Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: moose on May 24, 2002, 12:52:45 AM

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: moose on May 24, 2002, 12:52:45 AM

SUPA FLY!

I love you man!

My absolute favorite plane from WWII. :) Merci!!

Title: Damn...
Post by: BotaBing on May 24, 2002, 03:17:10 AM

I totally have to agree. I am so excited about 1.10 its hard to wait.

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Booky on May 24, 2002, 06:16:07 AM

What you waiting for? I got 1.10 yesterday. :p

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Midnight on May 24, 2002, 08:23:06 AM

When SUPERFLY says 'Slow but Deadly' in his post, I think he meant...

This plane is slow and deadly to be in. It can't maneuver to save it's life (literally) and has very weak defensive armament. If you fly this slow moving ariel target, please accept your fate of becoming cannon fodder for the A6M2.

I am not an early war Pacfic Theater fan, but I am very impressed with the work being done for that plane set. With such effort being expended by HTC and staff on this era, I will most certainly enjoy being in any special events that come up.

IMO, special events are super fun and immersive, and even more so when substitutes are not made with out of era planes, especially when they are of the wrong country.

WTG HTC!

Oh yeah... P-51H :D

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: K West on May 24, 2002, 08:36:31 AM

"It can't maneuver to save it's life "

 What I've read on the SBD speaks highly of it when it had no ordinance (besides pilots gun)  or back seat gunner. It was even used for CAP over the fleets for anti-bomber duty at times.

Westy

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Superfly on May 24, 2002, 08:52:56 AM

The nickname of the SBD was Slow But Deadly.  I'm sure it will be deadly in the hands of a capable pilot, but not me of course.  ;)

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: MuadDib of Dune on May 24, 2002, 09:04:06 AM

This plane is slow and deadly to be in. It can't maneuver to save it's life (literally) and has very weak defensive armament.
====
Midnight,

Although you are largely correct when heavily armed in the dive bomber suite, the SBD was vulnerable and the small package of fixed guns (one .30 and one .50 cal fwd firing) was of limited use offensively.

However, my study indicates that the Dauntless was in fact a very manoeverable plane in its time when unburdaned with ordinace.  She was said to be competative with the F4F series in ACM when light.  Indeed, A cadre of Naval Officers lobbied for the SBD to be armed with standard package of machine guns (4 or 6, cant remember) and  be pressed into service as a fighter.  

I can go and search this material out if you wish but my recollection of this history is pretty good.

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Kieran on May 24, 2002, 09:25:06 AM

Midnight-

You are aware SBD really stands for "Scout Bomber-Dive" or something to that effect? While no match for a Zero, to say it isn't maneuverable is inaccurate.

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Dnil on May 24, 2002, 09:36:57 AM

think its Scout Bomber Douglas.  D is Douglas's designator.

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Kieran on May 24, 2002, 10:01:24 AM

Hmmm, maybe, but... TBM? TBF? PBY?

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Kieran on May 24, 2002, 10:10:01 AM

Quote

The Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber became a mainstay of the Navy's air fleet in the Pacific, with the lowest loss ratio of any U.S. carrier-based aircraft. Douglas delivered a total of 5,936 SBD/A-24s between 1940 and the end of production in July 1944.

Read a little here (http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/history/mdc/dauntless.htm)

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Wilbus on May 24, 2002, 10:13:15 AM

Another target :D

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Dnil on May 24, 2002, 10:55:49 AM

Are you asking me Kieran?  If not then ignore this, hehe.

the M designator is for Eastern, as in FM-2, TBM.  The F designator is for Grumman, F4F,F6F.  The Y is for Consolidated, PBY, PB4Y

Its only for Navy stuff tho and cant remember when it goes out of style, think late '50s early '60s.  Reason the Skyhawk has 2 different designations, A-4 and A4D.  So I think an A4D-2 was an A-4B.  All from memory of course. :)

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Steven on May 24, 2002, 11:16:35 AM

I think it goes out of style in the early 60's.  I don't know if it's actually true, but I heard that during a briefing, R McNamara thought the F4H and F110 (both Phantom II's, but USN and USAF variants) were two totally different planes and was embarassed afterwards when he found out they weren't and so changed everyone to a common naming system.  Those two became the F-4A/B and F-4C.

USN used:
F = Grumman (F4F Wildcat, F8F Bearcat)
U = Vought  (F4U Corsair, F8U Crusader)
H = McDonnell (F4H Phantom, F3H Demon)
D = Douglas...etc...

1st letter indicated role (F fighter, A attack, etc), 2nd was the design in sequence for that company (3 would mean that company's 3rd design) and 3rd was the company designator.  I kinda liked the system.  :-)

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Midnight on May 24, 2002, 11:49:14 AM

ok.. it can move...

but it's still cannon fodder :D

1x .50 forward firing MG with 300?? rounds is not much threat, even if you can get it in firing position.

and the .303 defensive gun? Hehe.. maybe good to keep the seagulls away after you ditch. That is if the open compartment isn't full of gunner's mate hamburger :)

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Kieran on May 24, 2002, 01:31:13 PM

Midnight, that is 2x.50 in the nose.

Title: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Mino on May 24, 2002, 02:17:09 PM

Quote

Originally posted by SUPERFLY
The nickname of the SBD was Slow But Deadly.  I'm sure it will be deadly in the hands of a capable pilot, but not me of course.  ;)

Ahem.....

Silent But Deadly

This plane makes no noise, and stinks to high heaven!:)