need help with twin engine fighters

[PJ_Godzilla]

It's simply because nothing looks cooler than seeing parts separating from a 38.

[Randy1]

Ok, what is it you disagree with specifically?  I tend to use the 109G-6 as a yardstick since it is quite possibly the most...



...fighter of WWII. A P-38J/L will defeat a 109G-6 up high, but down low the 109 is superior. The 109 turns much better and climbs better, and is about as fast down low.

The specs agree with you but throw in the different player's skill and the specs go out the window.  Nothing is ever quite black and white.

[DmonSlyr]

I need some help with twin engine fighters. Im interested in learning the Me410 primarily. However, I have no clue as to how one flies twin engine fighters.

Are they turn fighters? Energy fighters? I just need some explanation on them.

Thanks.

Twin engine fighters need to begin most engagements with altitude. IE, when you are attacking a base, you want to be higher than most fighters.

Unless you are just screwing around, you don't want to enter fights under 5K.

Preferably, it is best to enter fights at 12K or higher.

Fly them smoothly

The 110 is actually a great turning plane and can actually turn inside 109Ks and P51s. But that takes ACM, practice, and experience.

I'd recommend flying these planes as smoothly as possible. The P38 can generate a tremendous amount of E in a short period of time.

I'd recommend learning to fly the p38J first before you fly other 2 engine planes.


The P38J and L cannot turn inside any 109s from a technical standpoint, but you can always catch the pilot off guard and fly your plane better. In most cases, especially in the MA, it's all about positioning and timing. Like for example, you could have a 109K or p51 diving on you, if you Barrel roll defense quickly while they are blacking out with too much speed or you force an overshoot, or you pull a tighter emilmann (sp?) on the first merge and catch them off guard for a quick snap shot, you can win the engagement. Also, you have to prepare your ACM and perform moves before you think you should since they lack roll rate. You need to be one step ahead of your opponent.

At slow speeds the p38 is decent, like I said, it can generate E very quickly, so if you get into a slow scissors, ease up on the stick, try to get higher than your opponent in the scissors and you might be able to pull off a loop over the top of your opponent for a shot. It takes a lot of practice though.



twin engine planes cannot dive too well, therefore you need to learn how to spiral dive and use throttle over the top of your opponents. This will keep your plane from compressing while also keeping your E sustainable. Use flaps during fights and use flaps to get that nose up. Flaps are very important in 2 engine planes. They can greatly enhance your vertical performance. 

I'd recommend flying the P38J. It is decently fast, can escape from most planes, can turn almost as good, but not as good as a 109 in the low fights, so you can out turn most aircraft in the game. It is very balanced.

I recommend that if you want to fight with 2 engine planes, you learn E management, Rope tactics, spiral climb rope tactics opposite of the other players torque, E reading of your opponent, patients, A HUGE EMPHASIS ON SA, and understanding of ACM and how to control fights. Also, I'd recommend fighting with friendlies so you do not get ganged.

[WaffenVW]

The specs agree with you but throw in the different player's skill and the specs go out the window.  Nothing is ever quite black and white.

Pointless to argue about plane performance if pilot skill isn't equal.

[Triton28]

The slower you are the more differential throttle makes a difference.  After reading some historical accounts of 38 pilots using it in evasive situations, I tried it in game and found it can make a difference in throwing off the aim of someone on your 6, but it's subtle and probably best left to last ditch efforts.  Hammerheads are quick and clean, as long as you time it correctly and use the appropriate amount of elevator input to keep from washing out.     

[DaveBB]

Just because it's legal for you to get married now doesn't mean you have to flaunt it in my face by flying a P-38 all over the place. 

The best way to fly a P-38 is to hit enter three times, select a P-51 in the hangar with 50% fuel, climb to 10k, cruise at 400mph and hunt everything co-alt and lower.

[BaldEagl]

The only real fault the P-38 has is amount of attention it gets from the reds.  Put ten planes of different kinds on the red and green side.  At least five of the ten reds will jump the P-38. 

And that's because they all learned from experience "Easy Kill".

Most people can't fly a P-38 (or any twin engine fighter) very well.

[cobia38]

Just because it's legal for you to get married now doesn't mean you have to flaunt it in my face by flying a P-38 all over the place. 

The best way to fly a P-38 is to hit enter three times, select a P-51 in the hangar with 50% fuel, climb to 10k, cruise at 400mph and RUN from everything.

fixed it for you 

[Randy1]

And that's because they all learned from experience "Easy Kill".

Most people can't fly a P-38 (or any twin engine fighter) very well.

And so say the Brewster whiners.

[BaldEagl]

And so say the Brewster whiners.

I've never once whined about the Brewster.  They too are easy kills.

[PJ_Godzilla]

fixed it for you 

I was going to change it to, "except for k-4s, if you know what's good for you".

[mbailey]

Pointless to argue about plane performance if pilot skill isn't equal.

Yep....

[Randy1]

Pointless to argue about plane performance if pilot skill isn't equal.

My point being using 190s as an example is that a majority of 190 players have limited skills.  Don't get me wrong, there are many good 190 players but they are in the minority.  Same can be said for the P-51.

Every time I switch to a 51 as an example I find myself leaning on the speed in a short amount of time.

[WaffenVW]

Strange, I don't remember using the 190 as an example...

[bozon]

It saddens me the poor rep that twin engine fighters got. The P-38 used to be a respected fighter, now reduced to a kamikaze bomber.

Both the 38 and the mossie are much better fighters than the credit they get. The 38 has relatively poor deck performance, but it goes up in ranking very fast as altitude increase. It does have issues at very high altitudes, above 20k, but that is rarely relevant to the main arena. The mosquito is the opposite - it has very respectable perfoamnce at deck level, but falls behind rapidly with altitude. Still, below 10k it is a very capable fighter even against the late war planes, but one has to remember that it is a 1943 plane after all. So, not top dog, but far FAR from a bad fighter. Against its contemporaries, it is a devil.

They thing is that these planes are experts planes. One has to be vary familiar with them and adapt in style in order to succeed. The 38 is easy to fly thanks to its counter rotating props and very effective flaps that deplots below 250 mph, but fighting with it takes skill. The mosquito is a wild beast that has to be tamed. It is not easy to control at slow speeds and has many asymetries between left and right - so in order to fly it on the edge one has to learn it twice.

Generally, all the twins share that same basic principal - they are formidable in offense thanks to good frontal visibility, and heavy nose armament, and they are poor in defense against BnZ due to their size. A lucky hit from a BnZer, even if it does not kill you, is likely to spoil your sortie with a smoking engine, or a shot off aileron. For this reason, all the twin must absolutely deny the shots of any attaker and cannot wait till he is 600 yard out to start evasives. This means SA has to be higher and you have to plan farther ahead. Someone above mentioned the 38 being a favorite target - this is absolutely true and true for the other twins as well. The rule of thumb when flying a mossie/38/110/410 is that every con within d3.0 is going straight for you! You cannot ignore enemies even in a furball with many friendlies around, because the bandits are blind to everything except you.

My advice is simply to fly and learn these planes - but expect it to take some time till you get good results. It may help to find someone who knows these planes and wing with him to speed the learning up a bit. You will find that the 38 is overall the best twin fighter. The 110 is more challanging and the 410 is a dog. I am sorry, but the 410 is very difficult as a fighter. Some very dedicated players could give a good fight in a 410 (Torquilla), but that is more them than the plane I am afraind. The Mosquito is totally awesome and unique, but the most complex of the twins. Be careful when looking at its performance chart because these were plotted for weights that suggest they include bombs in the bay... If you want to know more about the mosquito, I have a link to a guide in my sig below.

Hail the twins and vote for Beaufighters and Whirlwinds in the next poll!