Author Topic: Question about the F4F (Read 492 times)

tofri · « **on:** August 20, 2002, 10:41:04 AM »

I am quite puzzled about this plane.
Normally I would not not say they are a real threat.
I flew it and it seems to me as not very fast , not very manouevrable and the weapons just the usual US stuff.
There was nothing special (except the colour) about it.

I would put them in the ranking of dangerous plane somewhere around the 202 or TBM.

In the FW190 A5 or A8 I would count them as my natural prey

But now I met them in the MA a few times and they gave me a hard time.
I ignored it, when it was in a lower E-state and kept the focus on the common dweebs.
Suddenly it was behind me an kicked me out of the sky

Was that pure luck or is there more about that plane, as you can see on the first look??

SKurj · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2002, 01:05:58 PM »

just as a note...

The FM2 is a quite capable plane, much more so than the F4F in terms of flight performance, and it also displays an F4F icon +)

I'd guess you see more fm2's than f4f's

If its dark bloo its an fm2, otherwise its an f4f

SKurj

SlapShot · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2002, 02:01:52 PM »

In my opinion, the FM2 (GM's version of the F4F - it has WEP) is a "wolf in sheeps clothing". It is a VERY DEADLY machine.

Yes it is slow at cruise speeds (not even 300 mph) and that immediately turns most people off, but it has 4 .50 cals and 1720 (860/860) rounds of ammo (my convergence is at max 500ft). It will turn on a dime and give you nice cents change, and when you point the nose down, it gains speed very fast and will bounce with the best of them. What is great, is if you miss the bounce, you then can then rely on its turning ability.

This bird has been my main ride for this tour, and I can tell you from first hand, that it WILL outturn SPITS, ZEKES, N1Ks, LA-7s and everything else that I have come up against. Once an F4F/FM2 is on your 6 with about the same e-state as you, and flown right, you WILL DIE.

I had a great fight with a SPIT Mk IX the other day. I kept doing high yo-yos as did he. Each pass we made, I gained the advantage, hardly losing any E, and completing the turn quicker than him inching closer to a guns solution. As soon as I got a decent guns solution on him, I gave him a short burst of the .50s, lit him up pretty good, turned for the next pass and when I came around to finish the job, he stalled on his turn and crashed. The pilot was an experienced Spit pilot and probably couldn't believe (like you) that this F4F was spankin' his butt.

190 natural prey ... hmmm ... the only natural prey for a 190 is a pilot/plane who is not looking/afk/focused on another target and that could be any plane in the plane-set. The 190 is a "sucker puncher".

Last night, I met up with a 190 at about 12k, who thought I was natural prey. He makes 1 up-zoom pass and 1 down-zoom pass, both misses (not hard to do against a 190). Now he decides to make a flat turn back. That was his mistake. I was gaining E on the misses and he lost E on the flat turn. 2 more turns and I was on his 6 and his precious E was ALL GONE. I throw a few rounds into him at about D550. Why he hung around that long is beyond me. Most 190s bug out after the 1st miss.

Now decides its time to dive/run, and I follow. My FM2 drops like a rock and I send a few more rounds into him as we start the drop. I am still on his 6 as we continue to dive to the canyon floor (to his amazement), so he decides to do the natural 190 defensive manuver by "stick stirrin". I'm not falling for it, just saving my ammo for the inevitable. He continues to dive further into the canyon, makes a few futile turns and eventually meets up again with the 4 .50 cals and loses a wing.

Oh ... and finally 1 of the other 5 bogies that he was winging with, finally shoots me down. All 7 of us started at approx. 12k. Not one got a good solution on me until we got to the cayon floor.

hogenbor · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2002, 03:16:08 PM »

FM2 rules! I'm just a dweeb with barely more than a week experience but just look where I got the majority of my kills in :-)

Got to learn a lot about dogfighting still, but gunnery with 4 0.50's is NO problem in a FM2. It handles and turns well, is sturdy and is great as fleet defender where I have used it for the most. Only the view to the rear sucks.

SlapShot · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2002, 03:51:04 PM »

Psst ... While looking in your "6-view", pull your seat FORWARD !!! DOH .. I just figured that out the other day. View is still somewhat restricted but MUCH better than is was before.

hogenbor · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2002, 04:17:22 PM »

I already know that trick, been playing this a week and half . It took you 5 months ?!?

Don't want to be rude, but figured out how to restract your gear already? ;-)

Innominate · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2002, 04:42:19 PM »

The fm2(Icon is F4F) is one of the greatest MA planes. It's essentially a zero with more ammo, that is able to dive with just about anything. It's a brand new dweeb plane.

One of it's greatest advantages is its newness and its high ENY. Spits and nikis will usually be more than happy to oblige you and turnfight, giving you obscenely easy kills. Best way to deal with an fm2 is BnZ, gangbang, or stay above them and ignore em.

The FM2 is a general motors built F4F(f4f-8 I think) It's a lightweight version of the f4f built with a bigger engine. A deadly combonation for any fighter opposing it. It was intended for use on escort carriers while the big carriers were converting to the newer(and bigger) f6f and f4us.

tofri · « **Reply #7 on:** August 20, 2002, 05:01:36 PM »

Thanks Guys!

I didn't know about the FM2.
I will check it out and will be more careful, if I see a "F4F" around.

Innominate · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2002, 05:06:20 PM »

Oh yea, forgot to mention, the fm2 can also absorb a ridiculous amount of damage. I've had planes bounce me when I didnt see them coming, put a whole bunch of cannon rounds into my poor defenseless FM2, only to lose a gun and an aileron, when by all rights I should be dead. Things like that arent uncommon.

SlapShot · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2002, 07:17:07 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by hogenbor
I already know that trick, been playing this a week and half . It took you 5 months ?!?

Don't want to be rude, but figured out how to restract your gear already? ;-)

There is a way to retract gear ... I thought all the planes had fixed gear. I think I better read the help file now.

Kweassa · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2002, 07:55:11 PM »

There's something about those guns on the FM2..

Something sinister..

Modas · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2002, 08:53:43 AM »

been flying the f4f quite a bit. What a fantastic plane. 6 .50's dives like a brick, turns on a dime. Just doens't have much of a vertical fite. If the con is above, stay fast +200, climb slowly when possible, equalize e and if the con is foolish enuf to stick around and flat turn ya, he's toast.

Gonna try the FM2 next tour . I might have to give up my beloved la5 and 205 for this monster.

SlapShot · « **Reply #12 on:** August 22, 2002, 11:16:43 AM »

This is getting out of hand ....

All of us that have replied and have extolled the virtues of the F4F/FM2 have inadvertantly "let the cat out of the bag".

Those that weren't so cautious in the presence of this plane now know the "secret". Damn ... shoulda kept our mouths shut.

TracerX · « **Reply #13 on:** August 22, 2002, 11:59:26 AM »

I'm with slapshot, SShhhhh.... we don't want those spit dweebs to find out! It will ruin all the fun!

Now, let me see... .squelch this thread

Darn!