Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: jeep00 on October 11, 2013, 01:47:30 PM

Title: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: jeep00 on October 11, 2013, 01:47:30 PM
It really seems to me there is a difference in hitting power with f4u-1 vs -1a or d. I fly those the most and it seems more difficult to bring an air craft down with the -1. Same converge same style of flying and targetting and distance there seems to be less hitting power. Was there a difference or am I just off a bit?


Thanks
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Ack-Ack on October 11, 2013, 02:27:09 PM
You're just off a bit.

ack-ack
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: SmokinLoon on October 11, 2013, 03:33:00 PM
You're off a bit.

Each and every one of the US .50 caliber MG's mounted in US and British aircraft in AH have the exact same "oomph".  Mind you, they are a wee bit less than gv mounted US .50 cal MG's.   :aok
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: bozon on October 11, 2013, 03:33:15 PM
check your convergence settings in these planes. Is it the same?
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: jeep00 on October 11, 2013, 05:35:39 PM
Same convergance yes. Thanks for the answers everyone. Just have to work on it. :-)
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Bruv119 on October 11, 2013, 05:42:35 PM
only thing I notice is planes tend to snap a little easier when you have more momentum.

in a slow speed tail chase it always seems to take a little more. 

Like say I'm in a pony diving on buffs I'd get 1 or 2 down in one pass.   If I was co-e climbing behind it would take x amount more trigger time to achieve the same result.  Whether it should or shouldn't is open to debate just my opinion after thousands of kills in various 50 cal aircraft. 
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Aspen on October 11, 2013, 05:54:54 PM
I don't fly them much.  Can't imagine any difference unless the rate of fire is different from model to model.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: bangsbox on October 11, 2013, 10:00:11 PM
Doesn't the later f4us have a faster rate of fire than earlier model?
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Randy1 on October 11, 2013, 10:04:40 PM
Could be too, the 1 turns a bit better and the lead changes.  You may have noticed on planes that are just a bit slower it is hard to close quickly for the kill.  A big advantage for high alt pickers and planes like the mustang is closure speed.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Karnak on October 12, 2013, 10:10:38 AM
Doesn't the later f4us have a faster rate of fire than earlier model?
No.  All WWII M2 .50 calibers are the same for aircraft.

Per HiTech the way the game works is that the same code is called for a given weapon.  In other words the M2 .50 caliber aircraft gun is only coded once and the .50 M2 guns on the F4U, P-47 and Spitfire Mk XIV all call the same code to calculate velocity, drag and damage.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Blinder on October 12, 2013, 02:49:27 PM
No.  All WWII M2 .50 calibers are the same for aircraft.

Per HiTech the way the game works is that the same code is called for a given weapon.  In other words the M2 .50 caliber aircraft gun is only coded once and the .50 M2 guns on the F4U, P-47 and Spitfire Mk XIV all call the same code to calculate velocity, drag and damage.

That makes sense because from what I've read, was told in the Marines and what I've experienced, the M2 and is subtle variants has a virtually unchanged receiver since the currently used 1933 inception of the M2HB. The aircraft version known as the AN/M2 was utilized from the Curtiss P-36 all the way up to the McDonnell FH Phantom and the Republic F-84 variants. However a faster firing version, the AN/M3 saw service with the Sabre and none other as far as I know.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Saxman on October 12, 2013, 06:54:48 PM
That makes sense because from what I've read, was told in the Marines and what I've experienced, the M2 and is subtle variants has a virtually unchanged receiver since the currently used 1933 inception of the M2HB. The aircraft version known as the AN/M2 was utilized from the Curtiss P-36 all the way up to the McDonnell FH Phantom and the Republic F-84 variants. However a faster firing version, the AN/M3 saw service with the Sabre and none other as far as I know.

I thought I read somewhere some of the later P-47s and P-51s may have had the M3 variant at the very end of the war, but not nearly enough of them to justify making it a loadout option.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: curry1 on October 14, 2013, 01:14:03 AM
I thought I read somewhere some of the later P-47s and P-51s may have had the M3 variant at the very end of the war, but not nearly enough of them to justify making it a loadout option.

That would be neat 1200 rpm rather than 800rpm.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: BaldEagl on October 14, 2013, 02:02:16 AM
Aren't all the other F4U's faster than the 1?  If so then a slightly faster rate of closure might be enough to be noticable.  Muzzle velocity is muzzle velocity after all and added to the closure differential you should hit a little bit harder.  At the extreme connecting on a HO shot should hit a lot harder than one from the six.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Saxman on October 14, 2013, 07:16:25 AM
Aren't all the other F4U's faster than the 1?  If so then a slightly faster rate of closure might be enough to be noticable.  Muzzle velocity is muzzle velocity after all and added to the closure differential you should hit a little bit harder.  At the extreme connecting on a HO shot should hit a lot harder than one from the six.

No, only the F4U-1A (marginally) and F4U-4 (a lot) are faster. The 1D and 1C are a little bit slower, since they have fixed pylons adding drag. I think the 1C also adds a bit of parasitic drag due to the increased weight of the cannon.

That would be neat 1200 rpm rather than 800rpm.

Yes, but as I said, I believe it was only a handful of airframes at the very end of the war that had them. If that, because I can't remember if what I read was accurate.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: SmokinLoon on October 14, 2013, 09:09:33 AM

No, only the F4U-1A (marginally) and F4U-4 (a lot) are faster. The 1D and 1C are a little bit slower, since they have fixed pylons adding drag. I think the 1C also adds a bit of parasitic drag due to the increased weight of the cannon.


I don't think the "drag" is even worth mentioning, really. I've not tested the F4U's because I do not fly them much, but the Mossi Mk VI flies the same speed empty or with 2/500 lbs in the bomb bay.  Climb, acceleration, and turn are different, but not top speed. 
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Karnak on October 14, 2013, 09:42:48 AM
I don't think the "drag" is even worth mentioning, really. I've not tested the F4U's because I do not fly them much, but the Mossi Mk VI flies the same speed empty or with 2/500 lbs in the bomb bay.  Climb, acceleration, and turn are different, but not top speed. 
I seem to recall a 1mph difference on that load.  I'll check my spreadsheet when I get home.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: JOACH1M on October 14, 2013, 12:21:10 PM
That would be neat 1200 rpm rather than 800rpm.
wow i could only imagine the buzz saw the 47 would be lol
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: SmokinLoon on October 14, 2013, 03:45:23 PM
I seem to recall a 1mph difference on that load.  I'll check my spreadsheet when I get home.

For an actuary the value of 1 mph difference while traveling 340mph may be relative if the distance traveled is hundreds and hundreds of miles but in AH it is irrelevant.  The acceleration, climb, and turn are an issue though.  As I dug through my notes on the differences in speeds and climb rates for the different ordnance packages on the Mossi Mk VI, I did come across a little note of mine saying "less than 1 mph" difference with only the 2/500 lb bomber vs having an empty bomb bay.  Mind you, that was testing with 25% fuel so it might be larger if the Mossi is further weighed down by larger fuel amounts.  I didn't test that.

About the only planes in AH that I take in to consideration of "just how active will I be in fighter mode after the ord is gone", are the Mossi and P38.  If while in the Mossi I'm going to be providing top cover I'll take the 2 bombs and leave the rockets (and racks) behind, the P38L not so much but I will be much more careful about tight maneuvers. The rocket racks on both add a major amount of drag that not only do the flat numbers show the difference (speed and climb) but the handling is noticeably different as well.  
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Saxman on October 14, 2013, 03:51:27 PM
Anyway, my point was that the 1D is demonstrably slower than the -1, which would rule out increased speed adding hitting power to the Brownings.
Title: Re: .50 cal hitting power
Post by: Karnak on October 14, 2013, 07:47:28 PM
I remembered incorrectly.  The Mossie VI tops out at 357mph on the deck with 50% fuel and nothing in the bomb bay and 357mph on the deck with 50% fuel and two 500lb bombs in the bomb bay.