument, and even a fair amount of number-crunching and mathematics. I have strong doubts that there's info "out there" that can refute what we see. Lots of anecdotal evidence for sure, but I'm not seeing any hard data at all. There's been ton's of time/opportunity for someone to step forward and offer something up, but no takers.
I think it's pointless to go down the "it's all wrong" path without some factual evidence. It brings to mind the ol' "definition of insanity" quote.
Do you refute my theory on pilot ability RL vs. AH? I'd love to hear your argument. Personally, I think it accounts for all of the "inaccuracies" we hear about the F4U flight model, and I'm positive we see the same thing with many other "planes" as well.. I'm sure it benefits us all over, but maybe unfairly so with the planes that require the pilot to be extra-busy to be successful.
But one thing is certain and that is the AH model of F4U is ridiculous that a plane so heavy can almost float about like a zeke with its uber flaps when needed. Then it can use it's other trick dump landing gear at high speeds to prevent overshoot as if it's got a Maverick like F14 Air Brake maneuver straight out of Top Gun.
Yet tell that to F4U sticks and they all say, no no never use landing gear yet get them into a position when they need to and they all do.
imho no other plane in the entire plane set has more ridiculous tricks and performance than the F4U
Updated a few years ago and it's become the US best ride ever since for all the wrong reasons.
The ol' "floats like a zeke with it's uber flaps" is a pretty serious over-statement, that immediately makes me suspicious that the "victim" is lacking factual knowledge of how he's getting beat, so he's just using the "floats" argument as a crutch. Same thing for the ol' "landing gear" argument.
The super-slow "floater" F4U is an easy kill. So is the one with the gear out. And neither of them are doing much of anything if they're under 120mph (which is far from "floating" BTW).
I dug this out of my films today. If you compare my F4U to your Yak, I think you'll see a few things. First, no gear! Second, very little slow flight by me... I dipped to 116mph and (156mph for the kill) very briefly, but what was the average speed of the fight? Even in the scissors I was doing what 180mph? You actually allowed yourself to get slower than me (on the rope), and when you got into your scissors I stayed behind you, but also stayed FASTER than you.
You didn't get killed by a "floating, gear dropping F4U"; you got killed by your use of 3D space. I'm not assuming that's always the case, but I'd love to see film of a "floating, gear dropping F4U" causing you problems.
http://www.4shared.com/file/s0tnnCfs/Gixer_Yak.htmlToo much flap use by me in the fight? I'd say yes! But, that takes things back to the AH pilot vs. RL pilot argument again.