Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: Shamrock on September 18, 2009, 03:02:52 PM
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its too hard to hard to only have two people shooting, for intsance in a B17 if the pilot is able to gun...and then someone joins you then you have two people shooting, but that means you can only watch 2 sides of your bomber, so if there is a nose turet, a top turret,a tail gun,2 waist gunners, and a ball turet, you should have 1 person manning each gun.in all arenas.
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its too hard to hard to only have two people shooting, for intsance in a B17 if the pilot is able to gun...and then someone joins you then you have two people shooting, but that means you can only watch 2 sides of your bomber, so if there is a nose turet, a top turret,a tail gun,2 waist gunners, and a ball turet, you should have 1 person manning each gun.in all arenas.
The man himself has given this a "no".
I'll search from home and post links later if you'd like.
wrongway
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The few times I have asked for gunners I ended up regretting letting one in.
I cant imagine policing five noobs with itchy trigger fingers wasting ammo....
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All guns fire that can hit the target your aiming at anyway. So why would more gunners matter?
DuHasst
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The few times I have asked for gunners I ended up regretting letting one in.
I cant imagine policing five noobs with itchy trigger fingers wasting ammo....
Actually, back in the AW days, with "DeathStars", it was lots of fun to fly a full plane.
Still, no.
wrongway
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All guns fire that can hit the target your aiming at anyway. So why would more gunners matter?
DuHasst
He obviously needs a gunner that can actually HIT the target :D
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NO!!
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All guns fire that can hit the target your aiming at anyway. So why would more gunners matter?
DuHasst
Well thats on quite true. they aim at a certian range and if the plane killing you happens to be in that zone of convergance then yes.
But the problem is, not all will be good gunners. Most will be poor ones in my expirence. So your left side is good, as is your nose and belly, but everyone else can't aim worth toejam.
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great idea, give me 5 gunners. get rid of the eggs and drones I'll bet I can outturn, outgunn any body here :x :x :x :x :x. man it was great dogfiting in b17's in AW.
semp
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AW buffs didn't have formations.
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Nope.
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All guns fire that can hit the target your aiming at anyway. So why would more gunners matter?
DuHasst
I believe I can answer this by simply saying.....
Multiple bandits.
All guns aiming one way... at one fighter. There's two fighters....
One gets a free shot.
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It doesn't matter if your gunners can't AIM. The odds are you will die becacuse some of your gunners can't aim.
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Lets remember this:
The drones fire inconsistent to the main gunner (YOU or your BUDDY). The good thing is, if you can't aim well but enough to get around it, you're bound to hit it.
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"Deathstars" were lots of fun in AW. You could get 7 people (8 if you had a fly along) into 1 B-17 no formations back then. Roll through a horde and shoot everything. Some would just roll one out on the Runway and blast vulchers.. you could shoot while on the ground. Problem was like anything else they were abused. Not sure why they are not like that here.. but glad they are not.
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"Deathstars" were lots of fun in AW. You could get 7 people (8 if you had a fly along) into 1 B-17 no formations back then. Roll through a horde and shoot everything. Some would just roll one out on the Runway and blast vulchers.. you could shoot while on the ground. Problem was like anything else they were abused. Not sure why they are not like that here.. but glad they are not.
How were they abused? I can see the top gunners in the game arranging to all pile into one B17, and then blasting the crap outa newbs, but thats about it. Speaking of which, why can't we shoot while on the ground? It woulda saved me several times.
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"Deathstars" were lots of fun in AW. You could get 7 people (8 if you had a fly along) into 1 B-17 no formations back then. Roll through a horde and shoot everything. Some would just roll one out on the Runway and blast vulchers.. you could shoot while on the ground. Problem was like anything else they were abused. Not sure why they are not like that here.. but glad they are not.
How would a fully loaded b17 be any different that lets, say the way we use the mossie, a20, 110's, those planes were not made to turn and loop the way its done in AH. specially the 110, it was not allowed over England due to its inability to turn with any plane. same with the diving lancs, b26's etc, they could not release bombs in a dive. the bombs were carried inside the fuselage if the release while diving they wouldda hit the pilot right in back of the head (ok just a little exaggeration), and yet dive bombing is done here all the time.
semp
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How would a fully loaded b17 be any different that lets, say the way we use the mossie, a20, 110's, those planes were not made to turn and loop the way its done in AH. specially the 110, it was not allowed over England due to its inability to turn with any plane. same with the diving lancs, b26's etc, they could not release bombs in a dive. the bombs were carried inside the fuselage if the release while diving they wouldda hit the pilot right in back of the head (ok just a little exaggeration), and yet dive bombing is done here all the time.
semp
Well they probably could have been released at a gentle slope as long as you pulled up while or just after releasing.
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How would a fully loaded b17 be any different that lets, say the way we use the mossie, a20, 110's, those planes were not made to turn and loop the way its done in AH. specially the 110, it was not allowed over England due to its inability to turn with any plane. same with the diving lancs, b26's etc, they could not release bombs in a dive. the bombs were carried inside the fuselage if the release while diving they wouldda hit the pilot right in back of the head (ok just a little exaggeration), and yet dive bombing is done here all the time.
semp
You really need to do some studying before you make such claims. Bf110s most definitely fought over the UK. Mosquitos and Bf110s could easily loop, and did so. The A-20 was forbidden from looping though, that is true as far as I have heard. Lancasters were dived and looped at times however.
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How were the deathstars abused?
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People would sit on the runway and fire at vulchers.
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That doesn't sound very "abusive". It seems like an airbase would have machine guns posted around wherever there's a few feet of space.
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You really need to do some studying before you make such claims. Bf110s most definitely fought over the UK. Mosquitos and Bf110s could easily loop, and did so. The A-20 was forbidden from looping though, that is true as far as I have heard. Lancasters were dived and looped at times however.
maybe you should re-read your notes, due to the ease at which 110's were shot down over england they were not allowed to go unless accompanies by heavy escort, which later in the war was consired a waste of resources. lancs would not dive bomb because that would disrupt their formation, which was their main defense, also they flew at night, with no lights, which made it even worst. as for looping they had gunners, boxes of ammo, other crap and they would have been bouncing inside like a ball in a ping pong machine. mossies were best at low level (and I mean tree top) light bombers but were no match for the fiters in dogfites, not saying they didnt shoot a few fiters, but their best defense was to hit and run like hell before anybody knew they were there.
People would sit on the runway and fire at vulchers.
this was changed in 97 i believe which same as in ah now, gunners could not fire untill the plane was up in the air. before then I remember lots of times landing a b17 and end of runway and killing all uppers. kindda of like we do with tanks here.
semp
semp
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this was changed in 97 i believe which same as in ah now, gunners could not fire untill the plane was up in the air. before then I remember lots of times landing a b17 and end of runway and killing all uppers. kindda of like we do with tanks here.
semp
semp
Yeah that's what I'm thinkin' of ;)
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kindda of like we do with tanks here.
semp
IDK why, but I've never had any real problem with spawn campers. Oh sure, a few pings from an M8 or a wirb, but that it. I've had people try to spawn camp me, but I killed them when they should already have had the range which speaks poorly of them.
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Multiple gunners in buffs, :aok
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guncrasher, earlier on the 110s were escort to the bombers themselves.
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guncrasher, I live in Dorset, UK south coast, and can assure you that 110s came over regularly to attack coastal positions, rail, ports and industry.
List of some that didnt make it back:
27-9-40 3378/S9+DK Bf.110D-3 2Staffel-Epr/GR210
s/d and cr Busseys Stool Farm,Tarrant Gunville at 1200 hrs,
Pilot- Hptm Martin Lutz.2 killed
27-9-40 4270/S9-DU Bf.110D-3 Epr/GR210 S/d and forced landing at
The Beeches ,Preston Hill Iwerne minster Pilot Fw Friedrich Ebner
27-9-40 3888/S9-JH Bf.110D-3 s/d by 504 Sq and cr at
Bradle Row,Kimmeridge.Pilot: Ltn Gerhard Schmidt + 1 killed.
27-9-40 2248/S9+GK Bf.110D-3 Epr/GR210 cr in sea off coast.
Obltn Wilhelm Rössiger + 1 missing
27-9-40 3629/3U+IM Bf.110C-7 4/ZG26. s/d and cr at Salters Wood,
Middle Bere Fm,Arne by 609 and 152 Sq
Pilot: Obltn Arthur Niebuhr and one other killed
27-9-40 3290/3U-DS Bf.110C-4 III/ZG26 Forced landing after combat,
1 mile SW Kimmeridge. Pilot - Uffz Fritz Schupp
27-9-40 2168/3U+BD Bf.110C-4 III/ZG26 s/d and cr in sea off Dorset coast.
2 missing.A/c identity unconfirmed. 2 killed
27-9-40 3297/3U+FT Bf.110C-4 III/ZG26 Mid-air collision with X4107 Spitfire,
cr at Bellamy's Farm Piddletrenthide.
pilot Gefr Georg Jakstadt baled out and captured.
7-10-40 Bf.110 ZG26 shot down by 609Sq and cr Owermoigne
7-10-40 Bf.110 ZG26 shot down by 609Sq,cr in sea
http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/dorset/dorcrash.html (http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/dorset/dorcrash.html)
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(http://z.about.com/d/diyfashion/1/0/Q/6/-/-/NoSign.JPG)
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Actually, back in the AW days, with "DeathStars", it was lots of fun to fly a full plane.
Still, no.
wrongway
This was a blast not to mention the way u could throw the 17 around. :lol
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guncrasher, I live in Dorset, UK south coast, and can assure you that 110s came over regularly to attack coastal positions, rail, ports and industry.
List of some that didnt make it back:
27-9-40 3378/S9+DK Bf.110D-3 2Staffel-Epr/GR210
s/d and cr Busseys Stool Farm,Tarrant Gunville at 1200 hrs,
Pilot- Hptm Martin Lutz.2 killed
27-9-40 4270/S9-DU Bf.110D-3 Epr/GR210 S/d and forced landing at
The Beeches ,Preston Hill Iwerne minster Pilot Fw Friedrich Ebner
27-9-40 3888/S9-JH Bf.110D-3 s/d by 504 Sq and cr at
Bradle Row,Kimmeridge.Pilot: Ltn Gerhard Schmidt + 1 killed.
27-9-40 2248/S9+GK Bf.110D-3 Epr/GR210 cr in sea off coast.
Obltn Wilhelm Rössiger + 1 missing
27-9-40 3629/3U+IM Bf.110C-7 4/ZG26. s/d and cr at Salters Wood,
Middle Bere Fm,Arne by 609 and 152 Sq
Pilot: Obltn Arthur Niebuhr and one other killed
27-9-40 3290/3U-DS Bf.110C-4 III/ZG26 Forced landing after combat,
1 mile SW Kimmeridge. Pilot - Uffz Fritz Schupp
27-9-40 2168/3U+BD Bf.110C-4 III/ZG26 s/d and cr in sea off Dorset coast.
2 missing.A/c identity unconfirmed. 2 killed
27-9-40 3297/3U+FT Bf.110C-4 III/ZG26 Mid-air collision with X4107 Spitfire,
cr at Bellamy's Farm Piddletrenthide.
pilot Gefr Georg Jakstadt baled out and captured.
7-10-40 Bf.110 ZG26 shot down by 609Sq and cr Owermoigne
7-10-40 Bf.110 ZG26 shot down by 609Sq,cr in sea
http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/dorset/dorcrash.html (http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/dorset/dorcrash.html)
I never said 110's didnt fly into england, just that in the latter part of the war the were not allowed to fly into england due to the fact that they were easy pray to the spits and hurricane due to their inability to turn with the fiters. which in AH its greatly enhanced, I have flown 110's here and will easily outturn spitfires which didnt happen in ww2. and i am not talking about spitfires flown by noobies.
semp
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"Deathstars" were lots of fun in AW. You could get 7 people (8 if you had a fly along) into 1 B-17 no formations back then.
Yeah, I always wound up in the navigator's seat. Grrr...
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How were they abused? I can see the top gunners in the game arranging to all pile into one B17, and then blasting the crap outa newbs, but thats about it. Speaking of which, why can't we shoot while on the ground? It woulda saved me several times.
The flight modeling of the B-17 was inaccurate in AW. The B-17 could out turn any fighter in the game and if it was flown as a Deathstar, was the most dangerous plane you could run into. Even if ganged, a Deathstar was a very tough nut to crack and usually ended up on the winning side of the fight.
It was also abused by having a Deathstar fly low on the deck over an enemy base, take out the field acks and just fly back and forth vulching anything that took off.
ack-ack
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maybe you should re-read your notes, due to the ease at which 110's were shot down over england they were not allowed to go unless accompanies by heavy escort, which later in the war was consired a waste of resources. lancs would not dive bomb because that would disrupt their formation, which was their main defense, also they flew at night, with no lights, which made it even worst. as for looping they had gunners, boxes of ammo, other crap and they would have been bouncing inside like a ball in a ping pong machine. mossies were best at low level (and I mean tree top) light bombers but were no match for the fiters in dogfites, not saying they didnt shoot a few fiters, but their best defense was to hit and run like hell before anybody knew they were there.
this was changed in 97 i believe which same as in ah now, gunners could not fire untill the plane was up in the air. before then I remember lots of times landing a b17 and end of runway and killing all uppers. kindda of like we do with tanks here.
semp
No offense, but your knowledge of World War II fighters, their abilities and tactics is terribly lacking.
At high altitudes, the Mosquito was virtually untouchable due to it's high speed and was probably one of the best night fighters during the war. The speed, maneuverability and ordnance load made it a perfect plane for low level attacks and not because of necessity because it "sucked" up high.
Bf 110s operated over England during BoB without fighter escort on numerous occasions. One of the most devestating strikes during the BoB was at the hand of a specialized Luftwaffe squadron that used NOE attack tactics flying Bf 110s. It was also faster than the contemporay RAF Hurricane but had poor acceleration. It was also a threat as a high altitude escort using BnZ attacks. It was able to loiter over England a lot longer than the Bf 109.
While Lancaster's didn't dive bomb, they did use shallow dive bombing tactics. Also, the Lancaster was capable of diving at steep angles, the recommended evasive tactic for Lancasters was a tight spiral dive called the 'Corkscrew'.
The RAF heavy bomber's standard evasive maneuver enabled it to continue on course while presenting an attacking fighter with an extremely difficult target. This maneuver is performed any time the attack is from the rear to middle of the craft. The diagram at Figure 1. shows the maneuver following a port fighter attack.
(http://www.429sqn.ca/acmem01.jpg)
How to:
1. The pilot (originally cruising at 200-225 mph) opens his throttle and banks at 45 degrees to make a diving turn to port (because the enemy aircraft is on the port, reverse the maneuver if enemy is on starboard.); descending through 1,000 ft in six seconds, the bomber reaches a speed of nearly 300 mph. After the 1,000 ft descent, the pilot pulls the aircraft into a climb, still turning to port.
3. He reverse the turn, halfway through the climb which has caused his speed to fall sharply, possibly forcing the attacking night fighter to overshoot.
4. Regaining his original altitude, with speed down to 185 mph and still in the starboard turn, the pilot pushes the aircraft down into another dive.
5. Picking up speed in the dive, he descends through 500 ft before reversing the direction of the turn.
6. If the fighter is still on his tail, he stand by to repeat the maneuver. The physical effort required by the pilot has been compared with that of an oarsman pulling hard in a boat race.
The next question is what do we do with an attack from the front area since our turrets will not move left or right. If the attack is basically head on point the nose towards the enemy plane just like a fighter. Otherwise, use the corkscrew. It was rare that a Lancaster was attacked head on during night operations.
ack-ack
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this was changed in 97 i believe which same as in ah now, gunners could not fire untill the plane was up in the air. before then I remember lots of times landing a b17 and end of runway and killing all uppers. kindda of like we do with tanks here.
semp
They never removed the ability to fire the guns of a B-17 while sitting on the runway in AW. The only changes was the implementation of a G limiter on the B-17 to stop it from being flown like a Zeke. If you pulled more than 3 G's in the B-17, you'd snap the wings off after the G limiter was implemented.
ack-ack
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There's very specific technical reasons this cannot be done. Either it works like in AW where only the guns manned fire (ie, no automatic slaving of guns) and everybody can hop on, or the AH way where only one gunner can be present and the guns will slave for effective fire.
I prefer the current method, though I can't say I'd mind having the Otto gunners back... :devil
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No offense, but your knowledge of World War II fighters, their abilities and tactics is terribly lacking.
At high altitudes, the Mosquito was virtually untouchable due to it's high speed and was probably one of the best night fighters during the war. The speed, maneuverability and ordnance load made it a perfect plane for low level attacks and not because of necessity because it "sucked" up high.
Bf 110s operated over England during BoB without fighter escort on numerous occasions. One of the most devestating strikes during the BoB was at the hand of a specialized Luftwaffe squadron that used NOE attack tactics flying Bf 110s. It was also faster than the contemporay RAF Hurricane but had poor acceleration. It was also a threat as a high altitude escort using BnZ attacks. It was able to loiter over England a lot longer than the Bf 109.
While Lancaster's didn't dive bomb, they did use shallow dive bombing tactics. Also, the Lancaster was capable of diving at steep angles, the recommended evasive tactic for Lancasters was a tight spiral dive called the 'Corkscrew'.
The RAF heavy bomber's standard evasive maneuver enabled it to continue on course while presenting an attacking fighter with an extremely difficult target. This maneuver is performed any time the attack is from the rear to middle of the craft. The diagram at Figure 1. shows the maneuver following a port fighter attack.
(http://www.429sqn.ca/acmem01.jpg)
How to:
1. The pilot (originally cruising at 200-225 mph) opens his throttle and banks at 45 degrees to make a diving turn to port (because the enemy aircraft is on the port, reverse the maneuver if enemy is on starboard.); descending through 1,000 ft in six seconds, the bomber reaches a speed of nearly 300 mph. After the 1,000 ft descent, the pilot pulls the aircraft into a climb, still turning to port.
3. He reverse the turn, halfway through the climb which has caused his speed to fall sharply, possibly forcing the attacking night fighter to overshoot.
4. Regaining his original altitude, with speed down to 185 mph and still in the starboard turn, the pilot pushes the aircraft down into another dive.
5. Picking up speed in the dive, he descends through 500 ft before reversing the direction of the turn.
6. If the fighter is still on his tail, he stand by to repeat the maneuver. The physical effort required by the pilot has been compared with that of an oarsman pulling hard in a boat race.
The next question is what do we do with an attack from the front area since our turrets will not move left or right. If the attack is basically head on point the nose towards the enemy plane just like a fighter. Otherwise, use the corkscrew. It was rare that a Lancaster was attacked head on during night operations.
ack-ack
Just one thing, lancasters flew in formations not as a single plane, so dive bombing or even a shallow dive would only disrupt the formation which was their main defense also the lancasters flew at nite with no lights on and you think they would be dumb enought to try a shallow dive or a corkscrew turn they would crash into each other. so that leaves the cork screw by a single lancs as an evasive manouver. ok one single lanc was a dead lanc corkscrew manouver or shallow dive, only thing a single lanc could do is roll over and play dead. You may be reading a book about recommended manouvers but that's not really what happened in real life. no single lanc had a chance in hell of making it to the target and back, that's why they flew at night bombing and only with a formation. as for the 110's and mossies I still stand that they were no match for the fiters, they could definately not turn with the fiters. not saying they didnt kill some, just that in general they would lose.
btw pretty cool picture of the lanc in a dive, now imagine what would happened to the gunners in a 45 degree dive. U think the pilot would turn on the sign that says "place your seats in the upright position and fasten your seatbelts, and hold on to your fricking ammo boxes". and that of course implied that the pilot saw the fiter in time to even attemp the manouver. think about it its night its dark. you have maybe 3 or 4 seconds to react. that fiter was gonna hit you no matter what, buffs dont turn as easy as fiters.
semp
semp
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What kind of formation did they fly at night?
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AW had horrible variance with gunners, increased as more were added---was rather like all 6-7 guys were sharing the thin bandwidth of 1 plane (WAS a frikkin blast though....taking a B25, which had 4 gunners to train on 6 or 12!)
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Just one thing, lancasters flew in formations not as a single plane, so dive bombing or even a shallow dive would only disrupt the formation which was their main defense also the lancasters flew at nite with no lights on and you think they would be dumb enought to try a shallow dive or a corkscrew turn they would crash into each other. so that leaves the cork screw by a single lancs as an evasive manouver. ok one single lanc was a dead lanc corkscrew manouver or shallow dive, only thing a single lanc could do is roll over and play dead. You may be reading a book about recommended manouvers but that's not really what happened in real life. no single lanc had a chance in hell of making it to the target and back, that's why they flew at night bombing and only with a formation. as for the 110's and mossies I still stand that they were no match for the fiters, they could definately not turn with the fiters. not saying they didnt kill some, just that in general they would lose.
btw pretty cool picture of the lanc in a dive, now imagine what would happened to the gunners in a 45 degree dive. U think the pilot would turn on the sign that says "place your seats in the upright position and fasten your seatbelts, and hold on to your fricking ammo boxes". and that of course implied that the pilot saw the fiter in time to even attemp the manouver. think about it its night its dark. you have maybe 3 or 4 seconds to react. that fiter was gonna hit you no matter what, buffs dont turn as easy as fiters.
semp
semp
British night bombers flew in streams of single aircraft. The nightfighters mostly
had onboard radar <the effective ones anyway, not the Wild Sau types> and so
had a pretty good idea where the bombers were. The corkscrew was designed to
throw off the nightfighter's attack approach, so not being seen was the idea.
Visually you could pick up bombers by moonlight, searchlights or by spotting
exhaust flames.
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Just one thing, lancasters flew in formations not as a single plane, so dive bombing or even a shallow dive would only disrupt the formation which was their main defense also the lancasters flew at nite with no lights on and you think they would be dumb enought to try a shallow dive or a corkscrew turn they would crash into each other. so that leaves the cork screw by a single lancs as an evasive manouver. ok one single lanc was a dead lanc corkscrew manouver or shallow dive, only thing a single lanc could do is roll over and play dead. You may be reading a book about recommended manouvers but that's not really what happened in real life. no single lanc had a chance in hell of making it to the target and back, that's why they flew at night bombing and only with a formation. as for the 110's and mossies I still stand that they were no match for the fiters, they could definately not turn with the fiters. not saying they didnt kill some, just that in general they would lose.
btw pretty cool picture of the lanc in a dive, now imagine what would happened to the gunners in a 45 degree dive. U think the pilot would turn on the sign that says "place your seats in the upright position and fasten your seatbelts, and hold on to your fricking ammo boxes". and that of course implied that the pilot saw the fiter in time to even attemp the manouver. think about it its night its dark. you have maybe 3 or 4 seconds to react. that fiter was gonna hit you no matter what, buffs dont turn as easy as fiters.
semp
semp
The Corkscrew evasive maneuver was a common evasive performed by Lancaster crews. You claim it never happened but again, I'm going to show that you're incorrect.
In Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-1945 (http://books.google.com/books?id=uKmeiZmEXJoC&pg=PA314&lpg=PA314&dq=corkscrew+evasive&source=bl&ots=aMcJVDlYju&sig=j6WtZ-5MeVWE4XAOQnnRgT0AQCo&hl=en&ei=FKe6Sqz3NJKUkAXxjvTsBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7#v=onepage&q=corkscrew%20evasive&f=false) on page 314 tells of a Lancaster using the maneuver to escape a night fighter attack.
In this book, Nickels and nightingales (http://books.google.com/books?id=LQj8Nb_cYbAC&pg=PA172&lpg=PA172&dq=corkscrew+evasive&source=bl&ots=JW2L2qKYJI&sig=z7RIlwUYNn9D5874gjREv2pCI0c&hl=en&ei=FKe6Sqz3NJKUkAXxjvTsBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=corkscrew%20evasive&f=false) a crewman tells how using the corkscrew maneuver allowed them to avoid being shot down and lose their attacker.
These are a couple of excerpts from BBC's WW2 People's War (http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/43/a4365443.shtml) about a Lancaster's night mission over Germany in 1944.
On the night of 21 June 1944 RAF Bomber Command sent 133 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes to attack the synthetic oil plant at Wesseling, in Germany. I was the captain of one of the Lancaster crews detailed to take part in the raid. That morning I had been briefed about a new enemy combat tactic, where the German night fighters operated in pairs, one committing the bomber to an evasive move with the other seizing an attacking opportunity when the bomber was at its most vulnerable point, the top or bottom of the corkscrew. Discussing tactics with my crew, I said:
“Apparently they find a victim then one of them will attack from the rear along a standard fighter curve and of course if the bomber doesn't see him or have time to take action he is in trouble.” Both my gunners were lost for words at such a suggestion. “On the other hand,” I continued, 'He is picked up and the corkscrew port or starboard is committed - now his number 2 is holding off waiting for a good opportunity to come in, which we will try not to give him by adding a bit of rough flying at the roll-over points. Let's get airborne and try it out.”
The course change was made and now the black sky was to port and ahead leaving the bright sky astern on the starboard side. As I lined up the needle on the aircraft compass, the clear unhurried voice of the wireless operator broke the silence.
“Bandits skipper, one above rear on the port side, and the other one same on the starboard - range about 1,000 yards.”
“Right - see them rear gunner?”
“Not yet skipper.”
“Mid-upper?”
“No.”
“The one of the starboard is coming in,” said the wireless operator, reading the range on his Monica screen.
“Eight hundred… seven… six.”
“Got him skipper, corkscrew starboard,” a pause by the rear gunner.
“Go, go.”
“Up the revs engineer, twenty-seven fifty.”
“A hundred on Skip,” said 'Wag’.
And the engines’ synchronised drone changed to a drumming note of emergency as the practised drill commenced, down and turning, making it difficult for the fighter to turn inside the curve and bring his guns to bear on target.
“He's broken away, the port one is coming in Skip, seven hundred… six… five,” said the wireless operator, sedulously occupied with his screen, now a key member of the little battle group.
“Trying to catch us at the bottom when we roll”, I thought.
As I turned the aircraft from a starboard downwards curve through to the port upwards curve I pushed the control column forward violently causing the nose of the aircraft to drop momentarily, then up into the lumbering climb to port, thus creating an air turbulence that together with the six .303 Browning guns that were now filling the plane with acrid fumes, would encourage the enemy to keep at safe distance.
“Port bandit broken away Skipper”, came the voice of the wireless operator.
“They're both FW 190s,” broke in the Scottish brogue of the mid upper, as I hauled the heavy machine back onto course.
“They are still there - one port and one starboard - high and rear about 1,000 yards.” Despite the violent flying the wireless operator was keeping a good watch of his screen.
“Port one coming in 500 yards.”
“Got it,” picked up the rear gunner.
“Corkscrew port - Go! Go!”
ack-ack
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Actually, back in the AW days, with "DeathStars", it was lots of fun to fly a full plane.
Still, no.
wrongway
There was once a sort of Trafalgar-esque event back in WarBirds that involved fully-crewed BUFFs slugging it out... the ultimate evolution of the Boulton-Paul Defiant "turret fighter", as it were. Sure was silly fun. ;)
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There was once a sort of Trafalgar-esque event back in WarBirds that involved fully-crewed BUFFs slugging it out... the ultimate evolution of the Boulton-Paul Defiant "turret fighter", as it were. Sure was silly fun. ;)
there used to be an arena in AW, Air Galleons where you could up Deathstars and duel. It was fun but sadly didn't last very long.
ack-ack