Just read the Fw 190A-5 thread and started to think issues regarding plane performance real life vs Aces High...
There are many more aspects in air combat than plane performance. Germans had huge success with their blitzkrieg concept even when their tanks were fewer and technically weaker in many cases than their enemies. Maybe this was case with Lufwaffe too? Planes may not have been the best but Lufwaffe had other strenghts.
Most of the Lufwaffe pilots were highly skilled and trained teamworkers with advanced tactics. They usually fight against much higher odds but they still were victorious.
Only one part of this equation is true in AH or any other WWII sim. Pilot skill, the ability to fly plane to it's limit and perform ACM. Other parts of the equation are usually nonexistent.Teamwork is more than flying in huge packs killing lone enemies. It's dicipline and mutual support. You rarely see it in AH.
Tactics usually have very small part on outcome of fights in AH. In real life different planes (190 and 109) were deployed on different roles with their respective strenghts. Now you have Jabo missions without any escort or cover in area where enemy air activity is going to be present, this is rarely a good tactical thinking. Historically for example 190's were low doing the groundwork while 109's were up high providing top cover. How many times you have seen this in AH?
I dare to say this:
Give me eight skilled pilots and I will create a pack that can fight against anything effectively getting while kills and staying alive in situations which really existed in history. All this in "non competitive" Lufwaffe planes.If the pilots know their planes like their own pockets, if they know the ACM, if they know the teamwork and if they know the tactics, they are damn hard to beat regardless what they fly! Wether it is 190 or 109! They may not win every time but atleast they will stay alive. That mattered most on real life but not here.
I had this fight last week, me in 190A-8 and two cons in Spit IX and M.205. I had slight initial alt advantage over both of them. We twisted and turned for more than 5 minutes wildly over the terrain, never above 1 km or 3 kft. I pinged them both nicely and forced the 205 to break away from the fight due damage, while Spit were still below me. I was running out of fuel and decided to RTB, despite the fact that it would have been easy to kill the crippled 205 but that would have subjected me to Spit guns for a short time. I didn't receive a single ping during the whole fight. The Spit were left eating my exhaust fumes, 190 is fast in grass level.
So, what's the point you might ask?
There are several points to make here:
- 190A-8 can dogfight, no matter what someone might say, if you know your plane's capabilites and fly according to it.
- Superioty in numberes can be beaten by superior tactics or ACM
- Dicipline keeps you alive.
If I would have had wingman with me, both enemies would have been dead. If there would have been four enemies in that fight against me and my wingman, I think we still might have come out as winners.
Enemies didn't have any coordination between them, they did fight agaisnt me as a two separate entities, not a single one. They could have easily beatne me if they would have coordinated their efforts a bit.
I didn't turn with the enemies, I used vertical maneuvers and superior roll rate of my plane. Also I did fight low where the 190 is at it's element. I knew my plane and used it like it was really used in war.
What I'm trying to say is this, you cannot judge performance of specific plane by looking it's historical kill to death ratios! 1 vs 1 fight has very few similarities to real word encounters. We might say that 190A-8 is useless because we can't fight in it like in other planes, yet it was decent plane for it's day during WWII. Just looking climb, speed and turn charts does not give the whole picture.
Hell, give me couple of dedicated Fw 190 pilots who want to fly like in real life, with dedication, with skill, with dicipline, and I can promise they will give you run for your money. They will have good K/D ratios and they will land their missions.
Lufwaffe planes are not very good at 1 vs 1 fighting, true, and they will never be if correctly modeled. They have disadvantages but they also have advantages! It's up to their pilots to use them like they should be used. Teamwork and tactics are propably the most important thing in war, yet in here it is almost nonexistent.
Don't compare real life and Aces High plane successes if you don't fly your plane like it was historically flown------------------
jochenGeschwaderkommodore (on leave)
Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' (Warbirds)
JG 2 'Richthofen' (Aces High)
I want to believe! Fw 190F-8 / G-8 / D-9 to Aces High!Thanks for the Fw 190A-5 HTC!Ladysmith wants you forthwith to come to her relief
Burn your briefs you leave for France tonight
Carefully cut the straps of the booby-traps and set the captives free
But don't shoot 'til you see her big blue eyes
