Best Heavy Fighter

[bozon]

If a 51, a 47 and a P38 drops ords on a red's field 3/4's of the red guys will try to take the P38 out first. Sometimes all of them.  In real life that may not have happened but in AH it is a fact of P38 life. 

Best way to deal with that is to come with a few P-38s so enemy attention is divided.
Alternatively, have a mosquito flying next to your P-38. On second thought it may not be a bright idea - a P-38 and a mossie together will attract every enemy fighter within 3 sectors. Then its a moot question who they attack first, but boy oh boy it is fun when they come to you instead of making you chase them.

[Karnak]

Best way to deal with that is to come with a few P-38s so enemy attention is divided.
Alternatively, have a mosquito flying next to your P-38. On second thought it may not be a bright idea - a P-38 and a mossie together will attract every enemy fighter within 3 sectors. Then its a moot question who they attack first, but boy oh boy it is fun when they come to you instead of making you chase them.

A P-38, Mosquito and Me410 fly into a sector....

[-ammo-]

A P-38, Mosquito and Me410 fly into a sector....

And a P-47D11 kills them all...

[Karnak]

And a P-47D11 kills them all...

No.  P-47D-11 is at a significant disadvantage against two of those.

[-ammo-]

No.  P-47D-11 is at a significant disadvantage against two of those.

Not when certain pilots are flying it

[Brooke]

A P-38, Mosquito and Me410 fly into a sector....

The P-38 looks over at the Mosquito and says . . .

[Tank-Ace]

The P-38 looks over at the Mosquito and says . . .

why the long face  ?

[Hap]

I personally think that the fighter which can deliver a fair amount of ords and still be capable of winning a one on one fight with any fighter in the game should be the gauge which we use to arrive at the answer to the question, "The best air to ground attack fighter is_____________________"!

Earl, thanks for the topic.  Over the years, I've spent much time in Doras, Ponies, and Jugs for porking.  Fwiw, that's my favorite part of the game: taking out ord and barracks especially.

This month, I've begun flying F4U's, for one reason or another, I've neglected them.

Also, what trips my trigger in AH is a successful sortie: accomplishing my task and landing safely.  I'm not a "fly until I die" sort of player.

I can't pick the "best" one from amongst the Dora, Pony, Jug, or Hog.  They each shine in different ways.

What I will say is that I've dedicated the latter part of this month to the Hog because even with the best planning and timing, things go awry, and I find myself having to fight my way out of an enemy airfield or fight my way back home.  The Hog gives me an edge when things get lower and slower.

As to the Jug, I love it.  If left unmolested at an enemy field, the Jug's load-out accomplishes much.

As to the Pony, a good solid Jabo says I; and as we all know, with enough E one stands a good chance of making it home.

Lastly, the Dora holds a special place in my heart, for it was the plane I flew when I learned to dive-bomb accurately.  Again, great speed to get home with unless a LA-7 is 3K behind and we're both on the deck.  Love the Dora's canon as well.  I don't use it much anymore because with 6 rockets, 8, or 10, I can destroy ack without having to stick my nose in it as with the Dora.  Lastly about the Dora, great if you're with 3 to 5 guys all in Doras: porking done fast and easily.

Apologies that I will not pick "the best" jabo.  When all of you have shot me down or will shoot me down in the future, likely you'll find me in a Jug, Pony, Hog, or the occasional Dora.  All four are great aircraft.

Thanks again for the Topic.

<S>

[Karnak]

Not when certain pilots are flying it

Equal pilots.  You'd beat me no matter which you were flying and which I was flying.

[Brooke]

why the long face  ?

The Mosquito looks back over at the P-38, and replies . . .

[Brooke]

I found this collection of accounts from P-38 pilots.  Interesting stuff.

http://www.ausairpower.net/P-38-Analysis.html#mozTocId128086

[earl1937]

I found this collection of accounts from P-38 pilots.  Interesting stuff.

http://www.ausairpower.net/P-38-Analysis.html#mozTocId128086

Good info sir! I look forward to your replies on this forum as they are always interesting and informative. 

[J.A.W.]

Talk about cherry picking data.... You used data for the Sea Fury F 10, 50 built.

How about the FB 11, the common service example, 615 built?
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/Fury/Sea_Fury_Hawker.pdf

How about this data on the F4U-4?
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f4u/f4u-4-detail-specification.pdf

How does this compare, F4U-4 vs Sea Fury FB 11?

S.L. Vmax: 377 vs 380
S.L. Climb: 4,360 fpm vs 4,320 fpm
Best Speed: 453 mph @ 26.2k vs 450 mph @ 20k
Roll Rate: 120 dps* vs 100 dps   *Vought data, speed 350 mph IAS

Seriously, your attempt to cherry pick the data and your "squeal like a pig" comment reveal the genuine nature of a troll.

Seriously Ww, you need to actually read the post, before going off 1/2 cocked..

[As a 'troll' might well do..]

I wrote, "going by the figures in the posted links."

& I would place more store in the findings of the USN, than Vought..

The Fury still had good roll performance well above the Corsair's Vne..

& also as posted, & like the `51H, the liquid cooled Sabre-Fury had better performance than its much larger displacement radial brethren..

See here,

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%202181.html

That heavy fighter might make a cool addition to Aces High..

[J.A.W.]

I found this collection of accounts from P-38 pilots.  Interesting stuff.

http://www.ausairpower.net/P-38-Analysis.html#mozTocId128086

Thanks, yes interesting..

& usefully [ in amongst the hype] was the actual data about the P-38's Vne being as low as 420 mph IAS , <10kft..

 So - the USAAF tester who reported that "airspeed limitations are low"
was being fairly mild, in fact, & no wonder 'risky dive bombing' was out..

[Widewing]

Has anyone got a copy of the `44 USN 'fighter conference'?

Where they tested the USAAF birds against the Navy types?

From memory, there was a poll taken, with the pilots voting on attributes..

The `47 beat out the Navy R-2800 types for best hi-alt' performer,
& the `51 was  best <25kft & O/A best..[P-38 didn't rate].

You should go back and read the report again. The two best fighters overall (in the opinion of the pilots) were the XF8F-1 and the F7F-1. Both blue and both powered by the R-2800. Indeed, a unmodified F8F-1 held the time to climb record from 1946 into the mid 1980s. From a standing start to 10,000 feet in 96 seconds. I've spoken to pilots who currently fly the F8F-2, F7F-3N and P-51D. All readily concede that either Grumman would easily abuse a Mustang. Both Grumman planes climb much, much faster. Both accelerate much, much faster. The Bearcat easily out-turns the Mustang (the Bearcat's turn radius is slightly greater than the FM-2). The F7F can stay with the P-51 through any maneuvers its pilot may attempt, and can break off combat at will by simply taking the fight vertical.

I've got more than 3,200 hours behind R-2800s and R-1820s.... How many do you have?