No more hanger queens!!

[Buzzbait]

S!

For those who don`t fly the CT.  Average numbers in peak hours are around 40 at the introduction of a setup, declining to around 15-20 at the end of the setup period.  If you got 2, then you were likely flying at around 1am EST.    We are looking at making the turnaround weekly instead of bi-weekly, in order to keep things fresh.  However, that depends on the terrain availability.

When we get some different terrains, (one`s which have never been seen in the MA, of which we have 4 expected in the next short while)  I think our numbers will go up.  And I`m gonna go out on a limb and say when we get some of the new planes of 1.09, and we have a BoB setup with a new NW Europe terrain, you may be surprised at the numbers present in the CT.  I will predict 70+...

The CT is only going to get better.  Right now it is in its infancy, having to use terrains designed for 3 sides with Strat and scoring systems which are designed for the MA.  We intend to change that.  We are here for the long haul.  

[Tac]

Yes.. imagine that.. hurr I kills a 51D or D9 or La7.. and gets 4 perks per kill

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Tac
I dont fly early war planes in the MA. Because there ARENT any.

Closest I have gotten to is flying the spitV (LOVE the 303 loadout.. pingpingpingpingping!) and the 202.

I will be flying the 110 a lot, mainly for jabo and just for the heck of it.

Give me the ju88 night fighter with some CANNONS in the nose and i'll fly it.. the ju88 can give any plane a damn hard time if they get into a dogfight.

I had been flying the Spit Mk.IX and decided to try the Mk.V, figuring it would probably offer a tad better turn rate at the expense of speed and climb. I also figured I'd be an easy mark for the hot fighters, but what the hell, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Shortly after getting airborne, I spotted an Fw 190 (turned out to be an A-8) and he was tackled by some other guy in what looked like a Typhoon or Tempest. I positioned myself so that I could cut off the 190 should he turn my way. He did, and I jumped all over him. Down very low, and going too slow, he was trapped and died in short order. In order to prevent being bounced during a climb, I like to spiral up, constantly turning. This I did until I had worked up to 10k. Just then, I spot a Ju 88 heading for my field at about 12k. Positioning myself slightly behind and about 1.5k below, I pulled up and blasted the Junkers in the belly. That's 2 down. As I continued through in a loop, I spot two La-7s, probably the escort.

Rolling out at the top of the loop, I turned into the Lavochkins, hauling around in a blackout turn, easing off only to get a quick snap-view. These two broke in opposite directions, so I concentrated on the one which went to my left. It took just three turns to get enough lead, and I shot off its wing, the pilot bailing out. That's 3. Meanwhile, the other Lavochkin is having a hard time getting a shot because I'm always turning, and he now has a friend as a Corsair trys a run, easily avoided. I go head to head with the La-7, breaking hard right. I roll out of a high yo-yo, and get decent position for a quick shot as he crosses my nose. My burst hits solid and he goes straight in. That's 4. This is beginning to be fun. I turn for the Corsair, but he's seen enough and has moved on to find an easier target. As I watch the F4U disappear over a ridge line, I spot yet another fighter boring in, this one's an La-5FN. I break into him, we pass canopy to canopy, and I haul around to the right in yet another blackout turn. Easing out of the turn, I can see that the Lavochkin is still trying to haul around to meet me, but it's too late, he should have extended and reversed later. Getting behind is now easy, I execute a rolling high yo-yo to the left and drop right onto his tail. I fire a quick burst (all that I have remaining are the .303s), getting a few hits. Panicked, (yes, that's how it's spelled), the Lovochkin pilot trys to avoid me by turning left, then right, then back again. But, every time he turns, he losses speed and I close in to less than 100 yards. As the Lavochkin skims the ground, I continue to pepper him with the .303s, and in desperation, he turns too hard, stalls and splats. That's 5.

Since I still had half of my fuel remaining, and about 500 rounds of .303, I spiraled up to 12K and headed for my field. Alas, no one else comes out to play.

My point in relating this is simple: Do not discount the older types.
Should the opposition be dumb enough to play to the older plane's strengths, all bets are off. Three Lavochkin drivers discovered that an old Spitfire Mk.V is formidable in a good ol' fashioned "furball". Even a rookie like myself was well served by an older fighter when the bad guys decided that it was time to stall-fight with the best dogfighting fighterplane in the game. Worse, these guys tried this in a deep, blind canyon. It must have been like watching marbles race around in a bowl.

Just imagine what an experienced AH pilot could do with the Spitfire Mk.V, if a duffer like myself could manage to kick some serious Lavochkin butt.

My regards,

Widewing

[F4UDOA]

A couple of things.

1. I am in favor of an early war arena 1940 to 43, and a late war arena 1944 to 45. In fact I would would be in favor of a post war arena with P-51H's, F8F's, F7F's,P-80's, Sea Fury's and maybe even my beloved F2G.

2. Widewing,

I love flying supposely inferior planes against "Uber" planes. My favorite is the A6M5. Spit's V or IX are a truely easy mark against them. Most Spit pilots have no idea what to do other than pull hard on the stick so it's makes them even easier the harder they pull. So any time the arena gets to full of them I up in my Zeke and give them a little taste of their own medicine.

However chasing La-7's and Dora's around in a Zeke, C202 or Hurri can get old quick. Hence the need for an early war arena.

[thrila]

Hey widewing, i shot you down in my hurri IID the other day too lol.

There were gv's North of our base so i took a hurri IID to deal with them.  After 1 run on the tanks an a6m showed up (widewing) and so a fight between us broke out.  Eventually i got him to overshoot and he performed a nice flat turn for me.   Ooo what a lovely target:)   popped off about 3 rounds and one lands smack bang on his tail.  Down to earth his a6m fell- minus a tail off course.  

Those 40mm are very nice indeed:D

[gatt]

Same thing happened in Warbirds ... the worst enemy of the RPS is the Pony pilot. No other pilot looks so unable to choose and have fun flying 1940-43 fighters. Quite interesting .... we should rename this sim "P-51D High".

[Widewing]

Originally posted by thrila
Hey widewing, i shot you down in my hurri IID the other day too lol.

There were gv's North of our base so i took a hurri IID to deal with them.  After 1 run on the tanks an a6m showed up (widewing) and so a fight between us broke out.  Eventually i got him to overshoot and he performed a nice flat turn for me.   Ooo what a lovely target:)   popped off about 3 rounds and one lands smack bang on his tail.  Down to earth his a6m fell- minus a tail off course.  

Those 40mm are very nice indeed:D

This is why I won't fly the Zero any longer. It won't roll worth a nickel.

When you try to reverse at anything over 250mph, it won't roll. That makes for a flat turn, and easy meat for anyone paying attention. If you have a decent head of speed up in the A6M5, and get bounced, it's best to pull into a loop, because you cannot roll into a turn fast enough to avoid getting clobbered.

Moreover, I don't recall the above incident, but I do recall seeing a Hurri out at about 1.4K, whom I ignored. I wasn't chasing any Hurri, but hot after an NiK2. I probably never noticed you, and assumed that the other Hurri got me from long range. You guys
just love rookies, don't you?

During my first forays into the MA, I tried about half of the fighters available. After getting beat up pretty good, I learned how survive. Not only that, but I learned what to fly and what best fit my method. Fighters like the La-7 do not fit my style, and I do not enjoy playing sniper. I'd much rather break down my enemy in a hard turn fight, because I like the challenge. I like the Spits. I prefer the Mk.V, and after switching to it, I flew three sorties, killed 10 badies, without a single death. I did have a deadstick landing after my radiator was hit in a head to head pass that killed a Mk.IX. I was lucky that my field was only about 5 minutes away. The engine quit about a mile out, but I had plenty of altitude, and made good use of my limited sailplane experience.

As to overshooting: Normally, If my closure rate is too high, I'll barrel roll around you to kill my speed. Should I find myself not able to do that in time, I'll go vertical, as the much slower plane won't readily be able to follow.

My only crack at a Hurri was yesterday. I executed a split-S, and tried to reach him before the rest of the Rook horde. I didn't get there in time before someone else nailed him.

That's one thing that really gets me annoyed. You work your way into a good shooting position and some huckleberry cuts right in front of you. I nearly shot down a Typhoon from my own side when he pulled in front of me just as I opened fire. He was damn lucky that all I had left was .303 ammo, 'cause he got peppered pretty good. Some of these thieves are so bold that it's hard for  me to restrain myself from shooting them down just to get a clear shot at MY target. Several times, overly ambitious idiots have tried to shoot around me to get at my target. Last night this happened when some pony hit me trying to get hits on the Spit I was chasing. I high yo-yo'd, dropping behind the Mustang and gave him a dose of his own medicine. He broke off and I eventually got the Spit. Sometimes, your own so-called comrades are a greater danger than the enemy.

Ever watch PeeWee soccer? All the little kids congregate on the ball, kicking each other more than the ball. No one remembers to play their position. That's what the MA frequently breaks down to.

My regards,

Widewing

[J_A_B]

It might be a good idea not to shoot down those kill-stealing cretins Widewing, as killshooter will kill YOU if you shoot your own side  


"the worst enemy of the RPS is the Pony pilot."--gatt

Well that stands to reason since the Spit and 109 drivers still have their choice ride in a 1939 setup.  In fact the 1939 Spits and 109's stack up better against the rest of the competition than the 1944 ones do.

I've got nothing against RPS itself--in fact it is an interesting idea that a lot of people like.   However, since at least as many people DON'T like it, what's so horrible about suggesting that the RPS be implemented in a different, alternate arena?    That way, everyone can be happy.  Wouldn't it be better for everyone to be happy all the time, than to have everyone unhappy half the time or some people unhappy constantly?

Not to mention for historical setups such as the CT, an RPS of some form or another is the ONLY logical setup to use.  The MA is a fantasy war between chess pieces and so a historical-based plane setup really doesn't belong there.

J_A_B

[Widewing]

Originally posted by F4UDOA
A couple of things.

1. I am in favor of an early war arena 1940 to 43, and a late war arena 1944 to 45. In fact I would would be in favor of a post war arena with P-51H's, F8F's, F7F's,P-80's, Sea Fury's and maybe even my beloved F2G.

2. Widewing,

I love flying supposely inferior planes against "Uber" planes. My favorite is the A6M5. Spit's V or IX are a truely easy mark against them. Most Spit pilots have no idea what to do other than pull hard on the stick so it's makes them even easier the harder they pull. So any time the arena gets to full of them I up in my Zeke and give them a little taste of their own medicine.

However chasing La-7's and Dora's around in a Zeke, C202 or Hurri can get old quick. Hence the need for an early war arena.

Isn't that great fun, putting some hurt on those guys in their hotrods?

I like the Zero, but it is absolutely necessary to get it slowed down quickly, 'cause it's not able to make a decent break turn due its ailerons being ineffective at speeds over 250 mph. This caused me to get whacked 3 or 4 times flying it. On the plus side,
I did manage to get 3 kills by stallfighting. They key to surviving in the Zeke is to kill speed BEFORE being bounced, or going vertical as soon as a threat is determined.

One place where I would seriously consider flying the Zeke, is from an airfield under attack. Taking off from the hanger, and assuming you can get airborne without being strafed, you can really play hell with anyone silly enough to come down after you. In that respect, I do not sweat the B&Z guys, because if I see them coming, it's easy to side-step their attacks. This is why I have come to believe that guys into stallfighting must have superior situational awareness. You really need to know where EVERYONE is at all times. If you don't know, sooner or later some snapshot artist is going to ping you from way off angle. The guys in the La-7s, Mustangs, T-Bolts and so on will try to get a quick hit on you, and frequently, they decide to turn a few times trying to get an angle. However, that's a mistake they may come to regret. It seems to me that the really good guys flying the B&Z types are very patient, not being so anxious for the kill that they surrender good sense and try fighting in a manner that exposes the weaknesses of their fighter.

I saw a typical example of ambition overcoming good sense. I took out after a P-47D-30, who quickly split-S'd into a dive, leveling off at about 200 feet above the sea surface. No way could I close up during the dive, and once we leveled out he began to extend away. Well, I saw no advantage in following him where I didn't want to go alone, so I tried a simple trick. Bearing off about 20 degrees, I hoped that he would see the range rapidly open up and think I had lost interest and turned around. Sure enough, the Jug takes the bait and he begins a right turn. I ease back to meet Jug and catch him coming out of the turn, firing about 15 degrees off his nose. He went straight into the water behind me as I chandelled to my left.

This guy became impatient and committed himself to a fight where he surrendered his principle tactical advantage. If he would have extended further, he could have come back with a speed and altitude advantage. Smart Jug drivers like Sancho and Ammo would not have taken the bait, and either would have continued on their merry way, or returned with altitude and speed in their pockets. Thus making my sortie much more exciting.

You are perfectly on target: Never stallfight with a Zero. Either use hit and run or get him to accelerate to a speed where his ailerons stiffen. If he is very slow, try a snap shot, then just fly on past and look for an easier target. If he's got some speed up, go after him, but never turn more than 90 degrees with him, or he'll rapidly gain the advantage.

One maxim that has always proven correct is, "never fight the way your enemy fights best."

My best,

Widewing

[K West]

Really good reading topic     I agree with just about all of you last post Wideing. Especially, "I would seriously consider flying the Zeke, is from an airfield under attack."

 I found the key to getting airborn quickly at an under attack airfield is to spawn in the hangar, two notches of flaps, start engine, give 100% throttle and when the fuselage starts to contest that power.. GO!"     Get your wheels up ASAP and start turning, as you reel those flaps in, before an enemy bogy can get on your tail.

 A well flown Zeke is a literal mass murderer in a low alt dogfight  



Westy

[Don]

Ripsnort:

The MA is not a Relaxed Realism arena by any stretch of the imagination. It may not be what you prefer for whatever reasons you have but, it is not relaxed.
In the MA there are spins, stalls, and conditions modeled that will bring on stalls etc. that would not be in evidence in a relaxed modeled arena.
In a relaxed realism environment it was possible to pull unlimited g's without any apparent consequences to an a/c. If a pilit ran out of E in a climb, the a/c simply rolled over and fell until it built up enough speed. Then all the pilit had to do was pull on the stick and resume a flight path.
Hell, I'm still trying to figure out what people in here mean by "real", seems to be different for each person.

[Hangtime]

RPS??

Dammit, that just cost me a keyboard.

I respectuflly submit that if you want RPS in the main, go fly the 'other' second rate sim... the one still in business... barely.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by K West
Really good reading topic     I agree with just about all of you last post Wideing. Especially, "I would seriously consider flying the Zeke, is from an airfield under attack."

 I found the key to getting airborn quickly at an under attack airfield is to spawn in the hangar, two notches of flaps, start engine, give 100% throttle and when the fuselage starts to contest that power.. GO!"     Get your wheels up ASAP and start turning, as you reel those flaps in, before an enemy bogy can get on your tail.

 A well flown Zeke is a literal mass murderer in a low alt dogfight  



Westy

Yeah, I tried it this evening (in the Zero), taking off from a hanger, right in the middle of a brawl. I'd get two badies, then get pinged from off angle. Twice they wrecked an elevator, killing my turning ability. Once I was able to weave my way down to a landing, dodging badies. The second time, I simply baled out to avoid getting whacked, not being able to evade B&Z types. However, I did not open the chute untl very near the ground. I was forced to bail two or three other times after taking minor pings (the Zero must be modeled as being made of Balsa). All in all, I was able to manage 5 kills and 4 assists for three or four bailouts. Which to me was a miracle when I consider how badly I was outnumbered most of the time.

I considered going back and getting a Mk.V, but the wife announced that dinner was on the table.

Tonight, I'll try something different.

My regards,

Widewing

[Buzzbait]

S!

If you guys want some early `43 planes, (including the Hurri IIc and IId)  then come to the CT.

[Doberman]

RPS was the best thing that happened to WB, IMO.  There were, of course, the dissenting voices saying "I won't fly if I can't have my Late War Uber Plane."   Yet, the arenas were always full even during early war times.   The Quake dweebs (of which there seem to be quite a few here in AH.  FAR more than I ever saw in WB years back.) got weeded out, and those who were really interested in flying learned how to stick something other than the wonderplane of the day.   Raised the overall level of the ocmpetition.  This is a good thing.

A split set of early & late war arenas does not work.  Been tried before in other games.    There are some things which could be done to make it a bit more viable, but overall, people are gonna gravitate towrds where the crowds are.  And that'll be the late-war MA.   I desire to fly early war planes against early war planes, but if my choice is to fly on a full sized map with 15 other pilots on it I'm just gonna say "Screw it" and head to where there are hundreds of opponents.  

D