Okay, this is really a game.
The People who fly buffs all the time aren't doing so mearly to be targets to the folks in the sports jobs.
I do not believe that Buff gunnery requires any adjustment.
I think...
The Ceiling or effectiveness of the bombers needs to be reduced, or the Ceiling of the fighters need to be increased. I do not know of one fighter that can manuver in AH effectively above 30,000ft. That is where you find a lot of bombers. What I propose is that the field be brought a little closer to equal at 30K. Make it so fighter are able to climb to 33k, make a pass at a buff, and climb to 33k and make a 2nd pass at a buff. If the buff is at 30k.
It takes a considerable amount of time to climb to 30K, and the last 3000ft is the worst. If you prosecute a historically accurate pass (High front end pass from high 12 to low 6) you only get to do this once at 30 K. By the time you turn back the buff is so far away you will never catch it, unless you are willing to burn up all your fuel or your engine.
2. If you fire into a gun position it should be disabled.
I usually like to attack the belly of B-26s, that is their tender spot (No guns) the waist guns can't deflect in far enough. I try to concentrate my first passs to kill the waist and tail gunner on a B-26. Yet when I try to make a 2nd pass these guns are still firing?
I put a good 70 or 80 rnds of 20MM from an F4U-1C into a B-26 on my first pass the other night, all in the back part of the plane (a few sprites on the wing) and to be honest I thought my first pass destroyed the plane. When I turned back there was no smoke, no apperance of damage. I thought perhaps there was a lag, and he would get late pings. I started climbing again, and waited a minute for the pings to catch up. He flew on. I made my 2nd pass. Again, I saw many hit sprites. His tail was still firing (I don't know how, cause I wanted to destroy his tail gun on the first pass, and tried damn hard to do it.) Again I concentrated on shooting his tail gun. He got my 1C and I had to bail. I got an oil leak on 1 of his engines (black smoke trail.)
I watched my hit sprites, I concentrated on the tail gun. My 2nd pass should have been un-opposed. I got shot down.
3. Buff Manuverability.
Someone said above, fighters require protection from the buffs. THIS IS AN ACCURATE STATEMENT. How many of you have been attacked by B-26s. The "One a day in Tampa Bay" plane. The Pregnant Prostitute (No visible means of support.)
This plane was famous for its thin wings and the lack of high speed manuverability. THere is a thread on the Rec.Aviation.military newsgroup, asking WWII Pilots what was the most dangerous plane to fly. Many U.S. Pilots are saying the B-26.
Anyone who makes a violent manuver in a B-26 should suffer a manuver kill. The wings didn't work that way. (Yes it was a fast plane, and they did a lot of work on the wings, but it still had a reputation for not bring crews home.)
They are LEVEL BOMBERS!!
I can see using rudder to unmask more guns, I can't see B-17s diving on CONS!
Sharply turning a Buff should BLEED SPEED! and put it on the edge of Stall!
Make it so Fighters can manuver with the buffs at altitude, disable guns that are killed by concentrated bursts into the area attacked, and reduce the manuverablilty of the bombers.
Leave the GUNS alone.
IT will make things more realistic IMHO, yet still give the buff drivers a chance.
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"Downtown" Lincoln Brown.
lkbrown1@tir.com http://www.tir.com/~lkbrown1 Wrecking Crews "Drag and Die Guy"
Hals und beinbruch!
