Help flying the P39

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

Goto the TA practice and practice keeping control in a nose up stall with full flaps. The 39 will find its best speed at 12-13,000 feet. After that you loose power quickly going higher.

[bozon]

One day I will take the time to learn to fly this plane. I love its looks, but was very disappointed with performance - especially the roll rate. For some reason I expected it to roll a lot better. Perhaps from the IL2 game?

[Debrody]

So I am to assume the P39 is a good low altitude fighter ?

Nope, on paper, its quite poor. Slow turn rate, low speed, large turn radius, poor flaps, weak engine, weird flying characteristics.

[dirtdart]

If you can find "flyin fin" online, see if he can spare the time, he is pretty good in a 39...

[Eric19]

Nope, on paper, its quite poor. Slow turn rate, low speed, large turn radius, poor flaps, weak engine, weird flying characteristics.

large turn radius?????? that thing turns on a dime in game outturn some spit pilots in it without flaps on a side note very fun aircraft flys very well handles great at alts above 17k for having an Allison engine likes to turn and moves decently well in a straight line

alot less sluggish than the p40s I might add as well lol

[titanic3]

large turn radius?????? that thing turns on a dime in game outturn some spit pilots in it without flaps on a side note very fun aircraft flys very well handles great at alts above 17k for having an Allison engine likes to turn and moves decently well in a straight line

alot less sluggish than the p40s I might add as well lol

 

[Soulyss]

The P-39 is a decent if under powered Mid War fighter, she can make some rather sharp corners early in the fight but at a pretty high cost in E.  It's going to come down to whether you can hit with the 37mm gun, the longer the fight goes against the most common opponents in Late War the harder time the 39 is going to have. 

[Debrody]

large turn radius?????? that thing turns on a dime in game outturn some spit pilots in it without flaps on a side note very fun aircraft flys very well handles great at alts above 17k for having an Allison engine likes to turn and moves decently well in a straight line

alot less sluggish than the p40s I might add as well lol

Test it. On the deck, with fuel for 20 mins, the Q will complete a full flat circle in ~20 seconds without flaps and in ~ 22.5 seconds with them. Thats about the same as a 190D, but with less engine power and stability.
Just to compare, the Spitfire 8-9-16 pulls itself around in 15.5-16 seconds without flaps and in 17.5-18 seconds with them.

Also, some Spitfire pilots you mercilessly outturned without flaps might use capital letters to start a sentence and a dot to end it.

[Letalis]

My advice to people who want to fly Bell aircraft is: BEG FOR THE P-63!

Until then, fly a P-38, you'll probably be happier in the long run.

[Squire]

That it won't out turn a Spitfire is hardly reason to dismiss it. Without the gondolas the P-39Q can be a handfull if flown competently. That does not mean its uber...but I would caution against underestimating it. Like a lot of average fighters it can be dangerous in the right circumstances and it's not without it's good qualities. It's also just a plain fun ride to take up.

[Oldman731]

That it won't out turn a Spitfire is hardly reason to dismiss it. Without the gondolas the P-39Q can be a handfull if flown competently. That does not mean its uber...but I would caution against underestimating it. Like a lot of average fighters it can be dangerous in the right circumstances and it's not without it's good qualities. It's also just a plain fun ride to take up.

Agreed on all points.

Important to make the distinction between the 39D and the 39Q.  The D stands for "dog," it's a significantly worse plane than the Q.  The Q is a lot of fun, as Squire says.

- oldman

[Zacherof]

Fly the A5 or G2

[bozon]

My advice to people who want to fly Bell aircraft is: BEG FOR THE P-63!

Until then, fly a P-38, you'll probably be happier in the long run.

after all, P-38 is just one type number below P-39. One can also go one type number up and fly the P-40.

[FA_Refugee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPmm3vr1Mc&feature=related

This P39 is awesome in RED 

[Gman]

Anyone ever read Chuck Yeager's autobiography?  He wrote a couple pages about his love for his first fighter, the P39, and said he would take on all comers in it.  I always wondered if he was serious, or saying it tongue in cheek as it was his favorite.