My Opinion On The Niki

[Fatty]

See?

[darling]

Hey, what's up with the N1K deal?

I see no problem here. I've killed 9 so far in the tour, and never gotten killed by one. Just never give him control of the fight, or bring friends.

Oh, and about the funniest thing now are the droves of people who are now overconfident in their 'uber' N1Ks. They are so fun to kill and they always make tulips of themselves on ch 1  
After fight ends at 22000 feet:
<Darling>: <S> [N1K driver]
<N1K driver>: Light on fuel Dar?
<Darling>: Neg, ca 55%
<N1K driver>: a**hole
<Darling>: -)
<N1K driver>: I'll get you next time
<Darling>: Come get me, I'm at 28000 feet over 41
<N1K driver>: Alt Dweeb, you only B&Z
<Darling>: LOL, look at my plane, watcha expect?

Moral:
If you in 23k niki, and you engage a 28k pony, you stupid, and soon dead niki.
And this happens all the time. I love the N1K  
Bring em on!


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2nd Lt. Hogni "Darling" Gylfason
332nd FG "Flying Mongrels"
143rd Pursuit Wing
 

[This message has been edited by darling (edited 05-17-2001).]

[SOB]

Ah...true, true!  Nothing a Niki driver hates more than a good Bnzer (I know I was a Niki driver).  Your only recourse is to run away like a scared little girl and grumble under your breath about the damned BnZer, or stay and fight and get killed and grumble under your breath about the damned BnZer  

There is an alternative that I never used myself, but it goes something like this.  A pilot such as Tac will engage you.  You press your super secret (oops!) UFO Niki button which disables his ability to work his film recorder, allows your Niki to completely defy the laws of gravity, makes flames menacingly shoot out of the Niki's ass, and turns all your bullets into little homing missles that impact with the power of 10 hispano rounds.  I wasn't above using this secret button mind you, I was just always too drunk to find the damned thing!


SOB

[funked]

Never saw what the attraction was.  I've done extensive quantitative testing and the performance is nothing special.  Turns great but my Spit turns inside it easily.  4 guns and lots of ammo, but they are weaker than the Mausers and have worse ballistics.  If guys squawk about this plane, wait until we get a Ki-84 or a Spitfire Mk. XIV or an F4U-4.    

[This message has been edited by funked (edited 05-18-2001).]

[MrSiD]

My biggest problem with n1ks seem to be the prop-hang (tm) manouver of the n1k.

It can pull up the nose and hold for ridiculously long times - and with stability.

That hurts bad if you try to rope the n1k with anything less than ridiculous advantage.

Climbing up to the rope is 99% of the time followed by n1k who will climb to gunning range while the agressor is making the hammerhead. Then, as it can hang on its prop at stall limit, it can spray the b&z on his way down. That is, if the n1k already didnt shoot the tail off from the zooming plane.

I've learned that the trick to roping n1ks is to leave 2x the normal amount of time to get the n1k out of speed, only then its reasonably safe to kill it.

It also seems that the prop-hang (tm) manouver enables the n1k to close separation vertically in situations where normal planes would stall and spin down. That combined to huge dive speed, climb rate and amazing flick-of-an-eye (tm) stall recovery makes it a very difficult plane to kill.

[Soda]

 

MrSID:
I've learned that the trick to roping n1ks is to leave 2x the normal amount of time to get the n1k out of speed, only then its reasonably safe to kill it.

I totally agree, that's the method I use also.  When other planes fall out of the air, the N1K can hang there just that little extra so I give him a little more room.

The fact that there are lots of Spits in the air these days is probably also a reason the N1K is getting more attention.  The Spit is a bad matchup with a Co-E N1K at low level.  He'll out-turn you and you can't run away.  He's got lots of ammo, and can hang on the prop better than you can.

-Soda

[Creamo]

All this rope climbing and hanging on the prop talk prompted me to try it off line, recorded, in comparison to various aircraft.

I just went full WEP level and after max speed was achieved pulled nice and verticle till stall and departure of flight.

First with a Nik, then a 205, then a G10.

Guess what one won?

[Creamo]

Hint - It's one of the best fighters in the game.




[This message has been edited by Creamo (edited 05-18-2001).]

[sling322]

Dammit Creamo....you trying to earn demerits by doing an actual test?  Dont you know the S.O.P. for any posts about the N1K2 is to just whine incessantly about it being a UFO?  Bringing this test data to the table is just ridiculous.

You people just crack me up.  Pyro and Hitech have both posted about the N1K in the past and both have said there is nothing wrong with the FM if I am not mistaken.  I guess I could look up the threads, but then I might be accused of bringing actual facts and data to the N1K debate.  

[Lephturn]

I'll go out on a limb and say the 205.

Creamo?

Hmmm, throw a Jug in the mix just for fun.  While it doesn't "hang on it's prop" all that well, it zoom climbs pretty damn well.

------------------
Sean "Lephturn" Conrad - Aces High Chief Trainer

A proud member of the mighty Flying Pigs
http://www.flyingpigs.com

Check out Lephturn's Aerodrome for AH articles and training info!

[Fatty]

There's no reason for any spit to get killed by a n1k here unless serious mistakes are made.

[Karnak]

Fatty,

I like your description of the N1K2-J, but I'm afraid that I have to tell you that a well flown N1K2 will have its way with a Spitfire MkVb or Seafire MkII.  All it has to do is boom and zoom the Spit.  You are correct about the Spitfire IX though.

What I have noticed about the N1K2 is that it is a very nice and capable fighter although a bit slow.  Funny thing is, if the N1K2 were American, British, German or maybe Russian nobody would be surprised that a 1945 aircraft was that capable (actually there might be surprise that it was so slow).  It is only because it is Japanese that this is even an issue, after all everybody "knows" the Japanese produced crap fighters.

I find the N1K2 to be a good 1945 fighter, but nothing really surprising about it.

------------------
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother

Bring the Mosquito FB.MkVI Series 2 to Aces High!!!

Sisu
-Karnak

[Soda]

I disagree with you Fatty on that.  I've flown a whole lot of Spit in AH, not this tour though, and the N1K is a real problem for a Co-E Spit.  It will loop with you, turn inside you (especially in a SpitIX), out-speed you under 7K and has lots of ammo to try low percentage shots.  Don't get me wrong, the Spit is a fine plane and it's a fairly close contest, but 2 equal pilots flying them would tend to have the N1K victorious.

When flying Spit I always considered a Co-E N1K the biggest threat.

-Soda

[Fatty]

I've found the n1k to be easiest when it does in fact try to turn Soda.  Even in the IX getting inside of it is not a problem.

[Fatty]

Exactly Karnak.  If you're in a V or a Seafire (or an a6m) you better hope he believes the junk he reads on the boards that he can outturn and outclimb everything, otherwise he'll run away (oh, I mean extend) and play boomer.