Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: BaldEagl on March 07, 2009, 06:29:43 PM
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I decided to take a flight of Bostons out to a Rook city in Orange this afternoon. Since Boston's have relatively short range I planned my mission carefully; one sector to grab alt, one sector to gain speed and one more to complete calibration just as I arrived at target with one extra sector to spare. My plan was to climb to 18-20K knowing I'd still have enough speed at that alt to make it difficult for anyone to catch me if they had to climb.
So, loaded with 4x500 lb bombs I took off. As I hit about 10K alt I noticed a con crossing our radar to the northeast and generally headed in a dirction to intercept me. I'm sure he thought he'd find some low slow buffs and was salivating at the opportunity for a few easy kills. Since these little Bostons aren't very well armed I decided to turn back and land them, but as I was on final appraoch to my original take off field the con turned east, so I reversed and started to climb once again. Unfortunately, this incident had nearly emptied my aux fuel and, with my fuel situation already close I was worried I might not make it to target and back.
As I reached two sectors from my target, level at 20K and mostly up to speed, E6B was reading 100 miles range and, with two return field options within 50 miles I was feeling confident that I could make it to and from the target without throttling back.
At about that point I flew directly over an enemy CV, puffy ack exploding all around me. I looked down as the CV started a hard turn and I could only imagine the little Generals below me... "High buffs... turn the CV". I flew on taking two minor pings but, aside from my heart stopping momentarily with each hit they did no damage.
A con momentarily crossed the next sector line with me but immediatley turned back for what could only be more lucrative targets over another Rook strat factory.
After crossing the only enemy radar ring that I would need to on this flight I arrived at target and dropped one 500 pounder on each of three building clusters from 20K at at 306 mph. I immediately jumped into external view looking down with the text buffer expanded. First drop good... second drop good... third drop good. With the text buffer nearly filled with building destroyed messages a quick check of the target status showed that I had taken 24% of the city down.
Feeling good about my drop I cut throttle and rpms and decided to fly far enough out to turn and drop one more building cluster with my last bomb even though I may be a glider by the time I got home. I opened the doors and watched the speed drop estimating what I'd need to calibrate to after my turn. 250-260 seemed about right. Just as I was about to cross into another Rook radar ring I turned, nosing up and down as needed to hit that estimated drop speed before leveling out.
I calibrated again at 260 mph while showing 257 but gaining. As I approached I had a hard time deciding what cluster to hit and, in the end I think I chose the wrong one taking only another 5% of the city which was now down to 71%.
As I turned SW toward home across an enemy radar ring a plane upped below me. He crossed into the city sector then right back into the sector I was in. I looked down to see a Typhoon 5.5K below and behind me. I cranked the throttle and rpms back up and watched his distance counter receed until he was only a dot. So far so good but now E6B was telling me I was going to be well short of my closest field.
Just before the Typhies dot disappeared it started to draw closer again. I pointed my nose at the horizon. As I did E6B was telling me I had less than 1 minute of fuel left and there was no way I'd make base, still almost 40 miles away. I considered bailing momentarily but instead chopped RPM leaving throttle at max. As I did my range improved to almost double what I needed, my speed increased to somewhere north of 400 mph and the Typhie faded into the distance.
As I crossed into my own radar I was thinking the Typh had broken off for greener pastures and began to slow for landing. Just then he crossed radar behind me and I bumped the manifold pressure back up. He was hot on my tail now and just at that moment I ran out of fuel.
As I crossed the end of my runway I was still in excess of 250 mph and friendlies who were upping were warning me about the Typhoon. I cranked in full rudder and opposite aileron and slipped it until I was under 150, then leveled for a wheels up landing. When I hit the runway I was past the midway point and skidded for what seemed to be an eternity. I guess all that wieght carries some momentum.
Just as I came to a stop I heard two pings and saw the Typh zoom by, breaking hard to his left. I .efluffied and landed all three Bostons successfully.
I took down 29% of the city, scored 266000 damage points with a 1325% hit %, outran a Typhie and made it home to tell about it. That might have been the most fun I've had in a month or two.
Hope you enjoyed the story. Go Bostons!
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If I was in that situation...I would have bailed out of 2 buffs and turned back to give that Typh a fight and maybe kill him....but I guess that's because I don't play for score
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If I was in that situation...I would have bailed out of 2 buffs and turned back to give that Typh a fight and maybe kill him....but I guess that's because I don't play for score
You may very well not play for score and still don't bail "just for fun" ;)
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Yes, I agree, as there are people that play with a historical aspect and try to land every sortie. I was just stating my opinion of what I would have done differently.
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If I was in that situation...I would have bailed out of 2 buffs and turned back to give that Typh a fight and maybe kill him....but I guess that's because I don't play for score
I actually considered that but thought I'd save it as a last resort if he caught me.
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IMO it would have made for a better story "to right home about." :)
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IMO it would have made for a better story "to right home about." :)
Why would being "gamey" by dogfighting make it a better story? I enjoyed the "real-life" aspect of the story. Made for a refreshing change.
:salute BaldEagl
wrongway
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Why would being "gamey" by dogfighting make it a better story? I enjoyed the "real-life" aspect of the story. Made for a refreshing change.
:salute BaldEagl
wrongway
A.) It's more action-packed WOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOO
B.) I don't see how a Typhoon chasing a Boston is "real life" aspect...
C.) I don't see how that would be considered "gamey"
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If I was in that situation...I would have bailed out of 2 buffs and turned back to give that Typh a fight and maybe kill him....but I guess that's because I don't play for score
Same here. Boston makes a formidable dogfighter actually. Killed a Spit16 and a Pony in a turn fight 2v1.
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:rock First things first. That was a well written story of an Aces High encounter, had me hooked all the way. well done, I thought I was the only flier who ever even upped a Boston. Nice.
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For folks who like Bostons, they are available in the upcoming Tunisia scenario. More info here for any interested:
http://ahevents.org/pacific-theatre/current-or-next-scenario-2.html
Also, although the following spoof Movietone news is intentionally campy, all of the footage in it is real WWII North Africa footage, and you can see brief clips of Boston/A-20's in it:
http://www.electraforge.com/brooke/misc/aces_high/tunisiaScenario.wmv
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Great read, BaldEagl. A good reminder of the many ways there are to have fun in this game.
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I agree with Oboe, while my P38 is as close as I get to a bomber, people have fun in different ways.
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Boston's are always fun. I typically only will up one for bombing gv's so if any fighter shows up you can turn it into a dog fighter easily. Have managed to get a few air to air kills with it. Now if you take it up in early & mid war arena's you will get easy kills with it in air to air combat. With its speed in the early war arena you can hunt down bombers & only a few fighters have the speed to catch you. Many a Spit & zero jocks are surprised that you can turn inside them & boom & zoom them & get on there six. :aok
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The Boston is an underrated light bomber. Another place to find them being used is going to be the next three Fridays in FSO.
http://ahevents.org/mediterranean-theatre/prelude-to-stalemate-operation-avalanche.html
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Yesterday I saw wave after wave of Bish Lancs bail out, A1 LWO, after flinging their 1,000lb bombs from 2,000'. I guess they figure "why fly all the way back when you can bail and deliver twice the tonnage in the same time." :huh
Its good to know "some folks" are still flying the bombers the way they were meant to be flown. :salute
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It should be simple, if someone hits enter enter enter enter enter enter enter enter enter, have the game call them a looser, and auto kick them.
"886476's a moronic bomb & bailer, he will be kicked for his transgressions!" :rock
But no, we will have to watch it happen for the next eight years.
About the boston, i hear the A20G is some 20-30mph faster at all alts than the bostons, has more fuel & better guns, not to mention holds the bomb load that 2 bostons can.
Regardless,dang nice story,! :salute
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Hope you enjoyed the story. Go Bostons!
Did somebody say Bostons? Have I got a deal for you!! Upcoming scenario needs some Boston drivers in the 12th Squadron SAAF. PM me and I'll save you a spot, or go register at http://ahevents.org/scenario-related/scenarios.html
Only 9 slots available. Reserve your spot now!!
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If Chuck Norris had been in that Typhie...
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Good Mission - thanks for the tale.
Nothing better than the combination of planning the mission, hitting the target to your expectations, outwitting the "buff hunters" and bringing all your virtual crew home.
It also saves a lot of virtual letter writing to all the crew's virtual relatives trying to explain that because you took a flight of lancs in at 5K through a furball you got shot down.
I hope you weighed up the virtual lives you took smashing the virtual city to the effort of winning the virtual war.
Bomber missions, after all, are the thinking mans domain.
Suspension of disbelief rules - if it doesn't crank up HALO.