Help on manouvers......

[Hammerhead]

try as i can i cannot seem to fly my p38 right....so i guess that i am not doing something right. Can someone please clarify what is the difference between and how to perform
1. zoom
2. hammerhead
3. wingover
4. reversal?

i know that the general idea is to climb almost vertical and then bring the nose down quickly to get the bandit that was tailing you, but everytime i try it, i end up getting blown up into tiny little smithereens.............

[Ack-Ack]

Here are some threads you might want to read about the P-38.

P-38 Driving Questions

P-38 Wingover

P-38 films

More P-38 films

You should also check out Netaces.org.  It's a very good resource on flying and if it doesn't have the information you're looking for, it will have a link for it.


Ack-Ack

[OIO]

1. zoom

Zoom is making a high speed climb. It can be either 90 degree nose up or just 15 degree nose up, high speed before a zoom is paramount (otherwise its just climbing..and thats not healthy in a dogfight). For the P-38's zoom, be sure you have 400mph hitting the white needle.


2. hammerhead

Hammerhead is to change your flight vector in the vertical with little or no horizontal displacement (translation: plane flies straight up and flips nose downwards with little or no horizontal flying as the nose flips downward). There are 2 ways of hammerheading: By going to 10mph and 3 flaps out and pulling UP on the stick to flip nose over (easiest to do but also dangerous since your opponent will have an easy shot at your plane from the top of your plane) or to use the engines to make the 38 flip sideways (harder to do but the opponent behind you only sees your rear and side profiles during the whole manouver, you are a much smaller target).

3. wingover

I dont know what you mean by "wingover" , many folks call different manouvers that.

4. reversal?

This one covers a lot of manouvers. A reversal (for me) is to either change your flight vector very fast (like a hammerhead) or to go from being the one with the con in your 6 to being the one who is in the con's 6. Again, I dont know what you mean by reversal?

[bockko]

if you are getting blown to bits at the top of your vertical maneuver it means your nmy had as much speed as you did, or in other words, the vertical maneuver was not a good choice at that time. You can safely use the vertical when your opponent isn't as fast as you, you are essentially hoping he will try, run out of steam, and when he does run out of steam, you rev on him and blast him before he gets good control back. If you run your plane up to stall speed in  a vertical and your nmy is staying right there with you, you are in danger of getting hosed down.

Can't offer any advice on the 38, never fly it, just shoot them down....oh, and i never follow a fast p38 up into the veritcal

[BigMax]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
3. wingover

Only one that hasn't been answer correctly yet....  A wingover is one of the most under-tilized moves in the game.  Most don't understand it, some do it and don't know they are doing it...

Anyplane, not just 38s
Simply put, a wingover is a maneuver done while climbing and as you get close to stall speed.  Roll 45 degrees left or right (depends on engine rotational direction), and start to turn, BUT use TONS of rudder into your turn... The plane will turn around very rapidly as the airspeed drops below stall speed on your lower wing while your upper still maintains lift...  Is like "fish-tailing" a car.

See if you can make a plane do it off-line, you'll know when you do it right.  Then go to MA and they'll call you a cheater because you will be turning 135 to 180 degrees in no-time.

[bockko]

figures, a chief cheating:cool:

[Ack-Ack]

Here's another good site on various BFM/ACM maneuvers that might help you out.  


Scramble!

This is AKNimitz's Virtual Training Academy with a lot of plane specific films that show various ACM maneuevers in practice against an enemy.

Virtual Training Academy

This one is a great little find.  It's a Finnish site devoted to the Finnish Airforce during WW2 that has a lot of first-hand account stories and some other gems like actual training lectures.

Virtual Pilots

Here's the 444th Air Mafia site.  Has some pretty good stuff in it and it's written in laymen's terms so it's easier to understand.

444th Air Mafia AH Training Page

Here's an oldie but goody.

Delta Six's Flight School

Here are some films that show the various maneuvers you had asked about.  You'll need RealAudio to play these films.

Hammerhead

Wingover

And if you want to see more films like the ones above, here's the link.

ACM films

Here's a couple of more training sites.

Combat Hanger

Vulture's ACM notes

Combat Maneuvers

Ripsnort's Training Film Page

Another Combat Maneuver Page

I know it's a lot to read and study but if you want to be successful in this game, it's the price you have to pay.  Hopefully these sites will lessen the curve for you and get you on your way to be a virtual killer in the unfriendly skies.





Ack-Ack
479th FG - Riddle's Raiders

[Hammerhead]

thanks for all the good info folks.