Yak 7B opinions?

[bozon]

Here is a list of 1942 fighters, some of which we lack, as a comparison:

A6M3
Bf109G-2
Fw190A-4
Ki-43-II
Ki-44-I
Mosquito F.Mk II
P-38F
Spitfire F.Mk IX
Typhoon Mk Ib

Which of those would you take the Yak-7B over?

I'd probably take the Yak-7B over the zeke and Ki-43 in an arena gameplay or scenario. But then again, I'd take our 1943 Mossie VI over any 1944-45 plane we have - and I do. I am just biased like that.

But I see your point. It can be enabled in early war arena and the skies will not fall. That is unlike some other 1942 planes - enable the Typhoon in EW and it will run over everything else in there.

[Fulcrum]

I'd probably take the Yak-7B over the zeke and Ki-43 in an arena gameplay or scenario.

Madness and heresy. 

A6M3 is the far superior plane, but admit I have some biases in this area.   

[Karnak]

We need to have a fair comparison... Co-Altitude. I've killed a Me 262 with an SBD, catching him low and slow. Clearly, one cannot analyse performance unless there is a baseline as a reliable reference.

Co-Altitude, an A6M3 or Ki-43-II can't do much. The Yak is far faster at all altitudes, especially the deck to 12k. I've flown hundreds of duels, Zero vs just about everything. The Yak's speed advantage is insurmountable if the Yak pilot is half-way smart. The Yak pilot can literally toy with the Zeke or Oscar. He cannot turn with them, he cannot outclimb them in a max rate climb. He can, however, pick and choose how and when he engages. Both of the Japanese fighters cannot keep up in a high-speed climb. Set your climb rate to 2k/min and simply leave... Split-s and wave goodbye. Disengage at will. However, beating them is not difficult either. Merge at 5k. Yak is 40 mph faster. As they pass, 95% of the time the Zero/Ki-43 will do a hard reverse, burning of what little speed it had. The Yak extends out 1k to 2k and goes pure vertical. The Yak rolls out 2k to 3k above the enemy. The Yak builds his E a bit in a slight climb and then rolls in. Rinse and repeat as required. The Japanese fighters are totally defensive, and sooner or later, will get popped.

That relies on the Yak-7b pilot being better.  A good A6M or Ki-43 pilot will know the Yak is faster but climbs worse and will work to gain altitude over the Yak.  At that point the winner will be decided on who is attacking and who is defending.  If the Yak has to contest the air controled by the A6M or Ki-43 it will lose, but if the A6M or Ki-43 has to stop the Yak from going somewhere else they will fail.

[GScholz]

Speed was the dominating factor of aerial combat in the times of eyeball mk.I and guns only. That's what made the Pony and Jug so great, despite being mediocre (or bad even) in all other aspects of performance. With speed you can escape a bad situation, and deny your enemy the opportunity to do the same.

AH discussions often focus too much on 1-on-1 or "fair fights". Fair fights are rare in real life, and every soldier strives to make it as unfair as possible to his advantage. In real life a flight of 5 Yaks being jumped by 20 Zekes would dive away and escape. OTOH, 20 Yaks jumping 5 Zekes would RTB with five kill marks to paint on their fuselages.

[Wmaker]

That relies on the Yak-7b pilot being better. 

This is arguable but I don't think that managing to keep separation in a faster plane automatically makes the pilot better than the pilot who can't catch a faster plane with a slower one.

A good A6M or Ki-43 pilot will know the Yak is faster but climbs worse and will work to gain altitude over the Yak.  At that point the winner will be decided on who is attacking and who is defending.  If the Yak has to contest the air controled by the A6M or Ki-43 it will lose, but if the A6M or Ki-43 has to stop the Yak from going somewhere else they will fail.

The above assumes 1 vs 1 situation. In a squadron vs squadron engagement, the squadron with a faster fighter should be able to contest and win the aerial superiority from the squadron flying the slower fighter.

[Fulcrum]

That relies on the Yak-7b pilot being better. 

This. 

Before Widewing comes on and posts that I'm insane...he is correct.  The Yak has the speed cards and can choose when and if to engage, period.  But the whole thing falls apart in the pressure-cooker ego world of AH. 

I used to be shocked at the number of MA and DA pilots who will choose to turn with a A6M<x> in a low speed dogfight while flying a Spit9 or 16, N1K2, even a K4!  Not so much anymore.  Many are simply new and/or stupid: 

"But.....but.....but... the Spit16 is the greatest cartoon fighter plane EVAH! I PWN IN IT!  I CAN TURN WITH THIS STUPID ZEKE!!!! DIE IN FLAMES ZEKE!!  DIEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eee! <towered>". 

 

That being said, I find that even the good sticks will barrel in thinking superior ACM and their experience will win the day against the 'noob' in the A6M close in....I always get a kick when I manage to nail one.   

[Nefarious]

The Yak-7B is about to get its feet wet against its Luftwaffe counterparts in November during FSO.

This thread has been a quite interesting read and has got me a little worried, specifically regarding the 109G-2 vs the Yak-7B. Might have to do some more tinkering for balance.

[Tank-Ace]

If the Yak-7 is the Allies' primary fighter, you'll need to give them a decent sized advantage. The Yak-7 is utter crap compared to the G-2.

[GScholz]

109G-2 vs Yak-7B isn't war... It's murder. There's a reason the German aces on the Russian front had such enormous kill tallies... The Russian front is where the Iron Crosses grow... on trees.

[Karnak]

Yep, completely different capabilities between the two:

[Widewing]

The Yak-7B is about to get its feet wet against its Luftwaffe counterparts in November during FSO.

This thread has been a quite interesting read and has got me a little worried, specifically regarding the 109G-2 vs the Yak-7B. Might have to do some more tinkering for balance.

Tinkering may be an understatement....  May even need to add the Yak-9T with 20mm option only.

[Fulcrum]

Yep, completely different capabilities between the two:

(Image removed from quote.)(Image removed from quote.)

Yikes.

Those graphs pretty much say it all.

[GScholz]

If it is a summer/fall 1942 event, the Luftwaffe should field a mix of 109F-4, 109G-2 and 190A-5 (representing A-3 and A-4 which had similar performance). The 109F was in production till May 1942 and soldiered on into 1943.

[GScholz]

Btw. the 190A-5 should not get any under-wing ord options as that was one of the major changes from the A-3 and A-4. Just centerline ords. Guns are the same for all models.

[Nefarious]

Well... the moment has arrived...Yak7 will square off against the Bf 109E4, Bf 109F4, Bf 109G2 and the Bf 110C in FSO tonight.  Come join us!