ok i'm going to wish for this again.

[lunaticfringe]

i wish for F3 mode on the IL2 please. i know some said it gives an unfair advantage, but what i think is an unfair advantage is me getting shot down by the fighter behind me because i can't see where he is coming from to make an attempt to avoid him/her.

so respectfully wish for the IL2 to have F3 mode restored. thank you.

[bustr]

Almost every time I up an IL2 I have to furball. Then I'm using TR in 2axis mode inheriting my saved views. And you can set the views so you can furball. I don't attack tanks if there are red dots in my area on my clipboard. I keep an eye on them so I can HO them when they dive in. And I really try not to be in the air in an IL2 in the middle of a furball. IL2 had a very high death rate in WW2 because the views had nothing to do with air combat which they were not designed for.

[SmokinLoon]

No. The external view gives it a very distinct advantage it should not have.

 

[Lusche]

but what i think is an unfair advantage is me getting shot down by the fighter behind me because i can't see where he is coming from to make an attempt to avoid him/her.

By that logic every plane should get F3 mode

Cockpit visibility is a trait just like speed or roll rate. Some planes are better at it, some less so.

[Slade]

-1

Sorry.  I like the IL-2.  F3 was disabled on it for a really good reason.

[Oldman731]

Cockpit visibility is a trait just like speed or roll rate. Some planes are better at it, some less so.

Well put.

- oldman

[ONTOS]

Let's disable F3 on bombers.

[Arlo]

Let's disable F3 on bombers.

F3 simulates the rest of the crew keeping an eye out for enemy fighters. On B-17s that would be nine other pairs of eyes (scanning practically all directions) as well as the pilots. A flight of B-17s would have 30 pairs of eyes looking around. Even with just a single rear facing gunner on a single bomber there's more than just the pilot's eyes simultaneously scanning around. Add in that only one gunner may join a bomber/bomber formation and you can't actually simultaneously man all positions and a method to simulate such is justified. If only all the non manned gun positions could auto gun toward the closest enemy in proximity. Alas, we live with what we've got.

[DaddyAce]

Well, the Il-2 did have a rear facing gunner....not particularly advocating  either way, just pointing out that presumably the gunner could communicate with the pilot.

[LCADolby]

Bf110 has a rear gunner and never saw F3 mode in AH

[perdue3]

You should count yourself lucky to be able to fly anything from an external view. In my opinion, everything should be cockpit or gunner view.

[Arlo]

My position is that everything with a level bomb sight should definitely have F3/F4/F5 online. As should all planes with multiple gunner positions. I don't think external views are unfair in them. 

[Arlo]

You should count yourself lucky to be able to fly anything from an external view. In my opinion, everything should be cockpit or gunner view.

I would agree is every gun position could be manned or served as an independent auto-gun if not.