How do I beat FM2 with LA5?

[sax]

Originally posted by Soda

btw Sax, no kidding on the rear views... spent some time in an F4F the other day and you really can't see anything behind you, like nothing.  You could hide a bus back there and not know.

-Soda
Aces High Trainer Corps
The Assassins.

I know it:)

Hiyas Widewing

[wetrat]

How do you beat a FM2 with an la5? Rope it.

[lazs2]

I think I have fought every plane in the arena with an FM2.   Mostly I get lucky or they get stupid.   I am a lousy shot too... I can't hit anything that is directly in line of me.. I can only make high deflection shots.   Most cannon planes need to saddle up or HO.  I try not to let em saddle up.   It is also good to shoot em as they change from being on your 6 to being on your 12... best to shoot quickly before they aquire you again in their views.

In the CT I found a lone FM2 was meat when in an la5  but getting low and slow with a higher FM2 was not a good thing.   You can reverse an Fm2 tho if the guy isn't realy good.   Roll rate is poor in the FM2 but seviceable.
lazs

[Fariz]

Use verticals.

If you have no energy, run. Build distance, then turn it back into alt (energy), then turn and get him.

[Suave]

Use wep and fight like a 109, and don't fight the fm2 above 7k . Lavochkins have great wep below 7k .

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Fariz
Use verticals.

If you have no energy, run. Build distance, then turn it back into alt (energy), then turn and get him.

I was up in an La-5 yesterday flying a defensive CAP. A pair of P-51s came in, high enough to worry about collisions with low orbit space junk. When they finally came down, I killed one of them, the other augering near the runway (giving a just spawned Jug an easy proxy). Just then I spotted a formation of low flying B-26s coming in. A squadmate tackled them as I raced over to lend a hand. He got one, and I shot off the outer wings of the other two. With just 7 cannon rounds remaining, I headed to the field to rearm.

In a slow descent with flaps down, I see an La-7 boring in on the field with a lot of E. I raise the flaps and level off to conserve a small altitude advantage. As the La-7 reverses, I drop in on him with a diving turn. He's on a Spitfire and I shoot my last rounds in a blind deflection shot with the hope he'll break off from the Spit. He doesn't and gets the Spitfire. So I saddle up in a lag pursuit. There are other friendly fighters nearby and I figure if I keep him maneuvering one will be able to get over and engage. The La-7 pilot, clearly no newbie, goes through every twist, turn and vertical maneuver in the book. Glued to his tail like his rudder, I gradually close to less than 200 yards. Figuring the safest place to be was directly behind, it dawned on me that the La-7 pilot must be wondering why I haven't pulverized his fighter yet.

Just then, the La-7 pulls into a steep climb and pulls off the power. Directly behind and closing fast I instinctively depress the gun switch for an impossible to miss shot. "Damn it! No ammo, you moron!!!" I yank off power and kick hard left rudder and full right aileron. As I go skidding alongside the La-7, ever so slowly easing ahead, I realize I'll push out ahead too far. I reverse my ailerons and try to roll away to the left. Too late.  In retrospect, had I roll right instead, I may have forced a collision. But that is utterly counter-intuitive and not exactly sportsman like.

Who was flying the La-7? Fariz. We both had a good laugh at his good fortune that I had empty magazines and my falling for his trick, one I use myself! Lol....

Great fight Fariz, great flying too.

My regards,

Widewing