LA7 Usage: WWII vs. AH

[Saxman]

It honestly depends on the altitude.

That's not NEARLY enough to justify the assertion the La-7 wins 90% of the time.

[Krupinski]

That's not NEARLY enough to justify the assertion the La-7 wins 90% of the time.

But it's true.. all an La7 needs to do is pull a luftbery, or find some other way to get above it and BnZ the F4U to death...

[Squire]

Was just wondering about AH proportional use of the LA7 as compared to RL\WWII.

Beyond all proportion because AH is not meant to recreate WW2 in the Late War Main. The better rides are always going to see the sun more often than not.

[Slade]

I think my preference would be to have the LA7 non-perked in how it was mainly used in WWII.  For the very small period of time it had 3 x 20mm perk that option\variant.  If the C-Hog is perked kinda aligns with that etc.

I have no prob shooting down or flying 3 x 20mm variant.  No biggie there.  More about better matching RL WWII.

Rock on! 

[Saxman]

But it's true.. all an La7 needs to do is pull a luftbery, or find some other way to get above it and BnZ the F4U to death...

Back when I actually flew with regularity, I never saw an La-7 I didn't have confidence I could beat in any Hog. The margin for error in the La-7 is FAR too slim to make such a claim.

[Chris79]

Hogs die easy to most soviet planes under 8000 feet. It's poor acceleration and rate of climb leave it at a disadvantage. La5, La7, Yak3, and Yak9u co-e/alt equal sticks win every time.

[PR3D4TOR]

Noobs only know how to turn so the Corsair has the advantage there. With average or expert players the Lala should win every time the Lala-pilot does not screw up.

[Randy1]

Rare unrepresentative variant with lots of cannons that replaces entirely the typical model.
As much as I love the Jugs, I would have given "M" the same treatment. It is not like a moderate perk tag removes the plane from the game.

I agree for sure.  I consider the La7 a bigger threat with an average player than the P47M or F4U1C with an average player at the stick.

[Skyyr]

The LA-7 is primarily a threat (and is flown) because of it's speed and maneuverability, not the armament. Considering that the two-gun version of it was quite common, perking the 3-gun package will only deter noobs (who flew it for the easier gunnery) from taking the plane up, and have little effect on veterans flying it to the same effect as it is now.

Consider also that it's 5 ENY with the 3-gun package, I would presume that perking the 3-gun variant would result in a slightly higher ENY for the base LA-7 model.

It wouldn't be the game-changer people are making it out to be.

[Gman]

 I've never climbed and LA7 over 9k once myself, and see the majority of players doing the same.  So maybe that's what I base my opinion on.  I have the same opinion of any F4 when in the LA7 as you do Sax of the LA7 when you're in the F4UC.

As Skyyr said, over 12k the F4UC may have an advantage, but I rarely if ever see the LA7 up there, much less higher.  And even if it did, all it has to do is evade once, then dive/extend at speeds the Chog has NO chance at matching and reset and take back the advantage.

I'm not even that good and I have the exact confidence in the LA7 it its typical fighting alt as you claim to have in the F4UC.  In fact, why not put Skyyr or Krup or another really good LA7 pilot in an La7, and you in the F4UC Sax, and split the duels, half at 12k, and half at deck to alt under 12k fields in the DA.  I know where my money is going, and I'm still sticking to that 9 out of 10 advantage.  The slimness of the advantage the La7 has is a little wider than you think it is, at least IMO. 

I don't doubt your abilities or confidence against the hordes of noobs and mid level players in LA7s while you're in the F4UC Saxman, but I believe you in pretty much any F4U, or even in any fighter, would have that same feeling when you're going into a fight against them.  Put a copy yourself in that enemy LA7, or somebody even a slight bit better than you, and I don't think that outcome is going to be quite so assured in your mind after a few DA sessions.

Just my experience and observation, some seem to agree, some don't.  I don't have a lot of F4U time since the Chog went perk, so I admit I could be completely wrong, but I would need that to be proven, as I said, in some DAs with good DAing pilots (NOT me) in the LA7 vs you in your F4uC Sax.  IMO pilot skill being equal or close, in the AH MA typical engagement alts where the LA7 lives, the F4UC is going to die virtually every time in a one on one fight. 

Respects. 

[Saxman]

I'd be happy to, but you want someone whose stick isn't coated under five inches of dust for a valid test. I don't even want to talk about how badly my gunnery has deteriorated.

[Gman]

I hear you bro, I haven't flown more than 30 mins I think in the last few months.  Maybe two guys that are very good and current in both planes would duel it out.  Or wait until after the new beta is out and we're all back flying. 

One point I would make is regarding the flaps and turning performance of the F4 series now as compared to back when the C hog was perked.  I would love to see a comparison of the F4UC turn rate/radius data of right around when it was perked as compared to how the F4s turn now after a large number of updates to that flight and flap model.  I should really start flying the F4 more when I start flying again soon, it really is a great aircraft - great guns/ammo load, great diving ability, very surprising turn ability especially with the flappers, and also, one thing that guys like me who don't fly it much forget about...the ability to slow down SO fast.  Nothing dumps E like those things, you can hang the gear out which is like a super airbrake at ludicrous speeds, if someone is crazy enough to initiate a flat turn fight or other aggressive E burning type maneuver after a high speed merge, guys that are good at this really can surprise you(me) by burning off E much faster than you are, and get inside you very quickly.   

[artik]

Notes...

What about Ta 152 usage?.. It is truly disproportional in comparison to their appearance at MA, yet Ta-152 is best high altitude fighter around.

Now 3x20mm ShVAK/Berezin of La-7 isn't even close to 4xHispano 20mm

Properties	ShVAK/Berezin	Hispano
Muzzle Velocity (m/s)	750-770	840-880
Projectile Weight (g)	95	130
Explosives (g)	6.1-6.7	14
Rate of Fire (r/m)	700-800	700-750

So depending on version a single Hispano projectile had 1.5 to 1.7 more kinetic energy and 2.1-2.3 more chemical energy. In addition to better ballistics (much better aiming) and only up to 7% rate of fire reduction Hispanos are way more superior canons.

To be honest La-7 gun package isn't that good even in 3xBerezin version.

However La-7 and Yak-3 are great planes for medium to low altitude air combat - the major role they used at Eastern front and the location of the major battles at MA. There is a reason why the highest scoring allied ace of WW2 flew La-5 and La-7.

[bozon]

Tooany posts above to quote...

This is not about the effectiveness of this or that gun or plane. A two cannon LA7 is just as a tough opponent and as poorly flown as the 3 gun version. Both are not invincible. Same goes for the 152 or the 47M. The issue is a historically rare and insignificant variant that is the dominant one in the game.

[Jabberwock]

A fast, heavily armed, low-altitude optimised fighter being used a-historically in a WW2 online arena-style simulation?

Unheard of!