Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Help and Training => Topic started by: Rogue9Volt on April 27, 2014, 07:15:21 PM
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Ok, I've found several planes I'm comfortable flying, but still haven't found my main ride as of yet... I'd like to get some help from someone that's a hot shot in the Hellcat and see if I can learn it really well.
Does anyone A: have some good tips for a mid-level pilot trying to master the hellcat.. Or B: anyone have time to jump in the DA or TA with me and show me the ropes?
Any help is greatly appreciated .
<S>
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Rogue9Volt,
The keys to fighting with the hellcat are almost identical to the F4U. Gain the high ground early in a fight while you still have good speed. Always try to merge at 300mph+ if possible, this will give you two verticle moves to play with before draining all your energy (eg. you can do two full immelmans starting at 300mph directly in a row with practice). So 300 is a good rule of thumb, and by 300 I mean the white gauge not the red(true) gauge. Make your opponent fight up to you if at all possible, you're power to weight ratio isn't very high so fighting uphill is not a hellcat's strength. Hellcat has great flaps just like the F4U, so work that to your advantage but keep in mind the flaps are both a blessing and a curse as they also bleed energy like crazy so use them in bursts, and only as much as needed. Try to follow your opponents in lag to maintain your energy and then use a quick flap dump for the shot when the time is right. Most importantly practice with it, push it to it's edges and beyond. I'm normally in the TA Tuesday and Wednesday nights working with my current students, but would be happy to have you ride along or answer questions for you while I'm there.
<S>
BigRat
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Thanks, BigRat.
I'll look for ya in the TA.
<S>
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Bul1dog2 knows that plane real well..he's a knight I believe
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The Hellcat is my main ride. I'm no hot shot by any means but I would suggest you be very aggressive. Don't shy away from a turn fight. Sure you can b-n-z until the cows come home but that's no fun. :). I'm probably providing poor technical advise but the mental mindset should be aggressive. Don't worry about the poor 6 view figure out a technique to check your 6. There are ways. The Hellcat dives really well.
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Most of the guys in G3 are pretty good in the F6F,but Klipper was the best I've ever seen. :rock
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Although the F6F has a good zoom climb capability it's not a B'n'Zer as it's generally too slow. It is however a good turn fighter as long as you don't have to fight too much in the vertical.
The F6F has been my third plane of choice (Spit, FW-190A8 and F6F-5) since I started here, primarily in an attack role but I'm never afraid to take on any other fighter in it. Normally if intercepted en-route to my attack target I'll fight with 2x1000 lb bombs, full rocket rails and full fuel on board until I feel I need to drop the bombs. I'll almost never unload the rockets, instead saving them until I've won my fight then carrying them to my original mission target.
I wouldn't say I'm a hot shot in the F6F but I know a few things about what she is and isn't capable of. By extension, if you learn the F6F you'll also learn the F4F and the FM2. The F4F is now another of my favorites and one I rarely lose in.
I don't really play that much these days and don't know if I can teach anything or not but if you want to PM me and try to set something up for a late evening or weekend I'll show you what I can. Maybe it will give me an excuse to log on.
In general, flap work is how you win or lose with the Grummans. They are very stable very slow. They don't climb or accelerate well and are generally slow but zoom climb reasonably well. All that said, the F6F is a middle of the road, jack of all trades type of ride and a very survivable aircraft that you can find a lot of success in.
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Not an expert either but offhand I'd say it's a question of who to turn with and who to BnZ.
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Best F6 pilot that I know of is Waffle :aok
:cheers: Oz
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Thanks for all the replies, fellas! I appreciate it!
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I would tap Greebo, Biggamer or Alpha81 for F6F tips. All exceptional in the plane. It is a real sweetheart, very capable and versatile.
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One of the two planes that got me interested in aviation as a child. I still love it and it is my goto plane in really difficult situations.
Guess which is the second plane :)
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The Hellcat is my main ride. I'm no hot shot by any means but I would suggest you be very aggressive. Don't shy away from a turn fight. Sure you can b-n-z until the cows come home but that's no fun. :). I'm probably providing poor technical advise but the mental mindset should be aggressive. Don't worry about the poor 6 view figure out a technique to check your 6. There are ways. The Hellcat dives really well.
:aok
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I meant Greebo. Sorry
:cheers: Oz