Everyone who's doing Frenchy's Challenge, "HOW"S IT GOING"???
If you are willing to share any tips or observations on the D-25 please, I want to hear everything. This big arse Bird is growing on me and I've only been flying it for 7 days.
1. I'm finding in AH's modeling for internal fuel, there is a world of difference in 50%, 75%, and 100% internal. 100 and 75 are almost as bad as taking off using drop tanks. As for manuverability, I have to burn it down to 50% before I can do alot more than dive or die well. I usually load out 50% internal and a 75gal external for getting to alt.
2. About half of my kills are snap shots. I find I'm very concerned about maintaining speed and "E". When I do get on the con's 6 I'm finding the 8 .50's do their best work 400d and under. I'm still getting the feel on merge deflection shots, HO's just start shootin about 1200 out and in most cases you've got it covered litterally.
3. Starting a dive run. I've found especially with a split 's' to a dive I'm using 1 notch flaps and throtteling back. I've gotten in trouble with compression. I followed Frency in a long shallow dive from 16k down to an airfeild from far enough out that we had no icon on the con's. But as we blew through Frency smoked one, Zoom'd back up, came back through and smoked another. Is this better than sitting 4 to 5k ontop, then wing over or split's' down on the con? I've lawndarted with the latter, but just the same I've smacked a bunch of con's. time and experience will tell.
4. 2 vs 1. I don't reccomend this if they have alt. Or maybe I'm lame at it. I've had 3 rounds in the last week, lost 2, ran from 1. In the 2 I lost I always had at least 1 good opening snap shot on the 2 as they worked on me. My gunnery was not up to it. Found out I could not out dive 2 51's. One round was with two LA7's. I was fortunate they were newbees. They gave up their alt advantage and E trying to get at me. This gave me the time to turn on wep and climb away from them. We were above 15k when the attacked me. My last 2 vs 1 was against 2 C.205's. I kept thinking I could turn with them, 2 notches of flaps and wep. This is where I wish I knew better how to use the roll technique to cut inside of the con's turn. I was always so close. I tried to dive away too late and got dusted.
5. The infamous Roll inside/Outside of the Con's Turn. Great way to scare the heck outta your self. I've made it work twice to excellent effect. The rest of my attempts entertained the bish's or rook's who killed me. When it doesnt work, you either stall, are slow and wallowing, or digging the Suez Canal II. Or you just wiggled your rudder at the con on your tail that you are now ready to be killed. The 2 times I made it work were great. First time I was chasing a spit that pulled left. I chopped throttel, notch of flaps and rolled left. Now the spit was 400d in front of me in a shallow dive. Wep, flaps up and down with the spit, 300d and I dusted it. The second time a 190 dove on me from the right pulling around to my left. I pulled up while rolling 1 full turn to my right while pullin around and over the top to my right. When my nose was pointing back down the 190 was 700d down and below turning under me. I pulled in behind and dusted him. I think I got lucky on these last 2.
6. I still have not figured out how to pull the lagging Barrel Roll the lets your con over shoot and your on his tail. I seem to just entertain the con while waving my rudder helplessly in his ROLFing face........
Like I said I'll appreciate anything you have to share.
-bustr-
