Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Widewing on August 06, 2002, 04:22:23 PM
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Tour 30 was a revelation for me. With addition of the two Wildcats and P-40s, I found myself first experimenting with and then adopting the former as my main ride. While I also like the Tomahawk/Kittyhawk/Warhawk, I felt that it would be smart to stick to one type and master it.
What I discovered was essentially what many others learned, that the Wildcat is an extremely dangerous aircraft in any kind of turning fight. Only the Zero is a genuine threat, and it had better be well flown at that. However, the Wildcats are truly multi-dimensional, being remarkably effective as fighter-bombers. Those two 100 pound bombs will kill any ground vehicle, and combined with six 5” rockets, the FM-2 can be used to great effect against GVs. Indeed, getting as many as five GV kills on a single ammo load is not especially difficult.
Where the F4F-4 shines is in the roll of fleet defense. Specifically, it excels at low CAP. Orbiting the task force at 3-5k, incoming torpedo bombers are quickly dispatched. Without exaggeration, six Ju 88s per ammo load is well within reason. Even with empty magazines, kills can be gained by simply accompanying the Ju 88s into the ship’s tripleA, where AI kills are assigned as proximity kills. Not the most honorable way to add to one’s score, but easily done, nonetheless. With F4Us and Hellcats providing high CAP, and the Wildcats sweeping the nearby sea, it becomes very difficult to break through and get hits on the carrier.
There’s always the hordes of Spitfires and Nikis patrolling just outside of tripleA range. But, the Wildcats can deal with those too, especially the FM-2. SpitVs, Seafires and SpitIXs are in deep bandini should their pilots elect to turnfight the FM-2. Indeed, anyone flying a Hurricane IIC quickly learns that even though their Hizooka armed fighter can handle Spitfires, it cannot handle the FM-2, especially in the vertical, where the FM-2 really rocks. Both Spits and Hurris aileron roll faster than the FM-2. However, neither has anything near the rudder effectiveness of the General Motors Wildcat. A big bootful of rudder along with full aileron causes the FM-2 to roll as fast or faster than either of the other two. Scissoring with the FM-2 is nearly certain death. Nothing decelerates faster than the Wildcat if power is pulled off and lots of rudder is used. To date, I have not had a single Spitfire escape me once I worked onto his six. Not one. Give the credit to the Wildcat.
Of course, the Niki, not quite as maneuverable as Spits or Hurricanes, is somewhat less of a challenge, with some exceptions. Being a fixed-wing rotorcraft ;), the Niki is tough to deal with in extended, high-angle climbs. However, if the FM-2 has an initial energy advantage, this is largely offset. As always, cannon armed fighters present a real danger should they get any kind of a snapshot. So, it is important to engage with that in mind.
Dealing with Zeros is another matter, especially with the A6M2. No fighter can afford to engage the gray Zeke in a stallfight. However, it accelerates poorly in a dive, and although it climbs at very steep angles, the FM-2 does out-climb it by a significant margin at low levels. Typical of the type, roll rate goes to near zero at high speeds. So, dive away, accelerate to 300+ mph, then roll sharply and turn. The Zero cannot follow, even using rudder. Nonetheless, getting caught low and slow with a Zeke close on your six is usually bad news.
There is one more thing I found useful while experimenting with gun convergence. Since almost anything can out-run the Wildcats, I set convergence at 650 yards, because I often find myself behind another fighter that is pulling away. During my last sortie last evening, I engaged a Bf 109G-10 at low level. I executed a split S dropping onto his six at about 600 yards. I opened fire at 650-700 yards and the convergence ripped the 109 apart. Had I left the convergence at 400 yards, it is likely that damage would not have been nearly as catastrophic. With only 4 guns, maximizing effectiveness is critical. Of course, getting caught low and without E in a 109G-10 isn't very smart either.
There is one other area where the FM-2 shines bright… PT busting. Being an extremely stable rocket platform, going after PTs has become almost easy. Typically, I salvo all 6 rockets (choose your increment, but 50 milliseconds works just fine). I prefer to attack from dead astern diving at a 20-30 degree angle, triggering the rockets at ranges from 800 to 1200 yards. It seems to work and I’ve never suffered a single ping in return. I’ve noticed that many PT drivers fail to watch their 6 carefully. Then again, I find PTs to be the most useless piece of equipment in this game. ;)
My regards,
Widewing